Set Me Free

Chapter Thirteen

“I’m glad you actually came. I thought you would have blown me off since---”

“Kevin.” Juno had to remind Kevin that this wasn’t a social call.

“Sorry, sorry. Please, sit down.” He gestures to the chair and sits down himself at a small round table.

He chose to meet at a discreet coffee shop that’s partially hidden by the growing construction to turn the town swanky and upbeat. So, in various pockets you can see the old heart of the town and the new renovations devouring everything that made the town’s uniqueness. The ma and pa shops were closing faster than she could say yahtzee.

It’s losing it’s charm.

The coffee itself was average with tables scattered with no real rhyme or reason. Juno looked up as a waitress approached them, a tired expression written across her face. 

“Welcome! What can I get for you two?” The waitress looks at Juno as she asks.

“I’ll have--”

“I’ll have a vanilla sweet cream cold brew, and she will have just a regular brew. All the other stuff has too many calories.” Kevin interjects and orders for himself first, then orders for her. Juno’s eyes turned to slits as she glared imaginary daggers at Kevin.

“Ms?” The waitress turns her attention back to her, she smiles in understanding, her face no longer looking tired.

“I already---”

“Yes, I’ll take a caramel macchiato and can I have EXTRA caramel and add tons of whip cream too please. Oh, and I love cherries, can I have some of those as well?”

The waitress winks. “You certainly can. I’ll be right back with your order.” The waitress then turns to Kevin. “And I’ll be back with your juice.” She looks at him like he’s less than human.

“My juice? What juice? Hey---” He tried to correct her but she was already gone. Watching his irritation brought a smile to Juno’s face, temporarily forgetting that he thought he could order for her. 

“Listen, I have something important to tell you.” Crosses her legs under the table and folds her arms across her chest. Whatever he has to say, better be good, because as soon as she has her drink she’s out of there. She sees no reason to dawdle any longer than necessary. She came, and as of right now, there really wasn’t a reason to agree in the first place. She wasn’t even sure why she did. 

“So, what is so important that you couldn’t simply just tell me over the phone. Instead I had to drive all the way out here. Right now, I’m beginning to think that it was a bad decision.” She didn’t withhold distaste. She doesn’t want to send any mixed signals to kevin, and knowing him it isn’t hard for him to get confused. Her fingers tap impatiently across the table top.

H swallows. “I...whew, this is hard.” Reaching into his back pocket he pulls out an envelope and places it on the table, his finger holding it down, his eyes drilling into her. He seemed reluctant but then relinquished the crisp envelope, slowly sliding it towards her.

With a worried expression he leaned back in his chair. Juno didn’t miss the stealthy smugness he thought he could hide. Whatever was in that envelope, Kevin wants her to know, and not because he’s sorry. If anything it’d be because he’s getting back at her. 

Staring at the envelope, she slowly grabbed it. Kevin’s eyes twinkled like he was excited and waiting to see her reaction. Inside the envelope was a news article and photographs. Picking up one of the photos, her heart dropped to the floor.

“What is this!?” She couldn’t take her eyes off the image. Her eyes were transfixed, disbelief flooding through her veins. 

The photo was of Nix, bloodied and bruised in handcuffs, being led away. With nervous fingers, afraid what the next photo would reveal, she flipped it over. The body of a man was laying in the streets surrounded by broken glass. A dark pool of blood stained the pavement in a tide of red.

“I’m sorry. I came across this and I had to let you know. We may have broken up, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you…” Juno was at a loss. What did this mean? Did Nix kill that man? With questions swirling around in her head like a pissed off beehive, she grabbed the article and read the headline.

“Notorious Steele Brothers finally brought to justice.” With a bleeding heart she skimmed to the details, ‘Today at Alan Ln, WInchester. A fight broke out between the Steele brothers. Nix Steele brutally murdered his brother in cold blood and has been charged with manslaughter, and domestic battery of his brother’s long time girlfriend.’

The article slipped through Juno’s fingers. A coldness swept through her body numbing her fingers. She could barely feel her heart pumping, her brain was shattered like a porcelain vase.  With broken breaths, she wheezed, “Wha...this--this can’t be---no….this isn’t true!” Her chair scrapes loudly across the floor in her frantic escape. It can’t be true, can it? Grabbing her purse she turns to run out of there.

Kevin grabs her elbow, halting her escape,  “Wait! He’s too dangerous to go back. Let me come with you, just so I know you’ll be safe.”

“I…” Juno wanted to tell Kevin no, but she was drowning in doubt. What if it really was all true? The photos, the article, Kevin couldn’t make that up. She felt like she was about to burst. Nix lied to her. 

“Please?” Kevin gently places his hand on her shoulder, his thumb stroking soothing circles. They would be soothing if she was rigid with anger and sadness welling up inside her like a dark void, threatening to consume her.

Nix has never been violent towards her in any way. He’s been thoughtful, kind, caring. But...what if he was a killer? Is she really safe? Does that mean he is the creeper that violated her safe space? Her home?

Then the dawning realization that she’s supposed to meet Nix and head to the fair. Brushing off Kevin’s hand, she politely smiled. “Thank you, Kevin. I’ll be ok. I’ve got my sisters.”

Stepping back, Kevin grabs the coffee from the table that must have arrived when Juno fell down the rabbit whole of endless questions and tainted trust. Holding it out to her, Juno kindly took her drink, politely saying goodbye.

The drive home wasn’t calming, or enjoyable. Thousands of ‘what-if’ scenarios played through her mind. Her brain was getting all manners of traffic stops as she processed what to do with Nix. 

“Do I confront him? Do I ignore it?”

Her thoughts were all jumbled on what to think. Nix killed his own brother, but when he took her out to the forest, he did mention that his brother was killed. Just never said it was by him. Was that his half truth as he figured out a way to tell her the whole truth or was he fine with leaving it at that and never telling her the whole truth. Because hearing it from someone else was far worse than she’d imagined if she heard it straight from him. If he lied about that, it makes her wonder if he lied about other things. Is the club actually a reputable establishment or is it just a front for his crime running schemes. Is he even a criminal still? 

Her thoughts wouldn’t slow down, they continued to spiral out of control. Each stop light only added more fuel to the fire. By the time she pulled into her driveway, her chaotic thoughts weren’t any clearer.

The skies were no longer crystal blue, but now charcoal gray and darkening by the second as the early night set in. By the house was Nix, leaning against his truck. Juno’s brooding emotions matched the sorrow filled sky.

A devilish grin plastered to his face as she came to a stop. Seeing Nix has her blood boiling. Juno flung herself from the car, the door slamming shut behind her in her rage. Like a raging banshee she stormed up to him.

“That grin won’t be there for long.” She muttered to herself. Her small breath coming out in a plume of smoke in the cold air.

Nix's tall frame leaned against the side of his truck, his large oak like arms crossed across his massive chest.  The leather coat stretched dangerously. His dark hair was combed back, a few long strands breaking free and dangled helplessly over his temple.

“There you are, Beautiful.” His expression changes when he notices something was wrong. Juno was angry, her fists clenched at her sides, her brows narrowed harshly. Nix stepped forward to meet her half way, his eyes dulled with confusion. His voice was low and dark. He reaches out for her but she steps back out of his grasp.

“Juno, what’s wrong?” He looks over her shoulder down the darkened driveway. “Did something happen?” He asks worriedly.

Nix takes another step but stops abruptly when she involuntarily takes one step back again.  A cold breeze blew across her flat yard, a chilling tundra froze her skin. She shivered, bracing herself against the coming storm.

“Juno?” Nix questioned. He folds his arms across his chest again., pulling taut the seams to his jacket. For the first time she felt the hint of fear crawl up her legs. Because now she knows what he’s capable of. Refusing to give into the growing fear, she pushed onward needing to know the full truth.

“I want you to be honest with me, Nix. Do you understand?” Nix looked confused, his head slowly nodding. He’s not entirely sure but willing to play. Wrapping her arms around herself she rubbed her arms from the increasing seeping cold. Her warm breath coming out in a small plume. 

“What happened to your brother?” Nix’s head shot up, his eyes narrowed as he growled low. Like a beast having it’s food being threatened.

“Why is it so goddamn important!?” He growled. The sudden outburst had her take another step back. He notices and squeezes his eyes shut and takes a deep breath. Juno could tell he’s trying to ground himself, whether from acting out or what, she honestly has no clue on what could happen at this point. Scared? Yes. She also didn’t believe he would hurt her though, it’s just a feeling but there still was that feather light tingling of fear laying dormant.  

After a few seconds, he opens his dark eyes swirling with raw emotion that calls out to her. A need to run over to him and pull him in close, to bare the brunt of the pain that’s coursing through him. The hurt, pungent and infectious as it morphed his expressions and body posture. The aura around him became heavy, but just as quickly it dissolved into a vacant stare. 

“He was killed. I already told you this. What more do you want? Why is my goddamn past so important?” He lied again, though still a half truth. Not the full truth, and that’s the problem. Juno was starting to get a sense that he hasn’t talked about it, if at all. Maybe that’s why he has this air about him, like it happened to someone else. 

“I don’t know you!” She cries out. Shaking her head, saddened by his lies. HIs inability to tell her the truth. She thought that she was important to him, to share his burdens, to know him fully and be by his side through it. Now it seems that she was fooling herself, convincing herself that this was some fairy tale fantasy. How wrong she was. But she doesn’t regret the time they spent together, the amazing s*x they had. She doubts anything will ever compare and is afraid that if she tries she’ll always be thinking about Nix.

She was angry that he was not letting her inside his thick armor he has protected around his heart. Essentially pushing her out.  Her feelings haven't changed, yes she may be wary of him. But she still wants to be with him, to know his secrets, and to break that wall he’s built over the years around himself that keeps anyone from getting too close.

One question kept rearing its head through the bungled throng of questions that have been sidewinding their way through her skull. Would she still view Nix the same way if he confirms it all to be true? The murder of his brother, and for the other accusation, that just doesn’t seem like Nix. Ya, he may have done some bad things when he was younger, but domestic battery? Hurting a woman? That just doesn’t seem like Nix at all and she has trouble believing it. Still, she needs to know the truth, even if it’s painful to hear.

Scared and desperate to know the truth, she decided instead of waiting for him to answer which might take years. Reaching into her back pocket she pulled the envelope out. If the article is true, then that means he also beat his brother's girlfriend. Then suddenly, her brain clicks like a cycle through a photo album. That day at the supermarket that strange and mysterious woman. That’s what she was talking about, does that mean that woman was his brother's girlfriend?

Tossing the envelope at him, it slaps against his chest and flutters to the floor. Reaching down her picks it up. “Explain this then!” She yells at him angrily. Tears pricked behind her eyes, holding the damn closed, refusing to give him any of her tears.

“What the hell is this?” Pulling the contents out, his body went rigid. After taking a few seconds, he slowly handed the envelope back. He raised his eyes to the desolate sky. It started snowing, an insistent stream of snow flakes came raining down around them.

“It’s true. I killed him.” He takes a deep breath. “I killed my brother.”