"Stuff" Happens

Thank you for you reviews. This story is quickly becoming one of MY favorites!

Chapter VIIII


“He sure has been out there for a while.” Regina said as she stood looking out of the livingroom window.

“Who?” Max asked, coming out the kitchen.

“Austin. He’s been sitting in the car for almost fifteen minutes now.”

Curious, Max walked to where she stood and with the help of his crutches, he looked out the window too. He could see Austin just sitting in the car with his head down. “What’s he doing?” Max thought out loud. Regina suddenly opened the front door and walked outside. Max followed.

“Austin?” The bronze skinned woman tapped on the jeep window. “You okay in there?” Though his head was down, she could see Austin bit his lower lip strongly and shake his head ‘no’.

Max reached around her and tried to open the door. It was locked. “Baby, open the door.” They heard a click and Max tried the door again, this time it opened. “What’s the matter?” Max asked.

“I told him ‘no’. I told him I didn’t want to. I TOLD him and he did it anyway.” Austin cried softly.

Max got anxious. “What are you talking about, Austin?” Austin slowly lifted his head. Silent tears were coming down his now red eyes, but his face remained oddly calm. Still biting his lip, he handed his lover the white slip of paper. Max took the check and read it off:

“ John Hunter Cutlis
888 Circle Drive
Tamblore, Virginia

PAY TO THE ORDER OF -------Austin Evans $75,000
Seventy-Five Thousand 00/00 DOLLARS

FOR: A thank you ”


When he finished reading it, realization finally hit Max and he grew angry. “Son of a Bitch! It was him?!”

Regina didn’t know the details of what was going on at Austin’s workplace to figure out why receiving $75,000 wasn’t a good thing, but she soon knew by the sudden dark tone of Max’s voice, this Cutlis man must be the rapist.
Max was at a complete loss for words. For almost a month now they had the police trying to find out who Austin’s attacker was, and all this time it was Cutlis. ALL THIS TIME!! In the back of his mind, Max thought it could’ve been him. Then again, he was already pissed off at him from the beginning, so he could’ve just been looking for an easy excuse to go to the man’s office and kick his ass in front of all his employees. Max couldn’t believe it. There it was. Proof that the sick bastard put his filthy hands on what was his. And to just toss it to Austin during, work hours, like it was some normal occurrence, proves just how demented he really was. Max was pissed, to say the least.

While Max stood in a zone of anger, Regina walked up to Austin and rubbed his shoulder as he started to cry in his seat. “Shhh. It’s going to be okay, Austin.”

The brunette shook his head. “No, it’s not. My life has never been ‘okay’.”

“You’ve got to atleast believe, Austin. You can hope, can’t you? Hope it will get better?”

“I’m fresh out of hope, Regina. I gave up on hope when I was in the orphanage. I’ve been living on a gamble for the past thirteen years.” He sniffed. Max suddenly reached over and placed his left hand over Austin’s, showing their gold bands. He kissed the side of his head.

“Come on inside.”

************

After minutes of gentle persuasion and heavy petting, Max finally got Austin to go to sleep. Max spooned Austin from behind and kissed his sweaty shoulder as he slept. Austin was too tense and stressed out to ever get to sleep that night, and it finally took Max to the point that he had to strip him down and spread his legs to get him peaceful again. Though he DID cure Austin of his sudden insomnia, he couldn’t fix his. Every time he’d curl up next to his lover and close his eyes, he’d be brought back to the images he’d seen of Austin when he was in the hospital. The frantic screaming and yelling, the crying, the tears........ He’d also see the makeshift vision of Austin being attacked in the dark alley of the city. Based on what his younger lover had told him, he could imagine the pleads he made to his attacker, the moments of fighting back, the downfall, then finally the raping.

*It never seems to fail. Why is it every time we try to put our relationship back together, this Cutlis man always seems to sneak his way in and mess it up? What is it about Austin that his boss deems it so necessary to hurt him? And me, for that matter. Forget that. What gave him the right to put his hands on him? What made him think it was okay to rape him in an alley, when Austin told him ‘no’? And then just act like it wasn’t even a big deal? He gave Austin the $75,000 check anyway? The fucker is practically gloating. I gotta do something. I’ve been harboring anger since that night, and I’m dying to lash out at someone. That piece of shit is gonna pay.*

************
The next sunrise gave birth to a beautiful Saturday morning. Flowers were blooming, birds were singing (blah, blah, blah). All was right with the world until that afternoon. “Hello?” A female voice said over the phone.

“Hi, Regina.” Austin said with a slight worry in his voice.

“Austin? Hey, what’s up?”

“Well, you.......you haven’t seen Max, have you?”

“No. I haven’t seen him.”

“Has he called you? Have you talked to him?”

Regina noticed the startling eagerness in her friend’s tone. “I haven’t heard from Max since I left you all’s place yesterday. What’s going on, Austin?”

Austin started to nervously pace around the den. “Max said his legs were starting to feel better and wanted to try driving the car again. He said he was going to the store and was going to be right back, so I let him. I.......I didn’t want to upset him by telling him ‘no’.”

“Wait. Wait. Slow down. When did Max leave?”

“Going on three hours ago. Oh God, where is he?”

“You’ve got to relax, Austin. I’m sure Max is fine. You’re worrying too much.”

“He just started back walking, Regina. I can’t help but worry. I knew I should’ve listened to my gut and not let him go. But he kept begging me and I gave in. Now he’s wrecked somewhere and it’s all my fault.”

Regina could hear Austin’s voice trembling, promising the approach of tears. She knew that though he really was upset about where Max could possibly be, she also knew it was coming from everything that had been transpiring. All those bad events that took place, had left an impact on Austin, and just like he apparently blamed himself for those, he was blaming himself for this.

“It’s not your fault, Austin.”

************

Max pulled the gray Jeep onto Circle Drive and immediately started to look for house 888. It didn’t take him long to find the house among the array of large houses in the suburbs. The home was brick with burgundy shudders, thick green grass, freshly trimmed hedges, and sprinklers. It was a beautiful large house, but Max didn’t really give a damn what the house looked like at that moment. He pulled his car up the paved driveway and turned it off. Opting to use his fist instead of the gold plated knocker, Max banged on the mahogany door. A lady answered a few seconds later. She looked to be in her mid forties, with short blonde hair, blue eyes, thin lips, and a somewhat plump figure. She was fully made up and wore baby blue cashmere sweater and jeans; gold bangles and rings sparkled on her hands. “Yes?”

“Is this the Cutlis residence?”

“Yes, it is. Could I help you with something?”

“Actually, I need to speak with your husband........” Max pulled out the check and read the very top. “John.”

The woman looked skeptical at the young man on crutches in front of her. She wasn’t sure what to think of him. His whole stance was stiff and tenacious and his stern, emotionless face was beginning to unnerve her.

“John honey, someone’s here to see you!” The woman called behind her. There was the sound of leather dress shoes hitting the recently polished hardwood floor. The door opened wider to reveal a man bigger than Max. Also around his mid forties, he stood a good three inches taller than him.

“Can I help you?” John said, his work suit now reduced to just the slacks, shoes, and white shirt that was open around the collar and the sleeves rolled up.

Max smiled with amazement. “It’s funny. You’ve never seen my face, but you have helped me so many times before. Especially these past few weeks.”

“Cut the bullshit. What’s your name?”

“I’m Max Garner.”

John smiled. “Ah. Oh yes. You’re Austin’s friend.”

“Lover.” Max corrected.

“Right. Lover.” John looked sidelong at his wife’s stunned expression. She probably wondered what some guy’s disgruntled lover was doing at their doorstep, wanting to speak to her husband. “Come on in.” John said with a smile.

*Smug piece of shit.* Max thought as he came inside the house.

“I’ll take you to my study and we can talk there. Hon, could you bring us some drinks, please?”

“Sure.” The wife walked towards the kitchen. Max followed Cutlis into his study. It wasn’t very large, but if his house was big enough to hold such a frivolous thing as a study, it didn’t really matter what size it was.

Painted a pale yellow, with white trim, the study occupied shelves and shelves of books. John walked to the front of his wooden desk and sat on the edge. “Please, have a seat. I’m glad you’re up and about now, but I’m sure all that walking you’ve been doing has made your legs rather tired. I’d hate for you to hurt yourself.” There was that smile again.

“I bet you would.”

“I’m just concerned, is all......”

“You think I give a shit whether you’re ‘concerned’ or not?”

“Please Max. There’s no need for the language. Whatever your quarrels may be, I’m sure we can solve them in a civilized manner.”

“Fuck being civilized!” Max replied just as John’s wife walked in with a tray of tea and cups.

“Um hon, I’m going to run to the store to get some things for dinner, okay?” She said timidly. John simply nodded his head with a smile. When she left, he turned his attention back to Max.

“I came here for answers.”

“What kind of answers?”

Max pulled the crumbled up check that was in his pocket and threw it at him. John quickly caught it before it dropped. “Explain that.”

Cutlis opened the paper and looked at it. “So what? It’s a check.”

“Don’t play coy with me. I know about the little ‘deal’ you proposed to him.”

John shrugged. “I was just playing with him. Not a big deal.”

Max took a step towards him. “Not a big deal? You raped him!”

John quickly looked to the closed door, then pointed in Max’s face. “You keep your voice down.” He warned.

“Why? You think I give a flying fuck whether or not your wife knows you like to fuck guys on the side?! I don’t give a shit about you.”

“Maybe you should......” John said, but Max wasn’t listening.

“Admit it.”

“Admit what?”

“You raped Austin, didn’t you?”

“You have no physical proof that it was..........”

“Admit it!”

Slowly, Cutlis folded his arms across his chest and looked Max dead in his eyes. “Alright. I’ll admit it. I fucked your little pride and joy, so what?” He whispered menacingly. “I had your boy bent over a crate, like a two-bit whore. I have power in places you’ve never dreamed before, Max. I get what I want. Sure, I didn’t care whether he told me ‘yes’ or ‘no’ that Friday after work. Because I knew I’d get him anyway. Austin has always been expendable, just like you. The both of you were just born mistakes.” Dauntlessly, John walked up to Max, closing in the small amount of distance that was between them. “You want to know how I know that? How I know you’re worthless? I bet you even wonder to yourself, ‘How in the world did I get caught in the proposal’. Look at me. I mean REALLY look at me. My face. My eyes, my lips, my brows, my skin tone. Does it look familiar, Max? Does it look like you? I could tell when you laid eyes on me just now, that you felt something, but you weren’t quite sure. Who am I, Max?”

Max’s breathing got heavier. “You son of a bitch.”

John smiled. “Actually, that would be you, my boy. Your mother was a prostitute. I met her one night on the street 24 years ago. I don’t even think she was legal yet–17 or something.” Cutlis stepped away from the stiff Max and circled around the study, tidying up a few books and loose papers as he did so. “Anyway, I returned back to her street a few weeks later and she told me she was pregnant with you. Not only was your mother a prostitute, but she was a heroine addict. She couldn’t support her addiction AND you, so she expected me to take you in. Stupid bitch, she believed in whoreing herself on the street, but not abortion.” He laughed. “I definitely didn’t want you, so when you were born, she dumped your little ass off on somebody, and.......well.......I guess you know the rest.”

“So, you’re just trying to make my life a living hell now that you know I’m still alive?”

John rubbed his bearded chin thoughtfully. “Could be it. Or, I could just be mean bastard.”

“And it’s not Austin that you were out to really get. It was me. He has nothing to do with it.” Max stated, the puzzles finally starting to come together.

“Bingo. It was you. I know he told you about the file that I had, that carried all the information on him. What he doesn’t know is, is that the name on that file wasn’t his but yours. I was looking for you, and I did. Then I found out you had a lover that worked for me and I began planning. Austin was just an added bonus.” He walked back to his estranged son and stood before him again. “Icing on the cake, if you will. And he WAS sweet. Everything from his tight ass to those choked little cries of pain he tried to hold back was..........erotic.” Max could feel the water forming in his eyes as his anger boiled. “I see why you hold on to him. Does he suck dick too, Max? He has the perfect mouth for it. Nice and wide, full lips.” He smiled triumphantly. “Perhaps next time, I’ll remember.”

Max finally snapped and tackled John to the hardwood floor. His crutches were sent flying in the opposite direction as he gripped his father’s shirt with one hand and landed punches to his face with the other. But Cutlis WAS a big man. He caught Max’s fist mid-punch and flipped him over to his stomach, and pinned his arm behind his back. Max winced at the pain as Cutlis pressed all his weight on the young man and whispered in his ear. “You think you can defeat me, you little shit? Hm? You can’t stand a chance.” Max took his free arm and hit John repeatedly in the ribs with his elbow. After a few blows, the man finally turned Max loose and fell to his side.

Now in a rage, Max made a break to grab one of his crutches to beat John with. But before he could get a hand on one, he felt Cutlis plow into him like a mad bull, slamming him into one of the expensive book shelves. Punches to his stomach and jaw, sent Max falling to the floor. John grabbed him by his shirt. “Try to come to MY home and start trouble?! Now look at you! Get up!” When he pulled Max up, Max used all the strength he had and lifted him off the ground, tossing him over his prized desk. When John stood back up, he was looking down the barrel of a pistol.

“Now look at YOU.” Max said panting. “You bastard, you know how much hell you put me through? I had no home, no parents, no one to love me and care for me like a parent should. But I overcame that. I got older and I found Austin. He filled that void for me. He’s showed me more love and kindness than anyone in this world could. Then you weasel your way into my life again and try to destroy that too. But you can’t. I won’t let you. I won’t let you interfere in the life we share together.”

Cutlis chuckled. “You think I’m afraid, Max? You think that because you have that gun in my face, you’ve somehow become Big and Bad? I’m not scared of you.” He started to slowly walk around the desk. “And you know that. You’re the one that’s scared. Your still weak legs are trembling. Without your little adrenaline boost, they’re giving out on you. I can see your hand shaking.”

“How do you know that’s not just anger?”

“Because I feed on it. I can sense the fear radiating off you. You’re reeking of it. Honestly son, how did you survive in the army? What did you learn, how to peel potatoes for a year?”

“I learned how to be a man. Something I didn’t learn from my father. And don’t call me son. Ever. You don’t have the right to. Just like you didn’t have the right to put your hands on Austin.”

“Austin’s trash!”

“Austin’s mine!” The gun went off. Cutlis slammed back against the desk, a hand over the left side of his chest. Eyes wide, he slowly moved his hand away and looked at the blood on his palm. Then the blood on his white shirt.

Max dropped his aim of the gun and watched shell shocked, as Cutlis dropped to his knees, then collapse on his side. Dead.

His legs finally gave out on him after going too long standing without crutches, and Max fell to his knees. He sat there and looked at the gun still locked in his hand. Despite what John Cutlis said about him earlier, Max had indeed shot and killed before while in the army. In the service, they taught you how to grow a thick skin, not to crack under pressure, and to never dwell on those that you’d killed. That’s why there were no thoughts going through his mind when he saw the older man lying there on the floor not moving.

Max quickly got up with his crutches and walked out the house before the wife came back.

************

Austin kept pacing the livingroom, occasionally checking the window, waiting for Max to get home. It was mid afternoon when he finally saw their car pull up the driveway. Austin opened the front door and ran outside to meet him. “Oh thank goodness your back. I thought something bad had happened to..........” Austin froze when he saw his lover. Max’s shirt was wrinkled and stretched, his mouth and brow was cut, and he had a bruise on his cheek. But what really unnerved him was the ‘out of it’ expression on Max’s face. “Baby, what........look at you.” He placed both hands on Max’s face, then down his arms. He was so nervous, he didn’t know what to do. “What happened to you?” Austin watched his eyes fill up with tears and with a kiss to his cheek, he pulled him tightly into his arms.

Once back inside, Max was finally able to sit down in the den and tell his lover what happened, while Austin treated the cuts on his mouth and eyebrow. “Ow.” Max hissed, when Austin pressed a cotton ball of rubbing alcohol on his brow.

“I’m sorry. I know it hurts.” He put the cotton ball away and placed a small band-aid over it.

“The cops will be coming soon.”

“Did you call them?”

“No. But his wife knew I was there with him before she left for the store. She’s home by now.”

“Well, it’s been two hours. Maybe they.........”

“They’re coming for me, Austin.” Max finished.
Austin was quiet for a while, before he laid his body against Max’s and held him close by the waist. Max wrapped his arms around him.......and waited.

*knock, knock, knock.* “Max Garner! Open up, it’s the police!” Instantly, Austin’s gripped tightened. But Max gently pulled him away.

“Making them wait will be even worse.” He gave Austin a deep kiss on the lips then grabbed his crutches and walked to the door.

“Are you, Max Garner?” An officer asked him. His partner was standing behind him and another pair of officers were behind him, just in case they had trouble getting their man.

“Yes, I am.”

“Max Garner, you are under arrest for the killing of John Cutlis. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you don’t have one, one will be appointed to you............” Austin walked out from the den and watched with watery eyes as the officers removed his crutches and handcuffed him. “Do you understand your rights, as they have been read to you?”

“Yes.” They pulled Max out the front door of the small house.

Austin spotted his lover’s crutches on the floor. “Wait! Wait, please.” He begged another officer. “Please give these to him. He’s got trouble walking.” The officer nodded, the returned outside with the others.

More to Come. Please R&R.