Son for Hire Ch. 107-115 - End

Chapter 107

The house, the yard, the two other people with us, all of it fades to a ghostly gray. Only one thing had focus and color. My mother, my true mother, had appeared in my life again like an iceberg out of the fog.

My mother had dressed up in a brand spanking new purple button-up shirt and tight gaudy pink slacks. Brown, heeled, faux-leather boots round out the ensemble. She'd done herself up, her face was a mask of paints and powders, but it did little to hide the deep wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. The years had not been kind to her. Though not yet even forty-five a neutral observer would think she was pushing sixty. Thin and gaunt and graying she is a withered version of the woman I remembered, and even more horrifying.

"There's my boy!" My mother says with a big ingratiating smile, her teeth were yellowed from decades of smoking. "My, how you've grown Donny! So handsome!"

"Mama?" Without meaning to my voice had gone soft and supplicating.

"Yes. It's me Donny. It's your Mama."

Pain does not even come close to describing the hurt I feel inside. Fear cannot convey the terror that grips my soul. I was face to face with Evil itself. The fact that I once loved this woman, and possibly still did, gave this devil a power over me that hatred never could.

'Go away!' Is what I wanted to say...but my voice stays silent. I didn't want to be hit. I didn't want to hurt. Every instinct inside of me screamed to run and hide, to hide in the smallest darkest hole I could find until Kiki came to drive back the monster and keep me safe for another day. Instead I stand looking at her through teary eyes unable to speak or even move.

Mistaking my dewy eyes as a sign of joy her yellow jagged grin widens and she holds her arms wide. "My boy."

"D-don't touch me." I whisper, my arms held tight to my body and my head down.

She either doesn't hear me or doesn't care as she steps forward and takes me into a firm embrace. For such a small woman she was strong, just like her daughter, and her hug feels like a constricting Boa around me. She was not soft and nice, like Evelyn, but hard and wiry. More bone than flesh. Her cheap perfume burns my nostrils. Her clammy hands feel like acid against my skin.

As I stand being hugged I look across to Diane, my hurt gaze asking just one question of her. Why? I see nothing but cruel, vindictive amusement coming back the other way. Even Lamar, who I'd once thought to be a pretty cool guy, seemed entertained by this family drama unfolding in front of him.

Mother steps back from me and holds me by the shoulders as she looks me over. "Damn boy! You've become a man." Looking off toward the house and then toward the pool she laughs. "You and Kiki live here? Doin pretty good for yourselves, huh?"

I just stare at her. My dry mouth and throat unable to even make a squeak. Though I try to hold it back a tear rolls down my cheek and my bottom lip begins to tremble.

"Hey. Don't cry. Hold it together Donny." She says as she wipes one of my cheeks. Glancing over her shoulder she says to the others. "He always was a weepy little guy. Isn't that right Donny? Cry over spilt milk this boy." She steps back from me. "It's okay Donny, Mama's back."

At last I find my voice. "Wh-why'd you go away? Why'd you leave?"

"Aw Donny. Don't you understand? Didn't they tell you?" She asks, giving no indication who this mysterious 'they' were supposed to be. "I didn't want to leave you and your sister, but I had to."

"I don't understand."

"Of course not. You were just a child. How could you understand?" She says. "Kiki knew. She didn't tell you? Didn't she explain?"

I shake my head.

"Fuckin Kiki. I shoulda known. Made me seem a heartless bitch I bet, like she's so fuckin pure." She sighs. "It wasn't my fault. I had to go Donny. Get my head on straight. I was no good to you two back then. Kiki was always better looking after shit, even then. I stayed long enough to make sure she could provide for ya. It's all I could do. Best thing I could do for you after that is get out of there. You can't blame me for that. I had to look after myself first before I could look after kids. And I did! I'm better now son. I got my shit together." She tilts her head, studying my reaction closely. "Do you understand what I'm sayin?"

I shake my head again.

"You will." She assures me. "Someday you will." She takes a breath and looks around again. "Looking around here I can see I made the right choice. I taught you two how to be strong, how to pull yourselves up, and look at where it got you. Wow."

How dare she! How dare she take credit for this. A tiny ember begins to glow inside. "Why? Why are you here? Why now?"

"I was back in town and I went to find you two..."

"No you weren't." I say, my voice gaining in strength and volume. "Don't lie."

Her eye twitches at my interruption but she maintains her grin. "Donny, don't make this hard. Okay? I've been through some shit." She takes out a smoke and lights it as the heel of her right foot shakes up and down. After a long drag she says. "Life ain't all cupcakes and rainbows ya know."

I close my eyes and take in the acrid smell of cheap tobacco then slowly let it out. "Sometimes...it is cupcakes." I say, the vision of the special cupcake my Mommy made me held firmly in my mind. "Sometimes it is cupcakes."

"What are you talkin about?"

"Why are you here?" The ember now shone orange. I open my eyes and raise my chin to stand tall. "Why did you think we wanted to see you?"

"Cause I'm your fuckin..." She stops, takes a breath, and starts again. "Because I'm your mom and I was worried about you. I wanted to see you again. You can't know how hard it was for me to leave you Donny."

"Brings a tear to your eye, eh Lamar?" Diane says. The pair of them chuckle at our expense. I could tell the mockery bothered my mother but I just ignore them.

"How hard it was for you?" I say, aghast. "For you!?"

"You think it was easy for me? Huh!?"

"I don't know! You weren't there!"

"It's a fuckin hassle being a mother, specially when you don't have you're own shit sorted."

"You couldn't have at least tried!?" The ember had lit and a fire now burned inside me.

"Calm down kid." She huffs out cloud of curling smoke just like the dragon in my dreams. "Okay, you want the truth?"

"Yes!"

She swallows and glances behind her, annoyed at Diane and Lamar's presence. "Give us a minute?"

"No way Lexie. This is way too good."

"Fuckin assholes." She mutters. "Fine!" She locks eyes with me. "I'm here cause I got nowhere else to go, okay? Is that what you want to hear?"

"I just want the truth!"

"Well I told you!" She shouts. "Donny, listen to me. Ain't nobody want a whore my age. I been workin as a Lot Lizard but even that's drying up. Ain't nobody want me son. I'm all used up. I got no money and nowhere to go." Her voice lowers. "When Diane got a hold of me and told me that you and Kiki were doin good..." She sighs and reaches for me. I recoil from her. "You're all I got kid." She begs. "Your mom just needs a hand. I need you son."

I stare at her in disbelief. Could she even hear herself? After all of scars she'd left on my sister and I...she comes to me now to beg for help? In her brown eyes, the eyes she'd passed down to me, I see not a whiff of repentance or guilt. She truly felt that SHE was the victim here. Right then I knew that her life had only ever been about her. There was only room for one in that shriveled black heart of hers.

Face to face with the devil and her demons with nowhere to run and my savior Kitty unable to shield me this time I am forced at last to find the strength within myself. And what I find...is Mommy. I think of that first awkward day at the front door when I messed everything and how Evelyn let me start again. I think of the food she cooked me and the warm bath that followed. Oh how I remember the feel of her soft hands on my body. I remember that first hard cry and how she held me though I was only a stranger then. I remember the presents and the laughter and how she told me to dream big. I remember how she came to me that night back in the city to check on me and sing me a lullaby. I remember how nervous I'd been when I introduced her to Kitty and how she'd accepted my sister with open arms because it was important to me. I remember her reaction to the mug and her even better reaction to my first painting. How proud she'd been. I remember the starry night and her warm arms around me. The kind words, the gentle snuggles, the tender gazes, the abiding love. I remember it all...and through new eyes I see my monster for the pitiable wretch that it truly was.

Sensing the rush of courage come over me my mother changes tack. "Listen Donny, you got some dough I could have?" She motions to the house. "Some jewelry you could nick? Just something, anything, and I'll get these two outta here."

I knew this type of bargaining. I'd heard it many times from Kitty back in our old life. "I thought you were clean."

"I'm tryin, okay?" She says, not even bothering to try to cover the lie I'd just called out. "It ain't easy."

"I know." I say, flashes of the hospital and my bedside vigil with Kitty flickering through my mind. For my mother that seat would be empty. "Life's a bitch, huh?" Her eyes narrow in anger but I do not shrink. Her power over me was gone. "So...you come here...to ruin all that we've built up...for a hit?"

The smiles was gone now and her upper lips trembles with rage. "You ungrateful little shit. I'm your Mom Donny, your MOM!"

"You are NOT my Mom!" I shout. "You might have shat me out that rotten fucking cunt of yours, but you are NOT my Mom."

"Ohhhhh damn!" Diane laughs.

"Donny..."

"I'm glad you showed up." I say as I step toward her. "It gives me the chance to tell you that I hate you straight to your face. I hate you mother. I HATE YOU!"

My words, no matter how good they felt to say, were impotent against her impenetrable narcissism. Throwing her cigarette to the side she points at me. "There it is. Strength! I gave you that to you Donny. I did that. You were such a weak little sissy boy growing up. You never coulda made it. But my boy grew into a man because of me!"

I shake my head in utter revulsion. She was beyond hope. "You're right Lexie." I say, my face and my heart closing off to her. "You've got nowhere to go. Least of all here. Now get the hell out of my home."

Smack! With a snarl she snaps a stinging slap hard across my cheek.

I stand, my cheek glowing hot and my fists shaking at my sides, and glare back at her unbowed. "Go away!"

Smack!

"Hrrrmm!" I snort and ball my fists tighter as the other cheek now stings too. "Don't touch me. Don't you ever touch me again!"

"Or what?" Lexie sneers. "You ain't doin shit Donny."

"Ha ha ha!" Diane chortles. "That's it kid. Give'er a pop."

"Fuck you." I say to her. "Fuck you all!"

Just then the back door opens and a deep booming voice bellows. "What is going on back here?"

***

Chapter 108

NO! Not Alan. Not now! This was not how he was supposed to find out. I am still shook to my core from seeing my mother again, how was supposed to deal with this too!? Fate had been so kind to me recently, my life had overflowed with blessings, but the bill had just come due.

Alan's gray eyes dart about the group of us as he takes in the situation. It doesn't take a detective to figure out things were not on friendly terms back here. Sensing the energy his whole body subtly tenses.

"Who are you people?" Alan says as he walks out onto the deck already on guard. He had probably heard some yelling and the tension out here was thick enough to cut with a knife. He tries to be subtle about it but I note how he angles himself to stand between myself and Lamar. Lamar notices too and steps out from Diane. There was some alpha male shit going on that I didn't quite understand but I could recognize. The pair of them take each other's measure in that way that fighters did. Alan was a giant but Lamar was no shrimp himself. He was also leaner, younger, and made his living curb stomping problem Johns. I think I recall Kit saying something once about him being an ex-boxer. I also knew he was armed. He was not a dude to mess with. Alan had no idea what he'd just walked into here. He looks over his shoulder to my mother and then to me. His eyes take note of my rosy, freshly slapped cheeks. "You okay Donny?"

"It's okay Alan." I say. "I can deal with this."

He looks back to Diane and Lamar. "The hell you can." He looks at Diane, the obvious leader of the pack. "You're trespassing. Get off of my property."

My mother's face twists in disgust. "Is that your Sugar Daddy? Aw Donny, no. I shoulda guessed you were that way." It seems Diane had not filled Lexie in with all of the details. "My kid's a fuckin queer?"

I glare at her to shut the fuck up.

"Hey, he might be Daddy." Diane grins with malevolent delight. "You sharing some sugar with Daddy too Donny?" She winks at Alan. "You plowin the twink? Or do you just like to...watch?"

Alan, understandably, is confused. "What the hell?"

"Oh, so you don't know?" Diane laughs. "Ohhhh, this is delicious. Right under your nose! Ha ha ha!"

"Diane! Leave him out of this." I say as a last attempt to cut this off so that I could try to pick up the pieces afterward, but the ball was already rolling and there was nothing I could do to stop it. "We can work something out later..."

"Too late kid." She says. "I might have played nice had Evelyn not threatened me, or at least made it worth my while. A lousy thousand? I know she could have afforded more. Cheap bitch."

"Evelyn?" Alan says with furrowed brow. "Do...do you know my wife?"

"Oh yes Alan. She and I go way back."

"Thank fuck it's the wife." Lexie mutters.

"Alan, don't listen to her." I say, ignoring my bitch of a mother. "Just go back in the house. Evelyn and I will explain everything. I promise."

"Evelyn and...you?" He looks toward me and I could already see a glimmer of suspicion in his steely expression. "Explain?"

"Alan..." I start.

"Tell him Donny." Prods Diane. "Tell Alan about how you've been fucking his wife while he's busting his ass at work."

For a moment Alan's face is blank as he turns the words over in his mind. He then shakes his head. "What?"

"Little Donny here's been fucking your slut wife."

"Don't call her that!" He barks.

Diane, careful to keep Lamar between she and the wounded husband, carries on. "Real fucked up shit too. Mommy-Son shit. Makes me sick what they must say to each other as they...fuck." She pours all of her mocking scorn into that last word. She was destroying this household and loving every second of it. "Ohhh Son! Do me better than Daddy!" Lamar cringes and laughs.

"Alan...we were going to tell you." I say. "We...we never meant to hurt..."

"So it's true!?" He snaps at me.

"Y-yes!" I nod. "Yes sir, it's true. But..."

"While you're at the office working those long hours Donny here's been working your wife. Fucking her better than you ever could. On your dime too no doubt. You're just the moron footing the bill as your wife gets the meat." Diane goads, purposely pressing every button she could find. "What's the matter big guy? Can't keep your woman satisfied? Can't get it up or something? Hmm?"

A dozen different emotions cross Alan's rugged face, the most prominent ones being anger and hurt, before his granite stoicism reasserts itself. His jaw muscles flex but other than that he was a stone though I could not imagine what was going on inside of him. It was bad enough to find out that you were betrayed by your own longtime spouse, your partner and the mother of your child, by some scrawny twenty-three year old that he'd shown kindness to no less, but to have to be mocked and belittled as it happened? It was so humiliating!

"It wasn't like that..." I try to say in his defense but Diane carried on.

"And Donny wasn't the first. Oh no, he was just the last of the bunch. The one she decided to keep as her personal pet fuckboy."

This one really hits Alan hard. Like a physical blow it staggers him.

"Over five years I've been bringing pretty little twinks out here to fuck your slut wife. She must have liked them, paid top dollar. There musta been two dozen? More? Boy after boy out here fucking your woman. Young, fit, some of them hung like a horse. Hired young stallions turning your bitch out as the old cuckolded stud is put to pasture. Think of it cuck. In YOUR house. In YOUR bed. Dozens of 'em. Fucking her again and again and..."

"No!" I exclaim. "She never slept with any of them Alan. It wasn't like that. It really wasn't." I say. "I...I was the first she...bedded."

"Yeah right." Diane scoffs. "Is that what she told you? You're as much a dumb fuck as he is." She turns her attention back to Alan. "Listen, Alan, I don't care what you do with the homewrecker. He's all yours. But if you want this to stay between us...I'm gonna need five grand."

Alan says nothing. With his fists clenched tight and his nostrils flaring he just glares at Diane. Lamar uncrosses his arms and holds them to his sides, coiled and ready in case Alan did something foolish.

She continues. "It would pretty damn embarrassing if it got out that you're being cucked by a boy like him. Mmm?"

Alan snorts.

"And I'm sure your dear, sweet Evelyn wouldn't be welcome at too many cocktail parties once they knew she was a client of someone like... me. Mmm?"

Alan shakes his head as if rejecting the words he was hearing.

"I-I-I'll pay you back Alan. I swear. Just..."

"Shut up Donny." He growls through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, shut up Donny." Diane echoes. "Five G's is a bargain for that kind of peace of mind. Wouldn't you say big guy?" Her smug grin dared him to try something. "Five G's and this is all erased." She chuckles. "Of course the sister, that's a whole separate matter."

"ENOUGH!" Alan booms. "I don't deal with scum like you. You are getting off of my property, now."

With that Alan advances.

"Step back old man." Lamar warns. "You don't want this." He holds one arm out to keep Alan at bay as the other goes for something inside of his jacket. "STEP BACK!"

"Alan!" I cry. "Stop!"

It was like trying to stop a charging rhino. Alan had set his mind to ridding this cancer from his property and he would see it done. As he closes in Lamar pulls his right hand out from his jacket and a flash of steel glints in the bright summer sun.

***

Chapter 109

The moment that the flash of reflected sun hits my sight time slows to a crawl.

Before I had even fully recognized the glint as the six inch blade that it was I was already on the move. I didn't have time to have thoughts beyond basic concepts like danger, friend, home, protect, and family, but they were enough to spur me into action. Pushing past my mother I sprint to Alan's side just as the knife had drawn back into a readied position.

Lamar shouts something, another warning I think, but Alan wasn't stopping. If Lamar had meant the blade to be simply a threat to keep the big man at bay it had come too late. Even he had been surprised by Alan's decisive approach. Given the grim look on his face and his fearsome reputation I had no doubt that Lamar would not hesitate to use the knife once engaged. Alan's arm is outstretched to grab Lamar by the shoulder, he hadn't even seen the weapon be brandished! And with his arm up the entirety of this left flank was completely exposed.

My eyes are locked. My whole world was that knife as I run with all of my strength across the stone deck.

Down comes Alan's hand onto Lamar's shoulder and with that contact...the knife strikes!

I lunge the last few feet. With both hands I seize Lamar's wrist. He was much bigger and stronger than me but my momentum is enough to knock the jab from its original target. Normally he would have thrown me off with ease. But my goal was not to fight him, it was to buy Alan a few precious seconds. Unfortunately my momentum also carries my own body toward the deadly point.