Chapter 85: Reunion

Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Something's dodgy about Jamie…

Please leave a review if you can, it would really help inspire the author.

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About six months later

Daryl

After we got over our 'reunion', Merle drove me to Atlanta without telling me where we were going. 'Birthday treat', was all he said with a cheeky wink. 'You've never been there or barely out of the village as it is. Time for a change.'

I looked out of the window to hide my grin of excitement. We had removed some of the money from his stash and hid the rest under a loose floorboard. After all, it wasn't like he could put it in his bank account. That would have brought the authorities on us like a ton of bricks.

I pushed aside my reservations about the dirty money, my brother had told me that no-one got hurt during the robbery and I had to believe him. He noticed me frowning at the bag on the back seat and took his hand off the wheel to ruffle my hair.

'Don't worry. Told ya it ain't no blood money.' Of course, he knew what I was thinking.

'But Merle...'

He glanced at me sideways briefly before he went back to concentrating on the highway. 'Don't ya think ya deserve it, Darlena? A little pamperin'...all that shit ya been through, don't ya deserve bein' treated nice for once?'

I sighed and smiled at him. But I must have still looked worried or unsure because he reached over sideways and urged my head down onto his thigh.

'Have a nap, baby brother. Tell ya, ya gonna need all ya energy once I get ya into that hotel room.'

I laughed excitedly and looked up at him because he'd given me a clue where we were going. 'That a promise?' I asked innocently.

He laughed and focused on the road after he gave my hair a quick stroke. 'Go to sleep. You need it – look tired.'

I did as he said because I was tired. Worrying about him and waiting for him to come back the whole time, I had remembered Jamie then. I wondered if I would ever see him again. I didn't hold out any hopes – wealthy, classy men like him never came to our shitty backwater hamlet.

True to his word, once we checked into the five-star in downtown Atlanta, the clerk looked at us funny because of the single double-bed we'd booked (big deal!) and of course we didn't give our real names but the same fake surname. Merle shrugged. 'We're brothers...tryin' to save some money.'

He ran us a bath in the jacuzzi, washed my hair and sponged me all over before he screwed my brains out because he could now that I was 'legal'. The fact seemed to excite him even more. I tried to detach from the memories of Dad doing the similar things – especially after the first time. Why was it so difficult when being with my brother was a million miles removed from being with that sick bastard - but Merle could see that was something wrong...

'Ya OK, little brother? Turning 18 ain't so bad. Even if you still can't legally drink in a bar, there are plenty of other things we can do…' He went to playfully grope my ass under the bubbles but looked concerned again when he saw the expression on my face.

'I'm fine.' I smiled at him but my mouth felt stretched too tight.

'Come here. It's OK.' He pulled me to him and then it was. I forgot all about our sick fuck father and looked around at the 'Honeymoon Suite' from under his arms about me.

I couldn't believe the place...the huge bathroom with its marble topped sink, gold-plated taps and the double bedroom was more than our living room and kitchen combined. Afterward our 'bath', Merle ordered champagne to toast me on my 18th with a surprise white-iced cake with blueberry filling, my favourite. To make up for my shitty 17th when he couldn't be there, he said. But now we were reunited for good and he was never, ever going to leave me ever again.

'Merle...' I'd beamed, tipsy from the champagne that had gone rapidly to my head, 'You sure we can afford all this? Shouldn't we be savin' it?'

He chuckled then. 'What kind of big brother am I if I can't afford to treat my sexy little brother like he deserves once in a while? And 18 is a big one. Well, one of them. Just wait until next year when it's just you and me…and what'll I'll do for your 21st…'

But I never did celebrate even my next one with just him because by then I was with Jamie.

I smiled and got onto his lap in the big armchair and wound my arms around his neck in gratitude. He hugged me to him and kissed my throat as I closed my eyes in pleasure. 'Wait until you see what I got planned for you tomorrow. You gonna love it.'

He was right, I couldn't wait and no matter how hard I pestered him to tell me what it was, he still wouldn't budge, so I gave up. Just settled for watching the satellite and cable TV for the first time and flicking between channels using the remote control. Even that was huge novelty and luxury for us.

The next day he got me up and gave me a handful of ten $100 dollar notes. 'For you to spend how you want...but if I was you, I'd get some decent clothes first. But don't wear them at home...bad idea. People would notice.'

'Then why bother?' I asked.

'To make you feel good.'

Unfortunately, soon after I got together with Jamie, my new boyfriend replaced most of the clothes my brother had bought me with his own idea of what I should be wearing. Still, I had fun, picking out a new blue checked hunting shirt, a Hell's Angel's pure leather pants and jacket for riding motorbikes plus a brand-new crossbow with greater range (Dad broke my old one) and proper hiking boots. And it was true, I badly needed a new wardrobe ...I'd outgrown most of my clothes by then and we hadn't had the money for new gear for a long time.

Merle came with me into the dressing room and gave me advice on my new gear, putting it on me but when it came to me taking each outfit off me again, I noticed him getting all hot and flustered. He was so impatient, barely able to stop himself from ripping all my clothes off me for good before we got back to the hotel.

He nearly fucked me right there in the dressing room until I stopped him.

Not that I would have minded in normal circumstances but we couldn't draw attention to ourselves by getting an indecency charge in public.

'You would be just as beautiful dressed in rags, little brother.'

I looked up at him and laughed. I had to say that it was the most amazing birthday I'd ever had and it wasn't just the things he bought me...I was with him, my brother - my soul mate and we were one at last. Gone were the feelings of guilt mixed with shame in equal measure that maybe Mama was looking down at us from heaven and seeing us sin. Probably Dad was watching us from hell but he'd be enjoying himself...

I snapped that thought quickly away.

It wasn't like we went around deliberately announcing our relationship to the world. Of course we didn't because incest was something you could be put in prison for, especially in the religious South. The law would probably have regarded the situation as Merle abusing me since when I was underage, even if I was legal now. And what with all my scars…questions would be raised leading back to Dad's disappearance, possibly to both of us.

My brother go to the black jet coffee-table top in the boutique, just set there for us near the changing rooms. I watched as he used his new credit card to snort his lines of coke. He motioned me over.

I needed a pick-me-up so I joined him. It was surprisingly exhausting shopping for clothes and trying them all on. I wondered if rich people and celebrities ever felt like this.

'It's not that I ain't grateful...it's the best birthday I ever had (especially now Dad's gone, I didn't add) but I don't need all this shit. It's jus' things...I only need you.' I sniffed back the drug.

He looked back at me then. 'But I thought...'

'Merle, I ain't ever gonna leave you...if you did all this 'cos you think you have to impress me to keep me, you don't have to.' Without knowing, I was lying and how I would live to regret it.

'Then prove it.' He locked the door to the backroom where we were, calling out to the shop owner that we needed a minute or two. The drug and the high-quality booze had loosened our inhibitions to say the least and I was hungry for him after everything he'd done to me while I was trying on the clothes. When he couldn't keep his hands off me.

Or I mine off him.

'Don't ever leave me.' His voice cracked and it came out sounding almost like a plea and I looked at him in surprise. He kissed me hard then and carried on caressing me and preparing me until I was backing up against him and moaning as quietly as I could. The second I nodded, he grabbed my hips to him and slid inside. I started to buck and moan, still slick from when he'd messed with me before with the lube.

For once, his entry didn't make me think of Dad.

We both tried to keep our noises down but the owner started knocking on the door. 'Are you two OK in there?'

We both giggled as he increased the pace. He put his hand over my mouth and squeezed my throat to mute my sounds of bliss.

'F…Fine.' I stammered and heard him leave.

'Don't fuckin' leave me. Not ever.' Merle growled again and punctuated it with another thrust much harder than the ones before.

I gasped and squirmed and sensed him smirking. 'I…I won't leave you, Merle. Promise. Jus' don't rob any more banks. Or…or do any more stupid shit like that for me.' I panted out in between gasps as he claimed me for his. 'I...I ...couldn't bear it if you got killed or ended up in jail again just for me.'

I sensed him frown and reach round to touch the sides of my face. 'You cryin'?'

'Only 'cos…'

'Fine, I won't. Not if you stay mine.' He started to thrust even harder then (when it was never hard enough!) as my eyes rolled back in my head in sheer pleasure. 'Forever.'

I'm sure that pointy-nosed, bespectacled owner suspected something but he kept his mouth shut. After all, Merle was paying him a small fortune. We'd never had such a lot of money and never would ever again but it didn't matter. The fancy clothes and hotel hadn't felt right to me... although it made a really, really nice change. It simply just wasn't us.

Afterwards, I gingerly fingered the bites on my throat as he shuddered against me and pulled out. He held me to him like he never wanted to let me go and kissed the side of my throat tenderly this time, not crazily, furiously deep like he had in the throes of our passion. We all but forgot about the owner waiting outside. We forgot the outside world entirely. It was just me and him standing there.

The hickies took some time to stop bleeding – we had to wait a while to come out despite the guy softly knocking on the door and imploring us repeatedly 'to please leave now' because he had other customers. Couldn't blame him if wanted us to give him his money and then immediately get out of the there. Of course, the shop was empty when we left but before we did; I looked down at the dark bruises on my hips in that small changing room - the other marks of possession my older brother had laid on me when he'd held me down.

I didn't mind.

Because I was his.

But then Merle had to go and ruin it by asking me if he'd hurt me, looking down at his handiwork in a kind of shock and terror. Disbelief that he could get so out of control and do those things to me while he crooned comfort that I didn't need as he lightly stroked over the marks he'd left on my skin. Using only his bare fingertips.

'You didn't hurt me, Merle.' As if! I knew what it felt like to be hurt, really hurt deliberately by a sadistic piece of trash who should have loved and protected me.

And my brother couldn't be any more different from our father if he tried.

It was like comparing light with dark.

Or Heaven with Hell.

Daryl

'How was it this time? Better?' He said in the car on the way home after we shoved the bags of shopping in the back and had a little laugh between us at that hapless shop owner's expense.

'Better.' I felt myself growing sleepy. 'But I ain't made of glass or afraid of a little bit of pain.'

His eyes slid away and he looked like he was remembering something deeply unpleasant that contradicted me.

'Right. I'll note that down for next time.' He replied sarcastically and scowled.

I chastened myself for ruining the mood. Why did I always have to say exactly the wrong thing?

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him wheedlingly even though he was driving, causing him to almost lose concentration. 'Aw, you ain't that bad. You know no-one can match up to you when you do it to me.'

He was looking pleased now even as he couldn't look at me because he had to focus on the road ahead.

'It's jus...you still hold back when...when we're together like you're still afraid of hurtin' me!'

'Can you blame me?' He raised his eyebrows in surprise and glanced sideways at me. 'I thought that's what you wanted. Needed. Sometimes you act like he's still here and I'm him ', he spat out hatefully. 'And every time it happens, you're terrified and start cryin', like it's happening all over for you again.'

He made a helpless gesture. 'Especially when...when…What am I 'sposed to do to make it all better? I jus' don't know!'

'Maybe you can't always fix me! So stop tryin'!'

'Yeah, I know but…I'm your big brother and that's my job. To take care of you.'

'Jus' forget about it. I'll let you know what I want you to do and how hard I want it.'

His eyes flashed with desire at that and he pulled into a deserted country path with a screech of tires. 'Oh, you'll let me know, will you? Come here, you spoilt, little brat...'

He dragged me across his lap.

You know what happened next.

...

Daryl

How wrong I was. I couldn't keep my promise to Merle, at least where Jamie was concerned. Little could I guess that he would become my next real boyfriend in a serious relationship in one of the biggest and most dangerous mistakes of my life. One for which I would pay dearly.

It would have been better if I'd never laid eyes on him again. Looking back, it was all so clear. Yet it wasn't like I had spent the whole year thinking about him, I had my brother, after all.

Well, most of the time.

Legal

Daryl

It was almost a year to the day when I sent Daddy Dearest all the way to hell. No doubt I looked happy, relaxed and not almost constantly covered in cuts and bruises from the frequent beatings like when Dad was alive. I wasn't or maybe never ever would be as stocky and well-built as Merle, I realised that now that I took after our Mama.

But I worked out these days, took care of myself and I knew I looked better. I'd even started working as a mechanic on cars and motorbikes to bring in some money. I was bored and I needed to contribute so that Merle wouldn't have to go out and do dangerous jobs to keep us afloat. Anyway, the stash we already had was lasting us a long time after our splurge in Atlanta when we went back to our normal way of living.

Not that me and my brother didn't fight, leading to black eyes on both sides sometime but nothing compared to what the old man used to do to us. Still, I was no longer scared of my own shadow...Merle had helped me to forget. Made me happy – on the whole.

Waving at Marty, I went to the bathroom to take a piss. When I came out of the stall and went to the sink and barely registered a stall behind me slam. Thinking about my brother and lost in my thoughts about him and the last time we'd been together, I felt someone grab me from behind. Someone taller and with heavy muscles than even him.

'What the fuck?' Panicking now, I tried to whirl around but the son-of-a-bitch didn't answer and didn't let me go either. Damn, I thought, he was strong. I'll never be able to get out of this if he doesn't let me go.

'What do ya think ya doin', touchin' me, you fuckin' freak?' I hissed and kicked backwards at my assailant. But I still didn't feel real fear yet...there was something familiar and almost comforting about the man gripping me.

Like when Merle held me.

'Fucker! Ya let me go right now otherwise ya a dead man!' I yelled.

Then I heard him laugh, could feel it vibrating in his torso behind me. I almost recognised that cheerful guffaw that was so contagious. His identity was on the tip of my tongue...someone I met a long time ago...but I couldn't quite remember.

I tried in vain to turn and look up to see his face, but all that got me was another low rumble in his chest as he started to laugh again. He pushed my head down quickly with one hand over the sink while he held me back with the other.

'Fuckin' bastard!' I snarled but didn't think anything of this at the time, after all, Merle liked to push me around too sometimes. It was what I was used to.

'No, no, you don't get to see who's got you unless you calm down.'

I told myself it didn't matter because once I heard that unmistakable voice and those words that made me shiver with deja-vu because I knew who it was anyway.

Damn it, he was impressive. I guess I didn't have my poker face on as he smiled down at me and my obvious surprise.

I focused on my breathing, and soon enough I relaxed. The very second I did, he let me go. Just like before.

I turned around, prepared to look up, I knew the man was taller than me, but not by how much. Damn it, he was impressive and just as good-looking as I remembered. Maybe even more. And if he'd aged over a day, I couldn't see it and I guess I forgot my poker face as he smiled down at me and my obvious surprise.

'Hi, again beautiful.' He greeted me in that sexy -as- hell deep drawl I recalled. 'Still feisty as ever, huh? Remember me?'

'Jamie!' I gasped in surprise and rushed to hug him before I could stop myself. 'What the fuck you doin' here?'

….

Daryl

In his own twisted way, my father had warned me about them too. Predators just like himself. But not in a million years had I thought just how big a can of crazy could fit inside one human being.

He hid it well. Just came across as a smart guy who had made himself some money. Maybe a little over-confident but decent enough and not over-bearingly arrogant.

Definitely not a psycho.

How young I was. I fell for him and fell hard.

I'd met him once before, just over a year ago. When I'd been alone with Merle away, just like that time. Back then, I'd been grabbed and interrogated by two of my father's best buddies - One-eyed Joe and Smitty. Still after my father's whereabouts, they hadn't let up since that summer but they'd backed off since when they realized they weren't getting anywhere with us. Actually, we'd managed to fob them off for quite a long time before they'd got suspicious – they actually believed that Dad had left (they'd never been the sharpest knives in the kitchen drawer). Jamie had come to rescue me from them. Kind of.

Daryl

At first, I was too stunned to say anything else although apparently Jamie was very happy to see me again judging by his excited grin.

'Look, I'm glad to see you again but why did you stay away for so long?' I demanded.

He shrugged. 'This and that. Don't have much business in your neck of the woods.'

Uh huh. And it wouldn't have anythin' to do with my age? I thought a little resentfully at him but didn't say. His charm was wearing off after my initial happy surprise at being reunited with him. A big part of me respected him for doing the decent thing but the fact that he just turned up out of the blue and expected me to still be single and interested after a whole year pissed me off. Like he just thought he could come waltzing back into my life. Then again, he didn't know about my brother, Merle. I held this secret close to my chest and chuckled inside.

'How have you been, anyway? Did your Pa ever come back?'

I frowned at his use at that old-fashioned word, wondering what he was implying, if anything.

'No.' I looked down at my hands, acting crestfallen. 'Guess he's really gone.'

'I'm sorry about that.' He put a comforting hand on my shoulder for a moment and it felt like it would easily burn through my clothes. I suppressed a gasp.

'It's OK.' I shrugged.

'Miss me much?' He became all cheery again as he teased me.

I snorted derisively and crossed my arms over my chest. 'No. Forgot all about you for a while, actually. You think I've been hanging around here just pinin' for ya rich ass? Been seein' other people, you know.'

He only laughed with his eyes twinkling. 'Oh, have you, now?'

I glared at him. Wasn't going to let him back in that easily even as I was melting slowly for him on the inside.

'So, you've got all this experience now?' He whispered suggestively, eyes flashing as he laid a hand on my thigh under the bar table. 'Care to show me what you learned later?'

I reacted but didn't move away. Again, it felt like his touch on me was burning me deep, almost to the bone. But there was no pain, only the pleasant warmth of excitement spreading towards my groin…

Maybe I blushed or something because he removed it before he cleared his throat and we ended up catching up for hours. I could feel Marty's disapproval and protective concern just like last time as I got to know a lot more about Jamie who had lost the telltale accent of our state due to his job as an estate-agent and land developer. It creeped in whenever he was drunk, he confessed, and 4 more beers and two whiskeys later, he was laughing and showing off just how much of Georgia still was in him.

He insisted on buying the next rounds and by the time Marty announced closing time with a frown at us, we were both teetering on the brink of being shitfaced drunk. I could tell that my brother's best friend wanted to say something to me in private but thinking I was old enough now to know best, so I pulled us out of the there quickly before he could.

I thought I was so wise and grown-up because of everything I had gone through! Believed that I could spot a bad man! If only I had listened to Marty the first time before I got involved with Jamie but by then, it was almost too late.

Would have saved a hell of a lot of pain, fear and trouble.

I ended up leaving the bar with him, of course. As soon as we were in the parking-lot, he slung a casual arm around my shoulders.

'Ya comin' back with me, sweetheart?' He shoved me up the wall near his SUV and it wasn't lost on me that he wanted to be out of sight of the other tipsy patrons coming out. He crushed his lips against mine and ran his fingers all over me.

'What, ya touchin' me properly now?' I said as he started to carefully feel me up under my shirt and put on an innocent look of pleased surprise. 'Didn't before.'

''Course. Do you like it? How old are ya now, baby? Must be legal by now.'

I laughed as I reached round to squeeze his ass and pulled him closer to me. 'Don't worry. I'm over 18.'

'So, I got no need to have a guilty conscience.' He breathed an exaggerated long sigh of relief and backed away. Breaking it off when things were heating up!

He led me to his car, before he shook his head. 'I really shouldn't be driving, huh? It's not far, but even so. Usually I wouldn't worry much if was just me but with you…' He rounded the car to where I was standing and leaned forward out of the window with his hands on either side of my face as he whispered: 'Now I almost got you inside my car, can't very well drive off just yet.'

He had me mesmerized, the way he moved and talked even though he was drunk, I just hadn't met anyone like him before. And I felt like he would kill the person who threatened or tried to hurt me. He was refreshing and impulsive and I kind of liked that even though I wasn't too fond of surprises. I waited for his next move and found out just how unpredictable he was when he opened the door to the backseat and shoved me in. 'Got something in mind that'll sober us up. Up for it?'

I backed away until my back was up against the door on the other side, not sure yet what to think of the situation. My emotions were a mess and somehow he knew and gave me space to get my breath back.

I made the next move, grabbing him in a hungry kiss and started to feel him up under his shirt. He followed my lead by slipping his hand inside my shirt. I was surprised that his touch was so gentle for such a strong man while at the same time,... determined.

I tried to push away the fear of being trapped, hemmed in the small space of his big car like I was and no match against him. Yet he put me at ease by planting soft kisses all over my stomach, his breath gently tickling my skin.

'Can't wait to taste you.' He muttered reverently. 'I bet you're just as delicious as you look.'

He carried on worshipping my body but when he flipped me over onto my stomach and started to pull down my trousers, I reached behind and put a restraining hand on his. 'No.' I said.

He immediately took it away. 'Sorry. My mistake. Going too fast for the first proper date...'

'It's...It's OK.' I was feeling stupid as I sat up. 'Sorry.'

'Yeah... Me too. Wanting us to do it on the backseat is real classy of me, isn't it?', he replied calmly like a gentleman. More than that, if he was annoyed or disappointed with me, I couldn't tell. He put his hand on the wheel despite what he said earlier about driving but he didn't put the key into the engine just yet. Just then, he seemed as sober as a judge.

'It's OK.' I reached over to kiss the back of his neck and run my hands up and down his sides under his clothes. 'It ain't that I don't like you...Jus' need more time, I guess.' How could I explain to him why I didn't want to be taken?

To prove my point and make him feel better, I slipped my hand down his crotch and took care of his hard-on. He was soon bucking and moaning against the seat.

'You're…a…amazing!', he gasped between breathy moans. 'Where the hell did you learn to do that?'

I grinned to myself.

If only he knew.