Page 48 of Family Affair
Rick managed to dislodge him and they rolled around on the rough pebbly surface of the parking lot. All the pent-up stress mixed with hormonal aggression injected Frank’s body with enough adrenaline to take down an elephant, but Rick had the advantage of skill on his side. His heavy fist caught Frank’s chin, snapping his mouth shut, then he elbowed him in the liver. The blow hurt like a motherfucker. Before he could catch his breath, Rick flipped him on the ground and got him into a bone-crushing hold. Frank thrashed, but pain was slowing him down and constellations of white stars burst inside his skull from inability to take a solid breath.
As soon as he stopped moving, Rick grunted and got off him. Not sparing him a moment to recover, he hauled Frank upright.
"I'll have you locked up in a mental institution, you son of a bitch," Rick panted through clenched teeth and bleeding lips. “Get in the car.”
Frank swayed. Sweat dripped into his eyes and it stung. He collected whatever was in his mouth – spit, blood, tears, - and spat, hitting Rick’s hateful face.
The answering fist slammed into his cheek with a force of an oncoming truck. He pitched forward and Rick let him fall down.
“Gimme your belt, Ward. Let’s tie him up. He’s feral.”
His wrists were secured with a leather belt; his feet were also tied. His body felt like a lead dummy, and he couldn’t focus his eyes much less work up any real resistance.
They shoved him head first into the back seat right on top of Cade. The door slammed shut, he slid down Cade’s chest, and passed out.
When he came to, the car was moving through the darkness under some sappy song about lost love and years gone by. His poor head lay on the cushion of Cade’s lap, and when he tried to turn it, the dull headache burst into pain so sharp he moaned.
“Don’t try to move.” Cade’s whispered words penetrated the fog blanketing his consciousness just as his brother’s cool hands descended on his scalp, gently probing the sides of his head, rubbing his temples, tenderly brushing his hair off his damaged face.
Now the hypocrite worried about him.
Bracing against pain Frank wriggled to get away from any physical contact with the bastard. His efforts got him nothing but a bout of severe nausea and an opportunity to pass out again. He stilled, fighting to stay conscious.
He was such a fool for coming to the farm and blabbing about his grand plan. An idiot for harboring those ridiculous notions about brotherhood, and getting each other’s back, and trust. Tears filled his eyes and he let them fall, stinging his battered face and soaking into the fabric of Cade’s jeans. Damn Cade.
Cade’s hands never stopped their soothing routine. Once or twice he sniffed, and Frank realized Cade was crying, too.
“What do you care if I hurt?” he mumbled into Cade’s lap.
“I do.” Cade sniffed again. “And I am sorry, Frankie. I’m sorry. I’m sorry…” He kept whispering and crying and gently rubbing Frank’s hurting head.
Right then and there, in the backseat of his father’s Cadillac, Frank had forgiven him.
But his trust was forever broken.
