The Walls of Levi Read online

  “I’m the hyper one in our group. I’m the loud, obnoxious brother. I’m the cool uncle. That’s about all I can tell you.”

  “Ok.” I take a deep breath and look at the house again. Here goes nothing.

  We walk into chaos. Three little kids are running around the living room. Zant and another guy are sitting in recliners in the living room. Two women are in the kitchen. The house is cozy. It’s an open floor plan and you can see everyone everywhere. It feels like a home.

  I subconsciously reach for Levi and grip the back of his shirt. I feel his muscles tense, but he doesn’t move away from me. I’m glad because I need the anchor.

  I’m used to quiet. I have no siblings. I have one friend, Charise. She obviously doesn’t have kids. She says she isn’t going to settle down until she is in her forties. So, all this noise is a complete shock to me.

  I hear a scream come from in front of Levi. I look around him to see this little blonde headed girl running towards him. Before I can step back, she launches herself at him. He catches her with ease and starts kissing all over her face while she giggles and squeals.

  “Stop. Stop it. I can’t handle anymore.”

  “You can’t handle anymore? Well, I guess I’ll have to give my sugar to someone else,” Levi says. The little girl looks over Levi’s shoulder at me and grins.

  “I guess so,” she says and laughs. Levi isn’t laughing with her. Turning around, I see that he is smiling though. That causes me to smile back at them.

  “Kathleen, this is Nova. Nova, this is Kathleen. She says people call her Katie.” Levi makes his introduction. It surprises me when he gives Nova a choice in what to call me.

  “Hello, Ms. Katie.” Nova puts her hand out for me to shake. I take her little hand in mine and give it a good shake.

  “Hello, Nova. It’s nice to meet you.” I let go of her hand and I then notice everyone is quiet and staring at me.

  Levi coughs and puts Nova back down on her feet.

  “Everyone, this is Kathleen. Or Katie. Whichever you prefer to call her.”

  “You can all call me Katie.” I give Levi a look, but his face is stoic. I don’t know what he is thinking.

  A woman walks towards me that must be Nova’s mother. “Hey. I’m Micah. Welcome. Come on in. Get comfortable. Nova had to sidetrack Levi and he forgot his manners.” She slaps Levi on the arm, but he grabs her and wraps her in a hug. I watch her tense for a second before closing her eyes and melting into him. He leans down and whispers something in her ear that I can’t hear. She slowly opens her eyes and smiles.

  In total honesty, a little jealousy bloomed.

  “What about me? Am I chopped liver,” the other woman says. Levi and Micah laugh as they pull apart.

  “Nope,” Levi says. “Come here Kel.” He hugs her but doesn’t whisper in her ear. They just sway side to side for a minute before parting again.

  “Kelly. This is Katie. Katie. Kelly.” Kelly and I shake hands. I remember that she is married to the other guy here and they have Bone.

  The other guy approaches and Levi introduces him as Chance. They hug it out before the two little boys move in for their time with Levi.

  He’s a popular man and very loved. It’s obvious.

  Axel and Bone are polite and say hey before running off and continuing to play. Nova stays next to Levi. It appears she isn’t going to let him get too far from her.

  We all make our way to the kitchen. It looks like Micah and Kelly were starting lunch. They get back to what they were doing, and I sit down next to Levi on a barstool.

  “So, Katie. Where are you from?” Micah asks. I look at Levi with a raised eyebrow. I don’t know how much he wants to tell them up front. I can’t even understand what is going on, so I don’t know what to say.

  “She’s from Martinsville.”

  Micah keeps cutting up vegetables and just nods. I don’t want to assume, but it looks like she’s having a hard time not asking a million questions. I put my hand over my mouth to cover my smile.

  Kelly finally speaks up after a few beats of silence and it looks like Levi isn’t going to give any more details.

  “Spit it out Levi,” she says while giving him a hard stare. He smirks at her and puts Nova down. She’s been sitting in his lap, clinging to him. I can’t say I blame her. I’d like to cling to him, too.

  “Run along and play. I’ll come find you in a little bit and we will talk. Ok?”

  “Ok. I’ll be in my room, drawing you a picture.”

  “Sounds good princess.” Nova runs down the hall and disappears into room that I assume is hers.

  Levi looks at me then around to his family. He puts his hands on the bar and then proceeds to them what happened, starting with Friday night.

  Chapter 15

  Levi

  Not knowing but half of what’s going on is what’s driving me crazy, but hopefully, they can help me. I might as well tell them everything I know.

  “Friday night, I did a small local race for money.”

  “What the hell were you thinking? What about TT?” Zant says before I can continue.

  “I know what you’re thinking. Let me finish before you ask your questions. A deep pocket challenged me in front of a sponsor a couple months ago. He went on about how I was always lucky and not talented. This was before I was told we were going to the Isle. The sponsor ate it up. Said if I could win, he would sponsor me. With that sponsorship, the TT would be easier on us all. So, I took it. It was stupid, but I knew I could beat him and anyone he hired.”

  The Isle of Man TT is the ultimate high to my racing career. I want to compete there and then take a long break. That has been the goal this whole time.

  The Isle of Man is an island in the Irish Sea, stuck right between Great Britain and Ireland. Every year in May or June, depending on how it falls, is a race that takes over the whole island. I’ve wanted to be a part of this race for years. It started back in 1907. Since then, it has transformed into something spectacular.

  I’ve watched countless videos on races through the years. It is nothing short of spectacular.

  The biggest attraction is the island itself. People have lived on this tiny island, that is just 221 square miles, since 6500 BC. The lifestyle and general habitation has sparked my curiosity since the beginning.

  They literally close the whole island down for two weeks to welcome tourist, racers, and fans from all over the world.

  I can’t wait to go. I get excited just thinking about it.

  “So, we got to the race Friday and everything went as planned. I won, I got my money, and we left. Last night, I went out for a drive after eating and ended up on the other side of town.” I look at Kathleen. I don’t want to offend her, but I think she knows what I mean. She gives me a little smile.

  “A car was in the middle of the street. I looked over to see if the person was coming back to move the car, and I saw some guy come up from behind and grab her.” I throw my thumb in Kathleen’s direction and watch as Micah and Kelly’s eyes grow to the size of saucers.

  “I hit the guy, grabbed Kathleen, threw her in my car, and got out of there. By the time we got to her house, he was already there.”

  “The kidnapper?” Chance says.

  “Yea. He was coming around the side of the house. He saw me, but we got pulled out of the driveway and back on the road before he could get to us.”

  I take a breath and looked at everyone. The girls are still looking at me in shock and the guys are clenching their jaw.

  I know they are all thinking about what happened to Micah. It’s different, but it’s still a victimization and that hits home for us. I reach out and touch Micah’s hand. She gives me a tight-lipped grin and I continue. I need to tell them the rest.

  “I just hit the highway. I didn’t know where else to go because I got a text from Deep Pockets that said I screwed him over again, and I quote, ‘he was going to get the girl’.” Micah gasps and Kelly rubs her back.

  “I don
’t know anything else. We talked to Kathleen’s dad. Surprisingly, he is one of my sponsors. One of the first actually.”

  “What’s your last name?” Zant asks Kathleen.

  “Roberts,” she says in a whisper. Retelling this story can’t be what she wants to hear either. I give her a sympathetic look and she gives me the same look Micah did.

  “Your Danny Roberts’ daughter?”

  “Yea.”

  “Does this have anything to do with him?”

  “Not that I, nor he, can think of. He hasn’t had enemies for a long time.”

  Zant nods, but I know he is thinking something. He’s been around. Things get talked about at his shops and he just keeps his ears open. That’s the thing about Z. You never know what he knows.

  “When she was kidnapped, she had just walked out on a date with a guy named Wilson.”

  “What is his last name?

  “Stables,” Kelly answers. I’m surprised she isn’t asking questions. She’s got to be freaked out. She was almost taken last night for God knows what and now she’s in a house full of people that she never even knew existed.

  While she must be scared, she’s still magnificently beautiful. I plan to look at her a lot once we get back to my house. I know I need to keep my hands off her, but I don’t know if I am going to be able to.

  I look back at Z and he is deep in thought. We all silently wait him out. I know something is coming soon.

  Micah and Kelly keep cooking and Chance and Kathleen start a conversation. I half listen to it. I keep my eye on Zant.

  I’ve known him over twenty-five years. We’ve been through a lot. I know him as well as I know myself.

  He takes a deep breath and looks up at me. I hold my breath.

  “Levi, have you heard from Fred?”

  I slowly close my eyes. How did I know I was about to be gutted?

  “Who’s Fred?” I hear Kathleen ask. I don’t bother answering her. I get up from the stool and walk out the back door. Chance and the girls will fill her in.

  A minute later, I hear Z behind me. “I haven’t heard from him, but I knew it wouldn’t be long.”

  I turn around and face Zant. His hands are tucked in the pockets of his jeans. He’s watching me.

  “I don’t know if any of this is related. It could be coincidental. I have heard of a connection between Fred and Wilson. Apparently, Fred sought him out to help with getting fast cash.”

  “Fast cash for what?”

  “That, I don’t know. Yet.”

  We stand in silence, and I think about his words and what this could mean.

  Chapter 16

  Kathleen

  Chance fills me in on Fred, Mary, and Levi. I guess since Levi brought me here, he thinks I can be told everything. My heart breaks for this man I barely know but want to know everything about.

  How could two parents abuse their child so badly? Chance and Kelly didn’t tell me any details or stories. They just told me the basics. Micah didn’t say anything. I can tell this is affecting her badly. I just don’t know why.

  I’m at a complete loss here and Kelly sees it. “Hey,” she says to break the silence and maybe the tension also. “Wanna go sit in the living room and talk?”

  What am I going to say? I’d really like that because I have no idea what is going on and I really need someone to bounce things off of.

  “Sure. I need that.”

  “I thought so. Let’s go.” We walk into the living room and sit on the soft brown couch. It takes me by surprise how soft it is. I run my hand over the cushion and Kelly giggles. “It’s soft, huh?”

  “Very. I need one like this.”

  “Don’t we all,” she says. Her mood shifts then. She wants to get started with this conversation. I guess I need to also.

  “So, Katie. Tell me something.” She folds her legs and feet under her on the couch and gets comfortable.

  “Let’s see. Where do I start?” Does she want my life history? My lack of life? Or just what happened Friday night?

  “For starters, tell me what you do.”

  “Ok. I work part time at my dad’s management firm. Where ever he needs me. I want to go to law school, but he wants me to go to med school so…”

  “So, you don’t do anything besides that?” She doesn’t ask in a judgmental way and that surprises me. I shake my head in response.

  “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-nine,” I say with a little shame. How can someone like me not know what they want to do with their life. Well, I know what I want to do, but I’m not doing it. How do I justify that?

  “Got ya,” Kelly says, again in a non-judgmental tone.

  “I just don’t want to upset my dad. He’s all I have, and I want to make him happy.”

  “I understand that. More than you know. Here’s the thing though. In the end, you have to be happy, and not just waiting. Because life... It passes fast. Way too fast. When you look back - when you’ve finally got it all together, you’ll constantly wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. I’m living proof of that.”

  Her confession and speech surprises me a little. She appears to have it all together. A husband who is a country singer, (Yes, I’ve figured out who Chance is. Chance Simmons, the famous country music singer. It didn’t click when I first saw him, but once he started talking, I knew it was him.) and a cool kid. She looks happy and content. You would never guess that once upon a time she wasn’t.

  “I hear what you’re saying, and I keep telling myself the same thing. It’s just hard.”

  “I get it. So, let’s move on. What else? What do you do for fun. What do you and your friends do?”

  I take a deep breath. “I don’t have any friends. I have one girl that I talk to, but she’s opposite from me and I end up never doing anything with her.”

  Kelly frowns and almost looks sad. “No friends? That must be lonely.”

  “It is. I’ve had acquaintances all through high school and college. They just never stayed close or stuck around.”

  “That makes me sad, Katie. Really sad. I’ve known the three here practically all my life and one of us are missing.”

  “How long have you and Chance been together?”

  “None of us got together until after college. Chance and I have been together about seven years. Zant and Micah are going on nine, I think.”

  “How long have y’all known each other?”

  “Since we were five and six. We all met in Kindergarten or first grade.”

  I can’t wrap my head around being friends with someone so long. The only person that I’ve known that long is my dad. In all aspects, he is my only friend. Since my mom isn’t here anymore, I don’t know what it’s like to have a girl to talk to either.

  “Who’s the other person to your group?” I remember Kelly mentioning someone else was missing.

  “Macy. She’s a lawyer actually. You and she would get along great. She’s in the middle of a huge case right now. To be honest, that’s all the time. She’s in the middle of a huge case all the time. She doesn’t get to come down here as much as we would like her too.”

  “Where does she practice?” It would be awesome to meet her, but I don’t know if I’m going to be hanging around them long enough to meet her. That makes me sad. I feel like I would like them. A lot.

  “She’s in the middle of Mississippi. Around Jackson somewhere.”

  “That’s cool.”

  “So, tell me what happened Friday. Let’s try to figure this out.”

  I recap everything that Levi told them earlier. I also told her what Wilson said to me. I never told that to Levi. I don’t think it would make a difference anyway.

  “He’s a tool, Katie. Don’t worry about what he thinks of you. You do you and make yourself happy. Anyone who doesn’t understand that… it’s their problem, not yours.”

  I fidget with my fingers in my lap. “I appreciate that.”

  “Look at me.” I look up at her. “Let it go. He means not
hing to you. His opinion doesn’t matter. You hear me?”

  I smile and nod at her. I could really use Kelly as a friend.

  We talk a little longer, but there isn’t anything I can give her to help either of us figure out who wanted to kidnap me and what it may have to do with Levi’s father.

  Chapter 17

  Levi

  The rest of the day Sunday, Kathleen and I hang around my friends. Her and Kelly seemed to have hit it off well. Micah is coming around to her, but I don’t know what she is thinking.

  When she’s in the kitchen getting Axel and Bone some juice, I wait. Once she hands it to them, I grab her by the arm and pull her outside.

  She yelps and the boys giggle. They always love for Micah and me to play around. I let her pretend to beat me up a lot.

  Once we are outside and I look at her, she has a smirk on her face.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” She tries to hide her smile by biting her lip.

  “Spit it out Mi.”

  “Whatever do you mean, Vi.”

  I run my fingers through my hair. This one drives me crazy. I think I may have grey hair because of her. I give her a little growl and she starts laughing.

  “I think Kathleen has you a little tied up.” Micah says her name with a sassy little tone and I know she is mocking me over using her full name and not the name everyone else calls her.

  Here’s the thing. I like to be different. Kathleen fits her better than Katie does. Kathleen has a sophisticated vibe about it whereas Katie has a fun flippant vibe to it. I really dig a sophisticated woman. I want a deep conversation with a woman. Not just small talk. I’m just calling her by what I want. But I won’t even acknowledge that I am interested in her like that.

  Even if I am looking at her in an interesting way, I can’t do it. I can’t let anyone else in. Especially if Fred has anything to do with her attempted kidnapping. I don’t want anything he is a part of around me. I also don’t want him near her. I’m torn.

  “I don’t have time to be tied up in her. Look at the mess we are in. How am I going to keep her safe, myself safe, and still prepare for TT in a couple weeks?”