Despite the obvious of someone breaking into my apartment and destroying my stuff, things were looking up. The barrier standing between Madden and I had finally collapsed.And boy how I enjoyed the crumble.He made me feel like a whole person. Everything about his touch made me soar. It'd been better than I ever imagined. It was a recipe for disaster if my dad or brother found out, but I was willing to take the heat if Madden would, too.Madden let my study in Sammy's room, giving me some quiet time, that I desperately needed, but my mind was racing.I couldn't stop thinking about his touch. About the way his callused hands felt on my body. I bit the end of my pen, and smiled to myself.Professor Heckles emailed me about meting at the library to gather some printouts for class. Madden mentioned moving softball practice, but I wasn't sure our Coach would be down for that.I couldn’t give it up. I had a full-ride for softball, and I needed that money to pay for school. The money I made
The man rummaging through Ansley's things scurried off as soon as I let go of his t-shirt. The truth was the person responsible could have been anyone. Marcus wasn't the type to do things himself, so it was most likely one of his dad's cartel friends, or someone he hired.We'd never find out from the homeless man rummaging in her things, and since the apartment complex lacked any security cameras, that would be a dead-end, also.Ansley stared into the door of her apartment before sighing. "I have over an hour before I'm scheduled to meet my professors. I guess we need to pick this up—,""Ansley!"The apartment manager, a balding man with a quick walk and a hooknose stopped feet from Ansley. "I've called and left messages. My other tenants are complaining about the mess," he said, gesturing toward the parking lot where some of Ansley's clothing was scattered around."We're here to get it, Alberto," she snapped.He folded his arms. "I need to know what's going on? You haven't been here
My entire body began to shake on the ride to the police station. He'd killed her. Shot her in the back like a coward. The blood … it sprayed—spewed from her like being hit with a water gun. My eyes began to build with tears, and my bottom lip trembled.They would kill us. I knew Marcus was crazy, but I hadn't realized he was only the tip of the iceberg. His family seemed out of control, on a frenzy of killing and doing as they pleased.Madden reached over and placed his palm against my knee. "Calm down, Ansley. We're going to fix this."I wanted to believe that. But I saw the look on that man's face and it was emotionless. Heartless. The lack of empathy chilled my veins. There was nothing normal about that man's face. He lacked that part of a human that made them human. And to my surprise, Marcus looked scared. I'd never pegged him for a murderer, but if he continued down the same road, it didn't seem out of reach for him. His family would pull him down further into the darkened pit
Ansley's nerves spiked when I pulled into a gas station outside of town, and filled up my truck. I pretended not to notice the way she glanced in the review mirror or slightly over her shoulder on the way over. She had every reason to be freaked out. Seeing someone get killed wasn't for the weak of heart. I'd never forget the first time I saw someone die overseas. The fear in his eyes as his life slipped away from him. The blood leaking from his chest after the shot, it ran dark and into the gravely sand beneath him. It haunted me for weeks after that, until it became so normal that it wasn't a surprise to see the light fade away, and all you could do was pray it didn't happen to you. When I slid back into the driver's seat with a couple Coke's and chicken strips from the store, Ansley didn't budge. I started the engine, and glanced over at her. "Hungry?"She turned to face me, underneath her pretty eyes were swollen from crying, and I knew nothing I could say would wash away those
“Mr. Ernest, put the newspaper away!”The man pushing his late seventies looked at me over the top of his newspaper and dramatically licked his finger before turning the page. In his defense, hiring a fitness trainer was his wife’s idea.For three months, he sat at the tricycle in the corner of the gym, reading his newspaper while I tried to encourage him to work out—obviously, with no luck.The florescent lighting reflected off his balding head while his only movement, besides turning the paper, was to push up his tiny framed glasses on his crooked nose.I leaned against the floor to ceiling mirror surrounding us and took a drink of my bottled water. At least his reluctant attitude gave me extra time to work out for myself.“Dude is relentless,” Corey said.Corey, another trainer leaned beside me, offering me one of his mini pretzels. I snagged one, laughing to myself at his choice in snacks. With three y
I shamelessly watched Ansley watch down the stairs in front of me and toward the passenger seat of my pickup. It’d been years since I’d seen her, and time had been good to her. Mr. Sanders mentioned she worked part-time as a fitness trainer and seeing her, I understood. She looked good enough to eat. But, that was one meal I’d have to skip if I wanted to keep my balls. Her Dad wasn’t going for that, and it wasn’t the reason I was hired. I needed to get this prick off her back and make it safe. What a coward, threatening a woman. She hopped into the passenger seat and pointed us in the direction of the cell phone store. I could remember when Ansley and her grandmother had the wreck that took her leg. The tears in her eyes lying in that hospital bed would break anyone’s heart. I also remembered her dad giving her a pep talk and the way it soared her confidence. Ansley never took shit from anyone, which it didn’t surprise me, that she broke it of
The screwdriver incident followed me around like a bad day. To know Marcus would do something so petty pissed me off and embarrassed me. Madden was right … what did I see in him? The rest of the day flew by and I felt myself relax when softball practice neared. Madden plopped down in the passenger seat of my car. “Any more surprises in store for today?” “Just softball and my shift at the restaurant.” Madden sighed. “Damn girl, do you ever sleep?” I smiled. I liked to keep busy for many reasons. Paying the bills being the biggest one. My apartment was small and crappy but a lot when I had other expenses. I couldn’t ask my dad for pride reasons, so I did what any college-aged girl needed to. The softball field sat in the back corner of the campus surrounded by woods and bleachers. It was my time to relax, other than the gym and I loved every minute of it. My practice partner, Sarah, waited for me by the fence, noticing Ma
“Push it.”Ansley spotted the middle-aged woman on the weight bench while motivating her. She looked in her element. After the night before I wasn’t sure how she’d be this morning. When I heard her in the kitchen, and noticed the time, I knew she wouldn’t let this Marcus kid get to her.I was glad. I didn't always know the right thing to say to someone, especially a hurt female.Seeing those tears in her eyes really pissed me off. I could have crushed his trachea the night before. When I pressed my boot against his chest, I felt the fear in him. I liked it. It wasn’t normal to find pleasure in someone’s fear, and I recognized it as dangerous early on in my time overseas. I shoved it aside, the excitement of hurting our enemy, and crammed it down so deep I thought I’d gotten rid of it.Guess not.Mr. Ernest, Ansley’s favorite trainee, dramatically turned the page of his newspaper and sho