Chapter 7: Velitor

Jane hugged her mother and her brother when she met them as they got off the plane; she and a big, clean-cut Samoan guy in a suit helped them with their luggage and got them to the car, a limo of all things. Jeannie and Luke didn’t say anything; they just got in, and the big guy got in the front with the driver.

“A limo?” Jeannie asked, looking at Jane, confused.

“It came with the security Mom.” She just shrugged.

Jeannie just shook her head, and they started catching up, mostly talking about the business; she had spoken to her earlier before their flight, giving the details on what was going on, and she said she’d meet us at the airport. As for the security that was Jane’s doing, even before Jeannie had been gone a day there were relatives knocking on Jane’s door, wanting to talk and ask about their jobs and being pests in general.

With what had happened to Luke, she didn’t trust any of them anymore, so she hired security for herself and the company, augmenting the regular security they already had there. It was expensive, but it wasn’t forever; it was a justified expense in her mind. Jeannie didn’t argue with her; she left her in charge, and she trusted her to do what she saw fit as best for the company and her and Kim. She had nodded and agreed that it was wise.

Luke just stretched out and crossed his legs, letting his mind wander. He wasn’t too concerned about the hearing; he thought it would go a little slanted because of Rob, but he wasn’t worried; the best Rob could do would be to make it so he couldn’t leave the state till he was 18, which wasn’t lengthy at all. Of course, it would put a dent in the time he would be able to stay down in Thebes before the start of fall classes, but that was fine; it wasn’t forever, and Clif had told him he could pick up right where he left off when he got back. Though he might have to get back in shape again.

Hank was disappointed that they had to leave, said he was gonna miss him, and to be honest, Luke was gonna miss him too. He was a good guy, and Luke loved working and joking around with him. Gina got teary-eyed when they dropped them off at the airport in Birmingham, telling us to hurry back. He was looking forward to heading back down; it was just a shame they had to fly back; Hank assured him they would take care of his car while they were gone. He suddenly realized that Jeannie and Jane had stopped talking and were looking at him.

“What?” He asked.

Jeannie just smiled.

“We were talking about how much you’ve changed these past six weeks”

“Indeed, you’re looking healthy and confident now. I have to admit, I didn’t think much of Mom’s idea before but now that I see the results. I agree, it was the best thing for you!” Jane smiled and nodded, genuinely pleased.

“Well, it was a great experience, and once all this is over with, I hope we can make it back soon, but with how things are going, well, we’ll see.” He sighed and shrugged.

Jeannie reached over and patted his arm.

“It’ll all be over with soon enough baby, I promise.” Then she leaned over and kissed his lips for a moment before sitting back down. Jane didn’t miss the intimate play between the two and looked at her mother, who just nodded in return, causing Jane to blush and smile.

They talked of other things then. Jane had started remodeling the house they had kicked Linda out of and was getting that done, she had hired a full work crew and was told it would be ready in two weeks, she was planning on putting it on the market since it was part of the company, she was trimming all the dead weight while she was in charge. Jeannie approved; it was an expense they didn’t need, plus the thought of someone buying it and Linda driving past it and seeing the ‘Sold’ sign on the lawn gave her a bit of satisfaction.

Jane told Jeannie then of Linda calling her for days, trying to reason with her, Jane listened the first couple of times, just to hear her out, then she just hung up, never saying a word. Others had tried to contact her after that, especially all the ones that Jeannie had fired, but she didn’t bother with them. That’s when she got the security. Jeannie didn’t ask about Kim because they’d been talking two or three times a week; she had a little more free time than Jane, so they kept in touch better. She was getting through her classes but her grades did fall off a little after everything that happened, though she had started improving upon hearing that Luke was getting better.

When they got to Jane’s place, she told Sam, her security guy, that she was done for the day and wouldn’t be going anywhere else; he nodded. Jeannie and Luke carried their bags up to her place, went ahead and set them in the guestroom, and then sat at the table while Jane made coffee. Just as it was about done, the door opened, and Kim walked in with a bag and a suitcase; both Jeannie and Luke turned to look at her in surprise.

“Hi Mom, hi Bro, it’s spring break, you know’ She giggled as she put her stuff down and hugged her mother first and then hugged her little brother tightly. She put her mouth near his ear and said, “I’m so glad you’re feeling better, baby bro,” she then gave him a little lick on the lobe, giggling as she pulled away. Luke just kinda froze, then blushed as she got up and sat down on the other side chatting away with her mother and sister. Jane got each some coffee, and they all spent an hour catching up, laughing at the little things, just enjoying each other’s company in general.

Then Jeannie sighed and brought up what they needed to do tomorrow.

“The main thing is when we see the judge you need to be adamant, just tell the judge the truth, not about... that, but that you just don’t trust your father anymore. You want to stay with me until you turn 18. I’m 99 percent sure the judge will agree to let you come stay with me, whether that’s here or in Thebes.” She nodded and smiled.

Luke let out a breath and nodded. Not sure how he felt about seeing the rest of Rob’s kindred at the court, and if he had to bet, most of them would show up as some form of intimidation tactic against Jeannie. But he looked at her and smiled.

“Even if the worst happens, I’ll still be 18 in 6 weeks, then there is nothing they can do to stop me.” He laughed. But his mother didn’t think it was funny.

“They almost killed you last time, Luke; I won’t take that chance again; even if I have to kidnap you and escape to Mexico, I won’t allow them to get their hands on you again!” She nodded firmly, eyes a little moist. Luke loved her more in that moment, he reached over and pulled her to him and kissed her soundly as she sat on his lap. Then, he let her up for air as he smiled and hugged her tight.

“I’m not going anywhere Mom, I promise.” He patted her hip.

Jane smiled, a little teary-eyed; Kim smiled and wiped her eyes.

“Little Lucy grew up!” She laughed, reaching over and slapping him on the shoulder. Luke blushed a little at the compliment.

“Yeah, I guess I did.” He chuckled.

They opted to order pizza that night instead of going anywhere. They got two, and they each had half; Kim, of course, had to have her sweets, so they also got the cannolis with it this time. Then, after they were done, they played Monopoly until it was time for bed. Luke was glad to see his sisters again, but he also found himself missing the farm; he had only been there a couple of months but found he really loved the place; it’s a strange world.

He took a shower, put on some shorts, climbed into bed, and lay there, thinking of the next day and what it would bring. He was musing over what they might try to pull in the court building when his mother came in, just having finished her shower and smelling like that expensive soap she uses, she got under the covers and cuddled next to him as he put an arm around her.

“What are you thinking about?” She asked, her finger tracing little circles on his stomach.

“Just about tomorrow” He sighed.

She nodded and didn’t say anything for a few minutes.

“I was serious about what I said, I won’t let him have you.” She sniffled a little.

He just hugged her close again.

“He won’t” He kissed her head.

They didn’t say anything else and eventually slept.

The next morning Luke was up well before the alarm sounded and he slipped out of bed, he put some sweatpants on along with a thin long sleeve shirt and his sneakers, then grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys, he stopped in the kitchen and put some coffee on to make and left a note to say he’d be back at 6:15, in 45 minutes or so, with breakfast. He softly closed the door behind him and made his way downstairs; entering the small lobby, he saw one of the security guys sitting there with a cup of coffee who nodded to him. Luke stopped and asked him.

“Bagels or Donuts?” Then looked at him smiling.

“Donuts.” The guy didn’t miss a beat. Luke figured it was a common thing in his line of work.

Luke exited the building and took off on a light run; he went towards the downtown area; he figured it wouldn’t be that busy this time of morning, and besides, that’s where the Dunkin was. It took him a little longer than usual; crossing streets and traffic ate up time when running in town; there were far fewer obstacles in the country. He finally made it down to the Dunkin and got in line; then he ordered a dozen mixed and a large coffee for the security guy, then 6 cream cheese bagels for him and the girls. He got his food and juggled it as he got an Uber on the way and waited for only about 10 minutes. He got back at 6:44, giving the security guy his coffee and donuts, who grinned and said, “Thanks, Boss,” at Luke, who gave him a thumbs up.

On the way up, he forgot he didn’t have a key, so he kept his fingers crossed that one of the girls was up as he lightly tapped on the door; he didn’t want to wake anyone. He only waited a few seconds before someone yanked it open. Jeannie pulled him in and swatted his ass, saying she was worried. He just grinned and set the food on the table as Kim walked in, rubbing her eyes and yawning. He set the bag down and went over for some coffee; after pouring the cup, Kim sleepily grabbed it.

“Mmm, thanks, babe.” Then she hugged and kissed his cheek.

“No problem Doll.” He just grabbed another cup and poured some more, and then Jeannie took it.

“Thank you, baby boy.” She kissed his cheek and then sat down at the table with Kim.

Luke looked out at the hallway wondering where Jane was.

He poured another cup, and Jane walked in, yawning; he just gave her the cup and didn’t say anything. She smiled and thanked him.

He finally got his coffee and sat at the table. The girls were all tearing into the bagels, and he quickly grabbed one before they went the way of the Roanoke Island inhabitants.

As they ate the girls talked about the hearing, mostly about how it might go and who might show up. Luke was only half-listening, he was sipping his coffee and enjoying his breakfast. At one point Jeannie looked over at Luke and noticed he didn’t seem concerned about it.

“Luke, this is serious, we might be stuck here for the next 2 months.” She chided him.

“I know; I’ve just been thinking of everything that’s happened the past couple of months and also thinking of how we got here; some things are starting to become clearer.” He said eating the last bite of his bagel and sipping more coffee to wash it down, then grabbing more from the pot before sitting back down.

They all looked at him for a moment.

“Well?” Jeannie asked.

Luke didn’t say anything for a minute then began.

“Linda engineered all of it.” He stated simply.

They blinked at him for a minute; then Jane spoke up.

“But we know that what’s your point?” She cocked her head to the side.

“No, I mean ALL of it,” Luke said cryptically.

“You’re not making sense Luke...” His mother said.

“Ok, so the deal was boys at 15, right?” He looked at each of them, and they nodded.

“And as I recall, about three months before I turned 15, I met Cindy, and then she was around all the time, more or less. It’s like you said Mom, when you were at home, so was Cindy.” He looked at her for a moment.

“Yes ... and?” She looked at him confused.

“I’ll bet dollars to donuts that the fun-loving Cindy who used to slap me away playfully whenever I tried to do anything is one of Linda’s little pets.” He finished, stating his theory.

Jeannie’s eyes widened at that; then she looked down, thinking, if she came to the same conclusions that Luke had, well, it would certainly fit.

“You said it yourself, only special occasions, birthdays, holidays, etc. She didn’t have to hang around more than that, just enough to frustrate you and keep me in the dark; with you working so much, it couldn’t have been too hard for her, especially if she was trained and coached by Linda.” He added.

“But that’s ... No one could play the long game like that Luke, for two years?!” Jane asked, rather shocked.

“It’s just a theory, but it fits, and if Linda is truly the conniving sadistic bitch I think she is, then it’s definitely in her ballpark to do something like that. Why? I can only guess; Cindy never wanted to do anything sexual more than a blowjob, and she never let me see her undressed; hell, she never even let me feel her up. The only thing I can think of was Linda wanted me first for some reason; maybe she wanted the freedom to turn me into her chained-up pet, thinking if they gave me that as my first sexual experience, it might make me like it, I don’t know, but it makes sense.” He finished.

Jeannie was still thinking, not talking as they all fell silent.

Jane and Kim just sat there, trying to work it out in their minds.

“I’m going to destroy them...” Jeannie said through clenched teeth.

Luke didn’t say anything, he got the pot and poured more coffee for them, then sat back down.

“When the hearing is over, we can focus on that; right now, I only told you that because I’m pretty sure they’ll pull something beforehand to rattle us so we’ll slip up; remember, they’ll say and do anything to get what they want.” He spoke softly to her, rubbing her back as she gripped the mug tight on the table.

“When did you get to be so wise?” Jane smiled giving him a funny expression.

“I met a guy named Hank.” He said simply then smiled when his mother looked at him, then she sighed and smiled back.

“He rubbed off on you a lot.” She smiled and laid her head on his shoulder.

“He’s a good man,” He said.

“So are you buster.” She poked him and he chuckled.

He smiled and kissed her head. Jane and Kim just looked at them, not following, but they didn’t ask for now.

“Also, remember those two idiots I fought with in the parking lot at the grocery store?” He looked down at her as she looked up and nodded, confused about why he would ask.

“You need to call your lawyer and get their rap sheets, make sure he has as much information on them before the hearing today, I think they’ll try to use that little incident as well.”

“But why would they bother with those two?” She asked curiously.

“Well, I think that ties back into Rob following us down there. He kept showing up wherever we were, and they weren’t tracking your phone anymore since you turned off location services and they didn’t have my number, so my guess is they air-tagged the car before it even left the garage. He always showed up where the car was, and those fools were waiting for me that day at the car as well. He might have even paid those idiots to pick a fight with me, so we’d come running home to Daddy Rob, or they’d have more ammunition in court. I would also tell the lawyer to see if he could find any big purchases in the names of their relatives, something with a title possibly.”

“What fight!?” Jane asked now concerned and confused.

“It was two hicks that were looking for trouble; Gina was pregnant and with me, and I didn’t want her to be in any kind of danger.” He looked at her as she got a shocked look.

“Gina?! Did you get someone pregnant!?” Both Jane and Kim had their mouths open in shock, now totally misunderstanding. He almost laughed, but he didn’t; he was patient and just explained who she was and what happened with as few details as possible to save time.

Jeannie got up to call her lawyer immediately to get him ready. Luke and the others just sat there sipping their coffee as Luke told them about his time down South.

Jeannie got done with her call and told them the law firm had investigators down there they could send out, they had six hours before the hearing was scheduled, so fingers crossed.

After that, they got their showers and sat around. Kim and Jane played cards for a while, and Luke watched TV with his mother on the couch; the time ticked by very slowly. When it got close to lunchtime, Luke went downstairs and asked the big guy at the little desk what kind of Chinese he liked, and he got an orange chicken in response. When he returned he ordered for all the girls, getting their favorites and a dozen egg rolls, then orange chicken and a few egg rolls for the big guy.

When the food arrived they ate, but sparingly, they were all worried and tried not to act like it, Jeannie because the lawyer hadn’t called her back yet and Jane and Kim just because of what could happen that day. Luke just ate his food; he wasn’t too worried, especially now that he had shared what he suspected with his family; he was pretty certain one, if not both of his theories would play out today.

When the clock started inching past one, they all got up and started getting dressed. Luke had the suit he had brought with him, though it was getting a little tight; he had gained a little muscle in the past few weeks. Jeannie had her business outfits; she dressed in a red floral shirt dress that came to just at the knee, with her red pumps and had her hair pulled back with a clip, giving the very image of a working Mom. Jane and Kim both dressed conservatively, in simple slacks and stylish blouses.

Jane had called down and told the big guy they were heading to court and he said the car was waiting. They all got their coats as it was a chilly day, and winter still hadn’t given up its grip here yet, then proceeded down to the car that was waiting, all climbing into the back, another of the security personnel sitting in the front with the driver. As the driver pulled out, Jeannie got a call, and she took it; she listened for a minute, then smiled, thanked the man, and hung up. She looked positively giddy.

“What is it?” Kim asked.

“A surprise” She then wouldn’t say anything else.

They got to the courthouse at 1:30 PM, a half hour before their hearing; the wind was blowing slightly as the big guy named Gerry escorted them inside and to the 3rd floor where the family court was held. Seeing no one they knew they took a seat on one of the long benches in the wide hallway as Gerry stood off to the side, doing ... what a security guy does.

They were there about five minutes before the elevator doors opened, and Rob walked out with half the clan, it looked like. Linda was in a black cotton crew neck sleeveless dress with a faux fur wrap across her shoulders and big tits; her hair was long and curled, and it fit her outfit. Harriet was there as well, wearing some kind of power suit with a decent skirt to the knee, grey and with shiny buttons; she looked good, and her hair was in some stylish bun, completing the powerful woman look she and Linda both had on stylish open-toed high heels matching their outfits. Linda was certainly playing up the sexy grandmother part, but it didn’t faze Luke; he just looked at Rob, who was dressed about the same, trying to look intimidating with his business suit and highly shined shoes; he was even wearing a vest with his sports coat.

Luke just shook his head, if he hadn’t before, he would have disowned the family when these fools showed up for family court looking like they were going to try a hostile takeover of Neiman Marcus.

Rob started walking over, and Gerry immediately stepped in front of him before he got too close; holding his hand out, Rob tried to brush past him, but Gerry wasn’t having it; he gripped his arm and, seemingly without effort, shoved him back.

“No closer, sir, if you please.” He said smiling.

“Lay your goddamn hand on me again...!” Rob was speaking and raising his voice before Linda grabbed his arm and started whispering harshly in his ear. He seemed to get the point and backed off; Gerry couldn’t stop him from speaking, though.

“Jeannie, look, we can stop all this; we don’t even have to go in; we can just go aside and talk this out. Will you do that, honey?” Rob was looking at her; he didn’t seem like he was hurting, though; his words sounded that way, but his face was almost showing ... indifference.

Jeannie just stared at him a minute, then looked at Linda.

“Got him trained up, I see.” Jeannie slowly smirked.

Linda just grinned back at her soon-to-be former daughter-in-law

“Mm, I’ll have others trained as well soon.” Smirking then her eyes glanced at Luke.

Luke just kept his nonchalance going as if he were bored, looking around, then looked up as if seeing them clearly.

Luke acted as if he were thinking; he looked first at Linda, then Harriet, who had a smirk and her dead eyes locked on him, then at the others, Aunt Gabby smiling with her wide baby hips, and then Garret’s wife, Wolverine Anna, who seemed offended when he just gave her a cursory glance. There was Garret, Linda’s other demon spawn, and Gabby’s son Bill.

Luke laughed then, not faked, but a real laugh, they thought bringing the whole gang who hopped up and down on him would intimidate him. He bent over as he caught his breath, then looked back up, he saw a few flickers in their eyes, doubt, uncertainty, etc. He acted like he was keeping his balance as he put his hand on his mother’s arm, but he hoped she got the message, not to blow up at Linda. She seemed to get it and kept her cool.