No Mercy (3 page)

Remembering, I nodded hoping to coax Luke to finish the story quickly. 

“I guess I didn’t think of it because I was so wasted that day.  Amanda came over to me with a dare,” Luke said. “Who was I to stop her?  She didn’t even mention it at school the next time I saw her.  I guess I forgot because when you came home you had so much to tell.” My would be friend shrugged and I felt a little better about it.  It wasn’t like I was second to Luke.  I wasn’t sure why that would bother me, but the thought that maybe she wanted him and couldn’t have him only to settle for me later would grate my nerves.  And that would have ended things for us as a couple before it got started. “It was nothing,” he added after a long pause. “I don’t really think she liked me all that much.”

It almost sounded like Amanda was a stone cold bitch who did things for a calculated reason.  And she was exactly what I needed, an emotionless relationship.  One I didn’t have to worry about falling for the girl or her for me.  This was going to be perfect.  Plus things happened between them was over a year ago.  “Fine, Adriana was planning to come here tomorrow. But I think I’ll tell her to meet us at the lake house,” I said trying to sound like it didn’t bother me in the least.

“It’s not a big deal,” Luke pleaded with me about the Amanda thing reading me like a book. 

“Whatever,” I said now taking more than a mouthful of beer.  “Just be nice to Adelina,” I added for a little payback.  That’d taken some of the laughter from the guy’s face.  Luke had never really told me the full story about what happened between him and the other twin, but it had to be something really shit kicking for the guy to dislike her so much.

Luke just conceded and nodded. “When are we leaving?”  Then again, whatever it was between the two couldn’t have been so awful because he still put up with seeing her from time to time.

As far as leaving, now would have been a good time, but we were drinking.  That’s why I said the only thing I could, “Tomorrow.”

Chapter Three
-
Luke
 

Because I didn’t care, I let Flynn manage the radio including the volume on the drive up. The band, Lamb of God, was playing in the background while I pondered the symbolism in that.  Not even a bit hung over, we were headed to Flynn’s dad’s lake house. 

Not in the mood to talk anyway, I blocked out all the noise and concentrated on the road.  After making alternative arrangements for my so called job, we were on our way.  It was good we were leaving town.  I wouldn’t have to worry about running into my father for one of his little heart to hearts.  Bonus, I wouldn’t have to see my mother make a fool of herself. 

Why she let my father get away with things the way he did, annoyed me to no end.  She shouldn’t still love the bastard.  The way he’d broken her heart a few years ago then immediately marrying that brainless woman who didn’t look much older than me should have been her clue.  Yet, I’d been the one left in the house to listen to her cry.  I was the one that had to hold her while she tried to pick up the pieces of her life.  It should have been the job of the guy who wrecked her life. God, I needed a drink or something to dull my senses.  It didn’t matter that drinking wasn’t the answer.  The knowing didn’t take the need away.

Suddenly, Flynn turned down the music.  Eying the guy curiously, I know he thought I was on some sort of self destructive path.  “I was thinking about asking her out,” I said before he spoke, surprising us both. I hadn’t meant to bring her up.  And there was no reason to say her name.  She’d been a topic of conversation between us for a while now. “I know you saw her first, but you haven’t made a move.”  It wasn’t necessarily a hard fast rule for me, but I know Flynn lived by it.

Flynn’s hand moved to the radio and turned the volume down even more.  I suspected that he may like her more than he’d admitted and maybe now he’d fess up. “Aren’t there rules about that?” Flynn asked appreciatively, with raised eyebrows.  He wasn’t talking about the dibs rule either. I knew my friend better than most and saw the quick murderous glance he gave me before his features smoothed out. Touchy when it came to her.

“Rules are made to be broken,” I said, still focusing on the road.  The broken yellow line that constantly drifted ahead of me was a beacon for the hell that would be this weekend. “Just say the word and I’ll back down.”

Risking a glance, I saw Flynn’s jaw clench. I was so certain my friend would finally admit his crush on the girl we’d both watched from afar. Our friend Paul had been an obstacle for a short time, but the guy claimed they were nothing but friends.

No admission from Flynn.  What I got, I hadn’t expected at all.  He turned his whole body in the seat to face me.  “This self-destructive shit you're doing has got to stop.  You must have a death wish if you think dating her is a good idea.”  He was right about part of it.  Neither the council nor my father would take me being with her lightly.  My kind wasn’t allowed to date a charge, conflict of interest and all.

Releasing the pressure on the gas, the car began to slow down.  There wasn’t any traffic on this stretch of road that led to the private community on the lake.  It was too far off the beaten path.  Turning, I faced Flynn with my hands tight on the wheel. “This has nothing to do with all the crap in my life.  I like her.”

“The two of you together is like oil and water.  You don’t mix,” Flynn said flatly, trying to be the voice of reason and using a different tactic.

“Like you would be the better choice for her,” I shot back, defensively.

Flynn laughed harshly. “Look, I don’t think either us would be good for her. Human girls should only be used for fun, not long term. And she’s not that kind of girl.  You should hook up with Nina.  She’s got it bad for you… at least that is what I hear.”

Nina had been giving me long looks, the kind that made her intentions clear.  She’s was definitely cute, but besides the obvious, she really wasn’t what I wanted.  “And what you need is a sure thing, like Adelina,” he added.

“Are you saying that like I’m hard up or something? Just because the girls see you as the second coming doesn’t mean I can’t get one if I wanted one,” I said.  “Example.  Do you really think that if you weren’t dating her sister, Adelina would choose you over me?”

In my peripheral, I caught Flynn rolling his eyes.  He couldn’t dispute that no matter how much I wished that statement weren’t true.  Stepping on the gas, I shocked Flynn into turning back in his seat. “Dude,” he cursed.

I laughed. “Adelina and you are too close alike in ways. She wants me because I’m the heaven next to her evil.  She seeks salvation in me,” I said jokingly trying to smooth out the guy’s ruffles. 

Flynn finally laughed. “Do you ever get tired of it?  People always confessing their sins to you not knowing why they feel compelled to talk.”

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes because yes, it got old. “You wouldn’t believe what Brody said once he came to,” I began.

“This I want to hear,” Flynn said turning his attention back to me.  But I heard the truth in my best friend’s voice.  The guy still felt bad about hurting Brody and more so Shelli, his sister.

“No really, you don’t want to hear,” I said remember how Brody was nearly in tears talking about how his family was counting on him, and about how he couldn’t afford to lose his scholarship. Flynn would just feel worse so I hoped the guy wouldn’t press me for more details.

It was always hard when the big guys fell apart.  That’s one of the great things about my friendship with Flynn.  My uncontrollable influence didn’t affect my best friend.  He’d never felt compelled to share his deepest “feelings” to me. 

Flynn shook his head before running his palm over that spiked up Mohawk he wore.  It was a new style for him and the girl’s were eating it up.  I was always amazed at how much they talked about his hair.  Boldly, they would ask to run their fingers through it and remark how it always fell back into place.  My own hair was a curling mess I hardly bothered with. So the hair thing was just bizarre to me. Usually, I let my own air dry the same way it was when got out the shower.

“No, I guess you’re right.  I really don’t want to know,” Flynn replied.

It wasn’t long after that I pulled the car into the gravel drive at the majestic house.  From here you could see the lake with the sun reflecting off the surface. 

If the girls weren’t coming, this may have been what I needed.  Instead I popped the trunk to grab the liquor we’d brought along in case the house wasn’t stocked.  Flynn had given me knowing looks about my need to bring so much alcohol.  But he wasn’t the one that was going to be stuck with the hell spawn who wanted nothing more than to crush my balls with her bare hands.  I got goose bumps at the thought.  If Flynn wasn’t like a brother to me, I wouldn’t be here.  I would have gone and hung out over Brent’s house instead. 

After unpacking the car, I stepped back outside and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, my other vice.  With practiced movements, I had the thing lit and in my mouth in a flash.  The first inhale sent that nicotine coursing through my blood stream. Too bad the angel gene would kill off the effects faster than I could smoke them.  I needed to calm my nerves.  With the other hand, I held a brand new bottle of Grey Goose.  If I drank it quickly enough, I might just get a buzz.  I hoped to be numb before the girls showed up.

Certainly drinking wouldn’t solve any of my problems, including the weight of the world on my shoulders.  The weight of my father’s world and all the fallen was more like it. The council and my father alike wanted me to be so perfect. I wasn’t. I couldn’t show them by shirking my duties.  It wouldn’t be fair to put someone else’s life at risk to prove I was still in control of my own destiny.  Even my friends thought I was a goody goody at times.  And Flynn too, although I guess he thought now I’d lost my way.  But in actuality, I’d found it.  I found a way to be in charge of my own life.  It wasn’t the best method, but it was all I had or so it seemed. Thus drinking and even smoking had become my quiet rebellion, a way to thumb my nose at authority without hurting anyone else. 

There was that girl. I’d come to fall hard for her while following orders and doing my duty.  She could be a way to get at the council.  It was expressly forbidden for me to date her.  Yet, I’d come to see the quiet beauty for who she really was. She was everything good about the world, sweet and kind, never saying a callous word to anyone. She had no need to grab attention, even though she was stunningly beautiful.  Her dimpled smile lit up my world, though those smiles hadn’t been for me.  She didn’t even have to wear revealing clothes to make me wonder, which only made her hotter.  To imagine what I would find underneath her layers of clothing, gave me pause every time.

I could see why Paul fiercely protected her honor in the locker room or wherever when the guys talked about wanting to bang her.  I could say nothing without revealing what I felt for her.  I wasn’t even supposed to know her as well as I did.  So I said nothing.  Did nothing, but watch while Paul dated her for a time, defended her always and others asked her out.  I had to sit back and let Flynn decide if he was going to take a chance with her.  Bros before hoes and all that.  No she wasn’t a hoe and I’d probably kick anyone’s ass who said otherwise. But the saying held. Flynn was my brother.  Maybe not in blood, but in every other way. 

Tipping back the Goose, letting the liquid fill my gut, I hoped I could reach oblivion even if for a short moment.  Then maybe I could do my wingman duty for Flynn tonight.

Chapter Four
-
Flynn

Fresh from the shower, I headed out front when I couldn’t find Luke anywhere in the house.  Sure enough, the guy sat on the front deck bench with an ashtray full of remnants next to him.  I also spotted the bottle he held that was now half empty, just like the look in his eyes.

“Back with the cancer sticks, huh?” I asked, feeling like a nancy. I hated that my disgust came through.  Something was eating at my friend and I needed to coax it out of the guy.

Luke didn’t respond to me.  Instead he drew on the lit cigarette causing the end to flare and burn. The fun guy he’d been seemed to be burning out as well.  I wasn’t against the smoking and drinking as much as I knew the reason why he was doing those things.  He let out a long stream of poisonous gas from his mouth.  Next, he chugged at the bottle like it was water on a hot day.

Collapsing on the bench next to him, I covered my face with my hands especially my nose.  I didn’t want second hand smoke, but this conversation needed to be had if we were going to make it through this weekend.  “Dude, do you mind?  I’d like to breathe,” I complained through my palms.

The guy didn’t even bat an eye.  He snuffed out the cancer stick by stubbing it in the ashtray only to stay silent. “What the hell?” I asked.  We’d known each other since before we were in diapers. At least that’s what our mother’s told us.  I didn’t need to spell out my words.  He would know what I wanted from him.

“My dad came to tell me my new assignment in his grand plan,” he muttered looking put out as he should be.

I understood more than anyone else that the fallen archangel wanted his son to be his prodigy.  Unfortunately, what his father wanted was not what the council wanted from him.  The guy was being pulled in different directions, everyone expecting him to do their bidding.  I saw my friend’s hand pull out the pack of cigarettes only to stop and glance my way before stuffing them back in his pocket.