26

 

Checking the gun again, Jarek moved through the house. The asshole had really rattled Cali. He didn’t want to think about how close he’d just came to being shot with his own gun. Was Benny just trying to scare Cali, or would it have escalated if he hadn’t come home? His lips pressed into a firm line as he scanned the street. No matter the endgame, he didn’t trust the drunken pervert to have the brains to stay the hell away. He wanted what he’d told Cali to be true. Benny didn’t have power over her anymore. He needed to make sure of that. She was starting a new life. Maybe even one with him. He’d seen the fear and hatred in her eyes tonight. If he didn’t do something, Cali might.

He wandered back toward the mudroom, gaze flicking over the windows. Putting the weapon aside, he busied himself with gathering a load of laundry. He needed to keep his hands busy. Cali’s joke that he’d make someone a good wife popped to mind and he grimaced. Was he worthy of being her man was more the question right now? He opened the washer and jerked his head back in disgust. Either way, letting his clothes from work sit around wasn’t going to improve their smell.

“Great minds,” Cali muttered a few minutes later when she came out of the shower.

Taking the clothes from her hands he added them and dropped the lid. Cali leaned against the machine, a huge yawn contorting her face.  

“TV or bed?” he asked, fighting an answering yawn. The things were contagious.

“Would you be okay with heading to bed?” she asked softly. “It’s early, but we can talk there.”

“That sounds great. My ribs would thank me for getting horizontal. It was a long day.”

She didn’t say anything, but Cali trailed him through the house while he shut off the lights. Reaching over the back of the couch he retrieved the holster and sliding the gun into it, carried it to bed with them. Stripping out of his t-shirt, he left his shorts on and stretched out. Cali shut off the light and he laid there, listening to her shed her shorts. He sighed when she snuggled in beside him.

“It was stupid. I was stupid,” she whispered, face pressed so close he felt the tickle of her lips against his side when she spoke.

“We talked about triggers. Seeing him just flipped yours,” he said, nuzzling the top of her head. “He had control for too many years. He doesn’t now. It pisses him off that you’re not afraid.”

“But I am. Look at what I did tonight.”

Jarek shook his head in the dark. “You didn’t crumble. You prepared to defend yourself. Before, you had to give in or things got worse. That’s the difference. Now we can fight back.”

“We?”

“We stick together. I’ve been there. I know the feeling.”

“The Murphys seem like they were great.”

“They were. But I remember standing at the counter at the hardware store with Mr. M and seeing one of the abusive assholes from a previous placement. I couldn’t curl in small enough to hide. Mr. M didn’t know who the guy was, but he picked up on it. He put a hand on my shoulder and stared the guy down. The asshole slunk out of there with his tail between his legs. It was the first time I felt like someone was on my side.”

“Why do you call him Mr. M and her mom?”

“When I spoke to him I called him sir. He just had a tough presence about him that demanded respect. When I first moved in with them it was sir and ma’am. Even after ma’am became Mom, it just didn’t seem right to call him anything else.”

“What about on the job site?”

Jarek chuckled. “That was actually kind of funny. He told me to call him Mike at work. That was hard, and that’s not even mentioning he was one of three Mikes when I started. I put off using his name for as long as I could and then one day I really needed to get his attention and I ended up yelling Sir … Mike. As you can imagine we both caught grief over that one. Every once in a while, one of the older guys will still call me squire just to mess with me.”

Cali shook in amusement. “Nice.” She was quiet. He listened to the soft whisper of the air conditioner and the sounds of the house. Her fingers danced lightly down his ribs. “Benny and Carol never encouraged us to call them anything different. They corrected the little ones when they called them mom or dad.”

“Sounds like they were the type that are just in it for the check. The Murphys got their foster care license as part of a community outreach thing her church was doing. They had a couple of kids before me. All of them went back to their parents or family. It was hard for Mom to get attached and then let them go. They decided to just do emergency short term. You know, when they need a bed for a night or two while DCFS figures out a placement?”

“Were you the one that wouldn’t leave?”

“Cute, smartass,” he said, tickling her side. “I didn’t come in as a placement. Mr. M found me holed up on one of the job sites. I’d ran away. It had been raining non-stop and I was just looking for someplace dry. I was exhausted and overslept. The crew startled me awake when they came in. I tried to run and ran right into Mr. Murphy. We cracked heads. About knocked us both out.” He smiled remembering the teasing about the twin knots on their foreheads.

“And they didn’t call the cops?”

“I hadn’t done any damage. I guess they figured no harm no foul. Mr. M gave me a slightly smashed breakfast burrito and told me if I wanted to stay around and pick up scrap, he’d make sure I got lunch.”

“Like you didn’t rat me out over sleeping in your Jeep.”

He shrugged. “I told you, I know what it feels like to be on the streets and cold.”

“So, what happened then? How did you end up staying with the Murphys?”

“I worked until lunch. He got me talking with a corned beef sandwich that was the best damn thing I’d ever tasted. I don’t know what I said that made him decide to give me a chance, but he took me home for dinner. The next day Mom called DCFS and worked it out so that I could stay.”

“Jackpot,” she whispered.

“They really were. I couldn’t have asked for better.”

“Do you think about the other places?”

“Not as much as I used to. Sometimes a phrase or a smell triggers a memory or you know, there is the occasional nightmare.”

She nodded against him. “Brut cologne makes me nauseous.”

“I’ll remember that. I know I said I’d eat anything, but the smell of liver cooking makes my stomach queasy and brings on nightmares,” he said, forcing a swallow just at the thought.

Cali shuddered. “I promise, no liver.”

“Same with canned cat or dog food.”

“I don’t want to know,” she said, stroking his belly.

“No. You don’t.”

He closed his eyes. Maybe he shouldn’t have shared that, but it hadn’t sounded like she was judging. People like them did what they had to. Opening his eyes, he rolled his gaze up to the window. The cheap blind he’d hung for her effectively covered the window. He couldn’t keep Benny out of her dreams, but he couldn’t spy on her here.

“So, it really gets better with time? You always hear that, but …” She shrugged under his arm.

“Yeah. I hate when people throw out platitudes about stuff they don’t understand. I can’t say the memories and dreams ever go away, but they dim.”

“That’s something.”

“At the risk of sounding like them, all we can do is build our own lives and make better memories.”

“There you go with the we again,” Cali said, kissing his ribs. “I like that.”

He squeezed her gently against his side. “Me too.”

Her fingers walked over his belly. “Did you know right away that it was going to be different with the Murphys?”

“I’d never been the only kid in the house. Right away that was different. The house was clean and welcoming. That sounds strange, but I don’t know how else to put it. Most of the homes fell into one of two categories, dump or prison. The dumps had so many kids filing in and out that they’d given up on having anything nice. The prisons had locks on everything. The Murphy’s place was like something you saw on TV. Not super fancy, but they had nice furniture that matched, polished woodwork, things sitting around on tables and shelves that weren’t chipped or broken, picture frames with glass in them. It was a real home. They took pride in it.”

“That’s where you get it.”

“I guess. The feeling really stuck with me.”

“I was thinking about that the other day when I stopped at Lucky’s. You work all week and still find time to mow and trim the yard, keep things looking nice. The bums there were sitting around playing video games and the outside of their place looks like it’s vacant with everything overgrown and the porch falling apart.”

He shrugged. “I waited a long time to get something that was mine.”

“It’s good. I … I respect that about you.”

There was an odd hesitation to her words. He wasn’t sure that was what she had wanted to say, but he’d take it. “Thank you.”

“So, were they strict? Sir and ma’am seems a little uptight.”

“Um … they were big on politeness. No nonsense might be the way to describe their style. They had rules. I followed them. If I didn’t, I ended up with jobs that weren’t too fun, like scrubbing the garage floor. That sucked.”

“Why would anyone mop their garage?”

He chuckled. “It wasn’t on Mom’s normal chore list. It was a punishment. I guess it was meant to be boring and tedious and give me plenty of time to think about what I’d done wrong. It’s different, but it didn’t hurt me. I was never beat or starved at the Murphy’s.”

“I don’t know if that’s low standards on your part or kudos to them.”

“After my birth mom and eight hellholes, I’m going with kudos.”    

“One placement. Fed regularly and not smacked around too much. I guess I didn’t have it that bad,” she whispered, drawing what felt like a random pattern on his skin.

Jarek grimaced. “Don’t downplay what you went through.”

“I’m just saying that it could have been worse.”

“Weren’t you the one that said it can always get worse?”

“I guess I was.” She snapped the waistband of his shorts. “If they’d kept their greedy paws off my money and men could keep it in their pants, it wouldn’t have been so bad.”

“If Benny could have kept it in his pants,” he corrected. “Mine doesn’t come out to play without an invitation.”   

She giggled in the dark. “Nice.”

He kissed the top of her head. It was good to hear even a giggle after seeing the fear in her eyes tonight. If sharing some of his baggage made it easier, he’d risk the nightmares.

“You really think she liked me?”

“Mom?”

Cali nodded, shifting in the crook of his arm to get more comfortable.

“You’re not easy to fool, and Mrs. M is not shy about sharing her feelings. If she hadn’t liked you, you would’ve known it.”

“I threatened to call the cops on her. I know the guys that jumped you. I didn’t call her when you were in the hospital. How can she possibly like me?”

“She admired your spunk. She told me that you caught her looking in the window. It wasn’t up to you to tell her about my injuries. That was on me, and she knows I’m stubborn. And like it or not, she understands that sometimes the past bites you in the ass.”

“My past needs to leave your ass alone,” she muttered. 

“Lucky and I had history. You know that.”

“But I put you back on his radar.”

“Benny’s lies did that.”

“And how did you get on Benny’s shit list?”

Jarek sighed. He wasn’t going to win this argument. “The important thing here is that my mom likes your spunk and your freckles.”

“My freckles?”

He could picture her nose scrunching up with the incredulous question. He grinned. He loved her freckles. “She said you were adorable.”

“I think your mom is on drugs.”

“Hey!” he said, laughing in protest. “I think you’re beautiful.”

“She must be sharing.”

He squished her in a hug. “Just accept a compliment.”

Cali shook her head but hugged him back. She smothered a yawn against his chest.  

“Ten-hour shifts in this heat kick my ass. I need to get some sleep.”

“Ditto,” he muttered around a yawn.

She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips.

“Thank you for tonight.”

He wasn’t sure what to say to that. Thank you for what? He kissed her back.

“We’re better together,” he offered.

“I thought you were a pro with your tool, Muttley.”

He laughed. “Perv.”

“Like you wouldn’t have said the same thing.”

“Mmm … maybe.”

“We make a pretty good team though,” she said, drawing designs on his bare skin again.

“We do. And it’s a lot more fun with two.”

Her body shook against him. “Now who’s the pervert?”

“It was too good to pass up.”

“I know I am,” she giggled.

He grinned into her hair. Exhaustion was making them slaphappy. “The spirit is willing, but the body is beat.”

“All right. Raincheck then,” she mumbled, her words almost unintelligible around a yawn.

“Deal.”

“Mmm … rainhead,” she whispered. “Have you ever done it in the Bond shower?”

“I haven’t even done it in this house.”

“You poor baby.”

“I wasn’t fishing for sympathy. You asked.”

Cali pressed her face to his side and yawned again. “We’ll add it to the bucket list for when your ribs are healed, big boy.”

“The fact that you are making a list of places to have sex with me makes me very happy.”

She pinched his side.

“Ow!”

“Don’t get cocky.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Smiling, he concentrated on the warm brush of her breath against his skin. He liked holding her. He liked just being around Cali. Talking, joking, working, laughing, loving … it all felt good. She understood him. He didn’t have to be anything special with her. For the second time in his life, he felt like he had someone on his side.

“Maybe Mrs. M and I have something more in common than red hair,” she whispered sleepily.  

“What’s that?”

“We both know how to keep you in line.”

 

 

Staring at the bay doors Jarek rubbed fingers over his chin. He wasn’t too sure about this. A scrawny grease monkey paused in the doorway, gaze running appreciatively over the ’77. Shaking off the misgivings, Jarek stepped out of the truck.

“Nice truck, man. Can I help you?”

“Thanks. I’m looking for Lucky.”

“Lucky!”

The shout drew stares. The man that wandered out of the shadowy garage had the most impressive. Lucky’s pale eyes were narrowed and cold. Stepping into the sunlight, he scanned the street before bringing them back to Jarek. All too aware of the hovering grease monkey, Jarek nodded toward the truck.

“Do you have a couple of minutes?”

Squinting at the truck, Lucky nodded and followed him across the lot. Popping the hood to sell the story, Jarek looked at the dark-haired man out of the corner of his eye, but Lucky spoke first.

“Showing up at my place of employment isn’t going to save your ass if something happened to Cali.”

“Cali’s fine. For now.”

The predatory stare narrowed.

“She said she talked to you about your foster father.”

Lucky snorted. “Benny.”

It seemed the Johnsons dislike for warm and fuzzy familial titles extended to the description.

“That day he threatened her, he made a point that I wouldn’t always be around. Now the assclown is doing drive-bys when I’m not there.”

Lucky’s jaw clenched. Pulling a rag out of his back pocket, he started slowly wiping the grease from his hands.

“She saw him?”

“Right after I pulled out, he cruised by. He had to be waiting.”

“Why are you here?”

“Because Cali said that you were going to talk to the asshole and end the family drama. Him driving by my house, blowing kisses to Cali and scaring the shit out of her doesn’t sound like it’s over.”

“Are you blaming this shit on me?” Lucky snapped.

Jarek rolled his eyes at the puffed-out chest and clenched fists. “I’m here to get your help before Benny gets really stupid and Cali shoots his ass.”

Lucky frowned, his posture relaxing slightly. “Cal has a gun?”

“I do and she almost shot me with it last night.”

“Way to go, Slick,” Lucky said, his smirk making Jarek want to punch him. “What is it you want me to do? You want me to use him for batting practice? Or were you thinking something more permanent? I take it this is your ask for not turning me in.”

“Ask? Jesus,” he said, shaking his head. “This isn’t a mob hit. I just want the asshole to leave Cali alone. I thought if you had talked to him that you might at least have an idea where his head is.”

“Firmly up his ass,” Lucky said with a snort.

“I told Cali that Benny doesn’t have power over her anymore, but as long as he’s scaring her, that’s a lie. If we’re going to have a chance I need to make that true.”

“We? You looking for some sort of happily ever after with Cal?”

“That might be pushing it. Life isn’t a fairytale, but we understand each other and we enjoy being together. I definitely want to try.”

“You must really like her to put up with Benny and me.”

“I do. If I go talk to him will he listen to reason?”

Lucky stared down at the truck’s big engine and shook his head. “Benny is a drunk. When he’s not drunk, it’s because he’s broke. I don’t know if he’s a bigger prick drunk or sober. Either way, the only two things he respects are cash and fists. He stopped smacking me around when I got big enough to knock him down. Unless you can buy him or beat him, he’s not going to listen to you.”

Blowing out a breath, Jarek rubbed the back of his neck. “When he was trespassing, maybe I would’ve been in the right to kick his ass. I can’t wait around for him to get that close to Cali again.”

“It sounds like if you wait for that Cal will put a bullet in one of you,” Lucky said with a chuckle.

“That’s a good possibility. She looked serious behind that Sig.”

“She might be little, but Cal can get nasty.”

“She walked right toward Benny that day in the yard and told him what a worthless piece of shit he was, but she was shaken up when I got home last night. I think that she had started to relax, think it was over.”

Lucky looked off into the distance for a moment and then nodded. “I’ll have a chat with Benny Boy.”

“Why would you do that for me?”

“I’m not doing it for you, Polack. I’m doing it for Cal. If anyone deserves to crawl out of the system shithole It’s her.”

“You two are close,” Jarek said, not sure what he was saying or suggesting.

“She was no more than a scared kid when she came in, but she stood up for the littler ones and acted like a mother. I know the look you were talking about. She was just a kid and she stared Benny down.” Lucky wiped a hand over his mouth and squinted across the parking lot again. “Maybe that was why he found a different way to break her.”

“She has scars like the rest of us, but she didn’t break. Cali doesn’t want to be a victim. She wants a life.”

“Then I guess it’s up to us guys to make sure Benny doesn’t fuck that up. You go play house and make my little sister happy, and I’ll deal with Benny.”

“I’ll do everything I can to keep her safe and happy.”

“Lucky for you, I believe that.”   

Jarek stepped back as Lucky pulled out the prop and let the hood fall into place.

“We’re not even, Kaminski. This is for Cal. I still owe you,” Lucky said, looking at the grease rag again. “Obviously, you know where to find me.”