“Well, we’ll have a chat with him again.” Court gave a positively evil grin. “Maybe we can convince him it’s not in his interest to be around this place or the people who come here.” He lowered his voice. “They’ve suffered enough—why should they have to go through this shit with him?”
Robert had heard many stories about bad cops, and in the years since he started the shelter, he’d run into a few himself, but guys like Court made him feel that there were good apples too. And today, Robert was glad he had someone on his side.
Chapter Three
HIS FATHER was on Galen before he even had a chance to sit down. He barged into the office and stood, palms flat on the desk, his beady little eyes glaring down at Galen, who really wasn’t in the mood for this right now. He was out of sorts after his confrontation with Robert Kotke. Just who the hell did the man think he was? Galen had half a mind to buy the fucking building and throw Kotke and his disgusting gaggle of people back out onto the streets.
“Did you get the goddamn check or not?”
Galen reached up and slid a hand over his jacket pocket. Why was he so hesitant to give the money to his father? It wasn’t like it belonged to Robert, even if Noel hadn’t been wrong. If his father had taken Noel to court, he might have come out the winner, but the resulting public-relations scandal would have been a nightmare to deal with. Noel could make their lives a living hell.
“I asked you a question, and I would prefer not to repeat myself, Galen.”
He slipped his hand into his pocket, withdrew the check, and handed it over to his father.
“I’m surprised you were able to get it. People like that are…. Well, they’re a pox on our society. They cost hundreds of millions of dollars each year in free medical care, food, and things of that sort.” He tore the check in half, then slipped both pieces into Galen’s shredder. “Best to ship them all off to a faraway island and then nuke the damn thing.”
Irritation bubbled up inside Galen. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen this side of the man. Hell, it was pretty much the only side he had. He constantly berated the staff both in the office and at home, but how many times had Galen caught him fucking the maid, only to laugh it off and tell Galen he could have a go at her too if he wanted? As far as Jonathan and Miranda Merriweather were concerned, the people who worked for them were just amusing toys, easily replaced when they grew tired of them. It didn’t matter who they were—gardener, chauffeur, assistant, mailroom clerk, one of the partner’s kids. If they were cute, they were an open target for Galen’s parents.
As much as Galen was loath to admit it, the only one who was actually decent in his family was Lincoln. True, Galen didn’t agree with his methods, but his results couldn’t be denied. He’d had nothing when their father froze Lincoln’s assets, telling him that all the money belonged to him and not Lincoln. Instead of getting upset, Lincoln walked out, sold all the tangible goods he had, and opened the Park View diner.
And though Galen couldn’t understand it, Lincoln seemed happy. Even more so since Noel. What was it about him that had Lincoln walking on air? He was a homeless kid, for God’s sake. Even though their father had told Noel that Lincoln’s diner would fail before the end of the year, Galen knew better. Lincoln had been at the top of his game when he worked for Primal, and his years of slinging burgers hadn’t dulled his business acumen.
Galen sighed. Fine, he followed Park View on Facebook, and the place had a 4.7 rating, with only two one-star reviews, and those were because the guy who’d served them had been pretty stoned. Lincoln ran a good, clean place with excellent food, and though he’d never admit it, Galen had enjoyed going there in the mornings. Katy, his server, was a great way to start the day, with her cheerful demeanor.
Galen remembered the morning he did something so stupid, it cost him his brother. He’d gotten a call from their father, demanding a meeting at five in the morning. Galen went, and Father raged about their latest acquisition and how it was underperforming what the paperwork said. While Galen assured him they could turn the place around and make it profitable once more, his father had said no and announced they were closing it. Two hundred jobs… gone, just like that. And, of course, Galen had been the one to pass along the news, which made him public enemy number one to those people.
He’d gone to the diner and found it wasn’t open yet. Lincoln never opened late. Why Galen was so irritated was beyond Lincoln. But when Noel came over and gave him a pleasant smile and told him they were grateful for his patronage, Galen lashed out, delighting in seeing Noel’s expression when Galen said that he didn’t want a homeless person touching his food and that Noel should be back out on the street where he belonged. Noel trudged away, and Galen felt all was right with the world once more. He’d taken Noel down a peg and reminded him of his place.
Then Lincoln got involved. Galen had seen the many moods of Lincoln Merriweather, but the one on display that day shook Galen to his core. He honestly believed if Lincoln was a violent man, he would have hurt Galen. Fortunately, Noel came out into the alley, where Lincoln was holding Galen against the wall, and said he had orders. The anger bled from Lincoln, leaving him looking sad. He told Noel to go back inside and he’d be there in just a moment.
After Noel closed the door, Lincoln told Galen he wasn’t allowed at the diner anymore. He chose to align himself with indigents instead of his own family, and Galen couldn’t understand any of it. How could it be that was what made Lincoln happy? He worked eighteen hours a day, seven days a week. He busted his ass for peanuts. Primal was a damned Fortune 500 company. Working there, he and Galen had power, money, and even if Galen did it on the sly, he and Lincoln both indulged their hedonistic tendencies to the fullest.
“Are you even listening to me?”
Galen jerked up. “I’m sorry, I was thinking. What did you say?”
His father shook his head. “See? This is why I wanted Lincoln back here. Even if he and I didn’t see eye to eye about most things, he was still capable of multitasking.” He turned and strode to the door without another word to Galen, who sat fuming.
He picked up his phone and jammed the button for his secretary. “Olivia, bring me in the files for the Wayne acquisition.”
“Right away, Mr. Merriweather.”
Olivia was a good assistant. She did what she was asked, never complained, and was perpetually sunny. Seeing her was what made coming into work tolerable.
A few minutes later, the door opened, and she came into the room, a stack of files in her arms. “Here you are, sir.” She placed them on the corner of his desk. When he looked up, she was frowning, a totally alien expression for her. “Are you okay?”
He hadn’t been expecting that question.
“I’m fine.” He paused. “Don’t I seem okay?”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. It’s not my place. I’ll be at my desk if you need anything.”
As she headed for the door, Galen had the overwhelming urge to find out what she’d meant. “Olivia? Why would you think there’s something wrong?”
She sighed but looked back at him. “I heard your father yelling, and I thought maybe you might be upset.”
Of course she’d heard him. As loud as his father got, Galen wouldn’t be surprised if the people over in Legal had heard him.
“I’m fine.” He grinned when she turned around. “Well, mostly.” He gestured to the chair across from his desk. She sat dutifully, her hands folded in her lap. “Thank you for your concern. It’s really appreciated.”
She graced him with a soft smile. “You’re a good boss. I like working here.”
Now that was something Galen had never heard before. Olivia had been with him for three years. Prior to her, he’d had a string of assistants who were adequate but never really stood out in their jobs. The first week after she’d been hired, Olivia came in and soaked up everything he told her she’d be responsible for. On the second week, she started organizing his life, keeping his schedule immaculate. She kn
ew where he needed to be, when he had to be there, who he had to talk to, and more. In fact, Galen was in awe of her.
“Do you remember when you told me you wanted to restructure my filing system?”
She chuckled. “I have no idea how anyone worked with that.”
Galen winced. “That was how I set it up.”
“Oh, I know.” She winked. “And it was awful.”
They both laughed, and the pressure in Galen’s chest lessened. He chuckled, recalling her riding roughshod over him for the whole filing system thing. She’d ranted and raved about it, saying it was the equivalent of a teenager’s room. This one was no shrinking violet, and Galen thought maybe that was why he liked her.
She cocked her head to the right and regarded Galen with… concern? “Can I say something that’s likely to get me in trouble for overstepping?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“You’re too good for this place.”
Her words were a splash of cold water in Galen’s face. “What the hell does that mean?”
If he thought she was going to back off, he was wrong.
She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. “You aren’t your father. You’re tough, but you have a heart. I know how hard you work to protect it, and it makes me sad that you can’t be who you really are.”
Sweat trickled down Galen’s back.
“I am who I am.”
“Mr. Merriweather…. Galen, I’ve watched you for three years. I’ve seen girls here throw themselves at you, hoping the rumors about what kind of person your father is would also extend to you. You never once gave them even a notice. But Judd in Accounting? When he delivers the daily reports, you can’t take your eyes off him.”
No, this couldn’t be happening. No one was supposed to know. He’d tried so damn hard to keep it a secret, and now Olivia had the power to destroy his career and his life with a few words in the right ear.
“You can stop freaking out. I’m not going to say anything to anyone. My baby brother is gay, and if someone hurts him, I will scratch their fucking eyes out.” The corner of her lip curled up. “You remind me a lot of him, you know. Our father is a dick, and he proves it every time he opens his mouth. Aiden? He’s got a soft heart, would never speak harshly to anyone. He’s the guy who rescues baby animals and nurses them back to health, then sets them free. When he discovered Wicca, he became a convert right away, and all because of their motto: ‘An’ it harm none, do what ye will.’ It didn’t last long, but his core is still the same. He wants the world to be a better place, and he does what he can to make it so.”
“He sounds like an amazing kid.”
She beamed at him. “He is. He’s twenty-four now, and he’s got a heart as big as the whole outdoors.” Her lips thinned out as she scowled. “Not long after his fourteenth birthday, he came to my apartment one night, in tears because Dad had seen something on the news about a Pride parade and started going off on fucking faggots and how they were ruining things for decent people. Aiden threw himself on my bed and sobbed, trying hard to get the words out, but each time he looked at me, he only stammered. I took his hand and told him that no matter what he had to say, I loved him, and that he only needed to remember that.”
Galen held his breath, unable to tear himself away from her story. “And?”
“He told me he was gay and that our father hated him.” She sighed. “You want to know the sad thing? I should have been able to tell him that, no, our father would never hate him, but the truth of the matter was, I couldn’t lie to him. Dad hated so many people, and for the stupidest of reasons.” She snorted. “How much does it suck that I couldn’t tell my brother his father loved him?”
“Where is he now?”
“He lives with me. I told him to make himself at home, then went over to get his stuff. Aiden has enough problems, and I wasn’t going to have our father make him feel bad about himself. Do you know what he said when I told him I’d come for Aiden’s things? I never said a word about Aiden being gay, just that he couldn’t live with our parents anymore. Dad said, and I quote, ‘Always knew the kid was one of them. Go on. Get his shit and get it the hell out of here. And tell him he’s not welcome back in this house ever again.’ A few weeks after he moved in, their lawyer contacted me and said that our parents were signing Aiden over to me, as he wasn’t their problem anymore. It crushed Aiden’s spirit for a time, but I was glad because I became his legal guardian, and that allowed me to put him on my insurance here.”
“Oh, damn. That’s harsh.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “That’s the kind of person he is. Neither Aiden or I have seen him since, and while I don’t miss him at all, Aiden still thinks there was something he could have done or said that would have made the situation better.” She gave a wistful sigh. “That’s who he is, though. He wants everyone happy, no matter what. He takes every failure personally. What makes it worse? He’s got Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, and it makes walking hard for him. To get around, he uses a walker, or if he’s doing something where he’d need to be on his feet for an extended period, he uses a wheelchair.” She gave a proud smile. “When he was younger, some of the kids at school were pretty harsh, but Aiden never let it stop him from getting out there and living his life.”
In all the time Olivia had worked for him, Galen had never once asked her anything personal, and now he knew that had been a mistake. She was a bright, strong, independent woman, and it was obvious how much she cared about Aiden.
“Will he be okay?”
“We think he’s about as good as he’s going to get. When he went to our parents and complained about his legs aching, they told him that it was growing pains and that he’d be fine. He wasn’t. Over the next couple years, the aches got worse, and finally they took him in. By then the damage was done. They were able to make things a little better, but he’s got the potential for rheumatoid arthritis later in life, and a hip replacement is likely. But he still smiles every freaking day. When things here are tough, his smile is what gets me up and moving in the morning.”
An unusual feeling swept over Galen. His stomach fluttered and his heart thumped faster. “Is there anything I can do?”
She shook her head. “Thank you for asking, but no. I’ve got good insurance, and Aiden gets to see specialists, so it’s okay.” She frowned. “But back to you. Do you like working here?”
He scoffed. “What’s not to like? This place has millions of dollars running through it every day. I get the chance to show my stuff and to make my father proud.”
“And do you really think he is?”
No, he wasn’t. Nothing Galen did was ever going to be good enough. He worked harder than anyone else, just to try to be half as good as Lincoln had been.
“In his own way.” The lie left an awful taste in his mouth. Galen couldn’t point to a time their father had cared about either him or Lincoln. Just the thought of him had Galen’s stomach churning. “Listen, best of luck to your brother and you, but I need to get back to work.”
Without hesitation she stood. “Right. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s just…. It’s okay.”
She nodded and made for the door. Galen wanted to call after her and say something. Hell, anything. He’d been a dick again, and Olivia was the last one who deserved it.
“Olivia?”
She didn’t turn back around. “Yes, Mr. Merriweather?”
And gone was “Galen.” Now he was back to being her boss.
“I just wanted to say, you know, thanks for asking if I was okay.”
This time she did look over her shoulder, and a slight smile crossed her face. “Thank you for letting me ask.” She reached for the door handle, then stopped. “Mr. Merriweather?”
“Yes?”
Her shoulders rose and fell in a silent sigh. “No matter what you might think, I will always believe you’re too good for this place. Your father is extracting pieces of your soul and cru
shing them. I hope you… I hope you can keep the best parts of yourself.”
And then she was gone, leaving Galen to wonder if he actually had any good parts left to hold on to.
Chapter Four
TWO DAYS later, Robert wanted beer. Or chocolate. Or just a damned massage. The stress of the last couple of days had his back muscles knotting, and there was no end in sight of things that needed to be done. He tried to think back to when he’d had his last vacation. What was it? Eleventh grade, when he and his parents went on a speaking tour for people who wanted to interview him? They’d tried to talk him out of it, but Robert was eating that stuff up. There were more and more times recently that he wished he had listened to them.
He was elbow-deep in wash water when a breeze let him know the door in the back had been opened. A lot of his people came in through that way because they got fewer ugly stares when they were seen in an alley.
“I’ll be right with you.”
“It’s okay, I know the way.”
Noel’s voice washed over him, and Robert couldn’t believe how excited he got. He needed to see a friendly face in the worst way right now. He opened the drain on the sink, letting the water swirl down, then flipped the switch for the garbage disposal, which gave a temperamental whine before finally grinding the bits of food that had slipped through. He wiped off his hands and turned in time to see Noel striding in. Without thinking, he rushed forward and grabbed him up, clutching him tight.
Noel squeezed him back, tethering Robert in the moment. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Noel extracted himself from Robert’s grip, put his hands on Robert’s shoulders, and stared into his eyes.
“We need tea if we’re going to have any conversations.” He hustled over to the cabinet and pulled out the kettle, which he filled with water before finally placing it on the stove. He glanced over his shoulder as he turned on the burner. “Can you grab some mugs?”
Galen's Redemption Page 3