Galen's Redemption

by Parker Williams

  “Sure thing.”

  Billy Cassidy—who, at fourteen, was one of Robert’s younger clients—slipped into the kitchen, his gaze down. “Hey, Mr. K. How’s it going?”

  Oh, this sounded bad. His voice was too soft, and coming from Billy, that was never a good thing. “I’m all right. How are you?”

  Billy shrugged. “I’m okay. Cops are hassling us for sleeping under the viaduct again.”

  Noel sighed. “We told you that wasn’t a safe place for you guys to crash.”

  Billy’s head snapped up, his gaze defiant. “And what do you suggest, Mr. Noel? Mom’s pregnant, and she needed a place to get some rest.”

  That caught Robert’s attention. “Wait. Your mom is pregnant?” Robert realized he hadn’t seen Elaine in months. He chastised himself for not knowing it sooner. “Why the hell isn’t she coming to the shelter?”

  Billy mumbled something under his breath.

  “What was that?”

  He sighed. “She said it’s no safer in here than out there. We heard about Bree. Mom says it’s just one of the things that keeps her from coming here.”

  Well, that was just freaking great. Word among the homeless often spread like wildfire. From places to find food to news about someone disappearing, they had the whole networking thing down pat.

  “Bree is going to be just fine. She made a bad decision, and I’m making sure she gets the help she needs. I’ve got her into a treatment program, and Officer Court had the man who sold her the garbage arrested.” He held his hands out to Billy. “I’m not perfect, but I’d like to think we’re better than being out in the cold, especially when she’s pregnant.”

  Noel put a hand on Billy’s shoulder. “Speaking of which….”

  Robert smiled when Noel went to the refrigerator and pulled out a loaf of bread, some lunchmeat, and a bit of butter. He set to work making a few impromptu sandwiches, which he then wrapped in paper towels. He grabbed a bag from atop the refrigerator and placed them inside, then turned and put it in Billy’s hands.

  “Now you listen to me, Billy. Your mom needs to eat, so take these with you and let her know they’re from me. Tell her she needs to get her ass back into the shelter. Robert and I will find her a place to get checked out, but under no circumstances is she to take this lightly.”

  Billy went to pull back, but Noel held tight.

  “And you tell her that if she doesn’t, I’m coming after her. Remind her she owes Robert and me for taking care of you when she was too sick to do it herself.”

  A slight smile tugged at Billy’s lips. Everyone loved Noel, and right then, no one did more than Robert.

  “Yes, Mr. Noel.”

  “Good man. Now, go take a shower, and I’ll get you some clean clothes, okay? Then you go back to your mom and drag her ass in here if you have to. I don’t care if she kicks and screams all the way, because that’s your brother or sister she’s carrying, so it’s up to you to be the strong one now, okay?”

  Billy’s spine straightened and he stood just a bit taller. “Yes, sir.”

  “One last thing…. If you ever need help, and Robert’s not around, I’m working over at the Park View diner, okay? Come see me or Lincoln, and we’ll be sure to do what we can.”

  “Okay.” Billy stopped, then lunged at Noel, wrapping him in a hug. When Noel’s eyes went wide, Billy tried to step back. “I’m sorry. I forgot.”

  Noel clutched him tight. “Don’t worry about it. I can clean up, too, and we both could use a hug, you know.”

  The two of them stood there for several long moments, just holding each other. Robert marveled over how big Noel’s heart was. A few years ago, he was the tremulous young man needing a hug, but today, with help from his lover, Lincoln, Noel had blossomed beyond all expectations.

  “Thank you, Mr. Noel.”

  There were tears in Billy’s eyes when he stepped back. He’d always made a show of being the tough, defiant teen, but Robert knew how fiercely Billy loved his mother. When she asked Robert about finding a family to take care of Billy, he’d refused and insisted that his place was with her because, he told her, she needed him to help her.

  Robert gave an internal sigh. No one so young should have to be that old.

  “It’s just Noel, and I’m always down for a hug from a friend. Now, get to your mother and make sure she comes back here.”

  “Okay, I will.” He stuffed his sandwiches into his jacket and headed off toward the shower.

  “You were great with him.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s nice to give back.” Noel knelt and grabbed the box of clothes from under one of the cabinets and started riffling through them. “If you needed me, why didn’t you call?”

  Robert sighed. “You have a life now. You need to—”

  Noel jumped up and spun on his heel. Narrowed hazel eyes let Robert know Noel wasn’t too pleased. “Don’t you dare pull any martyr crap on me, Robert. You told me we were friends, so let me be a friend.”

  The kettle whistled, and Robert grabbed the tea from the cabinet over the sink, put two bags into the mugs, then put the box back. He went to the stove and turned off the burner, then grabbed the handle of the kettle and poured the water over the tea so it could steep.

  “It’s not been easy, you know? Things have been spiraling out of control, and I’m not sure how to stop it. This thing with Bree is just the latest incident.”

  “But I gave you the check. Hire some people to help you—”

  Even though he knew this moment would come, Robert had hoped it would be some time before it reared its ugly head. “I returned the money.”

  “You did what?” Noel’s raised voice had several people turning toward them. His cheeks were flushed when he regarded the people in the common room. “Sorry! I’m sorry.” He spun back to face Robert. “What do you mean, you returned the money?”

  “Noel, there were so many ways that could have gone wrong for you. I wasn’t about to have you get in trouble for this.”

  “But that’s my problem, not yours. I had it all taken care of.”

  Noel was like a son to Robert, and sometimes a child needed a bit of tough love. This was one of those moments.

  “It’s not for you to take care of me, Noel. I made the decision to give the money back as soon as you handed me the check. I know you gave it with the best of intentions, but did you even think of the ramifications? They could have come after you, taken you to court, sued your ass off. And for what?”

  Noel’s face was mottled red. “I said I had it handled!”

  “But you didn’t.” And Robert needed Noel to understand that. He gestured to the chair, and Noel sat. After adding some sugar to his tea, Robert sipped a little, trying to figure out how to get Noel to listen to what Robert was saying. “If he had taken you to court, who would be your lawyer?”

  “He… I…. There was no agreement signed. He wouldn’t have a leg to stand on.”

  “He’s got money, Noel. It doesn’t matter if he’s legally right or wrong. If he went to court, would you have enough money to challenge it? Would Lincoln back you?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Ah, the certainty of youth. “All right, think about this from my point of view for a minute, okay? I have a check for a quarter of a million dollars sitting in a desk drawer, ready to be cashed. I take it, go to the bank, deposit it into our account, then proceed to spend it on fixing the building up, buying a van to help get people to and from appointments, and things like that. Then I find out Merriweather’s suing not only you, but us. We don’t have the money to defend against that. And while you say Lincoln would support you, how much are you willing to risk? Would you want him to lose the diner? Are you willing to put your friends’ livelihoods in jeopardy?”

  Noel’s chin dropped to his chest. “I… I didn’t think about that.”

  “It was all I thought about when I saw the check. Would it have helped? God, yes. But it also ran the risk of all of us losing everything we’ve built, and t
he cost was too high.”

  Noel sighed. “I’m sorry. I just wanted….”

  Robert reached out and took Noel’s hand. “You wanted to help, and I get that. In fact, you have no idea how grateful I am that you thought of us in the first place.” He drank a bit more of his tea. “Now, drink up. I have to get dinner started in a few minutes. If you know of anyone who has a couple hours they could use to help out an old friend, I think he might appreciate it.”

  Noel smiled at him. “I have time.”

  He cast a grateful smile at Noel, wondering if he had any idea how much having him as a friend meant to Robert.

  “I’ve finished my shower, Mr. Noel.”

  When Billy stepped back into the kitchen, he looked a lot better. His hair was no longer greasy. The smudges that he’d had on his cheeks were gone, and in their place was the bright pink glow of someone who had scrubbed himself really well. He looked like a completely different person.

  “Okay. Feel better?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Noel chuckled. “You don’t have to call me sir. I’m not that much older than you.”

  Billy’s cheeks reddened a bit more.

  “Go on and take that food to your mom. Make sure she eats! If she refuses to come to get some help from the shelter, let Robert know and he’ll call me. Then we’ll both go talk to her, okay?” He pinned him with a stare. “And there’s enough for you to have some too. I don’t want you not eating because you think she needs it more, okay?”

  “Yes, si—yes, Noel.”

  Billy raced out the door, and Robert’s heart broke, just as it did each time one of his people went back out onto the streets. He wanted safety, security—a home for each of them. He knew the shelter was just a stopgap measure, and that hurt. But this was his chosen path in life.

  He just wished life would get better for all of them.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  He glanced over at Noel. Being with Lincoln had been good for him. He seemed happier, more confident. “Just thinking.”

  “Yes, well, I’ve been thinking too. I’m doing dinner tonight.”

  “You’re what?”

  He grinned. “I’m going to handle feeding the troops this evening.”

  Robert blinked at him. “And what will I be doing?”

  “You, my good man, will be going out and having a free night all to yourself.”

  Robert held up his hands. “Oh, I couldn’t. I have too much work to do.”

  “And it will still be there in the morning.” Noel moved closer and put a hand on Robert’s arm. “You need time for yourself. Even if it’s just a few hours. If there’s one thing I’m learning from Lincoln, it’s that you have to find time for you or there won’t be enough left to give to anyone else.”

  It sounded good, but Robert hadn’t been out in almost two decades. He wouldn’t know what to do, how to dress, or anything. “I’m a little old for clubbing.”

  “You’re not talking your way out of this one. Go to a nice, quiet place. Meet some people.” Noel gave that cheeky monkey grin. “Hell, you might even get laid.”

  “On Sunday? Yeah, no. Besides, I don’t do casual sex.”

  “Didn’t think so. But go on and spend a quiet night all to yourself. Okay?”

  Robert bit his lip. How many other opportunities would he have like this? And Noel knew the system inside and out. Every fiber of Robert’s being wanted to get out and do something. Anything.

  “Okay, I’ll do it.”

  “BUT, GALE…. Why won’t you go out tonight?”

  It was the fifth time Andy had asked the question, and no answer Galen gave him seemed to be working.

  “I have too much to do.”

  “One drink.”

  The last time he’d said that, Galen had wound up online with a video of him being fucked by two men. No, thanks. Even though his face wasn’t really visible, he had no desire to repeat that performance. Well, not publicly, anyway.

  “No. And don’t bother whining, because I’m not changing my mind. Sunday is my day of rest.” Or it should be. He was up to his elbows in straightening out the mess with the Wayne acquisition. He had to have it all done by Monday so he could show it to his father in their morning meeting.

  “You used to be fun.”

  Andy was fuming, and normally Galen would do his best to assuage the hurt feelings, but he simply didn’t have the time.

  “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I have a lot of work to do tonight, so I can’t go anywhere.” As much as he hated himself for what he was about to say, he did it anyway. “What if you pick up a pizza and a six-pack and bring them over here? We can sit and talk for a bit.”

  “But I wanted to go out and get laid.”

  Of course he did. “Then you’ll have to go without me.”

  “It’s just one drink.”

  Galen squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to stave off the impending headache. “The last time you said that, I wound up drunk off my ass with two guys fucking me.”

  Andy gave a wistful sigh. “Yeah, you have all the luck. Even if you weren’t rich, the dark hair and gray eyes make you stunning to look at. It must be such a burden for you.”

  Great, now he was going to be snippy.

  “Yes, because I don’t have to work three times as hard to prove myself to my father, so that I can be considered half as good as my brother—who, if you recall, doesn’t even work for him anymore. Not being his pride and joy is such a relief, right?” Okay, so Galen was snippy too. “I’m sorry, Andy. I wish I could, but I just can’t.”

  “Fine. Have a good night. Maybe I’ll talk to you later.”

  He hung up, leaving Galen feeling oddly empty inside. Galen tossed his phone on the table, got up, and walked to the window. He stood staring out into the night from his penthouse. Having Olivia tell him he was too good for working with his father? That had been shocking. But he’d been stewing over it the whole weekend. He knew he wasn’t Lincoln, but he was there, damn it. Why did his father have to treat him like a poor substitute for his brother? Why couldn’t he pull his head out of his ass and see how much Galen went through to try to make him proud? He’d never walked away from his family like Lincoln did. Galen had been at work, every day, pulling in business left and right, while Lincoln frittered away time he could have better spent at the office. Still, for whatever reason, Lincoln seemed to be Father’s favorite.

  When it came time for meetings, even when Galen was the one who brokered the deal, Father had taken Lincoln along. Accolades that rightly belonged to Galen went to someone else. Prime assignments, like acquiring a company that would be a feather in Primal’s cap, always went to Lincoln. What was it about him? Did Father not think Galen could be as ruthless? Had he not proven himself time and time again?

  He paced around the room, his head throbbing. He thought back to the things he’d done since he started working for his father. He wasn’t at all surprised by the sheer number of things he’d done that Lincoln had gotten credit for.

  Annoyance swept over Galen. What would it take before his father saw him? It wasn’t like he could work harder than he had been. He worked twelve to fourteen hours a day.

  But Lincoln works eighteen.

  And he already had enough stuff heaped on Olivia, so it wasn’t like he could give her more. Maybe he could hire a second assistant.

  Lincoln does it all on his own.

  And if the only way Galen could find a little companionship for a few hours was to go to a bar and get fucked like a piece of meat? So be it.

  Lincoln has a lover.

  Galen sank back against the couch. His father was right for choosing Lincoln over him. He’d never be able to hold a candle to what Lincoln could accomplish.

  He picked his phone up off the table, stabbed a finger on the screen, and dialed the last number. When Andy answered, Galen huffed out a frustrated breath. “Where did you say you were going tonight? I think a drink sounds like a good idea.”

  If he was to
o sick to work tomorrow, too goddamn bad. Maybe his father could see what it was like when he didn’t have a lapdog to kick around.

  Chapter Five

  ROBERT SAT at the bar, nursing his third beer. He was surprised to find This Is It! was still around. The place had undergone a lot of changes since he’d come there back when he was fresh out of high school with the fake ID that was his one and only act of rebellion. He’d thought it would be fun and exciting, but instead it wound up being educational. The people he met weren’t loud or rowdy, but nice and considerate. They bought him drinks—soda only, because the bartender didn’t buy that he was twenty-one—and talked about how much the city had changed since they had been in school.

  He took the last draw on his long-necked bottle of Miller. God, had it really been that long since he’d had a beer? He tried to think back, and couldn’t recall. It was cold and refreshing and—

  He glanced at the clock on the wall. Dinner service had started. He should call Noel to make sure things were going okay. He reached into his pocket for his phone and stopped. Noel could handle it, and he didn’t need Robert micromanaging what he was doing.

  “Would you like another?”

  Robert looked up at the bartender, who stood smiling at him. “Sure, please.”

  He reached beneath the counter and came up with another bottle, which he popped the top from. “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before.” He put the bottle down.

  “I haven’t been here for many years.” Robert grinned. “A lot has changed.”

  The bartender chuckled as he ran a rag over the chrome fixtures. “The owners are always trying to keep things fresh for the customers. So, what do you do?”

  How weird was it that Robert didn’t know if the man was genuinely interested or if he was flirting? It had been so long since anyone had made a pass at him, he wasn’t sure if that’s even what it was.

  “I’m the director of the Tenth Street homeless shelter.”

  The guy’s eyes narrowed slightly, and Robert could see the moment he lost interest. It was fine. Even if the young man had been interested in Robert, the feelings weren’t reciprocated. He’d told Noel a while back that most men wanted someone who could have his entire focus, and he could never give that to anyone. The shelter—the people—were his life, and he couldn’t walk away from that.