Blurred lines by kd will.., p.15
Blurred Lines by KD Williamson, page 15
“Just get the fuck out of our way, asshole.”
Kelli brushed against her. Nora’s stomach spiraled then dropped rapidly to the concrete below, leaving her even more breathless than before.
“I’m not—” Rader reddened and stepped back. He didn’t seem to have as much bravado as he did minutes earlier.
“Really, this state isn’t big enough for the two of us right now. Just get in your car and leave.” Kelli gestured toward his vehicle.
Rader stared, but Kelli stared right back.
He was the first to look away. “Fuck you! Fuck both of you!”
Kelli waved and smiled. “No thank you.”
A few seconds later, he sped away. Kelli turned and grasped Nora by the shoulder. Her hand slowly slid downward until it encircled her wrist. “You okay?”
An electric charge sizzled up Nora’s arms and rushed over her skin. She blinked, completely blindsided by the jolt.
“Nora?” Kelli stepped closer to her.
Nora’s belly twisted again. She stared helplessly into Kelli’s eyes. She changed her mind. Magic…it was definitely sorcery of some kind.
“Are you okay?”
Nora needed to breathe. She needed to think. She pulled away from Kelli’s grasp. “Yes, I—” She had no idea what to say.
Kelli’s face colored. “Are you mad? Don’t be mad. I know you can take care of yourself. I just…that guy pisses me off.”
“I’m not mad.” Nora walked away. She had to move. Nora could hear Kelli not far behind. They reached her car. She noticed that her hands were trembling as she searched her purse for keys.
“Then what are you?” Kelli whispered from behind.
Nora wanted to turn around but couldn’t. “I…don’t know.” The truth fell from her lips. This situation and these feelings were too unfamiliar, too new.
“Nora?”
Nora closed her eyes. She could hear the uncertainty in Kelli’s tone. Nora spoke but she had no idea where the words came from. “I’m trying, but right now, I need to leave.”
Kelli didn’t respond, but Nora took that as understanding. She unlocked the Mercedes and eased into the driver’s seat. Nora could still feel Kelli’s gaze on her. She glanced at her and found it very difficult to look away.
Kelli held up a hand and stepped back.
Nora started the car and fled.
* * *
Kelli shuffled into her mother’s house. After the day she’d had so far, she didn’t know if she was up for this, but she didn’t have a choice. Her family needed her, and that meant she needed to concentrate on them now. She called out, “Mom!”
“I’m in the kitchen!”
“Can you come out here?”
Her mother wiped her hands on a towel as she walked into the living room. “What’s going on? You okay? I can get some pillows so you can stretch that leg out.”
“My leg is fine, Mom.” Kelli lied. It hurt like a bitch.
“Then what is it?”
Kelli licked her lips and moved toward the couch. She waved her mother over. As soon as they sat down, Kelli said, “Sean’s coming. He’s bringing Antony with him.”
Carina smiled. “Oh, that’s good. Maybe we can have dinner. It’s hard to get the three of you together like this nowadays.”
Kelli’s sighed. “I know, but look, I know you want him to be okay, but he’s not. I need you to see that.”
“Who? What are you talking about?” Her mother scrunched up her face and scooted away.
“Tony. C’mon, Mom. You see it. I know you don’t want to, but you can’t keep pretending everything’s roses.”
“It? What’s it?”
“Tony’s on meth again.” Kelli decided to just spit it out.
“What? No, he’s always been high strung. Why do you always have to think the worst about him?” Carina’s face reddened, and her eyes were glassy.
Kelli knew this wasn’t going to be easy. “Spongebob? You remember that? He was talking out the side of his head. Caffeine is a wonderful thing, but it doesn’t make people do that. Think about it, Mom. All the signs are there. I know you know what I’m saying.”
Carina started to cry. “I thought he was trying.”
“I’m sure he was trying at first, but right now the drugs are stronger than he is.”
Her mother covered her face and wept in earnest. “Oh God.”
Kelli gently took her mother’s hands and stared into her eyes. She had never been all that affectionate, especially as an adult, but it seemed like the time. “We have to help him.”
“I don’t know how anymore.”
“Yeah, but we gotta try. I called in some favors and did an involuntary committal. The police should be here soon to take him to the hospital until we can get him to detox.”
“What’s this involuntary committal thing about?”
Kelli squeezed her mother’s hands. She knew this wasn’t going to go over well. Kelli started to feel the first pang of guilt, but she pushed it away. “I was able to put him on a seventy-two-hour psych hold, and we just have to hope a spot opens up in rehab before that time is over.”
Her mother jerked away. “But…he’s not crazy. You lied?”
“Mom,” Kelli said wearily.
There was a thud at the door, and then it burst open.
Sean stumbled in, carrying a groaning Tony over his shoulder. With a loud grunt, Sean laid Tony on the loveseat and then bent over to try to catch his breath.
Tony smelled like he’d been rolling in piss and liquor, and Kelli’s eyes watered from the stench. It had been a long time since she’d seen Tony like this. The sight broke her heart.
“What did you do to him?” Carina cried and rushed over to Tony.
Kelli saw the flash of hurt in Sean’s eyes. She squeezed his shoulder to let him know he’d done well.
“What I had to,” Sean finally said. “I followed him to an area known for meth distribution.”
“What?” Carina asked, her face drawn tight with emotion.
Kelli glanced at Sean, and answered so he wouldn’t have to. “Mom, we talked about this. Look at him.”
“Maybe we can give him some time to get a handle on things.” Carina swept the hair away from Tony’s forehead and tried to shake him awake.
“I tried to do that. It didn’t work,” Sean said.
Antony groaned louder and started to move. Without warning, he lashed out and knocked their mother to the floor. “Get the fuck away from me!” He wiped snot from his nose and pushed himself up. He wobbled, but stayed on his feet.
Kelli glanced at her mother. Sean was already helping her up, which allowed Kelli to focus on Tony.
Kelli studied him closely, trying to get a handle on his next move. He was high, and that made him unpredictable and capable of anything. “Antony. You’re home,” she said calmly. “You’re in a safe place.”
“Fuck you!”
Kelli raised her hands in surrender. She didn’t want to fight, and Tony needed to know that. “You’re mad. I get that, but we did this to help you. We love you and want you to get better.”
Antony laughed. “St. Kelli doesn’t get shit!” He lunged for her.
Kelli tried to move, but she couldn’t get out of the way in time. Her damn leg made it impossible. He tackled her to the floor. She cried out in pain as she tried to roll away, but her reflexes were shot. She was already getting tired. Tony’s closed his hands around her neck.
Sean wrapped his arms around Antony’s torso and tried to pull him away.
Tony growled like a wild animal. He was definitely homicidal. Maybe the psych hold wasn’t a reach after all.
Sean’s face was red, but he managed to overpower Tony.
Antony shouted, his eyes wide and bloodshot, his nostrils flaring, and a line of spit dripped from his mouth.
Carina screamed in the background.
Kelli pushed against Tony until she was able to wriggle free. She scooted backward until she hit the wall. She closed her eyes as blackness swam up to meet her.
The buzzer was loud, and it pulled Kelli back to consciousness. Her mother stumbled toward the door.
Kelli didn’t recognize the two uniformed cops who entered. They jerked Antony up and cuffed him in a matter of seconds. Sean sagged against the couch, and Carina stood by the open door crying quietly. Antony squirmed, but the officers pulled him out of the living room and toward the door with no problem. “Seattle General is the only place with room in adult psych,” one of the uniforms said.
Kelli stood slowly, keeping her back to the wall.
“I fucking hate you for this.” Tony glared at her.
The officers nodded at Sean and Kelli and closed the door behind them.
Then they were alone.
Carefully, Sean helped her to the couch.
They sat in silence.
CHAPTER 12
The Cuisinart hissed and dribbled coffee into the pot. Impatiently, Kelli glared and willed it to go faster. She looked around the kitchen. There wasn’t anything else to do for the moment, and she thanked God for that, given the way the past forty-eight hours had gone. The walls were painted a soft yellow, set off by the bright white cabinets and light gray granite countertops. Nothing had changed in the past fifteen years or so. Kelli felt a sense of comfort wash over her. Home. It was warm, familiar, and reminded her of better times. Currently, those times seemed few and far between. Kelli tried to shake free of her thoughts. She yawned and scratched the back of her neck. The coffee needed to hurry the hell up. Kelli was already on the other side of exhaustion…wherever that was.
She peered at the clock. It was barely seven-thirty and Kelli was up earlier than usual for physical therapy and her final doctor’s appointment. In other words, it was going to be the best motherfucking day ever. Not. The stairs leading to the living room creaked loudly. Kelli tilted her head toward the noise and listened carefully. When she heard a definite sniffle, she closed her eyes. She was worried about her mother and didn’t expect her to quit crying anytime soon. It wasn’t every day that Tony was dragged from the house in handcuffs.
Kelli curled a hand around her throat. Tony didn’t get a chance to get a good hold on her, and she didn’t bruise easily. Thank Christ, because those kind of marks would have been hard to explain. Kelli wanted to forget that part ever happened. She did her best to clear her head and waited quietly for her mother to make an appearance.
“Oh hey, honey.” Carina tried to sound cheerful as she wiped at her eyes.
The sight nearly gutted Kelli. “Mom, it’s okay to cry as much as you want,” Kelli reminded her.
“I know. I’m just tired of it. Seems like I’ve been crying for years. I thought I was all dried up.”
Nodding, Kelli poured her mother a cup of coffee with a crapload of cream, just the way Carina liked it.
“He’s gotta make it this time. Isn’t that what rehab is for? I don’t understand why it doesn’t work for him.”
Leaning against the counter instead of her cane, Kelli answered her mother the best she knew how. “He has to want it to work, Mom. Maybe this time will be different.”
Carina shook her head and took a sip from her mug. “I look at you and Sean… I just don’t get it. We raised all of you the same, with a lot of love. There’s even a business waiting for whoever wants to take it over. What made his life so terrible?” Distracted, she sat the cup on the counter.
Kelli sighed. She’d wondered the same thing for years and came to the conclusion that some people were just cursed with addictive personalities. “I don’t know. I wish I did.”
“Maybe he has mental health stuff? I mean, maybe he’s not responsible or in control of what he does…” Carina didn’t even finish.
Heart dropping to her stomach, Kelli swallowed. “Mom, don’t. It’s possible. It’s not an excuse. Just don’t lie to yourself like that. Not anymore.”
They stared at each other.
Carina’s eyes were filled with resentment and pain. When she blinked, the emotions were gone, and the tears came back full force. Her mother fell into her arms. Kelli stiffened for a second as she always did with physical contact. Her breath caught in her throat, and she tried like hell to swallow down the anxiety threatening to drown her. The broken, helpless sound coming from her mother made it impossible. Kelli held her tightly, and let her own tears fall too.
Her mom sniffled as she pulled back. “I got us both going. I’m sorry. I know that you try to be strong for everybody.”
Kelli swallowed and stayed quiet. It was the truth.
“We’re just going to be hopeful. That’s all we can do, right?” Carina asked. Her voice was a long way from sounding even remotely hopeful.
Still, Kelli nodded and wiped at her own cheeks. Her mom needed to believe for a little while, and Kelli wouldn’t deny her that.
“I love you. You know that, right? I just wanted to let you know that it’s okay for you to cry too. Things affect you deeply. They always have. You’re just better at handling crap than most people.”
Well, she was trying to handle everything, but it wasn’t working out too well. At least nobody could see that. Kelli looked down at her bare feet. A touch on her chin encouraged her to glance upward.
“Thank you for staying with me. Go home, baby. It’s okay.”
Her mother obviously needed some space. Kelli had gotten her over the hump, and it was time to move forward. “Alright,” she agreed.
Carina gave her a watery smile. “I’ve got to get to work. Give Gerry a kiss for me. I expect you to be gone when I come home.”
Kelli chuckled at her mother’s bluntness. It was a trait that definitely trickled down to her. “Okay.”
Kelli found herself alone in the kitchen again. She sat at the counter, drained the remainder of her mother’s coffee, and thought back on the last couple of days. The person that Sean dragged in wasn’t really Antony. Sure, it looked like him on the outside, but the inside sure as fuck wasn’t her brother. It was as if he was…possessed. There was no other way to describe it. His drug usage was bad before, but she had never seen him like this. Kelli hated the way that shit fucked with people and ripped apart their families, friendships, and everything else that mattered. Her mother had brought up hope, but it was hard considering what she’d seen.
Using her cane, Kelli made her way to the living room. She eased down on the couch and hiked her shorts up over the almost healed wound on her thigh. It was jagged and slightly repulsive. The thing looked like an ugly-ass caterpillar had attached itself to her leg. Kelli touched the scar. It barely hurt at all anymore. There was just an uncomfortable pulling sensation when she flexed the muscle.
Kelli smirked, but her humor came from a dark place. Strange how the pain on the outside was going away, and the shit on the inside just kept growing. Sometimes, she hated her life. Luckily, that feeling usually only lasted for a couple of minutes. Instead of wallowing, Kelli reached for her phone and went to N in the contacts. She touched Nora’s name and just barely stopped herself from hitting send. Given what happened after the deposition, Nora obviously needed some time to herself. This time Kelli was trying to let her have it.
* * *
Physical therapy left Kelli weak and jittery, but she welcomed the feeling. She was ready to kick the world in its ass. Well, not really, but she was definitely healing. Kelli smiled sheepishly at the nurses as she made her way to Travis’s room. Kelli needed to cheer the fuck up before seeing Rader because tearing out his liver probably wouldn’t help Nora’s case. When she walked in his room, Travis wasn’t alone.
Williams glanced up and grinned. “Well, smack my ass. Look who just walked in.”
Kelli stared at him. “I don’t need that kind of imagery.”
“What? Isn’t that what you kids are saying these days?”
“No, we kids don’t say shit like that.” Travis shook his head, a disgusted look on his face.
“Regardless, it’s good to see you two together.” Williams shrugged, seemingly oblivious to having grossed them both out.
Kelli sat down in a chair near Travis’s bed. It was good to see him smiling. She pointed toward his beard. “You really are serious about it. At least you look better than before. The grizzly serial killer look isn’t for you.” Kelly poked at Travis knowing there was no way he was going to let that one fly. No way in hell.
“No, it’ll be a while before he looks anything like Grizzly Adams.” Williams said the words as if they made perfect sense. So far, his two cents had been worth a lot less in Kelli’s opinion.
Instead of saying anything, Travis glanced at Kelli, and they both looked at Williams and waited.
“You know? The guy who lived in the forest. With that bear,” Williams said.
“No, just no. That doesn’t even go with what I just said.” Kelli shook her head. It was good to have this back. Kelli missed their little…discussions.
“Your ass is old and a little senile. How did you go from serial killers to some guy who liked bears?” Travis asked.
Williams sighed. “It’s a good show. You could probably find it on the you tube.”
Kelli looked at him again and noticed the twinkle in his eyes. Williams was so full of shit, but it was the good kind. The kind that distracted from the bad shit like paralysis and drug addiction. “Not on Netflix yet?” Kelli asked with a smirk.
Williams shrugged. “Not entirely sure what that is.”
Travis snorted. “It’s a new porn site.”
“Then why the hell would Grizzly Adams be on there?”
Gerry looked thoughtful. “Sounds like a porn title to me. Bestiality is in with us young folk. You haven’t heard?”
Williams gave him the stink eye. “I’m not going there with you.”
“What? Nothing about Little House on the Prairie?” Kelli asked teasingly.
“Those are two completely different things. How the hell do you know one and not the other?” Williams grumbled.
Kelli shrugged. “The you tube?” She purposefully mispronounced YouTube by stretching it into two words as Williams had.
Travis chuckled, but it died quickly. “I’m a cop,” he whispered. “I’m the fucking murder police. It’s all I wanted to do, and in a few days, I might not be able to do that, or any goddamned thing, ever again.”
