Julie tilted her head and wrinkled her brow. The hostility in her father's voice matched Robert's.
"Then what's the point of me stayin'?" Robert pushed up off the couch. "Ya've already condemned me."
"Sit back down." Mrs. Anderson interrupted the staring match between the two men. "What's going on? One of you start talking."
Robert looked to Julie for help. Her forehead creased as she glanced between him and her father. "Um, I'm not exactly like Julie's other friends." Robert settled back on the couch. "I didn't have the typical childhood. Ya know, the two parents and a dog bit. I've got a history." He glanced sideways at Julie. "And a police record." His voice lowered. "I doubt I'm the kind of person ya want in your nice Westland house."
Julie put her hand on his arm. "What did you do?"
He shook his head.
"Talk to me."
Robert inhaled a big breath. "A bunch of little stuff. Assault, underage drinking, grand theft auto. Well actually." He rubbed his face. "I took a cop car for a joy ride." He paused, turned and faced Julie. "And I killed Francine's brother, Jeffery."
The raised eyebrows and covered gasp from Julie triggered a pain deep in his stomach. "Should I go on or just get out?"
Shock numbed Julie's vocal cords. Her mother said, "Continue."
Robert focused on the one person whose opinion of him mattered – Julie. "Ya know my aunt sent me to stay with Mike when I was eight. He didn't want no stupid kid brother hangin' 'round. I had enough of him hittin' me so I ran. Needed a place to hang and what I found was the Shoresmen."
He ran his fingers through his hair. "The gang became friends and family. Took up my colours." He held out his right fist showing his tattoo. "I learned to lie, cheat, steal and fight."
He glanced at the bare spot on his arm where Julie's hand had rested. "For my tenth birthday, they got me so drunk I passed out and was sick for like three days." He grimaced at the memory. "Can I have a Coke?"
Mrs. Anderson blinked. "Of course." She struggled out of the chair and walked to the kitchen. Everyone sat in silence. Julie's mother returned and offered him a can and a glass.
He shook his head to the glass, uncapped the drink and chugged half of it. "Spent some time in detention. Compliments of Judge William Anderson. When I got out, I was put into the system. I ran. "
He kept his voice flat. "Paul got into trouble. This guy, Jeff Paulin, was gonna cut 'im. Knife was on his throat. I jumped'im. We fought. He ended up with the knife stuck in'im." Robert closed his eyes while he remembered the blood gushing onto the pavement. "Got busted. Sent back to Hawthorne."
Julie wanted to wrap her arms around him and give him the comfort he needed. Something kept her frozen to her place.
"I remember that." Mrs. Anderson thought for a moment. "The news reports were that Jeff had been attacked while working as a drug counsellor. It was a social program he was trying to set up."
"News reports sometimes get distorted between Shore and Westland." He finished his drink.
Mr. Anderson cleared his throat. "It wasn't until you said your name at the hospital that I realized who you were. You've changed since the last time I saw you in court."
Robert wanted to ask whether he'd changed for the better, but he decided he didn't want to push his luck.
Mrs. Anderson yawned. "Come on, Bill, it's getting late." He stood and followed his wife upstairs.
Aware that Julie was evading his gaze, Robert asked, "How badly have I scared ya?" He couldn't read her face. Was she scared? Angry?
Julie scooted closer, leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'm shocked. I can't believe you did all that. It's so not you."
Robert shook his head. "It's very much me, but thanks to Carl and Mrs. Murran I've been given a second chance. And I'm not stupid enough to pass it up." He looked at the carpet. "I understand if ya need some time to let all this sink in."
Julie placed a finger under his chin and turned his face to hers. "I can handle this. It's in the past. You've changed. I'm glad you're staying. We can get to know one another. I'd like to if you'd like to?"
Robert placed his hands on the sides of Julie's head. "Does this answer your question?"
Julie's heart raced as their lips drew closer. His gaze didn't waver from hers. Her lips touched his and a surge of heat swelled in her. The urging of his mouth on hers swirled the thoughts in her mind. What would sex be like? With Robert. Images of his hands running down her body mixed with flashes of his intense stare. She shivered.
When they separated, Robert's nostrils flared and his chest heaved. He wanted more. More than another kiss. But now was not the moment. He had to break the spell, or he'd cross a line he shouldn't.
"Time for bed." He waited until Julie moved, then stood and offered his hand to help her stand.
Holding hands they walked up the stairs, Julie stopped in front of her room. "Going to school tomorrow?"
He shook his head.
"Then I'll see you when I get home. Good night."
"G' night." He entered his room, undressed, dropped his clothes in a heap and crawled into bed. And in the warmth and security of the Anderson home, he fell into a deep sleep.
***
Friday evening, Robert wandered into the kitchen after everyone else had eaten and disappeared into their rooms. Mrs. Anderson guided him to the table. "Sit. We've got to get some food into you." Still groggy, he sat, yawned, and rubbed his face. She warmed some leftovers in the microwave.
Julie popped her head into the kitchen. "Oh, there you are." She sat at the table and waited while he wolfed his food.
"Hi." He smiled at her then looked at Mrs. Anderson. "That was great."
"Would you like some more?"
Robert nodded as he yawned. She put the last of the food in a dish, heated it and set it on the table then watched as he devoured that course. "Thirds?"
He hesitated.
"If you're hungry, eat." Mrs. Anderson smiled as she took his offered plate. "Good. You must be starting to feel better. You've got a healthy appetite." She reached for a can of soup.
Without his insides gnawing at him, Robert ate his third helping at a slower pace. Holding his spoon in the air, he glanced at Julie and her mother. "You're both sitting there starin' at me like I'm some creature from outer space." He paused. "Actually, I kinda feel like that. I appreciate your kindness and I'll be out of here—"
"Quit talking about leaving," interrupted Julie's mother. "You don't have to feel indebted to us. This isn't charity. A friend of Julie's needed help."
"I doubt Judge Anderson thinks that. He's put me behind bars. He's got to see me as…as...."
"Trash." Julie winced as she said the word.
Robert nodded.
"Daddy may be suspicious of you, but then he's only known your bad side. Give him a chance. He's a good man."
"Why do ya trust me? I'm a gang member. Got a criminal record."
Julie shook her head.
He snorted. "Ya live in a fairy tale. I've stolen stuff."
"Stolen what?"
The coldness of his gang personality emerged. "Money. Liquor. Stuff."
"I may not understand a lot of things, but," Julie's gaze met his. She didn't blink. "You weren't a thief because it was cool. Why did you steal?"
"Cuz." His bravado was a defence against her blatant challenge.
"That's bullshit. Excuse me, Mom." Julie turned her attention back to Robert. "You're just playing tough gang member. Truth. Friends, remember?"
Robert stared at the table. "I stole 'cause I needed the money. Mike didn't keep much food in the place, and he didn't care if I'd eaten or not. Nobody'll give a kid a job. I stole to eat. I was pretty good, too." His voice was flat and unemotional. "Kept growing out of my clothes. I'd shoplift something like a new jacket or pair of shoes. I did it to survive."
His eyes flashed. "That's one of the reasons why I resented being locked up. I knew what I did was wrong. What else could I do? I didn't want to freeze or starve."
Pushing his bowl away, he continued, "You're too innocent. Ya think I'm some romantic white knight – had to struggle to survive. Well what about the time I rolled a drunk just 'cause I felt like it. Probably used the money to buy booze. My life taught me how to fight the system. How to stand up for myself and not take any shi… crap from anyone."
"You said he was blunt, and you weren't kidding." Mrs. Anderson picked up his dish and placed it in the dishwasher.
Julie placed her hand on his. "That's why I trust you. You could make us cry and feel sorry for the innocent victim, but no, you told us the ugly truth. Even that you aren't just a gang member, but one of the leaders."
Mrs. Anderson's eyebrows rose. Robert showed her the tattoos on his hands.
"I wasn't exactly straight on the leadership bit." He scratched his chin. "I'm the leader of Shoresmen." He waited for Julie to flinch or look angry.
She didn't move – not even a blink.
"Ya still don't understand." He looked from Julie to her mother and back to Julie. "I'm the one who decides if we sell drugs or fight a gang war. People are scared of us and they should be. We're as well-trained and equipped as the police. We just don't got those cool badges with our pictures on them." He grinned.
"In the past three years, I've managed to turn us away from the stupid senseless violence that was doin' nothin' but gettin' us all killed. But don't think we're Boy Scouts. We still deal in drugs. The money's too lucrative. Shoresmen's the toughest gang and blood runs deep." He rubbed the tattoo on his right hand. "I'll never put down my colours."
Mrs. Anderson sat across from him. "I was terrified when Julie said she was going to your place. I still am."
"You can relax on that." He chuckled. "She's probably safer in North Shore than she is here. Only a total idiot would touch her there. But my authority don't cover this area yet."
"Do you have any family? Besides the brother who...?" Mrs. Anderson glanced at the stitches over his eyebrow.
"Don't know who my dad is. Don't even know if it's the same one as Mike's. Mom ran out when I was little. I don't even remember what she looks like." He yawned. "I've never lost a fight to no one 'cept Mike. Don't know why I can't beat that bastard."
Julie hesitated then said, "You told me, on the way to the hospital, that you won't hit him because he's the only blood you've got."
Robert looked at the table. What else had he'd said that he didn't remember? "I think I need more sleep." He retreated to the safety of his room where no one would ask him personal questions or dig into his painful past.
Julie looked at her mother. "I know he's not a puppy, but can he still stay?"
Mrs. Anderson sighed. "I don't know, dear." She rubbed her forehead. "He's…he's the leader of a gang. Yet, he's polite and straightforward. I don't know what to think. My mothering instinct says to trust him."
"I watched him play football with his friends. Completely different person. He was relaxed and joking. Here and at school, he's tense, wary and on guard. I've said before, he's like a wild animal I'm trying to tame. He wants to get close, but he's scared he's going to get hit."
Mrs. Anderson smiled. "I hope he lets you tame him. Maybe then he'll be able to trust the rest of the world."
***
Mrs. Anderson held her cup of coffee and sighed. Julie had left for dance class, Mr. Anderson for a haircut and the three youngest to friends' houses, which left her a moment to relax. Robert and Jangles entered the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat across the table from her. Jangles lay at his feet.
She peered over the top of her coffee cup, content with her decision that strange as it may be, letting this gang member stay was the right thing to do. She put her cup on the table and stood. "I've got a bunch of errands to run this morning. It's Bill's parent's fifty-fourth wedding anniversary and the family's coming over for supper tomorrow." She wandered about the kitchen, hunting for her grocery list.
"I'm gonna spend the day apartment huntin'."
She halted her search. "You can stay until you're healthy. I'm not bothered by your past. I can imagine you don't feel comfortable because this isn't your home, but we don't mind having you here. Julie loves it. Ah ha." She pulled the list out from under a loaf of bread. "As for my husband, he'll learn to accept you." She picked up her car keys.
"Can I go with you? I need to get my stuff." He reached down and scratched Jangles' ears. She wagged her tail. "And I need to find out where I left my bike."
"I've never been to North Shore." She rattled the keys and pointed to the door.
"Road trip." Robert directed her across town then through Midtown and over the invisible line that marks the boundary of North Shore. He pointed to an apartment building and asked her to park near the back entrance. He exited the car and stood and the bottom of a flight of stairs. He searched his pockets then turned back to the car. "Can I borrow your cell? Can't find mine." He punched in Paul's number. "Hey, dude. I'm down stairs. No, don't make me walk up. Just drop it out the window."
A few minutes later, Paul exited carrying two duffel bags. "You're looking good, dude." He handed Robert a bag then followed him to the car carrying the other. He glanced in the car. Mrs. Anderson smiled. "Staying at Julie's?"
"Yea. Anything I need to know about?" He tapped the trunk and waited for the release click.
"Naw. Things is quiet right now. Later." They man-hugged, slapped each other on the back and bumped fists. Paul crossed the parking lot as Robert slammed the trunk lid then slid into the front seat.
"Is that your friend, Paul?" Mrs. Anderson slipped the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking lot.
Robert nodded and watched as the scenery changed from North Shore to Midtown to Westland.
The last errand of the morning was to pick up Julie. While they waited outside the dance school, Mrs. Anderson noticed a smile growing on his face. She didn't need to look up. She knew her daughter was walking towards the car.
Robert got out, held the door for her then climbed into the back seat.
Julie wanted to kiss him but she couldn't – not in front of her mother. "I see the warden let you out."
"On parole, only." Her mother laughed. She put on her signal, entered the traffic flow and headed for home.
***
After lunch, Julie changed and left for work. Not soon enough for Robert did she return, eat and change into her dance clothes.
"Can I go watch your rehearsal?" Robert asked. "I'm bored."
"Uh?" Mrs. Anderson raised her eyebrows.
"What kinda trouble can I get into in a dance school?"
"Still, you be careful. You don't need to miss anymore school." She shook her finger at him.
Robert started to race for his coat. A spasm of pain shot through him. He glanced over at Julie's mother. "I'll be careful, I promise."
At the studio, Robert sat in the visitor's lounge. The curtain on the window between the two rooms was open, allowing Robert the chance to watch Julie rehearse. He was entranced with every move she made. Madame dismissed her for the evening. Julie showered and exited the change room.
Robert was waiting. "That was so cool."
"I hope the company thinks so." She rubbed her thighs. "My legs ache. I worked harder than usual. I'm not used to having an audience."
Robert bent over and winced in pain. He straightened up then pointed to the bench. "Up." He held out his hand. Julie gripped it and stepped up. He started with a brisk massage then changed to deep slow strokes. "One of my jobs was rubbing down the horses after a race or a workout."
Robert's massage progressed up her thighs. A strange stirring grew in Julie. She didn't want him to stop. She wanted to abandon herself to those hands as she imagined him massaging her whole body.
He snapped her back to reality by asking, "Better now?"
"M-much." She couldn't catch her breath. "Now…um…what should we do?"
"Can't do much. I'm bust."
"Let's go to DREAMS, get a pop and
talk."
"Let's go to the clubhouse. I need a beer." He directed her to drive in the same general direction of his apartment. "I like watchin' ya dance. Ya move like a race horse."
"Strange comparison, but probably very similar."
They sat in silence, each person deep in their own thoughts. Julie relived the massage and wondered what sex would be like with Robert.
Robert remembered the sensation of his hands on long and well-muscled legs. He loved the feel of the curve of her calves and the fullness of her thighs. Someday he'd like to go beyond those thighs.
Julie slammed on her brakes to avoid a car that ran a stop sign. "Idiot!" Pressing her foot on the accelerator, she glanced at Robert. "Mom thinks you're healing up nicely."
"Good. Maybe she'll let me go to work. Can't stay away too long. Need the bank. Turn left at the next intersection."
They parked near a rundown warehouse alive with light, people, music and noise. Robert's mood lightened as he entered the building. Many people greeted him with loud raucous shouts as he crossed the room. The clubhouse was vast and abandoned long before the Shoresmen overtook it.
Scattered about the room were old tables, chairs and sofas on which sat the most dangerous, angry-looking men and women Julie had ever seen. She was aware that several males were checking her out while numerous females glared at her. She edged closer to Robert.
"Want a beer?" He held one out for her.
"No. I'm not legal."
He snorted. "This is a gang member's clubhouse. Society's rules don't exist here."
She shook her head.
Paul crossed the room then stood next to Robert.
Julie guessed the woman who waited behind cracking her gum was Paul's wife. Julie smiled a greeting. The woman turned her head.
"Glad you're here." Paul had to shout over the noise. "There's trouble. Marco's holdin' council."
"Shit!" He turned to Julie. "You'd better go home."
"Not without you."
He started to protest, but the look on her face convinced him she wasn't leaving. "Stay in the background. If there's trouble, find Paul. He'll get you out of here. Paul, she's your responsibility." He walked over to a small corner office. The windows were broken and no door hung on hinges.
Dancing in Circles (Circles Trilogy) Page 10