Chapter 4
RHETT
Every time the door to the registration office opens, I can’t help but look. I’ve been waiting close to an hour, and it’s clear the girl’s not going to show.
I didn’t expect her to come, but a part of me still hoped she would.
The guys all think I’m insane, and I’m likely to agree with them. I don’t know what came over me. All I keep thinking is that could’ve been Mia. If Mr. Hayes didn’t help us after our parents died, we could’ve ended up living on the streets.
Evie… fuck, I don’t even know her last name. The second I saw her it felt like the ground opened beneath my feet. She seriously looks like a starving kid. A kid who was about to strip down and clean my fucking house.
A wave of sickening anger slams hard into my gut. What the fuck is wrong with this world that kids live on the street?
I might be a twisted fucker, but I’ll never be able to turn a blind eye to a woman or kid who needs help. Dad taught me that men are stronger for a reason, and it’s to protect women and children.
I get up, not having a fucking clue how I’m going to find Evie. I only know her first name, where she works and that she lives on the fucking street. She wouldn’t tell me anything else about herself, not that I blame her. I would’ve done the same thing if I were in her shoes.
As I walk towards the parking area, I glance across the campus, but there’s still no sign of her. When I get to my car, I feel frustrated with the whole situation.
There’s no way I can just give up, so I decide to drive to the dump she works at. When I get to Double D’s Cleaning Services, I park my car across the street and make myself comfortable. I’ll wait here all day if I have to.
I slouch down in the driver’s seat and make myself as comfortable as possible. I only manage to wait ten minutes before impatience gets the better of me.
“Fuck this,” I growl as I get out of the car and cross the street. I shove the door open and stalk towards the reception counter.
The receptionist seems bored out of her mind until she spots me. Immediately she sits up as a smile spreads across her face. Everything about her looks dried out, from her frizzy hair to her face that’s covered with makeup.
“I’m looking for Evie,” I cut to the chase.
“All the girls are out on calls, but I have a lunch break in twenty minutes,” she says, winking at me.
I ignore the bold offer and let my eyes sweep over the sparse furniture.
“What time will Evie be back?” I ask, and the pissed-off look on my face quickly makes her smile dry up.
“The name doesn’t ring a bell,” she says, probably being a bitch because I won’t give her the time of day.
A man comes out of an office and drops a piece of paper on the reception counter. “Get the sale up on the website,” he barks at the receptionist.
I doubt he’ll be of any help, but it doesn’t stop me from taking a step in his direction. “I’m looking for Evie. She works here.”
He turns to me with an irritated look settling on his face. “I fired her ass. I’m not a pimp so get off my fucking property.”
For a second I’m tempted to punch the sneer off his face, but thankfully I manage to not lose my temper. I don’t spare the door from my anger though, and slam it so hard that the glass vibrates.
What the fuck do I do now?
I’ll have to search the streets for Evie. I won’t stop worrying until I know that kid is safe.
I pull my phone from my pocket and dial Carter’s number.
“You know you missed class, right?” he answers.
“I don’t care,” I say before I get to the heart of the problem. “Evie was a no-show this morning.”
“Who?” he asks, sounding confused.
“That girl from yesterday. Evie,” I say, letting out an impatient sigh.
“You’re wasting your time, Rhett.”
I know he’s right, but I can’t just give up.
“I’m going to drive around a bit. I have to try to find her.”
I can picture him shaking his head as he keeps quiet for a few seconds.
“Come get me. You can’t drive and look for her alone.”
“Thanks, I owe you.”
I cut the call, shove the phone back in my pocket and get in the car. The entire drive home, I keep glancing around, hoping I’ll get lucky.
I know Carter thinks I’m insane for wanting to help this girl. I don’t know how to explain it to him. Saying that I want to do for her what Mr. Hayes did for me, doesn’t begin to sum it up. It’s a combination of things.
There’s no way Evie’s eighteen. Mia looks older than Evie, and Mia just turned fifteen. I think what got to me most was how scared and embarrassed she looked. I don’t know anything about her past, but there’s no way someone like her will make it on the street.
When I stop out front, I only have to wait a few seconds before Carter comes out. As he walks around to the driver’s side, I let the window down so I can hear what he wants to say.
“I can’t remember what the girl looks like. I’ll drive while you search for her.”
I shove the door open and walk around the car to the passenger side. I can’t believe Carter can’t remember her. I’ll recognize Evie from her red hair alone, never mind those green eyes. She might be a kid, but she’s a pretty kid. Even though she’s skinny as hell, it doesn’t hide her beauty.
As Carter starts the car, he asks, “What’s it with you and this girl?”
“She’s a kid, Carter. I can’t let her live on the streets. She won’t make it out there.”
Carter shakes his head, not agreeing with me.
“I might be helping, but that doesn’t mean that I agree with you. You can’t save people like her. She’ll keep going back to the street, no matter how hard you try.”
I glare at him before turning my eyes back to the street.
“Nothing you say will stop me from trying,” I whisper.
Carter lets out a heavy breath, but at least he keeps driving.
“Where do you want to start looking?” he asks.
“I don’t know.” I think about it for a minute then say, “Close to restaurants and fast food places. If I were homeless, I would stay close to any place I can get food.”
Hours later, I’m on the verge of losing hope when Carter says, “I’m stopping at McDonald's. You want something?”
I have no appetite which alone says a lot about my mood. I’ve never been so upset over a stranger before.
“Just get me a bottle of water.”
When we pull up to the drive-thru, there are six cars ahead of us.
Without thinking it through, I open the door. “I’m going to look around while you get your food.”
I’m out of the car before Carter can respond. Walking through the parking area, I head away from the main street. When I pass by the dumpsters, the stench is almost overwhelming. I carry on down a quieter road, looking up every alley.
I only realize how far I’ve walked when Carter pulls up next to me. The pissed off glare I get from him tells me he’s ready to head home.
I can’t give up yet. I know I’ll find Evie if I just keep looking.
When I don’t get back in the car, Carter gets out and growls, “What the fuck are you doing, Rhett? We’ve been driving around for hours. Get your ass in the car. We’re going home.”
“No,” I say, as I start to walk away from him. “She could be in the next alley.”
“Rhett!” he yells at the same time a cry echoes from nearby.
I start to run in the direction I heard the cry come from. It sounded like a woman. If it’s a cry for help, I sure as hell won’t ignore it.
“Fuck!” Carter shouts, and he slams the car door closed.
I turn right into an alley, but except for a couple of dumpsters, it’s empty. For a moment I doubt that I ran in the right direction.
“Rhett, this is fucking crazy,” Carter snaps when he catches up to me.
Frustrated that this entire day has been a fucking waste, I shake my head. If I could just see that Evie is okay, I’ll feel better.
Carter places his hand on my shoulder, and I know he’s trying his best to understand my insane decision to find Evie.
“I get that you want to help her, but she’s gone. For all you know she’s already on her way to another town. You tried, Rhett, but it’s time to go home.”
“Yeah, you’re –” My words are cut off by another cry, and this time it’s fucking close. I run towards the dumpsters, and only when I’ve passed the first two, do I see a flash of red hair.
I hear something being slammed into the side of the dumpster, and as I come around it, I see that it was Evie. She falls down to the ground, but immediately darts back to her feet. I’m so fucking relieved that I’ve found her, that I freeze for a second.
“This is my alley,” a homeless man roars at her.
I quickly step between them as my heart beat spikes and anger starts to simmer in my chest.
Taking hold of Evie’s hand, I keep her behind me. The last thing I want is for her to run while I face the fucking insane man.
“She’s leaving. There’s no reason for this to get ugly,” I try to reason with the guy.
“This is my alley,” he roars again, and from his bloodshot eyes it’s clear he’s either on something, or he got his hands on alcohol. Fuck, I don’t want to beat up a homeless guy but I will if he becomes a threat.
“We’re leaving,” I growl as I switch Evie’s hand to my right one. I push her to the side until Carter takes her from me.
Only when Carter starts to walk away with Evie safely at his side, do I back away entirely.
As soon as there’s a safe distance between myself and the homeless guy, he loses interest in me and sits down next to a battered box which must be his home.
I jog to catch up with Carter and Evie, and I’m surprised that she’s not fighting us. It’s only then the thought that she might’ve gotten hurt, crosses my mind.
I take hold of her arm and pull her to a stop. When I lift her face up, her skin is pale, and her eyes are big from shock.
“Are you hurt?” I ask as I glance over her body, but the baggy clothes she’s wearing just about cover every inch of her. She looks skinnier than yesterday. It’s like she’s vanishing right in front of my eyes.
A wave of protectiveness surges through me. I want to pick Evie up and carry her away from this life. Everyone deserves a chance at a good life, and there’s nothing I want more than to be that chance for her.
She shakes her head, and her chin starts to quiver. “I didn’t know that was his alley,” she whispers as a tear escapes her eye. “I was looking through the dumpsters when he caught me. I tried to explain, but he wouldn’t listen.”
I glance back to make sure the guy isn’t following us, but there’s no sign of him.
I place my arm around her shoulder and draw her to my side. Feeling her tremble, makes me hold her a little tighter. The top of her head barely reaches my shoulder.
“It looked like he was on something. Let’s get out of here.”
She doesn’t put up a fight until we reach the car. Pulling away from me, she glances back to make sure she’s safe from that guy before she faces us. From the fear in her eyes, I know she still sees me as a threat.
Before she can start to panic, I say, “I just want to help you. Let me drop you off at a hotel so you’ll at least be safe for the night. We can talk about everything tomorrow after you’ve eaten something and had a good night’s rest.”
Her green eyes are filled with uncertainty as she wraps her arms around her waist. I can see that she’s torn between accepting my offer and running.
I keep my distance from her, not wanting to spook her any more than she already is.
“Evie, if I wanted to hurt you, I would’ve already. I really just want to help you. We don’t have to take my car. We can grab a cab. Let’s just get you a room at a hotel so you can be safe for the night. We can meet for breakfast tomorrow and talk about the deal some more. Just give me a chance to help you.”
A sad look washes over her face, making her eyes look bruised.
“Okay,” she whispers. I get a feeling she only agreed because she doesn’t have any other choice.
“Will you take the car home?” I ask Carter who has been watching us silently. Yeah, he’s not happy with me right now, but it’s great to know that even though I pissed him off, he still had my back.
“Are you going to take a cab home?” he asks me.
“Yeah, but I’ll call you from the hotel. I just want to get Evie settled.”
“Right,” he says. He knows me better than anyone else, which means he knows I won’t leave that hotel until I’ve talked to Evie and I know she’s off the street.
At least he doesn’t argue. As he drives away, Evie and I start to walk towards McDonald’s.
“You want to get something to eat while I call for a cab?”
I watch her swallow hard, and then she nods, a look of hunger replacing the sadness that was there a second ago.
I’m taking that as a win. The longer Evie’s in my company, seeing that I won’t hurt her, the better the odds are that she’ll take the deal.