Free Mercy F*uck by K. S. Adkins Page B

follow.”
    “Yeah well, I did and I still have shit to show for it.”
     
    Shane wasn’t ready to fight. He was needing to talk. And while I was not a counselor or even close to being versed in this shit, the least I could do was listen. Though, I was hoping he made it quick because Drew was in pain and I needed to tend to her. No way was I leaving her to deal with it alone. She was tough, no two ways about it, but a man took care of his woman, always. Maybe she wouldn’t see it that way now, but in time she would or I’d make her. I didn’t mind her taking the lead some of the time. But she wasn’t taking it all of the time. Nine long years I missed out on her and I wasn’t missing any more. If that meant putting my boot down, so be it. You are so full of shit …
     
    “Him and my mom are real religious,” he confesses looking away in shame. “Spare the rod, spoil the child. He’s been beating my ass since I could walk. What does she do? Nothing. Not a God damn thing. I could be bleeding on the floor and she’s just stand there quoting bible verses praying for my soul and shit. I’m a cop’s son,” he says kicking the crate. “You know what they do for a cop’s son?”
    “No,” I answer honestly.
    “Nothing,” he spits on the concrete. “Because they don’t even know. They don’t know ‘cause if I even tried saying shit, he’d fucking kill me for spilling family business. Nothing much scares me,” he says meeting my eyes and in his I saw helplessness and terror. “Except him.”
    “Neither Drew or I are going to let – ”
    “The night I came here, I saw this chick, she was hot and she started flirting with me so I bought us drinks. A lot of drinks,” he sighs closing his eyes. “I got drunk, too drunk and you know what happened when she told me no? I turned into him .”
    Shane was close to a rage and he needed to dial it down so I asked him, “How’d Drew handle that?”
    Letting a laugh escape he faces me and with love on his face he said, “She twisted my arm behind my back, led me out front and when I tried taking a swing, she kicked my ass. And you know what? That’s the first beating I ever deserved.”
    “Then what happened?”
    “I went home happy, believe it or not. Because what she said about women, what she did to prove her point, made sense. Then he saw me smiling after getting my ass handed to me by a girl and lost his mind. Fearing more pain, I told him what happened and he had her arrested. I refused to press charges but he forged my signature, the asshole. He had her arrested, fucking arrested. Feeling bad about that, I came back the next day to apologize and explain. All she said was, I respect a man who owns his shit. Then she offered me a job.”
    I respect a man who owns his shit …Yeah, that was Drew. The woman spent nine years despising me but the second I owned my shit, she let it go, right up until I opened my mouth that second time.
    “I have a woman inside I need to see to,” I say going for the door. “Let me get her settled and then I want you to take her up on that offer of using her place.”
    “I don’t want her living on her boat,” he tries objecting. “Even if it is a bad ass boat.”
    “She’s not staying on the boat; she’s staying with me.”
    “Does she know that?”
    “Working on it.”
    “You two go way back?”
    “Met her when I was your age.”
    “What happened?”
    “Fucked it up.”
    “She’s the first person to take a chance on me,” he says sadly.
    Slapping him on the back I said, “Me too,” before heading inside.
    The door to her apartment was open and I stood there watching her pack a bag. When she noticed me our eyes caught and I saw how swollen her face was. “Come here, Drew.”
    Slowly she does and when we’re toe to toe she takes a deep breath and lets it out. “How bad?” I ask her.
    “I’ll make money from it that’s for sure,” she tried smiling but her God damn jaw was too swollen. “Too bad he