Crazy Beautiful Love - J.S. Cooper

Crazy Beautiful Love
(The Martelli Brothers)
J. S. Cooper
This book is a work of fiction. Any
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or
actual events is entirely coincidental. Names,
characters, businesses, organizations, places,
events, and incidents are the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Copyright © 2013 by J. S. Cooper
Copyediting by : Carolyn Pinard -
carolynpinardconsults.wordpress.com/
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For Grandma Flo, I hope heaven is as
you pictured it. I miss you.
Chapter 1
Logan
I like to clear my mind at night, so I
usually go for a long walk down by the pier.
It’s not my favorite spot, but it’s easy to blend
into the crowds of people there. I’m
unassuming in a crowd; no one looks at me
too hard or too suspiciously. At the pier, I’m
just another guy. No one’s whispering that I
look like one of the Martelli brothers. No
one’s pointing and saying, “I think that’s
Logan Martelli,” in awe-struck tones as if I
were Al Capone or some mafia boss. It’s
laughable how many people know me or
know of me. I almost feel famous but not in
the good way. That’s the problem with living
in a small town like River Valley. Everyone
thinks they know you, but really they know
nothing at all.
I stared out at the water and studied the
moonlit ripples as they ebbed and flowed.
There was a certain magic in the water that
entranced me. Maybe it was because the
water didn’t lie. What you saw reflected in
her murky, silvery depths was what you got.
Like tonight, the moon glowed in all its
ominous glory, and there was nothing
hidden. The same thing couldn’t be said of
human beings. There were always so many
secrets hidden inside that weren’t reflected
in the seemingly happy and perfect surfaces.
I looked around at the couples holding hands
and saw Roger Martin walking with his
girlfriend Bella Casey. She was giggling up at
him, and he was grinning at her lovingly.
Anyone watching them would think that they
were deeply in love, only I knew better. Roger
was a barely-able-to-keep-it-together drunk,
and Bella was in love with my brother, Jared.
She called him and stalked him so much that
she was lucky that he was a Martelli. Martellis
didn’t go to the police and file restraining
orders; even if we did, the police would laugh
in our faces.
I turned to look at the water again when I
saw a glimpse of someone darting by me.
And when I say dart, I mean running like
lightning. I watched as the figure looked back
quickly, and I was startled by the intense blue
eyes that connected with mine for the
briefest second. It wasn’t the stare that shook
me, but the fact that it was a girl. She winked
at me and continued running, and I stood
there and watched as two policemen rushed
past me and ran after her. I wasn’t the only
one who noticed the chase that was
happening; people everywhere were
stopping and gaping, whispering ferociously.
Everyone wanted to know what was going
on, and I had to admit I was curious as well.
Why were the police chasing a girl? She
wasn’t anyone I knew, and I knew most of the
bad folks in town.
I saw Old Man Roberts hobbling up to a
couple a few feet away from me, his face red
and animated. “He tried to steal a cop car,” he
gasped out. “He got in the car and drove off,
but he wasn’t smart enough to—”
“Who, who?” The male of the couple was
loud and excited. “Who was it?”
“Well, I don’t know. But I bet it was Logan
Martelli.” Old Man Roberts’s voice was loud. I
clenched my fist; of course I would get the
blame. If it wasn’t me, it would be one of my
brothers, Vincent or Jared. I wanted to laugh
at the irony. I would love to steal a cop car for
all their harassment against my family, but
I’d never been brave enough. Not like this
girl, whoever she was. Poor girl. I shook my
head, as I walked back up the pier. There was
no way she wouldn’t get caught. There was
no way she could outrun two guys. Especially
on a night like tonight when the pathways
were so packed with people. What a poor
choice of locale. Didn’t she know you needed
to pick a place where you wouldn’t be seen,
and where you could have a clean getaway
when you stole a car? I laughed to myself as I
cut across the pathway and headed to the
parking lot. Though I should thank her; she’d
made it easier for me tonight.
I spotted the black Toyota Corolla and
walked over to it slowly and casually, running
my hands through my dark blond hair. I
couldn’t stop myself from grinning. Tonight’s
take was going to be easy. I pulled out my
lock pick and glanced around casually to
make sure no one was coming. I tried the
different keys, almost laughing as the third
one opened the door. I loved Toyotas. Always
so easy to break into. I got into the car
quickly and closed the door. I reached over to
the glove compartment and opened it to see
if my luck was going to continue. It was. I felt
the spare key in my fingers and pulled it out
quickly and started the car. I reversed and
pulled out of the parking lot, laughing once
again at my good luck. Thanks to good ol’
blue eyes, this was the easiest car I had ever
stolen. Nobody would be expecting it, not
when they thought I was being chased down
by the police at that very moment.
I turned on the radio as I pulled onto the
main road and listened to the smooth sounds
of Kenny G on the saxophone playing through
the tinny speakers. I sighed as the speakers
strained when I turned the sound up. That
was the problem with these cheap cars; they
just didn’t stand up to the more expensive
cars.
I never stole expensive cars with better
stereo systems; it wasn’t worth it. Expensive
cars were too hard to pass on. People became
more paranoid about buying a Mercedes or
BMW without papers. I didn’t mind, I still did
well with the Toyotas and Hondas. I cruised
down Main Street and thought about the girl
who had tried to steal the cop car. I could still
picture the look in her eyes, in the quick
glance we had exchanged. She had looked
excited and scared, and I could sense the
exhilaration and adrenaline coursing
through her body. It was the same
exhilaration I used to feel when I started
stealing cars with my dad ten years ago. The
fear of getting caught mingled with the
excitement of doing something bad was
better than any drug. At least, it used to be.
I was distracted from driving as I saw
something or someone running down the
street. I pulled over to the side of the street
and slowed down to see who or what was
running. I knew I was being dumb. I couldn’t
afford to get caught in this car. I needed to
keep going, but something in me had to
know. A part of me thought it might be the
girl again, but I knew there was no way it
could be the girl from the pier. There was no
way she could have run all this way this
quickly. I heard the sirens before I saw the
lights and I cursed as I saw the cop cars
speeding down the street. I pulled over
quickly, turned off the engine and the lights,
and crouched down in my seat, hoping they
were looking for the girl and didn’t know
about the stolen Toyota yet. I laughed at the
irony as I crouched down. They probably
thought they were chasing me anyway.
Stupid cops!
Knock, knock, knock. The sound sent my
heart racing. What the fuck? I looked over to
the passenger side and saw the girl.
“Open the door,” she hissed at me loudly. I
stared at her in shock. What was she doing?
Was she crazy? She didn’t even know me. I
pressed the unlock button and she jumped
into the car. “Shit, took you long enough to
open the door.”
“What are you doing?” I couldn’t take my
eyes off of her. It was definitely the same girl.
I would recognize her vivid blue-purple eyes
anywhere. She was actually more beautiful
than I remembered. She had long black hair
and her skin was flushed red. She was
wearing tight black jeans and a tight black
tank top. Her chest was heaving and I could
tell she was out of breath.
“I’m trying to escape the cops, duh.”
“Oh?” I looked at her curiously.
“You were following me?” She turned to
me with slanted eyes. “I saw you slow down,
pull over, and turn off your lights.”
“I don’t even know you. I wasn’t following
you.” I shook my head in disgust. “And why
would you get in a car with someone who
was following you? Are you dumb?”
“I tried to steal a cop car.” She sighed and
leaned back in the seat in shock. “I can’t
believe I did that.”
“Why did you do it?”
“I don’t know.” She started laughing
hysterically. “I am going to be in deep shit if
my parents find out.”
I stared at her, not sure what to say. I
swallowed hard as I stared at the naked
length of her neck and chest. I turned away,
upset with myself for being turned on by this
crazy, beautiful girl.
“What’s your name?” I asked her finally,
not sure how much longer I could stay in this
weird situation.
“Maddie.” She opened her eyes and
looked at me. “You?”
“Logan,” I bit out, waiting for the
inevitable recognition. The widening eyes
that would turn her half-smile into a frown,
and the worry that would cross her mind
when she realized who she was with.
“Logan?” She smiled. “You don’t look like
a Logan.”
“I don’t?” The words tripped out of my
mouth in surprise.
“You look like a Brandon or something.”
She laughed and then rubbed her eyes. “Don’t
mind me, I’m rambling now.”
“Why do I look like a Brandon?” I felt like
laughing. This was turning into one of the
weirdest nights I had ever had. And Maddie
seemed to be living up to her name; she was
quite mad to be sitting here in a car with me,
a guy she didn’t know.
“ ’Cause you’re hot.” She giggled and
leaned towards me. “I’m not coming on to
you or anything. I’m sure plenty of girls come
on to you and say that. But I’m not one of
those girls. But you’re hot. Like James Dean.”
“James Dean?”
“He was an actor—”
“I know who he is, or was.” I frowned. “I
just don’t think I look like James Dean.”
“You’ve got that air about you.” She
nodded. “Definitely a James Dean look: dark
blond hair, shimmering, hooded green eyes,
slight stubble, and you look like trouble.”
“I look like trouble?” I raised an eyebrow
at this strange but honest girl.
“I know, right? It’s ironic.” She laughed.
“Here I am, running from the cops, and you’re
here sitting in your car, and I’m saying you’re
trouble.”
“Ironic is a fitting word.” I nodded and
tried not to smile. “Do you need a ride?”
“Yeah.” She sat up, and I think the
seriousness of the moment finally hit her,
because her body froze and she looked at me
carefully with an extremely worried
expression. “Shit. Shit. Shit,” she cussed
under her breath, and she stared at me with
wide eyes.
“No longer feeling like you made a good
decision tonight?” I asked her softly. I knew
that she was experiencing the crash. The
adrenaline and excitement was fading now
and she was starting to feel panicky and
worried.
“I don’t know what I was thinking.” She bit
her bottom lip. “I was just walking, and I saw
the cop car, and something just came over
me.” She shook her head. “I’m going to be in
deep trouble.”
“Do they know it was you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why did you do it?” I looked at her
curiously. She didn’t look like the sort of girl
who would steal a car.
“For fun?” She made a face. “You probably
think I’m a horrible person, right? I wouldn’t
blame you if you decided to call the cops on
me.”
“I’m not going to call the cops.” I laughed.
“You have a baby?” She surveyed the car
and I looked at her in shock.
“No, no baby.” I shuddered.
“So why do you have a baby seat in the
back?” She frowned and I turned to look in
the backseat.
“Oh.” I tapped my fingers against the
steering wheel. “About the car.”
“Yeah?” She leaned towards me. Her eyes
looked even more purple up close. I could
smell her minty breath on my lips, and I had a
sudden urge to kiss her. We stared at each
other for a few seconds, and I studied her
eyelashes. They highlighted her eyes and I
wanted to feel them against my cheek, to see
if they were as soft as they looked.
I leaned back away from her and gripped
the steering wheel. “I don’t own this car.”
“You borrowed it from a friend?” She
cocked her head at me, and I shook my head.
“You rented it?
“No.”
“Then what?” She looked puzzled and I
watched as realization hit her. “You weren’t
following me, were you?” She sat back and
looked dazed. “Shit, you pulled over because
of the cops? You— you stole this car?” Her
voice was amazed and loud. I didn’t look at
her because I didn’t want to see the reproach
in her eyes. I knew what people like her were
like. It was okay for them to commit crimes
because it was just for fun. But when it came
to people like me, it was a big deal. It was a
bad thing. A really bad thing.
“That is fucking crazy.” She started
laughing and I turned to look at her in shock.
Was she insane?
“Did you escape from a mental institute?”
I asked her seriously, worried that I had
perhaps picked up a real crazy person.
“A mental institute?” Her eyes glittered as
she stared at me. “Maybe.” She laughed even
harder and gasped out, “Maybe I should be in
one, indeed.”
“Why aren’t you jumping out of the car?
I’m a bad guy.” I looked at her, unsmiling.
This wasn’t a joke. Maddie made me
uncomfortable, and I didn’t like feeling
uncomfortable.
“I thought you were going to give me a
ride home?” She buckled her seatbelt.
“Are you crazy? I just told you I stole this
car, and you want to stay in here with me?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I just told you I tried to
steal a cop car.”
“But that’s different.” I started the engine
and sighed. “You did it for fun.”
“This is your career?” She sounded
surprised.
“Yes,” I bit out and pulled away from the
curb. “This is my career.”
“Well, no wonder you’re better than me at
stealing cars.”
“Where do you live?” I studied the road
ahead of me. I didn’t understand this girl.
Why didn’t she have more common sense?
“Are you attracted to me, Logan?” She
pressed her fingers against my arm, and I
turned to look at her quickly. She was giving
me a sultry look, and I almost did a double
take. What was going on here?
“Where do you live, Maddie?”
“I don’t want to go home,” she said softly.
“Where do you want to go?”
“To your place.”
“I don’t have my own place.”
“Where do you live?” she asked.
“With my dad and two brothers.”
“Do you have your own room?”
“Yeah,” I replied.
“So let’s go.”
“Why?”
“Do I have to tell you why?” She laughed.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“How old are you, Maddie?”
“Twenty.”
“Let me take you home.” I gritted my
teeth and ignored the stirrings of lust in my
pants. It would not be a good idea to take
Maddie home. She was trouble, I could sense
it in my bones. They didn’t come any crazier
than Maddie. Yes, she was beautiful, and yes,
she was fearless, but she was not someone I
needed in my life.
“Come on, Logan Martelli, take me home.”
My breath caught as she said my whole
name and I looked at her with suspicion. Had
she known who I was the whole time? “How
did you know who I was?”
“Who doesn’t know the Martelli family in
River Valley?” She spoke matter-of-factly. “I
mean, I only just figured it out a few minutes
ago. You don’t look like I pictured.”
“How did you picture me? Like the big,
bad wolf?”
“Something like that.” She nodded.
“You’re younger than I thought. How old are
you?”
“Twenty-five.” I paused. “So, what’s your
address so I can take you home?”
“I don’t know if I should give you my
address. What if you come back to steal from
my house?”
“I wouldn’t—” My face flushed as I
responded to her angrily.
“I’m joking, Log.” She touched my arm
again. “Can I call you Log?”
“No.”
“I’m joking. I want to go home with you.”
She shifted in her seat and moved even
closer to me. “Please.”
“No.” My voice was resolute, and I was
saying that “no” to her and myself.
“Please.”
“You don’t even know me.” I shook my
head. “You shouldn’t go home with strange
guys.”
“You shouldn’t let strange girls into your
car.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“So can I. Please.” Her voice broke. “I don’t
want to go home tonight. I don’t want to
answer any questions.”
“I can’t take you back to my place.” I shook
my head. There was no way I was taking this
girl back to my house. Not only would my dad
and brothers wonder what was going on, it
would go against my own rules. I never
brought women back to our place. It was
something I had never done. And I wasn’t
about to start with her.
“You think I’m pitiful, don’t you?” Her
voice cracked and I could barely hear her as
her face was pressed against the window.
“You think I’m just this beautiful girl, with
nothing better to do than just steal cars for
fun. And now I’m practically begging you to
be with me, and you’re disgusted with me. Do
you think I’m crazy?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t believe you said that.” She turned
towards me, laughing. “I guess the pity act
doesn’t work on you, does it?”
“What do you want, Maddie?” I turned to
look at her again. “I’m tired and…”
“Shhh.” She leaned over to me and kissed
my cheek. Her hand reached up to my face.
She twisted my face towards hers and I felt
her lips press down on mine. Her lips were
soft and firm as she kissed me, and I felt a
warm surge of electricity run through me.
She pulled back after a few seconds, and I sat
there immobile. She sat back in her seat and
smiled to herself. “I live on Manor Road. You
can take me there, or we can go somewhere
else. Your choice.”
I stared ahead and didn’t answer her. My
mind was spinning with questions. She lived
on Manor Road? That meant she was rich,
really rich. The sort of rich that made the
Forbes’ Richest People in the World list.
What was she doing trying to steal a cop car?
And what was she doing with the likes of me?
And how brazen was she to kiss me? I
grinned to myself as I thought about the kiss;
I could still taste her on my lips. She was
trouble, plain and simple. The only possible
outcome to this evening was to take her
home. Take her home and never see her
again. I’d warn her that a life of crime wasn’t
the way to get attention from her rich
parents. Obviously, she was crying out for
attention. Maybe her daddy worked too
many hours and her mom was too busy
servicing the pool boy and getting her hair
done. Maddie was lost and crying out for
help. I couldn’t do anything to help her. Not a
damn thing. She didn’t need to get messed up
with a Martelli.
I stared straight ahead and pressed my
foot on the gas, ignoring the thumping of my
heart and the heat in my face and pants.
Maddie was not the girl for me. I wanted
nothing to do with some rich girl who was
looking for a joy ride. I could sense the exact
moment the grin spread on Maddie’s face. As
I passed Manor Road and kept driving, I
wondered what I was doing. But I ignored the
niggling thoughts in my mind. I’d worry
about everything tomorrow. Tonight was
special, it was crazy, it was beautiful, it was
full of wonder. Tonight, I was going to just be
with Maddie, and tomorrow, I’d worry about
all the other shit.
Chapter 2
Logan
“I can take you back home if you want.” I
looked at Maddie as we walked across the
grass. “It won’t be comfortable.”
“I see a blanket in your hand. Where did
you even get a blanket from?” She laughed
and pointed at the Disney Princess blanket in
my hand. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.” She paused
and said casually, “Do you bring a lot of girls
here then?”
“No, and I got the blanket from the
backseat.” I shook my head and turned away
from her. The truth was, I had never brought
another girl here. It was my special place, the
place I came to when I wanted to think and be
away from my brothers and my dad.
“The stars look so close,” she whispered
in hushed tones. “I didn’t think the sky could
look any prettier than it does down by the
pier, but it is gorgeous here.”
“I think we’re closer to the sky.” I nodded
in agreement.
“Really?” She looked surprised. “I didn’t
think the altitude was any higher here.”
“I don’t know if that’s a fact, scientifically
or anything,” I increased my pace. “I just
think we’re closer.”
“You may be right.” She reached out and
linked her arm through mine. “It’s pretty
here. Where are we going?”
“There’s an old shack further down th...