Fracture

23. Levi

CHAPTER 23

LEVI

“You’ve managed to find gainful employment?” My parole officer, a man with round glasses and thinning grey hair called Dave, looks over the form in front of him, his voice betraying just how bored he is by his job.

“Sure have.” I stretch my legs out in front of me, hot sun spilling in through the window of the stifling office. “I’m my own boss, as a matter of fact. I bought a garage.”

Dave’s eyes widen as he pulls a face at the form. “How great for you.”

“Thanks.” I suppress a laugh. This guy has no time for a rich kid like me.

“And you’re keeping out of trouble?” He looks at me over the rims of his round glasses.

I smirk and shrug. “Sure am.” Except for that guy I helped murder a few weeks ago, I’m clean as a fucking whistle .

Dave holds my gaze for a few beats, before looking back down at his form with a sigh. “I don't think we have anything else to discuss. Unless you need access to some programs or something.”

“I’m good, man. But thanks.”

“No problem.” Dave could not be any less interested if he tried. He looks up at me with a wan smile. “That’s all for today then.”

“Great, thanks for your time.” I get to my feet, and my phone buzzes in my pocket as I leave Dave’s cramped office and head down the dilapidated hallway of the parole office. I pull my phone out to see a message from Dylan.

Your mom’s interview is tonight.

Guess we’ll see what the old bitch has to say soon then.

It’s not going to be good.

Does Stella know?

I don’t think so, but I’m at the shop right now.

OK, I’ll see you when you get home.

Love you.

Love you too, pretty boy.

I’d gone back and forth on when to kill my mother. The thought itself didn’t bother me - she had to die for what she did. What bothered me was the When. I’d wanted to run out into the night and do it immediately after Iverson had sputtered out his confession. But Dylan had insisted we needed to bide our time, or it would look too suspicious.

Iverson’s disappearance had made headlines, and his family were on social media daily, begging for someone to give them some idea on what had happened to their beloved father and grandfather. That is, until his office was searched and child porn was found on his computer. Then they’d gone real, real quiet.

No one would miss him.

But my mother… That was a whole other matter.

My phone buzzes again, and I can’t help but break into a grin when I see it’s a photo of Stella, naked in the hot tub, her breasts wet and glistening and on display for me.

I’m so lonely .

You better be like that when I get home.

Better hurry, I might have to get myself off soon.

Don’t you fucking dare touch that pussy.

Another picture pops up, and I grit my teeth at the sight of Stella’s fingers between the lips of her cunt. Fucking tease .

These past few weeks have been like heaven. While Dylan and I are busy at the garage most days, the time we have at home together, the three of us, I never thought life could be this good. And it’s not just the fucking. I mean, OK, the fucking is spectacular. I’m still amazed that we’ve all fallen into this easy rhythm with each other, no jealousy, no animosity. Sometimes we’re all together, sometimes it’s just two of us.

I love it all.

I dare to imagine a future together, a life where we have everything we ever wanted.

I dare to imagine being a father for the first time in my life. And I wouldn’t even care if it was me or Dylan who got Stella pregnant. It would be our baby. The thought heals a small part of me, the idea of surrounding a child with all this love.

But I’m not brave enough to bring that up yet, and I honestly just want to savor this time alone with the two of them.

Even with demons chasing us down every day.

I’m not going to think about my mother and her interview today though. That bitch’s grave is already dug out and waiting. I’m going to pick my moment. And she’ll suffer for everything she did.

But right now, I want to get home to my girl. Those pictures have driven me to the fucking brink. The whole drive home from downtown to Stella’s pretty tree-lined street is torture. When I pull up, I head straight for the back porch, to find her still in the hot tub, waiting for me.

Her eyes light up as I appear and start stripping off.

“You took forever,” she purrs, giggling as I get in and gather her in my arms.

“It took forever to get here, thinking of this pussy at home, just waiting for me.” I lift her on to the edge of the tub, slippery and naked, and run my cock through the slickness between her thighs. “You got yourself off, didn’t you?”

A smile curves her lips. “I just wanted to be ready for you.”

We both look down to watch me sink into her slowly, and she gasps, pressing her forehead against my cheek.

“Oh god,” she murmurs. She moans as I fill her completely, her head falling back, her fingers digging into my shoulders. “The neighbors might see.”

“I don’t fucking care.” I settle back into the water with her on my lap, and she rides me slowly, her perfect tits in my face. “Fuck, baby girl, this pussy is going to drive me insane.”

“Oh my god, you feel so good.” She hisses as I grab her hair, angling her head back so I can suck on the delicate skin of her throat. Her cunt clenches around my cock, and I groan against her skin.

“What the hell is this ?” My mother’s voice rings across the yard, and Stella scrambles off me immediately.

I turn to look over the edge of the tub, to see my mother’s wide eyes and gaping mouth as she stands in the drive.

“What is going on here?” My mother demands, clutching her purse in shaking hands, moving closer to the porch.

“Why are you here?” Stella clambers out of the hot tub and throws on a blue robe, pushing her hair from her face. “You’re not welcome here, get out of my yard.”

My mother fixes her with a venomous gaze as she steps up onto the decking. “I’d appreciate you being quiet while I talk to my son .”

I rise out of the water, my hard cock very much on display, and my mother’s face goes beet red as she averts her eyes. “Why are you here, Mother?”

“For god’s sake, Levi, put some clothes on,” she snaps, her eyes fixed on the ground. “Have some dignity.”

“Dignity? Interesting choice of word.” I get out of the tub and wrap a towel around my waist. “Does dignity bring you here today?”

She fixes her furious eyes on me, shaking her head. “How could you? How could you sleep with… With her ? It’s disgusting! It’s obscene!”

“Well, you’d know all about obscenity, wouldn’t you?” I move to Stella’s side and kiss her temple. “Go inside, baby girl.”

Stella’s gaze snaps up to meet my eyes, and she shakes her head. “I don’t want her here.”

“I know, let me take care of it.” I kiss her lips gently, and my mother makes a choking sound. “Go inside, and wait for me there.”

Stella’s gaze slips from mine over to my mother, and her eyes darken. Her lips twitch, but she doesn’t say anything, heading into the house and slamming the French door behind her so hard that the windows shake.

My mother is still glaring at me, her lips a tight white line. “Explain yourself.”

“Explain what?” I pick up my jeans and retrieve my cigarettes from the pocket, lighting one for myself and exhaling a plume of smoke in my mother’s direction. “What are you even doing here?”

“I hadn’t heard from you in weeks, you haven’t answered any of my calls. I assumed you were still living here.”

“Congratulations, you assumed correctly.”

She exhales heavily through her nose. “I stopped by the garage and your charming Mexican friend told me in no uncertain terms that I was not welcome.”

I make a mental note to give Dylan a blowjob tonight. “He has a fucking name, Mother. And he’d be right.”

“And then I come here and find you… You doing… that with your step-sister. And in broad daylight?” She gestures at the neighboring houses with a diamond-encrusted hand. “You want everyone to know you’re committing incest?”

“It’s hardly incest, mother.” I take a long drag on the cigarette, eyeing her furious expression. “Besides, there are worse things you can do than commit incest.”

My mother crosses her arms over chest, tapping her foot against the decking. “And what would those be?”

“I don’t know.” I flick the ash from my cigarette. “Like, imagine if you helped someone commit a crime? You know, imagine someone made it possible for a person to do that, to hurt an innocent person?” When I meet her gaze, I see a flicker of uncertainty. “I mean, that’d make someone a piece of shit, right? That would be really bad.”

Her face settles back into an expression of disgust, and she gives her shoulders a shake. “Don’t try and change the subject. I forbid this, Levi. I will never accept this relationship.”

“Well, since I don’t answer to you, I guess all I can say is too fucking bad.” I suck on my cigarette with a chuckle. “I’m fucking Dylan, too, if that makes you feel any better.”

My mother’s eyes almost roll straight out of her skull. “That’s not funny.”

“What’s wrong? I thought you were all about progress.” I laugh at her expression as I take another drag of my cigarette, sidling towards her. “Imagine what it could do for your image, telling everyone you have a bisexual son in a polyamorous relationship? What a fucking campaign slogan for the next governor.”

My mother slaps me hard. “You’re disgusting.”

I rub my jaw, laughing again. “Not so progressive after all, I guess.”

“You will pack up your things and move out of this house, immediately ,” my mother snaps, jabbing her finger in my face. “I will not accept any son of mine living in this sort of depravity. And if you refuse, I’ll make sure your grandfather makes Stella and Dylan’s lives extremely difficult.”

I lunge at her, grabbing a hold of the strap of her bag that’s slung over her shoulder. Her expression is one of a startled deer, her eyes wide and filled with fear.

“I’m telling you this very plainly, Gloria.” I ignore the flinch at the use of her name. “You are not coming into this house and threatening the people I love.”

“Let go of me.”

“You think you can do what you like, and no one’s ever going to know?” I lower my face, staring into the cold and heartless face of the woman who gave birth to me. “There are consequences, Mother. And don’t think for one fucking second you can outrun them.”

My mother jerks out of my grasp, the strap of her purse giving way with a loud snap. She clutches it to her chest, smoothing down those imaginary misplaced hairs, wobbling on her Louboutins.

“Do not threaten me, Levi. You may be my son, but I won’t protect you if you continue to be disloyal.”

“Fuck your loyalty.” I flick the cigarette in her direction, and she stumbles backwards before the glowing stub can singe her overpriced skirt suit. “Fuck you, and the family, and your loyalty. Now get the fuck off Stella’s property.”

“You’ll regret this,” she spits at me, before turning on her heel and hurrying down the drive to the waiting town car.

“Don’t fucking come back!” I bellow after her. I exhale heavily as her car pulls away, rolling my head on my shoulders. My mother threatening the two people I love, that just won’t fucking fly. If I wasn’t going to kill her before, I sure as fuck would be now.

And my grandfather might need taking care of, too.

In prison, someone had told me how he’d killed his grandmother for her life insurance money. An air shot, between her toes. Everyone thought it was a heart attack. He’d almost gotten away with it. Until he’d gotten high as balls and told their cousin all about it, the day before the check was meant to clear. On video tape.

Fucking idiot.

But it does give me an idea on what good old Oswald will have happen to him while he has his nightly brandy in his study.

I head into the house to find Stella in the living room, legs curled up under herself, staring out the window.

“Is she gone?”

I cross the room and sit beside her on the window seat. “She’s gone, and she’s not coming back.”

Stella laughs bitterly, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “That’s what you think.” She looks over at me. “Her interview is tonight, did you know?”

“Yeah, Dylan told me.”

“Yeah.” Her gaze wanders back out the window, fixed on the trees swaying gently in the sunshine. “Is it weak of me to say I’m scared of what she’s going to say?”

“No.” I reach across and take her hand, stroking her fingers with mine. “My mother’s like a fucking landmine, you never know where to step.”

“That’s for damn sure. Guess we all lucked out in the mothering department.” Her hand curls around mine. “Except Dylan. His mom sounds like she was great.”

“She was.”

“It’s why I never wanted to have kids. What the fuck would I know about being a good mother?”

“I think you’d be a great mother.”

Her eyes meet mine, and her shoulders slump a little. “You want kids, don’t you?”

I sigh and shrug, looking down at our hands. “It’s… I don’t know. It’s complicated. But I guess yeah, it’s something I could see myself doing. Especially… Now. I mean, can you imagine being a kid and having three parents around you, who adore you? Who just… love you? Imagine being surrounded by all that.”

When I look back up at Stella, her eyes are shining with tears.

“And what if it wasn’t yours?” She asks quietly.

I shuffle closer to her, so our legs are touching and her warmth seeps against my skin. “That baby would be ours .”

Her eyes flutter closed, and I lean in to brush a kiss against one of her eyelids. A single tear runs down her cheek, and I kiss it away.

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, baby girl.” I tip her head back, and she opens her eyes to gaze into mine. “A life with you and Dylan, that's enough for me, more than enough. But never let them stop you from living. Never let their decisions make you think you’re anything like them. You’re not.”

“Do you believe Iverson?” She shifts closer to me, and I lean back so she can lie against me between my legs. “I mean, what if he was bluffing?”

“A man in his position wouldn’t be bluffing, trust me.”

Her big amber eyes gaze up at me, and she winces a little. “I’m afraid to ask.”

“Don’t. You don’t need to know.”

She lays her head back against my chest with a sigh. “You know, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to kill someone. To have that power in your hands, to take a life.” She laughs softly, stroking my bare skin with her fingertips. “It’s twisted, I know that, but… I’ve thought about it, more times than I’d like to admit. I’ve… I’ve wondered what went through my father’s head, when…” She trails off, and it hangs in the air between us.

“It’s fucked up.” I run a hand over her hair, threading my fingers through it and holding her close to me. “It’s a power trip. One that breaks a part of you.”

I feel her flinch, but she doesn’t move away from me.

“When… When your father died,” I go on slowly, “he was angry. He didn’t show an ounce of remorse. Not even a bit. Not even when Dylan had that gun pointed in his face and was screaming for him to admit what a bastard he was. He was just… angry. That he’d lost control. That now two teenagers were deciding his fate.”

“He hated Dylan.”

“I know. He hated both of us.”

Stella sits up and tilts her head, her brows knitting together. “What was the last thing he said?”

I don’t want to tell her this. I don’t want to repeat those words, because it was fucked up in the worst way. The words that had Dylan’s eyes widen and his jaw clench before he pulled that trigger and blew Harold Langford’s brains out. If you think she’ll ever stop being a whore, you’re wrong.

So I lie.

“He kept saying we were bastards, and that we’d pay.” The lie sits heavy in my mouth, lie after lie about what happened that night. But Stella doesn’t need to know.

She scoffs, gazing back out the window. “And pay you did.”

“I’m sorry.”

She looks back at me with a pained expression. “If your mother knew, if she planned it…”

“She did. I’m sure she did. Iverson wasn’t lying. He was desperate, thought we’d show him mercy in exchange for information. There’s no doubt in my mind that he knew.”

“You’re going to kill her.” It’s not a question. Stella’s eyes drop to her lap. “I know you’re going to. I know it.”

I reach across and take her hand, pulling her closer to me again, desperate to feel her warmth and not lose her in this darkness. “Hey, listen to me, we’re going to make this right.”

“Does this all make it right, though?” She shakes her head, urgency filling her eyes. “Levi, we could just go. The three of us, just leave. Go somewhere, and forget about all of this.”

“You think those bullets in the letterboxes are going to stop if we just leave?”

Her eyes widen. “How do you know about that?”

“I find out what I need to in order to keep you safe.”

“This is insane, Levi.” She jerks her hand out of my grasp. “This isn’t right. You have to stop.”

I set my jaw, shaking my head. “Not gonna happen.”

“You think they’ll stop if you go around killing everyone?” She gets to her feet, bracing her fingers against her temples. “These people are powerful. You think they’re not going to know it’s you and Dylan? You think they won’t take it out on me when they can?”

I rise and yank her against me. “Do not say that. I will not let them hurt you.”

“You can’t watch me every second of every day.” She reaches up and strokes my cheek. “Levi, you just talked about having a family. Imagine that? Imagine them finding out where we live? Where our kids go to school? Imagine them seeing our daughter at the park?” Fresh tears well in her eyes, and my stomach drops at the very thought of a little girl with Stella’s big amber eyes and Dylan’s brown skin, our daughter , being hurt like Stella was.

“I’m not going to let that happen. We’re sending a message to these people.” I clutch her face in my hands. “They will know not to fuck with us. They will know that. And they will never hurt you, or Dylan, or me, or anyone else we care about. And if they do, I will rain fucking hell down on them.”