Sweet Renegade (16 page)

*Lizette*

A week later, I am in my kitchen making dinner for Beau and me. He’s being naughty, as usual, as he stands behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist while he kisses my neck. His ever-present erection is poking me in the ass. Suddenly, there is a pounding on my front door. I frown and pull away from Beau, who follows me to the door. I look through the peephole and am completely shocked by who is standing on the other side. I pull the door open and am immediately overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol and cigarettes.

“Mom? What are you doing here?” I ask in shock.

My mother shoves past me and stumbles into the living room. I stare at her wide-eyed. My mother, Roxanne, has only ever shown up at here when she and Dennis Sr. are hard up for cash; usually, it’s at least two or three times a year. I always refuse to give them money, but she still tries.

Roxanne brushes her greasy, unwashed brown hair out of her sallow face. She’s slightly overweight and dressed in a filthy, stain-covered T-shirt and sweatpants. She glares at me, her lip curling in hate. Her green eyes are glassy and sagging.

“What did you do to Dennis?” she snaps.

I blink in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

I sneak a glance at Beau to see him eyeing my mother up in disgust. I can’t blame him. Roxanne is pretty disgusting looking.

“My son is in the VA being mentally evaluated. I’m assuming this is your fault,” she accuses me, pointing a dirty finger at me.

Just then, a military cadence song fills the air. It’s my ring tone for Dennis. He’s probably calling to warn me about our mother.
Too late, Denny!

“How did you find out about Dennis?” I ask calmly.

“I called him and that’s where he told me he was.”

“And how is it my fault?”

Roxanne sways on her feet as she tries to step closer to me. I fight the urge to back up just to get away from her stench. I refuse to cower to my parents anymore, but I will hold my breath when I have to.

“You make him weak! He would probably be fine if he would move out of here and get away from you!” Roxanne exclaims.

“No, he’d be living on the street if he didn’t live here,” I say angrily. Why does my mother have to do this while Beau is here?

“You’re turning him into a little bitch! Making him think that there is something wrong with him! He’s fine! He’s not mentally ill!”

“He has PTSD, mom,” I grit out.

“No he doesn’t! My son would never have that!”

“Oh what the hell would you know? You’re just a drunken piece of shit who could care less about her kids. The only reason that you’re here is because you need money,” I say emphatically.

Roxanne then gasps in outrage and slaps me hard across the face. Hard enough to actually make my head snap to the side. I whip my head back around and gape at my mother, my face stinging like a bitch. My mother has never hit me; it’s only been my father who’s come after me…until now.

“You just hit me!” I squawk.

“Who the fuck do you think you are talking to me like that, you ungrateful little shit? I brought you into this world!” Roxanne shouts, slapping me again.

The next thing I see is Beau’s wide back partially in front of me. I can see that he is grasping my mother’s wrist to prevent her from slapping me again. His shoulders are tense and I can tell that he’s absolutely livid.

“If you even think about touching her again, I don’t care if you’re a woman or not, I will knock you the fuck out,” Beau growls at Roxanne, whose eyes widen in fear and disbelief. “Now, I suggest you leave.”

He shoves Roxanne toward the front door and ushers her out, slamming the door closed, once she is in the hallway. He turns to look at me, one hand still on the door. In his eyes is a mixture of pity, sympathy, and rage.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice low.

I nod, feeling a damn tear slide down my face.
Goddammit!
I don’t want to cry over this, but I am suddenly overwhelmed with so many emotions that I can’t help it. My face still stings, I’m completely embarrassed, but I’m also hurt that my mother accused me of being the cause of Dennis’ melt down. Beau pushes off the door and comes to me. He wraps me up in his arms and tucks his face against mine.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper.

“For what?” Beau asks.

“For you having to see that,” I answer.

“You never told me that your mother is like that,” Beau murmurs, his big hand petting my hair.

I laugh bitterly and push away from Beau. I head back into the kitchen to finish making dinner. “Why would I ever want you to know my mother is like that? And it’s not only her; my father is an alcoholic, too.”

Beau sighs. “Shit, Lizzie, I’m sorry, that’s horrible.”

I shrug, going back to cutting up mushrooms to sauté. “I’m used to it; they’ve been like that my whole life, so…”

Beau leans his hip against the counter next to me, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. “Did they hit you a lot?” he asks with a frown.

“Not as much as Dennis. He always protected me. That was the first time that my mom has ever hit me, though; it’s usually my dad who does the hitting,” I scoff.

“I hate that you have such shitty parents.”

“Welcome to my fucked up life,” I reply dryly.

“Your life is not fucked up, baby, just your parents are. Look at how great you turned out in spite of them,” Beau says, placing a hand on my arm.

“That’s because I have Dennis,” I whisper. “He’s the only reason I made anything of myself.”

“Then he is my hero. He raised a wonderful woman,” he murmurs adoringly in my ear before kissing me on the cheek.

I look over at him and send him a grateful smile. “Thanks, Beau.”

“I only speak the truth, Sugar,” he says with a lopsided grin.

I roll my eyes and laugh. “You are too sweet, Beau Kennedy. I don’t deserve someone as sweet as you.”

“Yes you do,” he affirms, snuggling up behind me again, dropping his chin to my shoulder.

I pat his cheek. “My sweet Renegade,” I tease.

Beau chuckles low and drops a kiss on my neck.

Chapter Ten

*Beau*

I’m sitting in the chair across from Lizette’s desk. She is sitting there quietly typing something on her computer. She actually called me here for a meeting of some sort; I don’t know what it is about, though. I remove my straw cowboy hat and scratch my forehead. I use my tongue to shove the coffee stirrer I’ve been chewing on to the side of my mouth so that I can talk.

“What are we waitin’ for?” I ask, getting slightly impatient.

“We’re waiting for Roland,” Lizette answers, glancing up at me with only her bright green eyes.

I huff. “What for?”

“This rift between you two has gone on long enough, you two need to fix it,” she informs me.

“It’s about you, you know,” I tell her.

Her delicate eyebrow rises in curiosity. “What about me?”

“He thinks I should stay the hell away from you. That if something were to happen between us and it doesn’t work out, then I will be at fault when we lose you as our manager,” I say quietly.

“Hmm.”

Hmm? That’s all she has to say? Hmm?

A knock sounds right before Roland pops his head into the office. “Lizette, you wanted to see me?” he asks before his eyes land on me. “Oh, should I come back?”

Lizette lifts her pretty face and smiles. “No, come in and shut the door behind you.”

I love when she’s in business mode. She is seriously sexy when she talks with authority and commands respect. Plus, the skirt suit she is wearing today is hot enough to make me jizz in my pants. I prop my hat back on my head and tilt the brim back so that I can see without obstruction. Roland does as he’s told then comes and sits in the chair next to me. I don’t even bother to acknowledge him; he’s been such a dick lately.

“Roland, I called you here today because I’ve noticed that you and Beau are not getting along. Would you care to enlighten me on why that is?” Lizette asks sweetly.

I roll my lips in and fight not to smile. She is seriously a force to be reckoned with. I glance over to see Roland shift nervously in his chair.

“Well, Beau told me how you two kissed when you were in West Virginia. I told Beau that I didn’t think it was a good idea to pursue you like he was planning on doing because he could possibly ruin the relationship you have with the group as a whole. I mean, he’s done nothing in the past three years but continuously ask you out, there has to come a point where enough is enough,” Roland says, sending me a bored look.

“And I say it’s none of your damn business,” I mutter around the coffee stirrer.

“Beau, be quiet,” Lizette says sternly.

“Yes, ma’am,” I say with a teasing smirk.

She narrows her eyes at me before looking back at Roland. “First off Roland, you don’t need to worry; you will not lose me as a manager over something like that. And second, I can handle Beau all by myself. I don’t need you getting involved and ruining your friendship over this,” she says.

“He’s just being so fucking stubborn! I mean, it’s obvious you are not going to go out with him, so why keep bugging you about it?” Roland huffs. “I don’t want him messing up things for the rest of us.”

“Fuck you, man, I’m ain’t messin’ up anythin’,” I grunt, glaring at Roland.

“Beau,” Lizette scolds. “I understand your concern Roland, but honestly, you have nothing to worry about. There is nothing and there never will be anything between Beau and me, I assure you,” she says with a certainty that has me doing a double take at her.

The fuck?
Is she serious or is she just putting on a good act for Roland? She sounds so serious, like she actually believes what she is saying. How can she say that there is nothing between us and believe it? She knows how I feel about her. And I know that she’s in love with me, too. She has to be just acting for Roland.

“Keep tellin’ yourself that, Sugar,” I drawl, making my accent thicker than normal because I know it turns her on.

I see the slight flush creep up her neck as she scowls at me. I give her my best shit-eating grin and a wink. Her eyes flash. Maybe if I’m lucky, she’ll punish me later.

“See, this is what I’m talking about, you can’t tell me that shit doesn’t irritate you.” Roland sighs.

“Listen, Roland, it’s not as bad as you think it is, okay? You need to let it go and don’t worry about it. I can handle Beau on my own. You two need to get along before you really start to hate each other. You’ve been friends for a long time and this is a stupid reason to not be friends anymore. I know you guys have to miss each other.”

I remain silent, as does Roland, neither of us wanting to admit that our fighting is actually really hurting us. I do miss Roland. He is usually the guy I go to for just about everything, and in the past few weeks, I haven’t been able to do that. It hurts.

“You both need to apologize to each other and hug it out,” Lizette says gently.

I glance at Roland to see him nodding slightly. He rakes a hand through his dark hair and looks over at me. “Sorry, man.”

I nod. “I’m sorry, too.”

Lizette smiles. “Now give each other a hug and get the hell out of my office,” she says, obviously pleased with herself.

We both stand and give each other a hug.

“Wanna go get lunch?” Roland asks me.

I nod. “Yeah, sounds good.”

Roland smiles slightly before turning and leaning over the desk to give Lizette a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Lizette,” he says sincerely.

She gives his cheek a pinch. “Sometimes you guys just need a little push in the right direction,” she says with a smile.

Roland makes a noise of agreement and starts for the door. I do the same as Roland did and lean across the desk, giving her a kiss on the cheek. While I’m close, I whisper in her ear.

“I’ll call you later, love.”

She pats my face fondly and nods. “Okay.”

I follow Roland out of her office and to the elevator. We step into the elevator and wait for the doors to close. Once we are inside the elevator by ourselves, Roland turns to me.

“Beau, I’m not blind, I saw the way you guys were looking at each other. Is there something going on between you two?” Roland asks straight up.

I stare at him for a moment, debating on lying, but decide against it. “I’m in love with her.”

“She’s in love with you, too?”

I nod. “She said it while she thought I was asleep.”

“So you’re together then?”

“At the moment.”

“What does that mean?” Roland asks, confused.

“I made her a deal… we are together for a month so that I can show her how perfect we are together, and at the end of the month, she gets to decide whether or not to stay. If she ends it, then I’ll never ask her out again.”

Roland groans and drops his face into his hands. “Dammit, Beau, you know that’s why she agreed to it.”

“I know, but she loves me, Roland. Do you really think she’s going to leave me?” I ask, uncertainty tearing at me.

God, I hope she doesn’t leave me.

Roland looks at me - pity and sympathy in his eyes. “I don’t know, Beau. She’s a very stubborn woman, and if she has it in her head to leave you no matter what from the beginning, then she might just do that whether she loves you or not. I think you better prepare yourself for heartbreak.”

I sigh heavily, my heart aching already. “God, I hope you’re wrong.”

Roland puts a hand on my shoulder and squeezes. “So do I.”

“You can’t say anything. I promised to keep it a secret and you and Ace already know.”

Roland nods. “I won’t say anything,” he agrees.

“Thanks,” I murmur, grinding my teeth hard on my coffee stirrer.

I suddenly feel nervous about our whole relationship. Could she really do it? Could she really leave me even though she’s in love with me? We only have a week left, but I am determined to make it the best fucking week ever! I am not going down without a fight!

*Lizette*

Beau and I walk down the hall of the VA hospital toward Denny’s room. I’m excited to see him. He’s been in for week and a half and this has been the longest that I’ve ever gone without seeing him since he’s gotten home from Iraq. I’ve talked to him almost every day on the phone and he sounds like he’s doing great so far.

I sneak a glance at Beau, who has tried to disguise himself a little bit so he doesn’t cause a ruckus. He’s wearing a baseball cap pulled down low and a pair of sunglasses. His bodyguard, Rob, is trailing slightly behind us, trying not to be too conspicuous, even though with his size, he’s getting all kinds of looks from patients and staff.

We stop in the doorway to Dennis’ room and the sight that greets me blows me away. My brother’s handsome face is clean-shaven and his dark hair is cut short, back to his military style fade. He looks like a completely different person. Plus he’s sitting in a chair laughing loudly with another guy. Tears well in my eyes. I haven’t heard Dennis laugh like that in years.

“Holy shit, Dennis! Look at you!” Beau laughs, taking off his sunglasses as he goes to Dennis first.

Dennis shoots to his feet and gives Beau a big bear hug. Beau rubs Dennis’ short hair, making both of them chuckle. After they separate, Dennis looks over at me and smiles. The smile is so genuine and happy that it reaches his eyes for the first time ever. Emotions overwhelm me and I burst into tears. I cover my face with my hands.

“Lizzie,” Dennis huffs and wraps his arms around me.

“I’ve never seen you smile like that,” I choke, swiping the tears from my face.

“I’m feeling much better than I had been,” he says, giving my forehead a kiss before pulling away.

I look up at him and cup his smooth jaw. “I can see that.” I smile.

“You look like a completely different person,” Beau adds.

Dennis laughs. “Yeah, I barely recognized myself after I shaved and had my hair cut.”

“You look good.” Beau nods and smiles.

“Thanks, man. Hey, Lizzie, Beau, this is my roommate, Tucker McCoy,” Dennis says, turning toward the other man in the room and starts signing with his hands to the man while he talks. “Tuck, this is my sister, Lizette, and her boyfriend, Beau.”

Beau shakes the gorgeous man’s hand first. “Nice to meet you,” he says.

“You, too,” Tuck says softly with a nod then holds out his hand for me.

I smile and shake his hand. “Hi.”

“Tucker had a bomb go off too close to his head and has lost most of his hearing,” Dennis explains.