Alien_Friend: Waiting is the best option for them right now.
DJ knew that he couldn’t handle what happened on his own. He’s a pretty straightforward kind of guy so he faced his problem head-on. The guys are definitely laying the framework for a good friendship. Liz has to be willing to face her problem. Forcing it won’t help her. The only way for her to heal is if she is willing to take that step of her own free will.
LOL, I don’t think anyone’s placed James Valenti Sr. as Kyle’s grandpa.
Had Kyle had a little more information those pieces would’ve fallen into place. But don’t worry, it won’t be long before he has that one piece of the puzzle that he didn’t have upon meeting Max.
We will eventually learn more about Michael’s past.
We’ll get Ava’s reaction in this part.
Liz is making progress and having Max and DJ there for backup will be good for her.
mary mary: Thanks!
Yep, these guys all fall into the category of “good guys”.
Michelle in LA: We’ll continue to see that warming trend.
Liz was definitely being unfair about her treatment of Max. Hopefully now that he’s nudging her in the right direction and she realizes she isn’t the only one who has things in the past to deal with it’ll give her the necessary push to want to get help for herself.
It would be interesting to see Jeff’s reaction to some of their interchanges. The truth will eventually come out to her family and friends.
DJ is a lot of fun to write. He’s smart enough to know he couldn’t handle that situation on his own and he sought help.
Finally we see some progress with Liz.
That is exactly why Kyle was switching things around in his bags. He doesn’t want to be conspicuous with what he’s carrying in his bags.
You have good reason to be nervous about Ava.
Natalie36: They will get there.
begonia9508: Thanks!
Ah, we will make that connection…
Liz will get to a place where she sees that it’s a good thing.
Max hasn’t given up on that idea… just tabled it for a bit.
keepsmiling7: It may take a bit of time to get to that point.
Time is an important part of rebuilding trust and acceptance. For these characters time is a valuable tool.
MP: Thanks for reading!
dreamon: Glad you’re enjoying and thanks!!
Part 20
The house was quiet when Ava woke up, but there was the underlying buzz of activity. She listened for a few minutes and couldn’t stop the slight smile when she caught the scent of pancakes. Her cop was back. She had no idea when she had started thinking of him as her cop but her mind refused to let it go. Even though he had said he would do his best to come back she hadn’t been expecting it. She had learned long ago that expectations tended to lead to disappointment.
“He came back,” she whispered as she rubbed her belly. The baby kicked in response and she smiled, imagining her baby girl was as happy about it as she was.
She sat up and eased her legs over the side of the bed so she could get up and begin the extensive process of getting ready for another day. She paid little attention to the footsteps in the hallway while she was in the bathroom. When she came back out a while later she made her way to her room and went inside, pausing when she saw the gift-wrapped boxes that had been placed on the bed. She slowly crossed the room and reached out to run her forefinger over the pretty pink ribbon tied around one of the boxes. The paper was printed with tiny teddy bears in pastel colors and her eyes watered as she traced over them.
She bit her bottom lip as she turned her attention to the other boxes, studying the print that was designed more for a woman rather than an infant. She smiled and gave the bow a tug, releasing it and then holding her breath without realizing it as she lifted the lid on the box. She brushed the light pink tissue paper aside and the tears spilled over as she ran her hand over the soft material of the tiny one-piece. She lifted it up and as the tissue below it was disturbed she realized there was a second outfit below. She picked it up, softly touching the tiny ribbons and running her fingers over the rose designs that dotted the fabric.
Why would he go to the trouble of not only going to a baby store, but taking the time to pick out clothing for a baby that wasn’t even his? She held the clothes to her chest and rocked herself as her heart squeezed with emotion. Seth hadn’t been cruel but he hadn’t had any interest in the baby and she had known better than to expect him to. He had cared enough to try to help her escape and she would always be grateful to him for that.
“And for you,” she whispered as she rubbed her belly.
She carefully placed the clothes back in their box and pressed the tissue over them before putting the lid back on. She slid the other boxes closer and undid the ribbons so she could open them up and look inside. Her eyes widened when she saw the maternity jeans and the cream-colored short sleeve tunic with a colorful sash. The other box held a deep red maternity sundress with short sleeves and a beautiful floral print. She didn’t know what kind of material it was but it was soft and it was long and she just knew it would sway when she walked.
Ava smiled and got up, walking over to the mirror and holding the dress up in front of her. She stared at her reflection for a moment before she decided to go ahead and put the dress on. She felt a little self-conscious when she stepped out of her room and started to make her way to the kitchen. She paused at the doorway, peering around to watch her cop as he grabbed the handle of the frying pan to flip the pancakes without the aid of a spatula.
“Hey,” she said quietly. The feeling of self-consciousness fled the moment he turned around and she saw the smile on his face.
“Wow, look at you.” He set the pan on a cold burner and motioned for her to come closer. “I thought the dress was pretty on the hanger but…” he shook his head and whistled under his breath. “You make it look really good.”
“Thanks.” She ducked her head. “No one’s ever bought me a dress before.”
“Terrible oversight on somebody’s part.” He nodded at the stove. “You hungry?”
She nodded. “Yeah, actually I am.” She followed him over to the stove, detouring and taking a seat at the table. “Thanks for the clothes. The baby clothes are really sweet.”
He grinned and flipped the pancakes onto a plate and slid it on the table in front of her. “I’m glad you liked them.” He tapped her nose with his forefinger. “You’re especially pretty when you smile, Ava.”
And that brought the smile out again. “I think Max would like you,” she said as she took a sip of the orange juice he placed next to her plate.
“Who?”
My best friend, Max. He would…”
Her words faded into the background as he suddenly connected the dots. How many recent parolees named Max could be running around the city? “Max,” he mused aloud. “What’s his last name?”
“Evans.” She shrugged. “At least we think that’s his last name. His mother kinda screwed around with his name so he’s not positive that’s right but that’s the one that stuck.”
Kyle checked on the agents, locating one doing a perimeter check and the other watching TV in the living room. He held a finger to his lips as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through several folders. “I was hanging out with my sister and some friends yesterday…” he held the phone out to her. “This is him, isn’t it?”
She took the phone from him, turned it so she could look at the screen. “Oh, my God.” She stared at the picture. Max standing in front of a pool, looking at someone who was making him smile. “He’s okay, he’s really okay,” she whispered.
“You can scroll through the pictures if you want. There’re more. His girlfriend and my sister kept grabbing my phone and anyone else’s who happened to be lying around to take pictures at the barbecue.” He tapped the edge of her plate. “Eat while it’s hot.”
“How is he?”
“He’s doing good. He’s in a program her parents are part of, helping parolees reintegrate into society. It’s a solid program with a high success rate and he seems to be adjusting to life on the outside pretty well. He has a good job, he’s looking at taking a psych class, and he’s staying out of trouble.” He sat down next to her with his own plate and a mug of coffee.
“You said he has a girlfriend?”
“He and my sister’s best friend are dating.” He nodded at the phone. “Keep going, you’ll know when you get to her.” He smiled when she paused on one of the pictures. “My sister and her boyfriend. They’re practically married, been together 10 years now.” He saw her smile when she went to the next picture and she saw Max standing over Hunter, the little boy holding onto his hands as he jumped up and down. “That’s my sister’s kid, Hunter. He and Max get along pretty well.”
“You actually spent time with him.”
“I wish I’d known it was him. I talked to Patrick about them getting you some information about him but I never asked you what his name was.” He shrugged. “I’ll blame it on the meds I was on because normally I’m more organized in my thinking. I couldn’t have told him anything about you even if I’d known it was him though.”
“I know.” She smiled and her eyes shone with tears when she looked up at him. “But he’s okay and I know that because of you.”
“He seems like a pretty solid guy, Ava. He’s managed to tame the shrew, something I wouldn’t have believed possible if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.” He leaned closer to her and slid his finger across the screen to go through a couple of pictures. “That’s her, that’s Liz.”
She stared at the picture of Max standing behind a brunette, his arms wrapped around her as he leaned down to whisper something in her ear. He was smiling and he looked happy. “You called her a shrew.”
“Well, she’s had her issues in the past but yesterday she was more settled than I can remember seeing her in a long time.” He rubbed her arm without thinking about it. “He seemed like he could handle her so I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Are these your parents?” she asked when she went to the next picture.
“Um-hmm, that’s Mom and Dad.”
“You look a lot like your dad.” She studied him for a moment before looking back at the picture. “I don’t see much of a resemblance between you and your mom though.”
“You won’t find much of one,” he agreed. “Maria’s mom married my dad when we were kids. But when you meet Maria you could really screw with her and go on about the resemblance between us.” He finished off his pancake. “Oh, before I forget, Mom told me about this maternity pillow that would help you sleep more comfortably. It’s still in my room so don’t let me forget about it later.”
“Okay.” Ava just smiled, thinking how nice it was that someone as normal as Kyle would mention her meeting his family like her past didn’t matter.
*****
Alex balanced his weight on his crutches as he looked around the busy grounds of the MacArthur Children’s Home. Boys and girls of all ages ran around enjoying the freedom of the beautiful afternoon under the watchful eyes of the staff. MacArthur ran at full capacity at any given time and while he was glad the place existed he wished it wasn’t necessary. He didn’t understand how people could have children and so carelessly throw them away. Looking around he spotted a little girl sitting alone at one of the picnic tables and he shifted to watch her.
“She just came to us.”
He turned his head to look at Sharon Coleman, the woman who served as the director at MacArthur. She was in her late fifties and looked a good ten years younger. “She looks lost.”
She smiled sadly. “She is. She feels set apart from everyone else.”
“History of abuse?”
Her smile slipped as she nodded. “There are so many of them and not enough good people willing to help.”
“What’s her story?”
“Her name’s Jennifer Rush; she’s five years old, she was abused by her father, neglected after her mother died of a drug overdose, and over the past few months she’s been in and out of foster care.”
He tipped his head to one side as he studied the little girl’s defensive posture. “She has a problem adapting?”
Sharon sighed. “She won’t try. She’s been placed with several families who have had success with some tough cases but she doesn’t want anything to do with them. She also suffers from a bone disorder that could and should have been treated before now, which only serves to further set her apart from her peers.” She looked up when her assistant called for her and she waved to acknowledge the woman. “I should get going. I have another meeting to attend to. In case I don’t see Isabel before the two of you take off please let her know that I look forward to hearing what she has in mind for the Labor Day event.”
He smiled. “I’ll let her know, Sharon.”
She reached out to rest her hand on his arm for a moment. “I don’t know what we’d do without her help around here.”
“You know she loves her work here.” He watched her rush up to the building and his thoughtful gaze turned back to the little girl. Isabel had started coming to MacArthur with her mother and when Diane had passed on she had stepped in to take the woman’s place. She had taken the position as the quality control manager without hesitation and she worked closely with the director. When the woman who planned their events quit Isabel had taken on that responsibility as well. He had volunteered prior to the accident, mentoring a few of the children, and helping out where he could.
He made his way over to the little girl and balanced his weight so he could tap the bench with one of his crutches. He lifted one eyebrow when she looked up at him. “Hey there.”
She looked away without speaking, her blue eyes following a group of children engaged in an impromptu soccer game. She sighed wistfully and her hands unconsciously rubbed over legs that were severely bowed below the knees.
“I used to play soccer,” he said as he lowered himself to the bench, giving her plenty of space.
“So?”
“So, kinda sucks that I can’t now.” He nudged his crutches. “Can’t exactly go out on the field and take that ball downfield with these things.”
That pulled her attention back to him. Most grownups tried to convince her that even though she was different everything was fine, that everything was normal. “I never played soccer. My legs are messed up so I can’t run. I gotta use crutches just to walk.”
He nodded. “Me too. You get tired of it though, huh?”
“Yeah.” She reached out to run her fingertips over his crutches. “Are you ever gonna be able to walk without them again?”
“That’s my plan.” He smiled. “I want to be able to stand by myself when I get married.”
Her eyes traveled over him. “You got a girlfriend?”
“My fiancé, yes.”
“But she’s gotta love you if she’s gonna marry you.”
“She does love me.”
“You’re lucky. Nobody loves me.”
Just hearing her say those three words in such a matter-of-fact tone made his heart hurt.
“My daddy said it’s ‘cause I grew all wrong. He said nobody would want me when he gave me away but I hoped he was wrong.” She shrugged. “I don’t think he was.”
“You don’t think your foster families wanted you?” he asked carefully.
“They weren’t mean or anything but…”
“But you wish you had your own family.”
“Yeah.” Her lower lip trembled as she stubbornly wiped her fisted hand under her eyes and turned to look in the opposite direction. “I’m not bad or anything.”
“I know.” He patted her shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting your own family. I think we all want that no matter how old we are.”
Across the campus Isabel stood just outside the entrance of the building that housed the business end of things. She had been watching Alex and Jennifer for a little while, enjoying the easy way he dealt with the little girl. He had the kind of personality that exuded trust and she had seen more than one child open up to him.
“Oh, I thought I was going to miss you,” Sharon said as she joined her.
“I was on my way out when I saw the two of them. She’s actually talking so I wanted to give them some space.”
The older woman smiled. “Well, if there’s anyone she would open up to it would be Alex. She’s had a difficult time adjusting and she sees foster care as a temporary thing so she refuses to put any effort into it.” She shook her head. “Her father did a real number on her so she has little confidence and no self-esteem. Her mother isn’t blameless but the woman’s dead now so there’s little point in making accusations there. The one thing we can be thankful for is that there’s no history of sexual abuse.”
“Thank God she was spared that,” Isabel murmured. “I’d better go, Sharon. Alex has physical therapy this afternoon and I have a stack of reports to complete. If you have time on your schedule tomorrow we can meet and discuss Labor Day.”
“Perfect, how’s lunch sound?”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll have Gail clear a spot around noon.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Isabel shifted her laptop and briefcase as she went down the steps and crossed the campus. They had to make a stop by the bank first to check the safe deposit box they hadn’t gotten around to checking on Saturday.
*****
Max slipped through the dining room, clearing tables and disappearing back into the kitchen area before returning to repeat the process. He had been working the front for several hours because a couple of people had called in, leaving Jeff short of help. He had volunteered to stay for a few extra hours, figuring it would help Jeff while giving him some extra money on his check. Which couldn’t hurt, he mused. He wanted to take Liz out someplace nice but damn, the kind of nice she was used to cost a lot more than he was used to.
“Table 17’s ready to clear,” Sandra called as she rushed by him to put a new order in.
He dumped another tub of dishes off, grabbed an empty tub, and headed back out into the dining room. He glanced at the time and made a mental note to call Liz and let her know he was going to be running late for dinner. She had called earlier while he was on his lunch break and asked if he minded her coming over and making dinner. At the time he had expected to be home around four but now he wasn’t sure.
He scraped food remnants from the dishes before stacking them in the tub, dumped the last of the drinks before carefully placing the glasses into the tub as well. He wiped the table down, brushing the crumbs and discarded wrappers into the tub before picking it up and heading back to the kitchen. His back was aching and he was tired after being on his feet since four that morning and he was ready to go home.
“Excuse me.”
The words, spoken in a quiet voice, drew his attention as easily as if his name had been shouted across the restaurant. The voice, the practiced culture and ice that defined it, was one he would never be able to forget. He turned to face the man who owned it and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the tub tighter.
Damon Knight sat in the circular booth, impeccably dressed and exuding an air of confidence. Those who didn’t know him would assume he was a businessman or a lawyer. No one would look at him and think he was the head of a criminal organization or that he had ordered the executions of more than one person. But Max knew better. He had witnessed first-hand what the man was capable of.
He wasn’t sure what he should do. He could go back and let Jeff know who was frequenting his restaurant and he knew the man would have Damon removed. But he also knew Damon could be vindictive and the last thing he wanted was for anyone to be hurt because of him. Part of him felt an obligation because if not for Damon there was a very good chance he and Ava would be dead now. But the rational part of his mind rebelled against that thought. Damon was a man who used people for his own gain. He exposed people’s weaknesses and then turned those weaknesses against them, using them to gain control. He had given Damon enough of his life, he wasn’t giving him another minute.
“I need to get this to the kitchen.”
“No problem, Max.” He smiled easily. “I’ll let Ava know you said hi.”
He cleared his throat and glanced around. “You know where she is?”
“I know where everyone in my company is at any given time, Max. You’ve been away too long if you’ve forgotten that.” He cut into his steak and took a bite, chewing slowly while he waited for a response. After a couple of minutes he made a dismissive gesture. “As I said, I’ll let Ava know you said hi.”
Max studied the man but it was useless. Damon’s face gave nothing away. He had seen the man sit at his dining room table calmly eating dinner while Pascal beat someone to a pulp right in front of him. It didn’t even disturb him. He was cold-blooded and ruthless and if he had Ava… why would he have Ava?
“You don’t need her, Damon.”
“No,” he agreed as he took another bite, chewed for a moment, and then washed it down with wine. “I don’t. What I do need is for you to do a job.”
“No.” He hefted the tub higher and turned to leave.
“Do the job and I release her,” he said, his voice smooth and emotionless. “Refuse and I really have no use for her. I’ll give you 24 hours to come to a decision. After that, well, Nicholas has always had an interest in exploring what she has to offer.” He smiled as Max walked away, his back ramrod straight. He glanced up when his waitress stopped by his table and the smile shifted to one that he knew would come across as sincere when he asked for her recommendation for dessert.
*****
The front door slammed behind Max and he nearly choked himself as he tried to yank his tie off. He slammed his fist into the door and pressed his forehead against the smooth wood. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to handle the situation. Ava’s life could very well be hanging in the balance and if he didn’t do what Damon wanted… He didn’t want to think about what could happen to her.
Liz stepped out of the kitchen and frowned when she saw him leaning against the door. “Max? Are you okay?” She moved closer to him, watching him and trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
He sighed heavily, his right hand clenched tightly around the tie. “I feel like I can’t breathe.”
“Okay, let’s start there,” she said quietly. She reached for his arm and urged him to turn around, looking into his face. She uncurled his fingers and brushed his hand aside as she set about untying the tie he had pulled so tight in his efforts to free himself of it.
It was after seven and she could see the exhaustion in his features, but there was something else. Tension, certainly. Worry, maybe? Possibly a hint of anger. Something else she couldn’t define. “You’ve had a very long day.”
He dropped his head back against the door, breathing a little easier when she finally succeeded in unknotting the mangled tie. He felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest. It wasn’t completely gone, but the pressure was subsiding. He nodded in thanks and closed his eyes as he reached up to rub his temple.
She tossed the tie on a nearby shelf and framed his face in her hands as she studied him. “Did something happen?”
“Just…” He wanted to tell her but knew he couldn’t. “One of those days.”
“Do you feel like eating?”
“It smells good but honestly I’m not sure I can stomach anything right now.”
“Why don’t you go grab a hot shower and I’ll clean the kitchen up.” She rubbed his arm. “You need to relax or you’re not gonna be able to sleep.”
“I’m sorry. I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble.”
She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. It’ll save.”
“Thanks.” He pushed away from the door and made his way into the bedroom to strip his clothes off so he could take a shower. He paused to pat Diablo when the dog appeared next to him then sent the dog back into the living room so he could have the space to himself.
After a long shower he dried off and pulled on a pair of boxers before stepping out into the bedroom. The overhead light had been turned off, the bedside lamp turned on, and the covers had been turned down. There was a glass of water and a couple of Tylenol sitting on the nightstand and he smiled as he sat on the side of the bed to take them.
“You should lie down,” Liz said as she came into the room. She felt his forehead before letting her hands slide down to rest against his cheeks. “You don’t feel that warm but maybe you’re coming down with a summer cold.” She urged him to lie back and then went to change into one of his tee shirts. “Alright, now roll over,” she instructed when she came back.
“Do I get a treat?” he grumbled as he rolled over.
“You could have a treat any time you want it,” she said as she straddled his body. She ran her hands over his back for several minutes, just familiarizing herself with him before getting to work on his tense muscles.
“Think we’ve already established it’s not a matter of I don’t want it.” He pressed his knuckles against his temple for a moment before Liz leaned forward to brush his hand away.
“Stop. That’ll make it feel good for a minute or two but only make it worse in the long run.” She worked for a while in silence and when his muscles had loosened considerably she let her hands just run over his back lightly. “You know, if you wanna talk about whatever it was that made your day suck I’ll listen.”
He shook his head and rolled over, wishing he could confide in her and knowing he couldn’t. Not about this. “Not right now. I’m feeling all relaxed and sleepy after that backrub.”
“Not all of you’s relaxed,” she said with a teasing grin.
He looked up at her as his hands rested on her bare thighs. It took considerable restraint to keep his touch relaxed. “You do understand I want you, right? That we’re taking it slow because we’ve both got some things we need to work through?”
She sighed and nodded. “I know and I’m not even gonna fight you on that anymore.” As much as she wanted to push that reality into the background and pretend that it didn’t exist like she normally did, she was reaching a place where she not only knew it had to be dealt with but she was also getting tired of the effort it took to subdue the memory of that night.
“No?”
“It scares me to think about that night and talking about it terrifies me. I’m not comfortable talking to anyone about it and I really don’t want to tell my parents what happened… but…”
“But?”
“But I know I’m eventually gonna have to get to that point.” Her eyes followed his hands when he threaded his fingers through hers. “I’m just not ready for it yet.”
“There’s nothing wrong with us taking our time, Liz.” It was something they both needed and it was something he really needed while he figured out what to do about Damon and his ultimatum. “It’s not a race and it’s not a competition, it’s just the two of us finding our way at a pace that’s comfortable for both of us.” He tugged her forward and she settled against him willingly, wiggling around to get comfortable.
She laughed quietly when she heard him groan. “Sorry. I have a feeling we’re both gonna be frustrated for a while.”
“Not a doubt in my mind about that.” Silence fell over the room and before long she dropped off to sleep. He desperately wanted to close his eyes and sleep but he couldn’t shake the memory of running into Damon at the restaurant. It wouldn’t be just one job in exchange for Ava. Once he took that step the man would have him under his control again. But he couldn’t leave Ava there. He had nearly taken Nicholas’ head off years ago when he had cornered her. It hadn’t been necessary because she had already taken a piece of that little bastard’s ear with her knife but it was the principle of the matter.
He didn’t know if Damon had Ava but he couldn’t risk blowing the man off and then hearing about her body turning up somewhere after a few weeks. It was possible Damon really had no use for them beyond sending him to run an errand, make it known that he held all the cards, controlled all the moves. He thought about the apartment and the lack of information he had been able to unearth about her whereabouts.
It was almost midnight before he fell into a restless sleep, no closer to an answer and confused as hell.
Prisoners of the Past (CC, A/U, Adult) Part 64 - 2/21/16
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ArchAngel1973
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ArchAngel1973
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Prisoners of the Past (CC, A/U, Adult) Part 21 - 4/8/12
Natalie36: Unfortunately Kyle’s out of town working with Ava so they won’t be bumping into each other.
begonia9508: Ava can’t have contact with Max while she’s in protective custody because it could compromise her safety.
Well, he can’t talk to Kyle as he’s out of town working with Ava. He’s going to have to figure out how to handle the situation and who he can trust.
Alien_Friend: That would be a big help, but unfortunately with the situation it’s a risk they can’t take. Max has a big decision to make.
Kyle’s a sweetheart and he enjoys doing nice things for people.
The wheels are already turning in that direction, lol.
Liz is making progress and Max is giving her the space she needs to help her deal with some of her issues and to realize that she can trust him.
keepsmiling7: Slowly they are getting there.
If only it was that simple… but with Kyle out of town there’s no chance he and Max will run into each other.
Max is trying hard to stay straight, but will he compromise that to locate Ava?
angiebrenna: You assume correctly! Max will do whatever’s necessary to save Ava, but that’s likely to be a bumpy road. Being able to go undercover for the DA would be helpful but he’s not thinking that way right now.
xilaj: Thanks, I’m glad you’re enjoying the story! Damon is a threat and he isn’t going away anytime soon. Your expectations are correct, but they’re survivors.
MP: Talk about your bad luck! Max wants to go straight but sometimes the choices don’t seem to provide the person with much of an option. It would be a lot simpler if Kyle could pass that information along but unfortunately he can’t.
Michelle in LA: I wish I could say that frustration would ease soon, but I can’t make any promises there. That’s a long list, but we’ll be working our way through them and resolving them in some manner.
We’ll see what Max decides in this update.
behrlyliz: Unfortunately the guys won’t be bumping into each other because Kyle’s out of town with Ava and Max is still in the city.
dreamon: Thanks! LOL, good point. That made perfect sense to me and I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story!
Part 21
Dino Manetti was waist-deep in a dumpster behind an apartment building, sifting through the garbage and collecting bottles and cans when someone called his name. His right hand clenched around the neck of a bottle, prepared to break it and use it as a weapon if he needed to as he turned to look at the owner of the voice. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the man who stood there, hands shoved in his pockets as he waited to be acknowledged.
“Looks like you’ve held onto one of the best dumpsters in the area.”
He tipped his head to one side and after a minute a smile spread over his grubby features. “Heard you’d been seen around the old neighborhood.” He motioned to his own face that was unshaven. “What’re you doin’?”
“Oh.” Max smiled at the man’s welcoming expression and reached up to rub his face. “Survival, ya know?” He crouched down to pet the raggedy-looking little mutt that had been Dino’s companion for as long as he’d known him. He had no idea what kind of dog it was but he knew the other man would sooner take a beating than have anything happen to the animal.
Dino nodded and then pointed at the building next to them. “You lookin’ for Ava?”
“Yeah, place looked like someone went through it lookin’ for something.”
“Heard maybe Damon had somethin’ to do with her disappearance. Ain’t nobody seen her in weeks.” He glanced around the empty alley and lowered his voice. “Word on the street is she was makin’ a move to get out an’ he found out about it.” He shook his head. “I seen what was left of the last guy tried to turn on Damon. Wasn’t pretty.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You still workin’ for him?”
Max shook his head. “Doin’ what I’ve gotta do to find her, Dino.”
“You go back in he owns you.”
“If he has her I can’t leave her there.”
“You got digits?”
“Yeah.”
“Hand ‘em over. If I hear anything I’ll pass the word.”
“You sure? Wrong person finds out somethin’ could happen to you and we both know no one cares about street people. You disappear no one’ll ever know.”
“You’d know.” He shrugged. “Just ‘cause I live on the streets don’t mean I ain’t got a conscience. I hear anything about Ava I’ll let ya know. Least I can do for the man who stopped that asshole Nicholas from hurtin’ my dog.”
Max took the tattered notebook Dino pulled out of his shirt pocket and scrawled out the number of the phone in the guesthouse. “That number’s not just for information, Dino. It’s good if you ever need anything.” He looked down at the dog. “Either of you.”
“I hear somethin’ I’ll let you know. Don’t come to me again. The streets have eyes and ears, don’t forget that.”
“Thanks.” He pulled several bills out of his pocket and tucked them into the notebook before handing it back. While the man was carefully putting the notebook away Max reached into his front pocket and pulled out a can of tuna. “Here, brought this for Viking. Take care of yourself and if it gets too hot don’t put yourself at risk.”
Left alone again to root through the dumpster Dino looked down at his dog, patiently waiting for him to finish unearthing their next paycheck. “Looks like we’re goin’ gourmet tonight, Viking.”
The little dog sneezed, shook his head, and then looked up at him with a raspy bark.
*****
Nicholas sat before Damon, forcing himself not to fidget while he waited for him to speak. He had been summoned to the boss’ office as soon as he had returned from his daily surveillance and after nearly half an hour the man still remained silent. He started to shift when he caught Pascal staring at him and he wondered if he had done something he wasn’t supposed to do. He hadn’t approached Max, hadn’t let him know he was under surveillance, he had been careful about that.
Santini, as always, stood behind Damon’s right shoulder. He had never heard the bodyguard speak and rumor within the organization was if you did hear him speak it was the last thing you ever heard. He glanced at the boss and fought to control the urge to rub the back of his neck nervously when Pascal cracked his knuckles, the sound ominously loud in the otherwise silent room.
“You’ve been following Evans for a while now, Nicholas,” Damon said when he was certain his employee was sufficiently nervous.
“As you ordered, yes.” He hadn’t made a single mistake, he was sure of it but even so, his mind was scrambling over every step he’d made.
The head of the organization stared at him. “Perhaps you’d like to give me an updated report as you’ve been absent the past few nights.”
“I’ve been watching Evans.”
“You’ve been watching Evans,” Damon repeated slowly. “You must think I’m a fool, Nicholas, if you think I believe you’ve been observing him twenty-four hours a day.”
“I’m entitled to a life outside – “
“You’re entitled to whatever I allow. Whore around all you want, but don’t do it on my time. Your time is not your own until you’ve satisfied your job requirements. I do not appreciate having to track your whereabouts to reach you.”
Nicholas cleared his throat. “It won’t happen again.”
“No, it won’t.” He turned to a clean page in his ledger. “Give me a report on Evans. His activities, anyone he’s involved with.”
He swallowed hard and his eyes cut to Pascal for a moment. He was going to pay for not making the report sooner. He knew he should’ve left that stripper at the club alone, but hell, she’d been primed and he’d forked over enough money that he had deserved to get something out of it.
Damon shifted and leaned forward to rest his clasped hands on top of the ledger. “I don’t have time to waste while you indulge in your teenage fantasies.”
Nicholas ground his teeth but wisely kept his response to himself. He hated it when people threw his appearance in his face. Could he help it if he looked like he was a teenager? He’d do something drastic like grow a beard or a goatee but for some reason his facial hair was resistant to coming in, which only added to the lack of maturity in his appearance. Not that there was anything juvenile about what he’d been up to the past few nights. Something else he wisely kept to himself. “I’ve got a list of people he seems to be meeting with regularly…”
The head of the organization jotted down the names of the people Evans was associating with, noting which ones he seemed to be most involved with. The information would be useful if he decided to resist Damon’s plans for him. He was close to discovering Ava’s whereabouts. His informant knew the girl’s location but hadn’t yet revealed it. It wasn’t a matter of cold feet. It was more a matter of revealing the information at the right moment. He was impatiently waiting for the call that would provide him with the location and a list of other targets that would need to be taken out to protect his organization.
Ava had made the mistake of turning on him and when the time was right she would be dealt with. He wanted Evans under his thumb because while the girl was smart, if she could find a way to reach out to the street rat, she would risk her own safety to let him know she was safe. He smiled slowly. If Evans knew she had turned he would follow suit and between the two of them they knew enough to threaten his organization.
He would put in another call to his informant, add a little pressure. He knew the Feds had taken her out of the city. It was a smart move. They wouldn’t risk keeping her too close, which worked in his favor because it would make taking her out much easier. They would arrogantly believe that she was safely out of his reach, provide her with two, maybe three agents for protection, and put her through the paces as they gathered her testimony. A safe house outside the city limits would be an easier target not only because of the location but because it would maximize the chances that his men could take out everyone involved at the same time.
*****
Alex knocked on the door to Sharon Coleman’s office and used the tip of his crutch to push the door open when she called out for him to come in. He maneuvered his way into the small room and glanced around the tidy interior, finally locating her kneeling on the floor behind her desk. “Am I interrupting?” he asked with a smile.
“No, no, come on in and have a seat.” She dropped a small stud on the desk as she got to her feet again. “I managed to drop an earring.” She settled into her chair and reached up to rub her right ear. “Long conversation so I took it off and completely missed the top of my desk. Now, what can I do for you, Alex?”
“I was hoping you might have time to answer a few questions for me.”
She smiled. “About Jennifer?”
He nodded. “That obvious, huh?” he asked with a sheepish smile.
“I’m that hopeful,” she countered with a wink. She decided to keep it under her hat that Isabel had swept through early that morning and asked for the little girl’s file. “You made quite an impression on her.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “She made an impression on me. Yesterday you were telling me the bone disorder she has should’ve been treated earlier. Is it still treatable?”
Sharon nodded. “It isn’t too late. It requires surgery to properly set the bones.”
“To set the bones… does that mean it requires the surgeon to break the bones first?” He winced at the thought. Why hadn’t her parents taken care of this when she was younger?
“In a manner of speaking. The shin bone is cut and then they set it so that normal growth can resume.”
“Is it better to do both legs at the same time? I mean, getting it over with would be beneficial, but I would imagine it would also be immobilizing for months. It would take time to heal, there would probably be months of therapy…”
“You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”
Alex motioned to his own legs. “I know what it’s like to feel like a prisoner in your own body. I was stuck in a wheelchair for a long time and it strips your independence. You do regain it as time passes and you begin to adjust but someone her age, who’s been through a rough time already, I think it would be more damaging to take that from her. She’s also old enough that she should be part of that decision. She’s only five years old but she hasn’t had a say in anything and something that concerns her own body should at the very least be discussed with her to see how she feels about it.”
“I think that’s wise.” She had known he would have a unique perspective that could benefit the little girl.
“What’s the story on her father? Is he permanently out of the picture?”
She nodded. “His parental rights were stripped by the courts without a single objection from him and he’s currently serving a life sentence. He’s what’s classified as a persistent felony offender and lucky for her his current sentence takes him completely out of the picture.”
He shook his head. “That’s a hell of a legacy.”
Sharon smiled as she studied him. “The right family could give her one worth having.”
“Yes, they could.” He got to his feet with the aid of his crutches. “Well, I’d best go find Isabel. We have a lunch date.” He made his way through the halls to his fiancé’s office, shifting his weight carefully so he could lean in the doorframe and watch her while she worked. Their visit to the bank the day before had produced no results but she hadn’t allowed it to dampen her spirits. They would find the information they needed. It was just a matter of looking in the right place.
“Hey, beautiful, you about ready to take a break?”
Isabel smiled as she looked up at him. “Past ready. Give me just a few minutes to pack up what I need to finish this afternoon’s reports.” She started sliding files into her briefcase. “I can do the rest of these from home.” Her fingertips brushed over the last file, tracing over the name neatly typed on a white label before adding it to her briefcase. She handed it to Alex when he reached for it and he hooked it over the grip before wrapping his hand around it. She gave him a kiss when she came around the desk. “You’ve been talking to Sharon,” she guessed as they started to walk to the limo.
“Guilty as charged,” he admitted with a grin.
“I thought so.” She let her hand rest over his as they walked. “I’ve been doing some information-gathering of my own.”
He glanced at her. “You have, huh? Anything I should know about?”
She smiled secretively. “Over lunch.” She and Alex had been approved by the State to become foster parents prior to the accident but with her father’s death, Alex going through multiple surgeries, facing the possibility of permanent paralysis, and then enduring the grueling months of intense rehabilitation, they had never had the opportunity to follow through with their intentions to provide a home for a child. The year before they had discussed it and decided to apply for recertification and had been approved again. They hadn’t been ready at the time but wanted their credentials to be current if the opportunity presented itself and they were ready.
Alex had a feeling she was thinking along the same lines he had been considering since the day before. Jenny, as he had learned she preferred to be called, needed more than a temporary situation. She needed something permanent and he knew he and Isabel could provide that for her.
They were silent, absorbed in their own thoughts as they reached the limo and the driver opened the back door for them.
*****
Agent McKenzie stared at the cell phone in her hand and considered throwing it before she reined the impulse in and shoved it in her pocket. She didn’t know why she let him get to her, push her buttons, and order her around like he had any right to do so. When he had approached her months ago she had known it was a mistake to even speak to him, much less allow him any access to her personal life.
He used anything and everything he could think of to manipulate her into doing what he wanted and because she had opened the door and listened to him once she was trapped. She didn’t have anyone she could go to for help, no one she trusted enough to help her out of this jam. Hell, who was she kidding? She had made the mistake of letting him in and by doing so she had given him the power to blackmail her into making her do what he wanted her to do.
She sighed and pulled the phone out again, making sure it was turned off and putting it away again. Her back stiffened when she heard the door behind her open and then close again. She recognized her partner’s footsteps as he crossed the sagging back porch and she forced herself to relax before turning to face him.
“What’s up, Mac?”
She shook her head and her hand clenched around the phone for a moment. She pulled her hands free of her pockets and held them up. “Nothing.”
He nodded but didn’t look convinced.
“What’d you do with the cop?”
“He’s discussing street life with the witness.”
She rolled her eyes. “Bleeding heart,” she muttered under her breath. “I can’t believe that guy’s a cop. He’s in there making friends with her when he should be back in the city working.”
He shrugged. “He’s an extra pair of eyes, he can give us a hand if anything goes wrong, and she’s a lot more cooperative with him here. D.A. should be here in the next week or so to take her statement and as long as she’s cooperating he could have what he needs after his next visit.” He shot a grin at her. “Besides, long as he’s here neither of us has to cook or wash dishes.”
“I still don’t trust him.”
“You’re too suspicious for your own good, Mac. Give the guy a break.”
“Don’t go soft on me now, Patrick. We have a job to do and I don’t intend to see it end with a cop taking credit for our work.”
He shook his head and half-turned before stopping and looking at her again. “I’d stay off the personal calls if I were you. Our position gets made we’re gonna come under heavy fire and we’re not prepared to take on the army Knight would send in if our location was compromised.”
She remained silent when he went back inside and she crossed her arms over her chest as she stared out at the rotting fence that was barely standing in an upright position. She cursed under her breath for allowing herself to be backed into a corner and maneuvered by a man she despised.
*****
Liz knocked on the screen door before walking into the guesthouse, glancing around and looking for Max as she made her way through the rooms. She finally found him sitting on the back porch, his attention focused on a pair of squirrels chasing each other around a tree. She moved up next to him and reached out to touch his arm, jumping back when he shot to his feet and jerked away from the contact.
“Max?”
He swallowed hard as he looked up at her and he cursed himself when he saw the momentary look of fear that flashed in her eyes. “Sorry.” He motioned to his head. “Got lost up here.”
She nodded and felt herself begin to settle as he relaxed. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just… thoughts.” He didn’t like lying to her but he couldn’t tell her the truth, couldn’t risk pulling her into that part of his life. “What’re you doing here?”
“DJ called and wanted to know if we’d be interested in going out tonight. Some friends from college are in town for the night and wanted to get together for dinner, maybe hit the club after.”
It was perfect, he thought. “Not tonight. I’ve gotta fill out those forms for the Psyche class I wanna take and I need to make it an early night.”
She made a face. “I’m a lot more fun,” she said with a teasing smile.
“Yeah, you are, but I’ve gotta get things in order before I can focus on the fun parts.”
Liz sighed and sat down beside him. “You could just come out for dinner, just an hour, maybe a little more.”
“Maybe next time.”
She studied him, trying to decide if he was giving her the brush-off or not. “Alright, well, I’m going because who knows when I’ll get the chance to catch up with them again.”
He nodded, his thoughts already turning to what he needed to do.
She stood up, feeling pissed when he didn’t try to talk her into staying in for the evening or change his mind about going with her. Something was going on with him but she didn’t know what it was and he obviously didn’t want to talk about it. Well, she wasn’t going to beg him to talk to her. The part of her that wasn’t pissed acknowledged that there was also some hurt mixed in with the more volatile emotion. “Fine, I’ll catch up with you later.”
It wasn’t until he heard the back door open that Max realized she had moved and he got to his feet to go after her. He caught up with her in the living room, catching her hand just as she reached out to shove the screen door open. “Hey, Liz, don’t leave mad.”
“Look, you’ve obviously got something on your mind and I’m not in the mood to be ignored so I’m just gonna go before this turns into a fight.”
He nodded. “Alright,” he acquiesced and released her hand. “Gonna come by when you’re finished?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged one shoulder. “It’ll be late if I do.”
He decided to leave it alone. “I’ll leave the door unlocked in case you wanna come by.”
When she had gone he dropped down to sit on the couch. He had less than an hour before the 24-hour deadline was up. Damon wouldn’t forget and he wouldn’t miss it by so much as a second. If he really did have Ava, and so far nothing he had found proved she wasn’t being held by the man, then he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her just to make a point. He got up and changed, decided against sliding the knife he had picked up on the street into his pocket. He would be checked for a weapon before he was permitted entrance into Damon’s house and he didn’t want that to be found on his first visit. What he hoped would be his last visit.
He stood at the gates that separated the entrance to the property from the street with four minutes to spare. He pressed the buzzer and announced himself, waiting nervously for one of the guards to be sent down to collect him. He spotted the men as the electronic operating system buzzed to life and the gates swung inward. They were both armed and it still amazed him that they walked around carrying illegal weapons and no one bothered to stop them.
He kept his mouth shut as he was patted down and then escorted up to the house. He heard the gates shut, heard the metallic locking mechanism slam into place, and the feeling of being trapped and at Damon’s mercy washed over him. He had debated going to the cops, but Ava had already been missing for more than two months and no one had done a damn thing to find her. His parole could be revoked for looking into her disappearance and then he would be no help to her at all. He had thought about talking to Michael, but what could he do? He was the kind of guy who would do whatever was necessary to help a friend, but even if they did know each other well enough to call themselves friends, the other man had already done the crime and served the time. He couldn’t ask him to do something that would pull him back into that life, something that could easily jeopardize not only him, but his family as well.
Michael had assured him that he could trust the Valenti cops, but again, he didn’t know them that well. He also had reason to be suspicious of cops. He knew for a fact that Damon had more than one on the payroll but he didn’t have any names. If he shared what little he knew with one of them and that information got into the wrong hands he could be forfeiting Ava’s life and he wasn’t willing to take that risk.
“Right on time, I see,” Damon said as his guest was led into the library.
“I need to see Ava before we talk about anything else.” Max looked around, noting that Santini wasn’t in the room. Proof that Damon didn’t view him as a viable threat.
Damon waved to dismiss the guards and they left, pulling the doors closed behind them. He took a drink from the glass in his hand before carefully setting it on a coaster. “You don’t make the rules, Max.”
“You don’t bring her out here I have no reason to believe you have her.” He shrugged and took a step back. “You don’t have her there’s no reason for me to be here.”
“I believe I told you I have a job for you.”
Max hid his nervousness. Damon would exploit any show of weakness. “Show me Ava or no deal.”
“I think you’ve mistaken which of us holds all the cards.” He hitched one hip up to rest on the desk as his gaze raked over the younger man.
“You don’t have her. If you did you wouldn’t bother playin’ these games with me.” He turned to walk to the doors only to be stopped by Damon’s quiet laughter.
“You’re free to leave, Max. Just as you were free to pay me a visit… violating the conditions of your parole. I have the most advanced security system available and I can assure you that I have your arrival recorded. Walk out that door and that evidence will find its way into your parole officer’s hands. Valenti, correct? James Sr.? It would be a shame to have your freedom taken away so soon after your release, but I won’t hesitate to make sure it happens. Either you cooperate or you can go back to prison, and this time there won’t be anyone to watch your back.”
His smile was cold and calculating. “Personally, I could care less which road you take. Go back to prison and Ava loses any chance of having someone to help her. You know I have little use for women in my profession and I have no qualms with putting her in the ground a piece at a time.” He shrugged carelessly. “Although if you’ve decided Ava isn’t here and you don’t think you can save her…” he turned and reached for a remote, pressing a button and bringing the screens on one of the walls to life.
Max swallowed hard, trying to push the lump of fear back down when he saw images of Liz flash on the screens. He caught shots of others, Maria, Michael, Hunter, the Parkers, and even DJ, but the majority of the frames were of Liz. “They’re not involved in any of this, Damon.”
“Then I’d suggest you do what’s necessary to make sure they don’t become involved.” He pressed another button, freezing the frames on a shot of Liz, smiling and carefree. “It’s not as difficult as people think it is to make someone disappear… and I know more than one client who would pay good money for her.” He knew the comment hit home, saw the way Max stiffened as his hands clenched at his sides. “You do what I need you to do and when you’ve fulfilled your obligations you’ll be free to go.”
It was a lie and they both knew it. He would never be free. He had just walked right into a trap. He didn’t know where Ava was but he didn’t believe that Damon had her. If he did he wouldn’t wait to drag her out and make sure he knew her life depended on whether or not he did as he was told. He didn’t know if she was still alive, if she had managed to escape, but now everyone who had become a part of his new life was in danger.
“I do what you want and you’ll leave them alone.”
“I have no reason to target them if you’re making yourself useful, Max. I’m a reasonable man and as long as you’re cooperating they’re safe.” He straightened up and rounded the desk. “I’ll need you to run an exchange on Thursday evening. I’ll have someone contact you with the details.” He settled into his chair and waved dismissively. “The guards will see you out.”
Max stood on the street, shaking as the wrought iron gates closed behind him. His gut was tied into multiple knots and he barely made it a block before he doubled over and lost his lunch. He was locked in now, there was no going back. He could go to the cops but Damon would know and someone would pay for his mistake. For all he knew Ava was already dead. He rejected that thought, refusing to allow it to take root. He had to believe she was alive.
He straightened up and braced a hand against the brick wall that bordered a big house in an effort to steady him. He had to come up with a way out of this mess. Gather evidence that would bring Damon down and assure the others’ safety from his threats. He had witnessed things in the past but he needed something more current, something that would be taken seriously. Even if, in the end, he had to pay for it by going back to prison. Just the thought of going back there brought the nausea to the surface again but he fought it down. At least with that option he came out alive.
He forced himself to start walking. He had to pull himself together and he had to stay under the radar. He brought his breathing under control and started going over his options, trying to figure out how he was going to live this double life. As he crossed the street it hit him that he was asking Liz to put her trust in him and he wasn’t going to be able to reciprocate. When the truth came out, and he had no doubt it would at some point, she was going to feel betrayed and he knew chances were good that he would lose her for it.
Focus on keeping her safe, he ordered himself. That’s the most important thing. Keep her safe, keep her safe, keep her safe, the words ran over and over in his mind until he knew that no matter what happened, if he could keep her alive it would be worth whatever he had to go through.
begonia9508: Ava can’t have contact with Max while she’s in protective custody because it could compromise her safety.
Well, he can’t talk to Kyle as he’s out of town working with Ava. He’s going to have to figure out how to handle the situation and who he can trust.
Alien_Friend: That would be a big help, but unfortunately with the situation it’s a risk they can’t take. Max has a big decision to make.
Kyle’s a sweetheart and he enjoys doing nice things for people.
The wheels are already turning in that direction, lol.
Liz is making progress and Max is giving her the space she needs to help her deal with some of her issues and to realize that she can trust him.
keepsmiling7: Slowly they are getting there.
If only it was that simple… but with Kyle out of town there’s no chance he and Max will run into each other.
Max is trying hard to stay straight, but will he compromise that to locate Ava?
angiebrenna: You assume correctly! Max will do whatever’s necessary to save Ava, but that’s likely to be a bumpy road. Being able to go undercover for the DA would be helpful but he’s not thinking that way right now.
xilaj: Thanks, I’m glad you’re enjoying the story! Damon is a threat and he isn’t going away anytime soon. Your expectations are correct, but they’re survivors.
MP: Talk about your bad luck! Max wants to go straight but sometimes the choices don’t seem to provide the person with much of an option. It would be a lot simpler if Kyle could pass that information along but unfortunately he can’t.
Michelle in LA: I wish I could say that frustration would ease soon, but I can’t make any promises there. That’s a long list, but we’ll be working our way through them and resolving them in some manner.
We’ll see what Max decides in this update.
behrlyliz: Unfortunately the guys won’t be bumping into each other because Kyle’s out of town with Ava and Max is still in the city.
dreamon: Thanks! LOL, good point. That made perfect sense to me and I’m so glad you’re enjoying the story!
Part 21
Dino Manetti was waist-deep in a dumpster behind an apartment building, sifting through the garbage and collecting bottles and cans when someone called his name. His right hand clenched around the neck of a bottle, prepared to break it and use it as a weapon if he needed to as he turned to look at the owner of the voice. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the man who stood there, hands shoved in his pockets as he waited to be acknowledged.
“Looks like you’ve held onto one of the best dumpsters in the area.”
He tipped his head to one side and after a minute a smile spread over his grubby features. “Heard you’d been seen around the old neighborhood.” He motioned to his own face that was unshaven. “What’re you doin’?”
“Oh.” Max smiled at the man’s welcoming expression and reached up to rub his face. “Survival, ya know?” He crouched down to pet the raggedy-looking little mutt that had been Dino’s companion for as long as he’d known him. He had no idea what kind of dog it was but he knew the other man would sooner take a beating than have anything happen to the animal.
Dino nodded and then pointed at the building next to them. “You lookin’ for Ava?”
“Yeah, place looked like someone went through it lookin’ for something.”
“Heard maybe Damon had somethin’ to do with her disappearance. Ain’t nobody seen her in weeks.” He glanced around the empty alley and lowered his voice. “Word on the street is she was makin’ a move to get out an’ he found out about it.” He shook his head. “I seen what was left of the last guy tried to turn on Damon. Wasn’t pretty.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You still workin’ for him?”
Max shook his head. “Doin’ what I’ve gotta do to find her, Dino.”
“You go back in he owns you.”
“If he has her I can’t leave her there.”
“You got digits?”
“Yeah.”
“Hand ‘em over. If I hear anything I’ll pass the word.”
“You sure? Wrong person finds out somethin’ could happen to you and we both know no one cares about street people. You disappear no one’ll ever know.”
“You’d know.” He shrugged. “Just ‘cause I live on the streets don’t mean I ain’t got a conscience. I hear anything about Ava I’ll let ya know. Least I can do for the man who stopped that asshole Nicholas from hurtin’ my dog.”
Max took the tattered notebook Dino pulled out of his shirt pocket and scrawled out the number of the phone in the guesthouse. “That number’s not just for information, Dino. It’s good if you ever need anything.” He looked down at the dog. “Either of you.”
“I hear somethin’ I’ll let you know. Don’t come to me again. The streets have eyes and ears, don’t forget that.”
“Thanks.” He pulled several bills out of his pocket and tucked them into the notebook before handing it back. While the man was carefully putting the notebook away Max reached into his front pocket and pulled out a can of tuna. “Here, brought this for Viking. Take care of yourself and if it gets too hot don’t put yourself at risk.”
Left alone again to root through the dumpster Dino looked down at his dog, patiently waiting for him to finish unearthing their next paycheck. “Looks like we’re goin’ gourmet tonight, Viking.”
The little dog sneezed, shook his head, and then looked up at him with a raspy bark.
*****
Nicholas sat before Damon, forcing himself not to fidget while he waited for him to speak. He had been summoned to the boss’ office as soon as he had returned from his daily surveillance and after nearly half an hour the man still remained silent. He started to shift when he caught Pascal staring at him and he wondered if he had done something he wasn’t supposed to do. He hadn’t approached Max, hadn’t let him know he was under surveillance, he had been careful about that.
Santini, as always, stood behind Damon’s right shoulder. He had never heard the bodyguard speak and rumor within the organization was if you did hear him speak it was the last thing you ever heard. He glanced at the boss and fought to control the urge to rub the back of his neck nervously when Pascal cracked his knuckles, the sound ominously loud in the otherwise silent room.
“You’ve been following Evans for a while now, Nicholas,” Damon said when he was certain his employee was sufficiently nervous.
“As you ordered, yes.” He hadn’t made a single mistake, he was sure of it but even so, his mind was scrambling over every step he’d made.
The head of the organization stared at him. “Perhaps you’d like to give me an updated report as you’ve been absent the past few nights.”
“I’ve been watching Evans.”
“You’ve been watching Evans,” Damon repeated slowly. “You must think I’m a fool, Nicholas, if you think I believe you’ve been observing him twenty-four hours a day.”
“I’m entitled to a life outside – “
“You’re entitled to whatever I allow. Whore around all you want, but don’t do it on my time. Your time is not your own until you’ve satisfied your job requirements. I do not appreciate having to track your whereabouts to reach you.”
Nicholas cleared his throat. “It won’t happen again.”
“No, it won’t.” He turned to a clean page in his ledger. “Give me a report on Evans. His activities, anyone he’s involved with.”
He swallowed hard and his eyes cut to Pascal for a moment. He was going to pay for not making the report sooner. He knew he should’ve left that stripper at the club alone, but hell, she’d been primed and he’d forked over enough money that he had deserved to get something out of it.
Damon shifted and leaned forward to rest his clasped hands on top of the ledger. “I don’t have time to waste while you indulge in your teenage fantasies.”
Nicholas ground his teeth but wisely kept his response to himself. He hated it when people threw his appearance in his face. Could he help it if he looked like he was a teenager? He’d do something drastic like grow a beard or a goatee but for some reason his facial hair was resistant to coming in, which only added to the lack of maturity in his appearance. Not that there was anything juvenile about what he’d been up to the past few nights. Something else he wisely kept to himself. “I’ve got a list of people he seems to be meeting with regularly…”
The head of the organization jotted down the names of the people Evans was associating with, noting which ones he seemed to be most involved with. The information would be useful if he decided to resist Damon’s plans for him. He was close to discovering Ava’s whereabouts. His informant knew the girl’s location but hadn’t yet revealed it. It wasn’t a matter of cold feet. It was more a matter of revealing the information at the right moment. He was impatiently waiting for the call that would provide him with the location and a list of other targets that would need to be taken out to protect his organization.
Ava had made the mistake of turning on him and when the time was right she would be dealt with. He wanted Evans under his thumb because while the girl was smart, if she could find a way to reach out to the street rat, she would risk her own safety to let him know she was safe. He smiled slowly. If Evans knew she had turned he would follow suit and between the two of them they knew enough to threaten his organization.
He would put in another call to his informant, add a little pressure. He knew the Feds had taken her out of the city. It was a smart move. They wouldn’t risk keeping her too close, which worked in his favor because it would make taking her out much easier. They would arrogantly believe that she was safely out of his reach, provide her with two, maybe three agents for protection, and put her through the paces as they gathered her testimony. A safe house outside the city limits would be an easier target not only because of the location but because it would maximize the chances that his men could take out everyone involved at the same time.
*****
Alex knocked on the door to Sharon Coleman’s office and used the tip of his crutch to push the door open when she called out for him to come in. He maneuvered his way into the small room and glanced around the tidy interior, finally locating her kneeling on the floor behind her desk. “Am I interrupting?” he asked with a smile.
“No, no, come on in and have a seat.” She dropped a small stud on the desk as she got to her feet again. “I managed to drop an earring.” She settled into her chair and reached up to rub her right ear. “Long conversation so I took it off and completely missed the top of my desk. Now, what can I do for you, Alex?”
“I was hoping you might have time to answer a few questions for me.”
She smiled. “About Jennifer?”
He nodded. “That obvious, huh?” he asked with a sheepish smile.
“I’m that hopeful,” she countered with a wink. She decided to keep it under her hat that Isabel had swept through early that morning and asked for the little girl’s file. “You made quite an impression on her.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “She made an impression on me. Yesterday you were telling me the bone disorder she has should’ve been treated earlier. Is it still treatable?”
Sharon nodded. “It isn’t too late. It requires surgery to properly set the bones.”
“To set the bones… does that mean it requires the surgeon to break the bones first?” He winced at the thought. Why hadn’t her parents taken care of this when she was younger?
“In a manner of speaking. The shin bone is cut and then they set it so that normal growth can resume.”
“Is it better to do both legs at the same time? I mean, getting it over with would be beneficial, but I would imagine it would also be immobilizing for months. It would take time to heal, there would probably be months of therapy…”
“You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”
Alex motioned to his own legs. “I know what it’s like to feel like a prisoner in your own body. I was stuck in a wheelchair for a long time and it strips your independence. You do regain it as time passes and you begin to adjust but someone her age, who’s been through a rough time already, I think it would be more damaging to take that from her. She’s also old enough that she should be part of that decision. She’s only five years old but she hasn’t had a say in anything and something that concerns her own body should at the very least be discussed with her to see how she feels about it.”
“I think that’s wise.” She had known he would have a unique perspective that could benefit the little girl.
“What’s the story on her father? Is he permanently out of the picture?”
She nodded. “His parental rights were stripped by the courts without a single objection from him and he’s currently serving a life sentence. He’s what’s classified as a persistent felony offender and lucky for her his current sentence takes him completely out of the picture.”
He shook his head. “That’s a hell of a legacy.”
Sharon smiled as she studied him. “The right family could give her one worth having.”
“Yes, they could.” He got to his feet with the aid of his crutches. “Well, I’d best go find Isabel. We have a lunch date.” He made his way through the halls to his fiancé’s office, shifting his weight carefully so he could lean in the doorframe and watch her while she worked. Their visit to the bank the day before had produced no results but she hadn’t allowed it to dampen her spirits. They would find the information they needed. It was just a matter of looking in the right place.
“Hey, beautiful, you about ready to take a break?”
Isabel smiled as she looked up at him. “Past ready. Give me just a few minutes to pack up what I need to finish this afternoon’s reports.” She started sliding files into her briefcase. “I can do the rest of these from home.” Her fingertips brushed over the last file, tracing over the name neatly typed on a white label before adding it to her briefcase. She handed it to Alex when he reached for it and he hooked it over the grip before wrapping his hand around it. She gave him a kiss when she came around the desk. “You’ve been talking to Sharon,” she guessed as they started to walk to the limo.
“Guilty as charged,” he admitted with a grin.
“I thought so.” She let her hand rest over his as they walked. “I’ve been doing some information-gathering of my own.”
He glanced at her. “You have, huh? Anything I should know about?”
She smiled secretively. “Over lunch.” She and Alex had been approved by the State to become foster parents prior to the accident but with her father’s death, Alex going through multiple surgeries, facing the possibility of permanent paralysis, and then enduring the grueling months of intense rehabilitation, they had never had the opportunity to follow through with their intentions to provide a home for a child. The year before they had discussed it and decided to apply for recertification and had been approved again. They hadn’t been ready at the time but wanted their credentials to be current if the opportunity presented itself and they were ready.
Alex had a feeling she was thinking along the same lines he had been considering since the day before. Jenny, as he had learned she preferred to be called, needed more than a temporary situation. She needed something permanent and he knew he and Isabel could provide that for her.
They were silent, absorbed in their own thoughts as they reached the limo and the driver opened the back door for them.
*****
Agent McKenzie stared at the cell phone in her hand and considered throwing it before she reined the impulse in and shoved it in her pocket. She didn’t know why she let him get to her, push her buttons, and order her around like he had any right to do so. When he had approached her months ago she had known it was a mistake to even speak to him, much less allow him any access to her personal life.
He used anything and everything he could think of to manipulate her into doing what he wanted and because she had opened the door and listened to him once she was trapped. She didn’t have anyone she could go to for help, no one she trusted enough to help her out of this jam. Hell, who was she kidding? She had made the mistake of letting him in and by doing so she had given him the power to blackmail her into making her do what he wanted her to do.
She sighed and pulled the phone out again, making sure it was turned off and putting it away again. Her back stiffened when she heard the door behind her open and then close again. She recognized her partner’s footsteps as he crossed the sagging back porch and she forced herself to relax before turning to face him.
“What’s up, Mac?”
She shook her head and her hand clenched around the phone for a moment. She pulled her hands free of her pockets and held them up. “Nothing.”
He nodded but didn’t look convinced.
“What’d you do with the cop?”
“He’s discussing street life with the witness.”
She rolled her eyes. “Bleeding heart,” she muttered under her breath. “I can’t believe that guy’s a cop. He’s in there making friends with her when he should be back in the city working.”
He shrugged. “He’s an extra pair of eyes, he can give us a hand if anything goes wrong, and she’s a lot more cooperative with him here. D.A. should be here in the next week or so to take her statement and as long as she’s cooperating he could have what he needs after his next visit.” He shot a grin at her. “Besides, long as he’s here neither of us has to cook or wash dishes.”
“I still don’t trust him.”
“You’re too suspicious for your own good, Mac. Give the guy a break.”
“Don’t go soft on me now, Patrick. We have a job to do and I don’t intend to see it end with a cop taking credit for our work.”
He shook his head and half-turned before stopping and looking at her again. “I’d stay off the personal calls if I were you. Our position gets made we’re gonna come under heavy fire and we’re not prepared to take on the army Knight would send in if our location was compromised.”
She remained silent when he went back inside and she crossed her arms over her chest as she stared out at the rotting fence that was barely standing in an upright position. She cursed under her breath for allowing herself to be backed into a corner and maneuvered by a man she despised.
*****
Liz knocked on the screen door before walking into the guesthouse, glancing around and looking for Max as she made her way through the rooms. She finally found him sitting on the back porch, his attention focused on a pair of squirrels chasing each other around a tree. She moved up next to him and reached out to touch his arm, jumping back when he shot to his feet and jerked away from the contact.
“Max?”
He swallowed hard as he looked up at her and he cursed himself when he saw the momentary look of fear that flashed in her eyes. “Sorry.” He motioned to his head. “Got lost up here.”
She nodded and felt herself begin to settle as he relaxed. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just… thoughts.” He didn’t like lying to her but he couldn’t tell her the truth, couldn’t risk pulling her into that part of his life. “What’re you doing here?”
“DJ called and wanted to know if we’d be interested in going out tonight. Some friends from college are in town for the night and wanted to get together for dinner, maybe hit the club after.”
It was perfect, he thought. “Not tonight. I’ve gotta fill out those forms for the Psyche class I wanna take and I need to make it an early night.”
She made a face. “I’m a lot more fun,” she said with a teasing smile.
“Yeah, you are, but I’ve gotta get things in order before I can focus on the fun parts.”
Liz sighed and sat down beside him. “You could just come out for dinner, just an hour, maybe a little more.”
“Maybe next time.”
She studied him, trying to decide if he was giving her the brush-off or not. “Alright, well, I’m going because who knows when I’ll get the chance to catch up with them again.”
He nodded, his thoughts already turning to what he needed to do.
She stood up, feeling pissed when he didn’t try to talk her into staying in for the evening or change his mind about going with her. Something was going on with him but she didn’t know what it was and he obviously didn’t want to talk about it. Well, she wasn’t going to beg him to talk to her. The part of her that wasn’t pissed acknowledged that there was also some hurt mixed in with the more volatile emotion. “Fine, I’ll catch up with you later.”
It wasn’t until he heard the back door open that Max realized she had moved and he got to his feet to go after her. He caught up with her in the living room, catching her hand just as she reached out to shove the screen door open. “Hey, Liz, don’t leave mad.”
“Look, you’ve obviously got something on your mind and I’m not in the mood to be ignored so I’m just gonna go before this turns into a fight.”
He nodded. “Alright,” he acquiesced and released her hand. “Gonna come by when you’re finished?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged one shoulder. “It’ll be late if I do.”
He decided to leave it alone. “I’ll leave the door unlocked in case you wanna come by.”
When she had gone he dropped down to sit on the couch. He had less than an hour before the 24-hour deadline was up. Damon wouldn’t forget and he wouldn’t miss it by so much as a second. If he really did have Ava, and so far nothing he had found proved she wasn’t being held by the man, then he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her just to make a point. He got up and changed, decided against sliding the knife he had picked up on the street into his pocket. He would be checked for a weapon before he was permitted entrance into Damon’s house and he didn’t want that to be found on his first visit. What he hoped would be his last visit.
He stood at the gates that separated the entrance to the property from the street with four minutes to spare. He pressed the buzzer and announced himself, waiting nervously for one of the guards to be sent down to collect him. He spotted the men as the electronic operating system buzzed to life and the gates swung inward. They were both armed and it still amazed him that they walked around carrying illegal weapons and no one bothered to stop them.
He kept his mouth shut as he was patted down and then escorted up to the house. He heard the gates shut, heard the metallic locking mechanism slam into place, and the feeling of being trapped and at Damon’s mercy washed over him. He had debated going to the cops, but Ava had already been missing for more than two months and no one had done a damn thing to find her. His parole could be revoked for looking into her disappearance and then he would be no help to her at all. He had thought about talking to Michael, but what could he do? He was the kind of guy who would do whatever was necessary to help a friend, but even if they did know each other well enough to call themselves friends, the other man had already done the crime and served the time. He couldn’t ask him to do something that would pull him back into that life, something that could easily jeopardize not only him, but his family as well.
Michael had assured him that he could trust the Valenti cops, but again, he didn’t know them that well. He also had reason to be suspicious of cops. He knew for a fact that Damon had more than one on the payroll but he didn’t have any names. If he shared what little he knew with one of them and that information got into the wrong hands he could be forfeiting Ava’s life and he wasn’t willing to take that risk.
“Right on time, I see,” Damon said as his guest was led into the library.
“I need to see Ava before we talk about anything else.” Max looked around, noting that Santini wasn’t in the room. Proof that Damon didn’t view him as a viable threat.
Damon waved to dismiss the guards and they left, pulling the doors closed behind them. He took a drink from the glass in his hand before carefully setting it on a coaster. “You don’t make the rules, Max.”
“You don’t bring her out here I have no reason to believe you have her.” He shrugged and took a step back. “You don’t have her there’s no reason for me to be here.”
“I believe I told you I have a job for you.”
Max hid his nervousness. Damon would exploit any show of weakness. “Show me Ava or no deal.”
“I think you’ve mistaken which of us holds all the cards.” He hitched one hip up to rest on the desk as his gaze raked over the younger man.
“You don’t have her. If you did you wouldn’t bother playin’ these games with me.” He turned to walk to the doors only to be stopped by Damon’s quiet laughter.
“You’re free to leave, Max. Just as you were free to pay me a visit… violating the conditions of your parole. I have the most advanced security system available and I can assure you that I have your arrival recorded. Walk out that door and that evidence will find its way into your parole officer’s hands. Valenti, correct? James Sr.? It would be a shame to have your freedom taken away so soon after your release, but I won’t hesitate to make sure it happens. Either you cooperate or you can go back to prison, and this time there won’t be anyone to watch your back.”
His smile was cold and calculating. “Personally, I could care less which road you take. Go back to prison and Ava loses any chance of having someone to help her. You know I have little use for women in my profession and I have no qualms with putting her in the ground a piece at a time.” He shrugged carelessly. “Although if you’ve decided Ava isn’t here and you don’t think you can save her…” he turned and reached for a remote, pressing a button and bringing the screens on one of the walls to life.
Max swallowed hard, trying to push the lump of fear back down when he saw images of Liz flash on the screens. He caught shots of others, Maria, Michael, Hunter, the Parkers, and even DJ, but the majority of the frames were of Liz. “They’re not involved in any of this, Damon.”
“Then I’d suggest you do what’s necessary to make sure they don’t become involved.” He pressed another button, freezing the frames on a shot of Liz, smiling and carefree. “It’s not as difficult as people think it is to make someone disappear… and I know more than one client who would pay good money for her.” He knew the comment hit home, saw the way Max stiffened as his hands clenched at his sides. “You do what I need you to do and when you’ve fulfilled your obligations you’ll be free to go.”
It was a lie and they both knew it. He would never be free. He had just walked right into a trap. He didn’t know where Ava was but he didn’t believe that Damon had her. If he did he wouldn’t wait to drag her out and make sure he knew her life depended on whether or not he did as he was told. He didn’t know if she was still alive, if she had managed to escape, but now everyone who had become a part of his new life was in danger.
“I do what you want and you’ll leave them alone.”
“I have no reason to target them if you’re making yourself useful, Max. I’m a reasonable man and as long as you’re cooperating they’re safe.” He straightened up and rounded the desk. “I’ll need you to run an exchange on Thursday evening. I’ll have someone contact you with the details.” He settled into his chair and waved dismissively. “The guards will see you out.”
Max stood on the street, shaking as the wrought iron gates closed behind him. His gut was tied into multiple knots and he barely made it a block before he doubled over and lost his lunch. He was locked in now, there was no going back. He could go to the cops but Damon would know and someone would pay for his mistake. For all he knew Ava was already dead. He rejected that thought, refusing to allow it to take root. He had to believe she was alive.
He straightened up and braced a hand against the brick wall that bordered a big house in an effort to steady him. He had to come up with a way out of this mess. Gather evidence that would bring Damon down and assure the others’ safety from his threats. He had witnessed things in the past but he needed something more current, something that would be taken seriously. Even if, in the end, he had to pay for it by going back to prison. Just the thought of going back there brought the nausea to the surface again but he fought it down. At least with that option he came out alive.
He forced himself to start walking. He had to pull himself together and he had to stay under the radar. He brought his breathing under control and started going over his options, trying to figure out how he was going to live this double life. As he crossed the street it hit him that he was asking Liz to put her trust in him and he wasn’t going to be able to reciprocate. When the truth came out, and he had no doubt it would at some point, she was going to feel betrayed and he knew chances were good that he would lose her for it.
Focus on keeping her safe, he ordered himself. That’s the most important thing. Keep her safe, keep her safe, keep her safe, the words ran over and over in his mind until he knew that no matter what happened, if he could keep her alive it would be worth whatever he had to go through.
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ArchAngel1973
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Prisoners of the Past (CC, A/U, Adult) Part 22 - 4/15/12
mary mary: Lol, that’s a very good reason!
Max has a long road to travel… it’ll take some time.
Isabel and Alex are good people.
dreamon: Lol, it’s taken some time to get rolling but we’re moving right along now.
Michelle in LA: Lol… sorry.
The situation is a difficult one and the options at his disposal are not good or easy.
That is the way Liz comes across, but that’s not the whole story.
Max could easily get word to the Valenti’s, but he has his reasons for holding back.
MP: Well, he may be digging that hole for a while.
Don’t worry, Liz hasn’t slid back that far.
Well… perhaps a nice dreamer moment later in this part? Things are going to get rough but hopefully the dreamer couple will be able to work in some scenes together.
Alien_Friend: Good word for it! You’re right, he should’ve stayed away, but his loyalty to Ava won’t allow him to see beyond what he needs to do to find her. Damon has no conscience and he can and will threaten everyone and anyone, regardless of gender or age. Max’s parole officer does know about his past, but parole officers are overworked and have heavy caseloads, which unfortunately allows some to slip through the cracks. Max’s parole could be revoked already so we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed and hope he finds a way out of the trap of his past.
Mac doesn’t seem to be a favorite of anyone, lol. Kyle’s a smart guy, so we’ll see what and when he figures it out. Damon is a powerful man and it’s going to take some work to bring him down.
If Alex and Isabel have a say in it Jenny will definitely have a home soon.
These secrets are bound to eventually put a strain on the new relationship.
We’ll likely be seeing more of Dino and his dog.
Natalie36: He has a tough road ahead of him.
begonia9508: That would be a mistake… but unfortunately, his choices aren’t easy.
Only Damon, who managed to maneuver Max into walking right into a trap.
keepsmiling7: Yes, it’s a terrible place to be caught but Max has lived by a code for years and he can’t walk away from the only true friend he’s ever had.
Damon is evil, no question about that. No, he can’t be trusted, but Max is already in too deep to walk away.
clueless: Lol, that’s perfectly alright.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the fic and the original characters.
Eva: Oh, don’t look for that solution to come that soon.
Thanks, I do enjoy Alex and Isabel’s characters!
angiebrenna: It is… and will be for a while!
lizzy_koh: Thanks! Damon has quite a list of folks on his payroll.
nitpick23: Yes, Damon played that perfectly. He knew exactly which buttons to push and how hard to push them.
Damon is confident that he can remove the threat when the time is right.
Nah, this won’t cause a setback.
True, but unfortunately, that’s a very short list.
xilaj: Chances are good we’ll see Dino again. Nicholas… that little snot deserves to be laughed at.
Author’s Note: Thanks to everyone who nominated and voted for Prisoners of the Past… winning awards for this fic is amazing!!! You guys rock!!!
Part 22
The sun dipping low on the west horizon cast long shadows across the ground as Max walked through Central Park. He had been walking for hours and he still felt as lost and confused as he had since the meeting with Damon. There was anger of course, anger at his self for walking right into a trap and anger at his self for leaving Ava in a position that was so dangerous. He also felt like a single decision was once again altering the course of his life. He should’ve known better. Hell, he had known better. But the thought of Damon having her and not doing anything to get her away from that bastard wasn’t something he could live with.
Most people would go to the cops if a friend was in trouble. In his world you didn’t rely on someone else to get you out of a jam and cops couldn’t be trusted. For as long as he could remember it had been him and Ava against the world. No one else had given a damn about them but no matter what had been thrown at them they had always had each other. It was his fault they were in this predicament. He was the one who had brought Damon into their lives. He wouldn’t go back and change that decision even if he could because as much as he despised the head of the city’s largest criminal organization, without him he and Ava would likely be dead right now.
It wasn’t a memory he enjoyed and it wasn’t one he visited very often. But as the weight of his latest mistake bore down on him his mind wouldn’t let him escape and he found himself being drawn into the past, back to a night when the rain had been pouring down and he had been facing another life-altering decision.
He left Ava hiding in the laundry room of the old apartment building, his fear for her driving him back out into the rain that hadn’t let up for the past three days. She wasn’t getting better and even to his untrained ears he knew with every passing day her breathing was becoming more labored. The damn medicine he had stolen hadn’t helped. One minute she was ice-cold and the next she was burning up. She had complained about her chest feeling heavy and she was exhausted no matter how much she slept.
He had talked to Doc, a man who had been living on the streets for years before he and Ava had run away. Rumor was he had been a successful doctor at one time but after losing his family in an accident he had lost it and after a long battle with the bottle he had dropped out of his old life. He had crawled out of the bottle and taken up residence in the tunnels below the city. He kept to himself but when he was approached by other street people, needing medical help he would offer his advice and help if he could.
After the older man had gone with him to the apartment building to see Ava he had told Max she needed medicine much stronger than anything he could get his hands on at a corner store. He had suggested she go to the hospital but they both knew what would happen if she did that; she would end up back in the system. Doc had a contact who could supply him with medicine and when asked he had agreed to get it for them. The only catch was it was going to cost and it was a hell of a lot more than what he could pull together collecting bottles and cans.
That was how he found himself standing on a corner in the pouring rain.
“Corner’s taken.”
He turned his head to look at the guy who came up beside him and he sighed when he recognized him. “Figured you’d take the night off, Shakes.”
Shakes, a lanky 16-year-old, grinned at him from under the cover of an umbrella. “Think the pervs roaming the streets take a night off? The weather doesn’t stop ‘em from crawlin’ outta their fancy digs. Bad enough you’re on my corner, but you look like a drowned rat… not that there aren’t plenty of guys out trollin’ for a piece of ass like you, but not here, kid.”
They were nearly the same age but Shakes had been on the streets since he was nine years old and there was a world of difference between the two of them. Shakes had blue eyes but the light had gone out of them long before Max had met him. He talked a good game and he wore a perpetual smile but anyone who got close enough to really look at him could see the toll that street life had taken on him.
“Need to get my hands on some fast cash,” Max said with a careless shrug.
Shakes studied him, the blue eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “You’re ready to get on your knees or have some guy do you up against one of these filthy alley walls?”
His hands in his pockets clenched, and the shoulders already hunched against the pouring rain tightened even more. “Need the money,” he tossed off as his eyes followed a car that pulled by them slowly. He didn’t really want to think about what he was considering because just the thought of it made him feel physically ill. He was standing on the corner trying to convince his self he could do this. If he could just get through it once he’d have the money for the medicine. Just once, that was it.
“It’s not somethin’ you can ever wash off, kid. It sticks with you.” He gave his companion the once-over. He could see the signs of nervousness. He knew Max and Ava, knew they would do whatever was necessary to protect each other, but neither of them would allow the other to go to these lengths. “You’d be better off snatchin’ a wallet or two. Less chance of getting picked up this way but you’re not tough enough for this one.” He didn’t apologize for what the other guy took as a slight, merely turned his head when a patrol car rolled by, slowing down but not stopping.
“You said you bank pretty good most nights, right?”
Shakes rolled his shoulders. “I make enough.” He turned up the wattage on his smile when a car stopped and he moved closer to the curb, ducking down to flirt with the driver. After a few moments he stepped back and the car moved on.
“Why’d you turn him down?” Max asked when Shakes stood beside him once more.
“’Cause he’s the type likes pain and I’m not into that.”
He frowned. “How do you know that?”
“You live and learn, kid. After a while you get a sense about these things. You’ve got street smarts, been out here too long not to, but when it comes to this end of it, you’re a rookie. Go find someone to rob.” He shook his head and the dull blue eyes focused on Max once more. “You might lie to anyone else but you won’t lie to Ava, and she finds out you turned a trick to pay for meds she’s gonna feel guilty.”
Max’s eyes narrowed. “How’d you know that?”
“No secrets on the streets, kid. You know that. It’s just a matter of talkin’ to the right person.” He glanced around, checked for any eyes that might be watching before he reached into his pocket. “Know how to handle a piece?”
He shook his head, swallowing hard as he looked at the dangerous-looking gun Shakes pulled out of his pocket. He had learned how to handle the switchblade when he had discovered he had no coordination with the butterfly knife that Ava favored.
“Knives are great, but a gun keeps distance between you and your target.”
“I can’t take your gun,” Max said after Shakes gave him a quick demonstration. “That leaves you unprotected.”
He chuckled. “Kid, I usually carry both. Knife’s better for close-contact situations and most of my situations revolve around close contact. Put a blade up to some perv’s dick and it has a funny way of… deflating the situation.” His teeth flashed white in the darkness. “I’m tellin’ you, get your ass off my corner and go put this piece to use. Head over to the ATM outside Chang’s place… street light’s been out past couple nights and stupid motherfucker’s are still usin’ it. Just wait it out, someone will come to that ATM tonight. Come up behind ‘em, stick that gun in their back, and tell ‘em to withdraw a couple hundred bucks.” He nodded at the gun. “Keep the safety on, the threat of violence is usually enough to keep your target under control.”
“And if it’s not?”
“You can handle yourself.” He nodded when another car pulled to the curb, moving in closer and leaning in to rest his forearm on the open window. He turned and flashed his grin again as he straightened up and opened the door. “Catch ya later, kid. Remember what I told you.”
Max stared up at the statue of Balto and he swallowed hard. There were so many monuments in Central Park but he always found himself drawn back to the sled dog. To the words inscribed on the plaque below the statue. Endurance. Fidelity. Intelligence. They were words he wanted to live by and he didn’t know how to do it. After everything he had done to pull himself out of his old life he was right back where he had wanted to avoid ever being again.
Damon held all the cards. Did he know where Ava was? What if he didn’t? If she had been found somewhere, if something had happened to her, someone would have contacted him. What if something had happened and she hadn’t had his information on her? What if it was and they just hadn’t bothered because he was in prison?
He sighed and let his fingers run over the words. Living on the streets came with its own code, its own system of justice, and its own definitions of right and wrong. He had lived by that code and it had left its mark on him. There was a distrust of law enforcement that had become ingrained in him over the years and he couldn’t just turn it off. People made the assumption that you could just turn your life around, that getting out of prison and staying clean was just a matter of making all the right choices. Maybe it was, he didn’t know. But choices weren’t always a matter of right or wrong and good or bad.
Loyalty wasn’t something he took lightly and after everything he and Ava had been through he wouldn’t turn his back on her. Not now and not ever. He would do whatever he had to do to find her and make sure she was safe. His fingers traced over the second word again. Fidelity. It was something he had lived by before he had known what it meant.
He stood, his shoulders slumped as if the weight of his burden was a physical thing. He looked up into the bronzed face of the sled dog. “I know it’s wrong, but at the same time it’s right. It’s a choice, but turning my back and leaving her wherever she is, it’s just not the right choice.” His hand rested on the monument for a moment. “It’s all about choices, isn’t it?”
He stared at the darkened corner in front of Chang’s little dump of a store and he sneezed, the sound loud to his own ears. Shakes had been so sure someone would come by the ATM but so far no one had shown up and he’d been waiting for nearly two hours. He shifted and pushed his body further into the doorway, taking advantage of the minimal cover the slight overhang provided. He was soaked to the bone and he was cold. The rain hadn’t let up for more than a few minutes at a time and his gaze shot to the right when lightning struck a transformer up the street and sparks shot out seconds before several blocks went dark.
The perfect time to hold someone up and there wasn’t a single person in sight other than the cars passing by. He was getting restless. Ava had been alone too long, she was sick, and so far he hadn’t been able to do anything for her. He had seen the look in Doc’s eyes and he had taken the man seriously when he had told him that she most likely had pneumonia and without treatment she could die. He ducked his head against the downpour and pushed away from the doorway, striking out to find someone who could give him what he needed.
He was heading into a busier part of the city when opportunity presented itself. He slid back into the shadows to watch the couple laughing and doing some sort of dance as they walked along the sidewalk. The lights hadn’t been knocked out in this neighborhood and he could see that they were older than him but still young. They looked like they were celebrating something and he felt a moment of remorse as his hand tightened around the gun. He forced the feeling away, clearing his mind of everything except Ava and how sick she was. He crossed the street, knowing they would never see or hear him coming.
He came up behind them, his heart pounding, sweat mixing with the rain and creeping along his back, and his hand trembling as he pulled the gun free of his jacket pocket. He shoved the man, using the moment of surprise as the man righted himself to bring his arm up and stick the gun in his shocked face.
“Gimme your wallet,” he said, his voice shaking from the cold and the adrenaline rushing through his system. Stealing from the stores was one thing; he’d never stuck a gun in anyone’s face before. He’d always pocketed whatever he was stealing and slipped out, getting out without a confrontation. A few times he’d been chased by the store owners but they’d never caught him and he’d never had to face them one-on-one.
This was different. He could see now that they had been drinking. Maybe not drunk, but buzzed enough that they hadn’t been feeling any pain before he had rudely interrupted their evening. Their fear as they faced the barrel of a loaded gun was palpable and as desperately as he needed the money he felt guilty for putting that look on their faces, that feeling inside of them. His hand jerked as he motioned to the man, attempting to wave in the general direction of where he assumed his wallet would be.
The woman’s smile had frozen on her face before slowly disintegrating into an expression of terror as she focused on the gun. “Just give him what he wants.”
The man fumbled with his wallet and nearly dropped it as he stretched his arm out to offer it up. “Take it, just leave us alone.”
Max shook his head. “Just gimme the cash. I don’t want your credit cards.” The cops could track stolen credit cards and he wasn’t stupid enough to leave his fingerprints on the discarded wallet. He could’ve screamed in frustration when the guy dropped the wallet and had to pick it up, shaking the water out of it before flipping it open and pulling the soggy bills out. He snatched them from the guy’s shaking hand before his gaze shifted to the woman the guy was carefully keeping behind him. “You got any money?”
“You’ve got all you’re gonna get from us.” Steel gray eyes met his and he saw the guy’s spine straighten. “A real man doesn’t threaten a woman.”
He swallowed hard and his hand clenched around the money. He could’ve gone off on the guy but there was no point. He had what he needed and he could make a clean break. Between the cover of rain and darkness, the hoodie he was wearing, and the alcohol they had consumed, they wouldn’t be able to identify him. Besides, the guy was right, and if not for the situation he was in he never would’ve pulled a gun on a woman, not even if he didn’t intend to use it.
He shoved the money in his pocket and backed away from them, making it to the alley and turning into the darkness. He ran to get as far away as possible, cutting through other alleys and across streets to put as much distance between them as he could before stopping. When he felt like he was far enough away he stopped and pulled the money out, counting it and feeling relief push the guilt aside when he realized it was enough to cover what Doc said he needed to get the medicine. He put the money away and started to run back to Ava.
He never saw them coming. They came out of the shadows and were on him so fast he never had a chance to identify them. He fought back but it was two to one and they had the advantage of taking him by surprise when one of them hit him on the back of the head. His ears were ringing and the back of his head was throbbing but he forced himself to his feet when they dragged him into a nearby alley and started checking his pockets.
One of them took another swing at him, knocking the breath out of him and driving him to his knees. It was the thought of Ava, the knowledge of what would happen to her without the medicine that had him fighting the pain and nausea to get to his feet again. He swayed for a moment and it made them pause, watch him warily, but before he could get his hand on the gun in his pocket they struck at the same time, like animals in a pack. It was an effective tactic and after what felt like hours but was probably less than a minute he was left lying in the filthy alley, his body aching, bruised, and broken in places.
It was too dark to see his own blood mixing with the nasty water that ran by him in a river and he had to force his head up when he inhaled a mouthful of the filth. He gagged on the taste and his abused stomach muscles cried out in protest when his throat kicked it back out. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and pushed himself up on his hands and knees, quickly taking his weight off of his left hand and mentally taking stock of his injuries and what had been taken from him.
His feet were bare, his upper body covered only in a thin tee shirt, and he supposed he should count himself lucky they hadn’t decided to steal his pants. The gun had been in the pocket of his hoodie and they had taken both of those. His pockets had been emptied; his knife was gone, they had taken the old pocket watch he had found with the cracked face, but most importantly, the money for Ava’s medicine was gone. His left wrist was probably broken after one of them had stomped on it while he had been down because it hurt like hell and wouldn’t support his weight. The other injuries would heal easily enough. Bruises and cuts, the biggest issue there was keeping the open wounds clean so they wouldn’t get infected.
He got to his feet, fighting down the nausea that rolled in his stomach. He braced his uninjured hand on the wall and used it to steady him as he made his way back out onto the street. He had lost the money to help Ava and if she died… He stubbornly shoved that thought away. No! She wouldn’t die. It wasn’t until he stepped out onto the sidewalk and bumped into someone that he realized his vision was blurry.
Hands grabbed onto his arms to steady him, to push him away, he didn’t know. Everything around him was spinning and he felt like he was going to be sick again. Someone was speaking but he didn’t know if they were talking to him or someone else. He felt a hand grab his chin, force his head up, and he shrank back when the light from the overhead streetlamp hit his eyes.
“Pupil’s are blown, boss.”
“Yeah, looks like he’s taken a beating. Have the car brought around.”
“They took the money,” Max mumbled as he reached out to grasp the man holding him up. He hissed when pain shot through his injured arm at the movement. “She needs the medicine… They took the money.”
“What’s he rambling about?”
The voice he would later know as belonging to Damon spoke up again. “Tell me where she is and I’ll have someone take care of her.”
Max shook his head stubbornly. “No, she needs me.”
“Listen up, Street Rat, you’ve got two choices. Tell me where to send my men and I’ll have her brought in and helped along with you or I’ll just leave you here to take care of it yourself. As far as choices go, it seems pretty simple to me.”
He had known at that point that he wasn’t in any condition to take care of his self, much less look after Ava. He had given Damon the information he wanted, hoping he wasn’t screwing up, and had passed out right after that. When he had woken again he had found himself in a hospital room and fear had spiked through him. It had taken several moments before he could orient himself and he reached up to cover his ears when an impatient beeping sound assaulted them. A door opened and a woman rushed in, quickly silencing the alarm on a piece of equipment and smiling at him as she checked his vitals.
It hadn’t been a hospital. He and Ava had been taken to a friend of Damon’s who handled his medical emergencies without the complication of reports, the involvement of law enforcement, or the tangled mess of legalities. He had suffered a severe concussion and he knew without the man’s help he and Ava most likely would’ve ended up buried in a city cemetery like thousands of other homeless people who had died and had no one to claim their bodies.
Max shook the memories off and started the walk through the park and back to the guesthouse. He would do what was necessary to find Ava and in the meantime he would have to watch his back carefully. He had learned a lot since the beating he had taken at 15. He was smarter and stronger, he knew how to handle himself, and he knew Dino was already putting the word out on the streets to keep eyes and ears out for Ava.
He paused at a corner pizzeria, debating about ordering a pizza to go in case he ended up with company. He didn’t know if Liz would come by or not since she’d made plans to go out with friends for dinner. After several minutes he decided against it and continued on his way. She might come by or she might not. She had been pissed when he said he’d rather not go out. But it was more than that, he realized as he went over that rather short conversation. He brought that moment back to his thoughts, went over every nuance of her expressions and her voice. Had her feelings been hurt when he had turned down her offer to go out with her friends?
She hadn’t pushed for him to go out clubbing with them; she had accepted his answer about that easily enough. She had been more upset by him not accepting her invitation to dinner. He’d make it a point to remember to ask about her friends when she came by. And she would. Maybe not that night, depending on how worked up she allowed herself to get because he knew she’d rather work herself up into a fit than to admit she was hurt.
He set those thoughts aside. He would deal with Liz when she came to him. There was no point trying to plan how to handle her because her moods were quicksilver and it was best to just deal with them as they came. No, he was going home, taking a hot shower, and then he was going to focus on those forms he had told her he needed to fill out for class. After that he would read a couple of chapters in the book he had picked up from the library and then he’d turn in for the night.
*****
Nancy was pulling weeds in the flowerbed that bordered the shrubs around the house when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned her head and lifted one gloved hand to shade her eyes from the early-afternoon sun. She smiled when she saw Max coming up the driveway, his gait hurried.
“Running late for a date?” she asked.
“A date?” he repeated and a moment later shook his head. “No, just meeting an old friend to catch up.”
She stood up and brushed the dirt off of the gloves before taking them off. “Do you have a few minutes?”
No, he didn’t. “Yeah, sure.”
“C’mon back and I’ll pour you a glass of lemonade.” He followed her around to the back deck, taking a seat and watching her fill two glasses. “We’ve only spoken briefly since you moved into the guesthouse. I just wanted to make sure you’re settling in okay.”
“Yeah, yeah, the place is great. I enjoy my job.” He took a sip of the lemonade, pleased when it wasn’t as bitter as he’d expected.
“And my daughter?”
He choked on the drink. “I’m sorry?” He grabbed a napkin off of the table and blotted up the drops he’d sprayed on himself.
“Liz, how are things going with her?”
“Oh. Oh, right. Of course.” Somehow on the heels of his previous answer his mind had twisted the question around so that it sounded like she was asking if he was enjoying her daughter. Mind out of the gutter, Evans, he ordered himself. “Things are going pretty good.”
“I’ve noticed a difference in her the past few weeks.”
His features relaxed into an easy smile.
“I won’t ask for any specifics but…” she gnawed on her bottom lip for a moment, “… has she talked to you or opened up to you about something that happened to her in the past? Maybe something that would explain some of her behaviors and resentments towards people with a criminal background?”
“She’s doing better,” he answered cautiously.
She nodded, accepting his answer. Liz had never been willing to open up, denying there was anything to share, and as much as she wanted to know the truth she wouldn’t put Max in an uncomfortable position by asking him to break a confidence. “She’s always internalized things and that can make it difficult to see past the mask she allows the world to see.”
“She does internalize and she can be difficult to read, but the clues are there if you take the time and look hard enough.” He chuckled. “It makes her mad if you’re successful but at the same time, and she’ll never admit this, I think it also makes it easier for her to talk about things if you can find the cracks.”
Nancy sipped her lemonade and studied him. She had been worried when Jeff had confided in her about his conversation with Max about Liz. Other than hurling the occasional insult she had never known her daughter to bother the parolees who stayed in the guesthouse, but after that talk she had kept a closer eye on things. She knew Liz had taken to sleeping over at the guesthouse and as long as she and Max seemed to be on the same page she wasn’t too concerned. She had read enough about his past to understand that the choices he’d made had been for survival and she believed strongly in second chances.
“I should probably get going,” Max said after finishing his lemonade. The ice cubes clinked against the sides of the glass when he set it down. “If I’m lucky she’ll be by tonight for dinner and maybe we’ll catch a movie afterwards.”
“Maybe the two of you would like to have dinner with Jeff and myself on Sunday night?”
He nodded as he stood up. “If that’s what Liz wants. She’s reluctant to label what we have and I don’t want to push that.”
Her expression was thoughtful as she watched him cross the yard and disappear into the guesthouse. Within 15 minutes he was back out and on his way to meet his friend. She smiled as she debated Sunday night’s menu for a while before her thoughts turned back to weeding the flowerbeds.
*****
Max slipped past the grate that had been pried away from the opening to one of the city’s numerous tunnels and made his way through the labyrinth to retrieve the package one of Damon’s runners had dropped with him the night before. His hand wrapped around the grip of the 9mm pistol, small enough to conceal but large enough to put a hurt on anyone who tried to screw him over. The package looked like a box that had been wrapped for shipment and as he carried it back out into the sunlight he wished it was just a matter of dropping it in the mail to get it off his hands.
He’d made drops before and at 17 his stomach had handled it better than it did now at 23. He knew six years ago he had been more focused on what he was able to provide by running drugs for Damon. Now his brain was having trouble forgetting everything he would lose if anyone discovered what he was doing.
He forced his mind back to the moment, slammed the doors shut on everything else. There was enough to worry about with making the drop. Undercover cops were always a threat, but this was one of Damon’s longest-running small-time customers and the guy always did business one-on-one. “Simple drop,” he muttered under his breath. It was just an in-and-out deal. Drop the drugs, collect the cash, and get his ass out of there.
When he reached the client’s building he shouldered his way past the doors and up the stairs. He ignored the elevator with the fancy gold doors and made his way up five flights of stairs. His eyes traced over the brass numbers as he knocked on the door and within seconds it opened and he was ushered into the man’s apartment.
“Hey, heard you were out,” the guy said as he eagerly accepted the package and placed it on the coffee table.
Max shrugged and waited for him to cut it open and test the product. His eyes roamed over the walls and it hit him once again just how varied Damon’s clientele was. This guy was a criminal lawyer. Talk about your irony. He defended his clients for crimes while committing crimes of his own and defending others while riding high on cocaine. He had sold to cops, lawyers, stockbrokers, politicians, and he knew of at least one judge who had a habit. Society expected drugs to be a problem among the homeless, the poverty-stricken, and the neighborhoods and back alleys that most people wouldn’t walk through in broad daylight, much less at night. They didn’t want to think that it was a problem that affected the upper class. No, they were too good, too well-to-do to have problems like that.
“Quality stuff,” the guy said after he’d taken a sample.
“Boss doesn’t deal in anything less.”
The lawyer pulled out a wad of cash, counted it out, and tossed it on the table. He stood there while he waited for Max to pick it up, check the count for himself, and then nod to let him know the transaction was complete. “See you next time.”
Max made his escape and then headed out to meet with Damon so he could turn the money over to him. Once their business was complete he made his way back home, feeling a little more at ease when he spotted Liz’s car in the circular driveway. He sprinted up the manicured drive and through the back gate, grabbing the screen door and pulling it open. Diablo came to greet him as soon as he stepped inside and he took a moment to give the dog his attention before going to the kitchen where he could hear Liz moving around.
He leaned in the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest, just taking a few minutes to let her presence wash over him and calm his jittery nerves. She was wearing a red tee shirt with a pair of designer jeans and she had probably paid a fortune for the faded, worn look of the denim. She was putting something together and he craned his neck to see when she bent over to slide a baking dish into the oven.
“Dinner’ll be ready in an hour,” she said as she turned around to smile at him.
“An hour, huh?”
She walked up to him and took his hand, turning it so she could look at it. “Look at that, it’s waterproof,” she said as she set the alarm on the watch.
“So?”
“So, go put on those trunks we picked up the other day when we went out.” She grabbed the hem of her tee shirt and pulled it up and over her head to reveal a matching bikini top. “You said I could teach you to swim and since we have the time right now I think it’s time you made good on your word.”
“Why can’t I just learn to swim wearing what I’ve got on?”
“Because all that material’s too heavy. C’mon, Max, I promise this won’t hurt.”
He snorted. “Put your sunglasses on because you don’t know just how white my skin is in direct sunlight. Being exposed to that much of it at once could cause you to go blind.”
She just laughed and shook her head. “I’ll risk it. Don’t worry, you’ll be getting plenty of sun now and we’ll get that tan in shape in no time.” She gave him a shove to get him moving and went to grab some towels. “I’ll meet you out at the pool.”
Max gave up on trying to get out of swimming lessons and went into his room to dig up the trunks he had bought under protest. He stripped out of his clothes and pulled the trunks on before giving himself the once-over in the mirror. His arms had picked up some color from being out in the sun the past few weeks, but the rest of him… “Oh, yeah, that’s a good look, Evans.” He finally gave up stalling when she called out for him, her tone holding more than a hint of impatience.
Liz was sitting on the side of the pool when he walked outside and she pinched her lips between her teeth when he stepped off of the porch and into the sunlight. “Okay, yes, I think my corneas may be permanently damaged now,” she said with a teasing smile as she held a hand up to block him from her view for a moment. She had seen him in nothing but boxers but in direct sunlight his skin was rather white. “No, get your ass out here,” she said when he started to retreat.
“Just for the record, that part of me’s also blindingly white,” he grumbled.
“Nude sunbathing will take care of that too.”
“Yeah, well, you can just get used to my white ass because I’m not about to start sunbathing, and certainly not while I’m naked.”
“I suppose it’s a sacrifice I’ll have to make,” she sighed and then spoiled it with a grin. “Quit stalling and come over here and get in the water.” She pushed off of the side and slid into the pool, swimming over to the opposite side and holding her hand out to him when he sat down on the edge. “C’mon, I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re taller than I am so your head won’t be underwater.”
“You won’t let go, right?”
She smiled and took his hand when he finally held it out to her. “No, I won’t let go.”
He cautiously slid into the water, involuntarily squeezing his eyes shut and holding his breath. A moment later his feet settled on the bottom and his eyes shot open when he realized he wasn’t choking on the water.
“Now try breathing,” she suggested with a smile.
Max took a few experimental breaths before he glanced around at the water. He followed her when she tugged on his hand, pulling him a few steps deeper into the water before stopping to give him time to adjust. “The water’s deeper here.”
“A little bit. We’ll get out just a little bit more, where it’s deep enough for you to tread water.”
“I’m good right here for now.”
She nodded. “Here’s good,” she said agreeably. “How was your day?”
“Work wasn’t bad. Busy.”
“You work late today?” He had left a message for her on her voicemail, letting her know he would be home a little late and that he would leave the door unlocked.
“No, went to meet an old acquaintance, just a quick hey-how’s-it-going and then I was on my way back here.”
“Do you have a lot of friends from before you went to prison?” She moved her free hand through the water. “Do this.”
He shrugged and mimicked her movements. “Not really. Only one person I really call a friend and she seems to have disappeared. Most of the people I knew back then are acquaintances and there are a few who are more than that but…”
“Still not quite in the category of friends.”
“Yeah. You learn to not get too close on the streets. Me and Ava, we hit the streets together and we had already been friends for a long time, so it was different with us.”
“So you two are really close.” She took another step backwards and he followed. “Have you slept together?”
“You’re jealous,” he said, amusement obvious in his tone.
She shrugged it off. “You’re looking for her. Because you were lovers?”
“Because we’re friends.” He took a step back when he realized the water was brushing his chin. “We’ve had sex. I won’t lie to you about that. There’s no point. But it’s not what we were about. It’s not what our connection was about.”
“So that has nothing to do with why you’re looking for her?”
“Liz, listen, you’re familiar enough with the parole system to know I shouldn’t be looking for someone from my past.” He swallowed with difficulty. “Someone who was also involved in the life that I led before I went to prison.”
She reached up to press her finger against his lips as she shook her head. “Can I do anything to help?”
“Thanks for that, but no.” He couldn’t let her into that part of his world. “I appreciate it, but just keep it to yourself. Please. Growing up it was just the two of us and we hit the streets when we were 13. You can’t know what that was like, Liz.”
She studied him, taking in the sincerity in his expression. “Will you tell me?”
That brought his gaze down to lock with hers. “It’s not a pretty story, Liz.”
“It’s part of you and I want to know about it.” She rested her forearms on his shoulders as she kept her eyes trained on his. “Tell me, Max. Tell me and show me.”
“Show you?”
“You like to walk when we go out. So when we go out, show me where you’ve been, let me see that part of your life.” She could see the hesitation in him. “Max, you want me to let you in and I want the same thing with you.”
“Your life… Liz, it’s not the same thing. You don’t wanna know what we had to do to just to survive. Parts of my life, they’re ugly.”
“I don’t care.” Her hands rested against his cheeks. “I’m in new territory with you. For the first time in, I don’t know, maybe ever, I’m really interested in someone besides myself. I mean, when I was with DJ, we were compatible, we got along, and we pretty much had everything in common.”
He pulled back and stared at her. “Wait, you and DJ were… the two of you were…”
“Sleeping together, having sex, in a relationship, yes, we were all of those things. More than that we were, and still are, the best of friends.” She shook her head at him. “And no, there’s no reason for you to be jealous of him.”
“Any more than there’s reason for you to be jealous of Ava,” he tossed back lightly.
Liz turned her head when the alarm on his watch went off. “Dinner’s ready to come out of the oven. Salad’s ready and the rolls are ready to pop in the oven for about five minutes. So, I’ll get the lasagna out and let it set for a few minutes while you run take a quick shower, wash the chlorine off, and then you can set the table and throw the rolls in the oven while I do the same.”
He nodded and slowly walked backwards, one hand on the concrete beside him and the other holding onto her. “You can tell me about your day over dinner?”
She grinned and followed him out of the pool. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.”
Max has a long road to travel… it’ll take some time.
Isabel and Alex are good people.
dreamon: Lol, it’s taken some time to get rolling but we’re moving right along now.
Michelle in LA: Lol… sorry.
The situation is a difficult one and the options at his disposal are not good or easy.
That is the way Liz comes across, but that’s not the whole story.
Max could easily get word to the Valenti’s, but he has his reasons for holding back.
MP: Well, he may be digging that hole for a while.
Don’t worry, Liz hasn’t slid back that far.
Well… perhaps a nice dreamer moment later in this part? Things are going to get rough but hopefully the dreamer couple will be able to work in some scenes together.
Alien_Friend: Good word for it! You’re right, he should’ve stayed away, but his loyalty to Ava won’t allow him to see beyond what he needs to do to find her. Damon has no conscience and he can and will threaten everyone and anyone, regardless of gender or age. Max’s parole officer does know about his past, but parole officers are overworked and have heavy caseloads, which unfortunately allows some to slip through the cracks. Max’s parole could be revoked already so we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed and hope he finds a way out of the trap of his past.
Mac doesn’t seem to be a favorite of anyone, lol. Kyle’s a smart guy, so we’ll see what and when he figures it out. Damon is a powerful man and it’s going to take some work to bring him down.
If Alex and Isabel have a say in it Jenny will definitely have a home soon.
These secrets are bound to eventually put a strain on the new relationship.
We’ll likely be seeing more of Dino and his dog.
Natalie36: He has a tough road ahead of him.
begonia9508: That would be a mistake… but unfortunately, his choices aren’t easy.
Only Damon, who managed to maneuver Max into walking right into a trap.
keepsmiling7: Yes, it’s a terrible place to be caught but Max has lived by a code for years and he can’t walk away from the only true friend he’s ever had.
Damon is evil, no question about that. No, he can’t be trusted, but Max is already in too deep to walk away.
clueless: Lol, that’s perfectly alright.
I’m glad you’re enjoying the fic and the original characters.
Eva: Oh, don’t look for that solution to come that soon.
Thanks, I do enjoy Alex and Isabel’s characters!
angiebrenna: It is… and will be for a while!
lizzy_koh: Thanks! Damon has quite a list of folks on his payroll.
nitpick23: Yes, Damon played that perfectly. He knew exactly which buttons to push and how hard to push them.
Damon is confident that he can remove the threat when the time is right.
Nah, this won’t cause a setback.
True, but unfortunately, that’s a very short list.
xilaj: Chances are good we’ll see Dino again. Nicholas… that little snot deserves to be laughed at.
Author’s Note: Thanks to everyone who nominated and voted for Prisoners of the Past… winning awards for this fic is amazing!!! You guys rock!!!
Part 22
The sun dipping low on the west horizon cast long shadows across the ground as Max walked through Central Park. He had been walking for hours and he still felt as lost and confused as he had since the meeting with Damon. There was anger of course, anger at his self for walking right into a trap and anger at his self for leaving Ava in a position that was so dangerous. He also felt like a single decision was once again altering the course of his life. He should’ve known better. Hell, he had known better. But the thought of Damon having her and not doing anything to get her away from that bastard wasn’t something he could live with.
Most people would go to the cops if a friend was in trouble. In his world you didn’t rely on someone else to get you out of a jam and cops couldn’t be trusted. For as long as he could remember it had been him and Ava against the world. No one else had given a damn about them but no matter what had been thrown at them they had always had each other. It was his fault they were in this predicament. He was the one who had brought Damon into their lives. He wouldn’t go back and change that decision even if he could because as much as he despised the head of the city’s largest criminal organization, without him he and Ava would likely be dead right now.
It wasn’t a memory he enjoyed and it wasn’t one he visited very often. But as the weight of his latest mistake bore down on him his mind wouldn’t let him escape and he found himself being drawn into the past, back to a night when the rain had been pouring down and he had been facing another life-altering decision.
He left Ava hiding in the laundry room of the old apartment building, his fear for her driving him back out into the rain that hadn’t let up for the past three days. She wasn’t getting better and even to his untrained ears he knew with every passing day her breathing was becoming more labored. The damn medicine he had stolen hadn’t helped. One minute she was ice-cold and the next she was burning up. She had complained about her chest feeling heavy and she was exhausted no matter how much she slept.
He had talked to Doc, a man who had been living on the streets for years before he and Ava had run away. Rumor was he had been a successful doctor at one time but after losing his family in an accident he had lost it and after a long battle with the bottle he had dropped out of his old life. He had crawled out of the bottle and taken up residence in the tunnels below the city. He kept to himself but when he was approached by other street people, needing medical help he would offer his advice and help if he could.
After the older man had gone with him to the apartment building to see Ava he had told Max she needed medicine much stronger than anything he could get his hands on at a corner store. He had suggested she go to the hospital but they both knew what would happen if she did that; she would end up back in the system. Doc had a contact who could supply him with medicine and when asked he had agreed to get it for them. The only catch was it was going to cost and it was a hell of a lot more than what he could pull together collecting bottles and cans.
That was how he found himself standing on a corner in the pouring rain.
“Corner’s taken.”
He turned his head to look at the guy who came up beside him and he sighed when he recognized him. “Figured you’d take the night off, Shakes.”
Shakes, a lanky 16-year-old, grinned at him from under the cover of an umbrella. “Think the pervs roaming the streets take a night off? The weather doesn’t stop ‘em from crawlin’ outta their fancy digs. Bad enough you’re on my corner, but you look like a drowned rat… not that there aren’t plenty of guys out trollin’ for a piece of ass like you, but not here, kid.”
They were nearly the same age but Shakes had been on the streets since he was nine years old and there was a world of difference between the two of them. Shakes had blue eyes but the light had gone out of them long before Max had met him. He talked a good game and he wore a perpetual smile but anyone who got close enough to really look at him could see the toll that street life had taken on him.
“Need to get my hands on some fast cash,” Max said with a careless shrug.
Shakes studied him, the blue eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “You’re ready to get on your knees or have some guy do you up against one of these filthy alley walls?”
His hands in his pockets clenched, and the shoulders already hunched against the pouring rain tightened even more. “Need the money,” he tossed off as his eyes followed a car that pulled by them slowly. He didn’t really want to think about what he was considering because just the thought of it made him feel physically ill. He was standing on the corner trying to convince his self he could do this. If he could just get through it once he’d have the money for the medicine. Just once, that was it.
“It’s not somethin’ you can ever wash off, kid. It sticks with you.” He gave his companion the once-over. He could see the signs of nervousness. He knew Max and Ava, knew they would do whatever was necessary to protect each other, but neither of them would allow the other to go to these lengths. “You’d be better off snatchin’ a wallet or two. Less chance of getting picked up this way but you’re not tough enough for this one.” He didn’t apologize for what the other guy took as a slight, merely turned his head when a patrol car rolled by, slowing down but not stopping.
“You said you bank pretty good most nights, right?”
Shakes rolled his shoulders. “I make enough.” He turned up the wattage on his smile when a car stopped and he moved closer to the curb, ducking down to flirt with the driver. After a few moments he stepped back and the car moved on.
“Why’d you turn him down?” Max asked when Shakes stood beside him once more.
“’Cause he’s the type likes pain and I’m not into that.”
He frowned. “How do you know that?”
“You live and learn, kid. After a while you get a sense about these things. You’ve got street smarts, been out here too long not to, but when it comes to this end of it, you’re a rookie. Go find someone to rob.” He shook his head and the dull blue eyes focused on Max once more. “You might lie to anyone else but you won’t lie to Ava, and she finds out you turned a trick to pay for meds she’s gonna feel guilty.”
Max’s eyes narrowed. “How’d you know that?”
“No secrets on the streets, kid. You know that. It’s just a matter of talkin’ to the right person.” He glanced around, checked for any eyes that might be watching before he reached into his pocket. “Know how to handle a piece?”
He shook his head, swallowing hard as he looked at the dangerous-looking gun Shakes pulled out of his pocket. He had learned how to handle the switchblade when he had discovered he had no coordination with the butterfly knife that Ava favored.
“Knives are great, but a gun keeps distance between you and your target.”
“I can’t take your gun,” Max said after Shakes gave him a quick demonstration. “That leaves you unprotected.”
He chuckled. “Kid, I usually carry both. Knife’s better for close-contact situations and most of my situations revolve around close contact. Put a blade up to some perv’s dick and it has a funny way of… deflating the situation.” His teeth flashed white in the darkness. “I’m tellin’ you, get your ass off my corner and go put this piece to use. Head over to the ATM outside Chang’s place… street light’s been out past couple nights and stupid motherfucker’s are still usin’ it. Just wait it out, someone will come to that ATM tonight. Come up behind ‘em, stick that gun in their back, and tell ‘em to withdraw a couple hundred bucks.” He nodded at the gun. “Keep the safety on, the threat of violence is usually enough to keep your target under control.”
“And if it’s not?”
“You can handle yourself.” He nodded when another car pulled to the curb, moving in closer and leaning in to rest his forearm on the open window. He turned and flashed his grin again as he straightened up and opened the door. “Catch ya later, kid. Remember what I told you.”
Max stared up at the statue of Balto and he swallowed hard. There were so many monuments in Central Park but he always found himself drawn back to the sled dog. To the words inscribed on the plaque below the statue. Endurance. Fidelity. Intelligence. They were words he wanted to live by and he didn’t know how to do it. After everything he had done to pull himself out of his old life he was right back where he had wanted to avoid ever being again.
Damon held all the cards. Did he know where Ava was? What if he didn’t? If she had been found somewhere, if something had happened to her, someone would have contacted him. What if something had happened and she hadn’t had his information on her? What if it was and they just hadn’t bothered because he was in prison?
He sighed and let his fingers run over the words. Living on the streets came with its own code, its own system of justice, and its own definitions of right and wrong. He had lived by that code and it had left its mark on him. There was a distrust of law enforcement that had become ingrained in him over the years and he couldn’t just turn it off. People made the assumption that you could just turn your life around, that getting out of prison and staying clean was just a matter of making all the right choices. Maybe it was, he didn’t know. But choices weren’t always a matter of right or wrong and good or bad.
Loyalty wasn’t something he took lightly and after everything he and Ava had been through he wouldn’t turn his back on her. Not now and not ever. He would do whatever he had to do to find her and make sure she was safe. His fingers traced over the second word again. Fidelity. It was something he had lived by before he had known what it meant.
He stood, his shoulders slumped as if the weight of his burden was a physical thing. He looked up into the bronzed face of the sled dog. “I know it’s wrong, but at the same time it’s right. It’s a choice, but turning my back and leaving her wherever she is, it’s just not the right choice.” His hand rested on the monument for a moment. “It’s all about choices, isn’t it?”
He stared at the darkened corner in front of Chang’s little dump of a store and he sneezed, the sound loud to his own ears. Shakes had been so sure someone would come by the ATM but so far no one had shown up and he’d been waiting for nearly two hours. He shifted and pushed his body further into the doorway, taking advantage of the minimal cover the slight overhang provided. He was soaked to the bone and he was cold. The rain hadn’t let up for more than a few minutes at a time and his gaze shot to the right when lightning struck a transformer up the street and sparks shot out seconds before several blocks went dark.
The perfect time to hold someone up and there wasn’t a single person in sight other than the cars passing by. He was getting restless. Ava had been alone too long, she was sick, and so far he hadn’t been able to do anything for her. He had seen the look in Doc’s eyes and he had taken the man seriously when he had told him that she most likely had pneumonia and without treatment she could die. He ducked his head against the downpour and pushed away from the doorway, striking out to find someone who could give him what he needed.
He was heading into a busier part of the city when opportunity presented itself. He slid back into the shadows to watch the couple laughing and doing some sort of dance as they walked along the sidewalk. The lights hadn’t been knocked out in this neighborhood and he could see that they were older than him but still young. They looked like they were celebrating something and he felt a moment of remorse as his hand tightened around the gun. He forced the feeling away, clearing his mind of everything except Ava and how sick she was. He crossed the street, knowing they would never see or hear him coming.
He came up behind them, his heart pounding, sweat mixing with the rain and creeping along his back, and his hand trembling as he pulled the gun free of his jacket pocket. He shoved the man, using the moment of surprise as the man righted himself to bring his arm up and stick the gun in his shocked face.
“Gimme your wallet,” he said, his voice shaking from the cold and the adrenaline rushing through his system. Stealing from the stores was one thing; he’d never stuck a gun in anyone’s face before. He’d always pocketed whatever he was stealing and slipped out, getting out without a confrontation. A few times he’d been chased by the store owners but they’d never caught him and he’d never had to face them one-on-one.
This was different. He could see now that they had been drinking. Maybe not drunk, but buzzed enough that they hadn’t been feeling any pain before he had rudely interrupted their evening. Their fear as they faced the barrel of a loaded gun was palpable and as desperately as he needed the money he felt guilty for putting that look on their faces, that feeling inside of them. His hand jerked as he motioned to the man, attempting to wave in the general direction of where he assumed his wallet would be.
The woman’s smile had frozen on her face before slowly disintegrating into an expression of terror as she focused on the gun. “Just give him what he wants.”
The man fumbled with his wallet and nearly dropped it as he stretched his arm out to offer it up. “Take it, just leave us alone.”
Max shook his head. “Just gimme the cash. I don’t want your credit cards.” The cops could track stolen credit cards and he wasn’t stupid enough to leave his fingerprints on the discarded wallet. He could’ve screamed in frustration when the guy dropped the wallet and had to pick it up, shaking the water out of it before flipping it open and pulling the soggy bills out. He snatched them from the guy’s shaking hand before his gaze shifted to the woman the guy was carefully keeping behind him. “You got any money?”
“You’ve got all you’re gonna get from us.” Steel gray eyes met his and he saw the guy’s spine straighten. “A real man doesn’t threaten a woman.”
He swallowed hard and his hand clenched around the money. He could’ve gone off on the guy but there was no point. He had what he needed and he could make a clean break. Between the cover of rain and darkness, the hoodie he was wearing, and the alcohol they had consumed, they wouldn’t be able to identify him. Besides, the guy was right, and if not for the situation he was in he never would’ve pulled a gun on a woman, not even if he didn’t intend to use it.
He shoved the money in his pocket and backed away from them, making it to the alley and turning into the darkness. He ran to get as far away as possible, cutting through other alleys and across streets to put as much distance between them as he could before stopping. When he felt like he was far enough away he stopped and pulled the money out, counting it and feeling relief push the guilt aside when he realized it was enough to cover what Doc said he needed to get the medicine. He put the money away and started to run back to Ava.
He never saw them coming. They came out of the shadows and were on him so fast he never had a chance to identify them. He fought back but it was two to one and they had the advantage of taking him by surprise when one of them hit him on the back of the head. His ears were ringing and the back of his head was throbbing but he forced himself to his feet when they dragged him into a nearby alley and started checking his pockets.
One of them took another swing at him, knocking the breath out of him and driving him to his knees. It was the thought of Ava, the knowledge of what would happen to her without the medicine that had him fighting the pain and nausea to get to his feet again. He swayed for a moment and it made them pause, watch him warily, but before he could get his hand on the gun in his pocket they struck at the same time, like animals in a pack. It was an effective tactic and after what felt like hours but was probably less than a minute he was left lying in the filthy alley, his body aching, bruised, and broken in places.
It was too dark to see his own blood mixing with the nasty water that ran by him in a river and he had to force his head up when he inhaled a mouthful of the filth. He gagged on the taste and his abused stomach muscles cried out in protest when his throat kicked it back out. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and pushed himself up on his hands and knees, quickly taking his weight off of his left hand and mentally taking stock of his injuries and what had been taken from him.
His feet were bare, his upper body covered only in a thin tee shirt, and he supposed he should count himself lucky they hadn’t decided to steal his pants. The gun had been in the pocket of his hoodie and they had taken both of those. His pockets had been emptied; his knife was gone, they had taken the old pocket watch he had found with the cracked face, but most importantly, the money for Ava’s medicine was gone. His left wrist was probably broken after one of them had stomped on it while he had been down because it hurt like hell and wouldn’t support his weight. The other injuries would heal easily enough. Bruises and cuts, the biggest issue there was keeping the open wounds clean so they wouldn’t get infected.
He got to his feet, fighting down the nausea that rolled in his stomach. He braced his uninjured hand on the wall and used it to steady him as he made his way back out onto the street. He had lost the money to help Ava and if she died… He stubbornly shoved that thought away. No! She wouldn’t die. It wasn’t until he stepped out onto the sidewalk and bumped into someone that he realized his vision was blurry.
Hands grabbed onto his arms to steady him, to push him away, he didn’t know. Everything around him was spinning and he felt like he was going to be sick again. Someone was speaking but he didn’t know if they were talking to him or someone else. He felt a hand grab his chin, force his head up, and he shrank back when the light from the overhead streetlamp hit his eyes.
“Pupil’s are blown, boss.”
“Yeah, looks like he’s taken a beating. Have the car brought around.”
“They took the money,” Max mumbled as he reached out to grasp the man holding him up. He hissed when pain shot through his injured arm at the movement. “She needs the medicine… They took the money.”
“What’s he rambling about?”
The voice he would later know as belonging to Damon spoke up again. “Tell me where she is and I’ll have someone take care of her.”
Max shook his head stubbornly. “No, she needs me.”
“Listen up, Street Rat, you’ve got two choices. Tell me where to send my men and I’ll have her brought in and helped along with you or I’ll just leave you here to take care of it yourself. As far as choices go, it seems pretty simple to me.”
He had known at that point that he wasn’t in any condition to take care of his self, much less look after Ava. He had given Damon the information he wanted, hoping he wasn’t screwing up, and had passed out right after that. When he had woken again he had found himself in a hospital room and fear had spiked through him. It had taken several moments before he could orient himself and he reached up to cover his ears when an impatient beeping sound assaulted them. A door opened and a woman rushed in, quickly silencing the alarm on a piece of equipment and smiling at him as she checked his vitals.
It hadn’t been a hospital. He and Ava had been taken to a friend of Damon’s who handled his medical emergencies without the complication of reports, the involvement of law enforcement, or the tangled mess of legalities. He had suffered a severe concussion and he knew without the man’s help he and Ava most likely would’ve ended up buried in a city cemetery like thousands of other homeless people who had died and had no one to claim their bodies.
Max shook the memories off and started the walk through the park and back to the guesthouse. He would do what was necessary to find Ava and in the meantime he would have to watch his back carefully. He had learned a lot since the beating he had taken at 15. He was smarter and stronger, he knew how to handle himself, and he knew Dino was already putting the word out on the streets to keep eyes and ears out for Ava.
He paused at a corner pizzeria, debating about ordering a pizza to go in case he ended up with company. He didn’t know if Liz would come by or not since she’d made plans to go out with friends for dinner. After several minutes he decided against it and continued on his way. She might come by or she might not. She had been pissed when he said he’d rather not go out. But it was more than that, he realized as he went over that rather short conversation. He brought that moment back to his thoughts, went over every nuance of her expressions and her voice. Had her feelings been hurt when he had turned down her offer to go out with her friends?
She hadn’t pushed for him to go out clubbing with them; she had accepted his answer about that easily enough. She had been more upset by him not accepting her invitation to dinner. He’d make it a point to remember to ask about her friends when she came by. And she would. Maybe not that night, depending on how worked up she allowed herself to get because he knew she’d rather work herself up into a fit than to admit she was hurt.
He set those thoughts aside. He would deal with Liz when she came to him. There was no point trying to plan how to handle her because her moods were quicksilver and it was best to just deal with them as they came. No, he was going home, taking a hot shower, and then he was going to focus on those forms he had told her he needed to fill out for class. After that he would read a couple of chapters in the book he had picked up from the library and then he’d turn in for the night.
*****
Nancy was pulling weeds in the flowerbed that bordered the shrubs around the house when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned her head and lifted one gloved hand to shade her eyes from the early-afternoon sun. She smiled when she saw Max coming up the driveway, his gait hurried.
“Running late for a date?” she asked.
“A date?” he repeated and a moment later shook his head. “No, just meeting an old friend to catch up.”
She stood up and brushed the dirt off of the gloves before taking them off. “Do you have a few minutes?”
No, he didn’t. “Yeah, sure.”
“C’mon back and I’ll pour you a glass of lemonade.” He followed her around to the back deck, taking a seat and watching her fill two glasses. “We’ve only spoken briefly since you moved into the guesthouse. I just wanted to make sure you’re settling in okay.”
“Yeah, yeah, the place is great. I enjoy my job.” He took a sip of the lemonade, pleased when it wasn’t as bitter as he’d expected.
“And my daughter?”
He choked on the drink. “I’m sorry?” He grabbed a napkin off of the table and blotted up the drops he’d sprayed on himself.
“Liz, how are things going with her?”
“Oh. Oh, right. Of course.” Somehow on the heels of his previous answer his mind had twisted the question around so that it sounded like she was asking if he was enjoying her daughter. Mind out of the gutter, Evans, he ordered himself. “Things are going pretty good.”
“I’ve noticed a difference in her the past few weeks.”
His features relaxed into an easy smile.
“I won’t ask for any specifics but…” she gnawed on her bottom lip for a moment, “… has she talked to you or opened up to you about something that happened to her in the past? Maybe something that would explain some of her behaviors and resentments towards people with a criminal background?”
“She’s doing better,” he answered cautiously.
She nodded, accepting his answer. Liz had never been willing to open up, denying there was anything to share, and as much as she wanted to know the truth she wouldn’t put Max in an uncomfortable position by asking him to break a confidence. “She’s always internalized things and that can make it difficult to see past the mask she allows the world to see.”
“She does internalize and she can be difficult to read, but the clues are there if you take the time and look hard enough.” He chuckled. “It makes her mad if you’re successful but at the same time, and she’ll never admit this, I think it also makes it easier for her to talk about things if you can find the cracks.”
Nancy sipped her lemonade and studied him. She had been worried when Jeff had confided in her about his conversation with Max about Liz. Other than hurling the occasional insult she had never known her daughter to bother the parolees who stayed in the guesthouse, but after that talk she had kept a closer eye on things. She knew Liz had taken to sleeping over at the guesthouse and as long as she and Max seemed to be on the same page she wasn’t too concerned. She had read enough about his past to understand that the choices he’d made had been for survival and she believed strongly in second chances.
“I should probably get going,” Max said after finishing his lemonade. The ice cubes clinked against the sides of the glass when he set it down. “If I’m lucky she’ll be by tonight for dinner and maybe we’ll catch a movie afterwards.”
“Maybe the two of you would like to have dinner with Jeff and myself on Sunday night?”
He nodded as he stood up. “If that’s what Liz wants. She’s reluctant to label what we have and I don’t want to push that.”
Her expression was thoughtful as she watched him cross the yard and disappear into the guesthouse. Within 15 minutes he was back out and on his way to meet his friend. She smiled as she debated Sunday night’s menu for a while before her thoughts turned back to weeding the flowerbeds.
*****
Max slipped past the grate that had been pried away from the opening to one of the city’s numerous tunnels and made his way through the labyrinth to retrieve the package one of Damon’s runners had dropped with him the night before. His hand wrapped around the grip of the 9mm pistol, small enough to conceal but large enough to put a hurt on anyone who tried to screw him over. The package looked like a box that had been wrapped for shipment and as he carried it back out into the sunlight he wished it was just a matter of dropping it in the mail to get it off his hands.
He’d made drops before and at 17 his stomach had handled it better than it did now at 23. He knew six years ago he had been more focused on what he was able to provide by running drugs for Damon. Now his brain was having trouble forgetting everything he would lose if anyone discovered what he was doing.
He forced his mind back to the moment, slammed the doors shut on everything else. There was enough to worry about with making the drop. Undercover cops were always a threat, but this was one of Damon’s longest-running small-time customers and the guy always did business one-on-one. “Simple drop,” he muttered under his breath. It was just an in-and-out deal. Drop the drugs, collect the cash, and get his ass out of there.
When he reached the client’s building he shouldered his way past the doors and up the stairs. He ignored the elevator with the fancy gold doors and made his way up five flights of stairs. His eyes traced over the brass numbers as he knocked on the door and within seconds it opened and he was ushered into the man’s apartment.
“Hey, heard you were out,” the guy said as he eagerly accepted the package and placed it on the coffee table.
Max shrugged and waited for him to cut it open and test the product. His eyes roamed over the walls and it hit him once again just how varied Damon’s clientele was. This guy was a criminal lawyer. Talk about your irony. He defended his clients for crimes while committing crimes of his own and defending others while riding high on cocaine. He had sold to cops, lawyers, stockbrokers, politicians, and he knew of at least one judge who had a habit. Society expected drugs to be a problem among the homeless, the poverty-stricken, and the neighborhoods and back alleys that most people wouldn’t walk through in broad daylight, much less at night. They didn’t want to think that it was a problem that affected the upper class. No, they were too good, too well-to-do to have problems like that.
“Quality stuff,” the guy said after he’d taken a sample.
“Boss doesn’t deal in anything less.”
The lawyer pulled out a wad of cash, counted it out, and tossed it on the table. He stood there while he waited for Max to pick it up, check the count for himself, and then nod to let him know the transaction was complete. “See you next time.”
Max made his escape and then headed out to meet with Damon so he could turn the money over to him. Once their business was complete he made his way back home, feeling a little more at ease when he spotted Liz’s car in the circular driveway. He sprinted up the manicured drive and through the back gate, grabbing the screen door and pulling it open. Diablo came to greet him as soon as he stepped inside and he took a moment to give the dog his attention before going to the kitchen where he could hear Liz moving around.
He leaned in the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest, just taking a few minutes to let her presence wash over him and calm his jittery nerves. She was wearing a red tee shirt with a pair of designer jeans and she had probably paid a fortune for the faded, worn look of the denim. She was putting something together and he craned his neck to see when she bent over to slide a baking dish into the oven.
“Dinner’ll be ready in an hour,” she said as she turned around to smile at him.
“An hour, huh?”
She walked up to him and took his hand, turning it so she could look at it. “Look at that, it’s waterproof,” she said as she set the alarm on the watch.
“So?”
“So, go put on those trunks we picked up the other day when we went out.” She grabbed the hem of her tee shirt and pulled it up and over her head to reveal a matching bikini top. “You said I could teach you to swim and since we have the time right now I think it’s time you made good on your word.”
“Why can’t I just learn to swim wearing what I’ve got on?”
“Because all that material’s too heavy. C’mon, Max, I promise this won’t hurt.”
He snorted. “Put your sunglasses on because you don’t know just how white my skin is in direct sunlight. Being exposed to that much of it at once could cause you to go blind.”
She just laughed and shook her head. “I’ll risk it. Don’t worry, you’ll be getting plenty of sun now and we’ll get that tan in shape in no time.” She gave him a shove to get him moving and went to grab some towels. “I’ll meet you out at the pool.”
Max gave up on trying to get out of swimming lessons and went into his room to dig up the trunks he had bought under protest. He stripped out of his clothes and pulled the trunks on before giving himself the once-over in the mirror. His arms had picked up some color from being out in the sun the past few weeks, but the rest of him… “Oh, yeah, that’s a good look, Evans.” He finally gave up stalling when she called out for him, her tone holding more than a hint of impatience.
Liz was sitting on the side of the pool when he walked outside and she pinched her lips between her teeth when he stepped off of the porch and into the sunlight. “Okay, yes, I think my corneas may be permanently damaged now,” she said with a teasing smile as she held a hand up to block him from her view for a moment. She had seen him in nothing but boxers but in direct sunlight his skin was rather white. “No, get your ass out here,” she said when he started to retreat.
“Just for the record, that part of me’s also blindingly white,” he grumbled.
“Nude sunbathing will take care of that too.”
“Yeah, well, you can just get used to my white ass because I’m not about to start sunbathing, and certainly not while I’m naked.”
“I suppose it’s a sacrifice I’ll have to make,” she sighed and then spoiled it with a grin. “Quit stalling and come over here and get in the water.” She pushed off of the side and slid into the pool, swimming over to the opposite side and holding her hand out to him when he sat down on the edge. “C’mon, I promise I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re taller than I am so your head won’t be underwater.”
“You won’t let go, right?”
She smiled and took his hand when he finally held it out to her. “No, I won’t let go.”
He cautiously slid into the water, involuntarily squeezing his eyes shut and holding his breath. A moment later his feet settled on the bottom and his eyes shot open when he realized he wasn’t choking on the water.
“Now try breathing,” she suggested with a smile.
Max took a few experimental breaths before he glanced around at the water. He followed her when she tugged on his hand, pulling him a few steps deeper into the water before stopping to give him time to adjust. “The water’s deeper here.”
“A little bit. We’ll get out just a little bit more, where it’s deep enough for you to tread water.”
“I’m good right here for now.”
She nodded. “Here’s good,” she said agreeably. “How was your day?”
“Work wasn’t bad. Busy.”
“You work late today?” He had left a message for her on her voicemail, letting her know he would be home a little late and that he would leave the door unlocked.
“No, went to meet an old acquaintance, just a quick hey-how’s-it-going and then I was on my way back here.”
“Do you have a lot of friends from before you went to prison?” She moved her free hand through the water. “Do this.”
He shrugged and mimicked her movements. “Not really. Only one person I really call a friend and she seems to have disappeared. Most of the people I knew back then are acquaintances and there are a few who are more than that but…”
“Still not quite in the category of friends.”
“Yeah. You learn to not get too close on the streets. Me and Ava, we hit the streets together and we had already been friends for a long time, so it was different with us.”
“So you two are really close.” She took another step backwards and he followed. “Have you slept together?”
“You’re jealous,” he said, amusement obvious in his tone.
She shrugged it off. “You’re looking for her. Because you were lovers?”
“Because we’re friends.” He took a step back when he realized the water was brushing his chin. “We’ve had sex. I won’t lie to you about that. There’s no point. But it’s not what we were about. It’s not what our connection was about.”
“So that has nothing to do with why you’re looking for her?”
“Liz, listen, you’re familiar enough with the parole system to know I shouldn’t be looking for someone from my past.” He swallowed with difficulty. “Someone who was also involved in the life that I led before I went to prison.”
She reached up to press her finger against his lips as she shook her head. “Can I do anything to help?”
“Thanks for that, but no.” He couldn’t let her into that part of his world. “I appreciate it, but just keep it to yourself. Please. Growing up it was just the two of us and we hit the streets when we were 13. You can’t know what that was like, Liz.”
She studied him, taking in the sincerity in his expression. “Will you tell me?”
That brought his gaze down to lock with hers. “It’s not a pretty story, Liz.”
“It’s part of you and I want to know about it.” She rested her forearms on his shoulders as she kept her eyes trained on his. “Tell me, Max. Tell me and show me.”
“Show you?”
“You like to walk when we go out. So when we go out, show me where you’ve been, let me see that part of your life.” She could see the hesitation in him. “Max, you want me to let you in and I want the same thing with you.”
“Your life… Liz, it’s not the same thing. You don’t wanna know what we had to do to just to survive. Parts of my life, they’re ugly.”
“I don’t care.” Her hands rested against his cheeks. “I’m in new territory with you. For the first time in, I don’t know, maybe ever, I’m really interested in someone besides myself. I mean, when I was with DJ, we were compatible, we got along, and we pretty much had everything in common.”
He pulled back and stared at her. “Wait, you and DJ were… the two of you were…”
“Sleeping together, having sex, in a relationship, yes, we were all of those things. More than that we were, and still are, the best of friends.” She shook her head at him. “And no, there’s no reason for you to be jealous of him.”
“Any more than there’s reason for you to be jealous of Ava,” he tossed back lightly.
Liz turned her head when the alarm on his watch went off. “Dinner’s ready to come out of the oven. Salad’s ready and the rolls are ready to pop in the oven for about five minutes. So, I’ll get the lasagna out and let it set for a few minutes while you run take a quick shower, wash the chlorine off, and then you can set the table and throw the rolls in the oven while I do the same.”
He nodded and slowly walked backwards, one hand on the concrete beside him and the other holding onto her. “You can tell me about your day over dinner?”
She grinned and followed him out of the pool. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.”
-
ArchAngel1973
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Prisoners of the Past (CC, A/U, Adult) Part 23 - 4/22/12
Alien_Friend: The double life will take its toll.
The flashbacks took place after his meeting with Damon and his run-in with Nancy happened several days later, just before he was set to make his first drop.
He’s learned to compartmentalize situations, but that will come with its own price. Liz is reaching out and that’s a big step for her.
Life on the streets has taken its toll and it came with a high price. Many of the things he’s done to survive, to protect Ava and himself, have taken bits and pieces of his soul.
Thank you for the compliment! Unfortunately it’s an issue that society likes to sweep under the rug rather than try to do anything to help.
All the little details will come together at some point, you’re so right.
begonia9508: Thanks!
Well, at that point if Max hadn’t accepted Damon’s offer the man would’ve turned over evidence showing Max approaching him. That would’ve been damaging and most likely would’ve resulted in revocation of his parole.
Damon doesn’t know where Ava is… yet.
Two reasons why he hasn’t asked Kyle: One, with his past he isn’t going to easily trust anyone in an authority position, and Two, Kyle’s out of the city with Ava.
MP: I thought you might enjoy that. It does suck that just as Liz is reaching this place, and wanting to reach out, Max is being sucked into his old life.
I enjoy the Sunday visits.
dreamon: Thanks! We’ll be seeing more of those throughout the story.
mary mary: Lol, thanks for the compliment.
lilah: Wow, that’s a lot of reading for two nights! Thanks, and I’m glad you’re lovin’ it!
clueless: Max is hoping for the same thing. There will be more to come, promise!
behrlyliz: Max is in a difficult position. He isn’t able to let Ava’s disappearance go and like many other things in his past, it will come at a cost. Unfortunately, Kyle isn’t able to let Max know that Ava’s safe because there’s the possibility that it could compromise her safety.
Part 23
Patrick leaned on the kitchen counter, watching the coffee dripping into the pot and waiting for the moment it would be full enough for him to fill his mug. It was Wednesday afternoon and he had just gotten up from the nap he had taken after his watch. He straightened up and stretched, leaning back to glance into the living room when the witness said something that had Valenti laughing. He didn’t know what they were always talking about. They had nothing in common that he could see. He shook his head before he could start giving it any serious thought. The cop’s presence was having the desired effect and as far as he was concerned that was the most important thing.
The witness was beginning to cooperate and it allowed him and Mac to do their job without any disruptions. His partner wasn’t showing any signs of relaxing even though Valenti was keeping their witness occupied. If anything, Mac was even more watchful. As vigilant as she was about keeping an eye on the cop he was beginning to wonder if she’d given up sleeping altogether. He had tried to remain unobtrusive as he watched her, keeping her behavior under observation. In the past few days he hadn’t caught her on the phone and she still hadn’t confided the nature of the calls to him.
He had known Mac long enough that he could tell she was aware that he was watching her, waiting for her to do something. A lot of the agents they worked with felt like she was too suspicious, and maybe sometimes she was, but maybe she had reason to be. She had a sixth sense about things so he didn’t discount what others thought of as her suspicious nature. He had caught her on the phone more than once, making calls or sending messages when she thought no one was around, but she was too guarded for him to get his hands on her phone to find out who she was talking to.
Nearly silent footsteps alerted him to his partner’s arrival and he turned his head to glance at her. She hid it well but he could tell she was unsettled about something. “Coffee?”
“Yeah, why not?” She grabbed a cup from the rack next to the sink and slid it across the counter to him. “Any idea what’s going on in there?”
He shrugged. “Who the hell knows?” He stretched and winced when he felt several pops along his spine. “Any word yet on when McCarthy’s gonna be here?”
“Wednesday afternoon.”
Patrick nodded. Valenti had taken offense to the way Assistant District Attorney Levinson had handled the interview when the man had come out a few days earlier and he had suggested she ask to meet directly with the D.A. she had first approached for the final interview. He leaned over to snag the box of donuts, dragging it closer and opening it to grab one of the sticky glazed rings. “You think she’s gonna go through with it?”
She snorted and grabbed one of the cake donuts. “She presents that evidence and testifies she gets a free ride.” She dunked the donut in her coffee before taking a bite. “Why would she back out now?”
“Fear,” he mumbled. “How many witnesses have come forward to testify against Knight? It doesn’t matter because they’re all dead now. The guy’s gonna do whatever’s necessary to make sure she never sees the inside of that courtroom. You know he doesn’t care that she’s pregnant.” He glanced over his shoulder to watch the witness for a moment. “It takes guts to do what she’s trying to do but do either of us really believe she’s gonna bring Knight’s organization to its knees?”
Mac turned her head to follow his gaze. “No.” She had seen what Knight had done to witnesses in the past. It wasn’t the first time she had been involved in an ongoing investigation of the man and his organization and she had her doubts that it would be the last. Knight was notorious for being difficult to prosecute. Witnesses and evidence disappeared, charges were inevitably dropped, and the body count continued to rise. She wasn’t old enough to be as jaded as she was, but she had long since passed the point where she believed the good guys came out winners at the end of the day and the bad guys paid for their crimes.
In the living room Kyle was slouched back in one corner of the couch, listening to Ava talk while the television droned on quietly in the background. Nothing in his posture, the direction of his gaze, or his demeanor suggested he was alert to anything going on around him but he was well aware of the conversation taking place in the kitchen. He was still trying to pin down what was wrong with the situation and he had his suspicions but he had yet to confirm them.
If his suspicions were correct, and he had long ago stopped questioning his gut instinct, the truth was going to come out very soon. Ava had met with the assistant district attorney the week before and she was scheduled to meet with the district attorney the following week to hand over the location of the evidence she had against Damon Knight. He had sat in on her last interview with the A.D.A. at her request but he hadn’t asked what kind of evidence she had or where she had hidden it.
“Do you know when you’re seriously thinking about something you get these little wrinkles between your eyes?” Ava asked. She laughed when she reached out to rub them and he nearly went cross-eyed trying to follow her finger. She sobered when he caught her hand and stared down at it, running his thumb over a scar that ran across the back of her wrist. “What’re you thinking about?”
“Where’d you get this scar?”
She pulled her hand free and rubbed it absentmindedly. “Souvenir from childhood courtesy of my dad. He wasn’t abusive or anything,” she said before the thought could form in his head. “It was completely accidental. He was distracted and my hand got slammed in a car door when I was little. My parents were too young to have a child but they wanted me, at least I have that. For the first seven years of my life I was important and wanted. There isn’t a lot that I remember but I remember they loved me.” She smiled slowly. “They would take me to ride the carousel in Central Park. We’d spend hours there, waiting in line over and over so we could ride it several times. We’d have popcorn and he’d buy me a balloon, and while we were waiting he’d draw faces on it that made me laugh.”
Kyle tipped his head to one side when her smile faded. “What?”
“My parents both worked but there was never much money. We lived in a bad neighborhood but I never knew it until I was older. My mom and dad were crazy in love with each other. When she got pregnant with me her parents kicked her out. My dad’s parents wouldn’t help either but when they told him the pregnancy wasn’t his problem he moved out and filed for emancipation. He got a job and he and my mom got married.” She shook her head. “At 16, can you imagine? They made it work though. They were together until they were killed in a drive by shooting outside of our building.”
“You were with them when it happened,” he guessed, his voice soft.
She nodded. “I saw my mom fall but I didn’t know what had happened to her. Dad pushed me down behind a parked car and tried to go back for her. He never made it.” She pressed her fingertips to her closed eyes. “I hate guns,” she whispered raggedly.
“I’m sorry,” Kyle murmured sympathetically as he shifted closer to her and draped an arm around her shoulders. “That’s a helluva thing to witness.”
“I want a better life for her,” she said as she rubbed her belly. “I want her to be safe and I wanna be there to see her grow up.” She smiled faintly. “I wanna take her to Central Park to ride on the carousel and tell her all about her grandparents.”
“You’ve got the ball rollin’ in the right direction.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you ever gonna tell me what you’re gonna name her?”
She bit her bottom lip for a moment before looking up at him. “Cadence Evangeline.”
His eyebrows lifted. “That’s quite a moniker. What’s it mean?”
“What?”
“Well, I’m guessing you put a lot of thought into her name before you decided on it so I’m just wondering what it means.”
“Oh, no one’s asked that before.”
“Cadence has somethin’ to do with rhythm, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah, she’s always been so active but it’s like there’s a rhythm to her moves.”
“And Evangeline?”
“Well,” she smiled, “I couldn’t find a name that I liked that would work with my best friend’s name so I picked Evangeline. It means good news and she was the best news I ever got. Plus his last name’s Evans and…”
“You wanted her to have a part of him.”
“Yeah. Not like I wanted him to be her daddy or anything, he’s just been such an important part of my life.” She fell silent for a few minutes. “I wish I could talk to him. I feel like our lives are going on and neither of us knows what’s going on with the other.”
“He didn’t know you were pregnant?”
She shook her head. “No, I thought it would protect him.” She glanced down at herself. “He’ll sure be surprised. I’m glad he’s out and he’s working. Never would’ve pictured him working in a restaurant, but I guess it’s an honest day’s work and that’s all that really matters.” She shifted and looked up at him. “Do you enjoy your job, Kyle?”
“It’s satisfying on some levels.”
“But you want more.”
“I think somewhere inside all of us we want more.”
She shook her head at the easy answer. “That might be true but it’s not a real answer.” She studied him. “Did you always want to be a detective?”
He chuckled at her perceptive remark. “When I went into the academy it was what I wanted. In my family it’s kind of a given that you’re gonna go into some form of law enforcement. I had no idea I’d end up doing undercover work and I had no clue how much of a toll it would take. I’m good at my job and I know I make a difference, but I think given the opportunity, I could make an even bigger difference.”
“So you don’t want to be a detective anymore? Is that a problem for your family?”
“Nah, I don’t think it’ll be a problem for them. They know that I’m actively looking for ways to make my real dream a reality and they’ll support me when I finally reach that goal and I leave the department.”
She rubbed her belly when the baby shifted. “What’s more important than what you do now?”
“Getting to kids when they’re still young enough to keep them from becoming a permanent part of the system. You’ve been part of the system so you know it’s failing. Statistically we’re looking at more than a hundred thousand homeless adults in the city and another forty thousand homeless kids annually.”
“It might not be right, but sometimes if you’re gonna survive you have to do things a different way,” she interrupted.
“And I’m not sayin’ that it’s only the homeless who fall into criminal activities, but they do make up a significant number. Kids who fall into the foster system also make up a significant number of the juveniles who end up in the criminal justice system and a lot of them go on to become career criminals. There are programs that focus on rehabilitation but the system’s moved on to putting more focus on punishment and for certain crimes I’m good with that. Kids though, they need someone they can trust, someone who’ll listen to them and who they’ll listen to, and someplace safe they can go.”
“And you want to do something like that.” She looked at him and nodded. “I have a feeling you’ll succeed.”
“I’m gonna do my damnedest.” Quiet laughter rumbled in his chest. “Why don’t you come keep me company while I throw somethin’ together for lunch?”
*****
Jennifer Rush used her upper arms to wipe the tears from her eyes before straightening up as well as she could and beginning the long journey to the dormitory-style building where her room was located. She wanted to leave this place but where would she go? She wondered if Alex was coming to the home today. He had started to come around pretty regularly and a lot of times Isabel would join them for lunch or just to talk for a while.
They were nice people and she enjoyed it when they spent time together. She scanned the parking lot for their car but didn’t see it. She sighed and made her way into the building, trying to ignore the sounds of all the other kids out on the playground. She was tired and a couple of the boys had been making fun of her, calling her names and being mean. She always tried to not let their words hurt her but it was hard when they said things like she walked like a chimpanzee.
She didn’t think it was her fault she walked like she did. The doctors said she was born like that so it couldn’t be anything she did. Daddy always said it was because she grew wrong and she couldn’t think of any reason why he would lie to her. She wanted the doctor to be right but then that would mean Daddy had been wrong. She sighed when she saw the open door to the room she shared with three other girls and she was relieved that they had all stayed out on the playground. She frowned when she heard voices coming from inside but a moment later she identified one of them.
She tried to walk faster in her excitement and nearly ended up on the floor. She finally reached the door and she smiled when she saw Alex sitting on the end of her bed. “Hi, Alex!”
“Hey, Jenny.” He studied her face for a moment. “Everything okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, it’s okay. Jeffrey was bein’ mean but I don’t care what he says.”
“That’s good. Mean things don’t deserve to have your attention.”
“I didn’t see your car.”
“Well, we came in a different car today.” He hid a smile as he motioned to the window. “See that black car out there? It’s parked on the street instead of in the parking lot.”
She made her way over to the window and looked outside, her eyes widening at the limo parked there. “Wow, that’s a big car.”
He scratched his neck and glanced up when Isabel joined them. He smiled when the little girl shifted around and he saw her face light up even more when she saw his fiancé.
“Hi, Isabel.”
“How are you today, Jenny?”
She shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” She looked around the room, pausing briefly on each of the adults as she tried to figure out what was going on. “Am I in trouble?”
Isabel chuckled. “No, you’re not in trouble. Alex and I will be going home pretty soon and we were wondering if you’d like to spend the weekend with us.”
“Me?” Shock colored her voice and face. “Really?”
Alex nodded. “Isabel and I have talked about it and we’d really like it if you’d say yes.” He looked at his fiancé and smiled. They had spent hours discussing it, going over everything they could think of. The paperwork had already been taken care of and it was sitting on Sharon’s desk, signed and approved.
“For the whole weekend?” she asked carefully.
“For as long as you’d like,” Isabel said with a smile. “We thought we’d take you home with us for the weekend and if you decide you’d like to make it more permanent…”
“You want to keep me?” Jennifer’s eyes welled up as her gaze bounced between them.
“We’d love to keep you, Jenny,” Alex assured her. “But we want you to want it too.”
She held her breath for a minute, thinking at any moment she was going to wake up from a dream. When they didn’t disappear she hobbled over to them, dropping her crutches and throwing herself into their waiting arms.
*****
Max was sitting on the porch on Friday night, chair tipped back on two legs, eyes closed and his head resting against the side of the house. Liz had called him just as he was leaving work to ask him if he wanted to double with Michael and Maria that night. He had accepted, thinking it would be good to get out for a while. It had been a couple of weeks since he’d made that first run for Damon and he’d made a couple more in that time. He hated the lying, the sneaking around, and the feeling that the life he was trying to create for himself was just waiting to come crumbling down around his ears.
He cracked one eye open when he heard the back gate open and he dropped the chair onto all four legs when he saw his parole officer crossing the yard. Damn it! He got to his feet and rested one hand on the railing, hoping he looked more relaxed than he felt. He could feel his heart pounding and he swallowed hard as he tried to bring his breathing under control in an effort to calm his erratic heartbeat.
“Evening, Max,” James called out.
“Officer Valenti,” he responded, grateful when his voice didn’t waver.
“How’re things going?”
Max scratched his jaw and shrugged one shoulder. “Good.”
“Mind if I have a look around?”
“No, but if you could just wait a few minutes.”
His left eyebrow lifted. “Why?”
Before he could answer Liz pushed the screen door open.
“Max, do you like the red or the…” she trailed off when she saw his parole officer standing on the porch next to him. “Oh, hi, James.”
“Ms. Parker,” he said as he reached up to touch the brim of his hat. “Just dropping in for an inspection.” He didn’t comment on the oversized tee shirt that hung on her petite frame but as far as a reason for asking a parole officer to wait before entering a residence, he supposed protecting a woman’s modesty was an acceptable one.
She nodded and stepped aside so he could enter the house. “Anyway, what I was saying about… Max?” She frowned when she caught him watching the door his parole officer had just disappeared through. She couldn’t quite identify the expression on his face but it was quickly masked when he turned his head to look at her.
“What?”
She held up two hangers, one with a white tank top and the other with a red tank top. “Which one do you like better?”
“Oh.” He stared at the two tops for several seconds, his mind on the blade he had been careful to conceal as soon as he had purchased it. He was pretty sure his parole officer wouldn’t find it, but there was always the off chance that he might. “The uh, go with the white. No, the red.” He shrugged at her impatient huff of breath. “Yeah, definitely the red one.” His gaze traveled over the tee shirt she had taken from his closet, pausing at the sight of her thighs that were bare below the hem. “You’re wearin’ something under that, right?”
She smiled at the territorial note in his voice. “Um-hmm.”
“Thank God,” he growled.
“I bought a new body spray,” she said conversationally and waited until he looked like he was relaxing fractionally. “I sprayed some on before I slipped into your shirt.” She grinned when he gaped at her before shooting a quick look back at the house.
“That’s all you’re wearin’?”
He looked like he was about to swallow his tongue and that delighted her. His eyes moved over her as if he was trying to determine if she was telling the truth or not and she had to fight to keep a straight face. She smiled when James stepped outside once more. “I would imagine you found everything in order?”
He chuckled at the direct question but he addressed Max when he spoke. “Have a good evening, Max, and I’ll see you next time.” He had taken nearly a dozen steps when he suddenly stopped and turned around. “Oh, I saw that you’ve enrolled in a class.” He nodded in approval. “You made a good selection for your first class. I’m glad to see you decided to stick with your first choice.”
Liz smiled at Max. “I think I’ll go finish getting ready before Maria and Michael get here.”
He nodded and watched her walk back inside. “We’re goin’ out tonight.”
“You two are seein’ each other pretty regularly?”
“Yeah.”
James studied the younger man for several unnerving minutes. “Everything going alright? You havin’ problems with anything?” He paused. “Problems with anyone?”
“No, no, things are okay.” Part of him wanted to just let the truth out, just get it over with, but he couldn’t. He was no closer to getting any information on Ava but while there was still a chance that she was out there he couldn’t give up on her.
He gave it another minute before he nodded. “Alright, I’ll see myself out. You kids have fun tonight.”
Max took a couple of steps back and dropped down into the chair, taking the time to calm down before he got back up to go inside. He went into the kitchen and filled a glass with water. He dropped a few ice cubes into the liquid and listened to them crack and pop as the water interacted with the ice. He took a long drink and was leaning back against the counter when someone knocked on the front door.
He hollered back to let Liz know Michael and Maria had arrived as he pushed the screen door open to let them inside. If she didn’t know they had company she would walk from one room to another in her underwear. Not that he had any complaints about that as long he was the only one around to get an eyeful.
“Hey, Max,” Maria greeted with a smile. “Is Liz still getting ready?”
“Yeah, she’s back in the bedroom.”
She elbowed Michael when he opened his mouth. “Do not make a single comment.”
“Girl’s got a lethal elbow jab,” he muttered, rubbing his ribs when she disappeared down the hall. “It’s a good thing we’re not goin’ anywhere with reservations ‘cause we’d never be there on time.”
“Where’re we going anyway?” Max asked as they settled on the furniture in the living room.
“You like Mexican?”
“Who doesn’t?”
Michael nodded. “Best Mexican food in the city. People think if a restaurant’s all fancy and you’ve gotta have reservations a month in advance the food’s better but I can guarantee this little hole-in-the-wall’s got better food than any of those places.” He grinned. “They’ve also got pool tables and TVs so we can catch the game. Hey, you ever been to a game?”
“No.”
“You wanna go? There’s a game on Sunday afternoon and Maria won’t care if I take you instead of her.”
“You guys go to a lot of games?”
“Her dad snags season tickets every year and if one of us can’t go then whoever is goin’ can invite someone else along.”
“Her dad… the cop, right?”
“Might as well get over that, man. You’re gonna be around this group you’re gonna have to deal with cops, that’s just a fact of life. As long as you stay straight and keep your nose clean you’ve got nothin’ to worry about. So anyway, Kyle’s outta town so he won’t be goin’ on Sunday, which means his seat’ll be empty.”
“Uh, well, I’m not sure about Sunday.”
Michael shrugged. “Well, you’ve got my number, just lemme know one way or the other by tomorrow night.” He leaned forward and poked at the college brochures lying on the coffee table. “Psychology, huh?”
“Sounded interesting.”
“Sounds like a lotta work.” He snorted and checked his watch. “Maria, you two get a move on! You know if we get there past seven the only pool table’s gonna be left is the one with the warped surface.”
“Pancho said he’d make sure you had a table.”
Standing in front of the dresser mirror in the bedroom Liz made a face at Maria’s reflection. “I should’ve known he’d pick that dive.”
“Hey, you agreed to letting him pick the restaurant for dinner and you know when we go out a lot of times that’s where we go.” She grinned. “And you can’t say they don’t have the best Mexican food or make the best margarita in the city. Because you know they do.”
“I agreed because you said if he picked the restaurant you’d be able to talk him into going to the club afterwards.”
“And I will. Trust me, we go out for dinner, let the guys unwind with a few beers, watch the game for a while, and maybe shoot a few games of pool, and when it’s time to head over to the club he’ll be a lot more receptive. He doesn’t enjoy the club scene, Liz, and he already spends every other weekend working nights there so suffering through great Mexican food is the least you can do.”
“Oh, alright.” She turned and studied her reflection, her eyes searching for anything that might be out of place or need to be touched up.
“Looks like you’re getting pretty comfortable with Max,” Maria said as she applied a fresh coat of lip gloss. Her eyes were following Liz as she hung a few of her things in the closet.
“My parents wanted to have Sunday dinner with us a couple weeks ago.” She straightened one of the shirts, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles.
Maria slowly turned to look at her. That was serious. “The two of you had Sunday dinner with your parents?”
“No.” She bit her bottom lip. “I think he really wanted to but… dinner with my parents, that just felt too serious. The only guy I’ve ever had over for dinner with my parents is DJ and we were as serious as I’ve ever been.”
“You don’t think things are headed that way with Max?”
Yes. “I don’t know. He’s… we haven’t even slept together yet.”
That had Maria’s eyebrows climbing up on her forehead. “What?”
“Well, I mean, most nights I do stay over here and we share the same bed but,” she shook her head, “we haven’t had sex.”
“You’ve been seeing him for what, a month almost?” She nodded as she mused quietly, “And you haven’t had sex.”
“Yeah, and that right there says there’s more to this.” She gave her reflection one more check before clearing her throat. “Anyway, let’s save this conversation for another time. I’m really not ready for it right now.”
Maria dropped it and followed Liz back out to the living room where the guys were slouched down like a couple of sloths. She grinned at her boyfriend when she caught the heated look in the dark eyes that lazily slid over her. “C’mon, let’s get going before you lose your precious pool table.” She took his hand when he held it out to her and she pulled him to his feet. “We have the entire night to ourselves so let’s go out and enjoy it.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Liz, you remember where the restaurant is, right? Just in case we lose you in traffic.”
“Yeah, go on, we’re right behind you.”
Max tried to swallow but his mouth felt as dry as the desert. His eyes traveled over the jeans that looked like they had been painted on and the tank top that fit her like a second skin. God almighty, what was she trying to do to him? She had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he couldn’t help but say it out loud. He ignored Michael when he coughed out a comment about her having him by the balls, accepting the ribbing for what it was, and shooting a grin at Maria when she just rolled her eyes.
Michael let her lead him outside into the warm evening air. Summer was well on its way and before long it would be the Fourth of July, the biggest holiday weekend of the summer and fast on its heels would come Labor Day weekend. Summer already promised to be a hot one and work had started picking up weeks ago. As the days lengthened and the weather stayed clear he knew they would be putting in more hours to complete their current project. The powers that be were pushing hard because they had fallen behind schedule after several weeks of bad weather a couple of months earlier. He didn’t mind the extra hours or the hard work but he had made sure to get his holiday time off approved well in advance to make sure he wouldn’t be stuck working instead of enjoying that time with his family.
*****
Max glanced around at the people in the club as they wound their way through the crowd. The place was packed, the music was loud, and Liz and Maria were both moving to the music as they worked their way to a table. Dinner had been a pleasant affair and one that hadn’t meant breaking the bank, which had just been a bonus. He and Michael had spent a couple hours playing pool and he had enjoyed the competition. Pool was one game he was familiar with and it was also one he happened to be very good at. Things had gotten interesting when another player from one of the other tables had taken notice and challenged them. The money that had been riding on the game after several rounds had been ridiculous and he and Michael had split the pot before leaving to head over to the club.
It hadn’t taken long to figure out that Michael really wasn’t interested in spending any time at the club. He enjoyed smaller places and after noticing the way the other guy observed everything going on around him he could understand. He didn’t like not being aware of the things going on around him and that was hard to keep track of when you were someplace like a club. They were large, noisy, crowded, and it was impossible to keep everything and everyone in sight. He didn’t know what Michael had done time for but it was apparent the guy hated being in an uncontrolled environment.
They finally located an unoccupied table that was barely big enough to hold four drinks and as they slid onto the barstools a tall olive-skinned man joined them, his lithe body moving to the music as if he didn’t have a bone in his body.
“Manny!” Maria shouted and leaned forward to give him a hug.
Perfect teeth flashed in his handsome face as he returned the embrace. “Where’ve you been, girl?” His gaze shifted to Michael and it slid over him suggestively. “And where have you been hiding, Miguel?” He released Maria to turn and give the other man his full attention. “Look at that tan.” He sighed dramatically and glanced at Maria. “And he doesn’t even pay for it!”
Max did a double take when the guy openly flirted with Michael. It was one-sided but he was surprised when Michael didn’t go off on him.
Maria laughed and nodded. “I know. They pay him for it! He tans beautifully, doesn’t he?”
Manny made a sound of agreement low in his throat. “Leave her, Miguel.”
“I’d break you,” Michael said dismissively. “Get me a beer, Manny.”
The man shuddered dramatically. “Is he so demanding all the time?”
“All the time,” Maria agreed with a teasing grin.
Manny started muttering in his native language but a moment later he was taking their drink orders.
Liz saw Max shift uncomfortably when the man turned that flirty smile on him and before he could speak she caught Manny’s attention and gave a sharp shake of her head. He backed off, giving her a slight nod and going back to their orders.
“I know, beer for you,” he said with a wink at Michael. “Always the same, Miguel.”
“Some tastes never change, Manny.”
He chuckled. “A shame for both of us.” And he was off to turn their orders in at the bar.
The girls excused themselves and took off in the direction of the restrooms. “He’s harmless,” Michael shouted to be heard over the music. “He likes to flirt and the first time he did it, it made me uncomfortable as hell.”
“You always seem to surprise me.”
He shrugged. “A few years back I would’ve taken his head off. Way I grew up you didn’t take that from another guy, there were all kinds of reasons, all kinds of rules. But no matter what kinda prejudices you grow up with you’ve gotta decide what’s right for yourself. Once you get past a certain age you can’t blame your behavior on the way you grew up. At some point you begin to distinguish right from wrong on your own and you have to take responsibility for your actions.” He glanced up and his eyes settled on Maria as she and Liz weaved their way back through the crowd towards them. He had gotten lucky when his girl had barreled into his life, hanging onto him and refusing to give up on him even when things had gotten so dark he had done everything he could to push her away. “Prejudice, racism, all it does is hurt people and there’s no point.”
“You’re right about that.”
Michael shook his head and smiled when Manny caught Maria around the waist with one arm, dancing with her while holding a tray of drinks in his other hand. “That right there’s a bonus to havin’ a friend who’s gay.”
“Say what?”
“Maria likes to dance, and me, I’m not too big on it.”
Max studied his expression and laughed. “You hate it.”
“Yeah, pretty much. Manny, he loves it and it’s kinda hard to be jealous of a guy who spends every free minute flirting with you instead of your girl.”
“You are though.”
“You wanna get outta my head?” Damn psyche class, he thought with a mental snort. Yeah, maybe there was still some jealousy but these days he had it under control. Maria had made it clear that she loved to dance and if he wasn’t going to get out on the dance floor with her then he was going to have to accept that she would be dancing with someone else. And as long as that someone else was Manny he could live with it.
Max smirked, enjoying the rare opportunity to wind Michael up. He turned his head, his gaze scanning the crowd and locating Liz dancing with Maria and Manny. He watched her for a few minutes, appreciating the way she moved. He smiled when she caught him watching her and she motioned for him to join them on the floor. He slid off of the barstool and dropped to his feet. “Looks like I’m bein’ summoned.”
“Be prepared ‘cause when you’re not lookin’ Manny’ll grab your ass.”
He snorted. “Maybe I’ll go grab a drink first.” He leaned on the bar and motioned to the woman serving drinks, nodding when she held up a finger to let him know it would be a minute.
“Wonder how much your new friends would like you if they knew who you really are.”
He turned his head, his blood boiling in his veins when he saw Nicholas casually leaning against the counter next to him. “Aren’t you out past curfew, Nicky?”
“Fuck you, Evans. Boss has another job for you.”
“I don’t take my orders from you. I know when and where I’m supposed to be.”
Nicholas turned his head to stare out at the dance floor. “She’s hot, Max. Be a shame to see someone carve her up.”
His eyes and voice turned to ice. “Anyone comes close to her and I’ll come after you first.” He shook his head. “Remember the last time I came after you, Nicky? You won’t get off so easy if we face off again.”
“Boss wants to see you tomorrow at 2pm. Be at the house on time. You know he takes offense to people being late.”
“Get lost before I kick your ass just for lookin’ at her,” Max snarled when Nicholas let his gaze slide over Liz again.
“Everything okay over here?”
Nicholas glanced up at the man he had seen sitting with Max earlier. “Just leaving.”
Michael’s eyes narrowed as the guy slunk away, disappearing into the crowd. “Max?”
He shrugged. “Nothin’ important. Just didn’t like him lookin’ at Liz the way he was.”
“That all there was to it?”
Max ducked his head to hide it when he swallowed hard. “Yeah,” he lied, “that’s all it was.”
The flashbacks took place after his meeting with Damon and his run-in with Nancy happened several days later, just before he was set to make his first drop.
He’s learned to compartmentalize situations, but that will come with its own price. Liz is reaching out and that’s a big step for her.
Life on the streets has taken its toll and it came with a high price. Many of the things he’s done to survive, to protect Ava and himself, have taken bits and pieces of his soul.
Thank you for the compliment! Unfortunately it’s an issue that society likes to sweep under the rug rather than try to do anything to help.
All the little details will come together at some point, you’re so right.
begonia9508: Thanks!
Well, at that point if Max hadn’t accepted Damon’s offer the man would’ve turned over evidence showing Max approaching him. That would’ve been damaging and most likely would’ve resulted in revocation of his parole.
Damon doesn’t know where Ava is… yet.
Two reasons why he hasn’t asked Kyle: One, with his past he isn’t going to easily trust anyone in an authority position, and Two, Kyle’s out of the city with Ava.
MP: I thought you might enjoy that.
It does suck that just as Liz is reaching this place, and wanting to reach out, Max is being sucked into his old life.I enjoy the Sunday visits.
dreamon: Thanks! We’ll be seeing more of those throughout the story.
mary mary: Lol, thanks for the compliment.
lilah: Wow, that’s a lot of reading for two nights! Thanks, and I’m glad you’re lovin’ it!
clueless: Max is hoping for the same thing. There will be more to come, promise!
behrlyliz: Max is in a difficult position. He isn’t able to let Ava’s disappearance go and like many other things in his past, it will come at a cost. Unfortunately, Kyle isn’t able to let Max know that Ava’s safe because there’s the possibility that it could compromise her safety.
Part 23
Patrick leaned on the kitchen counter, watching the coffee dripping into the pot and waiting for the moment it would be full enough for him to fill his mug. It was Wednesday afternoon and he had just gotten up from the nap he had taken after his watch. He straightened up and stretched, leaning back to glance into the living room when the witness said something that had Valenti laughing. He didn’t know what they were always talking about. They had nothing in common that he could see. He shook his head before he could start giving it any serious thought. The cop’s presence was having the desired effect and as far as he was concerned that was the most important thing.
The witness was beginning to cooperate and it allowed him and Mac to do their job without any disruptions. His partner wasn’t showing any signs of relaxing even though Valenti was keeping their witness occupied. If anything, Mac was even more watchful. As vigilant as she was about keeping an eye on the cop he was beginning to wonder if she’d given up sleeping altogether. He had tried to remain unobtrusive as he watched her, keeping her behavior under observation. In the past few days he hadn’t caught her on the phone and she still hadn’t confided the nature of the calls to him.
He had known Mac long enough that he could tell she was aware that he was watching her, waiting for her to do something. A lot of the agents they worked with felt like she was too suspicious, and maybe sometimes she was, but maybe she had reason to be. She had a sixth sense about things so he didn’t discount what others thought of as her suspicious nature. He had caught her on the phone more than once, making calls or sending messages when she thought no one was around, but she was too guarded for him to get his hands on her phone to find out who she was talking to.
Nearly silent footsteps alerted him to his partner’s arrival and he turned his head to glance at her. She hid it well but he could tell she was unsettled about something. “Coffee?”
“Yeah, why not?” She grabbed a cup from the rack next to the sink and slid it across the counter to him. “Any idea what’s going on in there?”
He shrugged. “Who the hell knows?” He stretched and winced when he felt several pops along his spine. “Any word yet on when McCarthy’s gonna be here?”
“Wednesday afternoon.”
Patrick nodded. Valenti had taken offense to the way Assistant District Attorney Levinson had handled the interview when the man had come out a few days earlier and he had suggested she ask to meet directly with the D.A. she had first approached for the final interview. He leaned over to snag the box of donuts, dragging it closer and opening it to grab one of the sticky glazed rings. “You think she’s gonna go through with it?”
She snorted and grabbed one of the cake donuts. “She presents that evidence and testifies she gets a free ride.” She dunked the donut in her coffee before taking a bite. “Why would she back out now?”
“Fear,” he mumbled. “How many witnesses have come forward to testify against Knight? It doesn’t matter because they’re all dead now. The guy’s gonna do whatever’s necessary to make sure she never sees the inside of that courtroom. You know he doesn’t care that she’s pregnant.” He glanced over his shoulder to watch the witness for a moment. “It takes guts to do what she’s trying to do but do either of us really believe she’s gonna bring Knight’s organization to its knees?”
Mac turned her head to follow his gaze. “No.” She had seen what Knight had done to witnesses in the past. It wasn’t the first time she had been involved in an ongoing investigation of the man and his organization and she had her doubts that it would be the last. Knight was notorious for being difficult to prosecute. Witnesses and evidence disappeared, charges were inevitably dropped, and the body count continued to rise. She wasn’t old enough to be as jaded as she was, but she had long since passed the point where she believed the good guys came out winners at the end of the day and the bad guys paid for their crimes.
In the living room Kyle was slouched back in one corner of the couch, listening to Ava talk while the television droned on quietly in the background. Nothing in his posture, the direction of his gaze, or his demeanor suggested he was alert to anything going on around him but he was well aware of the conversation taking place in the kitchen. He was still trying to pin down what was wrong with the situation and he had his suspicions but he had yet to confirm them.
If his suspicions were correct, and he had long ago stopped questioning his gut instinct, the truth was going to come out very soon. Ava had met with the assistant district attorney the week before and she was scheduled to meet with the district attorney the following week to hand over the location of the evidence she had against Damon Knight. He had sat in on her last interview with the A.D.A. at her request but he hadn’t asked what kind of evidence she had or where she had hidden it.
“Do you know when you’re seriously thinking about something you get these little wrinkles between your eyes?” Ava asked. She laughed when she reached out to rub them and he nearly went cross-eyed trying to follow her finger. She sobered when he caught her hand and stared down at it, running his thumb over a scar that ran across the back of her wrist. “What’re you thinking about?”
“Where’d you get this scar?”
She pulled her hand free and rubbed it absentmindedly. “Souvenir from childhood courtesy of my dad. He wasn’t abusive or anything,” she said before the thought could form in his head. “It was completely accidental. He was distracted and my hand got slammed in a car door when I was little. My parents were too young to have a child but they wanted me, at least I have that. For the first seven years of my life I was important and wanted. There isn’t a lot that I remember but I remember they loved me.” She smiled slowly. “They would take me to ride the carousel in Central Park. We’d spend hours there, waiting in line over and over so we could ride it several times. We’d have popcorn and he’d buy me a balloon, and while we were waiting he’d draw faces on it that made me laugh.”
Kyle tipped his head to one side when her smile faded. “What?”
“My parents both worked but there was never much money. We lived in a bad neighborhood but I never knew it until I was older. My mom and dad were crazy in love with each other. When she got pregnant with me her parents kicked her out. My dad’s parents wouldn’t help either but when they told him the pregnancy wasn’t his problem he moved out and filed for emancipation. He got a job and he and my mom got married.” She shook her head. “At 16, can you imagine? They made it work though. They were together until they were killed in a drive by shooting outside of our building.”
“You were with them when it happened,” he guessed, his voice soft.
She nodded. “I saw my mom fall but I didn’t know what had happened to her. Dad pushed me down behind a parked car and tried to go back for her. He never made it.” She pressed her fingertips to her closed eyes. “I hate guns,” she whispered raggedly.
“I’m sorry,” Kyle murmured sympathetically as he shifted closer to her and draped an arm around her shoulders. “That’s a helluva thing to witness.”
“I want a better life for her,” she said as she rubbed her belly. “I want her to be safe and I wanna be there to see her grow up.” She smiled faintly. “I wanna take her to Central Park to ride on the carousel and tell her all about her grandparents.”
“You’ve got the ball rollin’ in the right direction.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you ever gonna tell me what you’re gonna name her?”
She bit her bottom lip for a moment before looking up at him. “Cadence Evangeline.”
His eyebrows lifted. “That’s quite a moniker. What’s it mean?”
“What?”
“Well, I’m guessing you put a lot of thought into her name before you decided on it so I’m just wondering what it means.”
“Oh, no one’s asked that before.”
“Cadence has somethin’ to do with rhythm, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah, she’s always been so active but it’s like there’s a rhythm to her moves.”
“And Evangeline?”
“Well,” she smiled, “I couldn’t find a name that I liked that would work with my best friend’s name so I picked Evangeline. It means good news and she was the best news I ever got. Plus his last name’s Evans and…”
“You wanted her to have a part of him.”
“Yeah. Not like I wanted him to be her daddy or anything, he’s just been such an important part of my life.” She fell silent for a few minutes. “I wish I could talk to him. I feel like our lives are going on and neither of us knows what’s going on with the other.”
“He didn’t know you were pregnant?”
She shook her head. “No, I thought it would protect him.” She glanced down at herself. “He’ll sure be surprised. I’m glad he’s out and he’s working. Never would’ve pictured him working in a restaurant, but I guess it’s an honest day’s work and that’s all that really matters.” She shifted and looked up at him. “Do you enjoy your job, Kyle?”
“It’s satisfying on some levels.”
“But you want more.”
“I think somewhere inside all of us we want more.”
She shook her head at the easy answer. “That might be true but it’s not a real answer.” She studied him. “Did you always want to be a detective?”
He chuckled at her perceptive remark. “When I went into the academy it was what I wanted. In my family it’s kind of a given that you’re gonna go into some form of law enforcement. I had no idea I’d end up doing undercover work and I had no clue how much of a toll it would take. I’m good at my job and I know I make a difference, but I think given the opportunity, I could make an even bigger difference.”
“So you don’t want to be a detective anymore? Is that a problem for your family?”
“Nah, I don’t think it’ll be a problem for them. They know that I’m actively looking for ways to make my real dream a reality and they’ll support me when I finally reach that goal and I leave the department.”
She rubbed her belly when the baby shifted. “What’s more important than what you do now?”
“Getting to kids when they’re still young enough to keep them from becoming a permanent part of the system. You’ve been part of the system so you know it’s failing. Statistically we’re looking at more than a hundred thousand homeless adults in the city and another forty thousand homeless kids annually.”
“It might not be right, but sometimes if you’re gonna survive you have to do things a different way,” she interrupted.
“And I’m not sayin’ that it’s only the homeless who fall into criminal activities, but they do make up a significant number. Kids who fall into the foster system also make up a significant number of the juveniles who end up in the criminal justice system and a lot of them go on to become career criminals. There are programs that focus on rehabilitation but the system’s moved on to putting more focus on punishment and for certain crimes I’m good with that. Kids though, they need someone they can trust, someone who’ll listen to them and who they’ll listen to, and someplace safe they can go.”
“And you want to do something like that.” She looked at him and nodded. “I have a feeling you’ll succeed.”
“I’m gonna do my damnedest.” Quiet laughter rumbled in his chest. “Why don’t you come keep me company while I throw somethin’ together for lunch?”
*****
Jennifer Rush used her upper arms to wipe the tears from her eyes before straightening up as well as she could and beginning the long journey to the dormitory-style building where her room was located. She wanted to leave this place but where would she go? She wondered if Alex was coming to the home today. He had started to come around pretty regularly and a lot of times Isabel would join them for lunch or just to talk for a while.
They were nice people and she enjoyed it when they spent time together. She scanned the parking lot for their car but didn’t see it. She sighed and made her way into the building, trying to ignore the sounds of all the other kids out on the playground. She was tired and a couple of the boys had been making fun of her, calling her names and being mean. She always tried to not let their words hurt her but it was hard when they said things like she walked like a chimpanzee.
She didn’t think it was her fault she walked like she did. The doctors said she was born like that so it couldn’t be anything she did. Daddy always said it was because she grew wrong and she couldn’t think of any reason why he would lie to her. She wanted the doctor to be right but then that would mean Daddy had been wrong. She sighed when she saw the open door to the room she shared with three other girls and she was relieved that they had all stayed out on the playground. She frowned when she heard voices coming from inside but a moment later she identified one of them.
She tried to walk faster in her excitement and nearly ended up on the floor. She finally reached the door and she smiled when she saw Alex sitting on the end of her bed. “Hi, Alex!”
“Hey, Jenny.” He studied her face for a moment. “Everything okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah, it’s okay. Jeffrey was bein’ mean but I don’t care what he says.”
“That’s good. Mean things don’t deserve to have your attention.”
“I didn’t see your car.”
“Well, we came in a different car today.” He hid a smile as he motioned to the window. “See that black car out there? It’s parked on the street instead of in the parking lot.”
She made her way over to the window and looked outside, her eyes widening at the limo parked there. “Wow, that’s a big car.”
He scratched his neck and glanced up when Isabel joined them. He smiled when the little girl shifted around and he saw her face light up even more when she saw his fiancé.
“Hi, Isabel.”
“How are you today, Jenny?”
She shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” She looked around the room, pausing briefly on each of the adults as she tried to figure out what was going on. “Am I in trouble?”
Isabel chuckled. “No, you’re not in trouble. Alex and I will be going home pretty soon and we were wondering if you’d like to spend the weekend with us.”
“Me?” Shock colored her voice and face. “Really?”
Alex nodded. “Isabel and I have talked about it and we’d really like it if you’d say yes.” He looked at his fiancé and smiled. They had spent hours discussing it, going over everything they could think of. The paperwork had already been taken care of and it was sitting on Sharon’s desk, signed and approved.
“For the whole weekend?” she asked carefully.
“For as long as you’d like,” Isabel said with a smile. “We thought we’d take you home with us for the weekend and if you decide you’d like to make it more permanent…”
“You want to keep me?” Jennifer’s eyes welled up as her gaze bounced between them.
“We’d love to keep you, Jenny,” Alex assured her. “But we want you to want it too.”
She held her breath for a minute, thinking at any moment she was going to wake up from a dream. When they didn’t disappear she hobbled over to them, dropping her crutches and throwing herself into their waiting arms.
*****
Max was sitting on the porch on Friday night, chair tipped back on two legs, eyes closed and his head resting against the side of the house. Liz had called him just as he was leaving work to ask him if he wanted to double with Michael and Maria that night. He had accepted, thinking it would be good to get out for a while. It had been a couple of weeks since he’d made that first run for Damon and he’d made a couple more in that time. He hated the lying, the sneaking around, and the feeling that the life he was trying to create for himself was just waiting to come crumbling down around his ears.
He cracked one eye open when he heard the back gate open and he dropped the chair onto all four legs when he saw his parole officer crossing the yard. Damn it! He got to his feet and rested one hand on the railing, hoping he looked more relaxed than he felt. He could feel his heart pounding and he swallowed hard as he tried to bring his breathing under control in an effort to calm his erratic heartbeat.
“Evening, Max,” James called out.
“Officer Valenti,” he responded, grateful when his voice didn’t waver.
“How’re things going?”
Max scratched his jaw and shrugged one shoulder. “Good.”
“Mind if I have a look around?”
“No, but if you could just wait a few minutes.”
His left eyebrow lifted. “Why?”
Before he could answer Liz pushed the screen door open.
“Max, do you like the red or the…” she trailed off when she saw his parole officer standing on the porch next to him. “Oh, hi, James.”
“Ms. Parker,” he said as he reached up to touch the brim of his hat. “Just dropping in for an inspection.” He didn’t comment on the oversized tee shirt that hung on her petite frame but as far as a reason for asking a parole officer to wait before entering a residence, he supposed protecting a woman’s modesty was an acceptable one.
She nodded and stepped aside so he could enter the house. “Anyway, what I was saying about… Max?” She frowned when she caught him watching the door his parole officer had just disappeared through. She couldn’t quite identify the expression on his face but it was quickly masked when he turned his head to look at her.
“What?”
She held up two hangers, one with a white tank top and the other with a red tank top. “Which one do you like better?”
“Oh.” He stared at the two tops for several seconds, his mind on the blade he had been careful to conceal as soon as he had purchased it. He was pretty sure his parole officer wouldn’t find it, but there was always the off chance that he might. “The uh, go with the white. No, the red.” He shrugged at her impatient huff of breath. “Yeah, definitely the red one.” His gaze traveled over the tee shirt she had taken from his closet, pausing at the sight of her thighs that were bare below the hem. “You’re wearin’ something under that, right?”
She smiled at the territorial note in his voice. “Um-hmm.”
“Thank God,” he growled.
“I bought a new body spray,” she said conversationally and waited until he looked like he was relaxing fractionally. “I sprayed some on before I slipped into your shirt.” She grinned when he gaped at her before shooting a quick look back at the house.
“That’s all you’re wearin’?”
He looked like he was about to swallow his tongue and that delighted her. His eyes moved over her as if he was trying to determine if she was telling the truth or not and she had to fight to keep a straight face. She smiled when James stepped outside once more. “I would imagine you found everything in order?”
He chuckled at the direct question but he addressed Max when he spoke. “Have a good evening, Max, and I’ll see you next time.” He had taken nearly a dozen steps when he suddenly stopped and turned around. “Oh, I saw that you’ve enrolled in a class.” He nodded in approval. “You made a good selection for your first class. I’m glad to see you decided to stick with your first choice.”
Liz smiled at Max. “I think I’ll go finish getting ready before Maria and Michael get here.”
He nodded and watched her walk back inside. “We’re goin’ out tonight.”
“You two are seein’ each other pretty regularly?”
“Yeah.”
James studied the younger man for several unnerving minutes. “Everything going alright? You havin’ problems with anything?” He paused. “Problems with anyone?”
“No, no, things are okay.” Part of him wanted to just let the truth out, just get it over with, but he couldn’t. He was no closer to getting any information on Ava but while there was still a chance that she was out there he couldn’t give up on her.
He gave it another minute before he nodded. “Alright, I’ll see myself out. You kids have fun tonight.”
Max took a couple of steps back and dropped down into the chair, taking the time to calm down before he got back up to go inside. He went into the kitchen and filled a glass with water. He dropped a few ice cubes into the liquid and listened to them crack and pop as the water interacted with the ice. He took a long drink and was leaning back against the counter when someone knocked on the front door.
He hollered back to let Liz know Michael and Maria had arrived as he pushed the screen door open to let them inside. If she didn’t know they had company she would walk from one room to another in her underwear. Not that he had any complaints about that as long he was the only one around to get an eyeful.
“Hey, Max,” Maria greeted with a smile. “Is Liz still getting ready?”
“Yeah, she’s back in the bedroom.”
She elbowed Michael when he opened his mouth. “Do not make a single comment.”
“Girl’s got a lethal elbow jab,” he muttered, rubbing his ribs when she disappeared down the hall. “It’s a good thing we’re not goin’ anywhere with reservations ‘cause we’d never be there on time.”
“Where’re we going anyway?” Max asked as they settled on the furniture in the living room.
“You like Mexican?”
“Who doesn’t?”
Michael nodded. “Best Mexican food in the city. People think if a restaurant’s all fancy and you’ve gotta have reservations a month in advance the food’s better but I can guarantee this little hole-in-the-wall’s got better food than any of those places.” He grinned. “They’ve also got pool tables and TVs so we can catch the game. Hey, you ever been to a game?”
“No.”
“You wanna go? There’s a game on Sunday afternoon and Maria won’t care if I take you instead of her.”
“You guys go to a lot of games?”
“Her dad snags season tickets every year and if one of us can’t go then whoever is goin’ can invite someone else along.”
“Her dad… the cop, right?”
“Might as well get over that, man. You’re gonna be around this group you’re gonna have to deal with cops, that’s just a fact of life. As long as you stay straight and keep your nose clean you’ve got nothin’ to worry about. So anyway, Kyle’s outta town so he won’t be goin’ on Sunday, which means his seat’ll be empty.”
“Uh, well, I’m not sure about Sunday.”
Michael shrugged. “Well, you’ve got my number, just lemme know one way or the other by tomorrow night.” He leaned forward and poked at the college brochures lying on the coffee table. “Psychology, huh?”
“Sounded interesting.”
“Sounds like a lotta work.” He snorted and checked his watch. “Maria, you two get a move on! You know if we get there past seven the only pool table’s gonna be left is the one with the warped surface.”
“Pancho said he’d make sure you had a table.”
Standing in front of the dresser mirror in the bedroom Liz made a face at Maria’s reflection. “I should’ve known he’d pick that dive.”
“Hey, you agreed to letting him pick the restaurant for dinner and you know when we go out a lot of times that’s where we go.” She grinned. “And you can’t say they don’t have the best Mexican food or make the best margarita in the city. Because you know they do.”
“I agreed because you said if he picked the restaurant you’d be able to talk him into going to the club afterwards.”
“And I will. Trust me, we go out for dinner, let the guys unwind with a few beers, watch the game for a while, and maybe shoot a few games of pool, and when it’s time to head over to the club he’ll be a lot more receptive. He doesn’t enjoy the club scene, Liz, and he already spends every other weekend working nights there so suffering through great Mexican food is the least you can do.”
“Oh, alright.” She turned and studied her reflection, her eyes searching for anything that might be out of place or need to be touched up.
“Looks like you’re getting pretty comfortable with Max,” Maria said as she applied a fresh coat of lip gloss. Her eyes were following Liz as she hung a few of her things in the closet.
“My parents wanted to have Sunday dinner with us a couple weeks ago.” She straightened one of the shirts, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles.
Maria slowly turned to look at her. That was serious. “The two of you had Sunday dinner with your parents?”
“No.” She bit her bottom lip. “I think he really wanted to but… dinner with my parents, that just felt too serious. The only guy I’ve ever had over for dinner with my parents is DJ and we were as serious as I’ve ever been.”
“You don’t think things are headed that way with Max?”
Yes. “I don’t know. He’s… we haven’t even slept together yet.”
That had Maria’s eyebrows climbing up on her forehead. “What?”
“Well, I mean, most nights I do stay over here and we share the same bed but,” she shook her head, “we haven’t had sex.”
“You’ve been seeing him for what, a month almost?” She nodded as she mused quietly, “And you haven’t had sex.”
“Yeah, and that right there says there’s more to this.” She gave her reflection one more check before clearing her throat. “Anyway, let’s save this conversation for another time. I’m really not ready for it right now.”
Maria dropped it and followed Liz back out to the living room where the guys were slouched down like a couple of sloths. She grinned at her boyfriend when she caught the heated look in the dark eyes that lazily slid over her. “C’mon, let’s get going before you lose your precious pool table.” She took his hand when he held it out to her and she pulled him to his feet. “We have the entire night to ourselves so let’s go out and enjoy it.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Liz, you remember where the restaurant is, right? Just in case we lose you in traffic.”
“Yeah, go on, we’re right behind you.”
Max tried to swallow but his mouth felt as dry as the desert. His eyes traveled over the jeans that looked like they had been painted on and the tank top that fit her like a second skin. God almighty, what was she trying to do to him? She had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he couldn’t help but say it out loud. He ignored Michael when he coughed out a comment about her having him by the balls, accepting the ribbing for what it was, and shooting a grin at Maria when she just rolled her eyes.
Michael let her lead him outside into the warm evening air. Summer was well on its way and before long it would be the Fourth of July, the biggest holiday weekend of the summer and fast on its heels would come Labor Day weekend. Summer already promised to be a hot one and work had started picking up weeks ago. As the days lengthened and the weather stayed clear he knew they would be putting in more hours to complete their current project. The powers that be were pushing hard because they had fallen behind schedule after several weeks of bad weather a couple of months earlier. He didn’t mind the extra hours or the hard work but he had made sure to get his holiday time off approved well in advance to make sure he wouldn’t be stuck working instead of enjoying that time with his family.
*****
Max glanced around at the people in the club as they wound their way through the crowd. The place was packed, the music was loud, and Liz and Maria were both moving to the music as they worked their way to a table. Dinner had been a pleasant affair and one that hadn’t meant breaking the bank, which had just been a bonus. He and Michael had spent a couple hours playing pool and he had enjoyed the competition. Pool was one game he was familiar with and it was also one he happened to be very good at. Things had gotten interesting when another player from one of the other tables had taken notice and challenged them. The money that had been riding on the game after several rounds had been ridiculous and he and Michael had split the pot before leaving to head over to the club.
It hadn’t taken long to figure out that Michael really wasn’t interested in spending any time at the club. He enjoyed smaller places and after noticing the way the other guy observed everything going on around him he could understand. He didn’t like not being aware of the things going on around him and that was hard to keep track of when you were someplace like a club. They were large, noisy, crowded, and it was impossible to keep everything and everyone in sight. He didn’t know what Michael had done time for but it was apparent the guy hated being in an uncontrolled environment.
They finally located an unoccupied table that was barely big enough to hold four drinks and as they slid onto the barstools a tall olive-skinned man joined them, his lithe body moving to the music as if he didn’t have a bone in his body.
“Manny!” Maria shouted and leaned forward to give him a hug.
Perfect teeth flashed in his handsome face as he returned the embrace. “Where’ve you been, girl?” His gaze shifted to Michael and it slid over him suggestively. “And where have you been hiding, Miguel?” He released Maria to turn and give the other man his full attention. “Look at that tan.” He sighed dramatically and glanced at Maria. “And he doesn’t even pay for it!”
Max did a double take when the guy openly flirted with Michael. It was one-sided but he was surprised when Michael didn’t go off on him.
Maria laughed and nodded. “I know. They pay him for it! He tans beautifully, doesn’t he?”
Manny made a sound of agreement low in his throat. “Leave her, Miguel.”
“I’d break you,” Michael said dismissively. “Get me a beer, Manny.”
The man shuddered dramatically. “Is he so demanding all the time?”
“All the time,” Maria agreed with a teasing grin.
Manny started muttering in his native language but a moment later he was taking their drink orders.
Liz saw Max shift uncomfortably when the man turned that flirty smile on him and before he could speak she caught Manny’s attention and gave a sharp shake of her head. He backed off, giving her a slight nod and going back to their orders.
“I know, beer for you,” he said with a wink at Michael. “Always the same, Miguel.”
“Some tastes never change, Manny.”
He chuckled. “A shame for both of us.” And he was off to turn their orders in at the bar.
The girls excused themselves and took off in the direction of the restrooms. “He’s harmless,” Michael shouted to be heard over the music. “He likes to flirt and the first time he did it, it made me uncomfortable as hell.”
“You always seem to surprise me.”
He shrugged. “A few years back I would’ve taken his head off. Way I grew up you didn’t take that from another guy, there were all kinds of reasons, all kinds of rules. But no matter what kinda prejudices you grow up with you’ve gotta decide what’s right for yourself. Once you get past a certain age you can’t blame your behavior on the way you grew up. At some point you begin to distinguish right from wrong on your own and you have to take responsibility for your actions.” He glanced up and his eyes settled on Maria as she and Liz weaved their way back through the crowd towards them. He had gotten lucky when his girl had barreled into his life, hanging onto him and refusing to give up on him even when things had gotten so dark he had done everything he could to push her away. “Prejudice, racism, all it does is hurt people and there’s no point.”
“You’re right about that.”
Michael shook his head and smiled when Manny caught Maria around the waist with one arm, dancing with her while holding a tray of drinks in his other hand. “That right there’s a bonus to havin’ a friend who’s gay.”
“Say what?”
“Maria likes to dance, and me, I’m not too big on it.”
Max studied his expression and laughed. “You hate it.”
“Yeah, pretty much. Manny, he loves it and it’s kinda hard to be jealous of a guy who spends every free minute flirting with you instead of your girl.”
“You are though.”
“You wanna get outta my head?” Damn psyche class, he thought with a mental snort. Yeah, maybe there was still some jealousy but these days he had it under control. Maria had made it clear that she loved to dance and if he wasn’t going to get out on the dance floor with her then he was going to have to accept that she would be dancing with someone else. And as long as that someone else was Manny he could live with it.
Max smirked, enjoying the rare opportunity to wind Michael up. He turned his head, his gaze scanning the crowd and locating Liz dancing with Maria and Manny. He watched her for a few minutes, appreciating the way she moved. He smiled when she caught him watching her and she motioned for him to join them on the floor. He slid off of the barstool and dropped to his feet. “Looks like I’m bein’ summoned.”
“Be prepared ‘cause when you’re not lookin’ Manny’ll grab your ass.”
He snorted. “Maybe I’ll go grab a drink first.” He leaned on the bar and motioned to the woman serving drinks, nodding when she held up a finger to let him know it would be a minute.
“Wonder how much your new friends would like you if they knew who you really are.”
He turned his head, his blood boiling in his veins when he saw Nicholas casually leaning against the counter next to him. “Aren’t you out past curfew, Nicky?”
“Fuck you, Evans. Boss has another job for you.”
“I don’t take my orders from you. I know when and where I’m supposed to be.”
Nicholas turned his head to stare out at the dance floor. “She’s hot, Max. Be a shame to see someone carve her up.”
His eyes and voice turned to ice. “Anyone comes close to her and I’ll come after you first.” He shook his head. “Remember the last time I came after you, Nicky? You won’t get off so easy if we face off again.”
“Boss wants to see you tomorrow at 2pm. Be at the house on time. You know he takes offense to people being late.”
“Get lost before I kick your ass just for lookin’ at her,” Max snarled when Nicholas let his gaze slide over Liz again.
“Everything okay over here?”
Nicholas glanced up at the man he had seen sitting with Max earlier. “Just leaving.”
Michael’s eyes narrowed as the guy slunk away, disappearing into the crowd. “Max?”
He shrugged. “Nothin’ important. Just didn’t like him lookin’ at Liz the way he was.”
“That all there was to it?”
Max ducked his head to hide it when he swallowed hard. “Yeah,” he lied, “that’s all it was.”
-
ArchAngel1973
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Prisoners of the Past (CC, A/U, Adult) Part 24 - 4/29/12
xilaj: No, he’s not in a position that’ll be easy to get back out of.
Alien_Friend: It is frustrating, but unfortunately, don’t look for him to confide in any of the new people in his life anytime soon. With Kyle away for a while Michael won’t have the opportunity to talk to Kyle about it.
Ava suffered a tragic loss very early in life. The good thing is she was old enough to see what life could be like with a good family.
Kyle has a great dream and with the right opportunity he could make such a big difference.
Kyle’s instincts are on target.
Alex, Isabel, and Jenny are gonna be good for each other.
Liz and Michael both helped in two very different ways. We’ll see more of Michael getting involved with Max as we move forward.
Thanks! I was so happy to see this fic nominated and even take some wins home! You guys rock!
begonia9508: Oh, Max is already backing himself into a corner.
MP: Thanks! Max may confide soon, but not in any of the new people in his life.
Lol, it is Sunday… and here’s your update.
dreamon: It does seem longer. Liz has made some serious progress with herself and with Max. We’ll see more progress in this part.
Michelle in LA: Lol… um… good?
Kyle is aware that the Max Evans he met is the same Ava’s looking for. They won’t inform anyone of her situation in any capacity because of the potential risk to her safety.
That sounds painful! Max is doing so well but he still has some hurdles to cross.
Lol, well, that would certainly tie things up nicely, wouldn’t it?
Got more coming right up!
Part 24
Michael stared at his reflection as he stood in front of the mirror over the bathroom sink. He ran his right hand over his face, turning his head to one side to let his gaze skim over the thin scar that ran under his right ear and disappeared beneath his jaw. Stupidity, he thought as his thumb grazed over it. The doctors had told him if it had been so much as a breath closer he would’ve been dead before he’d even had time to register the fact that he had been injured.
That night was burned into his memory and as much as he sometimes wished he could be rid of it he stubbornly held onto it. He had nearly lost everything that mattered and at the time he had thought it was worth the risk. Looking back now, seeing the events through eyes both older and wiser, he knew better. He knew what it was like to be caught in an impossible situation and he knew how strong the pull was when it came to loyalty. The trick was to make sure your loyalties were in the right place.
He had been 19 years old before he had learned one of the hardest lessons of his life. Blood and loyalty didn’t necessarily go together. His mother had taken off when he was eight years old, leaving him with a father whose only interest in him was turning him into a productive thief. He hadn’t seen it that way. By the time he was 16 he had become an expert at stealing cars. He had been picked up a couple of times for joyriding, done some time in juvenile detention, picked up once on a misdemeanor theft charge, and done a short stint in jail, but just as soon as he was out the old man had put him back to work.
Hank Guerin hadn’t been worried about his son’s arrests. His only concern was making sure Michael never opened his mouth and told the cops who he was working for or why he was stealing cars. Hank had run a chop shop and he had been smart about it. The man wasn’t stupid, that was one thing Michael would give him. He had been physically and verbally abusive when things weren’t going well, but as long as his son was meeting his quota Hank had hidden the cruel side of his personality.
At 18 he had done a short stint in jail before his latest arrest had been pled down and he had been released early. Things with Maria had been rocky at the time and she had begged him to talk to her dad but he hadn’t been able to do it. He had never expected to be given any kind of chance with her family when she had taken him home with her. They hadn’t looked down at him, hadn’t treated him any differently than they treated anyone else, but he knew what he was. He knew he didn’t deserve to be with someone like Maria and if there had ever been any doubts about it, Hank had been quick to remind him.
Maria’s parents hadn’t completely approved of her relationship with him. They had seemed to like him well enough, but they had known he was trouble. He had been in and out of juvenile detention, back and forth with arrests and court appearances, but she had held on fiercely. She had been so sure he was better than he believed he was. After being released at 19 he had told Maria he was going to quit working for Hank, he was going to get a job and be more dependable.
That had only lasted a matter of weeks. The job didn’t pay much and no matter how much he worked he hadn’t been able to get ahead. Hank had started coming around, dangling a sweet job in front of him, and when that hadn’t worked he had turned the darker side of his personality loose on him. He had found every insecurity Michael harbored and he had brought them into the light, exposing them and making him vulnerable. He could still remember Hank’s words as he threw the questions in his face. Did he think Maria was really going to stick around? How could he think that a respectable family like hers would ever accept him as part of her life? He was barely making minimum wage, did he think he could support her when he couldn’t even pay his own bills? He would always take Michael’s worthless ass back because they were family, could he say the same about Maria or her family?
He hadn’t been able to argue against those questions. The more that Hank tore into him the smaller and more inadequate he felt. He had lost sight of everything else and he had locked onto the one thing he knew would always be there. Hank wasn’t perfect but he hadn’t kicked him to the curb and walked out on him. He had easily fallen back into stealing cars. He was good at it and it paid a hell of a lot better than that damn hourly job.
Jim had known.
Maria’s dad had tried to get him to confide in him but the man was a cop. In the world he had grown up in you didn’t trust cops because they were out to get you. As he had gotten deeper into the life he knew he had started to push Maria away. Somewhere deep inside he had known she would dig her heels in and that scared, wounded part of him had desperately wanted her to fight for him, to prove that he was worth fighting for.
The night everything had gone to hell they had argued before he had taken off. It had been the worst argument they’d ever had. Even as angry as she had been she had been fighting to hold on. She had discovered what he was going to do and she had told him to his face that if he walked out the door she would call her dad and tell him what was going on. He hadn’t believed her. It was the last time he ever made the mistake of thinking she didn’t mean what she said.
People made the mistake of assuming that just because they didn’t drive a new car they were safe from theft. They couldn’t be more wrong. Older models were a hot commodity in his world and he had stolen more than enough to know how true it was. Broken down in a chop shop the individual parts were worth more than the car as a whole. Not to mention, older cars were just easier to steal. It wasn’t often that he got the opportunity to boost something wild enough to make a guy his age breathe hard at the prospect of getting behind the wheel. But Hank had gotten a special order, one that had made the old man nervous, but the money involved had been enough for him to ignore it and send his son out.
He had stood in the shadows staring at the car, watching the streets for anything that seemed out of place, and waiting for the right moment to present itself. He hadn’t had to wait long. He had bypassed the alarm with ease and slid into the drivers’ seat, his hands caressing the steering wheel as he enjoyed the feel of the leather cradling his body. It was more than a sleek body and an impressive engine. It had been the symbol of freedom. But it had nearly taken his life. He had heard the sirens just as he finished hotwiring the car, caught the flash of red and blue lights, and amidst the disbelief was a heavy dose of panic. He had floored it, clipping one of the cop cars as it shot around the corner. He could already hear Hank bitching about the damage and what it would take off of the profit, and he had cursed under his breath as he downshifted and took a corner too fast.
The cops had been waiting for him, he was sure of it. Maria had done exactly what she’d threatened to do. They had come up on him too fast and as he cut through the streets he had realized they were boxing him in. He hadn’t seen the barricade until it was too late and he had known once they caught him he was going to be in more trouble than he’d ever been in. He hadn’t had time to stop but he had slammed on the brakes and after that there was a big blank in his memory. They said he had gone through the windshield and he had been in the hospital for weeks after the accident, part of that time in a coma.
Maria had been there with him every day and as soon as he had been well enough for a serious conversation she had told him in no uncertain terms that if he wasn’t going to get his act together she was walking. She hadn’t raised her voice once; she had been eerily calm and that had been more worrisome than if she had screamed at him. He had to applaud her restraint. He knew what it had cost her to hold that in until he was ready to hear it but at the time he hadn’t appreciated it. He hadn’t wanted an ultimatum from her but she hadn’t left any room for negotiation. In all the time they had been together she hadn’t pushed the issue of his father, knowing it was a sensitive subject. He had known, of course, that she didn’t approve of the things he did for Hank, had known that she hated the way the old man treated him, but she had also known that at the time he wasn’t able to break those ties.
He had been arrested as soon as he’d been cleared to be moved. Hank had made a few token visits, appeared to be the concerned father. He had played the role of the supportive parent, hired an attorney, and then told him to plead guilty. The lawyer had disagreed, explaining that his best option was to make a deal and take a plea. Michael had been caught in the middle. The plea sounded like a good idea, cooperate and get a reduced sentence. But if he cooperated he would have to hand over something the D.A. felt was good enough to exchange for a lighter sentence.
Looking back now he knew Hank had only been looking after his own interests. The lawyer and Hank had gone rounds about his plea and in the end the lawyer had dropped the case. There had been no explanation; he had just been informed that the man was no longer involved with his case and that he would be assigned to a public defender. He was used to dealing with public defenders and most of them were only interested in furthering their own agenda, doing what they had to do to push their own careers forward. He had asked Hank for another lawyer but his old man had narrowed his eyes and told him he knew Michael had been thinking about turning on him and he wasn’t going to pay someone so he could go to jail. He had just wished him luck with the public defender, warned him that if he even considered using him as his ticket out he would regret it, and then walked away.
He had been surprised to see Jim when he had been told he had a visitor a couple of days later. The man had always been fair with him even though he knew he was trouble. Maria’s family didn’t judge people, they didn’t assume that just because someone got into trouble that they were a lost cause, and he didn’t understand how a cop’s family could be like that. Oh, her parents had their reservations about him, but he knew that was because they didn’t want to see Maria hurt if he couldn’t straighten his life out. The funny thing was Maria wasn’t the only one they were worried about. She was their primary concern, but they had expressed their concern for him as well.
He could remember sitting across from Jim in that small room, fighting to sit still under the man’s watchful eye. Jim was a family man, he was a cop, and he was a man who commanded respect. The silence had been deafening and sweat had started to trickle down the center of his back, making it even harder to sit still. He sat forward, his handcuffed hands on the table between them, and met the man’s gaze with open hostility.
“What the fuck do you want?”
“You’re about to throw your life away,” Jim had warned him. “For every step forward you’ve made over the past three years you’ve consistently taken two backwards.”
“So you’re here to say I told you so?”
“No, I’m here to tell you this’s your chance to change your life, Michael.”
“I’m no snitch.”
“Your lawyer tell you what kinda time you’re lookin’ at without a deal? You’ve racked them up this time; grand theft auto, evading police, and reckless endangerment?” He had nodded when the younger man turned his stony gaze to the wall. “That’s a pretty good chunk of time, boy.”
He had shrugged. “Good, Maria can move on and your family can throw a party ‘cause she’s not with me anymore.”
Jim had sighed. “Michael, you’ve got the potential to be so much more than what you’ve accepted for yourself. She sees that, she saw it long before anyone else. But you’re right about one thing; if you’re not gonna change and be the man you’re more than capable of becoming, then I’ll be damned glad to see my daughter find someone else. Because the path you’re on right now is leading in one of two directions and I don’t want her caught up in it when it happens. You keep goin’ the way you are you’re gonna end up in prison for life or you’re gonna end up dead, and whether you wanna admit it or not, you know she deserves better than that.”
“You think I don’t know that?” he had snapped, pissed because he knew it was true.
“Then change.”
“Yeah, because it’s that easy. I’ve already got a record, I’m doin’ time for this one way or the other, and I know what it’s like out there for guys who get outta prison. No one wants to put them in a decent job and people treat them like they’re worthless. At least stealin’ cars pays well.”
Jim had glanced around the cinderblock room thoughtfully. “You’re right, Michael, you can make damn good money on the wrong side of the law but you’re always gonna be looking over your shoulder, afraid to trust anyone, always watching everyone you know because you’re afraid one of them’s gonna betray you, and if that’s what you wanna do with your life you will stay away from my daughter.”
“So what do you want me to do? Yeah, you say ‘Michael, you need to change’, but it’s not that easy.”
“I didn’t say it was gonna be easy. There are programs and Amy and I will do everything we can to help but if it’s not what you want it won’t matter. You can change, but it has to be because it’s what you want. Maria’s never tried to change you. She’s tried to open your eyes to things, tried to make you see the alternatives, but until you’re ready to make a change it’s not gonna matter, you understand what I’m sayin’?”
“The only way I’m getting outta this without doin’ serious time is if I roll on someone else.” He had shaken his head stubbornly. “I’m not a snitch,” he repeated.
“Michael, I understand family loyalty – “
“What the fuck do you understand? Man, your family’s like a normal fuckin’ family. You don’t understand what’ll happen if I… You don’t understand.”
“What I understand is that the loyalty you’re giving your father is undeserved. Why do you think you’re currently without a lawyer?”
He had shrugged. He had his suspicions but he wouldn’t voice them. “Asshole lawyer obviously didn’t know what he was doin’.”
“That asshole wanted you to flip on the person who put you up to that theft in the first place. Let me ask you somethin’, Michael, and give me an honest answer. Do you think your father would be as loyal to you?”
“Hank wouldn’t roll on me.”
“You sure about that?” The younger man’s silence had spoken loudly. “Where do you think he’s been the past few days? His name’s not on the visitor’s logs. He’s covering his tracks, making sure when you go down for this you don’t take him with you.”
“Say I take the D.A.’s deal, what happens when I get out?”
“We’ll get you in a program, help you get on your feet so you can support yourself. And Maria, if things work out between the two of you.”
“I don’t get my shit straight she’s done with me.”
“Do you blame her? Is this the kinda life you want for her? You care about her; that much is obvious. You may even love her. I know she sure as hell loves you, but if you can’t be man enough to accept help when it’s offered and do your damnedest to turn your life around then you don’t deserve her. But you’re gonna have to do the right thing here, Michael.”
“You want me to give the D.A. evidence against Hank.”
“I know what I’m askin’ you to do isn’t easy but you’ve got potential and it’s wasting away the longer you follow in his footsteps. I’m prepared to get you a lawyer but I want your word that you’ll do what you know is right for you.”
Michael had studied the man. “What’s to stop me from tellin’ you I’ll do what you want just to have a lawyer?”
“Because you’ll give me your word.” He had crossed his arms over his chest and met the younger man’s gaze directly. “And a man’s only as good as his word, Michael.”
He shook his head and his hand dropped away from the scar when he heard movement in the bedroom behind him. Turning his life around hadn’t been easy but Maria’s parents had been there to back him up and help him when he needed it. He’d been given an opportunity to learn a trade working for a friend of Jim’s who owned a construction company. The man showed no favoritism and he had worked him like a dog the first couple of years, making him prove himself and earn his place in the company. There had been so many times he had wanted to quit but every time one of those pesky Deluca’s or Valenti’s would show up, somehow knowing he was reaching the boiling point, and they’d manage to cool him down.
He was only a couple of months away from taking the written and practical exams to become certified as a heavy equipment operator. When he passed, Doug, the owner of the construction company, had a position and a big fat raise waiting for him. No, it hadn’t been easy but coming home at night to his own family, knowing he had the support of Maria and their extended family, and having the satisfaction of providing for Maria and Hunter all made everything he had been through worthwhile.
Funny what could trigger memories, he thought. That scene between Max and the little weasel he’d been having words with at the bar was stuck in his head. The guy claimed it was over something that’d been said about Parker but he didn’t believe it. He turned away from the mirror, walking to the doorway and leaning against the frame as he watched Maria fuss over the throw pillows she insisted on putting on the bed. He didn’t really get the point. One small decision eight years ago and he wouldn’t be standing here now. He had done four years instead of seven and even though he wasn’t particularly religious he thanked God that Jim had intervened when he had.
“What’s on your mind?” Maria asked as she stacked the throw pillows on the window seat.
“Parker ever tell you what Max was in for?”
“That’s what you’re thinking about, huh? Okay. No, she’s never said.” She paused before going back for the last couple of throw pillows. “Why?”
“Something happened tonight that just struck me as odd.”
“Odd or suspicious?”
He shrugged. She knew him well enough to know when something didn’t set right with him. “I walked up on him and some guy havin’ words. Damn club was too loud to hear what they were sayin’ but I think something’s goin’ on.”
“What, like he’s getting involved in his old life?”
“Either he’s involved or he’s bein’ pressured to get involved, don’t know which.”
“I should warn Liz.”
“She won’t listen to you and if you go to her with nothin’ more than my opinion she’ll shut you down before you get anywhere.”
“You don’t think I should tell her anything yet?”
He shook his head and crossed the room to stand behind her, his big hands coming to rest on her shoulders. “He may not be into anything yet.” His fingers toyed with the straps of the camisole she wore.
“What should we do?”
“Get naked,” he murmured against her shoulder.
“About Max,” she said as she turned in his arms.
“Oh, that. For now, maybe line up some stuff to keep him busy when he’s not workin’, see how often he makes excuses to get out of hangin’ out. Has Parker said anything about him breakin’ dates or anything?”
“No, and I know she’d have mentioned that.”
He shrugged. “Maybe he’s not involved in anything yet.”
“Liz did say her parents wanted to have dinner with her and Max but she nixed it. Little bit too serious for her at this point.”
He shook his head. “Too bad your brother’s not around. We could draft him to help out.”
“You and Sean could hang out with him.”
“Yeah, but your cousin dated Liz for about five minutes so that might not be the greatest idea.”
“Well, she dated DJ for a lot longer and he and Max get along just fine.”
“Yeah, well, DJ’s not your normal ex. That guy’s too easygoing and somehow, someway, he and Liz ended things and managed to stay friends.” He shook his head. “I have no idea how that happened. And don’t really care,” he said as he took her lips in a heated kiss before scooping her up in his arms.
He was just settling over her on the bed when they heard Hunter start wailing through the baby monitor. He groaned and pressed his forehead to her shoulder.
“I’ll get him,” Maria offered.
“No, I’ve got him. You were up with him last night.” He pushed himself up and gave her a quick kiss. “Don’t go to sleep before I get back.” He shot her a grin over his shoulder as he disappeared through the door.
She snorted and then smiled while she listened to him as he cared for their son. Hunter had started teething late and he was having a hard time with it. Her thoughts wandered to the situation with Max and she wondered if he had gotten involved in his old life again. She knew Michael was right about the way Liz would react if she tried to tell her about his suspicions but her friend was getting in deep with Max and she didn’t want to see her hurt either. She had seen firsthand how easily that side of life could lure a person back in, how strong the pull was, and if Max continued to hold people at arms’ length it wouldn’t take much for him to give in to it. If he hadn’t already, she reminded herself.
*****
Max was washing down the loading dock when he heard a throat clearing behind him. The small hairs at the back of his neck stood on end and he was tensed for a fight as he slowly turned around. The sun was behind the man who stood on the alley floor, glinting off of the longish blonde hair and the dark sunglasses.
“You want somethin’?”
“Heard you were out and wanted to see it for myself.”
He relaxed at the familiar voice and he shook his head as he released the lever on the hose, stopping the water spraying from the nozzle. “You’re lookin’ a little different than you did last time I saw you, Shakes.” The other guy shrugged and removed his sunglasses, revealing the blue eyes that hadn’t lost that haunted look. It wasn’t as obvious and people who didn’t know him might not even realize it was there, but he could still see it.
“Things change, kid.” He looked down, staring at his hands as he used his shirt to wipe the lenses of the glasses. He held them up, squinting as he looked through them, inspecting them for spots. “I heard you’ve been makin’ deliveries for Knight again.” He sighed and turned his head to look at Max. “Big mistake. You know you don’t just walk away from him.”
“I guess you know Ava’s disappeared.”
“She fell off the grid the night Seth was executed. Word is he was tryin’ to get her outta the life and Knight found out about it. He had both of them down in a warehouse on the docks and what I hear is he did Seth himself.”
Max swallowed hard. He’d heard rumors that Ava and allied herself with Seth for protection but she had never wanted to talk about it. It was rare for Damon to get his own hands dirty, but for a personal betrayal like that… “And Ava?”
“Like I said, she disappeared. Cops raided the warehouse but all they found was Seth’s body.”
“You think he has her?”
“No. What reason would he have for keeping her alive? I think he either killed her or in the confusion she managed to escape.”
“What’re the chances she escaped and survived? I’ve been to the apartment and it didn’t look like she’d taken anything with her.”
“If she was on the run she wouldn’t risk going back to the apartment. Think, kid! It’d be the first place Knight would’ve looked.”
Max nodded as he thought about the state of the apartment. “She wouldn’t be safe anywhere in the city. She wouldn’t have gone to the cops because she knows Damon’s got cops on his payroll. If she was plannin’ to run she’d have made plans, had insurance… she wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone what was going on because he has ways of finding out.”
“And if she found a way out you’ve sold your soul to the devil for nothing. There’re only two options when someone goes missing in Knight’s organization and you know how slim the chances are that she got away alive.”
Max thought about that. “If she was dead why would he have bothered approaching me? She’s alive, Shakes, she has to be. He’s keeping me close because he thinks she’ll contact me.”
“And if she does he’ll take both of you out. The streets don’t discriminate kid; it’s survival of the fittest. It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know.”
“What’re you sayin’?”
Shakes reached into his shirt pocket and pulled a business card out. “I finally got in the right car one night and it paid off.” He smiled tightly. “I even travel with my own personal bodyguard now. You always did right by me when we were on the streets and even later, when you got away from that life you did what you could. You ever need anything, just call.”
Max stared at the gold lettering on the card in his hand. “You travel with a bodyguard, huh?”
“Um-hmm. Otto’s back at the car, but trust me, he’ll know if anyone even thinks of threatening me.” Shakes narrowed his eyes. “You need protection?”
“Not me, no. I’m with someone and Damon’s already threatened her. She doesn’t know about the situation but even if she did she wouldn’t be able to protect herself and…”
“You’d prefer she be watched covertly?”
“Yeah, is that somethin’ you can make happen?”
“Consider it done. I’ll have someone watching her by morning.” He pulled a cell phone out and tapped the screen. “I’ll just need some information.”
Max nodded, watching him as he navigated the different applications. “So, you’re with someone now?”
“No.” He slid the sunglasses back on. “He was significantly older. He didn’t have any family, he was lonely, and for some insane reason he enjoyed my company.”
“He treated you right?”
The right corner of his mouth lifted in the barest hint of a genuine smile. “Yeah, he treated me better than right. He kept me off the streets. Damnedest thing was he wanted companionship more than anything else. We were together for about a year before he passed.” He cleared his throat and focused on the screen.
“It’s not insane, y’know,” Max said quietly.
“What?”
“That the guy enjoyed your company.”
They talked for a few more minutes while Shakes collected the information he needed to set protective measures in place for Liz.
“I’ll be in contact, let you know who I’ve got on her so you don’t go off on the wrong guy if you spot him. She’ll never know he’s there, but you were out here too long to completely overlook someone watchin’ her. Anyone comes after her he’ll put them down.”
Max rubbed his thumb over the edge of the card. “What kinda problems could this cause for you?”
Shakes flashed a quick grin at him. “I know how to cover my ass, kid. Past couple of years I’ve learned just how easily money can be used to manipulate situations. Not exactly news, but when you have limitless resources at your fingertips let’s just say it’s absurd how easy it is. Besides, if it comes down to it and one of my guys has to take the trash out, Knight won’t exactly be filing a missing persons report.”
“No, but, he could come after you.”
His eyes hardened behind the sunglasses. “Then I’ll do the city a favor and put him down. I don’t hide from anyone anymore. My survival instincts are as sharp as they ever were, I know how to protect myself, and arrogant as it may be, I have the money to make sure I don’t have to blend into the shadows ever again.”
Max went back to washing the dock down after Shakes left. There was no point wondering how Shakes had known where to find him; he knew how fast word traveled on the streets. He was glad the guy had finally gotten off the streets but he could see the loneliness he carried around like a heavy cloak. He patted the pocket that now held the business card, counting himself lucky that he had someone in his corner he knew he could rely on.
*****
Liz pulled up in front of the restaurant and handed her keys to the valet when he opened the door for her. He smiled and slid into the seat while she disappeared through the front door and into the dining area, glancing around for Max and not seeing him. She turned her head when she heard her name and she smiled at the woman approaching her with a stack of menus cradled in one arm.
“Hey, Maryann, how’s it going?”
The woman smiled brightly, shaking her head and drawing attention to the bright blue stripe running through her hair. “You must be looking for Max.”
“Yeah, how’d you know?”
“Well, when he turned me down I had to know why.” She lifted her eyebrows suggestively. “He didn’t give me much to go on so I didn’t know until now. But you don’t normally come in through the front and check the dining room if you’re looking for your dad, so…”
Liz smirked and shrugged one shoulder. “You know where he’s at?”
“He was on his way to clock out when I saw him a few minutes ago.”
“Thanks.” She breezed through the dining area and back through the kitchen. She spotted her dad and changed directions, catching up with him as he moved back and forth between the stations in the kitchen. “Hey, Dad.”
“Lizzie!” He gave her a bear hug that lifted her right off of her feet, a gesture that earned grins from his staff. “I’m guessing you’re not here to see me, but that’s alright.” He set her down and released her. “He’s in the back, getting ready to leave for the day.”
She was about to head back for the employee’s lounge but she paused a moment and turned back to look at him. “Dad, do you and Mom have any plans for Sunday night?”
Jeff was careful to mask his surprise. “I’m sure anything your mom has planned can be rearranged if you have something in mind.”
“Well, maybe you guys would like to come over for dinner at my place, say around seven?”
“I’ll have her juggle whatever needs to be juggled to make it happen,” he said with a smile.
She nodded. “Okay, catch ya later, Dad. Love you!” she called over her shoulder as she pushed through the swinging door and hurried down the hall to the employee’s lounge.
Max glanced up when the door opened and he grinned when Liz walked in. “Hey, wasn’t expecting to see you this early.”
“I came by to kidnap you for the night.”
“Can I assume this won’t involve me breaking the conditions of my parole?”
She laughed and nodded. “You would assume correctly.” She bit her bottom lip. “Would you be mad if I told you I went by your place to grab some of your things?”
He shook his head. “No. I told you to come by whenever you wanted to. I don’t recall giving you permission to go through my clothes, but since you’re kidnapping me for the night and I’ll need somethin’ to wear for tonight and for work in the mornin’ I’ll overlook the intrusion.” He grinned and slammed his locker door closed, locking it and turning to look at her. “Should I ask where you’re taking me?”
“No, you should just roll with it and come with me.”
“Good enough,” he said when she slipped her arm through his and they headed for the exit.
They settled into the car and Liz put the top down, watching him for a moment as he tipped his head back and closed his eyes against the sun shining down on them. He was content to let her take them wherever they were going without asking a bunch of questions and she was happy that he trusted her enough to let her take the lead.
He sat up straighter when she turned onto Riverside Boulevard, slowing as she approached an apartment building. She pulled up in front and parked in the valet parking zone. He got out when she did, tipping his head back to look up at the impressive structure and reaching back to steady himself on the car when the feeling of vertigo washed over him. “How many floors is this building?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes and waited for his head and stomach to settle down. Even though he had lived in the City his entire life it still amazed him just how tall some of the buildings were. His gaze zeroed in on his bag when she pulled it out. This was her apartment building, he realized. He had no idea what he had been expecting but he knew this wasn’t it. She hadn’t invited him into her space before and he took it as a good sign that she was extending the offer now.
“Forty-something, I think.” She handed his bag to him when he held his hand out for it. “I live on the 27th floor.”
He tried not to gawk as they walked through the lobby. Off to one side was a fitness center, on another side what looked like an outdoor courtyard at the building’s center set up with tables and chairs, a library area on another side, and in the center of the lobby was a large reception area. They took the elevator up to her floor, stepping off and walking down the hall to her apartment. When she opened the door and stepped inside he followed her and felt his mouth drop open at the view.
“That’s the Hudson River,” he said as they walked across the wood floors into the living room.
Liz was ridiculously pleased at his awed tone. “Yeah, the view’s available in the master bedroom, the living room, and the dining area.”
“You’re kidding!”
“No, c’mon, I’ll show you.” She motioned to the right where a glass table surrounded by four white leather chairs dominated the opposite end of the long room. “Well, the dining area’s pretty obvious but lemme show you the bedroom and you can put your bag down.”
He glanced over the furniture before turning to follow her once more. The furniture was white and oversized and while it wasn’t a color he would’ve chosen it looked comfortable. In the bedroom he immediately had a sense of space. She had gone with a white color scheme again but even to his untrained eye it was apparent she hadn’t spared any expense for comfort. “You really like white, don’t you?”
“I like that it feels… uncluttered.”
He nodded, understanding without further explanation.
“Okay, I thought I’d make dinner. I know you like to take a shower as soon as you get off work, and I brought your Psyche textbook so you could do your reading while I’m taking care of dinner. Have you ever had lobster?”
“Huh-uh, is it good?”
“Well, I like it. But I’m making sirloin steak as well, so if you don’t care for the lobster at least I know for sure you like steak.” She grabbed his tie and pulled him close. “And yes, loaded baked potatoes, mixed vegetables, and dinner rolls on the side.”
“I’m supposed to do homework while you’re making all that?”
“Yes, that way once dinner’s finished and the dishes are done we have the rest of the evening to just spend together.”
“Guess I can’t argue with that logic,” he murmured as he leaned down to brush his lips against hers. He wrapped his arms around her when he felt her hands clench in his shirt, followed her lead and allowed the kiss to take on a life of its own. For the first time since they had gotten involved he didn’t keep a tight leash on his need, giving her the room to let him know what she wanted, what she needed, and trusting her to let him know when to stop.
Liz reached up to unknot the tie she had convinced him to buy and then taught him how to tie properly. He walked backwards when she nudged him and she was pleased when he fell back on the bed and pulled her down with him. Her fingers danced over the buttons on his shirt, slipping them free one by one. “You’re not resisting.”
“You’ll let me know when to stop.”
She braced her hands on the bed on either side of him, staring into his eyes and noting that they were darker than normal. “What’s changed?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “You. At the beginning this was about you bein’ in control and me bein’ a conquest but now it’s more than that. We’ve reached a place where you trust me to stop if and when you need to stop. That makes the difference, Liz,” he whispered as he cupped her face in his hands. “That’s everything.”
“It’s been so long since I’ve even wanted to trust someone, especially a man.” She studied his features, loving the way he was so focused on her and what she was saying. “You’re a lot more patient than I have any right to expect.”
He shook his head. “You have every right to expect patience from the guy you’re with.” His thumb brushed over her bottom lip and he followed the move with his eyes. “And especially in this situation, Liz.”
She smiled and leaned down to press her lips to his before wiggling off of him. She gave a throaty laugh at his groan and took his hand to pull him to his feet. “Shower,” she said, giving him a push towards the bathroom. “I’m gonna go get dinner started and then…” She glanced between him and the bed. “And then we’ll see where the night takes us.”
“I’m really gonna be able to focus on four chapters of psychology now,” he said as he shot his best pathetic look at her.
“Go! You can read it aloud if you want and I’ll help with the review questions at the end.”
He laughed at that and grabbed his bag off of the floor where he had dropped it. “Now there’s an offer I won’t forget,” he said, stealing one last kiss before he disappeared into the bathroom. There was no way in hell he was gonna be able to focus on psychology now! It didn’t matter though, he decided. They had just taken a huge step forward in their relationship. He swallowed down the reminder that while she was progressing and finding the strength to trust him he was sliding further back into his old life and risking everything he was building with her.
Alien_Friend: It is frustrating, but unfortunately, don’t look for him to confide in any of the new people in his life anytime soon. With Kyle away for a while Michael won’t have the opportunity to talk to Kyle about it.
Ava suffered a tragic loss very early in life. The good thing is she was old enough to see what life could be like with a good family.
Kyle has a great dream and with the right opportunity he could make such a big difference.
Kyle’s instincts are on target.
Alex, Isabel, and Jenny are gonna be good for each other.
Liz and Michael both helped in two very different ways. We’ll see more of Michael getting involved with Max as we move forward.
Thanks! I was so happy to see this fic nominated and even take some wins home! You guys rock!
begonia9508: Oh, Max is already backing himself into a corner.
MP: Thanks! Max may confide soon, but not in any of the new people in his life.
Lol, it is Sunday… and here’s your update.
dreamon: It does seem longer. Liz has made some serious progress with herself and with Max. We’ll see more progress in this part.
Michelle in LA: Lol… um… good?
Kyle is aware that the Max Evans he met is the same Ava’s looking for. They won’t inform anyone of her situation in any capacity because of the potential risk to her safety.
That sounds painful! Max is doing so well but he still has some hurdles to cross.
Lol, well, that would certainly tie things up nicely, wouldn’t it?
Got more coming right up!
Part 24
Michael stared at his reflection as he stood in front of the mirror over the bathroom sink. He ran his right hand over his face, turning his head to one side to let his gaze skim over the thin scar that ran under his right ear and disappeared beneath his jaw. Stupidity, he thought as his thumb grazed over it. The doctors had told him if it had been so much as a breath closer he would’ve been dead before he’d even had time to register the fact that he had been injured.
That night was burned into his memory and as much as he sometimes wished he could be rid of it he stubbornly held onto it. He had nearly lost everything that mattered and at the time he had thought it was worth the risk. Looking back now, seeing the events through eyes both older and wiser, he knew better. He knew what it was like to be caught in an impossible situation and he knew how strong the pull was when it came to loyalty. The trick was to make sure your loyalties were in the right place.
He had been 19 years old before he had learned one of the hardest lessons of his life. Blood and loyalty didn’t necessarily go together. His mother had taken off when he was eight years old, leaving him with a father whose only interest in him was turning him into a productive thief. He hadn’t seen it that way. By the time he was 16 he had become an expert at stealing cars. He had been picked up a couple of times for joyriding, done some time in juvenile detention, picked up once on a misdemeanor theft charge, and done a short stint in jail, but just as soon as he was out the old man had put him back to work.
Hank Guerin hadn’t been worried about his son’s arrests. His only concern was making sure Michael never opened his mouth and told the cops who he was working for or why he was stealing cars. Hank had run a chop shop and he had been smart about it. The man wasn’t stupid, that was one thing Michael would give him. He had been physically and verbally abusive when things weren’t going well, but as long as his son was meeting his quota Hank had hidden the cruel side of his personality.
At 18 he had done a short stint in jail before his latest arrest had been pled down and he had been released early. Things with Maria had been rocky at the time and she had begged him to talk to her dad but he hadn’t been able to do it. He had never expected to be given any kind of chance with her family when she had taken him home with her. They hadn’t looked down at him, hadn’t treated him any differently than they treated anyone else, but he knew what he was. He knew he didn’t deserve to be with someone like Maria and if there had ever been any doubts about it, Hank had been quick to remind him.
Maria’s parents hadn’t completely approved of her relationship with him. They had seemed to like him well enough, but they had known he was trouble. He had been in and out of juvenile detention, back and forth with arrests and court appearances, but she had held on fiercely. She had been so sure he was better than he believed he was. After being released at 19 he had told Maria he was going to quit working for Hank, he was going to get a job and be more dependable.
That had only lasted a matter of weeks. The job didn’t pay much and no matter how much he worked he hadn’t been able to get ahead. Hank had started coming around, dangling a sweet job in front of him, and when that hadn’t worked he had turned the darker side of his personality loose on him. He had found every insecurity Michael harbored and he had brought them into the light, exposing them and making him vulnerable. He could still remember Hank’s words as he threw the questions in his face. Did he think Maria was really going to stick around? How could he think that a respectable family like hers would ever accept him as part of her life? He was barely making minimum wage, did he think he could support her when he couldn’t even pay his own bills? He would always take Michael’s worthless ass back because they were family, could he say the same about Maria or her family?
He hadn’t been able to argue against those questions. The more that Hank tore into him the smaller and more inadequate he felt. He had lost sight of everything else and he had locked onto the one thing he knew would always be there. Hank wasn’t perfect but he hadn’t kicked him to the curb and walked out on him. He had easily fallen back into stealing cars. He was good at it and it paid a hell of a lot better than that damn hourly job.
Jim had known.
Maria’s dad had tried to get him to confide in him but the man was a cop. In the world he had grown up in you didn’t trust cops because they were out to get you. As he had gotten deeper into the life he knew he had started to push Maria away. Somewhere deep inside he had known she would dig her heels in and that scared, wounded part of him had desperately wanted her to fight for him, to prove that he was worth fighting for.
The night everything had gone to hell they had argued before he had taken off. It had been the worst argument they’d ever had. Even as angry as she had been she had been fighting to hold on. She had discovered what he was going to do and she had told him to his face that if he walked out the door she would call her dad and tell him what was going on. He hadn’t believed her. It was the last time he ever made the mistake of thinking she didn’t mean what she said.
People made the mistake of assuming that just because they didn’t drive a new car they were safe from theft. They couldn’t be more wrong. Older models were a hot commodity in his world and he had stolen more than enough to know how true it was. Broken down in a chop shop the individual parts were worth more than the car as a whole. Not to mention, older cars were just easier to steal. It wasn’t often that he got the opportunity to boost something wild enough to make a guy his age breathe hard at the prospect of getting behind the wheel. But Hank had gotten a special order, one that had made the old man nervous, but the money involved had been enough for him to ignore it and send his son out.
He had stood in the shadows staring at the car, watching the streets for anything that seemed out of place, and waiting for the right moment to present itself. He hadn’t had to wait long. He had bypassed the alarm with ease and slid into the drivers’ seat, his hands caressing the steering wheel as he enjoyed the feel of the leather cradling his body. It was more than a sleek body and an impressive engine. It had been the symbol of freedom. But it had nearly taken his life. He had heard the sirens just as he finished hotwiring the car, caught the flash of red and blue lights, and amidst the disbelief was a heavy dose of panic. He had floored it, clipping one of the cop cars as it shot around the corner. He could already hear Hank bitching about the damage and what it would take off of the profit, and he had cursed under his breath as he downshifted and took a corner too fast.
The cops had been waiting for him, he was sure of it. Maria had done exactly what she’d threatened to do. They had come up on him too fast and as he cut through the streets he had realized they were boxing him in. He hadn’t seen the barricade until it was too late and he had known once they caught him he was going to be in more trouble than he’d ever been in. He hadn’t had time to stop but he had slammed on the brakes and after that there was a big blank in his memory. They said he had gone through the windshield and he had been in the hospital for weeks after the accident, part of that time in a coma.
Maria had been there with him every day and as soon as he had been well enough for a serious conversation she had told him in no uncertain terms that if he wasn’t going to get his act together she was walking. She hadn’t raised her voice once; she had been eerily calm and that had been more worrisome than if she had screamed at him. He had to applaud her restraint. He knew what it had cost her to hold that in until he was ready to hear it but at the time he hadn’t appreciated it. He hadn’t wanted an ultimatum from her but she hadn’t left any room for negotiation. In all the time they had been together she hadn’t pushed the issue of his father, knowing it was a sensitive subject. He had known, of course, that she didn’t approve of the things he did for Hank, had known that she hated the way the old man treated him, but she had also known that at the time he wasn’t able to break those ties.
He had been arrested as soon as he’d been cleared to be moved. Hank had made a few token visits, appeared to be the concerned father. He had played the role of the supportive parent, hired an attorney, and then told him to plead guilty. The lawyer had disagreed, explaining that his best option was to make a deal and take a plea. Michael had been caught in the middle. The plea sounded like a good idea, cooperate and get a reduced sentence. But if he cooperated he would have to hand over something the D.A. felt was good enough to exchange for a lighter sentence.
Looking back now he knew Hank had only been looking after his own interests. The lawyer and Hank had gone rounds about his plea and in the end the lawyer had dropped the case. There had been no explanation; he had just been informed that the man was no longer involved with his case and that he would be assigned to a public defender. He was used to dealing with public defenders and most of them were only interested in furthering their own agenda, doing what they had to do to push their own careers forward. He had asked Hank for another lawyer but his old man had narrowed his eyes and told him he knew Michael had been thinking about turning on him and he wasn’t going to pay someone so he could go to jail. He had just wished him luck with the public defender, warned him that if he even considered using him as his ticket out he would regret it, and then walked away.
He had been surprised to see Jim when he had been told he had a visitor a couple of days later. The man had always been fair with him even though he knew he was trouble. Maria’s family didn’t judge people, they didn’t assume that just because someone got into trouble that they were a lost cause, and he didn’t understand how a cop’s family could be like that. Oh, her parents had their reservations about him, but he knew that was because they didn’t want to see Maria hurt if he couldn’t straighten his life out. The funny thing was Maria wasn’t the only one they were worried about. She was their primary concern, but they had expressed their concern for him as well.
He could remember sitting across from Jim in that small room, fighting to sit still under the man’s watchful eye. Jim was a family man, he was a cop, and he was a man who commanded respect. The silence had been deafening and sweat had started to trickle down the center of his back, making it even harder to sit still. He sat forward, his handcuffed hands on the table between them, and met the man’s gaze with open hostility.
“What the fuck do you want?”
“You’re about to throw your life away,” Jim had warned him. “For every step forward you’ve made over the past three years you’ve consistently taken two backwards.”
“So you’re here to say I told you so?”
“No, I’m here to tell you this’s your chance to change your life, Michael.”
“I’m no snitch.”
“Your lawyer tell you what kinda time you’re lookin’ at without a deal? You’ve racked them up this time; grand theft auto, evading police, and reckless endangerment?” He had nodded when the younger man turned his stony gaze to the wall. “That’s a pretty good chunk of time, boy.”
He had shrugged. “Good, Maria can move on and your family can throw a party ‘cause she’s not with me anymore.”
Jim had sighed. “Michael, you’ve got the potential to be so much more than what you’ve accepted for yourself. She sees that, she saw it long before anyone else. But you’re right about one thing; if you’re not gonna change and be the man you’re more than capable of becoming, then I’ll be damned glad to see my daughter find someone else. Because the path you’re on right now is leading in one of two directions and I don’t want her caught up in it when it happens. You keep goin’ the way you are you’re gonna end up in prison for life or you’re gonna end up dead, and whether you wanna admit it or not, you know she deserves better than that.”
“You think I don’t know that?” he had snapped, pissed because he knew it was true.
“Then change.”
“Yeah, because it’s that easy. I’ve already got a record, I’m doin’ time for this one way or the other, and I know what it’s like out there for guys who get outta prison. No one wants to put them in a decent job and people treat them like they’re worthless. At least stealin’ cars pays well.”
Jim had glanced around the cinderblock room thoughtfully. “You’re right, Michael, you can make damn good money on the wrong side of the law but you’re always gonna be looking over your shoulder, afraid to trust anyone, always watching everyone you know because you’re afraid one of them’s gonna betray you, and if that’s what you wanna do with your life you will stay away from my daughter.”
“So what do you want me to do? Yeah, you say ‘Michael, you need to change’, but it’s not that easy.”
“I didn’t say it was gonna be easy. There are programs and Amy and I will do everything we can to help but if it’s not what you want it won’t matter. You can change, but it has to be because it’s what you want. Maria’s never tried to change you. She’s tried to open your eyes to things, tried to make you see the alternatives, but until you’re ready to make a change it’s not gonna matter, you understand what I’m sayin’?”
“The only way I’m getting outta this without doin’ serious time is if I roll on someone else.” He had shaken his head stubbornly. “I’m not a snitch,” he repeated.
“Michael, I understand family loyalty – “
“What the fuck do you understand? Man, your family’s like a normal fuckin’ family. You don’t understand what’ll happen if I… You don’t understand.”
“What I understand is that the loyalty you’re giving your father is undeserved. Why do you think you’re currently without a lawyer?”
He had shrugged. He had his suspicions but he wouldn’t voice them. “Asshole lawyer obviously didn’t know what he was doin’.”
“That asshole wanted you to flip on the person who put you up to that theft in the first place. Let me ask you somethin’, Michael, and give me an honest answer. Do you think your father would be as loyal to you?”
“Hank wouldn’t roll on me.”
“You sure about that?” The younger man’s silence had spoken loudly. “Where do you think he’s been the past few days? His name’s not on the visitor’s logs. He’s covering his tracks, making sure when you go down for this you don’t take him with you.”
“Say I take the D.A.’s deal, what happens when I get out?”
“We’ll get you in a program, help you get on your feet so you can support yourself. And Maria, if things work out between the two of you.”
“I don’t get my shit straight she’s done with me.”
“Do you blame her? Is this the kinda life you want for her? You care about her; that much is obvious. You may even love her. I know she sure as hell loves you, but if you can’t be man enough to accept help when it’s offered and do your damnedest to turn your life around then you don’t deserve her. But you’re gonna have to do the right thing here, Michael.”
“You want me to give the D.A. evidence against Hank.”
“I know what I’m askin’ you to do isn’t easy but you’ve got potential and it’s wasting away the longer you follow in his footsteps. I’m prepared to get you a lawyer but I want your word that you’ll do what you know is right for you.”
Michael had studied the man. “What’s to stop me from tellin’ you I’ll do what you want just to have a lawyer?”
“Because you’ll give me your word.” He had crossed his arms over his chest and met the younger man’s gaze directly. “And a man’s only as good as his word, Michael.”
He shook his head and his hand dropped away from the scar when he heard movement in the bedroom behind him. Turning his life around hadn’t been easy but Maria’s parents had been there to back him up and help him when he needed it. He’d been given an opportunity to learn a trade working for a friend of Jim’s who owned a construction company. The man showed no favoritism and he had worked him like a dog the first couple of years, making him prove himself and earn his place in the company. There had been so many times he had wanted to quit but every time one of those pesky Deluca’s or Valenti’s would show up, somehow knowing he was reaching the boiling point, and they’d manage to cool him down.
He was only a couple of months away from taking the written and practical exams to become certified as a heavy equipment operator. When he passed, Doug, the owner of the construction company, had a position and a big fat raise waiting for him. No, it hadn’t been easy but coming home at night to his own family, knowing he had the support of Maria and their extended family, and having the satisfaction of providing for Maria and Hunter all made everything he had been through worthwhile.
Funny what could trigger memories, he thought. That scene between Max and the little weasel he’d been having words with at the bar was stuck in his head. The guy claimed it was over something that’d been said about Parker but he didn’t believe it. He turned away from the mirror, walking to the doorway and leaning against the frame as he watched Maria fuss over the throw pillows she insisted on putting on the bed. He didn’t really get the point. One small decision eight years ago and he wouldn’t be standing here now. He had done four years instead of seven and even though he wasn’t particularly religious he thanked God that Jim had intervened when he had.
“What’s on your mind?” Maria asked as she stacked the throw pillows on the window seat.
“Parker ever tell you what Max was in for?”
“That’s what you’re thinking about, huh? Okay. No, she’s never said.” She paused before going back for the last couple of throw pillows. “Why?”
“Something happened tonight that just struck me as odd.”
“Odd or suspicious?”
He shrugged. She knew him well enough to know when something didn’t set right with him. “I walked up on him and some guy havin’ words. Damn club was too loud to hear what they were sayin’ but I think something’s goin’ on.”
“What, like he’s getting involved in his old life?”
“Either he’s involved or he’s bein’ pressured to get involved, don’t know which.”
“I should warn Liz.”
“She won’t listen to you and if you go to her with nothin’ more than my opinion she’ll shut you down before you get anywhere.”
“You don’t think I should tell her anything yet?”
He shook his head and crossed the room to stand behind her, his big hands coming to rest on her shoulders. “He may not be into anything yet.” His fingers toyed with the straps of the camisole she wore.
“What should we do?”
“Get naked,” he murmured against her shoulder.
“About Max,” she said as she turned in his arms.
“Oh, that. For now, maybe line up some stuff to keep him busy when he’s not workin’, see how often he makes excuses to get out of hangin’ out. Has Parker said anything about him breakin’ dates or anything?”
“No, and I know she’d have mentioned that.”
He shrugged. “Maybe he’s not involved in anything yet.”
“Liz did say her parents wanted to have dinner with her and Max but she nixed it. Little bit too serious for her at this point.”
He shook his head. “Too bad your brother’s not around. We could draft him to help out.”
“You and Sean could hang out with him.”
“Yeah, but your cousin dated Liz for about five minutes so that might not be the greatest idea.”
“Well, she dated DJ for a lot longer and he and Max get along just fine.”
“Yeah, well, DJ’s not your normal ex. That guy’s too easygoing and somehow, someway, he and Liz ended things and managed to stay friends.” He shook his head. “I have no idea how that happened. And don’t really care,” he said as he took her lips in a heated kiss before scooping her up in his arms.
He was just settling over her on the bed when they heard Hunter start wailing through the baby monitor. He groaned and pressed his forehead to her shoulder.
“I’ll get him,” Maria offered.
“No, I’ve got him. You were up with him last night.” He pushed himself up and gave her a quick kiss. “Don’t go to sleep before I get back.” He shot her a grin over his shoulder as he disappeared through the door.
She snorted and then smiled while she listened to him as he cared for their son. Hunter had started teething late and he was having a hard time with it. Her thoughts wandered to the situation with Max and she wondered if he had gotten involved in his old life again. She knew Michael was right about the way Liz would react if she tried to tell her about his suspicions but her friend was getting in deep with Max and she didn’t want to see her hurt either. She had seen firsthand how easily that side of life could lure a person back in, how strong the pull was, and if Max continued to hold people at arms’ length it wouldn’t take much for him to give in to it. If he hadn’t already, she reminded herself.
*****
Max was washing down the loading dock when he heard a throat clearing behind him. The small hairs at the back of his neck stood on end and he was tensed for a fight as he slowly turned around. The sun was behind the man who stood on the alley floor, glinting off of the longish blonde hair and the dark sunglasses.
“You want somethin’?”
“Heard you were out and wanted to see it for myself.”
He relaxed at the familiar voice and he shook his head as he released the lever on the hose, stopping the water spraying from the nozzle. “You’re lookin’ a little different than you did last time I saw you, Shakes.” The other guy shrugged and removed his sunglasses, revealing the blue eyes that hadn’t lost that haunted look. It wasn’t as obvious and people who didn’t know him might not even realize it was there, but he could still see it.
“Things change, kid.” He looked down, staring at his hands as he used his shirt to wipe the lenses of the glasses. He held them up, squinting as he looked through them, inspecting them for spots. “I heard you’ve been makin’ deliveries for Knight again.” He sighed and turned his head to look at Max. “Big mistake. You know you don’t just walk away from him.”
“I guess you know Ava’s disappeared.”
“She fell off the grid the night Seth was executed. Word is he was tryin’ to get her outta the life and Knight found out about it. He had both of them down in a warehouse on the docks and what I hear is he did Seth himself.”
Max swallowed hard. He’d heard rumors that Ava and allied herself with Seth for protection but she had never wanted to talk about it. It was rare for Damon to get his own hands dirty, but for a personal betrayal like that… “And Ava?”
“Like I said, she disappeared. Cops raided the warehouse but all they found was Seth’s body.”
“You think he has her?”
“No. What reason would he have for keeping her alive? I think he either killed her or in the confusion she managed to escape.”
“What’re the chances she escaped and survived? I’ve been to the apartment and it didn’t look like she’d taken anything with her.”
“If she was on the run she wouldn’t risk going back to the apartment. Think, kid! It’d be the first place Knight would’ve looked.”
Max nodded as he thought about the state of the apartment. “She wouldn’t be safe anywhere in the city. She wouldn’t have gone to the cops because she knows Damon’s got cops on his payroll. If she was plannin’ to run she’d have made plans, had insurance… she wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone what was going on because he has ways of finding out.”
“And if she found a way out you’ve sold your soul to the devil for nothing. There’re only two options when someone goes missing in Knight’s organization and you know how slim the chances are that she got away alive.”
Max thought about that. “If she was dead why would he have bothered approaching me? She’s alive, Shakes, she has to be. He’s keeping me close because he thinks she’ll contact me.”
“And if she does he’ll take both of you out. The streets don’t discriminate kid; it’s survival of the fittest. It’s not just what you know, it’s who you know.”
“What’re you sayin’?”
Shakes reached into his shirt pocket and pulled a business card out. “I finally got in the right car one night and it paid off.” He smiled tightly. “I even travel with my own personal bodyguard now. You always did right by me when we were on the streets and even later, when you got away from that life you did what you could. You ever need anything, just call.”
Max stared at the gold lettering on the card in his hand. “You travel with a bodyguard, huh?”
“Um-hmm. Otto’s back at the car, but trust me, he’ll know if anyone even thinks of threatening me.” Shakes narrowed his eyes. “You need protection?”
“Not me, no. I’m with someone and Damon’s already threatened her. She doesn’t know about the situation but even if she did she wouldn’t be able to protect herself and…”
“You’d prefer she be watched covertly?”
“Yeah, is that somethin’ you can make happen?”
“Consider it done. I’ll have someone watching her by morning.” He pulled a cell phone out and tapped the screen. “I’ll just need some information.”
Max nodded, watching him as he navigated the different applications. “So, you’re with someone now?”
“No.” He slid the sunglasses back on. “He was significantly older. He didn’t have any family, he was lonely, and for some insane reason he enjoyed my company.”
“He treated you right?”
The right corner of his mouth lifted in the barest hint of a genuine smile. “Yeah, he treated me better than right. He kept me off the streets. Damnedest thing was he wanted companionship more than anything else. We were together for about a year before he passed.” He cleared his throat and focused on the screen.
“It’s not insane, y’know,” Max said quietly.
“What?”
“That the guy enjoyed your company.”
They talked for a few more minutes while Shakes collected the information he needed to set protective measures in place for Liz.
“I’ll be in contact, let you know who I’ve got on her so you don’t go off on the wrong guy if you spot him. She’ll never know he’s there, but you were out here too long to completely overlook someone watchin’ her. Anyone comes after her he’ll put them down.”
Max rubbed his thumb over the edge of the card. “What kinda problems could this cause for you?”
Shakes flashed a quick grin at him. “I know how to cover my ass, kid. Past couple of years I’ve learned just how easily money can be used to manipulate situations. Not exactly news, but when you have limitless resources at your fingertips let’s just say it’s absurd how easy it is. Besides, if it comes down to it and one of my guys has to take the trash out, Knight won’t exactly be filing a missing persons report.”
“No, but, he could come after you.”
His eyes hardened behind the sunglasses. “Then I’ll do the city a favor and put him down. I don’t hide from anyone anymore. My survival instincts are as sharp as they ever were, I know how to protect myself, and arrogant as it may be, I have the money to make sure I don’t have to blend into the shadows ever again.”
Max went back to washing the dock down after Shakes left. There was no point wondering how Shakes had known where to find him; he knew how fast word traveled on the streets. He was glad the guy had finally gotten off the streets but he could see the loneliness he carried around like a heavy cloak. He patted the pocket that now held the business card, counting himself lucky that he had someone in his corner he knew he could rely on.
*****
Liz pulled up in front of the restaurant and handed her keys to the valet when he opened the door for her. He smiled and slid into the seat while she disappeared through the front door and into the dining area, glancing around for Max and not seeing him. She turned her head when she heard her name and she smiled at the woman approaching her with a stack of menus cradled in one arm.
“Hey, Maryann, how’s it going?”
The woman smiled brightly, shaking her head and drawing attention to the bright blue stripe running through her hair. “You must be looking for Max.”
“Yeah, how’d you know?”
“Well, when he turned me down I had to know why.” She lifted her eyebrows suggestively. “He didn’t give me much to go on so I didn’t know until now. But you don’t normally come in through the front and check the dining room if you’re looking for your dad, so…”
Liz smirked and shrugged one shoulder. “You know where he’s at?”
“He was on his way to clock out when I saw him a few minutes ago.”
“Thanks.” She breezed through the dining area and back through the kitchen. She spotted her dad and changed directions, catching up with him as he moved back and forth between the stations in the kitchen. “Hey, Dad.”
“Lizzie!” He gave her a bear hug that lifted her right off of her feet, a gesture that earned grins from his staff. “I’m guessing you’re not here to see me, but that’s alright.” He set her down and released her. “He’s in the back, getting ready to leave for the day.”
She was about to head back for the employee’s lounge but she paused a moment and turned back to look at him. “Dad, do you and Mom have any plans for Sunday night?”
Jeff was careful to mask his surprise. “I’m sure anything your mom has planned can be rearranged if you have something in mind.”
“Well, maybe you guys would like to come over for dinner at my place, say around seven?”
“I’ll have her juggle whatever needs to be juggled to make it happen,” he said with a smile.
She nodded. “Okay, catch ya later, Dad. Love you!” she called over her shoulder as she pushed through the swinging door and hurried down the hall to the employee’s lounge.
Max glanced up when the door opened and he grinned when Liz walked in. “Hey, wasn’t expecting to see you this early.”
“I came by to kidnap you for the night.”
“Can I assume this won’t involve me breaking the conditions of my parole?”
She laughed and nodded. “You would assume correctly.” She bit her bottom lip. “Would you be mad if I told you I went by your place to grab some of your things?”
He shook his head. “No. I told you to come by whenever you wanted to. I don’t recall giving you permission to go through my clothes, but since you’re kidnapping me for the night and I’ll need somethin’ to wear for tonight and for work in the mornin’ I’ll overlook the intrusion.” He grinned and slammed his locker door closed, locking it and turning to look at her. “Should I ask where you’re taking me?”
“No, you should just roll with it and come with me.”
“Good enough,” he said when she slipped her arm through his and they headed for the exit.
They settled into the car and Liz put the top down, watching him for a moment as he tipped his head back and closed his eyes against the sun shining down on them. He was content to let her take them wherever they were going without asking a bunch of questions and she was happy that he trusted her enough to let her take the lead.
He sat up straighter when she turned onto Riverside Boulevard, slowing as she approached an apartment building. She pulled up in front and parked in the valet parking zone. He got out when she did, tipping his head back to look up at the impressive structure and reaching back to steady himself on the car when the feeling of vertigo washed over him. “How many floors is this building?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes and waited for his head and stomach to settle down. Even though he had lived in the City his entire life it still amazed him just how tall some of the buildings were. His gaze zeroed in on his bag when she pulled it out. This was her apartment building, he realized. He had no idea what he had been expecting but he knew this wasn’t it. She hadn’t invited him into her space before and he took it as a good sign that she was extending the offer now.
“Forty-something, I think.” She handed his bag to him when he held his hand out for it. “I live on the 27th floor.”
He tried not to gawk as they walked through the lobby. Off to one side was a fitness center, on another side what looked like an outdoor courtyard at the building’s center set up with tables and chairs, a library area on another side, and in the center of the lobby was a large reception area. They took the elevator up to her floor, stepping off and walking down the hall to her apartment. When she opened the door and stepped inside he followed her and felt his mouth drop open at the view.
“That’s the Hudson River,” he said as they walked across the wood floors into the living room.
Liz was ridiculously pleased at his awed tone. “Yeah, the view’s available in the master bedroom, the living room, and the dining area.”
“You’re kidding!”
“No, c’mon, I’ll show you.” She motioned to the right where a glass table surrounded by four white leather chairs dominated the opposite end of the long room. “Well, the dining area’s pretty obvious but lemme show you the bedroom and you can put your bag down.”
He glanced over the furniture before turning to follow her once more. The furniture was white and oversized and while it wasn’t a color he would’ve chosen it looked comfortable. In the bedroom he immediately had a sense of space. She had gone with a white color scheme again but even to his untrained eye it was apparent she hadn’t spared any expense for comfort. “You really like white, don’t you?”
“I like that it feels… uncluttered.”
He nodded, understanding without further explanation.
“Okay, I thought I’d make dinner. I know you like to take a shower as soon as you get off work, and I brought your Psyche textbook so you could do your reading while I’m taking care of dinner. Have you ever had lobster?”
“Huh-uh, is it good?”
“Well, I like it. But I’m making sirloin steak as well, so if you don’t care for the lobster at least I know for sure you like steak.” She grabbed his tie and pulled him close. “And yes, loaded baked potatoes, mixed vegetables, and dinner rolls on the side.”
“I’m supposed to do homework while you’re making all that?”
“Yes, that way once dinner’s finished and the dishes are done we have the rest of the evening to just spend together.”
“Guess I can’t argue with that logic,” he murmured as he leaned down to brush his lips against hers. He wrapped his arms around her when he felt her hands clench in his shirt, followed her lead and allowed the kiss to take on a life of its own. For the first time since they had gotten involved he didn’t keep a tight leash on his need, giving her the room to let him know what she wanted, what she needed, and trusting her to let him know when to stop.
Liz reached up to unknot the tie she had convinced him to buy and then taught him how to tie properly. He walked backwards when she nudged him and she was pleased when he fell back on the bed and pulled her down with him. Her fingers danced over the buttons on his shirt, slipping them free one by one. “You’re not resisting.”
“You’ll let me know when to stop.”
She braced her hands on the bed on either side of him, staring into his eyes and noting that they were darker than normal. “What’s changed?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “You. At the beginning this was about you bein’ in control and me bein’ a conquest but now it’s more than that. We’ve reached a place where you trust me to stop if and when you need to stop. That makes the difference, Liz,” he whispered as he cupped her face in his hands. “That’s everything.”
“It’s been so long since I’ve even wanted to trust someone, especially a man.” She studied his features, loving the way he was so focused on her and what she was saying. “You’re a lot more patient than I have any right to expect.”
He shook his head. “You have every right to expect patience from the guy you’re with.” His thumb brushed over her bottom lip and he followed the move with his eyes. “And especially in this situation, Liz.”
She smiled and leaned down to press her lips to his before wiggling off of him. She gave a throaty laugh at his groan and took his hand to pull him to his feet. “Shower,” she said, giving him a push towards the bathroom. “I’m gonna go get dinner started and then…” She glanced between him and the bed. “And then we’ll see where the night takes us.”
“I’m really gonna be able to focus on four chapters of psychology now,” he said as he shot his best pathetic look at her.
“Go! You can read it aloud if you want and I’ll help with the review questions at the end.”
He laughed at that and grabbed his bag off of the floor where he had dropped it. “Now there’s an offer I won’t forget,” he said, stealing one last kiss before he disappeared into the bathroom. There was no way in hell he was gonna be able to focus on psychology now! It didn’t matter though, he decided. They had just taken a huge step forward in their relationship. He swallowed down the reminder that while she was progressing and finding the strength to trust him he was sliding further back into his old life and risking everything he was building with her.
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ArchAngel1973
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Prisoners of the Past (CC, A/U, Adult) Part 25 - 5/7/12
Eva: You can count on Michael to stick around.
He has a rough past and it wasn’t easy to make it out of that but he had some really good, dedicated people on his side.
Alien_Friend: Thanks! Yeah, the barrier between Max and Liz is going to create some problems, especially now that she’s beginning to open up.
Yep, Liz does have a pretty swanky place and it’s tastefully decorated. Those secrets are going to have to come out eventually because until they do these two can only go so far forward in their new relationship.
Michael had a rough past and it took a lot for him to get through it. He’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the situation with Max. After all he’s been through it’s important for him to find ways to build things rather than tear them apart.
Shakes is someone who will be there to help Max. And you are so right – Max wouldn’t forgive himself if Liz fell victim to an attack because of him.
MP: Thanks! The gears are already turning for Michael and he knows something isn’t right with Max and his situation. The little things are important and Max is someone who will really appreciate that.
RL got in the way of the Sunday update, so this one’s a bit longer.
begonia9508: Thanks!
Lol, they do at that!
Shakes will make sure one of his people are watching Liz and keeping her safe.
Michelle in LA: Yep, they do have a sixth sense.
Kyle knows that Max and Ava are friends, he’s made that connection. He just has no way of letting Max know she’s safe.
Shakes won’t forget where he came from or what he’s been through. He did make it a point of seeking Max out and you can expect to see him again.
Thanks!
dreamon: Thanks! Max is getting some help from unexpected sources.
keepsmiling7: Michael had it rough but things are looking up for him now.
Expect to see Shakes again.
Liz and Max are both learning new things with each other and she’s making some real progress with her trust issues.
mary mary: Lol.
xilaj: Thanks for reposting your feedback! I went back to save it and it was gone! I’m glad you enjoyed that last part and the look into Michael’s past.
Part 25
Sean Deluca focused on the hostage taker through the scope of his rifle as he waited for the signal that would give him the green light. For the past two hours he had been listening as the negotiator attempted to talk the man down. The hostage taker was on the second floor of an office building and every once in a while he would lean out through the window he had thrown a computer through and shout at the people below, begging to be left alone so he could think. He could hear the fatigue in the hostage takers voice as he started to wind down but until he released his hostages and surrendered he was a threat. He knew the negotiator was trying to get everyone out without a shot being fired and she had a high success rate.
The sun was beating down on him and the rooftop beneath him was only getting hotter. He kept his mind on the situation and away from the cool shower and cold beer that was waiting for him at home. He was acutely aware of everything around him but only the pertinent things registered on a conscious level. He saw the blinds move behind the shattered window and a moment later the hostage taker pushed them aside to peer down at the street.
The poor guy was distraught, pushed to the end of his rope, and resorting to tactics that only an irrational mind would find sensible. He had lost his job, his marriage was on the rocks, and now his home was in foreclosure. It had been the last straw and it was why he was waving a gun around and demanding that they give his job back. He watched as the man placed the handgun on the ledge, holding his hands up as the hostages began to run out of the building. His eyes remained trained on the hostage taker when he lowered his arms. He studied him as his hands rested on the ledge and his eyes swept over the activity swarming below.
“Lt. Webster, this’s Officer Deluca.”
The negotiator responded immediately. “Go ahead, Officer.”
“Lieutenant, I’ve got eyes on the HT and I believe he’s about to go out that window.” He smiled grimly at the guttural curse that passed her lips. He didn’t drop his gaze but he knew if he did he’d see her breaking the barricade and heading in to make direct contact with the man who was even now climbing out on the ledge.
He nudged the gun with his hip and it slipped off of the ledge, falling to the ground and luckily didn’t discharge when it hit the concrete below. The weapon was quickly collected and bagged as evidence and the man on the ledge was slowly creeping further away from the window. The negotiator, Lt. Ana Webster, appeared in the opening but he kept his focus on the hostage taker in case he made a threatening move against her.
Three hours later the situation was diffused and the hostage taker was successfully taken into custody. It was several more hours before statements and debriefings were concluded and he found himself punching out for the day. He caught sight of Lt. Webster in her office and he detoured to rap his knuckles against the open door.
“Officer Deluca,” she said as she glanced up to look at her visitor. “Good call out there today.”
“Thanks. I’m out, just wanted to stop by and let you know the job you did today was amazing. Next time you’re at Shanahan’s we’ve got your drinks covered.”
She smiled and shook her head. “After cooking on that rooftop for five hours today I think I should have your drinks covered.”
He flashed his crooked grin at her. “Well, we never turn down a free drink.”
He hooked the strap of his bag over his shoulder and walked outside, feeling the heat rising from the pavement and wrapping around him. He lifted an eyebrow when he saw the man leaning against his pride and joy, a restored 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500.
“Better not be getting any of that construction filth on my ride, Guerin.”
Michael snorted as he straightened up. “I seem to recall puttin’ quite a few hours into this baby myself, Deluca. She’ll survive a little construction dirt.” He watched Maria’s cousin as he tossed his gear into the trunk before stretching his arms high over his head. “You involved in that hostage situation this afternoon?”
“It was a long day but one that ended well enough.” He rested his forearms on the roof over the drivers’ side door. “What’re you doin’ here this late in the day? Shouldn’t you be home already?”
“I’m under orders to see for myself that you’re in one piece – “
Sean rolled his eyes. “No shots fired.”
“And you think that matters to Maria or your aunt how?” He nodded in satisfaction when Sean made a rolling motion with his right hand. “And I’m supposed to see if you’d be interested in maybe goin’ bowling one night this week. Oh, Maria said you should bring a date but if you can’t get one she has a coworker she can set you up with.”
He made a face. “No, I do not need her to set me up. Damn, did you see that last girl she set me up with? Normally she’s got pretty good taste, but, no way, never again.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not girl she had originally picked out for you but you made the mistake of pissin’ her off before the date. That’s on you, man. You know better than to piss her off.”
“Whatever. What’s the deal with the double date?”
“Oh, if Maria gets her way – and she will – it’ll end up as a quadruple date. She’s in the process of wrangling DJ into this thing too.”
“Uh-huh, so you an’ Maria, DJ and whoever, me and whoever, and who’s lucky couple number four?”
Michael scratched the back of his neck. “Parker and the guy she’s seein’.”
“No.”
“I realize she basically cut you off at the balls but high school’s over and done with.”
“And yet you still can’t tolerate her either. Huh, why is that again?” He rolled his eyes. “No, I’d rather spend time locked up in a dark room with a bunch of scorpions.”
“You’re not still hung up on her, are you?” he asked as he studied the other guy. He knew Sean had really liked Liz until she had dropped him for a guy with a fancy car and a trust fund. Which he probably would’ve gotten over a lot quicker if it hadn’t been two days before his Senior Prom and the guy hadn’t been his biggest rival.
“Hell no. I’m just not interested in hangin’ out with her snotty little ass. She and Maria are best friends and I want Maria to be happy. I told her I wanted her to just forget about what happened because I had, and in all fairness Maria warned me about Liz. And I don’t know, maybe it’s wrong to hold a grudge against someone who was all of 16 at the time but if that’s the case then I’ll just continue to be small about it.”
“Sean, this’s important. You know I wouldn’t be here askin’ if it wasn’t.”
He sighed. “Wanna grab a beer? I think I’m gonna need a couple in my belly before I agree to whatever harebrained scheme my cousin’s cooked up now.”
Michael grinned because he knew he had him.
*****
Liz glanced over the laptop screen and lifted an eyebrow when she caught the expression on Max’s face. He had finished his assigned reading and she had helped him with the questions at the end of each chapter but now he was reading through an extra chapter to familiarize himself with what was coming next. “What?”
“This Freud guy’s sick,” he muttered.
She bit back a smile. “You’ve never heard any of his theories?”
“No. I mean, does he really believe that a boy that’s between the ages of three and six really develops sexual desire for his mother?” He shook his head in disbelief. “I’m telling you, that’s some sick shit.”
“Get past the stages of psychosexual development and it gets easier to stomach.”
“I don’t remember much from three to six but I wasn’t suffering from this bull.”
“Maybe you should take a break from psychology for the rest of the night.”
“Probably have nightmares about it,” he said, releasing the heavy book when she tugged it free of his grasp. His hands settled at her hips when she shifted to straddle him and he watched her as her eyes traced over him.
“What made you let this grow out?” she asked as she traced her fingers over the goatee.
He shrugged. “Makes me look older and on the inside that’s a good thing.”
“Have you considered shaving it off?”
“Why? You don’t like it?”
“No, I do like it but I’d really like to see what you look like without it.”
“Maybe one of these days I’ll let you.”
“But not today,” she said, seeing the answer in his eyes.
“No.”
She nodded. “Max? When you disappear sometimes in the afternoons when you get off from work, are you out looking for her? For Ava?”
“I’m doing what I can to find her,” he answered evasively.
“You don’t think maybe she just left the city to get away from that life?” She frowned when he averted his gaze for a moment. “Max, you can talk to me about it. I wish you would.”
“I really don’t know what happened to her. She… she tried to get away once before while I was inside and the guy we worked for, he’s not the kinda guy you just walk away from.”
“Because if you work for him you know too much,” she guessed.
“I tried to get her to take off when I was sentenced. She wasn’t in deep enough back then but she wouldn’t listen, just insisted that she had my back. I tried to tell her I wouldn’t be able to watch her back from prison but she just said she could take care of herself. I wish I’d had the ability to force her to get out at the time but I knew she wouldn’t leave. She’s in this life because she followed me when we were 13, and I’m the one who convinced her at 16 that runnin’ drugs was what we needed to do to survive. At the time it was, but I could’ve, I should’ve kept her out of that life.”
“How did she think she was gonna have your back?”
He smiled tightly. “I ended up with a cellmate who watched out for me and I know the guy we worked for made sure he was put there. It wasn’t the kind of thing he did just to be nice.”
“You think Ava somehow made that happen? But, how?” Her eyes widened when he looked away again. She cradled his cheek in her hand and turned his head, forcing him to look at her. She could see the guilt in the depths of his amber eyes, could see the shadows of regret, and she shook her head. “You think she had to exchange sexual favors to convince him to keep you safe in prison?”
“It’s not the type of organization where women are held in high regard.” He shook his head and moved her so he could stand up and pace. “Liz, I told you there’s a lot about my past that’s ugly and the business I was in, some of the things I did – “
Her eyes followed him, taking in his agitation. “Did you ever kill anyone?”
“No, but I have hurt people.”
“On purpose?” she asked cautiously.
Shame was evident in his features and she watched him as he leaned against one of the tall windows that looked down over the Hudson. He rested the side of his head on his fisted hand and lifted the other to stare at his knuckles. “Yes,” he said finally. There was no way to sugarcoat what he had done to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs. “Part of the business involves gambling and loan sharking and sometimes people couldn’t pay up.”
“So you’d what, beat them up? For money? People really do that?”
He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb when he realized how easily this conversation could bring up bad memories for her. “I should go.”
“No.” Liz got to her feet to intercept him when he grabbed his textbook and started to leave the room. “No, I want us to talk about this.” She could feel the tension in him when she grabbed his upper arms and planted her feet to keep him in place.
“Liz, I hurt people because they owed my boss money and they couldn’t pay up. There’s nothing I can do to ever change what I’ve done. I don’t want you to ever look at me and remember what you – “
“Max, it’s not the same thing.” She took his hands and lifted them up to study the scarred knuckles. “Two months ago I wouldn’t have been able to see the difference but a lot’s changed since I first met you. You’ve done things you’re not proud of and I can at least understand that; I’ve done things I’m not proud of either. But, what Dennis Rhoads did to me,” she swallowed with difficulty, “I know you’re nothing like him no matter what you’ve done.”
“I’m not like that anymore.”
“Of course you aren’t.” She rubbed her hands over his arms. He wasn’t comfortable talking about so much of his past and she felt like every time she mentioned it or tried to get him to open up she was navigating a minefield. She didn’t know what to do to help him and it was obvious that what he kept locked up inside was creating conflict inside of him. “We don’t have to talk about this anymore tonight.”
He nodded gratefully.
“Let’s just go to bed.”
Max held her in place when she started to move back.
“Max?”
“It’s been so long since I’ve even wanted to trust someone, especially a man.” The words she had spoken earlier kept replaying in his mind and he knew if they took that step in their relationship it was going to make things even harder when the truth came out. Since their first meeting she had slowly started to change. She was making an effort and trying to see beyond the boundaries she had created for herself. The fallout was going to be bad enough with the way things were going, but add in a sexual relationship, and he wondered if they would ever be able to regain the ground they would lose when the truth came out.
No, he decided, they wouldn’t. It wasn’t just about sex, not with her. This went much deeper, this was about trust, and for her trust was everything. He was already lying to her. To protect her, but it was still lying, and when the time came he didn’t know if she would understand why he had done what he was doing. She was already curious about where he was going when he disappeared after work some days and he wasn’t just looking for Ava, he was running drugs again.
“Max?”
“Huh?” He blinked and focused on her again. “Sorry, zoned out for a minute.”
“You’re not sure, are you?” she asked as she tipped her head to one side to study him. “About us having sex, I mean.”
He lifted his right hand to brush her hair back behind her ear. “I don’t want you to regret it once it happens.”
She smiled and shook her head. “What makes you think I’ll regret it?” She continued before he could answer. “Look, Max, I’m a big girl. I can make my own decisions and you even said earlier that I’d let you know if I needed to stop so why’re you backpedaling now?”
“I’m not, I just…” He sighed and reached up to rub his jaw. “I want to wait. I need to wait until I can find Ava.” He shook his head and held tight to her hand when she tried to pull away from him. “No, it’s not whatever you’re thinking, Liz. I want that behind me before we go that far.”
“Max, if there’s more between the two of you than just friendship tell me now because I’m getting in deeper with every passing day and I don’t wanna end up getting hurt over this.”
“I swear to you, it’s friendship, it’s loyalty, but it’s not more than that. I got her into this life and I need to find her and help her get out of it.”
“I don’t understand why you can’t just go to the police and file a missing persons report or something.”
“Because she’s still a part of that life and I’m not supposed to be associating with anyone with ties to it.”
“Alright, but, Max, I’m not gonna take a backseat to this thing for long. I respect what you’re doing but you’re not the only one involved in this relationship.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
*****
Jenny made her way through the rooms of the huge house, still awed by how pretty everything was. She had been with Alex and Isabel for five days now and she didn’t think she had been in every room yet. The house was so big that they had a woman who cleaned and did a lot of the cooking. She had followed Elena around for a while but that had finally gotten boring so she had struck off on her own.
Isabel was at work and she wasn’t sure where Alex was. She paused in the foyer when she heard a door slam and then feet running across the floor. She heard Elena call out in Spanish but she didn’t know what she was saying. A minute later she heard someone answer her and then a little boy stepped into the foyer.
“Hi,” he said with a big smile. “I’m Preston.”
“Hi.” She watched him for a moment, waiting to see if he was going to make fun of her or say something mean. “I’m Jenny.”
“You’re the girl my mom said was gonna live with Mr. Alex and Ms. Isabel.”
“Yeah. Is Elena your mom?”
He nodded. “Uh-huh, now that school’s out I get to come over here sometimes when she’s working. It’s not that boring though ‘cause Mr. Alex, sometimes he lets me play with his music equipment and he’s got all kinds of video games. Oh, and they’ve got a cool swimming pool too!” He sat on the second step of the staircase that led to the second level and rested his elbows on his scraped up knees. “What happened to your legs?”
She bit her bottom lip. “The doctors said I was just born like this.” She shrugged. “My daddy said it’s ‘cause I grew wrong.”
Preston made a face. “How could you grow wrong? You can’t make your bones grow right or wrong. I mean, they’re inside you.” He shrugged one shoulder. “You know, Mr. Alex got his legs all messed up in a car accident. That’s why he’s gotta walk with crutches now. If you’re lookin’ for him he’s doing his P.T. now. That’s physical therapy,” he said with a wise nod.
“Oh, no, if he’s busy that’s okay.”
“Wanna play a video game?”
“I don’t know.” She bit her bottom lip. “Is it hard?”
“You’ve never played a video game?” His eyes widened and he stared at her as if she was another life form. “Wow, c’mon then, I’ll show you all kinds of fun games and then we can ask Mom to make her special grilled cheese sandwiches. She makes the best ones ‘cause she makes ‘em without the crust. She always makes me drink milk with snacks but she says it’s ‘cause it’ll make my bones strong.”
“Is that true?”
“Mom says it is so I guess so. She knows all kinds of stuff but don’t ever tell her I said so.”
“Is she always right?”
He shook his head. “She says broccoli’s good for me too but I’m pretty sure she’s not right about that. My dog will eat almost everything but he won’t eat broccoli.”
They looked down the hall when they heard voices and Jenny smiled when she saw Alex walking towards them with another man. “Who’s he?”
“That’s Josh, he’s Mr. Alex’s therapy guy.”
“What’re you two up to?” Alex asked as they reached the kids.
“We were gonna go play a video game. You wanna come play too?”
“Tell ya what, I’ll meet you in the den after I clean up.” He introduced his physical therapist to Jenny and watched as her eyes wandered to Josh and then back to his legs. They had talked to her about having the surgery to repair her legs and while it was scary she wanted to do it. They had several appointments set up over the next week to find out what the doctors recommended after examining her in person.
“Does it hurt?”
Alex motioned to the staircase and Josh helped him to sit down so he could be on eye-level with the little girl. “Yeah, sometimes it does hurt but I want to walk again without having to use these things,” he said, nudging the crutches. “It’s not easy and sometimes you feel like you just wanna quit but that’s when this guy here really earns his money.”
She looked at Josh when he crouched down in front of her.
“Alex is right, Jenny, there’re times when it’ll hurt and it’ll hurt bad, but it’s worth it. You’re not afraid of hard work, right?”
“No.”
“Don’t you worry,” he winked at her. “We’ll get you walking on your own again.”
She beamed happily at him. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” He stood up again. “Alright, Alex, I’m outta here. I’ll see you Friday.”
Alex smiled at the look of happiness on Jenny’s face. “We’re gonna play a couple games while we’re waiting for Isabel to get home and then if I remember correctly we’re supposed to be picking out what you like for your room after dinner.”
Preston wrinkled his nose. “You gotta go shopping with Ms. Isabel and Jenny?”
“I get to pick everything out for my new room,” she said with a wide grin.
Alex smothered a laugh when the little boy rolled his eyes. “Alright, you two get settled in the den and I’ll catch up with you in a few.” He had a feeling his evening was going to be spent surrounded by pinks and purples, girly furniture, and excited female chatter. Not the most exciting thing personally on his list of things to do but he knew it would make the girls happy so he could live with it.
*****
Kyle could feel the comforting weight of his personal weapon snugged up against the small of his back and it helped keep him steady as he waited and watched. He tensed slightly as the nondescript black car pulled up in front of the house and rolled to a stop. From the corner of his eye he saw Mac move to the front door and step down to greet the driver as the door opened and a man stepped out of the car.
Ava had asked his opinion the night before and he had told her to be honest about the evidence but to avoid giving up its location. He had testified for District Attorney Sam McCarthy on cases before and the man was a good friend of his grandfather’s but he had a bad feeling that if she revealed that location all hell was going to break loose. He relied on his instincts to keep him alive and they were telling him to trust the district attorney. The only problem was, the man who was walking up to the house with Mac wasn’t McCarthy.
Patrick joined him at the window and paused with his coffee mug halfway to his mouth. “I guess the DA couldn’t make it.”
“You knew about this?”
“Got the call a couple hours ago. McCarthy was in an accident and he’s in the hospital so they sent Chief Assistant District Attorney Duggan in his place.”
“I don’t like it.” His eyes were locked on Mac and Duggan as they talked. She didn’t look pleased by the change of plans. Matter of fact, she looked downright pissed, he thought.
“He’s the next best thing to the DA, Valenti.”
“You didn’t mention this change in plans,” he said evenly.
“Need to know. You’re not here in an official capacity so you didn’t need to know. Mac’s the senior agent,” he said with a shrug. He glanced over his shoulder when the front door opened. “Why don’t you get our witness out here so we can get this thing rolling?”
Kyle nodded and slipped back through the hallway to knock on the door to the room Ava had been given. He opened it as soon as she called out for him to enter and he closed it behind him quietly. He caught the fear in her eyes as they darted to the door and he held his right forefinger to his lips in a bid for silence. “They didn’t send McCarthy,” he said quietly. “They sent Chief ADA Duggan.”
“What happened?”
“Patrick said McCarthy was in an accident.” He shook his head before she could ask more questions. “I don’t have more information than that and they’re not givin’ anything up. I want you to stay behind me at all times.”
“That your cop sense speaking?” She drew in a deep breath when he nodded. He wasn’t taking any chances and just that morning he had shoved a few of her things and some of his into one of his bags and stowed it somewhere for safekeeping. She didn’t question him, knowing he was following his instincts and trusting him to protect her and her baby. “What should I tell him?”
“Go ahead and give him the list of evidence you’ve got like we discussed.”
“But not the location?”
“Give him a bogus location. If I’m right about this they’re gonna tip their hand. Once they have the location of the evidence they don’t need you anymore. We might as well get this part of it over with otherwise we’re just gonna be waitin’ for them to come after us. That’s added stress you and Cadence don’t need.”
“How’re you gonna stay between me and Duggan?”
“Leave that to me.” He crouched down in front of her and took her hand. “Remember, don’t offer anything up that he doesn’t ask for directly. Don’t be too stubborn about it, but don’t appear too cooperative either. Let your suspicion show. He’s not the guy you were expecting, you’ve never met him before, and you don’t trust him… let any and all of that show.” He smiled tightly. “I won’t let anything happen to you or Cadence.”
She nodded, tensing when someone knocked on the door.
“We’ll be right there,” Kyle called over his shoulder.
“ADA Duggan’s waiting, let’s get this show on the road,” Mac called back.
“If this goes south, stick to me like glue.”
Kyle led the way down the hall to the kitchen where the ADA was set up to interview Ava. He felt her hand slide into his, felt the tension in her ease slightly at the contact, and he cleared his throat as they stepped into the room. “ADA Duggan, I don’t believe we’ve ever met,” he said, extending his free hand in the man’s direction. “Detective Kyle Valenti.”
“Valenti, you’d be related to James Valenti Sr.?” the man asked as he shook the detective’s hand.
“My grandfather.”
“So Jim Valenti…?”
“My dad, yeah.”
The sharp green eyes studied him for several long moments. “Good to know. Let’s get started, shall we?” He pulled one of the chairs out and gestured to it. “Ms. Johnson?”
“I said I’d meet with DA McCarthy, why isn’t he here?”
“I’m sorry to say he was involved in a vehicular accident.”
“I’ve never met you.”
“It’s my duty to step in for the DA if he should be unable to fulfill his duties. We need to get this rolling so we can present the case before the Grand Jury.”
“I’d like Detective Valenti to stay while we go over my testimony, Mr. Duggan,” Ava spoke up. “I know him. I don’t know you.” She could tell Kyle was gauging the man’s reaction to her request and she waited until the ADA had acquiesced before she moved to take the chair her cop pulled out. He took the other chair, leaving Duggan no choice but to take the last chair.
Kyle listened to the questions the ADA asked and hid a smile when Ava injected a venomous bite into her answers from time to time. It wasn’t all an act. He could tell Duggan had rubbed her the wrong way and while she wasn’t being uncooperative she wasn’t going out of her way to be pleasant either.
“You have actual evidence of Mr. Knight’s participation in the illegal activities you’ve listed?” Duggan asked as he repeatedly clicked his pen.
“Isn’t that what I said?”
“I’ll need to see the evidence for myself to determine whether or not it’ll stand up in court.” He watched her as she looked at the detective as if to ask his opinion. “I can assure you that without first seeing the evidence we can’t present out case to the Grand Jury. We want to take enough evidence before the Grand Jury to walk away with an indictment. The only chance for us to bring charges against Mr. Knight and have a prayer of making them stick is a silent indictment. I assume DA McCarthy explained that to you?”
“He said if he could get a silent indictment Damon would be arrested and held over until his arraignment.”
“Correct. So the more evidence we have when we go before the Grand Jury, the better our chances are of walking away with the indictment. Your testimony is the most damning evidence we have against him, which is why your deposition has been recorded. Should anything happen to you the taped deposition would be admissible in court.” He smiled. “But I think it’s safe to say that you’ll have your day in court. Now, about the location of the evidence…”
“There’s a place by Grand Central that stores smaller items for people who’re traveling.” She took the pen and paper Duggan slid across the table. “I don’t recall the name or the exact address but I can draw you a map.”
“And how do you retrieve whatever you’ve stored?”
“Well, identification. It’s stored there under a friend’s name. I guess you can get a subpoena for it or something, right?” She wrote the name under the directions. “That’s the name I used when I dropped the bag off. It’s an old military duffel bag, packed with some clothes and other stuff so it’d look like I was just another visitor to the city. At the center there’s a small plastic shopping bag and the evidence is wrapped up in it. There’re some things in that duffel that belong to a friend so if I could get those things back I’d appreciate it.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged,” Duggan said as he took the paper and studied it for a moment before folding it over and tucking it in the breast pocket of his jacket. The pen clicking began again and he glanced down as if just realizing what he was doing and it ceased. “I think I have everything I need, Ms. Johnson.”
“Then we’re finished here?” Ava glanced at Kyle when she started to get up and he pressed his leg against hers under the table. She shifted to find a more comfortable spot in her chair and waited for him to do something.
He dropped his gaze to the pen the ADA was clicking once again. “Do we have long to wait?” He nodded at the man’s quick glance. “You’re signaling someone, right? Likely more than one someone?”
“That sounds a bit paranoid, Detective. I’d expect that from Agent McKenzie considering her reputation but not from – “ The window behind him shattered and he slumped forward, his face landing against the table with a fleshy thud. Kyle ignored the blood, brain matter, and bits of bone fragments as he quickly grabbed Ava’s arm and pulled her away from the window.
“Were you expecting that?” she asked breathlessly as they crawled along the wall.
“Not exactly, no.” He could hear car doors opening and closing and knew they were in trouble. His gun was in his hand and he shielded Ava with his own body when the agents assigned to her appeared in opposite doorways. He wasn’t sure which one to train his weapon on. Was it both of them? Only one of them?
Patrick edged along the wall, ducked down below the window, and reached up to check the ADA’s pulse. “He’s not gonna need a hospital.” He glanced between his partner and the cop and he saw the uneasy looks on their faces. Booted feet crossed the porch and he pressed himself closer to the wall. “Better get her out that way, Valenti,” he said with a nod over his left shoulder.
“No! We can’t risk moving her until we have a better idea of what’s coming at us. Looks like two men,” Mac whispered, dropping flat on the floor when bullets sprayed the room. “Armed with automatics.”
“Good enough reason to risk moving her,” he bit out.
Her head jerked back and forth as she quickly assessed the room’s exits. “Get her outta here, Valenti.” She motioned to the exit Patrick had suggested and watched him as he carefully herded their pregnant witness across the room. Behind her a door exploded inward as bullets penetrated it and she got to her feet to go after the cop and the witness.
Kyle pressed Ava to the wall as a gunshot went off close behind him and he turned his head to see what was going on. Patrick was slumped against the wall, bleeding from a chest wound and struggling to breathe. His eyes widened when he realized Mac had just shot her partner but before he could speak she snatched Patrick’s gun from his hand, rifled though his pockets to find his extra clip and then ran over to him. His right arm shot up, the gun pointed at her, center mass.
“There’s no time for this, Valenti,” she snapped, her voice a low growl. “Take these and get her outta here.” She shoved the gun, clip, and a set of keys in his hands. “Two blocks east of here there’s a parking garage, first level, A7, there’s a crappy looking turquoise green Taurus. Glove box, instructions for another safe house. You can hole up there until I can send backup.” She shoved him when she heard another door being kicked in. “Go! I’ll hold them off but you’ve gotta get her outta here.”
“You’re sure you could only identify two of them?”
“Yeah. Now get her outta here or we lose any chance we have of putting Knight away.”
Kyle gave a sharp nod. “Good luck.” He took Ava’s arm and pulled her along with him as he slipped into the small washroom at the back of the house. He knew Mac had little chance of maintaining a standoff for very long when her opponents were both armed with automatic weapons. He also knew two blocks was a hell of a long way to go when he had a heavily pregnant woman running with him. He grabbed the bag he had stashed next to the back door, wedged in between the ancient washing machine and dryer, before ducking out through the back door.
He has a rough past and it wasn’t easy to make it out of that but he had some really good, dedicated people on his side.
Alien_Friend: Thanks! Yeah, the barrier between Max and Liz is going to create some problems, especially now that she’s beginning to open up.
Yep, Liz does have a pretty swanky place and it’s tastefully decorated. Those secrets are going to have to come out eventually because until they do these two can only go so far forward in their new relationship.
Michael had a rough past and it took a lot for him to get through it. He’ll definitely be keeping an eye on the situation with Max. After all he’s been through it’s important for him to find ways to build things rather than tear them apart.
Shakes is someone who will be there to help Max. And you are so right – Max wouldn’t forgive himself if Liz fell victim to an attack because of him.
MP: Thanks! The gears are already turning for Michael and he knows something isn’t right with Max and his situation. The little things are important and Max is someone who will really appreciate that.
RL got in the way of the Sunday update, so this one’s a bit longer.
begonia9508: Thanks!
Lol, they do at that!
Shakes will make sure one of his people are watching Liz and keeping her safe.
Michelle in LA: Yep, they do have a sixth sense.
Kyle knows that Max and Ava are friends, he’s made that connection. He just has no way of letting Max know she’s safe.
Shakes won’t forget where he came from or what he’s been through. He did make it a point of seeking Max out and you can expect to see him again.
Thanks!
dreamon: Thanks! Max is getting some help from unexpected sources.
keepsmiling7: Michael had it rough but things are looking up for him now.
Expect to see Shakes again.
Liz and Max are both learning new things with each other and she’s making some real progress with her trust issues.
mary mary: Lol.
xilaj: Thanks for reposting your feedback! I went back to save it and it was gone! I’m glad you enjoyed that last part and the look into Michael’s past.
Part 25
Sean Deluca focused on the hostage taker through the scope of his rifle as he waited for the signal that would give him the green light. For the past two hours he had been listening as the negotiator attempted to talk the man down. The hostage taker was on the second floor of an office building and every once in a while he would lean out through the window he had thrown a computer through and shout at the people below, begging to be left alone so he could think. He could hear the fatigue in the hostage takers voice as he started to wind down but until he released his hostages and surrendered he was a threat. He knew the negotiator was trying to get everyone out without a shot being fired and she had a high success rate.
The sun was beating down on him and the rooftop beneath him was only getting hotter. He kept his mind on the situation and away from the cool shower and cold beer that was waiting for him at home. He was acutely aware of everything around him but only the pertinent things registered on a conscious level. He saw the blinds move behind the shattered window and a moment later the hostage taker pushed them aside to peer down at the street.
The poor guy was distraught, pushed to the end of his rope, and resorting to tactics that only an irrational mind would find sensible. He had lost his job, his marriage was on the rocks, and now his home was in foreclosure. It had been the last straw and it was why he was waving a gun around and demanding that they give his job back. He watched as the man placed the handgun on the ledge, holding his hands up as the hostages began to run out of the building. His eyes remained trained on the hostage taker when he lowered his arms. He studied him as his hands rested on the ledge and his eyes swept over the activity swarming below.
“Lt. Webster, this’s Officer Deluca.”
The negotiator responded immediately. “Go ahead, Officer.”
“Lieutenant, I’ve got eyes on the HT and I believe he’s about to go out that window.” He smiled grimly at the guttural curse that passed her lips. He didn’t drop his gaze but he knew if he did he’d see her breaking the barricade and heading in to make direct contact with the man who was even now climbing out on the ledge.
He nudged the gun with his hip and it slipped off of the ledge, falling to the ground and luckily didn’t discharge when it hit the concrete below. The weapon was quickly collected and bagged as evidence and the man on the ledge was slowly creeping further away from the window. The negotiator, Lt. Ana Webster, appeared in the opening but he kept his focus on the hostage taker in case he made a threatening move against her.
Three hours later the situation was diffused and the hostage taker was successfully taken into custody. It was several more hours before statements and debriefings were concluded and he found himself punching out for the day. He caught sight of Lt. Webster in her office and he detoured to rap his knuckles against the open door.
“Officer Deluca,” she said as she glanced up to look at her visitor. “Good call out there today.”
“Thanks. I’m out, just wanted to stop by and let you know the job you did today was amazing. Next time you’re at Shanahan’s we’ve got your drinks covered.”
She smiled and shook her head. “After cooking on that rooftop for five hours today I think I should have your drinks covered.”
He flashed his crooked grin at her. “Well, we never turn down a free drink.”
He hooked the strap of his bag over his shoulder and walked outside, feeling the heat rising from the pavement and wrapping around him. He lifted an eyebrow when he saw the man leaning against his pride and joy, a restored 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500.
“Better not be getting any of that construction filth on my ride, Guerin.”
Michael snorted as he straightened up. “I seem to recall puttin’ quite a few hours into this baby myself, Deluca. She’ll survive a little construction dirt.” He watched Maria’s cousin as he tossed his gear into the trunk before stretching his arms high over his head. “You involved in that hostage situation this afternoon?”
“It was a long day but one that ended well enough.” He rested his forearms on the roof over the drivers’ side door. “What’re you doin’ here this late in the day? Shouldn’t you be home already?”
“I’m under orders to see for myself that you’re in one piece – “
Sean rolled his eyes. “No shots fired.”
“And you think that matters to Maria or your aunt how?” He nodded in satisfaction when Sean made a rolling motion with his right hand. “And I’m supposed to see if you’d be interested in maybe goin’ bowling one night this week. Oh, Maria said you should bring a date but if you can’t get one she has a coworker she can set you up with.”
He made a face. “No, I do not need her to set me up. Damn, did you see that last girl she set me up with? Normally she’s got pretty good taste, but, no way, never again.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not girl she had originally picked out for you but you made the mistake of pissin’ her off before the date. That’s on you, man. You know better than to piss her off.”
“Whatever. What’s the deal with the double date?”
“Oh, if Maria gets her way – and she will – it’ll end up as a quadruple date. She’s in the process of wrangling DJ into this thing too.”
“Uh-huh, so you an’ Maria, DJ and whoever, me and whoever, and who’s lucky couple number four?”
Michael scratched the back of his neck. “Parker and the guy she’s seein’.”
“No.”
“I realize she basically cut you off at the balls but high school’s over and done with.”
“And yet you still can’t tolerate her either. Huh, why is that again?” He rolled his eyes. “No, I’d rather spend time locked up in a dark room with a bunch of scorpions.”
“You’re not still hung up on her, are you?” he asked as he studied the other guy. He knew Sean had really liked Liz until she had dropped him for a guy with a fancy car and a trust fund. Which he probably would’ve gotten over a lot quicker if it hadn’t been two days before his Senior Prom and the guy hadn’t been his biggest rival.
“Hell no. I’m just not interested in hangin’ out with her snotty little ass. She and Maria are best friends and I want Maria to be happy. I told her I wanted her to just forget about what happened because I had, and in all fairness Maria warned me about Liz. And I don’t know, maybe it’s wrong to hold a grudge against someone who was all of 16 at the time but if that’s the case then I’ll just continue to be small about it.”
“Sean, this’s important. You know I wouldn’t be here askin’ if it wasn’t.”
He sighed. “Wanna grab a beer? I think I’m gonna need a couple in my belly before I agree to whatever harebrained scheme my cousin’s cooked up now.”
Michael grinned because he knew he had him.
*****
Liz glanced over the laptop screen and lifted an eyebrow when she caught the expression on Max’s face. He had finished his assigned reading and she had helped him with the questions at the end of each chapter but now he was reading through an extra chapter to familiarize himself with what was coming next. “What?”
“This Freud guy’s sick,” he muttered.
She bit back a smile. “You’ve never heard any of his theories?”
“No. I mean, does he really believe that a boy that’s between the ages of three and six really develops sexual desire for his mother?” He shook his head in disbelief. “I’m telling you, that’s some sick shit.”
“Get past the stages of psychosexual development and it gets easier to stomach.”
“I don’t remember much from three to six but I wasn’t suffering from this bull.”
“Maybe you should take a break from psychology for the rest of the night.”
“Probably have nightmares about it,” he said, releasing the heavy book when she tugged it free of his grasp. His hands settled at her hips when she shifted to straddle him and he watched her as her eyes traced over him.
“What made you let this grow out?” she asked as she traced her fingers over the goatee.
He shrugged. “Makes me look older and on the inside that’s a good thing.”
“Have you considered shaving it off?”
“Why? You don’t like it?”
“No, I do like it but I’d really like to see what you look like without it.”
“Maybe one of these days I’ll let you.”
“But not today,” she said, seeing the answer in his eyes.
“No.”
She nodded. “Max? When you disappear sometimes in the afternoons when you get off from work, are you out looking for her? For Ava?”
“I’m doing what I can to find her,” he answered evasively.
“You don’t think maybe she just left the city to get away from that life?” She frowned when he averted his gaze for a moment. “Max, you can talk to me about it. I wish you would.”
“I really don’t know what happened to her. She… she tried to get away once before while I was inside and the guy we worked for, he’s not the kinda guy you just walk away from.”
“Because if you work for him you know too much,” she guessed.
“I tried to get her to take off when I was sentenced. She wasn’t in deep enough back then but she wouldn’t listen, just insisted that she had my back. I tried to tell her I wouldn’t be able to watch her back from prison but she just said she could take care of herself. I wish I’d had the ability to force her to get out at the time but I knew she wouldn’t leave. She’s in this life because she followed me when we were 13, and I’m the one who convinced her at 16 that runnin’ drugs was what we needed to do to survive. At the time it was, but I could’ve, I should’ve kept her out of that life.”
“How did she think she was gonna have your back?”
He smiled tightly. “I ended up with a cellmate who watched out for me and I know the guy we worked for made sure he was put there. It wasn’t the kind of thing he did just to be nice.”
“You think Ava somehow made that happen? But, how?” Her eyes widened when he looked away again. She cradled his cheek in her hand and turned his head, forcing him to look at her. She could see the guilt in the depths of his amber eyes, could see the shadows of regret, and she shook her head. “You think she had to exchange sexual favors to convince him to keep you safe in prison?”
“It’s not the type of organization where women are held in high regard.” He shook his head and moved her so he could stand up and pace. “Liz, I told you there’s a lot about my past that’s ugly and the business I was in, some of the things I did – “
Her eyes followed him, taking in his agitation. “Did you ever kill anyone?”
“No, but I have hurt people.”
“On purpose?” she asked cautiously.
Shame was evident in his features and she watched him as he leaned against one of the tall windows that looked down over the Hudson. He rested the side of his head on his fisted hand and lifted the other to stare at his knuckles. “Yes,” he said finally. There was no way to sugarcoat what he had done to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs. “Part of the business involves gambling and loan sharking and sometimes people couldn’t pay up.”
“So you’d what, beat them up? For money? People really do that?”
He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb when he realized how easily this conversation could bring up bad memories for her. “I should go.”
“No.” Liz got to her feet to intercept him when he grabbed his textbook and started to leave the room. “No, I want us to talk about this.” She could feel the tension in him when she grabbed his upper arms and planted her feet to keep him in place.
“Liz, I hurt people because they owed my boss money and they couldn’t pay up. There’s nothing I can do to ever change what I’ve done. I don’t want you to ever look at me and remember what you – “
“Max, it’s not the same thing.” She took his hands and lifted them up to study the scarred knuckles. “Two months ago I wouldn’t have been able to see the difference but a lot’s changed since I first met you. You’ve done things you’re not proud of and I can at least understand that; I’ve done things I’m not proud of either. But, what Dennis Rhoads did to me,” she swallowed with difficulty, “I know you’re nothing like him no matter what you’ve done.”
“I’m not like that anymore.”
“Of course you aren’t.” She rubbed her hands over his arms. He wasn’t comfortable talking about so much of his past and she felt like every time she mentioned it or tried to get him to open up she was navigating a minefield. She didn’t know what to do to help him and it was obvious that what he kept locked up inside was creating conflict inside of him. “We don’t have to talk about this anymore tonight.”
He nodded gratefully.
“Let’s just go to bed.”
Max held her in place when she started to move back.
“Max?”
“It’s been so long since I’ve even wanted to trust someone, especially a man.” The words she had spoken earlier kept replaying in his mind and he knew if they took that step in their relationship it was going to make things even harder when the truth came out. Since their first meeting she had slowly started to change. She was making an effort and trying to see beyond the boundaries she had created for herself. The fallout was going to be bad enough with the way things were going, but add in a sexual relationship, and he wondered if they would ever be able to regain the ground they would lose when the truth came out.
No, he decided, they wouldn’t. It wasn’t just about sex, not with her. This went much deeper, this was about trust, and for her trust was everything. He was already lying to her. To protect her, but it was still lying, and when the time came he didn’t know if she would understand why he had done what he was doing. She was already curious about where he was going when he disappeared after work some days and he wasn’t just looking for Ava, he was running drugs again.
“Max?”
“Huh?” He blinked and focused on her again. “Sorry, zoned out for a minute.”
“You’re not sure, are you?” she asked as she tipped her head to one side to study him. “About us having sex, I mean.”
He lifted his right hand to brush her hair back behind her ear. “I don’t want you to regret it once it happens.”
She smiled and shook her head. “What makes you think I’ll regret it?” She continued before he could answer. “Look, Max, I’m a big girl. I can make my own decisions and you even said earlier that I’d let you know if I needed to stop so why’re you backpedaling now?”
“I’m not, I just…” He sighed and reached up to rub his jaw. “I want to wait. I need to wait until I can find Ava.” He shook his head and held tight to her hand when she tried to pull away from him. “No, it’s not whatever you’re thinking, Liz. I want that behind me before we go that far.”
“Max, if there’s more between the two of you than just friendship tell me now because I’m getting in deeper with every passing day and I don’t wanna end up getting hurt over this.”
“I swear to you, it’s friendship, it’s loyalty, but it’s not more than that. I got her into this life and I need to find her and help her get out of it.”
“I don’t understand why you can’t just go to the police and file a missing persons report or something.”
“Because she’s still a part of that life and I’m not supposed to be associating with anyone with ties to it.”
“Alright, but, Max, I’m not gonna take a backseat to this thing for long. I respect what you’re doing but you’re not the only one involved in this relationship.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
*****
Jenny made her way through the rooms of the huge house, still awed by how pretty everything was. She had been with Alex and Isabel for five days now and she didn’t think she had been in every room yet. The house was so big that they had a woman who cleaned and did a lot of the cooking. She had followed Elena around for a while but that had finally gotten boring so she had struck off on her own.
Isabel was at work and she wasn’t sure where Alex was. She paused in the foyer when she heard a door slam and then feet running across the floor. She heard Elena call out in Spanish but she didn’t know what she was saying. A minute later she heard someone answer her and then a little boy stepped into the foyer.
“Hi,” he said with a big smile. “I’m Preston.”
“Hi.” She watched him for a moment, waiting to see if he was going to make fun of her or say something mean. “I’m Jenny.”
“You’re the girl my mom said was gonna live with Mr. Alex and Ms. Isabel.”
“Yeah. Is Elena your mom?”
He nodded. “Uh-huh, now that school’s out I get to come over here sometimes when she’s working. It’s not that boring though ‘cause Mr. Alex, sometimes he lets me play with his music equipment and he’s got all kinds of video games. Oh, and they’ve got a cool swimming pool too!” He sat on the second step of the staircase that led to the second level and rested his elbows on his scraped up knees. “What happened to your legs?”
She bit her bottom lip. “The doctors said I was just born like this.” She shrugged. “My daddy said it’s ‘cause I grew wrong.”
Preston made a face. “How could you grow wrong? You can’t make your bones grow right or wrong. I mean, they’re inside you.” He shrugged one shoulder. “You know, Mr. Alex got his legs all messed up in a car accident. That’s why he’s gotta walk with crutches now. If you’re lookin’ for him he’s doing his P.T. now. That’s physical therapy,” he said with a wise nod.
“Oh, no, if he’s busy that’s okay.”
“Wanna play a video game?”
“I don’t know.” She bit her bottom lip. “Is it hard?”
“You’ve never played a video game?” His eyes widened and he stared at her as if she was another life form. “Wow, c’mon then, I’ll show you all kinds of fun games and then we can ask Mom to make her special grilled cheese sandwiches. She makes the best ones ‘cause she makes ‘em without the crust. She always makes me drink milk with snacks but she says it’s ‘cause it’ll make my bones strong.”
“Is that true?”
“Mom says it is so I guess so. She knows all kinds of stuff but don’t ever tell her I said so.”
“Is she always right?”
He shook his head. “She says broccoli’s good for me too but I’m pretty sure she’s not right about that. My dog will eat almost everything but he won’t eat broccoli.”
They looked down the hall when they heard voices and Jenny smiled when she saw Alex walking towards them with another man. “Who’s he?”
“That’s Josh, he’s Mr. Alex’s therapy guy.”
“What’re you two up to?” Alex asked as they reached the kids.
“We were gonna go play a video game. You wanna come play too?”
“Tell ya what, I’ll meet you in the den after I clean up.” He introduced his physical therapist to Jenny and watched as her eyes wandered to Josh and then back to his legs. They had talked to her about having the surgery to repair her legs and while it was scary she wanted to do it. They had several appointments set up over the next week to find out what the doctors recommended after examining her in person.
“Does it hurt?”
Alex motioned to the staircase and Josh helped him to sit down so he could be on eye-level with the little girl. “Yeah, sometimes it does hurt but I want to walk again without having to use these things,” he said, nudging the crutches. “It’s not easy and sometimes you feel like you just wanna quit but that’s when this guy here really earns his money.”
She looked at Josh when he crouched down in front of her.
“Alex is right, Jenny, there’re times when it’ll hurt and it’ll hurt bad, but it’s worth it. You’re not afraid of hard work, right?”
“No.”
“Don’t you worry,” he winked at her. “We’ll get you walking on your own again.”
She beamed happily at him. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” He stood up again. “Alright, Alex, I’m outta here. I’ll see you Friday.”
Alex smiled at the look of happiness on Jenny’s face. “We’re gonna play a couple games while we’re waiting for Isabel to get home and then if I remember correctly we’re supposed to be picking out what you like for your room after dinner.”
Preston wrinkled his nose. “You gotta go shopping with Ms. Isabel and Jenny?”
“I get to pick everything out for my new room,” she said with a wide grin.
Alex smothered a laugh when the little boy rolled his eyes. “Alright, you two get settled in the den and I’ll catch up with you in a few.” He had a feeling his evening was going to be spent surrounded by pinks and purples, girly furniture, and excited female chatter. Not the most exciting thing personally on his list of things to do but he knew it would make the girls happy so he could live with it.
*****
Kyle could feel the comforting weight of his personal weapon snugged up against the small of his back and it helped keep him steady as he waited and watched. He tensed slightly as the nondescript black car pulled up in front of the house and rolled to a stop. From the corner of his eye he saw Mac move to the front door and step down to greet the driver as the door opened and a man stepped out of the car.
Ava had asked his opinion the night before and he had told her to be honest about the evidence but to avoid giving up its location. He had testified for District Attorney Sam McCarthy on cases before and the man was a good friend of his grandfather’s but he had a bad feeling that if she revealed that location all hell was going to break loose. He relied on his instincts to keep him alive and they were telling him to trust the district attorney. The only problem was, the man who was walking up to the house with Mac wasn’t McCarthy.
Patrick joined him at the window and paused with his coffee mug halfway to his mouth. “I guess the DA couldn’t make it.”
“You knew about this?”
“Got the call a couple hours ago. McCarthy was in an accident and he’s in the hospital so they sent Chief Assistant District Attorney Duggan in his place.”
“I don’t like it.” His eyes were locked on Mac and Duggan as they talked. She didn’t look pleased by the change of plans. Matter of fact, she looked downright pissed, he thought.
“He’s the next best thing to the DA, Valenti.”
“You didn’t mention this change in plans,” he said evenly.
“Need to know. You’re not here in an official capacity so you didn’t need to know. Mac’s the senior agent,” he said with a shrug. He glanced over his shoulder when the front door opened. “Why don’t you get our witness out here so we can get this thing rolling?”
Kyle nodded and slipped back through the hallway to knock on the door to the room Ava had been given. He opened it as soon as she called out for him to enter and he closed it behind him quietly. He caught the fear in her eyes as they darted to the door and he held his right forefinger to his lips in a bid for silence. “They didn’t send McCarthy,” he said quietly. “They sent Chief ADA Duggan.”
“What happened?”
“Patrick said McCarthy was in an accident.” He shook his head before she could ask more questions. “I don’t have more information than that and they’re not givin’ anything up. I want you to stay behind me at all times.”
“That your cop sense speaking?” She drew in a deep breath when he nodded. He wasn’t taking any chances and just that morning he had shoved a few of her things and some of his into one of his bags and stowed it somewhere for safekeeping. She didn’t question him, knowing he was following his instincts and trusting him to protect her and her baby. “What should I tell him?”
“Go ahead and give him the list of evidence you’ve got like we discussed.”
“But not the location?”
“Give him a bogus location. If I’m right about this they’re gonna tip their hand. Once they have the location of the evidence they don’t need you anymore. We might as well get this part of it over with otherwise we’re just gonna be waitin’ for them to come after us. That’s added stress you and Cadence don’t need.”
“How’re you gonna stay between me and Duggan?”
“Leave that to me.” He crouched down in front of her and took her hand. “Remember, don’t offer anything up that he doesn’t ask for directly. Don’t be too stubborn about it, but don’t appear too cooperative either. Let your suspicion show. He’s not the guy you were expecting, you’ve never met him before, and you don’t trust him… let any and all of that show.” He smiled tightly. “I won’t let anything happen to you or Cadence.”
She nodded, tensing when someone knocked on the door.
“We’ll be right there,” Kyle called over his shoulder.
“ADA Duggan’s waiting, let’s get this show on the road,” Mac called back.
“If this goes south, stick to me like glue.”
Kyle led the way down the hall to the kitchen where the ADA was set up to interview Ava. He felt her hand slide into his, felt the tension in her ease slightly at the contact, and he cleared his throat as they stepped into the room. “ADA Duggan, I don’t believe we’ve ever met,” he said, extending his free hand in the man’s direction. “Detective Kyle Valenti.”
“Valenti, you’d be related to James Valenti Sr.?” the man asked as he shook the detective’s hand.
“My grandfather.”
“So Jim Valenti…?”
“My dad, yeah.”
The sharp green eyes studied him for several long moments. “Good to know. Let’s get started, shall we?” He pulled one of the chairs out and gestured to it. “Ms. Johnson?”
“I said I’d meet with DA McCarthy, why isn’t he here?”
“I’m sorry to say he was involved in a vehicular accident.”
“I’ve never met you.”
“It’s my duty to step in for the DA if he should be unable to fulfill his duties. We need to get this rolling so we can present the case before the Grand Jury.”
“I’d like Detective Valenti to stay while we go over my testimony, Mr. Duggan,” Ava spoke up. “I know him. I don’t know you.” She could tell Kyle was gauging the man’s reaction to her request and she waited until the ADA had acquiesced before she moved to take the chair her cop pulled out. He took the other chair, leaving Duggan no choice but to take the last chair.
Kyle listened to the questions the ADA asked and hid a smile when Ava injected a venomous bite into her answers from time to time. It wasn’t all an act. He could tell Duggan had rubbed her the wrong way and while she wasn’t being uncooperative she wasn’t going out of her way to be pleasant either.
“You have actual evidence of Mr. Knight’s participation in the illegal activities you’ve listed?” Duggan asked as he repeatedly clicked his pen.
“Isn’t that what I said?”
“I’ll need to see the evidence for myself to determine whether or not it’ll stand up in court.” He watched her as she looked at the detective as if to ask his opinion. “I can assure you that without first seeing the evidence we can’t present out case to the Grand Jury. We want to take enough evidence before the Grand Jury to walk away with an indictment. The only chance for us to bring charges against Mr. Knight and have a prayer of making them stick is a silent indictment. I assume DA McCarthy explained that to you?”
“He said if he could get a silent indictment Damon would be arrested and held over until his arraignment.”
“Correct. So the more evidence we have when we go before the Grand Jury, the better our chances are of walking away with the indictment. Your testimony is the most damning evidence we have against him, which is why your deposition has been recorded. Should anything happen to you the taped deposition would be admissible in court.” He smiled. “But I think it’s safe to say that you’ll have your day in court. Now, about the location of the evidence…”
“There’s a place by Grand Central that stores smaller items for people who’re traveling.” She took the pen and paper Duggan slid across the table. “I don’t recall the name or the exact address but I can draw you a map.”
“And how do you retrieve whatever you’ve stored?”
“Well, identification. It’s stored there under a friend’s name. I guess you can get a subpoena for it or something, right?” She wrote the name under the directions. “That’s the name I used when I dropped the bag off. It’s an old military duffel bag, packed with some clothes and other stuff so it’d look like I was just another visitor to the city. At the center there’s a small plastic shopping bag and the evidence is wrapped up in it. There’re some things in that duffel that belong to a friend so if I could get those things back I’d appreciate it.”
“I’m sure that can be arranged,” Duggan said as he took the paper and studied it for a moment before folding it over and tucking it in the breast pocket of his jacket. The pen clicking began again and he glanced down as if just realizing what he was doing and it ceased. “I think I have everything I need, Ms. Johnson.”
“Then we’re finished here?” Ava glanced at Kyle when she started to get up and he pressed his leg against hers under the table. She shifted to find a more comfortable spot in her chair and waited for him to do something.
He dropped his gaze to the pen the ADA was clicking once again. “Do we have long to wait?” He nodded at the man’s quick glance. “You’re signaling someone, right? Likely more than one someone?”
“That sounds a bit paranoid, Detective. I’d expect that from Agent McKenzie considering her reputation but not from – “ The window behind him shattered and he slumped forward, his face landing against the table with a fleshy thud. Kyle ignored the blood, brain matter, and bits of bone fragments as he quickly grabbed Ava’s arm and pulled her away from the window.
“Were you expecting that?” she asked breathlessly as they crawled along the wall.
“Not exactly, no.” He could hear car doors opening and closing and knew they were in trouble. His gun was in his hand and he shielded Ava with his own body when the agents assigned to her appeared in opposite doorways. He wasn’t sure which one to train his weapon on. Was it both of them? Only one of them?
Patrick edged along the wall, ducked down below the window, and reached up to check the ADA’s pulse. “He’s not gonna need a hospital.” He glanced between his partner and the cop and he saw the uneasy looks on their faces. Booted feet crossed the porch and he pressed himself closer to the wall. “Better get her out that way, Valenti,” he said with a nod over his left shoulder.
“No! We can’t risk moving her until we have a better idea of what’s coming at us. Looks like two men,” Mac whispered, dropping flat on the floor when bullets sprayed the room. “Armed with automatics.”
“Good enough reason to risk moving her,” he bit out.
Her head jerked back and forth as she quickly assessed the room’s exits. “Get her outta here, Valenti.” She motioned to the exit Patrick had suggested and watched him as he carefully herded their pregnant witness across the room. Behind her a door exploded inward as bullets penetrated it and she got to her feet to go after the cop and the witness.
Kyle pressed Ava to the wall as a gunshot went off close behind him and he turned his head to see what was going on. Patrick was slumped against the wall, bleeding from a chest wound and struggling to breathe. His eyes widened when he realized Mac had just shot her partner but before he could speak she snatched Patrick’s gun from his hand, rifled though his pockets to find his extra clip and then ran over to him. His right arm shot up, the gun pointed at her, center mass.
“There’s no time for this, Valenti,” she snapped, her voice a low growl. “Take these and get her outta here.” She shoved the gun, clip, and a set of keys in his hands. “Two blocks east of here there’s a parking garage, first level, A7, there’s a crappy looking turquoise green Taurus. Glove box, instructions for another safe house. You can hole up there until I can send backup.” She shoved him when she heard another door being kicked in. “Go! I’ll hold them off but you’ve gotta get her outta here.”
“You’re sure you could only identify two of them?”
“Yeah. Now get her outta here or we lose any chance we have of putting Knight away.”
Kyle gave a sharp nod. “Good luck.” He took Ava’s arm and pulled her along with him as he slipped into the small washroom at the back of the house. He knew Mac had little chance of maintaining a standoff for very long when her opponents were both armed with automatic weapons. He also knew two blocks was a hell of a long way to go when he had a heavily pregnant woman running with him. He grabbed the bag he had stashed next to the back door, wedged in between the ancient washing machine and dryer, before ducking out through the back door.
-
ArchAngel1973
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Prisoners of the Past (CC, A/U, Adult) Part 26 - 5/13/12
Michelle in LA: No, lol, I promise, I’m not trying to kill you guys!
You’re not the only one wondering. Kyle’s got those same questions running through his head.
Lol, but where would the fun be in that?
Begging or groveling would only help if I could dedicate the majority of my time to writing.
begonia9508: The DA’s accident was a set up so Damon could send someone else in.
Kyle and Ava will do their best.
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
keepsmiling7: Lol, could be a problem, we’ll see.
Max is trying to be as honest as possible with Liz but there are things he has to hold back for her safety and his.
It would make things a lot easier if Max knew that one little piece of information.
Alien_Friend: We’ll have to wait to find out what exactly was going on with Mac and Patrick.
Jenny is doing well in her new home.
It’s not easy, but Max knows just how much more it would hurt Liz if the truth comes out after they’ve been intimate on that level.
Thanks! There is something in the works for Sean.
lilah: Lol, well, I can’t promise no cliffhangers like that even after a long break. Twice a week… or daily? Only if I could dedicate most of my time to writing.
dreamon: Thanks! Lol, c’mon, you guys… there are only so many hours in a day.
MP: Thanks! Only if I can quit my job and cut back on classes, lol. Sunday fix is on its way.
clueless: Hey, glad to know you’re still reading and enjoying. Poor Max, he’s in an awful position and it just doesn’t seem to be getting any easier.
Well, I would cut the guy some slack but he’s got a point about wanting to wait. With the trust issues Liz has, taking their relationship to that level may not be something they could come back from once the truth comes out.
xilaj: Lol, glad to hear that! We’ll look in on Kyle and Ava in this part. Hard to tell who the traitor is in that situation.
L-J-L 76: Thanks, I’m glad the story’s interesting. We’ll catch up with Max and Liz in this part as well. Not sure Max is going to reveal what is going on… yet anyway. Max will do everything he can to protect Liz.
Part 26
Max walked in and tossed his keys on the table by the door, sorting through the few pieces of mail and dropping his bag on the floor. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a drink before going back into the living room and sitting on the couch. He reached over and punched the button on the answering machine when he noticed it blinking and slouched down to flip through one of the sales papers.
The first message was from Michael, wanting to know if he and Liz wanted to get together to go bowling on Friday night. He smirked when he heard Maria’s voice as she tossed out a reminder about something and it momentarily sidetracked Michael. A few moments later that call ended and the next message started. He frowned at the sounds of traffic that filled the speaker and he sat up, leaning closer to it when he heard someone breathing heavily. He was just about to hit the button to delete it when words started to tumble out, mixed in with the panicked breathing and the traffic.
Amidst the rambling about the enemy breaching the camp and people being taken prisoner he finally identified the owner of the voice. The call ended abruptly and he scribbled out a quick note to remind him to call Michael back about Friday night before grabbing his keys and running out the door. He was closing the back gate when Liz came out of her parents’ house and called out to him.
“I’ve gotta run, Liz. A friend’s in trouble.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
He started to decline the offer but bit the words back when he saw the stubborn gleam in her eyes. “Alright, c’mon.” He gave her the address of the building where he and Ava had lived as they slid into the car. “Can I use your phone?”
When she handed it over he made a quick call and gave it back to her.
“Who’s Shakes?” she asked after listening to the call.
“Another survivor. When we get there, you should just stay in the car.”
“What’s going on?”
He rubbed his temple when she didn’t agree to wait in the car. “Someone I know from my time on the streets, his name’s Dino, and he’s in some kinda trouble. I don’t know what it is but when somethin’ sets him off he has these… episodes where he sees things that aren’t there, sometimes he’ll hear voices.”
Liz glanced at him. “You mean psychotic episodes.”
He shrugged. “I know it happened once before. Somebody called the cops on him and they hauled him in. He was back on the streets before long.”
“He’s not medicated?”
“No, it’s not something that he suffers from on a day-to-day basis. It’s a reaction to some stressful or traumatic event. When they took him in they put him through some kinda therapy program instead of pumping him full of drugs. Most days he does just fine and like I said, in all the years I’ve known him he’s only had one other episode that I know of. I think they called it brief psychotic disorder.”
“I’ve never heard of that but if he’s hearing voices he could be schizophrenic and if that’s the case he should be on medication.”
Max shook his head. “He wasn’t diagnosed as schizophrenic. I’ve known several people on the streets who were schizophrenic and this isn’t the same thing.” He and Ava had experienced a bad run-in with a homeless man suffering from schizophrenia when they had been living on the streets and it wasn’t anything he ever wanted to repeat.
“How do you know he’s in trouble?”
“Because he called me. Nothing he said made much sense but he’ll stick close to his home base. If I don’t find him, Shakes will.”
Nearly two hours passed before they reached their destination. Traffic had been backed up because of a bad accident and Max was getting restless the longer it took. Liz glanced around the rundown neighborhood cautiously before she opened her door.
“Stay in the car.”
“Uh-huh, stay in the car and be a potential target for some street hustler or go with you and at least have someone right there with me? Yeah, that’s not a choice I have to put a lot of thought into.”
“Hey, kid,” Shakes called. He was leaning against the building in a careless slouch, studying the couple through his sunglasses.
Max checked the area before moving over to join the other man. “We got caught up in traffic. You had any luck?”
“I’ve got him. He’ll be taken care of until the episode passes and then he can return to his life here.” His eyes scanned over the brunette with Max. “He won’t be happy indoors for long.”
Liz looked around. “Dino lives on the streets?”
“Some people find it more acceptable than living in a cage.” Shakes shrugged one shoulder and held his hand out to her. “You must be the girl inspiring this one to do the right thing,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “I’m Shakes.”
“Liz Parker.” She shook his hand. “Shakes? Is that a first or last name?”
“Both. Either.” He shrugged again. “Neither.”
“Oh, well, that’s an evasive answer.”
Shakes turned his attention back to Max. “I found Dino but you’re gonna have to find the dog. From the sounds of it the dog got picked up by the city.”
“Hell, that’d be all it’d take for him to lose it. Viking’s his entire world.” Max scratched his jaw. “Alright, I’ll find the dog.”
“The doctor looking in on Dino believes he’ll snap back faster if he has the dog so once you have it you can bring it to my place. Or you can call me and I’ll send someone to you to pick it up. I have a meeting I can’t postpone otherwise I’d help you check the animal shelters in the area. I’d imagine it would need to be within a reasonable distance since the dog was picked up three blocks from here. There’s really nothing to identify the dog and they’ll probably give you a hassle over releasing it because it belongs to a homeless person.”
“They’ll release the dog,” Liz said confidently.
That got an actual smile out of Shakes. “I like her,” he said to Max.
“’Her’ has a name.”
Her annoyed tone made him laugh. “I should go before I’m late for my meeting.”
“Shakes?”
He turned to look at Liz, inclining his head slightly in question.
“Do you have plans for Friday night?”
“Not at the moment, no. Why?”
Max was gritting his teeth. He could just see what was coming. He wasn’t giving up much about his past and now that she’d discovered a link to it she was going to use it. “Liz, I think we’ve already – “
“How do you feel about bowling?”
“Can’t say as I feel one way or the other about it.”
“You’ve never been bowling?”
“No, I don’t really get the point.”
“Would you care to experience it?”
He glanced over at Max and grinned. “Why not? I haven’t received a better offer and I’ve certainly never been propositioned at a bowling alley. Not yet anyway,” he said with a wink.
“Maybe Friday will be your lucky night.”
He chuckled and turned to walk back towards his car, waving over his shoulder.
“What the hell are you doing?” Max demanded as soon as they were inside the car.
Liz was searching for the closest animal shelters in the area on her phone. “He seems like a decent guy and damn, he’s so lonely.”
“How… What?”
“He is. You can’t miss it, Max. Besides, he’s just Manny’s type. Tall, attractive, broody… and Manny’s currently single.”
“You can’t just stick two guys together and expect them to hook up because they’re both…” Hell, he didn’t know if Shakes was gay or if his lifestyle was a matter of circumstance.
“Why do you make it sound like I’m running some sort of breeding program? I’m saying let them meet, hang out with the rest of us, and if it leads somewhere then good. If it doesn’t, that’s fine too. If nothing else, Manny will make Shakes smile. He’s damn good at that.”
“When Michael called he didn’t say anything about Manny being there Friday night.”
She looked over at him. “Does it bother you that I invited Shakes?”
“Why do you assume he’s gay?” He frowned. “Because he didn’t hit on you?”
“First, I don’t assume he’s gay. He could be bi.” She snorted. “And second, even I’m not so conceited that I think every man’s gonna trip over himself to hit on me. There’s a respect there between the two of you so even if that was a possibility I don’t see that line being crossed. I’m just saying he can go out with us and maybe he’ll have a good time. If he is gay or bi and he and Manny hit it off, that’s just a bonus. And if I’m completely wrong and he’s neither then he has the opportunity to have a good time. Michael’s as straight as a damn arrow and even he likes Manny.”
“So you’re not planning to pump him for information?”
“About what?” She looked away from the phone to stare at him. “He’s your friend, right? So I invited him so I can get to know him. It’s customary to exchange information via questions when you’re getting to know somebody. If he happens to divulge information about you I’m not gonna stick my fingers in my ears and start humming, but no, it wasn’t my intention to grill him.” She gnawed on her bottom lip for a moment. “Would you rather I not get to know your friends?”
“No, it’s not that.” He rubbed his forehead, pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t know.” He released a pent-up breath. “Our friends are nothing alike.”
“So? Maria and I couldn’t be more different if we tried. Michael and I certainly aren’t friends, but I’m sure you’re aware of the fact that he doesn’t exactly come with a clean record. He and DJ don’t hang out together unless it’s a group thing but they get along fine.” She shifted and reached over to cup his chin. “Do you trust him?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why would you worry about me getting to know him?”
“It’s hard to comfortably mix my old life with my new one. There are things in my past, people in my past that’re trouble, and there’s a big part of me that’s scared of the two mixing.”
“But you said you trust him.”
“And I do.” He shook his head. “Shakes and I don’t have the same type of past but he has his own demons to deal with.”
“Are you trying to protect me, Max?” she asked, her voice tinged with just a hint of amusement. “Because while I do find that hot, it’s unnecessary. I don’t need to be protected. I experienced something ugly and I’m still not past it but – “
Max covered her mouth with his hand. “This isn’t just about what you need.”
“So you need to protect me?”
“No, I need to know you’re safe. There’s a difference. Well, okay, sometimes there’s a difference but I’m not gonna apologize for wantin’ to make sure you’re safe.”
“Are you worried about this because you’re afraid someone from your past could cause problems for me because you’re looking for Ava?” She tipped her head to one side to study his features. “You are, aren’t you?”
“It’s a valid concern, Liz. The people I was involved with are into some very bad things and they wouldn’t hesitate to hurt anyone they feel could be a threat.”
“Maybe that’s why Ava’s missing.”
The denial was immediate. “No, she’s not dead.”
“That’s not what I meant. Maybe she flipped on them. You know, got arrested for something and in exchange for a free ride on whatever the charges were she agreed to testify against them.”
He shook his head. “Too risky. You don’t flip on the guy we worked for. You turn on him and you end up dead someplace where no one’ll ever find you.”
“Well, how would he know? She could’ve gone to the cops and turned evidence over in exchange for protection.” She rolled her eyes when he shook his head. “What? Dirty cops next? This is sounding more and more like a movie, Max. Look, maybe she did, maybe she took that risk, and now she’s in like Witness Protection, waiting to testify.” She rolled her eyes. “Okay, now it really does sound like a movie. Alright, forget this for now, and let’s go find Dino’s dog. It looks like we’ve only got a couple animal shelters nearby so we’ll start with the closest one and see if we can locate the dog.” She pulled away from the curb and merged with traffic. “You said he had another episode like this before? What triggered it?”
“Some asshole took the dog, tried to hurt it.”
“So in a way, the dog’s his connection to reality.” She nodded to herself. “We can use that.”
“You’re not gonna make him sound crazy or anything are you?”
She shook her head. “No.”
*****
Ava was breathing hard as she tried to keep up with Kyle. Her gait was awkward and her thoughts kept bouncing back and forth between everything she had read about walking or running during the third trimester, and the gun battle being waged at the house where she was supposed to have been safe.
“We’re almost there, Ava, it’s not much farther,” Kyle encouraged. He could see the parking garage up ahead and he hoped like hell it wasn’t a trap. Their path provided cover and appeared to be well thought out. It wasn’t a residential neighborhood any longer. The old houses were rundown and in disrepair; shingles were missing from the sunken rooftops, windows broken, and the faded paint chipped and peeling.
His mind was still reeling with what had just happened. Mac had shot her partner. To protect them? To cover for herself? Had she sent them to the parking garage to get them away from the safe house so the people after Ava could catch up with them somewhere else? Patrick was the one who had told them which exit to take to get out of the house. There were two exits out of the kitchen and both led to the washroom from different directions. Had he chosen that one because it put them in his sights and gave him a clear shot? He went over the man’s position in relation to that doorway and he knew it was a possibility.
He could hear sirens wailing in the distance as they ducked into the parking garage and his eyes scanned the interior for movement. It was a long-term parking garage and he searched the numbers painted in front of the parking spaces for the car Mac had told him to look for. He glanced over his shoulder to check on Ava when her steps slowed and he lowered his gaze when he realized her hands were linked below her belly.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice concerned.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she panted.
“Cadence?”
“She’s fine too. Do you think it’s safe to take the car Agent McKenzie told you about?”
“I don’t know.” He finally located the crappy looking Taurus he had been instructed to find. “It could be a trap. She could’ve hidden a tracking device on it somewhere. The safe house she wanted us to go to could be a secondary location that Knight’s people already know about. We could be walking right into their crosshairs.”
“What does your gut say?”
He smiled tightly. “To get you away from here until McCarthy’s out of the hospital. To work through someone I trust implicitly to keep tabs on the situation.”
“Okay.” She studied him, seeing the plan coming together as he went over their options. He was scanning the parking garage, searching the vehicles. She followed him when he motioned for her to move, fascinated by the way he moved with such purpose. He was careful not to touch anything when he paused by different vehicles to examine them and she was grateful when he finally decided on one.
“Four-wheel drive.” He wiped his forefinger over the hood and nodded at the vehicles around it.
“What’re you doing?”
“It’s long-term parking,” he said, motioning to the garage. “You can see some of these vehicles have already been here a while. Take one of those and it’s likely to be noticed a lot sooner than one that’s only been here for a day or two.”
She nodded. “Because it hasn’t been here long enough to be covered in dust from sitting.”
“Exactly.” He pulled something out of his pocket and went to work on the locks, having the doors open in a matter of seconds. He got her settled inside before working himself around so he could reach under the dashboard below the steering wheel to yank a bunch of wires down.
“Are you… you know how to hotwire a car?” she asked as she watched him stripping the wires.
“Never know when somethin’ like that might come in handy.”
“But you’re a cop.”
“I wasn’t always a cop and my brother-in-law is in possession of some very interesting tricks.”
“You have a brother-in-law who’s a criminal?”
Kyle laughed at that and twisted the wires together when the engine turned over. “Well, not anymore. He’s my sister’s boyfriend but they’re practically married. He used to boost cars for his old man and one summer when I was laid up with a broken ankle he taught me how to hotwire a car.” He righted himself and closed his door. “Pull the visor down in case they have cameras at the exit,” he said as he did the same. He leaned over to place the bag he had grabbed at the house on the floor next to her feet. “We need to keep that close.”
“Okay. So you stole cars?”
“Not until today. He was just trying to keep me from obsessing about missing most of baseball season that year. Not that he’d ever admit it.”
“But you’ll get in trouble for stealing this car.”
“When I call my cousin to let him know what’s going on I’ll let him know about this so he can take care of it. The owner will get it back and he’ll be compensated for the inconvenience. As soon as we’ve put some distance between us and this place I’ll stop and pick up a prepaid cell, give him a call.”
“Kyle? Damon has cops on his payroll.”
“As much as I wish I didn’t believe that I know better than to think that cops are immune to corruption. I won’t contact anyone outside of my cousin.”
“You’re sure he can be trusted?”
He nodded, not taking offense to the question. “I’ve trusted him with my life more than once.” He checked the street before pulling out of the unmanned garage. “We’ve got about a three-hour drive to get where we’re going so you might wanna try to catch some sleep.”
“I’m too hyped-up to sleep right now but I’ll be quiet if you’d rather not talk.”
Kyle smiled and reached over to take her hand. “No, it’s just a long ride.”
“Would you tell me more about your family?”
“Okay, but if I start boring you please tell me.”
She shook her head and shifted around to get comfortable in the leather seat when he pulled out onto the highway. She didn’t want to think about what they had just left behind, didn’t want to think about the agents or the ADA who might’ve been involved in leading Damon’s men to her location. They had taken Duggan out first. Why? She remembered Kyle’s question to the ADA just before he had been shot. Was it because he had figured out Duggan was somehow involved? Agent McKenzie had taken her partner out, put a hole in the center of his chest. Why? Was it because she was a bad agent or was it because Agent Lassiter was the bad agent? She pushed the thoughts away. It was too fresh, too recent, and she didn’t want to think about it right now. She was tired of people getting hurt because of her. First Seth and now… no, she wasn’t going to think about it right now. She was just grateful that they had escaped without being hurt.
She rubbed her belly soothingly and rested her head against the headrest as she listened to Kyle talk about his family. She didn’t know where he was taking her but she trusted him to keep her and Cadence safe. Without realizing it her eyes began to drift closed and she fell asleep to the sound of his voice, his warm laughter ringing in her ears as he shared some story about his sister from childhood.
Kyle glanced over at her when her hand went lax in his and he smiled softly when he saw that she was sleeping. With the adrenaline leaving her system she would probably sleep soundly until they reached their destination. She might even sleep longer than that because he knew she hadn’t been sleeping much the past few nights. He wasn’t sure if her restlessness was due to the baby or if it had been due to the impending meeting with the DA. He shot another quick glance at her, his gaze lowering to her belly for a moment before going back to the road. What were the chances this was going to be resolved before Cadence made her grand entrance?
*****
Damon stared at Tommy Franklin over his steepled fingers. The man had been responsible for ensuring that the evidence was recovered and the hit on Ava was carried out. The assignment had been a complete failure. “Would you care to explain why two of my men are dead, an ADA on my payroll is dead, and an FBI agent on my payroll is in critical condition?”
Tommy stood ramrod straight before the boss. He’d kill those fools himself for fucking this up if they weren’t already dead. He kept his voice level when he responded. “Sir, Caulfield jumped the gun. He paid for that mistake.”
“And where were you when my men were being executed?” He gave a sharp nod when Santini placed a glass of whiskey before him.
“Duggan gave the signal and I sent Caulfield and Stanton in. We took Duggan out first per your orders. I hung back to handle anyone that came along before the job was finished.”
“My order was to eliminate Duggan when the evidence was retrieved, you fool! Because of your stupidity Ava is on the run and so far we can’t confirm her whereabouts. We don’t have the evidence and it’ll only be a matter of time before McCarthy’s ambulatory again.”
“I can take him out.”
“Do you want to bring the NYPD and the FBI down on my head? The ADA was one thing, and he was living on borrowed time, but you don’t just take out the DA, you work around him. It’s bad enough you’ve put two agents in the hospital. That’ll bring federal heat down on the organization. I have a helluva lot more cops on my payroll than I do federal agents.” He shook his head. “What you can do is make sure that agent doesn’t talk. Ever. If it’s possible find out where Ava went and then remove that threat.”
“I’ll take care of it, boss.”
“See that you do. If you fail it’ll be the last mistake you ever make.” He tossed the drink back. “Get out of my sight before I change my mind.” The door closed behind him and Damon spoke to the man sitting silently in one of the leather chairs in the corner by the window. “Once the agent’s dead get rid of him.”
Pascal nodded. “He should’ve had ears in the house with Duggan. The agent’s listed as critical and my source in the hospital said chances of survival are less than 10 percent. We have no way of knowing how she got out of the house or where she could’ve gone. There’s nothing out there, Damon. On her own her chances of survival are still better than the average person on the run.”
“There was a backup plan in place that our source didn’t know about. That’s the only thing that makes sense.” His fist slammed down on the desk in a rare show of temper. “There were only two agents assigned to her detail so how did she manage to get out of there when they’re both nearly dead?” He drummed his fingers against the smooth surface of the desk. “Tommy didn’t see her escape and the local cops showed up before he could do a sweep of the house but there’s been no chatter to indicate that she was found at the house or in the surrounding area.” He stared at the glass in his hand for a few minutes as he went over options. “Take a team up there and search the area.”
“Place is gonna be crawling with feds.”
“You know how to work around that. Considering the weight of her testimony and the evidence she has there will be an all-out manhunt for her. She already has a good lead if she’s managed to get out of the town. And if she hasn’t…”
“If she hasn’t we’ll flush her out. If she has it’ll take more time. There’s a lot of nothing up there so we’ll be flying blind. The area’s surrounded by mountain range and if she made it that far she could hole up just about anywhere. Even if she made it into the mountains she knows nothing about survival out there.”
“She survived for three years on the streets, Pascal. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating her.” He shifted and pushed back so he could stand up. “Take however many men you need to conduct the search.” He crossed to the window and looked outside at the well-lit grounds. “I’d suggest looking into the possibility that there was a third agent in the house. None of the information we were given suggests a third agent but the ease with which she managed to elude my men implies that it’s possible.”
Pascal nodded. “I’ll put feelers out, see if we can find out anything about that.”
Damon stood at the window long after Pascal had taken his leave. His clasped hands rested behind his back and he listened to the silence in the house. Behind him Santini remained at his post, ready for anything that might come at them. “She hasn’t contacted the street rat yet,” he mused finally, his voice holding a hint of impatience. “If she had he’d find a way to get to her, especially now.” He rubbed his jaw. He had been keeping Max occupied with small runs every few days and it had kept him away from the cops but he was irritated by this new turn of events. “Get a message to him. I want to see him tomorrow.”
You’re not the only one wondering. Kyle’s got those same questions running through his head.
Lol, but where would the fun be in that?
Begging or groveling would only help if I could dedicate the majority of my time to writing.
begonia9508: The DA’s accident was a set up so Damon could send someone else in.
Kyle and Ava will do their best.
Natalie36: Thanks for reading!
keepsmiling7: Lol, could be a problem, we’ll see.
Max is trying to be as honest as possible with Liz but there are things he has to hold back for her safety and his.
It would make things a lot easier if Max knew that one little piece of information.
Alien_Friend: We’ll have to wait to find out what exactly was going on with Mac and Patrick.
Jenny is doing well in her new home.
It’s not easy, but Max knows just how much more it would hurt Liz if the truth comes out after they’ve been intimate on that level.
Thanks! There is something in the works for Sean.
lilah: Lol, well, I can’t promise no cliffhangers like that even after a long break. Twice a week… or daily? Only if I could dedicate most of my time to writing.
dreamon: Thanks! Lol, c’mon, you guys… there are only so many hours in a day.
MP: Thanks! Only if I can quit my job and cut back on classes, lol. Sunday fix is on its way.
clueless: Hey, glad to know you’re still reading and enjoying. Poor Max, he’s in an awful position and it just doesn’t seem to be getting any easier.
Well, I would cut the guy some slack but he’s got a point about wanting to wait. With the trust issues Liz has, taking their relationship to that level may not be something they could come back from once the truth comes out.
xilaj: Lol, glad to hear that! We’ll look in on Kyle and Ava in this part. Hard to tell who the traitor is in that situation.
L-J-L 76: Thanks, I’m glad the story’s interesting. We’ll catch up with Max and Liz in this part as well. Not sure Max is going to reveal what is going on… yet anyway. Max will do everything he can to protect Liz.
Part 26
Max walked in and tossed his keys on the table by the door, sorting through the few pieces of mail and dropping his bag on the floor. He went into the kitchen and grabbed a drink before going back into the living room and sitting on the couch. He reached over and punched the button on the answering machine when he noticed it blinking and slouched down to flip through one of the sales papers.
The first message was from Michael, wanting to know if he and Liz wanted to get together to go bowling on Friday night. He smirked when he heard Maria’s voice as she tossed out a reminder about something and it momentarily sidetracked Michael. A few moments later that call ended and the next message started. He frowned at the sounds of traffic that filled the speaker and he sat up, leaning closer to it when he heard someone breathing heavily. He was just about to hit the button to delete it when words started to tumble out, mixed in with the panicked breathing and the traffic.
Amidst the rambling about the enemy breaching the camp and people being taken prisoner he finally identified the owner of the voice. The call ended abruptly and he scribbled out a quick note to remind him to call Michael back about Friday night before grabbing his keys and running out the door. He was closing the back gate when Liz came out of her parents’ house and called out to him.
“I’ve gotta run, Liz. A friend’s in trouble.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
He started to decline the offer but bit the words back when he saw the stubborn gleam in her eyes. “Alright, c’mon.” He gave her the address of the building where he and Ava had lived as they slid into the car. “Can I use your phone?”
When she handed it over he made a quick call and gave it back to her.
“Who’s Shakes?” she asked after listening to the call.
“Another survivor. When we get there, you should just stay in the car.”
“What’s going on?”
He rubbed his temple when she didn’t agree to wait in the car. “Someone I know from my time on the streets, his name’s Dino, and he’s in some kinda trouble. I don’t know what it is but when somethin’ sets him off he has these… episodes where he sees things that aren’t there, sometimes he’ll hear voices.”
Liz glanced at him. “You mean psychotic episodes.”
He shrugged. “I know it happened once before. Somebody called the cops on him and they hauled him in. He was back on the streets before long.”
“He’s not medicated?”
“No, it’s not something that he suffers from on a day-to-day basis. It’s a reaction to some stressful or traumatic event. When they took him in they put him through some kinda therapy program instead of pumping him full of drugs. Most days he does just fine and like I said, in all the years I’ve known him he’s only had one other episode that I know of. I think they called it brief psychotic disorder.”
“I’ve never heard of that but if he’s hearing voices he could be schizophrenic and if that’s the case he should be on medication.”
Max shook his head. “He wasn’t diagnosed as schizophrenic. I’ve known several people on the streets who were schizophrenic and this isn’t the same thing.” He and Ava had experienced a bad run-in with a homeless man suffering from schizophrenia when they had been living on the streets and it wasn’t anything he ever wanted to repeat.
“How do you know he’s in trouble?”
“Because he called me. Nothing he said made much sense but he’ll stick close to his home base. If I don’t find him, Shakes will.”
Nearly two hours passed before they reached their destination. Traffic had been backed up because of a bad accident and Max was getting restless the longer it took. Liz glanced around the rundown neighborhood cautiously before she opened her door.
“Stay in the car.”
“Uh-huh, stay in the car and be a potential target for some street hustler or go with you and at least have someone right there with me? Yeah, that’s not a choice I have to put a lot of thought into.”
“Hey, kid,” Shakes called. He was leaning against the building in a careless slouch, studying the couple through his sunglasses.
Max checked the area before moving over to join the other man. “We got caught up in traffic. You had any luck?”
“I’ve got him. He’ll be taken care of until the episode passes and then he can return to his life here.” His eyes scanned over the brunette with Max. “He won’t be happy indoors for long.”
Liz looked around. “Dino lives on the streets?”
“Some people find it more acceptable than living in a cage.” Shakes shrugged one shoulder and held his hand out to her. “You must be the girl inspiring this one to do the right thing,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “I’m Shakes.”
“Liz Parker.” She shook his hand. “Shakes? Is that a first or last name?”
“Both. Either.” He shrugged again. “Neither.”
“Oh, well, that’s an evasive answer.”
Shakes turned his attention back to Max. “I found Dino but you’re gonna have to find the dog. From the sounds of it the dog got picked up by the city.”
“Hell, that’d be all it’d take for him to lose it. Viking’s his entire world.” Max scratched his jaw. “Alright, I’ll find the dog.”
“The doctor looking in on Dino believes he’ll snap back faster if he has the dog so once you have it you can bring it to my place. Or you can call me and I’ll send someone to you to pick it up. I have a meeting I can’t postpone otherwise I’d help you check the animal shelters in the area. I’d imagine it would need to be within a reasonable distance since the dog was picked up three blocks from here. There’s really nothing to identify the dog and they’ll probably give you a hassle over releasing it because it belongs to a homeless person.”
“They’ll release the dog,” Liz said confidently.
That got an actual smile out of Shakes. “I like her,” he said to Max.
“’Her’ has a name.”
Her annoyed tone made him laugh. “I should go before I’m late for my meeting.”
“Shakes?”
He turned to look at Liz, inclining his head slightly in question.
“Do you have plans for Friday night?”
“Not at the moment, no. Why?”
Max was gritting his teeth. He could just see what was coming. He wasn’t giving up much about his past and now that she’d discovered a link to it she was going to use it. “Liz, I think we’ve already – “
“How do you feel about bowling?”
“Can’t say as I feel one way or the other about it.”
“You’ve never been bowling?”
“No, I don’t really get the point.”
“Would you care to experience it?”
He glanced over at Max and grinned. “Why not? I haven’t received a better offer and I’ve certainly never been propositioned at a bowling alley. Not yet anyway,” he said with a wink.
“Maybe Friday will be your lucky night.”
He chuckled and turned to walk back towards his car, waving over his shoulder.
“What the hell are you doing?” Max demanded as soon as they were inside the car.
Liz was searching for the closest animal shelters in the area on her phone. “He seems like a decent guy and damn, he’s so lonely.”
“How… What?”
“He is. You can’t miss it, Max. Besides, he’s just Manny’s type. Tall, attractive, broody… and Manny’s currently single.”
“You can’t just stick two guys together and expect them to hook up because they’re both…” Hell, he didn’t know if Shakes was gay or if his lifestyle was a matter of circumstance.
“Why do you make it sound like I’m running some sort of breeding program? I’m saying let them meet, hang out with the rest of us, and if it leads somewhere then good. If it doesn’t, that’s fine too. If nothing else, Manny will make Shakes smile. He’s damn good at that.”
“When Michael called he didn’t say anything about Manny being there Friday night.”
She looked over at him. “Does it bother you that I invited Shakes?”
“Why do you assume he’s gay?” He frowned. “Because he didn’t hit on you?”
“First, I don’t assume he’s gay. He could be bi.” She snorted. “And second, even I’m not so conceited that I think every man’s gonna trip over himself to hit on me. There’s a respect there between the two of you so even if that was a possibility I don’t see that line being crossed. I’m just saying he can go out with us and maybe he’ll have a good time. If he is gay or bi and he and Manny hit it off, that’s just a bonus. And if I’m completely wrong and he’s neither then he has the opportunity to have a good time. Michael’s as straight as a damn arrow and even he likes Manny.”
“So you’re not planning to pump him for information?”
“About what?” She looked away from the phone to stare at him. “He’s your friend, right? So I invited him so I can get to know him. It’s customary to exchange information via questions when you’re getting to know somebody. If he happens to divulge information about you I’m not gonna stick my fingers in my ears and start humming, but no, it wasn’t my intention to grill him.” She gnawed on her bottom lip for a moment. “Would you rather I not get to know your friends?”
“No, it’s not that.” He rubbed his forehead, pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t know.” He released a pent-up breath. “Our friends are nothing alike.”
“So? Maria and I couldn’t be more different if we tried. Michael and I certainly aren’t friends, but I’m sure you’re aware of the fact that he doesn’t exactly come with a clean record. He and DJ don’t hang out together unless it’s a group thing but they get along fine.” She shifted and reached over to cup his chin. “Do you trust him?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why would you worry about me getting to know him?”
“It’s hard to comfortably mix my old life with my new one. There are things in my past, people in my past that’re trouble, and there’s a big part of me that’s scared of the two mixing.”
“But you said you trust him.”
“And I do.” He shook his head. “Shakes and I don’t have the same type of past but he has his own demons to deal with.”
“Are you trying to protect me, Max?” she asked, her voice tinged with just a hint of amusement. “Because while I do find that hot, it’s unnecessary. I don’t need to be protected. I experienced something ugly and I’m still not past it but – “
Max covered her mouth with his hand. “This isn’t just about what you need.”
“So you need to protect me?”
“No, I need to know you’re safe. There’s a difference. Well, okay, sometimes there’s a difference but I’m not gonna apologize for wantin’ to make sure you’re safe.”
“Are you worried about this because you’re afraid someone from your past could cause problems for me because you’re looking for Ava?” She tipped her head to one side to study his features. “You are, aren’t you?”
“It’s a valid concern, Liz. The people I was involved with are into some very bad things and they wouldn’t hesitate to hurt anyone they feel could be a threat.”
“Maybe that’s why Ava’s missing.”
The denial was immediate. “No, she’s not dead.”
“That’s not what I meant. Maybe she flipped on them. You know, got arrested for something and in exchange for a free ride on whatever the charges were she agreed to testify against them.”
He shook his head. “Too risky. You don’t flip on the guy we worked for. You turn on him and you end up dead someplace where no one’ll ever find you.”
“Well, how would he know? She could’ve gone to the cops and turned evidence over in exchange for protection.” She rolled her eyes when he shook his head. “What? Dirty cops next? This is sounding more and more like a movie, Max. Look, maybe she did, maybe she took that risk, and now she’s in like Witness Protection, waiting to testify.” She rolled her eyes. “Okay, now it really does sound like a movie. Alright, forget this for now, and let’s go find Dino’s dog. It looks like we’ve only got a couple animal shelters nearby so we’ll start with the closest one and see if we can locate the dog.” She pulled away from the curb and merged with traffic. “You said he had another episode like this before? What triggered it?”
“Some asshole took the dog, tried to hurt it.”
“So in a way, the dog’s his connection to reality.” She nodded to herself. “We can use that.”
“You’re not gonna make him sound crazy or anything are you?”
She shook her head. “No.”
*****
Ava was breathing hard as she tried to keep up with Kyle. Her gait was awkward and her thoughts kept bouncing back and forth between everything she had read about walking or running during the third trimester, and the gun battle being waged at the house where she was supposed to have been safe.
“We’re almost there, Ava, it’s not much farther,” Kyle encouraged. He could see the parking garage up ahead and he hoped like hell it wasn’t a trap. Their path provided cover and appeared to be well thought out. It wasn’t a residential neighborhood any longer. The old houses were rundown and in disrepair; shingles were missing from the sunken rooftops, windows broken, and the faded paint chipped and peeling.
His mind was still reeling with what had just happened. Mac had shot her partner. To protect them? To cover for herself? Had she sent them to the parking garage to get them away from the safe house so the people after Ava could catch up with them somewhere else? Patrick was the one who had told them which exit to take to get out of the house. There were two exits out of the kitchen and both led to the washroom from different directions. Had he chosen that one because it put them in his sights and gave him a clear shot? He went over the man’s position in relation to that doorway and he knew it was a possibility.
He could hear sirens wailing in the distance as they ducked into the parking garage and his eyes scanned the interior for movement. It was a long-term parking garage and he searched the numbers painted in front of the parking spaces for the car Mac had told him to look for. He glanced over his shoulder to check on Ava when her steps slowed and he lowered his gaze when he realized her hands were linked below her belly.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice concerned.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she panted.
“Cadence?”
“She’s fine too. Do you think it’s safe to take the car Agent McKenzie told you about?”
“I don’t know.” He finally located the crappy looking Taurus he had been instructed to find. “It could be a trap. She could’ve hidden a tracking device on it somewhere. The safe house she wanted us to go to could be a secondary location that Knight’s people already know about. We could be walking right into their crosshairs.”
“What does your gut say?”
He smiled tightly. “To get you away from here until McCarthy’s out of the hospital. To work through someone I trust implicitly to keep tabs on the situation.”
“Okay.” She studied him, seeing the plan coming together as he went over their options. He was scanning the parking garage, searching the vehicles. She followed him when he motioned for her to move, fascinated by the way he moved with such purpose. He was careful not to touch anything when he paused by different vehicles to examine them and she was grateful when he finally decided on one.
“Four-wheel drive.” He wiped his forefinger over the hood and nodded at the vehicles around it.
“What’re you doing?”
“It’s long-term parking,” he said, motioning to the garage. “You can see some of these vehicles have already been here a while. Take one of those and it’s likely to be noticed a lot sooner than one that’s only been here for a day or two.”
She nodded. “Because it hasn’t been here long enough to be covered in dust from sitting.”
“Exactly.” He pulled something out of his pocket and went to work on the locks, having the doors open in a matter of seconds. He got her settled inside before working himself around so he could reach under the dashboard below the steering wheel to yank a bunch of wires down.
“Are you… you know how to hotwire a car?” she asked as she watched him stripping the wires.
“Never know when somethin’ like that might come in handy.”
“But you’re a cop.”
“I wasn’t always a cop and my brother-in-law is in possession of some very interesting tricks.”
“You have a brother-in-law who’s a criminal?”
Kyle laughed at that and twisted the wires together when the engine turned over. “Well, not anymore. He’s my sister’s boyfriend but they’re practically married. He used to boost cars for his old man and one summer when I was laid up with a broken ankle he taught me how to hotwire a car.” He righted himself and closed his door. “Pull the visor down in case they have cameras at the exit,” he said as he did the same. He leaned over to place the bag he had grabbed at the house on the floor next to her feet. “We need to keep that close.”
“Okay. So you stole cars?”
“Not until today. He was just trying to keep me from obsessing about missing most of baseball season that year. Not that he’d ever admit it.”
“But you’ll get in trouble for stealing this car.”
“When I call my cousin to let him know what’s going on I’ll let him know about this so he can take care of it. The owner will get it back and he’ll be compensated for the inconvenience. As soon as we’ve put some distance between us and this place I’ll stop and pick up a prepaid cell, give him a call.”
“Kyle? Damon has cops on his payroll.”
“As much as I wish I didn’t believe that I know better than to think that cops are immune to corruption. I won’t contact anyone outside of my cousin.”
“You’re sure he can be trusted?”
He nodded, not taking offense to the question. “I’ve trusted him with my life more than once.” He checked the street before pulling out of the unmanned garage. “We’ve got about a three-hour drive to get where we’re going so you might wanna try to catch some sleep.”
“I’m too hyped-up to sleep right now but I’ll be quiet if you’d rather not talk.”
Kyle smiled and reached over to take her hand. “No, it’s just a long ride.”
“Would you tell me more about your family?”
“Okay, but if I start boring you please tell me.”
She shook her head and shifted around to get comfortable in the leather seat when he pulled out onto the highway. She didn’t want to think about what they had just left behind, didn’t want to think about the agents or the ADA who might’ve been involved in leading Damon’s men to her location. They had taken Duggan out first. Why? She remembered Kyle’s question to the ADA just before he had been shot. Was it because he had figured out Duggan was somehow involved? Agent McKenzie had taken her partner out, put a hole in the center of his chest. Why? Was it because she was a bad agent or was it because Agent Lassiter was the bad agent? She pushed the thoughts away. It was too fresh, too recent, and she didn’t want to think about it right now. She was tired of people getting hurt because of her. First Seth and now… no, she wasn’t going to think about it right now. She was just grateful that they had escaped without being hurt.
She rubbed her belly soothingly and rested her head against the headrest as she listened to Kyle talk about his family. She didn’t know where he was taking her but she trusted him to keep her and Cadence safe. Without realizing it her eyes began to drift closed and she fell asleep to the sound of his voice, his warm laughter ringing in her ears as he shared some story about his sister from childhood.
Kyle glanced over at her when her hand went lax in his and he smiled softly when he saw that she was sleeping. With the adrenaline leaving her system she would probably sleep soundly until they reached their destination. She might even sleep longer than that because he knew she hadn’t been sleeping much the past few nights. He wasn’t sure if her restlessness was due to the baby or if it had been due to the impending meeting with the DA. He shot another quick glance at her, his gaze lowering to her belly for a moment before going back to the road. What were the chances this was going to be resolved before Cadence made her grand entrance?
*****
Damon stared at Tommy Franklin over his steepled fingers. The man had been responsible for ensuring that the evidence was recovered and the hit on Ava was carried out. The assignment had been a complete failure. “Would you care to explain why two of my men are dead, an ADA on my payroll is dead, and an FBI agent on my payroll is in critical condition?”
Tommy stood ramrod straight before the boss. He’d kill those fools himself for fucking this up if they weren’t already dead. He kept his voice level when he responded. “Sir, Caulfield jumped the gun. He paid for that mistake.”
“And where were you when my men were being executed?” He gave a sharp nod when Santini placed a glass of whiskey before him.
“Duggan gave the signal and I sent Caulfield and Stanton in. We took Duggan out first per your orders. I hung back to handle anyone that came along before the job was finished.”
“My order was to eliminate Duggan when the evidence was retrieved, you fool! Because of your stupidity Ava is on the run and so far we can’t confirm her whereabouts. We don’t have the evidence and it’ll only be a matter of time before McCarthy’s ambulatory again.”
“I can take him out.”
“Do you want to bring the NYPD and the FBI down on my head? The ADA was one thing, and he was living on borrowed time, but you don’t just take out the DA, you work around him. It’s bad enough you’ve put two agents in the hospital. That’ll bring federal heat down on the organization. I have a helluva lot more cops on my payroll than I do federal agents.” He shook his head. “What you can do is make sure that agent doesn’t talk. Ever. If it’s possible find out where Ava went and then remove that threat.”
“I’ll take care of it, boss.”
“See that you do. If you fail it’ll be the last mistake you ever make.” He tossed the drink back. “Get out of my sight before I change my mind.” The door closed behind him and Damon spoke to the man sitting silently in one of the leather chairs in the corner by the window. “Once the agent’s dead get rid of him.”
Pascal nodded. “He should’ve had ears in the house with Duggan. The agent’s listed as critical and my source in the hospital said chances of survival are less than 10 percent. We have no way of knowing how she got out of the house or where she could’ve gone. There’s nothing out there, Damon. On her own her chances of survival are still better than the average person on the run.”
“There was a backup plan in place that our source didn’t know about. That’s the only thing that makes sense.” His fist slammed down on the desk in a rare show of temper. “There were only two agents assigned to her detail so how did she manage to get out of there when they’re both nearly dead?” He drummed his fingers against the smooth surface of the desk. “Tommy didn’t see her escape and the local cops showed up before he could do a sweep of the house but there’s been no chatter to indicate that she was found at the house or in the surrounding area.” He stared at the glass in his hand for a few minutes as he went over options. “Take a team up there and search the area.”
“Place is gonna be crawling with feds.”
“You know how to work around that. Considering the weight of her testimony and the evidence she has there will be an all-out manhunt for her. She already has a good lead if she’s managed to get out of the town. And if she hasn’t…”
“If she hasn’t we’ll flush her out. If she has it’ll take more time. There’s a lot of nothing up there so we’ll be flying blind. The area’s surrounded by mountain range and if she made it that far she could hole up just about anywhere. Even if she made it into the mountains she knows nothing about survival out there.”
“She survived for three years on the streets, Pascal. Don’t make the mistake of underestimating her.” He shifted and pushed back so he could stand up. “Take however many men you need to conduct the search.” He crossed to the window and looked outside at the well-lit grounds. “I’d suggest looking into the possibility that there was a third agent in the house. None of the information we were given suggests a third agent but the ease with which she managed to elude my men implies that it’s possible.”
Pascal nodded. “I’ll put feelers out, see if we can find out anything about that.”
Damon stood at the window long after Pascal had taken his leave. His clasped hands rested behind his back and he listened to the silence in the house. Behind him Santini remained at his post, ready for anything that might come at them. “She hasn’t contacted the street rat yet,” he mused finally, his voice holding a hint of impatience. “If she had he’d find a way to get to her, especially now.” He rubbed his jaw. He had been keeping Max occupied with small runs every few days and it had kept him away from the cops but he was irritated by this new turn of events. “Get a message to him. I want to see him tomorrow.”
Last edited by ArchAngel1973 on Sun May 13, 2012 11:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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ArchAngel1973
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Prisoners of the Past (CC, A/U, Adult) Part 27 - 5/20/12
L-J-L 76: Thanks! I try to post every Sunday, but most times it’s later at night when I get it updated. Friday night is coming soon. What will happen if Damon finds Max and Liz together? Well, we’ll have to wait and see if that happens. Max is doing everything he can to protect Liz.
Michelle in LA: Lol, I promise, I’m not!
We’ll see what happens if and when Damon’s organization figures out what’s going on.
Liz is still a work in progress. It’s gonna take time for her to get her act together and learning to respect Max’s (and everyone else’s) boundaries is a big part of it.
It’s always good to pick up these bits and pieces… one never knows when one might be on the run, lol.
If it was possible I’d post these parts quicker, lol. Lots more up my sleeve, it’s just finding that pesky time to get them written down.
While Ava dropping that baby sooner than expected is a possibility, Kyle’s fervently hoping that doesn’t happen.
Damon… well, he does deserve to die. And in his line of work, he’ll never be able to stop expecting someone to try and take him out. No one in his organization is exempt from reaching the end of their usefulness. You’re absolutely right, from prison he could still call the shots and cause a lot of damage. So you’d like him to go down horribly and possibly at Shakes’ hand… lol, tall order. Although Shakes would deserve to have a parade thrown in his honor.
Ah, justice is many things, but fair is rarely one of them.
keepsmiling7: Yes, Shakes will be a recurring character.
Max is having a hard time keeping on the straight and narrow.
lilah: Oh, I agree! I’d love to devote more time to writing.
MP: Thanks! Bowling in the next part, promise. Um, well, it sounds good in theory, but in reality it’s not quite doable, lol.
Alien_Friend: So far, so good on that front.
We’ll be checking in on Mac next week.
Lol, think Manny and Shakes would make an interesting duo, huh? Shakes has the issue with Dino under control.
Kyle’s going to need someone who knows what’s going on, someone who can work on things from the city.
begonia9508: Thanks!
Max does want to protect his new life and he knows with his involvement with Damon it’s already being jeopardized.
Payback… if anyone deserves it, it’s Damon.
Natalie36: Lol, I promise, I’m not trying to! Another vote for twice a week… you guys are getting to be hard to resist.
AlysLuv: Thanks! Max wants to be done with this problem, but he’s already in too deep to just walk away. Liz, she doesn’t understand the danger yet.
xilaj: It should be a very interesting evening. Sean will be getting involved very soon. Liz really isn’t judging Shakes at all, but she doesn’t understand Max’s concern over her easy acceptance of him either. And no, she’s quite blind to the potential dangers from Max’s past. We’ll be seeing Diablo soon.
dreamon: Thanks! What Damon has to say… won’t be nice.
Part 27
Sean was sitting at the kitchen table in his apartment, his eyes focused on the small figurine in his left hand. He used the fine paintbrush in his other hand, running the paint-coated tip over the tiny sword in the rebel soldier’s hand. He had gotten interested in the hobby when he was a teenager and he had found that it helped clear his mind. He had Uncle Jim to thank for it since he was the one who had introduced him to the art of miniature model painting.
He could also thank Uncle Jim for directing him towards the Civil War theme, something he hadn’t had an ounce of interest in until the man had dragged him and Kyle out to a reenactment one hot August weekend. He hadn’t had much of a father figure growing up but that had changed when his mother had moved them to New York City to be closer to family. He had been finding new and interesting ways to get into trouble and since Aunt Amy had recently been married she had decided that maybe Jim would be able to straighten him out.
It had taken time and patience, but both were things that Uncle Jim managed to have in spades. He hadn’t made it easy and he knew a lesser man would’ve washed his hands of him before he had turned 16. But not Uncle Jim. He was tough but he was fair, two things he hadn’t appreciated until he was an adult. Now he had a good relationship with his mom, something that had nearly been destroyed during his youth. It wasn’t just one of them, they had both needed to put an effort into creating a good relationship and they were stronger than they had ever been when he was a kid.
He glanced over his shoulder when he heard something start buzzing and he carefully set the tiny soldier and the brush down. He got up and wiped his hands on the rag hanging from his front pocket as he hurried over to the dresser. There was only one person who would call one of his burn phones. He snatched the cell phone up and lifted it to his ear. “You safe, cuz?”
Kyle chuckled gruffly. “For the moment.”
“Tell me what you need.” He listened as his cousin gave him the situation and he whistled under his breath. “You’re gonna have heavy artillery rainin’ down on you if they find your location.”
“It’s an uncompromised location.” He sighed and gravel crunched under the tires as he took a turn off of a paved road. “Probably lose the signal soon, you know what a bitch it is when it’s in and out.”
Sean’s mind ran over every word Kyle was saying. He wouldn’t waste a single word so he knew he was giving him his location. “Yeah, my damn phone drops the signal all the time.”
“I’ll contact you again soon as I know it’s safe.”
When the call was disconnected Sean pulled the battery out and quickly destroyed the phone. He went over the conversation and checked the other phones before grabbing the one Kyle would call next if he needed anything and tucking it into his pocket. Dirty cops on the force, bad agents, and his cousin was on the run from the baddest motherfucker in the city. He’d have to check on the agents that had been at the safe house, find out if either of them was still alive. For the moment Kyle was safe. Where he was taking the witness it was unlikely anyone would find him. No one but the two of them knew about the place and they had never referred to it by name. There was nothing to connect them to it and that meant no one would think to look for them there. He had to cover for the stolen vehicle before that information got out over the wire. He needed to go see Uncle Jim. He knew he wouldn’t be compromised and in case Knight had an inkling that Kyle was involved it would be better for them to put protective measures in place for their family.
*****
Max stared up at the imposing structure of Damon’s house and swallowed hard. He had been summoned by a note found in his locker at the restaurant. It was Damon’s way of letting him know he could get to him anytime and anywhere. He wondered what would happen if he just ended this thing, just told Damon to go to hell. He was certain the man didn’t have Ava. He didn’t know where she was or what had happened to her but if Damon had her he wouldn’t have any reason to play games with him. He wasn’t that important to the organization, which meant the man was keeping tabs on him, making sure he was compromised so he wouldn’t risk going to the police.
What if he said screw it and went to the cops? What if he just threw the towel in and told his parole officer what had been going on? What if he just took Damon out where he stood? He forced down the lump in his throat. He wasn’t the kind of man who could kill someone in cold blood. In the heat of the moment, in a life or death situation, he could probably do it. Maybe. But he couldn’t just walk up to him and take him out.
Damon ruled his empire by exerting his power over others. If he were to fall someone else would undoubtedly step in and take his place. Santini was the only one in the organization that seemed to be truly loyal to the drug lord. He’d always had a feeling that Pascal was biding his time, waiting for the right moment to attempt a takeover. He was smart enough to know that Santini would take his head off at the shoulders though. And Damon wasn’t stupid; he had to know that given the opportunity Pascal would kill him and take his place without an ounce of remorse.
He was patted down and escorted into the house, ignoring the sound of the gates locking behind him. He was left to wait in the large office under the watchful eye of one of the guards. The man stood at the entrance, arms crossed over his massive chest and his eyes staring straight ahead. Max wondered why he had been summoned instead of just meeting one of Damon’s runners somewhere to take possession of the drugs he was supposed to deliver.
He glanced around the room, his gaze momentarily resting on the small mountain of uncut cocaine on Damon’s desk. He controlled the urge to jump when the doors opened and he slowly turned to see who was coming in. His temper spiked when he saw Nicholas standing there with a smirk on his face.
“I heard you’d been called in.” His gaze moved over Max dismissively as he moved around the room.
“It’s got nothin’ to do with you.” Max said and shifted, keeping him in his sights at all times.
Nicholas laughed. “Heard he’s got a special job lined up for you.” He dropped into one of the leather chairs and draped one leg over the arm. “Name Dorothy Linwood ring any bells?” He snickered when he saw the color drain from Max’s face before he could control the reaction. “She heard you’re out and she’s on the prowl for some fresh prison meat.”
“Don’t spoil the surprise, Nicholas,” Damon said as he entered the room, his tone chastising but holding a hint of amusement. He snapped his fingers and pointed at the younger man. “There is a proper way to sit on furniture and that isn’t it.”
Nicholas rolled his eyes but righted himself.
Max watched him warily as he crossed the room, his movements fluid and graceful. Why would Damon pull something like this now? He had done everything the man had told him to do but he couldn’t do this. He wouldn’t do it.
“Well, Nicholas has let the proverbial cat out of the bag, but no matter.” Damon slid into his chair behind the desk and Santini settled into place behind his right shoulder. He picked up a razor and started cutting into the cocaine, dividing it into lines. He never indulged himself, seeing drugs for the weakness, the crutch, they were. It was something he did to relax, the way some people indulged in other mindless hobbies. “Pascal’s set to meet with Dorothy to take possession of a sizeable shipment and in exchange for a few hours with you she’ll drop a percentage off of my bill.”
Dorothy Linwood, Max thought. That was a name he’d be happy to never hear again. She was the only woman Damon had ever done business with but she provided his organization with weapons that weren’t street legal. Some he kept, most he sold off at a profit, but her gender didn’t bother him as long as the weapons were quality and came in bulk. Damon had been willing to trade him to the woman for a percentage cut the first time she had laid eyes on him and made the suggestion.
It wasn’t like it would be a hardship to have sex with her. She was considerably older but she managed to look like she was in her late 20s. She took damn good care of herself. Or at least she had before he had gone to prison. But it would be a betrayal of everything he was trying to build with Liz.
“I’m not screwin’ your gunrunner so you can get the discounted price, Damon.”
“Wasn’t a problem for you a few years ago,” he said as he took a drink from the glass Santini set before him. He nodded in thanks as the man stepped back into his position.
“A lot of things weren’t a problem for me before I went to prison. What the fuck do you even need me for? You’ve got plenty of runners on the streets, I have no reason to go to the cops, and all I wanna do is make a decent living for myself.”
“So now you’re too good for the life I provided for you?”
“Sounds kinda ungrateful to me.”
Damon paused and waved the hand holding the razor dismissively. “Nicholas, go make a nuisance of yourself elsewhere.” He waited until the younger man had slunk off before he continued. “You and that little tramp would both be dead in the gutter if not for me.”
He gritted his teeth to stop himself from going off on the man for the condescending remark about Ava. “I don’t deny that, Damon. I never have. I just want a chance to do somethin’ with my life and it’s not gonna happen if I’m workin’ for you.”
He smiled slowly. “Max, use the opportunity I’m giving you. Earn a bonus. God knows you need it. Not gonna keep that little rich bitch of yours for long on what you’re making working in the restaurant. Girl like that has expectations and in her world there will be plenty of men who can give her what she wants. We both know you can’t afford her.” He shrugged. “Blow some steam off. You’re not getting any from her anyway. I realize she’s got some issues…” he shook his head and rolled his eyes as he went back to cutting the cocaine. “Seems to be a bit uptight in the sack.”
“Back off, Damon.” He knew the words were designed to get a rise out of him, but it worried him. Was he watching them that closely or was he bluffing?
The man paused and his eyes glittered dangerously as he looked at Max. “Watch your step, street rat. I don’t need you anymore than I needed Ava.”
“Where is she?”
“She outlived her usefulness. No matter. I’d suggest you worry about your own neck. She wasn’t that happy anyway and running drugs wasn’t really her forte. Gave damn good head but I suppose you already knew that.” He smirked when he saw Max’s hands clench at his sides. “You should be grateful. She paid off your debt for you.”
“Sands,” he said hoarsely.
He smirked. “I see you’ve already figured out she paid for that. Old business. Let’s get back to more important matters.”
“I’m not your stud and I’m not gonna screw your gunrunner to get you a discount.” He moved to the doors. “Have me arrested, I don’t care. If Ava’s dead I have no reason to continue with this charade.”
Damon laughed loudly. “Go to prison again that’ll leave your girl unprotected. Nicholas has made it known he’d like a piece of that action and he’s pretty sure he can get past whatever her issues are, thaw her out a bit. He’s a snake in the grass but he certainly does know how to get between a woman’s legs, I’ll give him that much.”
Max was seething and it was taking everything he had to stop himself from going across the desk and burying Damon’s face in that mountain of white powder.
“The deal goes through on Saturday night. If you don’t give Dorothy what she wants I’ll make sure you pay for what I lose in the deal.”
“Fine, take what you want.”
Damon nodded and waved his right hand, letting the guard at the door know he could let Max pass. Once the younger man was gone he sent the guard after him to make sure he left the grounds. “Get me the file on his acquaintances,” he ordered. He didn’t need anything from Max but he was sadistic enough to enjoy tormenting him.
Santini nodded and left him alone to contemplate the best way to handle Max Evans and his defiant attitude.
*****
From his vantage point slouched down behind the wheel of his car Devon McCallum watched as Max Evans was escorted back to the gated entrance. He was tracking the movements of one of the men he believed could be Isabel’s half-brother and he sincerely hoped this lead didn’t pan out. The subject was on parole and by all appearances, already involved in the life that had put him in prison in the first place.
He shook his head as he watched the young man hurry away from the home of the head of the city’s most notorious criminal organization. In his line of work he had learned that things could rarely be taken at face value. But on the other hand, he also knew how easily ex-cons fell back into their old lives. This one bothered him though. The kid had been put into a program that could put him on the right track; he was apparently dating the daughter of the couple that was allowing him to reside in their guesthouse, and he was working for the husband in some fancy restaurant uptown.
He had been given an opportunity that could change his life so why was he getting involved with his old employer? Something didn’t add up and he was a man who liked to have all the ends tied up before he checked anything off of his list. He readjusted his seat when the passenger’s side door opened and one of his investigators slid in next to him. He glanced at Sara Buchanan as he reached for the keys dangling from the ignition. She was his cover in case anyone got suspicious about him sitting in his car down the street from the home of a well-known drug lord.
He would continue to pursue his other leads but as much as he hoped this one would prove to be a dead end he had a bad feeling this was the man he was looking for. He didn’t know what the guy’s story was or how he had ended up back on this path – yet – but he did know it wouldn’t end well.
“What’re you gonna tell the client?”
Devon glanced at his companion when she spoke up. “Only that the investigation is ongoing at this point. They know we’re following several leads and that until I have something concrete I’ll keep it to myself.”
“You think he’s the one.”
He shrugged his right shoulder as he turned at the end of the street and left the neighborhood behind. “We’ll continue to investigate the other leads we have but I don’t expect them to pan out. I want you and Jamison to stay focused on them and I’ll handle this one myself.”
“You’re gonna have to let us get our hands dirty one of these days, Devon,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“Not with someone like Damon Knight. You don’t come outta the gate and tangle with the likes of him first thing. We don’t know enough about this situation to determine what’s going on and that makes it dangerous.”
She knew it was useless to argue with him so she changed the subject. “What if your suspicion is correct and he’s the client’s brother? Will you tell her? Since he’s involved with a badass like Knight, I mean.”
Devon rubbed his jaw. He’d been wondering about that himself. He didn’t believe in lying to a client but for the first time in a long time he was reluctant to reveal the truth if things turned out the way he expected them to. He didn’t know if Evans’ involvement with Knight would deter Isabel from wanting to reach out to him. No, he decided, it wouldn’t. It was important for her to locate her brother and knowing he was in some sort of trouble wouldn’t stop her from wanting to meet him.
“Devon?”
“Sorry, lost in thought.” He pulled into the parking garage below the building that housed his offices. “We have an obligation to provide the client with an honest report of our findings. What they do with that information is up to them.” It wasn’t his duty to approve of the client’s decisions in regard to the information he provided to them. But if he was right he would make sure to warn them about the dangers of getting involved considering Evans’ association with the city’s biggest criminal element.
*****
Max ran. He ran around the track that encircled the football field of a high school that wasn’t far from the Parkers’ home. His feet pounded against the smooth surface and he could feel the shock of every strike vibrating up through his knees. He felt like he didn’t belong in this world he had somehow ended up in. Luck, fate, whatever it was had obviously made a mistake. Damon was right. He was never going to be able to afford a woman like Liz Parker. He was a novelty for her. A project or a challenge that she was using to amuse herself with. Eventually she would get bored and dump his ass back in the gutter and move on to some guy who could give her what she wanted. Sweat poured off of him as he continued to push himself, turning the thoughts loose and taking every hit they landed against him.
He silently berated himself for letting his insecurities get the best of him, for letting Damon’s words push those thoughts to the surface and get hold of him. Liz was better than that. Yes, she was spoiled, she did have expectations, she was used to certain standards, and damn it, she was always sticking her nose in his business.
His temper, already simmering after the meeting with Damon, boiled over as he thought about the way she had just moved right in and invited Shakes to go bowling. She just assumed she knew what was best for everyone and that pissed him off too. Shakes was a good guy, the kind you wanted at your back in a fight, but like he’d tried to tell Liz, he also had his own demons to deal with. He knew she had every intention of pairing Shakes up with Manny, she’d admitted as much openly. He used his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his face. How was he gonna get it through her thick head that she needed to leave that alone?
He slowed to a stop and bent over, hands braced on his knees as his breath sawed in and out roughly. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced his temper back under control. Okay, yeah, she had her flaws but he wasn’t perfect either. He just needed to calm down and talk to her, make her understand that she needed to back off. She had lines that she didn’t want him to cross and she had to learn to respect that he had his own boundaries.
She had said she would see him tomorrow when he called to let her know he had to run an errand after work and he hadn’t thought to ask why. It was unusual for them to spend an evening apart but he was alright with it. He could use the break and she probably could too. They were both ready to move forward with their relationship but the amount of trust she was putting in him was reason enough for him to put the brakes on in that department. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little space. They were both feeling the pressure and it was getting difficult to sleep together without having sex.
He straightened up and started to walk, taking his time as he wound his way through the neighborhoods to make it back to his house. He was going to make dinner and spend the evening with his psychology textbook. He sighed and opened the back gate to enter the yard. It was a good plan but he had a bad feeling he was going to spend most of the night obsessing over what Damon was going to do now that he had refused to comply with his directive.
*****
Ava woke to the scent of bacon and pancakes. She shifted, immediately noticing that the mattress felt different, and her eyes snapped open as the recent events at the safe house rushed through her mind. She sat up slowly, looking around and trying to remember arriving wherever they were. She didn’t remember it though. The last thing she could recall clearly was listening to Kyle relating a story about his sister. After that everything was a blank.
The house they were in was small and it appeared to be no more than a single room. Her gaze traveled over the rough-hewn walls and the rustic furniture. Kitchen area, living area, and sleeping area, all rolled into one single room. She carefully maneuvered herself around and stared out through one of the windows and her eyes widened at the mountains that rose in the distance. Movement caught her attention and she glanced at the tiny kitchen area where Kyle was busy making breakfast.
“Kyle?”
“Hey, you’re awake.” He had known the moment she started to stir but he wanted to let her get her bearings and adjust to the changes at her own pace. “How’d you sleep?”
“Better than I have the past few nights.”
He chuckled. “It’s the adrenaline crash.”
“I don’t remember getting here.”
“You crashed hard. I carried you inside.”
“Oh.” Ava maneuvered herself around to get to her feet and she made her way over to the window. She stared outside, awestruck by the scenery. “It’s amazing,” she murmured. “Look at how many different shades of green there are. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“You’ve never been to the mountains?”
“I’ve never been out of the city.” She turned to look at the interior, taking it in and pausing when her eyes came to rest on the deer head hanging on one of the walls.
Kyle shifted to follow her gaze when he saw the tears well up in her eyes. “It’s a hunting cabin, Ava.”
“Do you hunt?” she asked, swallowing hard. “I understand that people hunt for food and,” she shrugged, “you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do to survive, right? I just don’t like it when people hunt just so they can track something down and kill it.”
“No, I don’t. I can’t say as I care for the meat, little too gamey for my taste.” He flipped a couple of pancakes onto a waiting plate and then slid it in the oven to keep it warm. “I can take it down if it’ll make you feel better.”
She forced herself to look at it again. It looked heavy. “Maybe you could just cover it so I won’t feel like it’s watching me.” She shifted from one foot to the other. “Um, Kyle… where’s the bathroom?”
He cleared his throat and reached up to scratch his ear. “That’s um… that’s a question you’re probably not gonna like the answer to.”
“There’s no bathroom?”
“No, it’s just not inside the cabin.” He moved the pan back off of the burner and crossed the room to stand next to her. He pushed one of the faded curtains back and motioned to the left. “See that little building?”
Ava wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think you can call that a building, Kyle. It’s too…” she trailed off and tipped her head back to look up at him. “That’s the bathroom?”
“It’s actually what’s known as an outhouse.” He held his hands up. “Hey, I prefer indoor plumbing too, but this cabin’s the most secluded one up here and – “
“No, it’s okay. I’ve just never seen anything like it.” Her eyebrows lifted when he reached for his gun and checked it. She hid a smile when she realized he intended to walk outside with her. “Do you protect witnesses very often?”
He shook his head. “No, most of what I do anymore is undercover work.” He opened the front door and checked the area before stepping outside and motioning for her to follow him. He looked at her when she paused beside him, closing her eyes and drawing in a deep breath. “You okay?”
“Yeah, the air’s just so… clean and fresh.”
He looked around at the mountains that surrounded them and nodded. “There’s nothin’ like it.” His gaze was drawn back to her when she rested her hands on her belly and without thinking about it he reached over and covered her hand with his. “How’s she doin’ after all the excitement yesterday?”
“She’s good.” Ava looked down at his hand. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done, everything you’re doing, to keep us safe.”
Kyle didn’t realize he was staring at her or that he was still touching her until she looked up at him. His eyes dropped to their hands and he quickly cleared his throat as he made a move toward the steps. He stopped when she suddenly reached out to take his hand and he looked at her questioningly. “What?”
“I mean it, Kyle.”
Feeling incapable of speech at the moment, he just nodded. Focus on the day to day tasks, Valenti, he ordered himself as he led her over to the outhouse. He studied the mountainous range that surrounded them while she made use of the rustic facilities. He and Sean had been here once a couple years back and as soon as he had gotten Ava settled in the evening before he had done a quick check of the area. It was exactly as he remembered it and that was a good thing. There was only one way in but if push came to shove there was a path they could use to make a run for it. Knight’s men weren’t expert woodsmen; they knew how to track people in the city but it was a different story in the mountains.
The truck was safely hidden out of sight and camouflaged to prevent it from being seen until prying eyes were right on top of it. He stared at the rutted ground that served as the driveway. It was a maze of twists and turns that anyone unfamiliar with the area could easily get lost and drive around aimlessly for hours. Sean swore up and down that it had taken almost half a day for him to find his way to the cabin and he couldn’t dispute his claim. At the time he hadn’t been in any condition to be aware of himself much less his surroundings.
He didn’t believe there was any way for Knight to track them to this location but he knew better than to relax his guard. He shouldn’t be protecting Ava and he knew that too. He had to be careful because he was already too involved and objectivity was out the window. He had felt protective of her since their first meeting and the more time he spent with her the more those feelings were evolving. He didn’t have a name for them yet but they were there all the same. He knew personal involvement could and would impair judgment.
“Well, it’s not the best I’ve ever seen,” Ava said as she joined him, “but it’s not the worst either.”
“There’s a shower of sorts…” he turned from the waist up to point at a row of weathered boards held together by a makeshift frame up against the side of the cabin. “Nothin’ fancy but it uses the sun to warm the water so at least you don’t have to suffer through cold showers,” he said with a grin.
She smiled. “It’s a shower and it’s better than what a lot of people have.” She rubbed his arm. “It’ll do just fine while we’re here.”
Kyle laughed when her stomach rumbled loudly. “Ready for pancakes?”
“How did you get food up here?”
“Easy enough to do,” he said as he ushered her inside. “I made sure I had plenty of cash on me before Patrick took me back to the safe house. You never know what’s comin’ at you and I wanted to be prepared. When I talked to the owner of the cabin I asked him to put in an order at the general store so I could run in and pick it up when we got here. It’s almost 20 miles from here and it’s the only store for a good 50 miles, maybe more so I wanted to make sure we had enough supplies so we could dig in for a while.”
“Because you don’t want to be visible or establish any kind of routine.”
“Yeah, exactly.” He followed her back inside and went over to pull the plates out of the oven.
“So if you don’t hunt why would you come all the way out here?” she asked curiously as she sat down in one of the chairs at the small dining table for two.
“Let’s have breakfast and go over our plans for how we’re gonna handle things if we end up with unexpected company and then we can talk about other stuff.”
Ava watched him, sensing that there was something behind his previous visit to the cabin that he didn’t want to talk about.
He put a glass of milk on the table next to her plate and smiled gently. “I know you don’t really like milk that much but make sure you drink all of that.”
She traced her forefinger along the side of the glass while she watched him go back over to the stove to get his plate. She had no idea where they were and she was running for her life but at the moment she felt safer than she had ever felt before.
*****
Liz was waiting for Maria when she walked out of the building where she worked. She was leaning back against her car, arms folded across her chest, and her face turned up to the sun. She had her eyes closed and she was listening to the bits and pieces of conversation as the workers passed her on their way to their own cars.
“Hey, what’re you doing out my way?” Maria asked when she reached her.
She lowered her gaze and smiled. “Hoping you have a few minutes to talk.”
“Must be important if you’re here.”
“Do you need to go?”
Maria chuckled and leaned against the car next to her friend. “What’s up, Liz?”
“I was out with Max yesterday because someone from his life before had a problem and he needed to give the guy a hand.” They had located the little dog that belonged to Dino and it had taken a few phone calls but the people at the shelter had finally released him. Shakes had sent someone to meet them to collect the dog since it was getting late and after that Max had been quieter than usual the rest of the night. “Anyway, there was another guy from his past who was helping out and I kinda thought Manny would like him so I invited him to go bowling with us tomorrow night. Max was pissed about it.”
“Someone from his past,” Maria mused. “Liz, do you know if this guy has a criminal record? Because he’s on parole; he’s not supposed to associate with anyone with a – “
“Michael has a criminal record.”
Maria sighed. “Yeah, he does, but the difference is, Max received approval from his P.O. to spend time with Michael. Maybe the guy doesn’t have a record, maybe Max just didn’t want his past mixing with his new start on life. Liz, he knows the guy and you don’t.”
“He said he’s a good guy.”
“I’m sure he is, but one thing you need to understand is that guys with a history like Max’s, they usually know a lot of guys, some good and some bad. Not all bad guys are all bad, and not all good guys are all good. With some of the good guys there’s a part of them that lives in darkness, there’re things in their past that overshadows everything else in their lives. And some of the bad guys are capable of doing good things but it doesn’t make them any less of a bad guy. There’re guys in both of those categories in Michael’s past and we’ve run into them before and every time he stays between me and them. They don’t get invited over for barbecues or anything else… he might go out for a beer with them, depending on who it is, but he doesn’t want them around me.”
“But Max says he trusts him.”
“There are guys like that in Michael’s past too. Just because they’re the ‘good’ guys and he trusts them doesn’t mean he wants them around me or Hunter.”
“I don’t understand that,” Liz said, sounding frustrated. “If he’s a good guy and he trusts him, why wouldn’t he be good enough for me to get to know him?”
“I don’t always understand it either, but I didn’t grow up the way he did. It may not have anything to do with whether the guy’s good enough.” She shrugged and nudged Liz with her elbow. “Maybe Max does trust him, and maybe it’s a matter of him wanting to be the one to decide when and if he wants those two parts of his life to intersect. Patience is not one of your strengths but I have a feeling if things are gonna work with you and Max you’re gonna have to learn to be patient.”
“I just thought inviting him would give me a chance to get to know some of his friends.”
Maria snorted. “You’re also gonna have to learn that you can’t make all the decisions. It’s a relationship, remember? Girl, if I ever tried that with Michael he’d go through the roof. I push plenty of his buttons, and yes, sometimes it’s on purpose, but his past is one area where I’ve learned that he has to be the one to make the call on whether or not he wants to share.”
“So, you think I should un-invite his friend?”
“I think you should talk to Max about it and let him know you’ve realized you overstepped your bounds and that you’ll respect his decision if he wants to rescind that invitation. You’re good at setting boundaries and you’ll blast anyone who crosses them intentionally or unintentionally, but you suck at respecting other people’s boundaries. If you want to keep him around I’d suggest you learn really quickly.”
Liz sighed. “I really think Manny would like him.”
“Manny likes a lot of people. He’d be all over Michael if he thought he had a chance. Besides, you shouldn’t try to hook Manny up with some guy you don’t even know. He could get hurt that way. Would you want me to hook you up with some guy I had just met? No, you wouldn’t.” She smiled. “You expect a certain amount of respect from Max and to get respect you have to give it, that’s all I’m saying. If he tells you to back off you have to respect his wishes.”
Liz frowned at that. “You don’t always back off when Michael tells you to.”
“I’ve had 10 years to learn to read that man of mine. There’re time when he tells me to back off and what he really wants is for me to keep pushing because it’s the only way whatever’s going on with him is gonna come out. It takes time to learn to interpret what they’re really saying. And hell, Liz, I don’t always get it right.”
“Alright.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I told him I’d see him tomorrow. I thought we could both use a little space tonight.”
“Are you fighting?”
She shook her head. “No, but sleeping together without having sex is… it’s frustrating. He wants to wait and I’m not pushing that but…”
“It’s frustrating,” Maria said with a knowing smile. “What’s he waiting for?”
Liz took a deep breath and glanced around at the empty parking lot. The story about that night, about Dennis Rhoads and his attack suddenly started to spill out, and once the words began to tumble past her lips she couldn’t seem to stop them.
Maria listened, shocked, horrified, and hurting deeply for what her friend had been through and all that she had held inside for so long. “God, Liz,” she murmured, pulling the brunette into her arms and holding her tightly. She rocked her as tears streamed down their faces. She had known that something had happened and as she stood there she recalled Max’s question weeks earlier when he had asked if Liz had ever been assaulted. Her respect for him had just gone up several more notches.
The assault wasn’t the only reason he was holding back but Liz knew that was part of it. She hadn’t intended to reveal anything about that night but she felt better for telling Maria about it. “Max has some bad things in his past that he’s trying to deal with and he… he suggested we see someone together.” She pulled back slightly and reached into the car to grab a tissue so she could dry her eyes. She handed another to Maria.
“You’ve told him about this,” Maria said, hiding the smile that wanted to surface. The amount of trust that had taken spoke volumes.
“I just… it came out one night.”
“You’ve never told anyone else though, have you?”
“Just you.” Liz shrugged when Maria leveled a look at her. “No. I mean, DJ knew, but that’s because he’s the one who stopped Rhoads.”
“Thank God for DJ.” She glanced at Liz. “So what’d you say when he made that suggestion?” she asked, knowing Liz well enough to know that she probably hadn’t meant to reveal that and given the opportunity she’d steer the conversation away from the topic.
“That I’d rather not do that.” She looked away. “It’s hard enough telling the people I care about what happened to me and shrinks like to find your faults and pick them apart.”
“You know, when Michael and I took custody of Hunter we had to see a court-appointed therapist for a few months. It wasn’t as painful as I thought it’d be.” She rolled her eyes. “It was more painful than Michael thought it would be. It was the equivalent of torture for him but he managed to make it through the 12 sessions and lived to tell about it. I thought she was really good. The media’s really portrayed therapists in a bad light, and while I’m sure there are some out there who’re no good, I think there’re a lot more who have the ability to really help people.” She smiled. “I still have her number if you change your mind and if Max wouldn’t mind talking to a woman. Some guys find it easier to talk to a man.”
“I don’t know, Maria. I mean, for Max or for me. I don’t know if he’d be more comfortable talking to a man or a woman and I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I’ve been thinking about it but I just don’t know if I can. I think he wants to but it’s a little bit scary for him too.”
“Probably more than a little bit if he’s like most guys in that area,” Maria said, smiling when it made Liz laugh a little. “Just talk to him about it, Liz. It sounds to me like he’s willing to open up to you and that at least part of him wants to deal with things with someone who can help him make sense of them. And him wanting to include you in that? That right there’s a pretty major thing and it tells me he’s very serious about you and he wants to make your relationship work.”
“I guess I should talk to him about his friend since we’re all getting together tomorrow night. I just don’t want him to feel like he has to keep that separate from me.”
“He needs to be able to make that decision for himself though. He knows the people from his past and he knows whether or not he wants them involved with his new life. Trust him to know if and when he wants to introduce them to you, Liz. He’s protecting you and sometimes you’re gonna have to just hang back and let him.”
“Something else I’m gonna learn through trial and error?” Liz asked with a snort and a half-smile.
“Yeah, something like that.”
She glanced up at the sky. “I guess you need to go pick Hunter up.”
Maria followed her gaze and nodded. “Pick my son up, make dinner, do a couple loads of laundry…” she grinned. “I’ll take a maid for my birthday.”
“Hey, my birthday’s first.”
“Um-hmm, well, it’s still a few weeks away.”
“Yeah, well, don’t get any bright ideas about giving me a free trip to the shrink or anything.”
“That’d be better than Michael’s suggestion for your gift.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “I can imagine. Make sure you tell him how excited I am about going bowling tomorrow night.”
Maria laughed. “Well, he already knows how much you like going to the bowling alley, that’s why he suggested it. Hey,” she said when Liz shook her head at her, “most of the time I can get him to pick something else but he actually enjoys bowling and he hasn’t been in a while.”
“Max has never been bowling and he seems to really enjoy new experiences so I’ll suck it up and go without complaint this time. Maybe he’ll like it and next time he and Michael can go by themselves.” She straightened up. “I know you need to get going so I’m gonna go and we’ll catch up some more tomorrow night.”
“Hey, Liz?” She waited until Liz looked at her. “I’m glad you told me.” She was also glad that bastard was dead but she hated that DJ had been the one to have to do it. She hugged her tightly. “Take care of yourself, girl, and talk to Max, okay?”
Liz nodded. “I will. Be safe going home, Maria.” She got into her car and waited while Maria walked to hers, making sure it started and she made it out of the parking lot before she put her own car in gear and pulled out onto the street. Maria had given her some things to think about and in spite of the impulse to turn towards her parents’ neighborhood and go to Max, she decided to go home and spend some time really considering the way she was handling things with him.
Michelle in LA: Lol, I promise, I’m not!
We’ll see what happens if and when Damon’s organization figures out what’s going on.
Liz is still a work in progress. It’s gonna take time for her to get her act together and learning to respect Max’s (and everyone else’s) boundaries is a big part of it.
It’s always good to pick up these bits and pieces… one never knows when one might be on the run, lol.
If it was possible I’d post these parts quicker, lol. Lots more up my sleeve, it’s just finding that pesky time to get them written down.
While Ava dropping that baby sooner than expected is a possibility, Kyle’s fervently hoping that doesn’t happen.
Damon… well, he does deserve to die. And in his line of work, he’ll never be able to stop expecting someone to try and take him out. No one in his organization is exempt from reaching the end of their usefulness. You’re absolutely right, from prison he could still call the shots and cause a lot of damage. So you’d like him to go down horribly and possibly at Shakes’ hand… lol, tall order. Although Shakes would deserve to have a parade thrown in his honor.
Ah, justice is many things, but fair is rarely one of them.
keepsmiling7: Yes, Shakes will be a recurring character.
Max is having a hard time keeping on the straight and narrow.
lilah: Oh, I agree! I’d love to devote more time to writing.
MP: Thanks! Bowling in the next part, promise. Um, well, it sounds good in theory, but in reality it’s not quite doable, lol.
Alien_Friend: So far, so good on that front.
We’ll be checking in on Mac next week.
Lol, think Manny and Shakes would make an interesting duo, huh? Shakes has the issue with Dino under control.
Kyle’s going to need someone who knows what’s going on, someone who can work on things from the city.
begonia9508: Thanks!
Max does want to protect his new life and he knows with his involvement with Damon it’s already being jeopardized.
Payback… if anyone deserves it, it’s Damon.
Natalie36: Lol, I promise, I’m not trying to! Another vote for twice a week… you guys are getting to be hard to resist.
AlysLuv: Thanks! Max wants to be done with this problem, but he’s already in too deep to just walk away. Liz, she doesn’t understand the danger yet.
xilaj: It should be a very interesting evening. Sean will be getting involved very soon. Liz really isn’t judging Shakes at all, but she doesn’t understand Max’s concern over her easy acceptance of him either. And no, she’s quite blind to the potential dangers from Max’s past. We’ll be seeing Diablo soon.
dreamon: Thanks! What Damon has to say… won’t be nice.
Part 27
Sean was sitting at the kitchen table in his apartment, his eyes focused on the small figurine in his left hand. He used the fine paintbrush in his other hand, running the paint-coated tip over the tiny sword in the rebel soldier’s hand. He had gotten interested in the hobby when he was a teenager and he had found that it helped clear his mind. He had Uncle Jim to thank for it since he was the one who had introduced him to the art of miniature model painting.
He could also thank Uncle Jim for directing him towards the Civil War theme, something he hadn’t had an ounce of interest in until the man had dragged him and Kyle out to a reenactment one hot August weekend. He hadn’t had much of a father figure growing up but that had changed when his mother had moved them to New York City to be closer to family. He had been finding new and interesting ways to get into trouble and since Aunt Amy had recently been married she had decided that maybe Jim would be able to straighten him out.
It had taken time and patience, but both were things that Uncle Jim managed to have in spades. He hadn’t made it easy and he knew a lesser man would’ve washed his hands of him before he had turned 16. But not Uncle Jim. He was tough but he was fair, two things he hadn’t appreciated until he was an adult. Now he had a good relationship with his mom, something that had nearly been destroyed during his youth. It wasn’t just one of them, they had both needed to put an effort into creating a good relationship and they were stronger than they had ever been when he was a kid.
He glanced over his shoulder when he heard something start buzzing and he carefully set the tiny soldier and the brush down. He got up and wiped his hands on the rag hanging from his front pocket as he hurried over to the dresser. There was only one person who would call one of his burn phones. He snatched the cell phone up and lifted it to his ear. “You safe, cuz?”
Kyle chuckled gruffly. “For the moment.”
“Tell me what you need.” He listened as his cousin gave him the situation and he whistled under his breath. “You’re gonna have heavy artillery rainin’ down on you if they find your location.”
“It’s an uncompromised location.” He sighed and gravel crunched under the tires as he took a turn off of a paved road. “Probably lose the signal soon, you know what a bitch it is when it’s in and out.”
Sean’s mind ran over every word Kyle was saying. He wouldn’t waste a single word so he knew he was giving him his location. “Yeah, my damn phone drops the signal all the time.”
“I’ll contact you again soon as I know it’s safe.”
When the call was disconnected Sean pulled the battery out and quickly destroyed the phone. He went over the conversation and checked the other phones before grabbing the one Kyle would call next if he needed anything and tucking it into his pocket. Dirty cops on the force, bad agents, and his cousin was on the run from the baddest motherfucker in the city. He’d have to check on the agents that had been at the safe house, find out if either of them was still alive. For the moment Kyle was safe. Where he was taking the witness it was unlikely anyone would find him. No one but the two of them knew about the place and they had never referred to it by name. There was nothing to connect them to it and that meant no one would think to look for them there. He had to cover for the stolen vehicle before that information got out over the wire. He needed to go see Uncle Jim. He knew he wouldn’t be compromised and in case Knight had an inkling that Kyle was involved it would be better for them to put protective measures in place for their family.
*****
Max stared up at the imposing structure of Damon’s house and swallowed hard. He had been summoned by a note found in his locker at the restaurant. It was Damon’s way of letting him know he could get to him anytime and anywhere. He wondered what would happen if he just ended this thing, just told Damon to go to hell. He was certain the man didn’t have Ava. He didn’t know where she was or what had happened to her but if Damon had her he wouldn’t have any reason to play games with him. He wasn’t that important to the organization, which meant the man was keeping tabs on him, making sure he was compromised so he wouldn’t risk going to the police.
What if he said screw it and went to the cops? What if he just threw the towel in and told his parole officer what had been going on? What if he just took Damon out where he stood? He forced down the lump in his throat. He wasn’t the kind of man who could kill someone in cold blood. In the heat of the moment, in a life or death situation, he could probably do it. Maybe. But he couldn’t just walk up to him and take him out.
Damon ruled his empire by exerting his power over others. If he were to fall someone else would undoubtedly step in and take his place. Santini was the only one in the organization that seemed to be truly loyal to the drug lord. He’d always had a feeling that Pascal was biding his time, waiting for the right moment to attempt a takeover. He was smart enough to know that Santini would take his head off at the shoulders though. And Damon wasn’t stupid; he had to know that given the opportunity Pascal would kill him and take his place without an ounce of remorse.
He was patted down and escorted into the house, ignoring the sound of the gates locking behind him. He was left to wait in the large office under the watchful eye of one of the guards. The man stood at the entrance, arms crossed over his massive chest and his eyes staring straight ahead. Max wondered why he had been summoned instead of just meeting one of Damon’s runners somewhere to take possession of the drugs he was supposed to deliver.
He glanced around the room, his gaze momentarily resting on the small mountain of uncut cocaine on Damon’s desk. He controlled the urge to jump when the doors opened and he slowly turned to see who was coming in. His temper spiked when he saw Nicholas standing there with a smirk on his face.
“I heard you’d been called in.” His gaze moved over Max dismissively as he moved around the room.
“It’s got nothin’ to do with you.” Max said and shifted, keeping him in his sights at all times.
Nicholas laughed. “Heard he’s got a special job lined up for you.” He dropped into one of the leather chairs and draped one leg over the arm. “Name Dorothy Linwood ring any bells?” He snickered when he saw the color drain from Max’s face before he could control the reaction. “She heard you’re out and she’s on the prowl for some fresh prison meat.”
“Don’t spoil the surprise, Nicholas,” Damon said as he entered the room, his tone chastising but holding a hint of amusement. He snapped his fingers and pointed at the younger man. “There is a proper way to sit on furniture and that isn’t it.”
Nicholas rolled his eyes but righted himself.
Max watched him warily as he crossed the room, his movements fluid and graceful. Why would Damon pull something like this now? He had done everything the man had told him to do but he couldn’t do this. He wouldn’t do it.
“Well, Nicholas has let the proverbial cat out of the bag, but no matter.” Damon slid into his chair behind the desk and Santini settled into place behind his right shoulder. He picked up a razor and started cutting into the cocaine, dividing it into lines. He never indulged himself, seeing drugs for the weakness, the crutch, they were. It was something he did to relax, the way some people indulged in other mindless hobbies. “Pascal’s set to meet with Dorothy to take possession of a sizeable shipment and in exchange for a few hours with you she’ll drop a percentage off of my bill.”
Dorothy Linwood, Max thought. That was a name he’d be happy to never hear again. She was the only woman Damon had ever done business with but she provided his organization with weapons that weren’t street legal. Some he kept, most he sold off at a profit, but her gender didn’t bother him as long as the weapons were quality and came in bulk. Damon had been willing to trade him to the woman for a percentage cut the first time she had laid eyes on him and made the suggestion.
It wasn’t like it would be a hardship to have sex with her. She was considerably older but she managed to look like she was in her late 20s. She took damn good care of herself. Or at least she had before he had gone to prison. But it would be a betrayal of everything he was trying to build with Liz.
“I’m not screwin’ your gunrunner so you can get the discounted price, Damon.”
“Wasn’t a problem for you a few years ago,” he said as he took a drink from the glass Santini set before him. He nodded in thanks as the man stepped back into his position.
“A lot of things weren’t a problem for me before I went to prison. What the fuck do you even need me for? You’ve got plenty of runners on the streets, I have no reason to go to the cops, and all I wanna do is make a decent living for myself.”
“So now you’re too good for the life I provided for you?”
“Sounds kinda ungrateful to me.”
Damon paused and waved the hand holding the razor dismissively. “Nicholas, go make a nuisance of yourself elsewhere.” He waited until the younger man had slunk off before he continued. “You and that little tramp would both be dead in the gutter if not for me.”
He gritted his teeth to stop himself from going off on the man for the condescending remark about Ava. “I don’t deny that, Damon. I never have. I just want a chance to do somethin’ with my life and it’s not gonna happen if I’m workin’ for you.”
He smiled slowly. “Max, use the opportunity I’m giving you. Earn a bonus. God knows you need it. Not gonna keep that little rich bitch of yours for long on what you’re making working in the restaurant. Girl like that has expectations and in her world there will be plenty of men who can give her what she wants. We both know you can’t afford her.” He shrugged. “Blow some steam off. You’re not getting any from her anyway. I realize she’s got some issues…” he shook his head and rolled his eyes as he went back to cutting the cocaine. “Seems to be a bit uptight in the sack.”
“Back off, Damon.” He knew the words were designed to get a rise out of him, but it worried him. Was he watching them that closely or was he bluffing?
The man paused and his eyes glittered dangerously as he looked at Max. “Watch your step, street rat. I don’t need you anymore than I needed Ava.”
“Where is she?”
“She outlived her usefulness. No matter. I’d suggest you worry about your own neck. She wasn’t that happy anyway and running drugs wasn’t really her forte. Gave damn good head but I suppose you already knew that.” He smirked when he saw Max’s hands clench at his sides. “You should be grateful. She paid off your debt for you.”
“Sands,” he said hoarsely.
He smirked. “I see you’ve already figured out she paid for that. Old business. Let’s get back to more important matters.”
“I’m not your stud and I’m not gonna screw your gunrunner to get you a discount.” He moved to the doors. “Have me arrested, I don’t care. If Ava’s dead I have no reason to continue with this charade.”
Damon laughed loudly. “Go to prison again that’ll leave your girl unprotected. Nicholas has made it known he’d like a piece of that action and he’s pretty sure he can get past whatever her issues are, thaw her out a bit. He’s a snake in the grass but he certainly does know how to get between a woman’s legs, I’ll give him that much.”
Max was seething and it was taking everything he had to stop himself from going across the desk and burying Damon’s face in that mountain of white powder.
“The deal goes through on Saturday night. If you don’t give Dorothy what she wants I’ll make sure you pay for what I lose in the deal.”
“Fine, take what you want.”
Damon nodded and waved his right hand, letting the guard at the door know he could let Max pass. Once the younger man was gone he sent the guard after him to make sure he left the grounds. “Get me the file on his acquaintances,” he ordered. He didn’t need anything from Max but he was sadistic enough to enjoy tormenting him.
Santini nodded and left him alone to contemplate the best way to handle Max Evans and his defiant attitude.
*****
From his vantage point slouched down behind the wheel of his car Devon McCallum watched as Max Evans was escorted back to the gated entrance. He was tracking the movements of one of the men he believed could be Isabel’s half-brother and he sincerely hoped this lead didn’t pan out. The subject was on parole and by all appearances, already involved in the life that had put him in prison in the first place.
He shook his head as he watched the young man hurry away from the home of the head of the city’s most notorious criminal organization. In his line of work he had learned that things could rarely be taken at face value. But on the other hand, he also knew how easily ex-cons fell back into their old lives. This one bothered him though. The kid had been put into a program that could put him on the right track; he was apparently dating the daughter of the couple that was allowing him to reside in their guesthouse, and he was working for the husband in some fancy restaurant uptown.
He had been given an opportunity that could change his life so why was he getting involved with his old employer? Something didn’t add up and he was a man who liked to have all the ends tied up before he checked anything off of his list. He readjusted his seat when the passenger’s side door opened and one of his investigators slid in next to him. He glanced at Sara Buchanan as he reached for the keys dangling from the ignition. She was his cover in case anyone got suspicious about him sitting in his car down the street from the home of a well-known drug lord.
He would continue to pursue his other leads but as much as he hoped this one would prove to be a dead end he had a bad feeling this was the man he was looking for. He didn’t know what the guy’s story was or how he had ended up back on this path – yet – but he did know it wouldn’t end well.
“What’re you gonna tell the client?”
Devon glanced at his companion when she spoke up. “Only that the investigation is ongoing at this point. They know we’re following several leads and that until I have something concrete I’ll keep it to myself.”
“You think he’s the one.”
He shrugged his right shoulder as he turned at the end of the street and left the neighborhood behind. “We’ll continue to investigate the other leads we have but I don’t expect them to pan out. I want you and Jamison to stay focused on them and I’ll handle this one myself.”
“You’re gonna have to let us get our hands dirty one of these days, Devon,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“Not with someone like Damon Knight. You don’t come outta the gate and tangle with the likes of him first thing. We don’t know enough about this situation to determine what’s going on and that makes it dangerous.”
She knew it was useless to argue with him so she changed the subject. “What if your suspicion is correct and he’s the client’s brother? Will you tell her? Since he’s involved with a badass like Knight, I mean.”
Devon rubbed his jaw. He’d been wondering about that himself. He didn’t believe in lying to a client but for the first time in a long time he was reluctant to reveal the truth if things turned out the way he expected them to. He didn’t know if Evans’ involvement with Knight would deter Isabel from wanting to reach out to him. No, he decided, it wouldn’t. It was important for her to locate her brother and knowing he was in some sort of trouble wouldn’t stop her from wanting to meet him.
“Devon?”
“Sorry, lost in thought.” He pulled into the parking garage below the building that housed his offices. “We have an obligation to provide the client with an honest report of our findings. What they do with that information is up to them.” It wasn’t his duty to approve of the client’s decisions in regard to the information he provided to them. But if he was right he would make sure to warn them about the dangers of getting involved considering Evans’ association with the city’s biggest criminal element.
*****
Max ran. He ran around the track that encircled the football field of a high school that wasn’t far from the Parkers’ home. His feet pounded against the smooth surface and he could feel the shock of every strike vibrating up through his knees. He felt like he didn’t belong in this world he had somehow ended up in. Luck, fate, whatever it was had obviously made a mistake. Damon was right. He was never going to be able to afford a woman like Liz Parker. He was a novelty for her. A project or a challenge that she was using to amuse herself with. Eventually she would get bored and dump his ass back in the gutter and move on to some guy who could give her what she wanted. Sweat poured off of him as he continued to push himself, turning the thoughts loose and taking every hit they landed against him.
He silently berated himself for letting his insecurities get the best of him, for letting Damon’s words push those thoughts to the surface and get hold of him. Liz was better than that. Yes, she was spoiled, she did have expectations, she was used to certain standards, and damn it, she was always sticking her nose in his business.
His temper, already simmering after the meeting with Damon, boiled over as he thought about the way she had just moved right in and invited Shakes to go bowling. She just assumed she knew what was best for everyone and that pissed him off too. Shakes was a good guy, the kind you wanted at your back in a fight, but like he’d tried to tell Liz, he also had his own demons to deal with. He knew she had every intention of pairing Shakes up with Manny, she’d admitted as much openly. He used his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his face. How was he gonna get it through her thick head that she needed to leave that alone?
He slowed to a stop and bent over, hands braced on his knees as his breath sawed in and out roughly. He squeezed his eyes shut and forced his temper back under control. Okay, yeah, she had her flaws but he wasn’t perfect either. He just needed to calm down and talk to her, make her understand that she needed to back off. She had lines that she didn’t want him to cross and she had to learn to respect that he had his own boundaries.
She had said she would see him tomorrow when he called to let her know he had to run an errand after work and he hadn’t thought to ask why. It was unusual for them to spend an evening apart but he was alright with it. He could use the break and she probably could too. They were both ready to move forward with their relationship but the amount of trust she was putting in him was reason enough for him to put the brakes on in that department. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little space. They were both feeling the pressure and it was getting difficult to sleep together without having sex.
He straightened up and started to walk, taking his time as he wound his way through the neighborhoods to make it back to his house. He was going to make dinner and spend the evening with his psychology textbook. He sighed and opened the back gate to enter the yard. It was a good plan but he had a bad feeling he was going to spend most of the night obsessing over what Damon was going to do now that he had refused to comply with his directive.
*****
Ava woke to the scent of bacon and pancakes. She shifted, immediately noticing that the mattress felt different, and her eyes snapped open as the recent events at the safe house rushed through her mind. She sat up slowly, looking around and trying to remember arriving wherever they were. She didn’t remember it though. The last thing she could recall clearly was listening to Kyle relating a story about his sister. After that everything was a blank.
The house they were in was small and it appeared to be no more than a single room. Her gaze traveled over the rough-hewn walls and the rustic furniture. Kitchen area, living area, and sleeping area, all rolled into one single room. She carefully maneuvered herself around and stared out through one of the windows and her eyes widened at the mountains that rose in the distance. Movement caught her attention and she glanced at the tiny kitchen area where Kyle was busy making breakfast.
“Kyle?”
“Hey, you’re awake.” He had known the moment she started to stir but he wanted to let her get her bearings and adjust to the changes at her own pace. “How’d you sleep?”
“Better than I have the past few nights.”
He chuckled. “It’s the adrenaline crash.”
“I don’t remember getting here.”
“You crashed hard. I carried you inside.”
“Oh.” Ava maneuvered herself around to get to her feet and she made her way over to the window. She stared outside, awestruck by the scenery. “It’s amazing,” she murmured. “Look at how many different shades of green there are. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“You’ve never been to the mountains?”
“I’ve never been out of the city.” She turned to look at the interior, taking it in and pausing when her eyes came to rest on the deer head hanging on one of the walls.
Kyle shifted to follow her gaze when he saw the tears well up in her eyes. “It’s a hunting cabin, Ava.”
“Do you hunt?” she asked, swallowing hard. “I understand that people hunt for food and,” she shrugged, “you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do to survive, right? I just don’t like it when people hunt just so they can track something down and kill it.”
“No, I don’t. I can’t say as I care for the meat, little too gamey for my taste.” He flipped a couple of pancakes onto a waiting plate and then slid it in the oven to keep it warm. “I can take it down if it’ll make you feel better.”
She forced herself to look at it again. It looked heavy. “Maybe you could just cover it so I won’t feel like it’s watching me.” She shifted from one foot to the other. “Um, Kyle… where’s the bathroom?”
He cleared his throat and reached up to scratch his ear. “That’s um… that’s a question you’re probably not gonna like the answer to.”
“There’s no bathroom?”
“No, it’s just not inside the cabin.” He moved the pan back off of the burner and crossed the room to stand next to her. He pushed one of the faded curtains back and motioned to the left. “See that little building?”
Ava wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think you can call that a building, Kyle. It’s too…” she trailed off and tipped her head back to look up at him. “That’s the bathroom?”
“It’s actually what’s known as an outhouse.” He held his hands up. “Hey, I prefer indoor plumbing too, but this cabin’s the most secluded one up here and – “
“No, it’s okay. I’ve just never seen anything like it.” Her eyebrows lifted when he reached for his gun and checked it. She hid a smile when she realized he intended to walk outside with her. “Do you protect witnesses very often?”
He shook his head. “No, most of what I do anymore is undercover work.” He opened the front door and checked the area before stepping outside and motioning for her to follow him. He looked at her when she paused beside him, closing her eyes and drawing in a deep breath. “You okay?”
“Yeah, the air’s just so… clean and fresh.”
He looked around at the mountains that surrounded them and nodded. “There’s nothin’ like it.” His gaze was drawn back to her when she rested her hands on her belly and without thinking about it he reached over and covered her hand with his. “How’s she doin’ after all the excitement yesterday?”
“She’s good.” Ava looked down at his hand. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done, everything you’re doing, to keep us safe.”
Kyle didn’t realize he was staring at her or that he was still touching her until she looked up at him. His eyes dropped to their hands and he quickly cleared his throat as he made a move toward the steps. He stopped when she suddenly reached out to take his hand and he looked at her questioningly. “What?”
“I mean it, Kyle.”
Feeling incapable of speech at the moment, he just nodded. Focus on the day to day tasks, Valenti, he ordered himself as he led her over to the outhouse. He studied the mountainous range that surrounded them while she made use of the rustic facilities. He and Sean had been here once a couple years back and as soon as he had gotten Ava settled in the evening before he had done a quick check of the area. It was exactly as he remembered it and that was a good thing. There was only one way in but if push came to shove there was a path they could use to make a run for it. Knight’s men weren’t expert woodsmen; they knew how to track people in the city but it was a different story in the mountains.
The truck was safely hidden out of sight and camouflaged to prevent it from being seen until prying eyes were right on top of it. He stared at the rutted ground that served as the driveway. It was a maze of twists and turns that anyone unfamiliar with the area could easily get lost and drive around aimlessly for hours. Sean swore up and down that it had taken almost half a day for him to find his way to the cabin and he couldn’t dispute his claim. At the time he hadn’t been in any condition to be aware of himself much less his surroundings.
He didn’t believe there was any way for Knight to track them to this location but he knew better than to relax his guard. He shouldn’t be protecting Ava and he knew that too. He had to be careful because he was already too involved and objectivity was out the window. He had felt protective of her since their first meeting and the more time he spent with her the more those feelings were evolving. He didn’t have a name for them yet but they were there all the same. He knew personal involvement could and would impair judgment.
“Well, it’s not the best I’ve ever seen,” Ava said as she joined him, “but it’s not the worst either.”
“There’s a shower of sorts…” he turned from the waist up to point at a row of weathered boards held together by a makeshift frame up against the side of the cabin. “Nothin’ fancy but it uses the sun to warm the water so at least you don’t have to suffer through cold showers,” he said with a grin.
She smiled. “It’s a shower and it’s better than what a lot of people have.” She rubbed his arm. “It’ll do just fine while we’re here.”
Kyle laughed when her stomach rumbled loudly. “Ready for pancakes?”
“How did you get food up here?”
“Easy enough to do,” he said as he ushered her inside. “I made sure I had plenty of cash on me before Patrick took me back to the safe house. You never know what’s comin’ at you and I wanted to be prepared. When I talked to the owner of the cabin I asked him to put in an order at the general store so I could run in and pick it up when we got here. It’s almost 20 miles from here and it’s the only store for a good 50 miles, maybe more so I wanted to make sure we had enough supplies so we could dig in for a while.”
“Because you don’t want to be visible or establish any kind of routine.”
“Yeah, exactly.” He followed her back inside and went over to pull the plates out of the oven.
“So if you don’t hunt why would you come all the way out here?” she asked curiously as she sat down in one of the chairs at the small dining table for two.
“Let’s have breakfast and go over our plans for how we’re gonna handle things if we end up with unexpected company and then we can talk about other stuff.”
Ava watched him, sensing that there was something behind his previous visit to the cabin that he didn’t want to talk about.
He put a glass of milk on the table next to her plate and smiled gently. “I know you don’t really like milk that much but make sure you drink all of that.”
She traced her forefinger along the side of the glass while she watched him go back over to the stove to get his plate. She had no idea where they were and she was running for her life but at the moment she felt safer than she had ever felt before.
*****
Liz was waiting for Maria when she walked out of the building where she worked. She was leaning back against her car, arms folded across her chest, and her face turned up to the sun. She had her eyes closed and she was listening to the bits and pieces of conversation as the workers passed her on their way to their own cars.
“Hey, what’re you doing out my way?” Maria asked when she reached her.
She lowered her gaze and smiled. “Hoping you have a few minutes to talk.”
“Must be important if you’re here.”
“Do you need to go?”
Maria chuckled and leaned against the car next to her friend. “What’s up, Liz?”
“I was out with Max yesterday because someone from his life before had a problem and he needed to give the guy a hand.” They had located the little dog that belonged to Dino and it had taken a few phone calls but the people at the shelter had finally released him. Shakes had sent someone to meet them to collect the dog since it was getting late and after that Max had been quieter than usual the rest of the night. “Anyway, there was another guy from his past who was helping out and I kinda thought Manny would like him so I invited him to go bowling with us tomorrow night. Max was pissed about it.”
“Someone from his past,” Maria mused. “Liz, do you know if this guy has a criminal record? Because he’s on parole; he’s not supposed to associate with anyone with a – “
“Michael has a criminal record.”
Maria sighed. “Yeah, he does, but the difference is, Max received approval from his P.O. to spend time with Michael. Maybe the guy doesn’t have a record, maybe Max just didn’t want his past mixing with his new start on life. Liz, he knows the guy and you don’t.”
“He said he’s a good guy.”
“I’m sure he is, but one thing you need to understand is that guys with a history like Max’s, they usually know a lot of guys, some good and some bad. Not all bad guys are all bad, and not all good guys are all good. With some of the good guys there’s a part of them that lives in darkness, there’re things in their past that overshadows everything else in their lives. And some of the bad guys are capable of doing good things but it doesn’t make them any less of a bad guy. There’re guys in both of those categories in Michael’s past and we’ve run into them before and every time he stays between me and them. They don’t get invited over for barbecues or anything else… he might go out for a beer with them, depending on who it is, but he doesn’t want them around me.”
“But Max says he trusts him.”
“There are guys like that in Michael’s past too. Just because they’re the ‘good’ guys and he trusts them doesn’t mean he wants them around me or Hunter.”
“I don’t understand that,” Liz said, sounding frustrated. “If he’s a good guy and he trusts him, why wouldn’t he be good enough for me to get to know him?”
“I don’t always understand it either, but I didn’t grow up the way he did. It may not have anything to do with whether the guy’s good enough.” She shrugged and nudged Liz with her elbow. “Maybe Max does trust him, and maybe it’s a matter of him wanting to be the one to decide when and if he wants those two parts of his life to intersect. Patience is not one of your strengths but I have a feeling if things are gonna work with you and Max you’re gonna have to learn to be patient.”
“I just thought inviting him would give me a chance to get to know some of his friends.”
Maria snorted. “You’re also gonna have to learn that you can’t make all the decisions. It’s a relationship, remember? Girl, if I ever tried that with Michael he’d go through the roof. I push plenty of his buttons, and yes, sometimes it’s on purpose, but his past is one area where I’ve learned that he has to be the one to make the call on whether or not he wants to share.”
“So, you think I should un-invite his friend?”
“I think you should talk to Max about it and let him know you’ve realized you overstepped your bounds and that you’ll respect his decision if he wants to rescind that invitation. You’re good at setting boundaries and you’ll blast anyone who crosses them intentionally or unintentionally, but you suck at respecting other people’s boundaries. If you want to keep him around I’d suggest you learn really quickly.”
Liz sighed. “I really think Manny would like him.”
“Manny likes a lot of people. He’d be all over Michael if he thought he had a chance. Besides, you shouldn’t try to hook Manny up with some guy you don’t even know. He could get hurt that way. Would you want me to hook you up with some guy I had just met? No, you wouldn’t.” She smiled. “You expect a certain amount of respect from Max and to get respect you have to give it, that’s all I’m saying. If he tells you to back off you have to respect his wishes.”
Liz frowned at that. “You don’t always back off when Michael tells you to.”
“I’ve had 10 years to learn to read that man of mine. There’re time when he tells me to back off and what he really wants is for me to keep pushing because it’s the only way whatever’s going on with him is gonna come out. It takes time to learn to interpret what they’re really saying. And hell, Liz, I don’t always get it right.”
“Alright.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I told him I’d see him tomorrow. I thought we could both use a little space tonight.”
“Are you fighting?”
She shook her head. “No, but sleeping together without having sex is… it’s frustrating. He wants to wait and I’m not pushing that but…”
“It’s frustrating,” Maria said with a knowing smile. “What’s he waiting for?”
Liz took a deep breath and glanced around at the empty parking lot. The story about that night, about Dennis Rhoads and his attack suddenly started to spill out, and once the words began to tumble past her lips she couldn’t seem to stop them.
Maria listened, shocked, horrified, and hurting deeply for what her friend had been through and all that she had held inside for so long. “God, Liz,” she murmured, pulling the brunette into her arms and holding her tightly. She rocked her as tears streamed down their faces. She had known that something had happened and as she stood there she recalled Max’s question weeks earlier when he had asked if Liz had ever been assaulted. Her respect for him had just gone up several more notches.
The assault wasn’t the only reason he was holding back but Liz knew that was part of it. She hadn’t intended to reveal anything about that night but she felt better for telling Maria about it. “Max has some bad things in his past that he’s trying to deal with and he… he suggested we see someone together.” She pulled back slightly and reached into the car to grab a tissue so she could dry her eyes. She handed another to Maria.
“You’ve told him about this,” Maria said, hiding the smile that wanted to surface. The amount of trust that had taken spoke volumes.
“I just… it came out one night.”
“You’ve never told anyone else though, have you?”
“Just you.” Liz shrugged when Maria leveled a look at her. “No. I mean, DJ knew, but that’s because he’s the one who stopped Rhoads.”
“Thank God for DJ.” She glanced at Liz. “So what’d you say when he made that suggestion?” she asked, knowing Liz well enough to know that she probably hadn’t meant to reveal that and given the opportunity she’d steer the conversation away from the topic.
“That I’d rather not do that.” She looked away. “It’s hard enough telling the people I care about what happened to me and shrinks like to find your faults and pick them apart.”
“You know, when Michael and I took custody of Hunter we had to see a court-appointed therapist for a few months. It wasn’t as painful as I thought it’d be.” She rolled her eyes. “It was more painful than Michael thought it would be. It was the equivalent of torture for him but he managed to make it through the 12 sessions and lived to tell about it. I thought she was really good. The media’s really portrayed therapists in a bad light, and while I’m sure there are some out there who’re no good, I think there’re a lot more who have the ability to really help people.” She smiled. “I still have her number if you change your mind and if Max wouldn’t mind talking to a woman. Some guys find it easier to talk to a man.”
“I don’t know, Maria. I mean, for Max or for me. I don’t know if he’d be more comfortable talking to a man or a woman and I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I’ve been thinking about it but I just don’t know if I can. I think he wants to but it’s a little bit scary for him too.”
“Probably more than a little bit if he’s like most guys in that area,” Maria said, smiling when it made Liz laugh a little. “Just talk to him about it, Liz. It sounds to me like he’s willing to open up to you and that at least part of him wants to deal with things with someone who can help him make sense of them. And him wanting to include you in that? That right there’s a pretty major thing and it tells me he’s very serious about you and he wants to make your relationship work.”
“I guess I should talk to him about his friend since we’re all getting together tomorrow night. I just don’t want him to feel like he has to keep that separate from me.”
“He needs to be able to make that decision for himself though. He knows the people from his past and he knows whether or not he wants them involved with his new life. Trust him to know if and when he wants to introduce them to you, Liz. He’s protecting you and sometimes you’re gonna have to just hang back and let him.”
“Something else I’m gonna learn through trial and error?” Liz asked with a snort and a half-smile.
“Yeah, something like that.”
She glanced up at the sky. “I guess you need to go pick Hunter up.”
Maria followed her gaze and nodded. “Pick my son up, make dinner, do a couple loads of laundry…” she grinned. “I’ll take a maid for my birthday.”
“Hey, my birthday’s first.”
“Um-hmm, well, it’s still a few weeks away.”
“Yeah, well, don’t get any bright ideas about giving me a free trip to the shrink or anything.”
“That’d be better than Michael’s suggestion for your gift.”
Liz rolled her eyes. “I can imagine. Make sure you tell him how excited I am about going bowling tomorrow night.”
Maria laughed. “Well, he already knows how much you like going to the bowling alley, that’s why he suggested it. Hey,” she said when Liz shook her head at her, “most of the time I can get him to pick something else but he actually enjoys bowling and he hasn’t been in a while.”
“Max has never been bowling and he seems to really enjoy new experiences so I’ll suck it up and go without complaint this time. Maybe he’ll like it and next time he and Michael can go by themselves.” She straightened up. “I know you need to get going so I’m gonna go and we’ll catch up some more tomorrow night.”
“Hey, Liz?” She waited until Liz looked at her. “I’m glad you told me.” She was also glad that bastard was dead but she hated that DJ had been the one to have to do it. She hugged her tightly. “Take care of yourself, girl, and talk to Max, okay?”
Liz nodded. “I will. Be safe going home, Maria.” She got into her car and waited while Maria walked to hers, making sure it started and she made it out of the parking lot before she put her own car in gear and pulled out onto the street. Maria had given her some things to think about and in spite of the impulse to turn towards her parents’ neighborhood and go to Max, she decided to go home and spend some time really considering the way she was handling things with him.
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ArchAngel1973
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Prisoners of the Past (CC, A/U, Adult) Part 28 - 6/3/12
Alien_Friend: Thanks!
Maria is in a unique position to have an understanding and being able to get through to Liz to help her see things does help. It was a big thing for Liz to tell Maria what happened but it will help them to get their relationship back on track.
Max is in a bad place and things only seem to be getting worse. The investigator may end up helping more than his clients. It is going to take some work for Max to get away from his old life. There are a lot of triggers, but his biggest problem is Damon and his organization. Oh, it is possible.
Sean will be helpful to Kyle and Ava. They like to be prepared and considering their line of work they know things can easily arise that put them in danger.
Thanks again!
Michelle in LA: Lol, no, tell me more!
Liz is getting there… she still has a ways to go, but she’s taking steps.
Maria does have an advantage there and Liz can learn from her if she’ll just listen. Glad to hear your knuckles were spared this update.
For the moment, Kyle and Ava are safe… hopefully that won’t change right away.
Oh, Damon definitely has something up his sleeve.
Max is in a tough position and things aren’t getting any easier for him.
begonia9508: Oh, Max has definitely learned a thing or two, but he’s in too deep to just walk away.
dreamon: Thanks! Liz is taking a step in the right direction. It’s fun to switch up their roles once in a while.
xilaj: Thanks! No, Damon isn’t gonna change… unless he gets worse.
MP: Yes, blame it on the long weekend and the great weather, lol!
Part 28
Alex and Isabel listened as Dr. Olivia St. John explained the surgery and listed the potential risks associated with it. So far everything she was telling them fell in line with what the first doctor had told them. Elena had offered to pick Jenny up after her appointment and take her to the park with Preston while they met with the doctor for the follow-up consultation and they had agreed.
“My recommendation is internal fixation due to the extent of the damage she’s already suffered. She would be in legs casts for approximately six weeks, at which point they would be removed and we would determine if there’s been enough of a bone buildup since the surgery. If that’s within the acceptable range then we would apply a second cast for about three weeks that would aid in keeping her knees straight while allowing her feet and ankles to take her weight. The physical therapy that would be required is important. The therapist will work with Jenny to help her with pain management, range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, and most importantly, making sure she’s following the weight-bearing restrictions set for her post-op.”
He nodded. “We’ve discussed her therapy needs with Josh and he’s agreed to work with her. He’s an excellent therapist. He knows when to push and when to sit back and listen.” He chuckled. “He’s a great motivator and we know she’ll need that.”
Dr. St. John nodded. “I familiarized myself with his work and he does have a good reputation.” She linked her hands on the desk as she paused for a moment. “Even though I do recommend doing both legs at the same time in cases like Jenny’s, I always want to make sure the parents know what they’re looking at. I’ve reviewed the reports from the child psychologist and I believe that Jenny’s a good candidate for the procedure. Handling the recovery and the physical therapy process can be a lot to take on, but I believe she can do it.”
“We’ve talked to her about it,” Isabel said, “and while she doesn’t understand everything she wants this behind her.”
“I do believe it’ll work best for Jenny.” She smiled reassuringly. “Hopefully we can correct the problem and she won’t have to deal with it again. Surgery isn’t something any child wants to go through and by doing the corrective procedure on both legs at the same time it’ll also cut down on the amount of time she’ll be immobilized and in therapy.”
Alex shifted and his hand rested over Isabel’s when he felt her tense. “You mentioned the possibility that her legs could begin to bow again?”
“She will run that risk,” the doctor said with a regretful nod. “I wish I could tell you that this surgery will guarantee she’ll never have to go through this again but unfortunately it’s a harsh reality when this condition isn’t treated early. There are precautions we can take and I would recommend that her primary care physician monitor her closely in the future for any signs that her bones are beginning to bow again. It isn’t uncommon for it to happen in cases like this.”
“So she could have to go through this again?” Isabel couldn’t believe the pain Jenny was going to have to go through, and might possibly have to endure again, because her biological parents had neglected to take proper care of her.
“Yes. As I said, there are precautions that can be taken that will help minimize the risk. Obesity is a large contributor because of the pressure it generates on those bones and joints, so managing her weight will be even more important than it would be under normal circumstances.”
“We can handle that,” Alex said confidently.
The doctor smiled as she reached for a folder. “I’ve compiled all of my findings, evaluations, and recommendations for you since you’ll want to go over it and weigh it against the information from your first consult with Dr. Abbott. I’ve included my contact numbers and email address should you have any questions or need clarification on anything.”
Isabel accepted the folder Dr. St. John held out to her. “If we decide to go with you, how long would it be before the surgery could be scheduled?”
“I’d like to move rather quickly.” She smiled. “I think Jenny’s spent enough time trapped by her own body. Within six months your little girl will be moving around without the aid of crutches and it’ll go a long way to boosting her self-confidence.”
“You liked her,” Alex said a while later as he settled into the passenger’s seat.
Isabel shrugged as she checked the rearview mirror before backing out of the parking spot. “Dr. Abbott has an impressive record and their approach from a surgical standpoint is similar but I like the way Dr. St. John interacted with Jenny during the evaluation. And then there’s the fact that Dr. Abbott didn’t mention the possibility of this problem reoccurring.”
“The most important thing is that the surgeon handles the surgery well and both Abbott and St. John fit the bill, but Jenny’s already been kicked around enough and I agree that St. John made a much better impression. And you’re right about him not mentioning that since it stands out as a rather important piece of information. We’ll look into that a little further.” He chuckled softly. “It still feels weird for us to be referred to as parents. I mean, a couple weeks ago it was just us, and now we’re responsible for this whole other person.”
“It is weird,” she agreed, “but it feels right.”
“Yeah, it does.” He turned his head to look at her. “I think Dr. St. John’s right about this surgery helping Jenny with her self-confidence. Right now she feels so set apart from everyone, but other kids especially.”
“Preston’s been a big help. I didn’t know if the two of them would get along since he’s a couple of years older but they took to each other right off.” She smiled. “It’ll mean so much to her to be able to move around freely.”
“I can understand,” he said quietly.
Isabel glanced at him. “Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah, just one of those low moments.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I was thinking about Jenny. As much as I want to get rid of the crutches and the braces and be able to walk on my own again, six months would be a flash in the pan but I know for her it’ll feel like an eternity. I just hope she won’t have to go through this again.”
“We’ll do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen. I know we have limited control over that but we’re fortunate enough to be in a position to take every possible precaution.”
“Precautions are good but we’ve gotta be careful not to smother her. You know, let her have a fast food cheeseburger and fries once in a while, sit up too late sometimes.”
“In other words, provide guidelines and boundaries, but let her be a kid.”
He grinned. “Yeah, I think we can do that.”
“Elena won’t be home for a couple of hours so we have the place all to ourselves.” She knew from experience that Alex tended to bounce back from his low moments fairly quickly but he had spent the morning grinding through painful physical therapy and he hadn’t had much downtime before it had been time for them to get to Jenny’s appointment. She took his hand when he held it out to her, threading their fingers together and lowering them to rest against her thigh.
*****
Michael heard the commotion before he saw her and he shot an annoyed look at his boss. “You called Maria,” he grated out as he shifted the cold compress he was holding against the right side of his head and tried to sit up straighter.
Doug Schaeffer shrugged one shoulder and ran one hand over his rapidly balding head. “I know better than to think you were gonna give her a call.”
“She didn’t need to find out about this over the phone.” He was irritable and he didn’t bother trying to hide it. “I could’ve told her just as well when I got home.”
The older man snorted. “They’re not gonna let you leave here and drive yourself home, Guerin.”
“They can’t keep me here against my will and they can’t stop me from driving myself – “
“No, but I can sure as hell stop you, buddy,” Maria said as she brushed the curtain aside and stepped into the tiny cubicle. “Oh, my God!” She patted Doug’s arm as she hurried over to Michael’s side, throwing her arms around him tightly and pressing kisses all over his face. “You’re okay. When Doug called and said you’d fallen from the scaffolding all I could think was you’d been…”
Michael glared at Doug over her shoulder while he tried in vain to squirm out of her reach. And that was exactly why he hadn’t wanted anyone to call her from the job site. Her mind would automatically begin conjuring up numerous worst-case scenarios and he didn’t want her to be freaking out about him being hurt while trying to navigate the busy streets to get to the hospital. “Maria, I’m okay. A few cuts, more than a few bruises, and a major headache, but I’m fine. It’s nothin’ serious.”
She leaned back to study him. “You fell off the scaffolding, Michael.” She shook her head at him. “I’d say that’s pretty serious.”
“First off, I didn’t fall,” he corrected.
“We’re not exactly sure what happened,” Doug picked up. “I have people looking into it. That scaffolding was sound this morning and we’ve had people up there most of the day… there’s no good reason why it gave way when he started to cross that section.”
“I don’t understand.” Her train of thought was momentarily derailed when a nurse came in to check Michael’s vitals and flash a penlight in his eyes, which only served to irritate him further. “Is he gonna be alright?”
The nurse smiled. “He’s gonna be just fine,” she said reassuringly. “He got banged up pretty good but that harness saved his life. The doctor will be by shortly to sign off on him and he’ll let you know if there’s a prescription that you’ll need to have filled, but once that’s finished he’s free to go.”
Maria pinched his arm when he opened his mouth to share his opinion about having to wait around for the doctor, smiling at the woman and thanking her for her help.
“I don’t know what you’re thanking her for,” he growled as soon as the nurse was gone. “It’ll be another hour at least before the doctor decides to show up. You know they keep you in the emergency room for as long as they can so they can bill you for – “
She covered his mouth to stop the rant. “Later, when it sets in that you’re fine we can bitch about the cost of sitting in the ER, but for now let it go. Right now I’m just glad you’re okay and at the moment the last thing on my mind is what this is costing us.”
“You didn’t need to cut outta work early and drive all the way out here for this.”
Doug chuckled and shook his head. “I’ll see you at work when the doc clears you, Guerin. No work release from the doc, don’t show up for work. Got it?”
“He’s got it, Doug,” Maria answered for him. “Thanks for calling me.”
He nodded and waved as he pushed past the curtains and disappeared from sight.
“You wouldn’t have called me,” she said as she sat facing him on the gurney.
“No.” He didn’t defend his choice, didn’t explain it, simply responded to her statement with an affirmation.
It was pointless to argue with him over this but that didn’t stop her from shaking her head at him and trying to get the point through his thick head. “You wouldn’t like it if I got hurt and they sent me to the hospital and I waited until I got home to tell you about it,”
“Your parents keepin’ Hunter tonight?” he asked, knowing he wasn’t gonna win this argument.
“Michael, we are not going bowling tonight.”
“Yeah, we are,” he disagreed. “Me an’ Parker might not be friends, but she is your friend, and after what you told me about her experience, we’re gonna make sure things are on the up-and-up with Evans.” It explained some of her behavior but it didn’t excuse it. He still didn’t like Liz but no woman should ever have to go through something like that.
“God, you are so stubborn,” she grumbled as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him.
“Takes one to know one,” he said as he looped his free arm around her waist.
“We’ll see what the doctor says before we decide about tonight.”
He rolled his eyes but didn’t dispute her decision. He knew her well enough to know it would only turn into an argument and the pounding in his skull would give her the advantage because keeping up with her took an effort. When she fell silent he started going over what had happened and trying to figure out why the scaffolding had basically collapsed beneath his weight. Accidents happened on a construction site, it wasn’t like it was something unheard of, but they’d had workers out on that scaffolding most of the day and it hadn’t shown any signs of weakness. Unless it had and no one had reported it.
“Mr. Guerin?”
Maria straightened up to look at the doctor that stepped into the cubicle, wondering if he was old enough to be an actual doctor. “Are you out of medical school?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.
Michael smirked when the doctor paused to look at her for a moment before smiling. It probably wasn’t the first time the guy had heard that question considering the way his hands tightened around his clipboard.
“I’m Dr. Graham, and yes ma’am, I’m out of medical school.”
“Ma’am?” Maria echoed.
Michael wrapped his hand around her arm before she could go off on that one. He had no interest in prolonging his stay in the emergency room even though he knew it would be entertaining as hell to watch her. Women seemed to view being called ma’am as being called old or something of the sort and it could set them off in nothing flat. “Can I go home now, Doc?” he asked.
“We’re turning you loose, Mr. Guerin. You have a very mild concussion, a few bumps and bruises, but there’s no reason to keep you here any longer. You didn’t lose consciousness at the time of the injury, which is a good thing.” He pulled a sheet off of his clipboard and handed it to Maria. “This is a complete list of symptoms you’ll want to keep an eye out for over the next few days. I don’t expect he’ll experience much more than the headache but if he does begin to show signs of exhibiting any of these symptoms I’d recommend bringing him back in.”
“Will he need any medication?”
“No, the ice pack will be useful for the first 48 hours or so, after that it’s of little value. He can take Tylenol for the headache but if it persists…”
“I know, bring him back in. Don’t worry; I’ll be keeping a close eye on him.”
Michael sat up and swung his legs over the side of the gurney. “Great, thanks, Doc, we’re outta here now.”
“But before we go,” Maria said and grabbed his arm to keep him from leaving. “Is it safe for him to go bowling tonight?”
“I would recommend rest for the next few days. You received a mild concussion, Mr. Guerin, but another head injury so soon after the first – “
“I don’t need my head to bowl.”
The doctor shook his head. He had known from his earlier meeting with his patient that the man wasn’t going to be cooperative. “If you insist on bowling tonight I would advise you to keep your activity to a minimum.” He turned his attention to Maria. “Have him follow up with his regular doctor on Monday and he or she can determine if he’s ready to return to work at that time.”
*****
Diablo was stretched out under the large tree in the backyard enjoying the warm day when the gate opened. He rolled and got to his feet in one fluid motion, his dark eyes zeroing in on the new arrival. His stubby tail started to wag and he bounded across the backyard with a joyous bark.
“Hey, buddy,” Max greeted, pausing to give the dog a good rub before going to the house. “C’mon, I saved you somethin’ from dinner last night.”
The house was cool but dark, and he started to open up the blinds as he walked through to the kitchen. He filled the dog’s food and water bowls before opening the refrigerator and pulling out a wad of tin foil. “You got any idea where Liz is?” He glanced down at the dog and chuckled when his gaze broke from the foil-wrapped treat just long enough to acknowledge that he had spoken. “Guess not.” He peeled the foil back and lifted out the steak bone before crouching down in front of Diablo.
He snapped his fingers and the dog sat up on his haunches. “I wonder if you have any idea just how fascinating you are,” he mused aloud and lifted his left hand when Diablo raised his right paw for a high-five. He shook his head and laughed when the dog’s lips pulled back in a grin. “Anyone who says dogs don’t have personalities is full of crap.” He held the bone out and Diablo licked it before clamping his teeth around it and heading for his blanket in the corner of the living room.
Max was running water for a shower when he heard someone knock on the screen door. He went back out into the living room just as Diablo launched himself at the door, his bark menacing.
“Call the fleabag off, Evans.”
“What’re you doin’ here, Nicholas?”
“Just thought I’d stop by to see how that decision’s comin’ along.”
“Get outta here before I turn the dog loose on your ass.”
His gaze dropped to the dog. It had stopped barking but it was growling, lips curled back and sharp teeth showing. “Ever seen a dog die from eating something laced with antifreeze?” He smirked at the look of confusion on the other man’s face. “You have no clue, do you? It’s not pretty and from my understanding it’s damn painful.” His eyes sharpened. “Call the dog off.”
“You ever do anything to this dog or anyone I care about and you’ll answer to me. You think I give a damn about anything beyond keeping them safe?”
“Big words when you’re hidin’ behind a guard dog and a door,” Nicholas sneered.
“I don’t have time for you and your threats. Get lost or I’ll call the cops myself. I’m sure you saw the ‘no trespassing’ sign posted out there. Assuming you can read of course.”
Nicholas rested one hand against the doorframe as he met Max’s gaze evenly. “Damon won’t wait long for you to agree to do what he wants you to do.”
“Why don’t you quit bein’ his lapdog and grow a pair?” Max snapped. “He keeps you around because you amuse him and one of these days he’s gonna get bored with you and when that happens you’ll be gone.”
“I’m touched that you care.”
“I don’t. You could disappear from the face of the planet and I’d never spare you another thought.” He tensed when the back door of the main house opened and Liz stepped outside. “I want you gone. Now.”
Nicholas turned and his gaze raked over her as she crossed the lawn. He opened his mouth to say something but froze when he felt the tip of a blade pressing into the small of his back. He cursed himself for turning his back to Evans and giving him the opportunity to get the drop on him.
“Get out now and don’t come back here.” He nudged him with the knife. “I took you down once before, Nicholas, don’t think I’ll hesitate to do it again. And you won’t walk away from it this time.”
Liz paused by the pool, sensing that something wasn’t right. She studied the man watching her and tried to ignore the way he made her skin crawl. She saw him wince in pain at the same time that he looked away from her and she saw Max say something to him but she wasn’t close enough to make the words out. She watched them as they exchanged heated words and she could feel the tension coiling tighter inside of her at their confrontational stances. Even when the man she didn’t know finally left she couldn’t shake the feeling.
“Max?”
He sighed and opened the screen door, turning Diablo loose before going over to her. He retracted the blade and shoved the switchblade into his pocket before she could see it.
“Who was that?”
“He’s someone I knew before I went to prison.”
“He’s dangerous.” She narrowed her eyes as she studied him. “Why was he here? This’s where my parents live, Max! What if he had hurt them?” She looked away, trying to forget the way the guy had been looking at her.
“I wouldn’t let that happen, Liz, I promise you that.” He reached up to cup her cheek. “And I’ll never let him hurt you.”
“You can’t promise that, Max! You can’t be there 24 hours a day and even if you could, you’re not indestructible.” She backed away from him and crossed her arms over her chest. “Why was he here? What’re you involved in?”
“He was here because of what I won’t get involved in, that’s it.”
“The way he looked at me…”
“Liz, I can’t explain how, not yet, but if he ever makes a move against you or your parents, he will be taken care of. No, I can’t be there 24 hours a day, you’re right about that, but I can promise that he will never hurt any of you.”
“You’re involved in something, Max, and whatever it is, it’s dangerous. Look me in the eye and tell me it isn’t.”
“I’m doin’ my best to get away from it.”
“Go to the cops.”
He shook his head. “I go to the cops and they’re gonna throw me back in prison to finish out my sentence and maybe more. Almost two more years, Liz. I can’t do that. I screwed up while I was lookin’ for Ava and now I’ve gotta figure out how to fix it.”
“Then I’ll go to the cops. Max, someone’s gonna get hurt. I don’t know who or what you’re involved in but that guy that was here earlier, he looked like bad news to me.”
“I won’t insult you by telling you what you can’t or shouldn’t do because that’s somethin’ only you can decide for yourself. I need to make this right for me, for Ava, but most importantly, I need to make it right for us, because until I do we can’t move forward with our relationship.”
“You’re certain the cops can’t help?” she asked after several minutes of silence.
“All they’d see would be a guy violating his parole. I don’t have any information that would keep them from tossin’ me right back in a cell. I had protection before when I was inside, but if I go back in now I won’t have that.”
“Can you get out of whatever trouble you’re in?”
“Given time, yeah, I think I can.”
“And you’re certain that my parents are safe?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Alright, but if I ever feel that they’re in danger I will call the cops, Max.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
“Let’s get ready to go. I don’t wanna be late.”
*****
Maria shook her head at Michael and Sean as they tried to best each other on the lanes. They had arrived early to make sure they got two lanes together and she had just rolled her eyes when her cousin showed up without a date. He had grinned unrepentantly, knowing he had managed to escape another blind date setup. She kept a cautious eye on Michael, well aware that hovering would make him irritable, but still concerned about his earlier accident.
She turned her head when Manny burst through the doors, the blindingly bright orange silk shirt he wore catching the eyes of everyone in the place. Definitely not a color just anyone could pull off, she thought with a smile. He made his way over to their lanes, flirting with a few people and dodging a couple of rude comments by others. He was an upbeat person and she couldn’t recall ever seeing him in a bad mood.
“Miguel,” he called, giving a sharp wolf whistle when Michael released the ball.
Sean smirked. “Hey, your other girlfriend’s here.”
Michael waved in Manny’s direction. “He’s not my type but I can’t help it if the guy’s got good taste.” He fisted the air when nine of the pins fell over. “Keep it up, Deluca, ‘cause it’s not too late for Maria to call one of her friends from work.”
“If it’s Friday night and the chick doesn’t have a date, it’s already too late.” He grabbed his ball and studied the pins still standing on his own lane.
“Hey, Maria, Sean wants to know if it’s too late to get him a date. You ‘member that one girl you work with, you said she’s got that cousin that works down on the docks? Think her cousin’s free?”
“Man, shut the fuck up. You ever seen those girls that work on the docks?” He shuddered comically. “Hell, no!”
“Can I have a ball to play with?” Manny asked as he approached them.
Sean snickered. “Hey, Guerin, your girlfriend wants to play with your balls.”
“Hey, don’t get any ideas over there, Manny,” Maria called. “Keep your hands on your own balls.” She laughed when he shot her a pathetic puppy dog face at her teasing remark. She turned when someone called her name and she waved when she saw DJ heading their way.
“This place better have good food,” he said as he slid onto one of the barstools at the table. He leaned to the side to give her a hug.
“No date tonight?” Maria asked, motioning for one of the waitresses when he shifted back away from her. “I thought sure you’d have some disgustingly beautiful woman on your arm.”
“I know. It’s unnatural, right?” He flashed his grin at the waitress and asked for a beer. “A guy like me oughta have a date on a Friday night. You’d be surprised how many women are not interested in spending time in a bowling alley. Between you an’ me, I’m pretty sure it’s that whole thing about shoes that a million other feet have been in.” He snatched up the menu and lowered it when he felt her staring at him. “Okay, what?”
Maria shook her head. “Just thinking how lucky we are that you’re in our lives.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “While I appreciate the sentiment, is there something special that prompted this?”
Her eyes sparkled brightly with unshed tears as she reached over to cover his hand. “You saved her.”
His eyebrows shot up. “She told you?”
Maria nodded. “What the two of you went through – “
“Nah, Maria, I’m okay. I have to live with what happened but I’ve made peace with it.” He smiled tightly. “It took time for me to get to that place but I finally got there. I sought counseling after what happened because I desperately needed someone to help me make sense of it, but Liz, she’s never been able to find that peace. She closed herself off and she refused any help. I think at the time it’s the only way she was able to deal with it.” His gaze lifted and his smile relaxed. “I think maybe that’s changing though.”
She shifted to follow his gaze and she nodded when she saw Liz and Max. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” And she really hoped Max wasn’t getting himself into trouble for both their sakes. She glanced at the tall blond-haired man following them inside, quickly deciding that he had to be the man Liz had been telling her about the day before. Yeah, she could see why Manny would be attracted to him but she really didn’t know if Shakes was the right guy for him, she thought as she was introduced to him.
Shakes settled on one of the barstools at the second table that had been pulled over to give them more room. He was careful to leave space between him and the others as he conversed with them. He was aware of Maria’s watchful gaze as she dominated the conversation and when her boyfriend joined them to put in a double order of hot wings he was just as vigilant.
“So whaddaya do, Shakes?” Sean asked after downing half of a beer.
“Little of this, little of that,” he answered with a quiet smirk. “I dabble in security mostly, piddle around with computers in my spare time.”
Manny came over to squeeze in between Maria and Michael, bracing his forearms on their shoulders. His eyes lit up with interest when they landed on the new man at the table. “Oh, Liz, he is everything you said he was,” he murmured. “Do you dance?”
Shakes picked up the chilled bottle of water and took a long drink of it. “No.”
Max sighed and shook his head. “I thought you were gonna leave that alone?” he whispered as he leaned closer to Liz.
“I just told Manny he’s attractive, that’s all. I swear.”
“That’s a shame. You don’t know what you’re missing.” He patted Michael’s shoulder. “He doesn’t dance either. Miguel, show me how to release my ball again.”
Michael rolled his eyes and got to his feet. “You need to find a guy, Manny. And I don’t mean me since I’m already off the market. Maria, make sure they bring extra Ranch, babe.”
“Hey, are you feelin’ okay?” she asked quietly.
“I’m good. No headache and I’m layin’ off the beer for tonight just for you.” He gave her a quick kiss and pushed away from the table. “C’mon, Manny, let’s knock some pins down.”
“Hey, wait for me,” Sean said, grabbing his bottle and hurrying after them. He had managed to be civil to Liz but he’d rather bowl than try to make small talk with her.
“Michael not feelin’ okay?” Max asked since he was close enough to have overheard her concerned question and Michael’s answer.
“Accident at work this afternoon. Thank God he was wearing the harness otherwise it could’ve really been bad. But don’t mention it to him because he likes to think he’s indestructible and if people start hovering and acting all concerned he’ll get irritable.”
Max watched Michael as he goofed off with Sean and Manny. Was it just an accident or was it something else altogether? Damon knew who he spent time with and it didn’t take a stretch of the imagination to believe that he would hurt anyone he wanted to in an effort to make him do his bidding.
DJ came back from scoping out the available females in the vicinity and frowned at the guys quickly heading back to the lanes. “Guess it’s time for me to show these boys how to bowl.” He grinned at the girls. “Any attractive women come by to leave their numbers do not lose them.”
“Yo, Evans, get your ass out here and let’s see what you’ve got,” Michael hollered.
“Wish me luck,” Max said as he got up to go join the guys. “Shakes, you in on this?”
“No, I think I’ll hang here a while.”
Maria shifted to the side when the waitress brought their orders over and placed everything on the table. She snatched a French fry and dipped it in ketchup before biting into it. She was reaching for one of the mini cheeseburgers when she realized the extra Ranch was missing. “Crap,” she muttered. “Liz, if Michael comes over here don’t let him chow down on my cheeseburgers.”
Liz snorted. “Thanks for that.” She glanced at Shakes after Maria disappeared in the crowd on the other side of the wall that separated the bowling lanes from the rest of the facility. “Aren’t you hot?” she asked, noticing that he was wearing long sleeves.
“No.” He cleared his throat and sat up straighter. “I’m also not here to be passed around to your friends.”
“I didn’t – “
“Yeah, you did. I’m sure Max warned you not to make assumptions about me. You’re with him so I won’t give you the dressing-down I’d give anyone else who made such assumptions.”
“Yeah, he warned me, and I did make assumptions, but I wasn’t trying to pass you around to my friends. I thought you and Manny might hit it off and if you did, cool, if not, that’s cool too. He’s harmless and just likes to have a good time. So, give it to me, I can take it.”
“I don’t know what all Max has told you about me. Knowing him, it likely isn’t much.” He leaned forward, forearms braced on the tabletop. “Long story short, I’ve been passed around by more than one person, Liz. I’ve been bought and sold, used and abused, and no matter how good your intentions are, don’t ever try to set me up with anyone else. You don’t know me and you don’t know what I’m capable of. You don’t know what I could do to another person, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Manny’s your friend and you should care enough and have enough respect for him to not put him in a potentially dangerous situation.”
Liz leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Would you hurt him?”
“You’re missing the point. You don’t know me and if he were to get hurt you’d both have to live with it… and so would I. If you just have to set people up, make sure you know them personally.”
“Max trusts you,” she said, meeting his gaze levelly.
“There are different kinds of trust, Liz. You’ve never been on the streets so you’re just gonna have to accept that you’ll never understand this.”
“You’re his friend and you seemed like you were lonely.” She shrugged. “I don’t want him to feel like he has to keep his past hidden away from me.”
“Some things are best left in the past. I realize there was nothing malicious about your intentions but if I’m lookin’ for a date, I’ll handle it myself. Manny seems like a sweet guy and he’s genuinely likeable, but I’m not the guy for him.”
“He made you laugh.”
“Plenty of people make me laugh. That’s not their ticket to screw me.”
Liz reached for her glass and took a drink. “Point taken.”
Michael came back over to the table and took a seat as he reached for a hot wing. “Maria go get the Ranch?” he asked before shoving it in his mouth.
“Yeah, don’t know why she bothered though. You seem to be doing just fine without it.”
“Bite me, Parker,” he growled. His right hand shot up, his palm inches from Manny’s face when the other man appeared next to him. “That was NOT an invitation.”
Manny leaned back and dropped his gaze. “Honey, as sexy as I think you are, you have no ass to speak of.”
“And yet that doesn’t stop you from tryin’ to grab it,” Maria said in a sing-song voice as she joined them with two small bowls of Ranch.
“Well, I would make a grab for Max’s ass but I think I’d send that poor boy into orbit, and not in a good way.” He grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged it away from his skin. “And Sean, well, he’s not as much fun as you are, Miguel.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Lucky me.” His gaze scanned over the Friday night crowd, passing the large man by the bar that had been watching their table unobtrusively for the past couple of hours. He was well-dressed, well-groomed, blended in with the other patrons, but the telltale bulge beneath his jacket indicated he was carrying a weapon. The man had come in not long after Max and Liz had arrived with Shakes and he had come to the conclusion that he was the man’s bodyguard as Shakes was never out of the gorilla’s sight.
Shakes glanced up and caught the direction of his gaze. He didn’t bother turning, already knowing what had captured his attention. “He’s with me,” he said with a shrug.
“Guess dabbling in security and computers must pay pretty well.”
“Pays well enough.”
“Um-hmm.” Michael dunked a hot wing in the Ranch and dropped the subject when Maria laid a restraining hand on his arm. He’d talk to Sean later, see what he could find out about Shakes and they’d go from there.
Maria is in a unique position to have an understanding and being able to get through to Liz to help her see things does help. It was a big thing for Liz to tell Maria what happened but it will help them to get their relationship back on track.
Max is in a bad place and things only seem to be getting worse. The investigator may end up helping more than his clients. It is going to take some work for Max to get away from his old life. There are a lot of triggers, but his biggest problem is Damon and his organization. Oh, it is possible.
Sean will be helpful to Kyle and Ava. They like to be prepared and considering their line of work they know things can easily arise that put them in danger.
Thanks again!
Michelle in LA: Lol, no, tell me more!
Liz is getting there… she still has a ways to go, but she’s taking steps.
Maria does have an advantage there and Liz can learn from her if she’ll just listen. Glad to hear your knuckles were spared this update.
For the moment, Kyle and Ava are safe… hopefully that won’t change right away.
Oh, Damon definitely has something up his sleeve.
Max is in a tough position and things aren’t getting any easier for him.
begonia9508: Oh, Max has definitely learned a thing or two, but he’s in too deep to just walk away.
dreamon: Thanks! Liz is taking a step in the right direction. It’s fun to switch up their roles once in a while.
xilaj: Thanks! No, Damon isn’t gonna change… unless he gets worse.
MP: Yes, blame it on the long weekend and the great weather, lol!
Part 28
Alex and Isabel listened as Dr. Olivia St. John explained the surgery and listed the potential risks associated with it. So far everything she was telling them fell in line with what the first doctor had told them. Elena had offered to pick Jenny up after her appointment and take her to the park with Preston while they met with the doctor for the follow-up consultation and they had agreed.
“My recommendation is internal fixation due to the extent of the damage she’s already suffered. She would be in legs casts for approximately six weeks, at which point they would be removed and we would determine if there’s been enough of a bone buildup since the surgery. If that’s within the acceptable range then we would apply a second cast for about three weeks that would aid in keeping her knees straight while allowing her feet and ankles to take her weight. The physical therapy that would be required is important. The therapist will work with Jenny to help her with pain management, range of motion exercises, strengthening exercises, and most importantly, making sure she’s following the weight-bearing restrictions set for her post-op.”
He nodded. “We’ve discussed her therapy needs with Josh and he’s agreed to work with her. He’s an excellent therapist. He knows when to push and when to sit back and listen.” He chuckled. “He’s a great motivator and we know she’ll need that.”
Dr. St. John nodded. “I familiarized myself with his work and he does have a good reputation.” She linked her hands on the desk as she paused for a moment. “Even though I do recommend doing both legs at the same time in cases like Jenny’s, I always want to make sure the parents know what they’re looking at. I’ve reviewed the reports from the child psychologist and I believe that Jenny’s a good candidate for the procedure. Handling the recovery and the physical therapy process can be a lot to take on, but I believe she can do it.”
“We’ve talked to her about it,” Isabel said, “and while she doesn’t understand everything she wants this behind her.”
“I do believe it’ll work best for Jenny.” She smiled reassuringly. “Hopefully we can correct the problem and she won’t have to deal with it again. Surgery isn’t something any child wants to go through and by doing the corrective procedure on both legs at the same time it’ll also cut down on the amount of time she’ll be immobilized and in therapy.”
Alex shifted and his hand rested over Isabel’s when he felt her tense. “You mentioned the possibility that her legs could begin to bow again?”
“She will run that risk,” the doctor said with a regretful nod. “I wish I could tell you that this surgery will guarantee she’ll never have to go through this again but unfortunately it’s a harsh reality when this condition isn’t treated early. There are precautions we can take and I would recommend that her primary care physician monitor her closely in the future for any signs that her bones are beginning to bow again. It isn’t uncommon for it to happen in cases like this.”
“So she could have to go through this again?” Isabel couldn’t believe the pain Jenny was going to have to go through, and might possibly have to endure again, because her biological parents had neglected to take proper care of her.
“Yes. As I said, there are precautions that can be taken that will help minimize the risk. Obesity is a large contributor because of the pressure it generates on those bones and joints, so managing her weight will be even more important than it would be under normal circumstances.”
“We can handle that,” Alex said confidently.
The doctor smiled as she reached for a folder. “I’ve compiled all of my findings, evaluations, and recommendations for you since you’ll want to go over it and weigh it against the information from your first consult with Dr. Abbott. I’ve included my contact numbers and email address should you have any questions or need clarification on anything.”
Isabel accepted the folder Dr. St. John held out to her. “If we decide to go with you, how long would it be before the surgery could be scheduled?”
“I’d like to move rather quickly.” She smiled. “I think Jenny’s spent enough time trapped by her own body. Within six months your little girl will be moving around without the aid of crutches and it’ll go a long way to boosting her self-confidence.”
“You liked her,” Alex said a while later as he settled into the passenger’s seat.
Isabel shrugged as she checked the rearview mirror before backing out of the parking spot. “Dr. Abbott has an impressive record and their approach from a surgical standpoint is similar but I like the way Dr. St. John interacted with Jenny during the evaluation. And then there’s the fact that Dr. Abbott didn’t mention the possibility of this problem reoccurring.”
“The most important thing is that the surgeon handles the surgery well and both Abbott and St. John fit the bill, but Jenny’s already been kicked around enough and I agree that St. John made a much better impression. And you’re right about him not mentioning that since it stands out as a rather important piece of information. We’ll look into that a little further.” He chuckled softly. “It still feels weird for us to be referred to as parents. I mean, a couple weeks ago it was just us, and now we’re responsible for this whole other person.”
“It is weird,” she agreed, “but it feels right.”
“Yeah, it does.” He turned his head to look at her. “I think Dr. St. John’s right about this surgery helping Jenny with her self-confidence. Right now she feels so set apart from everyone, but other kids especially.”
“Preston’s been a big help. I didn’t know if the two of them would get along since he’s a couple of years older but they took to each other right off.” She smiled. “It’ll mean so much to her to be able to move around freely.”
“I can understand,” he said quietly.
Isabel glanced at him. “Hey, you okay?”
“Yeah, just one of those low moments.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “I was thinking about Jenny. As much as I want to get rid of the crutches and the braces and be able to walk on my own again, six months would be a flash in the pan but I know for her it’ll feel like an eternity. I just hope she won’t have to go through this again.”
“We’ll do everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen. I know we have limited control over that but we’re fortunate enough to be in a position to take every possible precaution.”
“Precautions are good but we’ve gotta be careful not to smother her. You know, let her have a fast food cheeseburger and fries once in a while, sit up too late sometimes.”
“In other words, provide guidelines and boundaries, but let her be a kid.”
He grinned. “Yeah, I think we can do that.”
“Elena won’t be home for a couple of hours so we have the place all to ourselves.” She knew from experience that Alex tended to bounce back from his low moments fairly quickly but he had spent the morning grinding through painful physical therapy and he hadn’t had much downtime before it had been time for them to get to Jenny’s appointment. She took his hand when he held it out to her, threading their fingers together and lowering them to rest against her thigh.
*****
Michael heard the commotion before he saw her and he shot an annoyed look at his boss. “You called Maria,” he grated out as he shifted the cold compress he was holding against the right side of his head and tried to sit up straighter.
Doug Schaeffer shrugged one shoulder and ran one hand over his rapidly balding head. “I know better than to think you were gonna give her a call.”
“She didn’t need to find out about this over the phone.” He was irritable and he didn’t bother trying to hide it. “I could’ve told her just as well when I got home.”
The older man snorted. “They’re not gonna let you leave here and drive yourself home, Guerin.”
“They can’t keep me here against my will and they can’t stop me from driving myself – “
“No, but I can sure as hell stop you, buddy,” Maria said as she brushed the curtain aside and stepped into the tiny cubicle. “Oh, my God!” She patted Doug’s arm as she hurried over to Michael’s side, throwing her arms around him tightly and pressing kisses all over his face. “You’re okay. When Doug called and said you’d fallen from the scaffolding all I could think was you’d been…”
Michael glared at Doug over her shoulder while he tried in vain to squirm out of her reach. And that was exactly why he hadn’t wanted anyone to call her from the job site. Her mind would automatically begin conjuring up numerous worst-case scenarios and he didn’t want her to be freaking out about him being hurt while trying to navigate the busy streets to get to the hospital. “Maria, I’m okay. A few cuts, more than a few bruises, and a major headache, but I’m fine. It’s nothin’ serious.”
She leaned back to study him. “You fell off the scaffolding, Michael.” She shook her head at him. “I’d say that’s pretty serious.”
“First off, I didn’t fall,” he corrected.
“We’re not exactly sure what happened,” Doug picked up. “I have people looking into it. That scaffolding was sound this morning and we’ve had people up there most of the day… there’s no good reason why it gave way when he started to cross that section.”
“I don’t understand.” Her train of thought was momentarily derailed when a nurse came in to check Michael’s vitals and flash a penlight in his eyes, which only served to irritate him further. “Is he gonna be alright?”
The nurse smiled. “He’s gonna be just fine,” she said reassuringly. “He got banged up pretty good but that harness saved his life. The doctor will be by shortly to sign off on him and he’ll let you know if there’s a prescription that you’ll need to have filled, but once that’s finished he’s free to go.”
Maria pinched his arm when he opened his mouth to share his opinion about having to wait around for the doctor, smiling at the woman and thanking her for her help.
“I don’t know what you’re thanking her for,” he growled as soon as the nurse was gone. “It’ll be another hour at least before the doctor decides to show up. You know they keep you in the emergency room for as long as they can so they can bill you for – “
She covered his mouth to stop the rant. “Later, when it sets in that you’re fine we can bitch about the cost of sitting in the ER, but for now let it go. Right now I’m just glad you’re okay and at the moment the last thing on my mind is what this is costing us.”
“You didn’t need to cut outta work early and drive all the way out here for this.”
Doug chuckled and shook his head. “I’ll see you at work when the doc clears you, Guerin. No work release from the doc, don’t show up for work. Got it?”
“He’s got it, Doug,” Maria answered for him. “Thanks for calling me.”
He nodded and waved as he pushed past the curtains and disappeared from sight.
“You wouldn’t have called me,” she said as she sat facing him on the gurney.
“No.” He didn’t defend his choice, didn’t explain it, simply responded to her statement with an affirmation.
It was pointless to argue with him over this but that didn’t stop her from shaking her head at him and trying to get the point through his thick head. “You wouldn’t like it if I got hurt and they sent me to the hospital and I waited until I got home to tell you about it,”
“Your parents keepin’ Hunter tonight?” he asked, knowing he wasn’t gonna win this argument.
“Michael, we are not going bowling tonight.”
“Yeah, we are,” he disagreed. “Me an’ Parker might not be friends, but she is your friend, and after what you told me about her experience, we’re gonna make sure things are on the up-and-up with Evans.” It explained some of her behavior but it didn’t excuse it. He still didn’t like Liz but no woman should ever have to go through something like that.
“God, you are so stubborn,” she grumbled as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him.
“Takes one to know one,” he said as he looped his free arm around her waist.
“We’ll see what the doctor says before we decide about tonight.”
He rolled his eyes but didn’t dispute her decision. He knew her well enough to know it would only turn into an argument and the pounding in his skull would give her the advantage because keeping up with her took an effort. When she fell silent he started going over what had happened and trying to figure out why the scaffolding had basically collapsed beneath his weight. Accidents happened on a construction site, it wasn’t like it was something unheard of, but they’d had workers out on that scaffolding most of the day and it hadn’t shown any signs of weakness. Unless it had and no one had reported it.
“Mr. Guerin?”
Maria straightened up to look at the doctor that stepped into the cubicle, wondering if he was old enough to be an actual doctor. “Are you out of medical school?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.
Michael smirked when the doctor paused to look at her for a moment before smiling. It probably wasn’t the first time the guy had heard that question considering the way his hands tightened around his clipboard.
“I’m Dr. Graham, and yes ma’am, I’m out of medical school.”
“Ma’am?” Maria echoed.
Michael wrapped his hand around her arm before she could go off on that one. He had no interest in prolonging his stay in the emergency room even though he knew it would be entertaining as hell to watch her. Women seemed to view being called ma’am as being called old or something of the sort and it could set them off in nothing flat. “Can I go home now, Doc?” he asked.
“We’re turning you loose, Mr. Guerin. You have a very mild concussion, a few bumps and bruises, but there’s no reason to keep you here any longer. You didn’t lose consciousness at the time of the injury, which is a good thing.” He pulled a sheet off of his clipboard and handed it to Maria. “This is a complete list of symptoms you’ll want to keep an eye out for over the next few days. I don’t expect he’ll experience much more than the headache but if he does begin to show signs of exhibiting any of these symptoms I’d recommend bringing him back in.”
“Will he need any medication?”
“No, the ice pack will be useful for the first 48 hours or so, after that it’s of little value. He can take Tylenol for the headache but if it persists…”
“I know, bring him back in. Don’t worry; I’ll be keeping a close eye on him.”
Michael sat up and swung his legs over the side of the gurney. “Great, thanks, Doc, we’re outta here now.”
“But before we go,” Maria said and grabbed his arm to keep him from leaving. “Is it safe for him to go bowling tonight?”
“I would recommend rest for the next few days. You received a mild concussion, Mr. Guerin, but another head injury so soon after the first – “
“I don’t need my head to bowl.”
The doctor shook his head. He had known from his earlier meeting with his patient that the man wasn’t going to be cooperative. “If you insist on bowling tonight I would advise you to keep your activity to a minimum.” He turned his attention to Maria. “Have him follow up with his regular doctor on Monday and he or she can determine if he’s ready to return to work at that time.”
*****
Diablo was stretched out under the large tree in the backyard enjoying the warm day when the gate opened. He rolled and got to his feet in one fluid motion, his dark eyes zeroing in on the new arrival. His stubby tail started to wag and he bounded across the backyard with a joyous bark.
“Hey, buddy,” Max greeted, pausing to give the dog a good rub before going to the house. “C’mon, I saved you somethin’ from dinner last night.”
The house was cool but dark, and he started to open up the blinds as he walked through to the kitchen. He filled the dog’s food and water bowls before opening the refrigerator and pulling out a wad of tin foil. “You got any idea where Liz is?” He glanced down at the dog and chuckled when his gaze broke from the foil-wrapped treat just long enough to acknowledge that he had spoken. “Guess not.” He peeled the foil back and lifted out the steak bone before crouching down in front of Diablo.
He snapped his fingers and the dog sat up on his haunches. “I wonder if you have any idea just how fascinating you are,” he mused aloud and lifted his left hand when Diablo raised his right paw for a high-five. He shook his head and laughed when the dog’s lips pulled back in a grin. “Anyone who says dogs don’t have personalities is full of crap.” He held the bone out and Diablo licked it before clamping his teeth around it and heading for his blanket in the corner of the living room.
Max was running water for a shower when he heard someone knock on the screen door. He went back out into the living room just as Diablo launched himself at the door, his bark menacing.
“Call the fleabag off, Evans.”
“What’re you doin’ here, Nicholas?”
“Just thought I’d stop by to see how that decision’s comin’ along.”
“Get outta here before I turn the dog loose on your ass.”
His gaze dropped to the dog. It had stopped barking but it was growling, lips curled back and sharp teeth showing. “Ever seen a dog die from eating something laced with antifreeze?” He smirked at the look of confusion on the other man’s face. “You have no clue, do you? It’s not pretty and from my understanding it’s damn painful.” His eyes sharpened. “Call the dog off.”
“You ever do anything to this dog or anyone I care about and you’ll answer to me. You think I give a damn about anything beyond keeping them safe?”
“Big words when you’re hidin’ behind a guard dog and a door,” Nicholas sneered.
“I don’t have time for you and your threats. Get lost or I’ll call the cops myself. I’m sure you saw the ‘no trespassing’ sign posted out there. Assuming you can read of course.”
Nicholas rested one hand against the doorframe as he met Max’s gaze evenly. “Damon won’t wait long for you to agree to do what he wants you to do.”
“Why don’t you quit bein’ his lapdog and grow a pair?” Max snapped. “He keeps you around because you amuse him and one of these days he’s gonna get bored with you and when that happens you’ll be gone.”
“I’m touched that you care.”
“I don’t. You could disappear from the face of the planet and I’d never spare you another thought.” He tensed when the back door of the main house opened and Liz stepped outside. “I want you gone. Now.”
Nicholas turned and his gaze raked over her as she crossed the lawn. He opened his mouth to say something but froze when he felt the tip of a blade pressing into the small of his back. He cursed himself for turning his back to Evans and giving him the opportunity to get the drop on him.
“Get out now and don’t come back here.” He nudged him with the knife. “I took you down once before, Nicholas, don’t think I’ll hesitate to do it again. And you won’t walk away from it this time.”
Liz paused by the pool, sensing that something wasn’t right. She studied the man watching her and tried to ignore the way he made her skin crawl. She saw him wince in pain at the same time that he looked away from her and she saw Max say something to him but she wasn’t close enough to make the words out. She watched them as they exchanged heated words and she could feel the tension coiling tighter inside of her at their confrontational stances. Even when the man she didn’t know finally left she couldn’t shake the feeling.
“Max?”
He sighed and opened the screen door, turning Diablo loose before going over to her. He retracted the blade and shoved the switchblade into his pocket before she could see it.
“Who was that?”
“He’s someone I knew before I went to prison.”
“He’s dangerous.” She narrowed her eyes as she studied him. “Why was he here? This’s where my parents live, Max! What if he had hurt them?” She looked away, trying to forget the way the guy had been looking at her.
“I wouldn’t let that happen, Liz, I promise you that.” He reached up to cup her cheek. “And I’ll never let him hurt you.”
“You can’t promise that, Max! You can’t be there 24 hours a day and even if you could, you’re not indestructible.” She backed away from him and crossed her arms over her chest. “Why was he here? What’re you involved in?”
“He was here because of what I won’t get involved in, that’s it.”
“The way he looked at me…”
“Liz, I can’t explain how, not yet, but if he ever makes a move against you or your parents, he will be taken care of. No, I can’t be there 24 hours a day, you’re right about that, but I can promise that he will never hurt any of you.”
“You’re involved in something, Max, and whatever it is, it’s dangerous. Look me in the eye and tell me it isn’t.”
“I’m doin’ my best to get away from it.”
“Go to the cops.”
He shook his head. “I go to the cops and they’re gonna throw me back in prison to finish out my sentence and maybe more. Almost two more years, Liz. I can’t do that. I screwed up while I was lookin’ for Ava and now I’ve gotta figure out how to fix it.”
“Then I’ll go to the cops. Max, someone’s gonna get hurt. I don’t know who or what you’re involved in but that guy that was here earlier, he looked like bad news to me.”
“I won’t insult you by telling you what you can’t or shouldn’t do because that’s somethin’ only you can decide for yourself. I need to make this right for me, for Ava, but most importantly, I need to make it right for us, because until I do we can’t move forward with our relationship.”
“You’re certain the cops can’t help?” she asked after several minutes of silence.
“All they’d see would be a guy violating his parole. I don’t have any information that would keep them from tossin’ me right back in a cell. I had protection before when I was inside, but if I go back in now I won’t have that.”
“Can you get out of whatever trouble you’re in?”
“Given time, yeah, I think I can.”
“And you’re certain that my parents are safe?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Alright, but if I ever feel that they’re in danger I will call the cops, Max.”
He nodded. “Fair enough.”
“Let’s get ready to go. I don’t wanna be late.”
*****
Maria shook her head at Michael and Sean as they tried to best each other on the lanes. They had arrived early to make sure they got two lanes together and she had just rolled her eyes when her cousin showed up without a date. He had grinned unrepentantly, knowing he had managed to escape another blind date setup. She kept a cautious eye on Michael, well aware that hovering would make him irritable, but still concerned about his earlier accident.
She turned her head when Manny burst through the doors, the blindingly bright orange silk shirt he wore catching the eyes of everyone in the place. Definitely not a color just anyone could pull off, she thought with a smile. He made his way over to their lanes, flirting with a few people and dodging a couple of rude comments by others. He was an upbeat person and she couldn’t recall ever seeing him in a bad mood.
“Miguel,” he called, giving a sharp wolf whistle when Michael released the ball.
Sean smirked. “Hey, your other girlfriend’s here.”
Michael waved in Manny’s direction. “He’s not my type but I can’t help it if the guy’s got good taste.” He fisted the air when nine of the pins fell over. “Keep it up, Deluca, ‘cause it’s not too late for Maria to call one of her friends from work.”
“If it’s Friday night and the chick doesn’t have a date, it’s already too late.” He grabbed his ball and studied the pins still standing on his own lane.
“Hey, Maria, Sean wants to know if it’s too late to get him a date. You ‘member that one girl you work with, you said she’s got that cousin that works down on the docks? Think her cousin’s free?”
“Man, shut the fuck up. You ever seen those girls that work on the docks?” He shuddered comically. “Hell, no!”
“Can I have a ball to play with?” Manny asked as he approached them.
Sean snickered. “Hey, Guerin, your girlfriend wants to play with your balls.”
“Hey, don’t get any ideas over there, Manny,” Maria called. “Keep your hands on your own balls.” She laughed when he shot her a pathetic puppy dog face at her teasing remark. She turned when someone called her name and she waved when she saw DJ heading their way.
“This place better have good food,” he said as he slid onto one of the barstools at the table. He leaned to the side to give her a hug.
“No date tonight?” Maria asked, motioning for one of the waitresses when he shifted back away from her. “I thought sure you’d have some disgustingly beautiful woman on your arm.”
“I know. It’s unnatural, right?” He flashed his grin at the waitress and asked for a beer. “A guy like me oughta have a date on a Friday night. You’d be surprised how many women are not interested in spending time in a bowling alley. Between you an’ me, I’m pretty sure it’s that whole thing about shoes that a million other feet have been in.” He snatched up the menu and lowered it when he felt her staring at him. “Okay, what?”
Maria shook her head. “Just thinking how lucky we are that you’re in our lives.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “While I appreciate the sentiment, is there something special that prompted this?”
Her eyes sparkled brightly with unshed tears as she reached over to cover his hand. “You saved her.”
His eyebrows shot up. “She told you?”
Maria nodded. “What the two of you went through – “
“Nah, Maria, I’m okay. I have to live with what happened but I’ve made peace with it.” He smiled tightly. “It took time for me to get to that place but I finally got there. I sought counseling after what happened because I desperately needed someone to help me make sense of it, but Liz, she’s never been able to find that peace. She closed herself off and she refused any help. I think at the time it’s the only way she was able to deal with it.” His gaze lifted and his smile relaxed. “I think maybe that’s changing though.”
She shifted to follow his gaze and she nodded when she saw Liz and Max. “Yeah, I think you’re right.” And she really hoped Max wasn’t getting himself into trouble for both their sakes. She glanced at the tall blond-haired man following them inside, quickly deciding that he had to be the man Liz had been telling her about the day before. Yeah, she could see why Manny would be attracted to him but she really didn’t know if Shakes was the right guy for him, she thought as she was introduced to him.
Shakes settled on one of the barstools at the second table that had been pulled over to give them more room. He was careful to leave space between him and the others as he conversed with them. He was aware of Maria’s watchful gaze as she dominated the conversation and when her boyfriend joined them to put in a double order of hot wings he was just as vigilant.
“So whaddaya do, Shakes?” Sean asked after downing half of a beer.
“Little of this, little of that,” he answered with a quiet smirk. “I dabble in security mostly, piddle around with computers in my spare time.”
Manny came over to squeeze in between Maria and Michael, bracing his forearms on their shoulders. His eyes lit up with interest when they landed on the new man at the table. “Oh, Liz, he is everything you said he was,” he murmured. “Do you dance?”
Shakes picked up the chilled bottle of water and took a long drink of it. “No.”
Max sighed and shook his head. “I thought you were gonna leave that alone?” he whispered as he leaned closer to Liz.
“I just told Manny he’s attractive, that’s all. I swear.”
“That’s a shame. You don’t know what you’re missing.” He patted Michael’s shoulder. “He doesn’t dance either. Miguel, show me how to release my ball again.”
Michael rolled his eyes and got to his feet. “You need to find a guy, Manny. And I don’t mean me since I’m already off the market. Maria, make sure they bring extra Ranch, babe.”
“Hey, are you feelin’ okay?” she asked quietly.
“I’m good. No headache and I’m layin’ off the beer for tonight just for you.” He gave her a quick kiss and pushed away from the table. “C’mon, Manny, let’s knock some pins down.”
“Hey, wait for me,” Sean said, grabbing his bottle and hurrying after them. He had managed to be civil to Liz but he’d rather bowl than try to make small talk with her.
“Michael not feelin’ okay?” Max asked since he was close enough to have overheard her concerned question and Michael’s answer.
“Accident at work this afternoon. Thank God he was wearing the harness otherwise it could’ve really been bad. But don’t mention it to him because he likes to think he’s indestructible and if people start hovering and acting all concerned he’ll get irritable.”
Max watched Michael as he goofed off with Sean and Manny. Was it just an accident or was it something else altogether? Damon knew who he spent time with and it didn’t take a stretch of the imagination to believe that he would hurt anyone he wanted to in an effort to make him do his bidding.
DJ came back from scoping out the available females in the vicinity and frowned at the guys quickly heading back to the lanes. “Guess it’s time for me to show these boys how to bowl.” He grinned at the girls. “Any attractive women come by to leave their numbers do not lose them.”
“Yo, Evans, get your ass out here and let’s see what you’ve got,” Michael hollered.
“Wish me luck,” Max said as he got up to go join the guys. “Shakes, you in on this?”
“No, I think I’ll hang here a while.”
Maria shifted to the side when the waitress brought their orders over and placed everything on the table. She snatched a French fry and dipped it in ketchup before biting into it. She was reaching for one of the mini cheeseburgers when she realized the extra Ranch was missing. “Crap,” she muttered. “Liz, if Michael comes over here don’t let him chow down on my cheeseburgers.”
Liz snorted. “Thanks for that.” She glanced at Shakes after Maria disappeared in the crowd on the other side of the wall that separated the bowling lanes from the rest of the facility. “Aren’t you hot?” she asked, noticing that he was wearing long sleeves.
“No.” He cleared his throat and sat up straighter. “I’m also not here to be passed around to your friends.”
“I didn’t – “
“Yeah, you did. I’m sure Max warned you not to make assumptions about me. You’re with him so I won’t give you the dressing-down I’d give anyone else who made such assumptions.”
“Yeah, he warned me, and I did make assumptions, but I wasn’t trying to pass you around to my friends. I thought you and Manny might hit it off and if you did, cool, if not, that’s cool too. He’s harmless and just likes to have a good time. So, give it to me, I can take it.”
“I don’t know what all Max has told you about me. Knowing him, it likely isn’t much.” He leaned forward, forearms braced on the tabletop. “Long story short, I’ve been passed around by more than one person, Liz. I’ve been bought and sold, used and abused, and no matter how good your intentions are, don’t ever try to set me up with anyone else. You don’t know me and you don’t know what I’m capable of. You don’t know what I could do to another person, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Manny’s your friend and you should care enough and have enough respect for him to not put him in a potentially dangerous situation.”
Liz leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Would you hurt him?”
“You’re missing the point. You don’t know me and if he were to get hurt you’d both have to live with it… and so would I. If you just have to set people up, make sure you know them personally.”
“Max trusts you,” she said, meeting his gaze levelly.
“There are different kinds of trust, Liz. You’ve never been on the streets so you’re just gonna have to accept that you’ll never understand this.”
“You’re his friend and you seemed like you were lonely.” She shrugged. “I don’t want him to feel like he has to keep his past hidden away from me.”
“Some things are best left in the past. I realize there was nothing malicious about your intentions but if I’m lookin’ for a date, I’ll handle it myself. Manny seems like a sweet guy and he’s genuinely likeable, but I’m not the guy for him.”
“He made you laugh.”
“Plenty of people make me laugh. That’s not their ticket to screw me.”
Liz reached for her glass and took a drink. “Point taken.”
Michael came back over to the table and took a seat as he reached for a hot wing. “Maria go get the Ranch?” he asked before shoving it in his mouth.
“Yeah, don’t know why she bothered though. You seem to be doing just fine without it.”
“Bite me, Parker,” he growled. His right hand shot up, his palm inches from Manny’s face when the other man appeared next to him. “That was NOT an invitation.”
Manny leaned back and dropped his gaze. “Honey, as sexy as I think you are, you have no ass to speak of.”
“And yet that doesn’t stop you from tryin’ to grab it,” Maria said in a sing-song voice as she joined them with two small bowls of Ranch.
“Well, I would make a grab for Max’s ass but I think I’d send that poor boy into orbit, and not in a good way.” He grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged it away from his skin. “And Sean, well, he’s not as much fun as you are, Miguel.”
Michael rolled his eyes. “Lucky me.” His gaze scanned over the Friday night crowd, passing the large man by the bar that had been watching their table unobtrusively for the past couple of hours. He was well-dressed, well-groomed, blended in with the other patrons, but the telltale bulge beneath his jacket indicated he was carrying a weapon. The man had come in not long after Max and Liz had arrived with Shakes and he had come to the conclusion that he was the man’s bodyguard as Shakes was never out of the gorilla’s sight.
Shakes glanced up and caught the direction of his gaze. He didn’t bother turning, already knowing what had captured his attention. “He’s with me,” he said with a shrug.
“Guess dabbling in security and computers must pay pretty well.”
“Pays well enough.”
“Um-hmm.” Michael dunked a hot wing in the Ranch and dropped the subject when Maria laid a restraining hand on his arm. He’d talk to Sean later, see what he could find out about Shakes and they’d go from there.
-
ArchAngel1973
- Addicted Roswellian
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Sun Sep 24, 2006 7:02 pm
Prisoners of the Past (CC, A/U, Adult) Part 29 - 6/10/12
Natalie36: Lol, thanks for reading!
dreamon: Got more on the way!
keepsmiling7: Things are looking good for Jenny.
The two are cute together.
Sean isn’t looking to cause any trouble for Max.
begonia9508: Thanks!
Max really does need someone to help him.
We’ll have to wait and see who was responsible for that accident.
MP: Thanks! We’ll have to wait to find out about that accident. Dinner is actually coming soon.
L-J-L 76: Thanks! Max wants to protect those close to him, the question is, how long can he keep this up? Liz probably should make that call, but right now she isn’t ready to do that. Nicholas… he’s up to no good as usual.
Alien_Friend: Jenny does have a lot of hard work ahead of her but she’s got a great support system going for her.
We’ll have to wait to find out about that accident.
Liz definitely knows that Nicholas is up to no good and it’s a good thing she knows what he looks like now. If she tells Maria, you can bet Michael will know right away.
Max will do his best to protect everyone he cares about… including Diablo.
Sean will be making another appearance in this update.
Shakes isn’t used to this lifestyle, and it’s unlikely that he’ll ever be comfortable with it.
Manny’s a lot of fun.
xilaj: Michael’s accident… we’ll have to wait and see. Nicholas is the lowest of low lifeforms.
nitpick23: Max is in a tough spot and he doesn’t know what to do so he’s doing what he knows. Nicholas’ visit was a warning and it was unmistakable.
Damon will use anything and anyone as leverage against Max.
We’ll have to wait to find out if it was an accident.
Part 29
Sean walked into the hospital and took the elevator to the 10th floor. It had taken some fancy footwork to find out where the agents had been taken because he didn’t want to alert anyone of his intentions. With the Chief ADA involved the rumors were flying fast and furious. Fortunately there hadn’t been any mention of Kyle being at the safe house and it needed to stay that way as long as possible. The longer it took for that information to get out the better his cousin’s chances were of surviving and keeping the witness alive. It also meant their family would remain safe from the people looking for the witness.
He had been careful to stay under the radar while researching the two agents and he had to admit they both had impressive service records. Digging into their personnel records and checking their psych evaluations had been more revealing and told so much more of the story. He and Uncle Jim had been up to all hours the past few nights looking for any information they could find.
When Kyle had called he hadn’t had time to give him much to go on but he had told him to look closely at both agents and the Chief ADA. Chief ADA Matthew Duggan was clean. At least he appeared to be the first two times Sean went through his background. If Kyle was suspicious of the man then there was reason. It was on his third sweep through the man’s file that he finally found what he was looking for. Following that lead had opened the door and he had discovered several cases that had been pled out, thrown out, or ended in mistrial. And Duggan wasn’t the only suspicious character in the cast he was reviewing.
There were two different judges, another prosecutor in the district attorney’s office, an evidence clerk, and several cops. He had a bad feeling they were looking at corruption that ran in so many directions within their ranks. The question was: How high up the chain of command did it go? The common denominator in every situation was Damon Knight, but nowhere in anything he had discovered had there been any information about the witness. That had been carefully covered up by every party involved. The witness wasn’t who he was looking for though, so he had started looking into the two agents Kyle had named.
Patrick Lassiter came from a middle class family in South Dakota, had an ex-wife and a three-year-old son he hadn’t seen in more than a year, and lived in a small apartment in Queens. He had several commendations in his jacket that spoke to his dedication to the job. Fellow agents respected him, there were no complaints against him, and he had some impressive comments left by former partners and higher ranking officers. He had dug into his financials and found a carefully concealed gambling problem that made him a prime target for an organization looking to add a law enforcement officer to their payroll.
Janice McKenzie came from a family at the lower end of the middle class, and while her partner’s home life showed stability growing up, hers showed a marked lack of stability. She had lost her mother early and her father and uncle had been a couple of con artists who had dragged her across the country while conning people out of money, property, and anything else of value. Her father had gotten arrested and ended up in jail when she was seven years old so her uncle had packed her up and kept on moving. When her father’s sentence had been handed down and the uncle had learned he would be serving several years he had dumped her off at a local diner and taken off again. Someone at the diner had eventually called it in and cops had showed up with a social worker.
Child services had tried placing her with several families but she had withdrawn so far into herself that after a matter of weeks they would return her to social services. It had taken a couple of years in the group home before she had started to slowly come out of her shell and over time she had begun to thrive in that environment. It wasn’t all that surprising to discover that she had a suspicious nature. She had a damn good record but her jacket lacked the commendations her partner’s held. There were comments by superiors, some requesting psyche evaluations, some suggesting that she be taken off of field duty, but someone was looking out for her because she had been kept in the field in spite of some of the negative comments.
Both agents had worked cases involving Damon Knight’s organization and while there had been minor successes, nothing they had done had created any serious damage. McKenzie had worked one of the larger cases but it had fallen apart and in the end they had walked away with nothing. She had been vocal about her suspicions that corrupt agents were involved but nothing had been proven and over time that had earned her the reputation of being paranoid.
Uncle Jim had dug up a recent incident where her father had re-entered her life and she had vouched for his whereabouts during an inquiry by his parole officer. The officer had felt like she was lying but hadn’t had any proof so he had dropped the pending charges. One more reason for her to be suspicious of the actions of everyone around her, Sean thought. If she couldn’t trust her own father, who could she trust?
He pushed away from the back wall when the elevator doors slid open and he walked down the corridor to the nurse’s station. After flashing his badge and getting the room numbers he moved down the corridor and nodded at the officer standing guard at the door to both rooms. They were keeping everything low-key in an effort to contain the situation. The agents had been moved to the city as soon as they had been stabilized, which made it much easier for him to see them.
“What’re you doin’ here, Deluca?” Officer Elliott Danner asked.
“Hey, Elliott.” He shrugged. “Heard about what went down.” He nodded at the door. “Word is his partner shot him.”
“Sick shit, huh?” The cop lifted his hat to scratch his head. “I heard the bosses talkin’, said he was conscious long enough to tell the doctors he was tryin’ to protect a witness and she took him down.” He shook his head. “Word is the witness was supposed to provide testimony against Knight’s organization.”
“Really? They got the witness in protective custody?”
“Nah. Heard they couldn’t find him. But hell, the witness ain’t surfaced by now he’s probably dead. They’ve had agents crawlin’ all over the city where they were keepin’ him but they haven’t found any sign of the guy. If Knight sent people in to take out FBI agents and an ADA, you know they didn’t let that witness get away.” He hooked a thumb over his right shoulder. “This guy took down two of Knight’s men but who knows how many people he sent in to take that witness out, ya know?”
“Damn shame the guy was taken down like that,” he murmured, wondering if Danner was just assuming the witness was a man or if that was what he had been told. “What kinda condition’s he in?”
“Not good. He’s still critical.”
“What about the other one?”
“Serious condition, but they’re expecting her to pull through. Helluva thing, huh?”
“Yeah, no doubt. Hey, I was hopin’ to talk to her for a few minutes. I worked a case with McKenzie a couple years back before I joined SWAT. I know he’s critical so they’re not gonna allow visitors but maybe I could just look in on her for a minute or two?”
“I think it’d be okay but keep it short.”
Sean nodded and opened the door, quietly closing it behind him and crossing over to the bed. It seemed impossible that anyone could sleep with the monitors beeping, hissing, and making a dozen other irritating sounds. He studied the raven-haired woman, knowing from reading her file that her eyes would be blue when she opened them.
“We both know you’re not sleepin’,” he said finally as he leaned over to rest his forearms on the bedrail on her left side. “There’s all kind of speculation flyin’ around about what happened at that safe house and so far no one’s talkin’.” He reached over and stopped the morphine drip. “I don’t care what it takes to get you to talk to me, but one way or the other you’re gonna tell me what I wanna know.”
“I’m not telling you a damn thing,” Mac hissed. “Tell your boss he can burn in hell because I’m not for sale.”
He pulled his badge out. “I’m a cop, Agent McKenzie. I’ve been through your background up one side and down the other so the trust issues are understandable. But we’ve got limited time here and unless I’m way off my mark you’re bein’ setup to take the fall for your partner’s murder, Duggan’s murder, the death of the witness that was under your protection, and bein’ on Knight’s payroll.”
“I don’t work for that bastard!”
The heart rate monitor started beeping and he reached out to press her back against the pillows when she tried to sit up. “Okay, relax, would you? I’m not tryin’ to take your case and I’m not some gun for hire here to put you down. I’m here to piece together what happened and to do that I need you to cooperate with me.”
“Pat’s dead?” she asked after a moment.
“Not yet, but it doesn’t look good.”
“They couldn’t have found the witness.” She sighed when he restarted the morphine drip. “No. I took precautions to keep… to keep the witness safe in the event that the safe house was ever compromised. I don’t know what could’ve cause Pat to switch sides but I’ve been watching him because something’s been off with him lately. Nothing I could put my finger on, but it was there.”
“You took down your partner and two of Knight’s men… by yourself. How do you explain that?”
“I didn’t take both of them down.” She shrugged and looked away. “Pat took one of them down.”
“Why?” He frowned. “How?”
“My guess would be he knew his time was running out and he wanted to do the right thing. I don’t know what made him throw in with Knight but whatever it was, he knew it was wrong. I won’t defend his choices because there’s no excuse for them. But at the end they had me pinned down, and he could’ve let them take me down, but he didn’t. It saved my life and bought enough time for the witness to get away. I took his sidearm but he still had his backup weapon.” She sighed tiredly. “Ballistics will prove what I’m saying.”
“Unless someone alters the results.”
Her gaze collided with his steady green eyes. “What?”
“Your partner’s in critical condition and you’re the one who put him there. He’s the only one who can offer testimony to corroborate what you’re sayin’ and chances are slim that he’ll make it that long.” He studied her for several moments. “You’re not alone in your belief that we have corrupt officers and agents in our ranks. Proving it’s another matter though.”
“The witness has evidence. Didn’t trust anyone enough to turn it over. Wanted to talk to McCarthy but he was in some sort of accident.”
“That’s why they sent Duggan out. Did he try to get the information out of the witness?” He saw her eyes narrow. “McKenzie, you’re gonna have to start trusting somebody if you’re gonna get outta this mess with your name and your career intact. I’ve been through your past and I have every reason to believe you’re a good agent in spite of some of the things I found.” He knew it was a gamble, but between what he had uncovered and his gut, he decided to take it. “I can tell you your witness is safe.”
She shook her head. “You can’t know that.”
“I do know that. The person protecting her is the only one who knows where she is.”
“No,” she tried to sit up again, “no, if he contacted you she’s already in danger!”
“Morphine’s goin’ to your head, McKenzie,” he said as he pushed her down again, mindful of her injuries. “We know how to cover our asses. No one knows their location. I just wanted you to know because I’m gonna need your help to untangle this mess.” He smiled crookedly. “For the record though, you’ll need my help since technically I don’t know anything about this case.”
“You want me to trust you.”
“It’s a two-way street and you have no idea just how much trust I’m putting in you right now.”
Mac stared at the ceiling after the cop left her room. Could he be trusted? He said he knew where her witness was but he had given her no proof of that. He had expressed an interest in helping clear her name and weeding out the corrupt officers. She wished she didn’t have such an issue trusting people. Sometimes she really envied others for having the ability to be so open and to trust without hesitation. It was exhausting to question the motives of everyone who crossed her path.
She hated that she had been forced to shoot Patrick but he’d left her with no choice. She’d had her suspicions about him for a while but she had hoped when she told Valenti to take the witness out that door that she was wrong. As soon as they’d turned their backs he’d taken aim at them and she’d been left with no choice but to stop him from taking them out. She had seen some bad things go down over the years but she hadn’t been prepared to see her partner aim his weapon at their pregnant witness.
*****
Liz glanced up at Max as they walked along the busy sidewalks after leaving the movie theater. He had been distracted since the night before but he kept blaming it on homework, insisting that he was having some issues with understanding the subject but refusing any help with it. She had a feeling it was more than that but she wanted him to come to her instead of her having to force it out of him.
“Max, I invited my parents over for dinner tomorrow night.”
“Huh?” He shook himself out of his thoughts when she repeated herself. “Oh, right, I remember you mentioning that earlier this week.”
“You’re still gonna be there, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there. You wanted me to help with dinner.”
“Okay.” That made her feel a little bit better.
Max scratched his jaw. “Maria say anything to you about what happened to Michael?”
“She just said there was an accident at his job. He probably tripped over his own feet and doesn’t want anyone to know how clumsy he is.”
He snorted. “Yeah, probably.” He sighed and switched back to the original topic. “So, dinner tomorrow night… what’s on the menu?”
“What do you think about chicken lasagna?”
He made a face. “Uh-uh, lasagna should be made with beef and lots of cheese, not chicken.”
Liz laughed at his expression. “Okay, I was kidding about that. I thought we’d just keep it simple, maybe make beef and pepper stir-fry. And for dessert I’ve thrown myself on Lilah’s mercy because while I can cook I’m just not that great at making desserts.”
His eyebrows lifted in interest. “Strawberry cheesecake?”
“Yeah, I know how much you enjoy it and since she likes you better than me she said she’d make one for tomorrow night.” She smiled when he took her hand in his. “I know you’ve got homework tonight so I thought I’d go ahead and shop for dinner and if you felt like it I could come by and pick you up and you could stay with me tonight.”
“How about I call you when I’m finished and let you know?”
She bit her bottom lip. “You could just go ahead and come over and study at my place. That seemed to work pretty well last time.”
“I’ve got a few things I need to take care of before I hit the books this evening, Liz. Tell you what, when I’m finished with what I need to do I’ll give you a call and let you know if I feel like I’ll be decent company.”
“You don’t have to be decent company for us to spend time together, Max.”
He sighed. He didn’t know what was going to happen tonight but if things went the way Damon wanted them to go he knew he wouldn’t be able to face Liz, much less spend the night sleeping beside her. He was still fighting that battle within himself. He didn’t know how accidental Michael’s accident really was but he was scared to take the risk because if it had happened with him as the intended target, Damon would only increase the incidents until someone really did get hurt. “You’d wanna spend time with me if I was in a crappy mood?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood.
“You’ve put up with me in a crappy mood.” She nodded finally, dropping the subject and deciding not to push any further. “Okay, I’ll drop you off at home and go take care of the shopping. If you feel like coming over you can just give me a call and Diablo and I will come get you. Sound good?”
“Yeah, that’ll work. If it’s late I’ll just give you a call though. No need for you to be out that late just to come get me.”
She smiled at his concern for her safety. “Max, I’m fully capable of – “
He turned to face her and pressed his forefinger against her lips to silence her. “I know you’re capable of driving that late at night, I just don’t want you out if you don’t have to be.” He could see the argument building and he gave in with a small smile. “Fine, but take Diablo with you.”
She rolled her eyes. Hadn’t she already said that? “I’ll take him with me if I go out.”
He nodded. “Okay, let’s head back to the house so you can get the shopping done and I can take care of my stuff.”
*****
The wind was picking up as Max crossed the street, dodging cars and ignoring the honking horns as annoyed drivers pressed on them longer than necessary. His right hand was wrapped tightly around a briefcase and the weight of it kept his thoughts focused on his reason for this meeting. He ducked through the door held open by a doorman just as the first fat raindrops began to fall, quickly giving the ground a drenching as it turned into a downpour. He shook himself like a wet dog before giving his name to the man sitting behind a mahogany counter.
“Ms. Linwood is expecting you,” the man said and nodded at the elevators across from him.
Max got on the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse suite, feeling every nerve in his body buzzing in agitation. He had met with Damon and listened to the man go on about how he’d better hold up his part of the deal because if he had to pay full price for the shipment he would make sure someone Max cared about paid for it. He had almost backed out at the last minute but Nicholas had slunk in and made an off-handed comment about construction site accidents. He had no idea if they had actually had anything to do with Michael’s accident or if they were just keeping such a close eye on anyone he was associated with that they knew about it. Not that it mattered because he couldn’t put anyone else in danger.
The P overhead lit up as the bell dinged and he swallowed hard as the doors slid open. The woman waiting for him was beautiful in spite of her age but there wasn’t an ounce of interest in him. He forced a smile to the surface and walked into the living room ahead of her. “It’s been a while, Ms. Linwood.”
She frowned at his stiff, formal tone. “I think you can do better than that, Max,” she purred as she watched him from the doorway.
“Maybe.” He placed the briefcase on the coffee table and unlocked it, lifting the lid and turning it so she could view the stacks of bills packed inside.
“Yes, let’s get business out of the way first.” She sat on the couch and took her time counting out the bills in each stack. When she was finished she reached for her cell phone and made a call, ordering whoever was on the other end to release the shipment to Damon’s men. She got up and left him alone while she put the money away in the safe he knew was in her bedroom.
Max tensed when she came back. He watched her as she fixed herself a drink and shook his head when she glanced at him and motioned to the counter of crystal decanters. His breathing became shallow when she picked up a crystal box and carried it over to the coffee table, placing it in the center before lifting the lid off. His heart started to pound when he saw several dozen short vials lined up inside.
“Damon said you might need a little something to put you in the mood,” she said as she picked one out and tapped one deep red fingernail against the glass.
His eyes were riveted to the white powder inside and he swallowed hard.
“Oh, c’mon, Max, loosen up and have a little fun.” She smiled temptingly. “What’s a little sex between friends?”
“We’re not friends,” he forced out. “We were never friends. I was a bargaining chip to you, nothin’ more.”
She laughed. “You should be flattered then. Do you have any idea how much I shaved off of my price just to have you in my bed for the night?”
“Why?” He was desperate to keep her talking, to figure out some way to make her see that she didn’t want him. “It’s been years and there’re plenty of guys out there who’d be interested in you.”
“I’m sure there are, but I’m interested in you.” She unscrewed the cap on the small vial and upended it, tapping the rim against the mirrored surface of the table. “And with the right incentive I’m sure you’ll remember just how interested you are in me.”
He kept his gaze away from the tempting mound of white powder as he shook his head. “How much? I can pay you back and Damon never needs to know what did or didn’t happen tonight.”
“What I took off the top is more than you could make in a year with your little restaurant job.” She nodded when his gaze snapped back to her. “That’s right, I know what you’re doing with your life now. I applaud your efforts, Max, but let’s be realistic here. You only know one thing and trying to fit into the nine-to-five regimented lifestyle isn’t going to work for someone like you.”
He felt like he was going to implode. “Give me the time to get the money together.”
She snorted softly. “Max, the only possible way for you to get that kind of money together would be to involve yourself in something illegal. Is it really worth it?”
“Yeah, it is.”
She leaned back and crossed her right leg over her left, annoyed when his gaze didn’t so much as flicker down at the skin that move revealed. “This argument is pointless, Max. You’re part of the payment and whether or not you like it your presence here is agreement to fulfill that debt.”
That panicky feeling had his chest tightening again. “I’m not gonna do this.”
“Unless you can have the rest of my payment before I speak with Damon in the morning to let him know you’ve fulfilled your duties I think you will.”
He leaned over and snatched up a couple of the vials and shoved them in his pocket. “I’ll be back.”
Dorothy sipped her drink and ran a hand through her hair when he ran from the apartment. “Oh, I’m sure you will be,” she murmured to herself.
*****
Max hit the street running. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He had no idea how much Dorothy seemed to think he was worth, but using what he would make in a year as a guideline… hell, he couldn’t get his hands on that much overnight. He was getting in too deep to get himself out. He was reaching the point where he was running out of options and the only two outcomes he could see was more prison time or ending up in an unmarked grave somewhere.
He wasn’t even aware of the rain pouring down as he cut through Central Park. As he came out near a busy intersection a car cut him off and his hands shot out, hitting the back door above the window. Before he could move back and go around the car the front door shot open and someone grabbed him and shoved him into the backseat. He scrambled to the opposite side when the door slammed shut and he made a grab for the door handle but it wouldn’t release. He reached for the lock only to realize that there wasn’t one. He reached for the switchblade and realized that the guy had disarmed him when he threw him in the car.
The car started to move as he leaned back to look around. A black visor was raised between the front and backseats, preventing him from seeing who had him. The windows were tinted and not only prevented anyone from seeing inside the car, they also kept the person inside from seeing anything outside the car. He tried to keep up with the twists and turns the driver was making but the guy was making an effort to keep him disoriented.
He lost track of time as they took one turn after another and relief warred with trepidation when the car finally came to a stop. The door was opened and he was jerked out of the car without a word. He didn’t recognize the men who hauled him across a large garage and over to a folding table surrounded by uncomfortable metal folding chairs. He was forced into one of the chairs before one of his kidnappers left, disappearing through a door on the far wall.
“You have no right – “
“Shut up,” his captor snarled. “Boss paid me to snatch your ass off the street, not to listen to you bitch.”
“You work for Knight?” Max asked. “You can tell him I’m not gonna – “
The man stared at him with cold eyes. “I’m not here to answer your questions either.”
“Who the fuck do you work for?” God, who else could he have pissed off?
“They work for me.”
His head snapped to the side and he stared in disbelief at the man who stepped through the doorway to cross the room.
dreamon: Got more on the way!
keepsmiling7: Things are looking good for Jenny.
The two are cute together.
Sean isn’t looking to cause any trouble for Max.
begonia9508: Thanks!
Max really does need someone to help him.
We’ll have to wait and see who was responsible for that accident.
MP: Thanks! We’ll have to wait to find out about that accident. Dinner is actually coming soon.
L-J-L 76: Thanks! Max wants to protect those close to him, the question is, how long can he keep this up? Liz probably should make that call, but right now she isn’t ready to do that. Nicholas… he’s up to no good as usual.
Alien_Friend: Jenny does have a lot of hard work ahead of her but she’s got a great support system going for her.
We’ll have to wait to find out about that accident.
Liz definitely knows that Nicholas is up to no good and it’s a good thing she knows what he looks like now. If she tells Maria, you can bet Michael will know right away.
Max will do his best to protect everyone he cares about… including Diablo.
Sean will be making another appearance in this update.
Shakes isn’t used to this lifestyle, and it’s unlikely that he’ll ever be comfortable with it.
Manny’s a lot of fun.
xilaj: Michael’s accident… we’ll have to wait and see. Nicholas is the lowest of low lifeforms.
nitpick23: Max is in a tough spot and he doesn’t know what to do so he’s doing what he knows. Nicholas’ visit was a warning and it was unmistakable.
Damon will use anything and anyone as leverage against Max.
We’ll have to wait to find out if it was an accident.
Part 29
Sean walked into the hospital and took the elevator to the 10th floor. It had taken some fancy footwork to find out where the agents had been taken because he didn’t want to alert anyone of his intentions. With the Chief ADA involved the rumors were flying fast and furious. Fortunately there hadn’t been any mention of Kyle being at the safe house and it needed to stay that way as long as possible. The longer it took for that information to get out the better his cousin’s chances were of surviving and keeping the witness alive. It also meant their family would remain safe from the people looking for the witness.
He had been careful to stay under the radar while researching the two agents and he had to admit they both had impressive service records. Digging into their personnel records and checking their psych evaluations had been more revealing and told so much more of the story. He and Uncle Jim had been up to all hours the past few nights looking for any information they could find.
When Kyle had called he hadn’t had time to give him much to go on but he had told him to look closely at both agents and the Chief ADA. Chief ADA Matthew Duggan was clean. At least he appeared to be the first two times Sean went through his background. If Kyle was suspicious of the man then there was reason. It was on his third sweep through the man’s file that he finally found what he was looking for. Following that lead had opened the door and he had discovered several cases that had been pled out, thrown out, or ended in mistrial. And Duggan wasn’t the only suspicious character in the cast he was reviewing.
There were two different judges, another prosecutor in the district attorney’s office, an evidence clerk, and several cops. He had a bad feeling they were looking at corruption that ran in so many directions within their ranks. The question was: How high up the chain of command did it go? The common denominator in every situation was Damon Knight, but nowhere in anything he had discovered had there been any information about the witness. That had been carefully covered up by every party involved. The witness wasn’t who he was looking for though, so he had started looking into the two agents Kyle had named.
Patrick Lassiter came from a middle class family in South Dakota, had an ex-wife and a three-year-old son he hadn’t seen in more than a year, and lived in a small apartment in Queens. He had several commendations in his jacket that spoke to his dedication to the job. Fellow agents respected him, there were no complaints against him, and he had some impressive comments left by former partners and higher ranking officers. He had dug into his financials and found a carefully concealed gambling problem that made him a prime target for an organization looking to add a law enforcement officer to their payroll.
Janice McKenzie came from a family at the lower end of the middle class, and while her partner’s home life showed stability growing up, hers showed a marked lack of stability. She had lost her mother early and her father and uncle had been a couple of con artists who had dragged her across the country while conning people out of money, property, and anything else of value. Her father had gotten arrested and ended up in jail when she was seven years old so her uncle had packed her up and kept on moving. When her father’s sentence had been handed down and the uncle had learned he would be serving several years he had dumped her off at a local diner and taken off again. Someone at the diner had eventually called it in and cops had showed up with a social worker.
Child services had tried placing her with several families but she had withdrawn so far into herself that after a matter of weeks they would return her to social services. It had taken a couple of years in the group home before she had started to slowly come out of her shell and over time she had begun to thrive in that environment. It wasn’t all that surprising to discover that she had a suspicious nature. She had a damn good record but her jacket lacked the commendations her partner’s held. There were comments by superiors, some requesting psyche evaluations, some suggesting that she be taken off of field duty, but someone was looking out for her because she had been kept in the field in spite of some of the negative comments.
Both agents had worked cases involving Damon Knight’s organization and while there had been minor successes, nothing they had done had created any serious damage. McKenzie had worked one of the larger cases but it had fallen apart and in the end they had walked away with nothing. She had been vocal about her suspicions that corrupt agents were involved but nothing had been proven and over time that had earned her the reputation of being paranoid.
Uncle Jim had dug up a recent incident where her father had re-entered her life and she had vouched for his whereabouts during an inquiry by his parole officer. The officer had felt like she was lying but hadn’t had any proof so he had dropped the pending charges. One more reason for her to be suspicious of the actions of everyone around her, Sean thought. If she couldn’t trust her own father, who could she trust?
He pushed away from the back wall when the elevator doors slid open and he walked down the corridor to the nurse’s station. After flashing his badge and getting the room numbers he moved down the corridor and nodded at the officer standing guard at the door to both rooms. They were keeping everything low-key in an effort to contain the situation. The agents had been moved to the city as soon as they had been stabilized, which made it much easier for him to see them.
“What’re you doin’ here, Deluca?” Officer Elliott Danner asked.
“Hey, Elliott.” He shrugged. “Heard about what went down.” He nodded at the door. “Word is his partner shot him.”
“Sick shit, huh?” The cop lifted his hat to scratch his head. “I heard the bosses talkin’, said he was conscious long enough to tell the doctors he was tryin’ to protect a witness and she took him down.” He shook his head. “Word is the witness was supposed to provide testimony against Knight’s organization.”
“Really? They got the witness in protective custody?”
“Nah. Heard they couldn’t find him. But hell, the witness ain’t surfaced by now he’s probably dead. They’ve had agents crawlin’ all over the city where they were keepin’ him but they haven’t found any sign of the guy. If Knight sent people in to take out FBI agents and an ADA, you know they didn’t let that witness get away.” He hooked a thumb over his right shoulder. “This guy took down two of Knight’s men but who knows how many people he sent in to take that witness out, ya know?”
“Damn shame the guy was taken down like that,” he murmured, wondering if Danner was just assuming the witness was a man or if that was what he had been told. “What kinda condition’s he in?”
“Not good. He’s still critical.”
“What about the other one?”
“Serious condition, but they’re expecting her to pull through. Helluva thing, huh?”
“Yeah, no doubt. Hey, I was hopin’ to talk to her for a few minutes. I worked a case with McKenzie a couple years back before I joined SWAT. I know he’s critical so they’re not gonna allow visitors but maybe I could just look in on her for a minute or two?”
“I think it’d be okay but keep it short.”
Sean nodded and opened the door, quietly closing it behind him and crossing over to the bed. It seemed impossible that anyone could sleep with the monitors beeping, hissing, and making a dozen other irritating sounds. He studied the raven-haired woman, knowing from reading her file that her eyes would be blue when she opened them.
“We both know you’re not sleepin’,” he said finally as he leaned over to rest his forearms on the bedrail on her left side. “There’s all kind of speculation flyin’ around about what happened at that safe house and so far no one’s talkin’.” He reached over and stopped the morphine drip. “I don’t care what it takes to get you to talk to me, but one way or the other you’re gonna tell me what I wanna know.”
“I’m not telling you a damn thing,” Mac hissed. “Tell your boss he can burn in hell because I’m not for sale.”
He pulled his badge out. “I’m a cop, Agent McKenzie. I’ve been through your background up one side and down the other so the trust issues are understandable. But we’ve got limited time here and unless I’m way off my mark you’re bein’ setup to take the fall for your partner’s murder, Duggan’s murder, the death of the witness that was under your protection, and bein’ on Knight’s payroll.”
“I don’t work for that bastard!”
The heart rate monitor started beeping and he reached out to press her back against the pillows when she tried to sit up. “Okay, relax, would you? I’m not tryin’ to take your case and I’m not some gun for hire here to put you down. I’m here to piece together what happened and to do that I need you to cooperate with me.”
“Pat’s dead?” she asked after a moment.
“Not yet, but it doesn’t look good.”
“They couldn’t have found the witness.” She sighed when he restarted the morphine drip. “No. I took precautions to keep… to keep the witness safe in the event that the safe house was ever compromised. I don’t know what could’ve cause Pat to switch sides but I’ve been watching him because something’s been off with him lately. Nothing I could put my finger on, but it was there.”
“You took down your partner and two of Knight’s men… by yourself. How do you explain that?”
“I didn’t take both of them down.” She shrugged and looked away. “Pat took one of them down.”
“Why?” He frowned. “How?”
“My guess would be he knew his time was running out and he wanted to do the right thing. I don’t know what made him throw in with Knight but whatever it was, he knew it was wrong. I won’t defend his choices because there’s no excuse for them. But at the end they had me pinned down, and he could’ve let them take me down, but he didn’t. It saved my life and bought enough time for the witness to get away. I took his sidearm but he still had his backup weapon.” She sighed tiredly. “Ballistics will prove what I’m saying.”
“Unless someone alters the results.”
Her gaze collided with his steady green eyes. “What?”
“Your partner’s in critical condition and you’re the one who put him there. He’s the only one who can offer testimony to corroborate what you’re sayin’ and chances are slim that he’ll make it that long.” He studied her for several moments. “You’re not alone in your belief that we have corrupt officers and agents in our ranks. Proving it’s another matter though.”
“The witness has evidence. Didn’t trust anyone enough to turn it over. Wanted to talk to McCarthy but he was in some sort of accident.”
“That’s why they sent Duggan out. Did he try to get the information out of the witness?” He saw her eyes narrow. “McKenzie, you’re gonna have to start trusting somebody if you’re gonna get outta this mess with your name and your career intact. I’ve been through your past and I have every reason to believe you’re a good agent in spite of some of the things I found.” He knew it was a gamble, but between what he had uncovered and his gut, he decided to take it. “I can tell you your witness is safe.”
She shook her head. “You can’t know that.”
“I do know that. The person protecting her is the only one who knows where she is.”
“No,” she tried to sit up again, “no, if he contacted you she’s already in danger!”
“Morphine’s goin’ to your head, McKenzie,” he said as he pushed her down again, mindful of her injuries. “We know how to cover our asses. No one knows their location. I just wanted you to know because I’m gonna need your help to untangle this mess.” He smiled crookedly. “For the record though, you’ll need my help since technically I don’t know anything about this case.”
“You want me to trust you.”
“It’s a two-way street and you have no idea just how much trust I’m putting in you right now.”
Mac stared at the ceiling after the cop left her room. Could he be trusted? He said he knew where her witness was but he had given her no proof of that. He had expressed an interest in helping clear her name and weeding out the corrupt officers. She wished she didn’t have such an issue trusting people. Sometimes she really envied others for having the ability to be so open and to trust without hesitation. It was exhausting to question the motives of everyone who crossed her path.
She hated that she had been forced to shoot Patrick but he’d left her with no choice. She’d had her suspicions about him for a while but she had hoped when she told Valenti to take the witness out that door that she was wrong. As soon as they’d turned their backs he’d taken aim at them and she’d been left with no choice but to stop him from taking them out. She had seen some bad things go down over the years but she hadn’t been prepared to see her partner aim his weapon at their pregnant witness.
*****
Liz glanced up at Max as they walked along the busy sidewalks after leaving the movie theater. He had been distracted since the night before but he kept blaming it on homework, insisting that he was having some issues with understanding the subject but refusing any help with it. She had a feeling it was more than that but she wanted him to come to her instead of her having to force it out of him.
“Max, I invited my parents over for dinner tomorrow night.”
“Huh?” He shook himself out of his thoughts when she repeated herself. “Oh, right, I remember you mentioning that earlier this week.”
“You’re still gonna be there, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there. You wanted me to help with dinner.”
“Okay.” That made her feel a little bit better.
Max scratched his jaw. “Maria say anything to you about what happened to Michael?”
“She just said there was an accident at his job. He probably tripped over his own feet and doesn’t want anyone to know how clumsy he is.”
He snorted. “Yeah, probably.” He sighed and switched back to the original topic. “So, dinner tomorrow night… what’s on the menu?”
“What do you think about chicken lasagna?”
He made a face. “Uh-uh, lasagna should be made with beef and lots of cheese, not chicken.”
Liz laughed at his expression. “Okay, I was kidding about that. I thought we’d just keep it simple, maybe make beef and pepper stir-fry. And for dessert I’ve thrown myself on Lilah’s mercy because while I can cook I’m just not that great at making desserts.”
His eyebrows lifted in interest. “Strawberry cheesecake?”
“Yeah, I know how much you enjoy it and since she likes you better than me she said she’d make one for tomorrow night.” She smiled when he took her hand in his. “I know you’ve got homework tonight so I thought I’d go ahead and shop for dinner and if you felt like it I could come by and pick you up and you could stay with me tonight.”
“How about I call you when I’m finished and let you know?”
She bit her bottom lip. “You could just go ahead and come over and study at my place. That seemed to work pretty well last time.”
“I’ve got a few things I need to take care of before I hit the books this evening, Liz. Tell you what, when I’m finished with what I need to do I’ll give you a call and let you know if I feel like I’ll be decent company.”
“You don’t have to be decent company for us to spend time together, Max.”
He sighed. He didn’t know what was going to happen tonight but if things went the way Damon wanted them to go he knew he wouldn’t be able to face Liz, much less spend the night sleeping beside her. He was still fighting that battle within himself. He didn’t know how accidental Michael’s accident really was but he was scared to take the risk because if it had happened with him as the intended target, Damon would only increase the incidents until someone really did get hurt. “You’d wanna spend time with me if I was in a crappy mood?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood.
“You’ve put up with me in a crappy mood.” She nodded finally, dropping the subject and deciding not to push any further. “Okay, I’ll drop you off at home and go take care of the shopping. If you feel like coming over you can just give me a call and Diablo and I will come get you. Sound good?”
“Yeah, that’ll work. If it’s late I’ll just give you a call though. No need for you to be out that late just to come get me.”
She smiled at his concern for her safety. “Max, I’m fully capable of – “
He turned to face her and pressed his forefinger against her lips to silence her. “I know you’re capable of driving that late at night, I just don’t want you out if you don’t have to be.” He could see the argument building and he gave in with a small smile. “Fine, but take Diablo with you.”
She rolled her eyes. Hadn’t she already said that? “I’ll take him with me if I go out.”
He nodded. “Okay, let’s head back to the house so you can get the shopping done and I can take care of my stuff.”
*****
The wind was picking up as Max crossed the street, dodging cars and ignoring the honking horns as annoyed drivers pressed on them longer than necessary. His right hand was wrapped tightly around a briefcase and the weight of it kept his thoughts focused on his reason for this meeting. He ducked through the door held open by a doorman just as the first fat raindrops began to fall, quickly giving the ground a drenching as it turned into a downpour. He shook himself like a wet dog before giving his name to the man sitting behind a mahogany counter.
“Ms. Linwood is expecting you,” the man said and nodded at the elevators across from him.
Max got on the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse suite, feeling every nerve in his body buzzing in agitation. He had met with Damon and listened to the man go on about how he’d better hold up his part of the deal because if he had to pay full price for the shipment he would make sure someone Max cared about paid for it. He had almost backed out at the last minute but Nicholas had slunk in and made an off-handed comment about construction site accidents. He had no idea if they had actually had anything to do with Michael’s accident or if they were just keeping such a close eye on anyone he was associated with that they knew about it. Not that it mattered because he couldn’t put anyone else in danger.
The P overhead lit up as the bell dinged and he swallowed hard as the doors slid open. The woman waiting for him was beautiful in spite of her age but there wasn’t an ounce of interest in him. He forced a smile to the surface and walked into the living room ahead of her. “It’s been a while, Ms. Linwood.”
She frowned at his stiff, formal tone. “I think you can do better than that, Max,” she purred as she watched him from the doorway.
“Maybe.” He placed the briefcase on the coffee table and unlocked it, lifting the lid and turning it so she could view the stacks of bills packed inside.
“Yes, let’s get business out of the way first.” She sat on the couch and took her time counting out the bills in each stack. When she was finished she reached for her cell phone and made a call, ordering whoever was on the other end to release the shipment to Damon’s men. She got up and left him alone while she put the money away in the safe he knew was in her bedroom.
Max tensed when she came back. He watched her as she fixed herself a drink and shook his head when she glanced at him and motioned to the counter of crystal decanters. His breathing became shallow when she picked up a crystal box and carried it over to the coffee table, placing it in the center before lifting the lid off. His heart started to pound when he saw several dozen short vials lined up inside.
“Damon said you might need a little something to put you in the mood,” she said as she picked one out and tapped one deep red fingernail against the glass.
His eyes were riveted to the white powder inside and he swallowed hard.
“Oh, c’mon, Max, loosen up and have a little fun.” She smiled temptingly. “What’s a little sex between friends?”
“We’re not friends,” he forced out. “We were never friends. I was a bargaining chip to you, nothin’ more.”
She laughed. “You should be flattered then. Do you have any idea how much I shaved off of my price just to have you in my bed for the night?”
“Why?” He was desperate to keep her talking, to figure out some way to make her see that she didn’t want him. “It’s been years and there’re plenty of guys out there who’d be interested in you.”
“I’m sure there are, but I’m interested in you.” She unscrewed the cap on the small vial and upended it, tapping the rim against the mirrored surface of the table. “And with the right incentive I’m sure you’ll remember just how interested you are in me.”
He kept his gaze away from the tempting mound of white powder as he shook his head. “How much? I can pay you back and Damon never needs to know what did or didn’t happen tonight.”
“What I took off the top is more than you could make in a year with your little restaurant job.” She nodded when his gaze snapped back to her. “That’s right, I know what you’re doing with your life now. I applaud your efforts, Max, but let’s be realistic here. You only know one thing and trying to fit into the nine-to-five regimented lifestyle isn’t going to work for someone like you.”
He felt like he was going to implode. “Give me the time to get the money together.”
She snorted softly. “Max, the only possible way for you to get that kind of money together would be to involve yourself in something illegal. Is it really worth it?”
“Yeah, it is.”
She leaned back and crossed her right leg over her left, annoyed when his gaze didn’t so much as flicker down at the skin that move revealed. “This argument is pointless, Max. You’re part of the payment and whether or not you like it your presence here is agreement to fulfill that debt.”
That panicky feeling had his chest tightening again. “I’m not gonna do this.”
“Unless you can have the rest of my payment before I speak with Damon in the morning to let him know you’ve fulfilled your duties I think you will.”
He leaned over and snatched up a couple of the vials and shoved them in his pocket. “I’ll be back.”
Dorothy sipped her drink and ran a hand through her hair when he ran from the apartment. “Oh, I’m sure you will be,” she murmured to herself.
*****
Max hit the street running. What the hell had he gotten himself into? He had no idea how much Dorothy seemed to think he was worth, but using what he would make in a year as a guideline… hell, he couldn’t get his hands on that much overnight. He was getting in too deep to get himself out. He was reaching the point where he was running out of options and the only two outcomes he could see was more prison time or ending up in an unmarked grave somewhere.
He wasn’t even aware of the rain pouring down as he cut through Central Park. As he came out near a busy intersection a car cut him off and his hands shot out, hitting the back door above the window. Before he could move back and go around the car the front door shot open and someone grabbed him and shoved him into the backseat. He scrambled to the opposite side when the door slammed shut and he made a grab for the door handle but it wouldn’t release. He reached for the lock only to realize that there wasn’t one. He reached for the switchblade and realized that the guy had disarmed him when he threw him in the car.
The car started to move as he leaned back to look around. A black visor was raised between the front and backseats, preventing him from seeing who had him. The windows were tinted and not only prevented anyone from seeing inside the car, they also kept the person inside from seeing anything outside the car. He tried to keep up with the twists and turns the driver was making but the guy was making an effort to keep him disoriented.
He lost track of time as they took one turn after another and relief warred with trepidation when the car finally came to a stop. The door was opened and he was jerked out of the car without a word. He didn’t recognize the men who hauled him across a large garage and over to a folding table surrounded by uncomfortable metal folding chairs. He was forced into one of the chairs before one of his kidnappers left, disappearing through a door on the far wall.
“You have no right – “
“Shut up,” his captor snarled. “Boss paid me to snatch your ass off the street, not to listen to you bitch.”
“You work for Knight?” Max asked. “You can tell him I’m not gonna – “
The man stared at him with cold eyes. “I’m not here to answer your questions either.”
“Who the fuck do you work for?” God, who else could he have pissed off?
“They work for me.”
His head snapped to the side and he stared in disbelief at the man who stepped through the doorway to cross the room.