Clutch (Custom Culture) (10 page)

“Well, it looks like you have mixed things up too much,” Nix said. “It looks like some of your sparring partners aren’t taking too kindly to them hogging the snacks.”

Dray laughed it off. “What can I say? They’re all a bunch of hot heads.”

My focus went back to the only thing at the party that held my interest. Barrett and Gus’s attention had been drawn away from Taylor by a fighter, who Dray had nicknamed Granite because he’d noted that hitting his face was like hitting rock. I had never heard the guy’s real name, but his neck was as thick as his giant block-shaped head. And his nose resembled a head of cauliflower.

My head stood up above everyone’s. I was hard to avoid and with no one to talk to, it seemed Taylor had finally given up pretending that she hadn’t noticed me. Cassie had hung decorative lanterns around the patio, and the wavering light they produced cast an uneven glow over the yard. But we locked gazes and stared at each other as if the other people had all disappeared. Even in the unsteady light and even from the distance I stood, I could see the flicker of anger and hurt in her face. I didn’t know how to fix it. For two years, the girl had followed me around. No matter where I was, I could count on her to find me or text me or call me. Now I’d managed to push her away just as I’d come to the realization that I needed her near me. She dragged her gaze from mine, and it felt as if she’d pulled physically away from me.

Without warning, the bowl of chips went flying across the yard and hit one of Dray’s workmates on the back of the head. He swung around with tight fists just as Granite swung a fist at Gus. The guy was wiry enough to duck out of the way, but before I could take one step, a wild, fist flying brawl broke out. Taylor stood in the center like a little girl standing in the middle of a traffic-filled road just waiting to be struck.

“Sonavabitch,” Dray growled, “I’m not going to hear the end of this from Cassie.” As he spoke, the back door flew open and Scotlyn and Cassie raced out.

Nix grabbed Scotlyn around the waist. “Go back inside. We’ll take care of this.

Scotlyn struggled to free herself. “Get Taylor out—”

I was across the yard in three strides. Taylor’s arms were wrapped around Granite’s thick neck, and she dangled from his shoulders like a kid’s backpack. The jerk managed to plow his fist into Barrett’s stomach before I could stop him. My brother dropped to his knees, doubled over and gasping for air. Taylor swung her long legs out and kicked the back of the guy’s calves. He reached back to pluck her off his neck, but I grabbed her first.

The chaos continued at full jaw cracking, furniture breaking pace around us as I pulled Taylor against me. I held her under one arm and glanced around for Nix. I pointed to Barrett who was still gasping for air. “Nix, drag his ass out of there before someone hits him again.”

Taylor kicked and pounded her fists on me as I threw her over my shoulder and carried her toward the house. She grabbed hold of the doorway to stop me from getting inside. “Let me go!” she screamed. Her fists flailed wildly in her struggle to get free, and she managed to smack my back.

My grip on her tightened. “Dammit, Taylor.” I placed her down hard on her feet in the center of the kitchen. Cassie and her friends were enjoying the male circus of testosterone from the window. A few of them were still snacking on fondue while they watched in half-terror and half-amusement.

Taylor tried to dash past me, but my arm shot out and caught her. “Fucking hell, Taylor, you know sometimes it’s all right to step away from trouble instead of flying head first into it.”

“I was trying to help your brother,” she cried and pounded my chest with her fists.

I took hold of her wrists. “Barrett can take care of himself.”

She wrenched herself free from my grasp. The rage in her expression felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. We stared hard at each other, and it seemed that the spectators in the kitchen had grown bored of the scene outside and had shifted their focus to the anger-filled scene in the center of the kitchen.

“I didn’t want you to get hurt,” I said.

She met my comment with the Taylor chin lift, a gesture that pissed me off as much as it made me want to kiss the pout off her lips. “I can take care of myself.”

My laugh echoed off the walls. Another huge mistake. “Really? You thought you could hold your own in the fray with trained fighters, longshoremen and a fucking deep sea fisherman?”

The tension between us had silenced the small audience, and the only sounds were the grunts and yells outside and a few carrots being nibbled.

Then, without warning, tears formed in Taylor’s eyes. I’d managed to make her cry twice in the same week. My skill at being an asshole seemed to have no bounds.

“After all this time, don’t bother to pretend that I matter to you now.” She stormed out of the kitchen and out the front door. Scotlyn followed her.

I looked briefly around at the faces in the kitchen. The harshest glare came from Cassie’s friend, Violet. I was obviously the villain in the little drama that had just played out. I decided to take my chances with the trained fighters and dock workers.

Nix and Dray were standing at the edge of the fight. Barrett was sitting along the short retaining wall that separated the patio from the grass. Several others sat next to him nursing their injuries with cold beer cans.

I looked down at Dray. “This seems like your kind of party game. Why are you just standing here?”

“Well, naturally I would love to be in there beating in a few skulls, but I can’t be on either side of the match without pissing off my fight buddies or my work buddies.”

Nix looked over at me. “It’s quite the conundrum.”

Dray looked up at him. “Conundrum?”

“Cool word, huh?” Nix said. “This little librarian was in my shop today trying to decide whether to have an Edgar Allan Poe or a Mark Twain quote tattooed on her shoulder. She called it a
conundrum
and I’ve been waiting for a chance to use the word. Perfect opportunity.”

“I’m impressed,” I said.

Cassie walked up next to us with her camera poised. “Darn, this light sucks. I’m missing some great shots.” She moved closer just as a large body came stumbling backwards. With amazing reflexes, Dray hooked her around the waist and pulled her out of the way. She hardly noticed that she’d almost been slammed to the ground. Without missing a beat, she stepped back toward the action.

“Plunging right into the war zone,” I said. “She really is a professional.”

Dray tried to act nonchalant, but he didn’t take his eyes off of her. “I just hope she gets some good pictures. Then maybe I won’t have to sleep on the couch tonight.”

The brawlers seemed to be losing steam, but a few of the tougher guys were sticking it out, including Barrett’s friend. Blood was dripping from his mouth and one eye looked swollen, but he was still swinging.

“I’ve got to say, Barrett’s friend has more in him than I’d have thought,” Dray said.

Nix laughed. “Hell yeah, you put any of these other guys out on that Bering Sea for a day, and they’d all be crying for their mommies.”

“He’s probably just too high to feel any pain,” I said angrily.

Dray’s friend, Granite, took one to his gut and flew backward, taking the string of decorative lanterns with him. They shattered on the patio.

Cassie swung around. “Now I’m pissed. Do something, Dray.”

“Damn, I guess it’s going to be the couch after all,” Dray trudged over to the table and climbed on top of it. His loud whistle split the air. “Fight’s over. We’ve had a patio ornament casualty.” The action slowed and then stopped. Most seemed more than happy to end it, with the exception of Gus who took one last swing at an unsuspecting victim. The cheap shot nearly started the fight again, and, this time, it looked as if it would be everyone against the fisherman. Dray looked over at Barrett. “Get that asshole out of here now before I jump down there and take him out myself.”

Barrett got up. “Let’s go, Gus. Party’s over.” It seemed as if every fist in the yard was still clenched, including my own, until Gus and Barrett had left out the back gate.

Dray hopped down and walked back over to Nix and me. “Guess I’m going to have to clean up this mess.”

“I’m certainly not doing it,” Cassie said sharply as she walked past.

“Well,” I said with a sigh, “it’s been one helluva party. I blew off a horny girl who had a thing for big men. I managed to make Taylor hate me even more. And my brother just left with a sleazebag who not only looks like he just broke out of prison, but looks as if he murdered the prison guards with his bare hands to escape. All in all, not the best night.”

Dray grinned up at me. “You forgot the part about Taylor seeming to have a thing for the guy.”

“Yeah, thanks. I was hoping that part was just my imagination.” I looked over at Nix. “Where was that bridge nicknamed Suicide Bridge? Was it Pasadena?”

Nix placed his hand on my shoulder. “Things aren’t that bad. Don’t forget about the Shelby.”

“That’s right. At least I’ve got the Shelby.”

Chapter 14

Taylor

I slid my backpack onto my shoulders. I’d packed plenty of textbooks inside to make it look extra studious. “Mom,” I called from the entryway, “I’m going to wait out front for Kiley and then we’re off to the library.”

Mom stepped out of the family room and glanced at my shorts. “You don’t look very dressed for the library.” We’d been going through this every day. She’d question everything suspiciously, and I’d answer with all the confidence of a practiced liar, which, unfortunately, I was. And my intuition told me that my mom knew I was lying about everything but that she’d sort of given up on trying catching me at stuff.

I glanced down at my shorts and sandals. “I didn’t realize the public library had a dress code.”

“They don’t, but they should,” she said curtly. “You sure are wearing a lot of perfume.”

I’d showered and sprayed it on without thinking, but I wasn’t ready to let my guard down. Sometimes it seemed these little interrogation sessions were meant to break me, but I held firmly to my web of bullshit. “Maybe we should add perfume to my list of no-nos. I mean who knows what kind of shenanigans I could get into wearing perfume.”

Her lips drew tight. She hated my sarcastic tongue more than my
potty
mouth. She sighed loudly. “
You
certainly don’t need perfume to get into shenanigans. Speaking of no-nos, you’ve been staying away from Jimmy, right?”

I didn’t answer.

Her neatly plucked brow arched. “Taylor?”

“It’s a little hard to stay clear of him when we hang out with a lot of the same people. After all, he is Jason’s best friend and partner. I don’t know why you hate him so much all of a sudden.”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Taylor. Of course I don’t hate him. It’s just that he is a man and you’re—” she paused, wisely reconsidering her words. She walked up to me and buttoned the top button on my shirt. “It’s just that I know you’ve always had a crush on him, and sometimes a crush can cause a girl to make bad decisions. Jimmy is a grown man with a grown man’s needs.”

It was all I could do to keep from laughing. “Mom, we aren’t seriously having the birds and bees discussion.” It was a conversation my mom had always been to prudish to have with me. “Because you’re five years too late. I learned everything from my friends in seventh grade.”

She bit her lip to show that she wasn’t shocked by anything I had to say.

The woman was delusional, and sometimes, she needed a dose of reality. “You don’t actually think that Adam and I were just holding hands when we were sitting out there in his car?”

She looked up at me with wide eyes. A horn blew outside.

“There’s Kiley. Later, Mom.” It was time to end our conversation. I left her standing speechless and shocked in the entryway. For the longest time I’d felt guilt about causing her so much grief, but sometimes it seemed that I’d turned out the way I had just because she’d tried to keep me in her unrealistic
everything is cotton candy and marshmallow
bubble.

I threw my backpack into the backseat and slid into the passenger seat. “Holy crap, you got here just in time.” I pulled down the visor and checked my make-up in the mirror.

Kiley didn’t say anything as she pulled abruptly away from the curb.

I looked over at her. “What’s wrong?”

She lifted her shoulder. “Nothing, but I think this is the end of our bargain. I don’t like being the middle man in your tawdry double life. And I don’t think you should be hanging around with that guy anyway. He’s pure trouble.”

“I’ve told you we’re just friends. He knows I’m not into him like that. He’s different and he likes to have fun. I held up my end of the bargain and set you up on a date with Barrett. You owe me a few more escapes.”

She looked over the front seat to my backpack. “I can’t believe your mom actually thinks you’re out studying. I just know she’s going to catch you and then I’m going to be caught up in all this shit.” She turned up the radio. “Besides, Barrett never called me after our date.”

I nodded. “Oh, that’s what this is all about. Hey, my end of the bargain was to set you up with him. I can’t be responsible for how things turned out. I warned you that the boy was a player. I’ve never seen Barrett Mason hook up with any girl for longer than a month.”

We turned the corner, and the shabby car that Gus had borrowed from his mom was parked beneath the giant oak tree at the far end of the park. Sometimes I couldn’t even explain my decisions to myself. Maybe I was doing this just for attention like my mom always insisted, even though my parents were the last people in the world I wanted or needed attention from. Maybe it was out of complete and utter boredom that I always found myself going down the worst possible path. Or maybe since Clutch insisted that I always flew head first into trouble, I’d decided to prove him right.

Gus had been in town for two weeks, and he’d spent most of that time with me. And I’d gone back and forth with my feelings about him. One minute it felt wrong and even sleazy to be hanging out with him, and the next minute I felt as if I could live in the dark, edgy world he drifted in. He was completely fearless, and he treated me like I was worth something. Not like I was some little girl who liked to get in trouble. I’d made it clear to him that I was only interested in friendship, and even though he’d kissed me a few times, he hadn’t really tried anything.

Kiley snorted in disgust as we pulled into the spot next to him. “He’s a total scumbag, and if you’re trying to make James Mason jealous, you’re wasting your time. And what’s worse, if you’re using him like you did Adam, then watch out. He looks like a guy who could get pretty damn dangerous if he’s pissed off.”

Her words stung and gave me pause at the same time. But I was getting tired of people lecturing me about my actions. I reached over the seat for my backpack. “You know what— forget our deal. It’s not worth it. A conversation with you is like a conversation with my mom but without the prospect of home baked cookies afterward.” I opened the car door and jumped out. “Thanks for the ride.”

I slid into a cloud of pot smoke and rolled down the window. “I just got questioned about wearing perfume. The last thing I need is to smell like weed.”

Gus leaned over and kissed my cheek and then stopped to smell my neck. “I like the perfume better.” Kiley’s words replayed in my head. I’d been living with the guilt of what I’d done to Adam, and I promised myself I would never do anything like that again. I’d done it out of desperation. I wanted to stay in California.

As much as I hadn’t really been into the perfect, shiny type like Adam, this guy was on the whole other side of the spectrum. I’d been bored and I was desperate to forget about Clutch. I’d been desperate to prove to myself that I could stop being so crazy about him. But Kiley was wrong. I hadn’t been hanging out with Gus to make Clutch jealous. Clutch had no idea I’d been out with him, or at least that was what Barrett had told me. I’d sworn Barrett to secrecy, and he’d assured me that he would be in just as much deep shit as me if Clutch or Jason ever found out. I was hanging out with Gus because he’d come to California to visit his mom and he wanted someone to hang with. Gus had lived with his mother in Los Angeles after his parent’s divorce five years ago. But then his father offered him a job on his boat, and he’d left the warm sunshine behind for the ice covered plains and mountains of Alaska. It was too much money to pass up he’d told me. Knowing that Barrett was living back in California, Gus had made the trip figuring he’d have someone to hang out with. And Barrett, who had the attention span of six week old puppy, had basically abandoned the guy. I liked being with him. He was totally different than anyone else and I loved hearing his outrageous stories about Alaska and the Bering Sea.

Gus’s eyes were red, but he’d washed and combed his hair. Somehow, the fresh and clean look just didn’t work for him. “I thought we’d get something to eat and then go watch some drag races Barrett told me about. I might even make a wager or two and earn some cash.” He started up the car. “You look gorgeous, by the way. If you ever came up to Alaska, the guys would go crazy. We’re definitely short on
gorgeous
up there.” He smacked his steering wheel. “Brilliant idea.” He glanced over at me and then pulled out of the parking lot. “If your parents try to ship you off again or kick you out of the house, you should move up there. There are tons of jobs and the wages are high.”

“And the snow is thick,” I said. I’d laid out my whole sordid list of family problems one day while we ate lunch on the beach. Something I regretted now.

“True, but it’s beautiful up there. Lots of adventure.” He winked at me, but I was fairly certain we were on different pages when it came to adventure.

“I don’t do snow,” I said. “I went snowboarding a couple of times, but I spent less time on my feet and more time freezing my butt off on the ice. I’m a hot, sunny California girl down to the core.”

“You’d be surprised how quickly you get used to it.” He glanced over at me. “What do you say, Sweets? Shall we go to watch some cars race?”

If Barrett had known about the race then it was possible that Clutch was there. My cover would be blown.

Gus smiled enthusiastically. “I’m in the mood for some gambling.”

The crowd was always thick at the races, and I had the advantage. Clutch always towered over everyone else and he was easy to spot. I could easily avoid him if I was vigilant. “I guess we could go to the races.” A knot formed in my stomach as I agreed.

“Ooh, an In N Out.” Gus looked at me. “Do you mind if we eat there? They don’t have any in Juneau, and I’ve been craving a double-double for months.”

“No problem.” I’d been hungry when I slid into the car, but my appetite had vanished with the drag racing suggestion.

As usual, the line snaked around the block. Gus’s car rumbled unsteadily as we inched forward toward the order window.

“You know there are tons of ‘hair on fire’ adventures in Alaska. You can go rafting.”

I shrugged. “Colorado River and it’s not dotted with chunks of ice.”

“There’s kayaking. I’ve got a great picture of me in a kayak on my cell phone.” He reached for his phone, and the car inched forward and nearly bumped into the fender in front of us.

I held up my hand. “Show me another time and pay attention to the
road
. Besides, there are plenty of places to kayak in California.”

He waved his finger at me. “Dog sledding and the northern lights.” He knew he had me on those.

I laughed. “Are you secretly employed by the Alaska Visitor’s Bureau?”

“It’s a habit. When I meet an incredible, beautiful, fun girl, I try to coax her to move up north. We’re short on women up there.”

“Oh really. And how many women has it worked on so far?”

“Zero. You’re the first one I’ve tried my sales pitch on, and you don’t seem convinced.”

We pulled up to the window and Gus looked at me. “I just want pink lemonade.”

He shook his head. “What is it with you women? Pink lemonade is hardly a dinner.”

Gus downed his hamburger in record time, and we headed to the races. Raspy sounding music squeaked out of the speakers in the back. “I’ll have to text Barrett when we get there and find out where the bookie hangs out.” He smiled over at me. “I guess Barrett will know who to place a wager on too. He mentioned that his brother was racing tonight.”

I stiffened in my seat. Jason had told me that Clutch had gotten in to the amateur drag racing circuit, but I’d been hoping these races had nothing to do with him.

“Is he fast?”

I hadn’t expected the question, and I stumbled over an answer. “He-he always has one of the best cars, but I don’t know anything else.” The last thing I wanted to do was talk to Gus about Clutch.

“Well, I’ll have to grill Barrett when we get there. I don’t like to lose.”

The nerves in my stomach twisted tighter.

Thankfully, the race track was packed with spectators. It would be much easier to stay camouflaged. I fell purposely behind as Gus walked toward the concession stands where Barrett was waiting for us. He was sitting at a small table beneath an umbrella talking to two girls when we walked up. It was obvious from the look he gave me that he hadn’t expected me to be with Gus. The two girls sneered at me as I slid onto the bench next to Barrett.

Barrett lifted his phone. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said to the petite brunette. Begrudgingly, they left the table but not without scowling at me once more.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I repeated in my best Barrett imitation. “Maybe.”

Barrett looked over at me. “You don’t know. I might call her.”

Gus sat down across from him. He leaned forward. “So who do I see to place a bet, and who should I lay some money on? Is your brother fast?”

“He won the last time he was out here, so I guess he’s fast.” Barrett took out his phone. “Let me find out where the bookie is at, but he only deals in cash with strangers . . . especially ones who are from out of state.”

“Clutch won last time?” I asked, trying to mask my interest with a casual tone.

Barrett faced me again, and that sliver of a cocky grin that he was so good at appeared. “Why, yes he did.” He looked down at the table then. “I wasn’t there though. I’d just gotten into town.”

“I can’t believe you made it all the way from Alaska without any—”

Barrett’s blue eyes flashed angrily at Gus, and he stopped midsentence.

Barrett felt my scrutiny on the side of his face. I’d heard that he’d been in some kind of trouble up north, but Jason had never told me any details. I wasn’t even completely sure that Jason knew. Clutch was not the kind to blab stuff around.

Barrett combed his hair back with his fingers and nodded. “Yeah, it wasn’t a great trip.” The faraway sadness in his tone assured me that he’d been through something shitty. His phone buzzed and he read the text. “The dude’s name is Oscar, and he’s over by the stands. You can’t miss him. He’s got a long, mountain man style beard, and he is usually wearing a black shirt with a dollar sign on it.”

Gus got up from the bench, and Barrett casually drummed a beat on the table. The second Gus had disappeared into the crowd, he grabbed my arm. “What the fuck are you doing here, Taylor?”