A.N- Thank you for all the great reviews and I'm sorry I couldn't get this out any faster. Once a week is all I can really manage right now. Hope the fact that this is a super long chapter makes up for it! :))
All Tied Up
Darry was feeling decidedly edgy as he stood between trouble and lunacy. Trouble being Tim Shepard and lunacy being Ronnie Parker.
Still standing in Tim Shepard's bedroom, Darry darted a look between them but it was like looking at two blank pieces of paper. Shepard was sitting up in bed, smoking in silence while he watched Ronnie. Ronnie was standing stock still like some kind of street performer that you were tempted to poke, just to check they were real. But their eyes- Darry thought their eyes were their only give away.
"Where do I find him?" Ronnie's voice was low and deadly and his eyes were glassy and unfocused, the way they had been since Tim had told them about Daniels' shady past.
But Tim was playing it cool- or if Darry were honest- just being himself, because no matter how childlike it would sound if he said it aloud- Tim Shepard simply was cool.
"Do I look like his damn keeper?"
Ronnie growled, low and deep in his throat and Darry decided that now was probably a good time to step in.
"Where'd Soda go, Tim? Did he say where he was going?"
Tim blew his smoke in Darry's direction.
"I ain't his keeper either."
Darry took a breath. Tim was getting him mighty frustrated but it wouldn't do for him to lose his head too. Somebody had to be sensible.
"Look, Shepard, if it were your brother, I'd do all I could to help. So give me the same respect, alright?"
"If it were my brother banging a Brumly chick, I'd beat his ass."
Ronnie tipped his head, half questioning, half threatening.
"And why's that, Shepard?"
Darry butted in before Tim could give him a smart alec response.
"Who cares what he'd do in your position? He ain't. So the most important thing is for us to find your sister and Soda."
Darry was starting to feel like a referee in a boxing match. He was bigger and heavier than both Tim and Ronnie but size was something that didn't factor in the minds of guys like them. Still, if either of them decided to throw their weight around, Darry would use his build to advantage. His chest felt bruised after a tackle from Ronnie earlier and his ear was a little swollen too but he still felt capable of beating the pair of these so called gang members if they didn't take it easy.
"Tim." Darry turned to the leader of the Shepard gang. "Just tell me where Soda went. Please."
Tim raised an eyebrow.
"If I tell you, will you get the hell out of here? And take Dopey with you?"
"Yeah, sure," Darry said quickly, ignoring the look that Ronnie was shooting him. He'd tell Tim whatever he wanted to hear for a lead on his brother.
"Tigers headquarters. They've gone there looking for Daniels." Tim smirked at Ronnie. "You know where that is, right Parker? It being the headquarters of your enemy?"
Ronnie didn't answer, letting Tim know everything he needed to. He started to chuckle and Ronnie stepped forward as if in slow motion. Darry wanted to tell Shepard to shut the hell up. This sort of talk may have been acceptable between Shepard and Dallas, but Darry was pretty sure Ronnie didn't operate that way.
"Just tell us where it is," Darry said in a theatrically loud voice. It was as though he were hoping that if he were loud, he'd draw their attention elsewhere. Not even Darry Curtis' booming voice had the power to divert these two though.
"Yeah, Shepard. Tell us where it is." Parker was right at Shepard's bedside now and Darry was just waiting for him to slug Tim a good one when Tim spoke up again.
"I don't know what you guys are thinking. You must be crazy to think you can walk into the Tigers headquarters and walk out again. Wasn't any telling your brother, Curtis, but you, Brumly, you should know the score."
"I know the score alright," Ronnie said. "Unfortunately for the Tigers, I don't give a shit. That's kind of my motto, Shepard. I don't give a shit. Like, beating a man to a pulp when he's laid up. I don't give a shit. Starting a new war with a new gang just 'cause I feel like it. I don't give a shit. And leaving a man for dead in his own house…" Ronnie paused, and raised his eyebrows coolly.
Darry had had about all he could take.
"We get it!" He intervened. "You don't give a shit. Do me a favour, Parker? Go start the engine. I'll be out in a minute."
Ronnie's eyes flickered in annoyance.
"I ain't your kid brother, Curtis. You don't get to tell me what to do."
"I ain't telling. I'm asking. For your sister's sake. Unless you wanna hang out some more with Shepard here?"
Ronnie seemed to consider this before he finally nodded.
"Hurry it up," he said as he walked out of the room. Darry breathed a huge sigh of relief but Tim only looked amused. He was instantly more affable with Parker out of the room and Darry was thankful that Ronnie had left of his own free will.
"I don't know what you're thinking, Curtis. I thought you were s'posed to be smart."
"So what's the smart thing to do?" Darry sat down on the end of the bed. He'd discovered from parenting his brothers that standing over someone could come across as intimidating and you were guaranteed a better response if you came down to the other guys level.
"The smart thing was to keep middle Curtis away from Brumly chicks."
Darry sighed. Way to point out the obvious, Shepard.
"Well, that ship has sailed. I'm hanging on to my brothers by a thread, Tim. Any more trouble and they end up in a boy's home. What's the smart thing to do now?"
"Let your brother deal with the situation." Tim lit another cigarette off the butt of his first one, stubbing it out on the surface of his nightstand. Despite the situation, Darry couldn't help but frown. Shoot, he'd kill Soda or Pony for treating the furniture like that.
He tried blot out his natural instinct to scold and to focus on Tim's suggestion instead. He didn't like the idea but he was loathe to dismiss anything Tim had to say without an explanation. This guy didn't run half of the East Side for no good reason.
"Why's that?"
"Maths." Tim said simply. "My calculations say that one of you is already in the shit. Your brother's gonna walk into the Tiger hideout like a lamb to a slaughter. But that still leaves one. You. Somebody to take care of kid brother at home. You walk in, that's two down and kid Curtis is in a foster home quicker than you can blink."
Darry got the logic. He really did. And if he were working on logic alone, he'd agree with Tim and go on home. But how he felt for his brothers wasn't logic. It was love and it was loyalty, and it worked on the motto of 'never leave a man behind.'
"I gotta go after him," Darry said. "There's no other choice."
"You know if you walk in with a Brumly boy, it'll be like a red flag to a bull?" Tim asked but he didn't need an answer. Darry wasn't dumb. He knew that as well as Tim did but he wasn't exactly sure he could stop Ronnie.
"So what if you came with us, Shepard? A neutral man they know. You might diffuse the situation."
Tim laughed softly, just with his mouth. The rest of his face hardly changed expression.
"Even if I were in a state for a stand-off, I ain't walking into the lion's den. There ain't nothing in it for me."
And that's what it always came down to with Tim. What was in it for him.
"You could do it because-"
Tim interrupted then, something that he rarely did. Tim was a watcher, a listener, an observer. Talking was an afterthought or a necessity but this time he cut off Darry with a tone so severe, it startled him.
"If you mention Dallas, Curtis, I'm gonna have to pop you one." Tim took another drag on his cigarette and even though his actions were subtle, Darry could see he was rattled. Perhaps one of the guys, even Soda, had brought him up on their visit, but for Darry, Darry thought of Dallas every time he saw Tim.
Tim looking for Dallas, either to bust his head open or to rope him into something shady, Tim and Dallas ribbing each other or sitting side by side, heads together, cooking something up. As much as both of them had denied it, Dally and Tim had been best friends underneath it all. Darry and the gang were Dallas' family but Tim had been his best friend.
"I wasn't gonna mention him," Darry said, more softly now.
"Don't know what the fucks the matter with everyone," Tim grumbled. "Seems like half of Tulsa's gone crazy today."
Darry stood up. He was wasting precious time here.
"Tim, where are they? Where's the Tigers hide out?"
"Carson street," Tim stretched then winced. "The old furniture store. You know it?"
"Yeah," Darry nodded, feeling the adrenaline beginning to build up inside of him. "I know it." He stood up to leave and in the doorway glanced back one more time at Tim.
Shepard's cigarette was dangling loosely from his lips as he flattened the adhesive on his dressing. He was like a walking advert for street crime, a how-not-to raise your kid. Still, Darry couldn't help but respect him.
"You sure you don't wanna come along?"
"I'll be seeing you, Curtis," Tim answered. "At least, I hope so."
And as Darry jogged out to Ronnie's waiting car, all he could think was how strange it was that Tim hoped he wasn't killed.
Unlike Ronnie, apparently Tim Shepard did give a shit.
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Lily had never been so thankful for the daylight. Well, it wasn't much daylight, but light all the same was something to be happy about.
When the makeshift blindfold was finally taken away from her eyes, she blinked rapidly, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the new light level. She was in a dimly lit room filled with big wall lined cupboards and a couple of sofas. It was a basement room, she figured, since the only light was coming from tiny windows up high near the ceilings. The Tigers hideout.
"Hold still." Simon started fiddling with the belt at her back but Macdonald's voice halted him.
"You better be sure before you do that. Don't forget she tried to make a break for it earlier."
Simon paused, then turned Lily round to face him.
"You ain't gonna run out on me again, are ya honey?"
"If you do, it's the belt and the blindfold again," Macdonald said from behind her. "Might even put you in the closet."
Lily was still trying to get used to the light and was squinting up at Simon Yale.
"I won't run," she said. Truth was, her arms were a little sore from her hands being pulled behind her back and there was no way she wanted to be blindfolded again. Besides, despite her cynical nature nagging at her, she was actually starting to trust Simon. He'd kept his hand on her arm in the car and spoke softly to her about Wyatt's bad driving on sharp corners. When they'd gotten out of the car he'd guided her into the building and then carried her down a flight of stairs. He'd told her to mind steps and turns and she'd followed him uncertainly, soothed by his voice.
Simon grinned at her and she wondered if all kid brothers were watered down versions of their older brothers. Ponyboy was similar looking but not as handsome as Soda. And Luke Yale was no way as good looking as Simon although they definitely shared a resemblance. That didn't explain Soda being better looking than Darry though. Or Frankie being more handsome than Ronnie. But maybe she was biased in both of those areas.
"What?" Lily felt her cheeks grow hot as Simon stared at her. She didn't do blushing but this wasn't exactly a normal situation. She was being held hostage and the strange guy staring at her was someone she was growing to like.
"You just look cute blinking like that. Your hair's all messed up too."
It was unfair to say that to a girl when she didn't have a free hand to fix it.
Simon laughed and turned her around. As he loosened the belt, Lily looked over at the other three guys. Daniel Brooks tossed the equipment and cocaine into one of the cupboards before going over to an old refrigerator that hummed too loudly.
"Alright if we grab a beer, Neil?" He called to his leader. Neil and Wyatt had sat down on one of the couches, which were in pretty good condition from what Lily could see. Better than her couch at home anyhow.
"Yeah, go ahead," Macdonald answered. "As long as you keep thinking about where we're gonna move this operation to."
"Hey, what happened to Daniels?" Wyatt asked. "He's been gone forever."
"Hopefully the stupid shit will think to come here when he realises we ain't at the church no more." Macdonald said. His tone led Lily to think he had about as high opinion of Daniels as she did.
"I don't see we got much use for him anymore now we don't need the church," Wyatt responded.
Macdonald gave him a stern look and nodded in Lily's direction.
"Keep it down, alright? Do your thinking in your head."
Lily started wondering if they were actually gonna lock her in the closet when she felt Simon's hand on her arm.
"You want a beer, Lily? Might settle your nerves."
"You're a smoothie, Yale." Brooks laughed. "First name basis already. Who knows, you might even score a date out of today."
Simon laughed along but Lily ignored the comment.
"Yeah, I'll have a beer," she said. She stayed where she was while Simon went to the refrigerator and Macdonald didn't take his eyes off her for a second. "Here, girl, take a seat."
Lily followed Macdonald's pointed look at the free sofa and she smoothed down her hair as she crossed the room to sit down.
"Yale, you got things down here for a minute? We'll go upstairs and talk this thing through."
"Sure," Yale's head was still in the refrigerator. "Y'all go ahead."
With Yale distracted and the Tigers heading upstairs, Lily started to think she might be able to get out of here after all.
"I'mma bolt the door shut," Macdonald went on. "Just in case."
Lily's brief moment of hope was crushed at his words and she resigned herself to hanging out with Simon until a decision was reached. It could be worse, but damn, she was hungry. Her appetite had vanished when she'd first walked in on The Tigers but she was starting to feel a little lightheaded now. She hoped they'd hurry the hell up and work out somewhere to stash their drugs. Jesus, if she was running a gang, she'd be way more efficient.
Macdonald, Wyatt and Brooks left the room and as promised, the sound of a bolt being drawn was apparent from the other side of the door.
Yale approached with two beers and she reached up to take one from him. He gave her a sympathetic smile.
"You okay? I mean, all things considered? Worst parts over now. We'll drink these beers and then get you dropped home."
Lily nodded and took a sip of her beer. She wasn't okay. She felt sick and still a little scared but she was more relaxed now the other guys were gone. The thought of drinking this beer was helping some too.
Her stomach growled noisily almost in protest of the alcohol in place of food. She winced as a stomach pain followed it and Simon looked at her in concern.
"Are you hungry? Christ, you must be, it's way past supper time." He stood up. "Sorry, us Tigers keep late hours. Our meal patterns probably not the same as usual folk."
He started rummaging through the big wall lined cupboards and Lily wondered where they'd gotten all this furniture from. Must be stolen, she decided. It was too good quality not to have been bought first hand and she wasn't sure that was what the Tigers would spend their ill-gotten gains on.
"Ah, here." Simon pulled out a huge bag of potato chips. "Wyatt's a weed hound. He denies it until the cows come home but he stashes munchies galore here in the event his old man kicks him out. He comes here, fogs the place out and eats a barrel of shit before morning."
He presented Lily with the unopened bag of chips and she put down her beer bottle to burst the bag and dig in. Screw manners, she was starving.
Simon sat back down and took a swig of his own beer. Neither of them spoke until Lily had devoured the entire bag. She ate noisily, crunching shamelessly until at last she was spent and her stomach pains had eased.
Yale looked over at her in amusement as she stooped to retrieve her beer and gulped half of it back.
"Feel better?"
She nodded, wiping some stray crumbs from her mouth with the back of her hand. She did feel better, a whole lot better in fact.
"You got a cigarette?" She asked him, dusting down her jeans.
He shifted about on the couch to pull out his cigarettes and offered her one. She didn't know why but even the sight of a pack of Kools was making her feel emotional. Christ, she missed Soda. It seemed impossible that she'd seen him just a few hours ago.
Simon didn't notice her discomfort. Instead, he set about lighting her cigarette.
"So, Lily, how old are ya?"
"Seventeen," she said quietly. She was glad he was making conversation. She refused outright to start bawling in front of a strange guy.
"I'm nineteen," he told her, although she hadn't asked. "I quit school at fifteen though. Wasn't for me. My brother's always been the brains of the family."
Lily didn't answer.
"Anyone gonna be worried about you? Parents, brothers or sisters? Boyfriend maybe?" His eyes were twinkling and she knew that was his way of asking if she had a boyfriend.
"My boyfriend, maybe," she answered. Although they hadn't really had the exclusive conversation, she was pretty sure she could call Soda her boyfriend.
"See, I was sure you'd have a boyfriend," Simon sighed dramatically. "All the pretty ones do."
Lily settled back on the sofa, her eyes feeling heavy. She didn't know how she could feel tired in this situation but she'd been out late with Soda and at work all day. The fear of what the Tigers would do to her had probably drained any energy she had left. Here with Simon though, she felt almost safe.
"So what's he like, this boyfriend of yours?"
"Real nice," Lily murmured. "Funny, sweet and the best looking guy I know." She didn't know why she was gushing like this. It must be the fact that she was delirious with exhaustion.
Simon whistled lowly and took another swig of his beer.
"Sounds like a real catch."
Lily lay her head on the couch's arm rest, closing her eyes against her will.
"And he's the best damn dancer in Oklahoma. Straight up."
She didn't remember what Simon said after that, because just a second later, Lily Parker was fast asleep.
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"Will you just take her home already? I don't care if you've got a hide out, so have we."
When Lily stirred, she thought she'd fallen asleep on her couch at home and was overhearing an impromptu Brumly meeting. It had happened before.
"So why not let me take the stuff there? Or at least go along for the ride."
That voice she knew. And it wasn't a Brumly boy. Lily opened her eyes experimentally to see Daniels talking heatedly with Macdonald over by the refrigerator. Right, Tigers headquarters. She was stretched out on one of their couches. Wyatt and Brooks were sitting on the other one.
Lily rubbed her eyes and sat up. Simon was gone from the room.
"Oh, good. Sleeping beauty's awake," Brooks said. "Time for you to go home, sweetheart."
Lily wondered how much time had passed. It had been dark when she'd fallen asleep and squinting up at the tiny basement windows, she could see it was still dark now. But she was going home. Thank the Lord that she was sure didn't exist, she was going home. She sat up and pushed her hair out of her eyes. Glory, but she betted she was a mess.
The door opened then and Simon walked in. He smiled on seeing she was awake and Lily thought that if she hadn't met Soda, she'd probably be attracted to him. He was tall, good looking and confident. But he didn't have that reckless grin like Soda, nor his irritating habit of seeing the bright side of everything. Sure, it annoyed her sometimes but she'd found that even the annoying things about Soda were things she'd grown to love.
"Morning sleepy head," Simon walked by and ruffled her hair. "You ready to go home?"
Lily shot to her feet and there was a ripple of laughter. She sure as hell was ready to go home.
"Everything taken care of?" Macdonald asked Simon. "You got it all in the trunk?"
"Yep, ready to go," Simon said. He stretched and Lily wondered if he'd fallen asleep too. She hoped so. It was weird to think he might have sat there watching her sleep.
"What's the time?" Lily asked and Simon glanced down at his watch.
"Almost nine. You got a date?"
"Kind of." Lily looked at the other guys uncomfortably. Soda might have already been by her house. Or he might still be at the gas station. "Can we just go?"
"You ready?" Simon looked at Daniels and Lily frowned. What did he need to come along for?
"Blindfold and tie her up, Yale," Macdonald reminded his friend.
This time at least they managed to find a scarf and rope, instead of a belt and a guy's sweaty t-shirt, but Lily was so gassed to be leaving she didn't even care.
"Now, you best not go squalling to any cops, alright?" Macdonald said as they were leaving. She couldn't see a thing but Simon's hand stayed assuredly on her arm.
"I'm doing community service. You think I need to see any cops right now?" Her old cock sure tone was back and she was beginning to feel more like herself. The only things she wanted right now were a hot shower and Sodapop Curtis. Hmm…a hot shower and Sodapop Curtis….
"Watch your step there," Yale said as she tripped over the threshold. In spite of the situation, Lily smiled to herself. She was going home.
She was sat in the back seat beside Yale on the way back. He asked her to slouch down, saying the last thing they needed was for someone to see her blindfolded and Lily followed orders with total cooperation. She had no designs on going to the cops. She just wanted this to be over.
Even more so because Daniels was driving and he was in a shitty mood.
"I don't see why I can't come with you to the new hide out," he raged. "You guys would have been screwed without me. Don't think you can just cut me out."
"Would you keep your eyes on the road?" Yale snapped. "I ain't in the mood to listen to your whining, Daniels. You got a problem, take it up with Macdonald. I'm sure he'd love to hear all about it."
Lily smirked to herself. It was good to hear Daniels put in his place. She listened to him mutter and swear, thinking how much clearer she could hear without her sight. She'd heard that blind people's other senses became enhanced to make up for their sight loss and from the short time she'd been blindfolded, she'd found it to be true.
In about ten minutes, Daniels finally pulled sharply to a stop. She would have hit the back of his seat if Simon hadn't grabbed her.
"I hope you treated Lily's car a little better," Simon said dryly. "And take it easy taking her home. Ya hear?"
Lily tensed up at this and Simon pulled the blindfold gently away from her. When she could see, he was inches away from her face.
"You're letting him drive him home? Why can't you take me?" Her tone was angry.
A brief smile passed his lips.
"I sure would like to but I got business to take care of. Something only a Tiger could handle."
Daniels bristled in front of her and she realised instantly what was going on. The Tigers had been cutting Daniels in to store stuff at the church. Now they weren't using the church, they were getting rid of him and he was pissed about it.
"Here, come on out." Simon climbed out of the car and helped Lily out behind him. She was still tied up but now she could see, she realised they were on a back road near the rail tracks. Her Chevy was parked in front of them, two wheels on the broken sidewalk.
"Don't untie her," Daniels said grouchily as he came over. "Last thing I need is to be chasing her across an intersection or something."
"She ain't gonna run away." Simon sighed.
"Maybe not from you," Lily muttered.
Simon laughed and wrapped an arm around her, walking her to the passenger door of the Chevy. Daniels unlocked the car and Simon carefully helped her into her seat and buckled her seatbelt before crouching down beside her.
"Well, it was good to meet you, Lily. Under the circumstances, anyway." Simon's eyes were twinkling. "Maybe next time I see you, I can buy you a beer or something. And you won't be tied up. Unless you want to be, that is."
Ordinarily, she'd want to punch somebody for a comment like that, but from Simon, in his light voice with his gentle manners, Lily couldn't help but laugh.
"I told you, Yale. I got a boyfriend."
"Well, I hope he knows how lucky he is." Simon leaned towards her and for a second she thought he might try and kiss her. But he didn't. Not on the lips anyway. He kissed her cheek gently. His lips were soft and he smelt real good but there was only one guy Lily wanted to have that close right now.
"I'll see you, Simon."
"You two quite finished?" Daniels snorted from the driver seat.
"Shut the hell up, Fred. And drive slowly, alright? She doesn't make it home safe and you're gonna have me to answer to." Simon squeezed Lily's shoulder before closing the door.
Lily glanced over at Daniels who gave her an angry sneer before slamming his foot on the gas and squealing away from the kerb. Lily was used to Ronnie's erratic driving but she still felt as though she'd left her stomach behind.
A glance in the side mirror showed her Simon Yale, yelling furiously after the car by the side of the road.
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