Page 2 of Maximus

“And just who is your dad?”

“His name was Thomas Mathews, but everybody called him Indigo.”

That lit a fire under the man standing next to Lucky. Before I could see the name on his cut, he had turned and headed toward the clubhouse. He appeared a few minutes later with a tall man wearing a scowl. His cut was much more highly decorated than those guys who were only members. This man, whose presence was felt tenfold, wore his cut differently. He was King, the president. He walked with authority and the confidence of a god. By the way his men moved to the side, as he made his way over to me, I knew this man was not only powerful, but he was also well respected.

“Prez, this is the gash who says Indigo was her father. She’s asking for you.”

Two

Jefferson

This bitch had some nerve! If I could reach through the phone, I would choke the life out of her. How dare she tell me my fiancé married my best friend, and for me not to call her house again? Here I was three fourths into my two-year sentence, and Shelly had the nerve to abandon me. Just when I needed her the most, she not only got herself a new guy, but to add insult to injury, he was the only other person I had in the world. Jason and I had been like brothers since we were six. I had no idea how to wrap my mind around that news.

“So, you’re telling me that your daughter is a lying, cheating, piece of shit tramp who can’t be trusted? Is that what you’re saying, Mrs. Grant?”

I knew I was wrong to take out my frustration on Shelly’s mother, but the bitch had never liked me. It felt good to finally release a bit of my pent-up anger at her.

“Look, Jefferson, it ain’t my fault that Shelly did you wrong. All I know is she is married now and doesn’t want to hear from you anymore.”

“Just like that? No letter or even a damn phone call? I guess neither of them had the balls to come tell me face to face. Of course, they didn’t. That would be too much like right.”

“Well, I for one am happy she dumped you. I never liked you, and look at you now. Locked up in military prison with a ruined career. You ain’t shit, Jefferson, and you never will be. Shelly needed to move on with someone with a future. I’m so glad she finally listened to me.”

“No disrespect, Mrs. Grant, but fuck you!”

I slammed the phone back onto the receiver and informed the MP that I was ready to return to my rack. I could feel the steam rising from the top of my head. The back of my neck was burning, and my heart felt like it wanted to rip its way from my body. Maybe it was a good thing I was locked away. If I could get my hands on either of them, I would surely never see the light of day again. It wasn’t even the fact that I loved Shelby like that. It was the betrayal that hurt so much. There I was thinking I had surrounded myself with a loyal woman and best friend, when all I had done was fool myself.

My position in the brig left me nothing but time to think about my life and the people who have hurt me. I had absolutely no one to fall back on except myself. My parents were long ago buried in their graves. I had no siblings or family to speak of. The Marines were my family, and even they had abandoned me. There were six months left of my sentence, and then I would be free to leave this place. But then what? Where would I go? What would I do with the rest of my life?

***

Six Months Later…

Being a dishonored Marine didn’t exactly leave me a shit ton of prospects for the future. The only good thing I had to look forward to was leaving this viper pit. The nightmares hadn’t let up since I came here. Sleep deprivation had become second nature to me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the dismembered bodies of my fellow Marines burning on the ground. It seemed like the smell was haunting me. Any time I smelled something burning, I was sent right back to that place in time.

The psychologist said what I had was survivor’s guilt. I had no idea if he was right or wrong. All I knew was the faces of my fallen comrades were my only visitors. I determined that my punishment for surviving was not the two years I had been locked away in Camp Pendleton. No, my punishment was reliving that day over and over. I may not have died, but I was living in purgatory.

Today was my release day, but I had nothing to look forward to. Not anymore. After being escorted to the main gate, I threw my duffle bag over my shoulder and hiked the two miles south to the nearest town of Oceanside. I could have taken the bus, but I needed the exercise. Once I made it to town, I found the nearest bank, withdrew some cash from my account and found a modest hotel that accepted cash as payment to flop at for a while. I was thankful I had never given Shelly access to my bank accounts. I had saved most of my salary when I was in the Corps, so I had quite a bit of money to help me get back on my feet.

Once in my room, I called the one person left on earth that I was sure would help me. His name was Aries, and he was my father’s friend. The man was closer to my age, but that hadn’t mattered to my dad. He had been a mentor to Aries. Before Dad passed away, he told me if I ever found myself in trouble or in need of help, to call this man, and he would be there for me. No questions asked. I really hoped Dad was right. I could use a friend right now.

“You’ve got Aries! Speak on it.”

“Um, hello, Aries, my name is Jefferson Rivers. You knew my dad…”

“Jeff? Of course! How the hell have you been? Last I heard you were in the Marines. How’s that going?”

“Not too good. I found myself in a little trouble. I am no longer in the Corps. I just got out and am looking to start over.”

“Sounds complicated. I don’t do complicated, man. Doom was my brother from another mother. I promised him I would be here for you if you ever needed me.”

“Well, man, I hate to ask, but I need a little help.”

“Say less. Just tell me where and when, and I am there.”

Damn, was this guy for real? He didn’t even know me. I took a deep breath and let it out. I didn’t have anyone else. I had to trust someone, and my dad held him with high regard.

“I am in a small town called Oceanside in California. I need somewhere to go so I can start my life over.”

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