Whatever It Takes (17 page)

Carol and Lisa picked Laurie up from work at 9:00. She was
actually relieved to be avoiding the bus but Lisa was drinking and passed the
bottle to Carol. Laurie wasn’t comfortable riding with someone who was drinking
but the trip back to her dorm shouldn’t take long. She sat in the backseat,
amused as she listened to Carol and Lisa laughing about some guy who had been
flirting with them online who was coming to their party.

She was surprised when the car stopped and the door across
from her opened. A startled cry escaped her when Trey got in, smiling broadly.
She immediately reached for her door handle but Carol pulled away from the curb
so fast the tires squealed. Heart pounding, Laurie turned back to face him.

“Now you have to listen to me,” Trey said.

Nauseated, she leaned away from him. “Trey, there is nothing
to talk about. I told you to leave me alone.”

Carol and Lisa laughed from the front seat, still passing
the bottle back and forth.

“There is plenty to talk about, Laurie.” Trey grabbed her
arm hard and yanked her toward him. “Let’s talk about the money you owe me or
the fact that you fucked up my laptop, deleted my term papers.”

Laurie pulled her arm free, knocking herself into the door
in the process.

“I don’t owe you anything and after what you did to me, you
deserve way worse than a broken laptop and deleted files. It’s over and done,
Trey. Why are you bothering me again now?”

“Because no one breaks up with me,” Trey hissed. “And now I
know, don’t I? That you’re a fucking liar. You thought you would toy with me
for a few months and then brush me off just in time to pick up your trust fund,
huh?”

“What are you talking about, Trey? What fucking trust fund?
Do you really think I would be living on ramen noodles if I had a trust fund?
Have you lost your mind?”

Trey reached for her again and she slapped him hard in the
face.

“Keep your goddamn hands off me.”

“Oh really?” Trey laughed and then turned to Carol. “Pull
over.”

Carol did as Trey asked. He reached across Laurie, opened
the door and began pushing her out. She tried to get her feet under her but couldn’t
manage it with Trey shoving at her. She landed on her knees then rolled to her
butt.

The door slammed shut and the car sped away, leaving her
sitting on the sidewalk.
Not embarrassing at all
, she thought as she got
to her feet, grateful that at least her skirt hadn’t flown up over her head
when she fell. She had only taken a step or two when she noticed her
surroundings and her knees went weak. Most smart people avoided this
neighborhood. It made the section where Mason’s old apartment was located look
like a sleepy suburb. She walked a little faster, trying to see a street sign
so she could get her bearings.

“Hey, baby,” someone called from up the block. “Where are
you going in such a hurry?”

Raucous laughter and catcalls followed the question, the
sounds getting closer by the minute. She dug her cellphone out of her jacket
pocket, not sure who to call. Her heart was pounding as she saw movement in the
darkness coming closer to her.

* * * * *

Mason’s cell rang just as he walked in after a long day at
work and he let out a quiet growl. He was in a shittier mood than usual and
didn’t need anyone’s bullshit. He put the phone to his ear without checking the
caller ID.

“What?” he demanded.

“Mason?” The voice sounded small and scared and he didn’t
need caller ID to know who it was.

“Laurie, what’s wrong?” Adrenaline was already coursing
through his body. His girl was in serious trouble; he could hear it in her
voice.

She let loose with a short, hysterical story about her
friends offering her a ride home and then dumping her out in a bad part of
town.

He demanded the street name so he could find her and he
heard shouting and laughter in the background. When she told him the exact
intersection she was at he cursed. He knew that area—he had started out selling
there—and it was worse than bad. He was already running for his car.

“I’m coming, Angel. Just hold on.”

He couldn’t make out what she said next; her voice broke
into static and her piece-of-shit phone dropped the signal.

* * * * *

Laurie kept heading toward the end of the block as the
voices got closer to her. She wanted to scream and throw her phone. Mason’s
voice had been like a lifeline. Just the hearing him talk had made her feel
safer and calmer. She was nearly to the corner when more figures stepped in
front of her.

“Look, I don’t want any trouble,” she said loudly enough for
those nearing her to hear. “I’m just waiting for my ride. He’ll be here any
minute.”

“We’ll give you a ride, baby,” a man said, stepping a little
closer. “We’ll give you the ride of your life.”

The sound of laughter surged around her again. She still
couldn’t make out any features but she could tell the closest guy to her wasn’t
a huge man. He looked about average sized, which meant she might have a chance to
escape.
If
he was the only one she had to handle…but other figures
loomed closer and closer to her. Even if she ran, she wouldn’t get far.

Refusing to go down without a fight, she balled her hands
into fists, ready to strike out at the first person to reach her. Her blood was
rushing so fast and her heart was pounding so hard that it took her a moment to
hear the screeching noise. She looked up to see the souped-up, black-and-silver
Mustang skid around the corner.

“Fuck,” one of the men whispered. “I know that car. Is that
Mr. Fix-It? Bitch, you got Mr. Fix-It coming down here?”

“Naw, I heard he left town or something,” another man said.

The car steered toward them, showing no signs of slowing
down, the engine growling like an angry animal.

“Fuck that, I ain’t taking no chances,” the first man
announced. “That son of a bitch is crazy. I’m outta here. Good luck, girl, you’re
going to need it with that guy.”

The men scattered as the car skidded to a stop next to
Laurie. Mason leaped out and raced to where Laurie was standing on the corner.

“Laurie, get your ass in the car now,” he commanded in a
growl.

Laurie didn’t hesitate for a second. She practically dove
through the door Mason held open. He slammed it behind her and then took the
time to look directly toward the figures lurking in the darkness. He held his
arms out wide, as if challenging someone to confront him.

“You motherfuckers wanna mess with my girl? You fuck with
her, you fuck with me. Come on, you fuckin’ cowards. Let’s see you get through
me.”

His anger was met with silence. Obviously, nobody was crazy
enough to confront him. Laurie couldn’t blame any of them. Mason stood on the
sidewalk with anger rolling off him in sheets. He looked larger than life. He
was breathing heavily, his eyes wild, his body tense, muscles flexing with
every movement. Laurie thought he looked something like a Viking warrior, ready
to battle to the death.

No, not many people would want to do battle with him. When
no one accepted his challenge, he slowly walked back to the driver’s side, got
in and they sped away, the car laying rubber for several yards. He drove hard
and fast with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel and Laurie’s panic
faded with every breath she took, but anger and self-pity replaced it.

Laurie sat tensely in the passenger seat as Mason drove, taking
slow, deep breaths. She was quiet, at first, but then burst into tears, which
surprised and unsettled him. His mind reeled as he made a mental list of all
the people he needed to kill. College Boy and his two bitches were on top of
that list. After that, he thought he might hit that whole neighborhood with a
fucking howitzer or maybe even an RPG.

“Laurie, are you okay?” he asked, trying to sound as calm
and comforting as possible.

Laurie wiped her nose on a tissue from the glove compartment
and shook her head.

“How could they do that to me?” She struggled to catch her
breath. “They said they were my friends and even if they weren’t, how could
they do that? I know they did it on purpose. They could have thrown me out
anywhere. They didn’t have to drop me off in rape central. It’s like I’m
nothing. Then when I needed help, I realized I don’t have anyone to call. I don’t
have
anyone
. No family, no friends. Nobody who gives a shit whether I
get murdered in an alley or not. I’m just lucky you were nice enough to come to
my rescue. I mean, how many people have to call a drug dealer to save them. Not
even for the first time either. You’re always saving me. I bet you wish you’d
never met me.” She buried her face in her hands and dissolved into quiet,
pitiful sobs.

Mason tried his best not to crack a smile. Her pity party
was so out of character that it came off as cute. He maneuvered the car into a
parking space and turned in his seat to face her.

“You know, technically, I’m not a drug dealer anymore; I’m
your mechanic.”

She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes.

“But yeah, when I was a drug dealer, I always tried to offer
personalized service…you know, with the home-cooked meals, long personal talks
and Christmas gifts.” He let out a small laugh. “Do you think I did that shit
for everyone?”

Laurie sniffed and managed to crack a small smile.

“Laurie, you’re my friend—hell, you’re more than that. You
call and I come running; you need me, I’m there. You’ve had me wrapped around
your finger since the day I met you. Don’t you think that qualifies as having
someone?”

Laurie seemed to think about it for a moment then nodded as
she wiped her eyes.

“You’re my hero once again. You should have a cape.”

Mason chuckled, glad to see her mood lightening. “I seem to
remember you being my hero in a big way not too long ago, so I think you need a
cape also.” He opened his door and slipped out, quickly coming around to open
Laurie’s door.

“Where are we?” she asked, allowing him to pull her out of
the car.

“It’s a carnival,” he said, “There’s a storm coming…we’re
going to ride the Ferris wheel.”

“What?” Laurie looked confused but allowed him to lead her
away from the car.

With Mardi Gras in full swing over in the French Quarter,
there were few people at the tiny carnival at that time of night, so they didn’t
have to wait in line for any of the booths or rides.

“You know this is my first carnival,” Laurie said, smiling
and taking in all the sights around her as she nibbled on popcorn and juggled
the prizes Mason had won for her.

“Are you kidding?” He laughed. “You’ve never been to a
carnival before?”

“My grandmother forbade it when I was a kid. She said they
were cheap. And since then, well, I guess I don’t get out much.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance and Mason brightened as he
took her hand and led her toward the Ferris wheel.

They left Laurie’s prizes with the operator and got into the
basket. They were the only passengers so they didn’t have to wait through a
bunch of stops and starts to get to the top. Once they reached the top, the ride
stopped.

“Wow, what a view.” Laurie gasped.

Mason laughed then pointed out toward the lake. A storm was
moving in over the water and the lightning made the most beautiful light show.
She shivered and Mason put his arm around her, rubbing her to warm her. Laurie
leaned in to him and rested her head against his shoulder. He heard her sigh
happily and kissed the top of her head, enjoying the intoxicating scent of her
hair. Holding her felt so good that he thought he could stay there all night.

They watched the storm in awe until it got close enough that
they had to come down. No sooner had they exited the ride than it started
raining, lightly at first. They ran hand in hand back to Mason’s car, laughing
the whole way. He opened the passenger-side door for her. She tossed her
armload of stuffed animals in the backseat and turned around to face him.

“Thank you so much for this, Mason,” she said.

He smiled down at her. “You don’t have to thank me, Angel.
This was a great time for me too.”

She leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on the corner of
his mouth. His hand flew to her hair and he turned his face to catch her lips.
She sucked in a sharp breath and accepted him eagerly.

Mason’s heart raced as Laurie deepened the kiss. She gripped
the front of his shirt and his body responded to her the way it always did. He
wanted more, a lot more. She pressed her body to his and shivered when his
erection poked her belly. He circled her with his arms and squeezed her ass as
he ground his hips against hers. She groaned as he invaded her mouth with his
tongue, kissing her with all the longing he’d felt over the last month. Rain
began to pelt them harder. He pulled his lips from hers and moved his mouth
down her neck, savoring the taste of her.

“Mason,” she whimpered urgently, her body trembling.

He pulled back enough to see the need in her dark eyes and
nodded. After kissing her again, he turned around with her and dropped into the
passenger seat, pulling her with him. He adjusted the seat all the way back.
She straddled his hips and he pulled the door shut, enveloping them in darkness
as the rain began to pound hard on the roof of the car.

Laurie frantically yanked his shirt up to his neck, running
her hands up his chest. He groaned as she explored his torso, stopping to pay
attention to his nipples. He pushed her shirt up and popped open her bra and
caressed her breasts. She sighed as she leaned forward and captured his lips,
pressing her skin against his. He reached under her long skirt and, with a
quick yank, ripped her panties free and tossed them aside. He caressed and
squeezed her bare ass before he ran a hand up her inner thigh to her sweet
spot. He found her wet and ready with his fingers and slid one inside her
tight, hot channel. Her muscles contracted around his invasion and she moaned
and then broke the kiss to take several gasping breaths.