Lost & Found

by E B Brooks

  There, she was ready, and not too bad looking, either.

  Going back out to the kitchen, she double-checked that everything was clean, and the food would be ready on time. Nervous butterflies filled her stomach, and she busied herself by wiping down the counter and chairs. When she got done with the second chair, it hit her she only had three seats.

  She squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. Shit, she didn’t think about this when she invited everyone over.

  Why didn’t she buy a table? Because she didn’t think she’d need it, obviously.

  She let out a deep breath. There was no time to worry about that now. She needed to put the finishing touches on dinner.

  Knock, knock.

  The butterflies from earlier stirred back up in her stomach. When she cooked for Wings of Refuge, she only cooked for herself and didn’t care if the others liked it or not. This was the first time she’d cooked for people she cared about.

  She took a deep breath, smiled, and opened the door.

  Ryder stood in the hall with a big smile, holding two chairs.

  “Hi, Silk,” he breathed in. “Oh, man, what smells wonderful? Whatever it is, I want all of it.” He kissed her on the forehead before heading into the living room.

  “Hey, babe, thanks for inviting us.” Jace strode past her with more chairs.

  “What’s going on with the chairs?” she questioned.

  “When we went furniture shopping, you didn’t buy a dining set. We have one we don’t use, so we decided to lend it to you.” Cody handed her a bottle of wine, and she noticed he held part of a table in his other hand.

  “Thank you. I realized a few minutes ago I didn’t have enough seats.” She was in complete shock that they would think of that. It just proves how thoughtful they were.

  “Hey, Silk, where do you want this set up?” Ryder questioned from the living room.

  Closing the door behind Cody, she followed him in and looked around the room for a good place. There was enough room behind the sectional to fit a table.

  “Over there.” She pointed to the empty corner. “I can’t thank you enough. While you’re setting it up, I need to get the cake out and finish dinner. When you’re done, turn on the TV and relax. Dinner shouldn’t be that long.”

  “Can we help you with anything?” Cody asked as he rested the piece of table against the back of the couch.

  “No, I got it covered. Thanks.”

  While they brought up the rest of the table, she pulled out the finished cake and put the three trays of enchiladas back in the oven to warm them up.

  Ryder came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  She leaned back against him.

  He kissed her neck. “What smells so good? Or is it you?”

  She turned in his arms. “I think it’s my famous pudding cake.”

  “Oh, that sounds so good. I bet you can bake a bunch of different goodies.” His eyes widened at the thought.

  She nuzzled his neck. “Working at a bakery every morning for three years, I’d say I picked up a few things.”

  Ryder’s eyes grew even bigger, like she just gave him the best present ever. “That’s it! I’m moving in. Cody cooks, but he doesn’t look as sexy as you, and he doesn’t bake.” He winked.

  “Keep that shit up, asshole, and you won’t get anything from me!” Cody yelled from the sectional.

  Jace strolled into the kitchen and shoved Ryder out, even though she was still in his arms. “Go. I want to eat sometime this year.”

  “Fine!” Ryder squeezed her, then released her and ambled over to the sectional and sat beside Cody, who punched him in the arm.

  Maddy glanced at Jace, biting her bottom lip. “Have you talked to Skylar?”

  She’d wanted to ask as soon as he walked through the door.

  “Yeah, I did. The day I left you, I sat in his room, figuring he’d need to get clothes at some point.” He rubbed the back of his neck while staring at his shoes, then let out a big sigh. “He’s fighting again. He tried to cover it with concealer, but did a piss-poor job. He’s got bruising all around his face; I’m guessing about two days old. I grabbed his hand, and his knuckles were all busted up. The good thing is, his eyes were clear. When I asked him if he was using pain pills again, he flew off the handle.”

  Maddy leaned back against the counter. “Did he say why he was fighting?”

  Jace shook his head. “Only that he was free for the first time in his life, out from under his controlling brother. He’s loving the money he’s winning, and all the parties he’s going to in his honor.”

  “When I went to lunch with Cody the other day, we talked about how Skylar had always felt that Cody was better than him. I’ve never had a sibling, so I can’t relate to what Skylar’s feeling. Cody only wants to protect Skylar, not control him.”

  “He said something that keeps running through my head. When I told Skylar that it would only be a matter of time before someone tells Cody that he’s fighting again, he said no one knows who Cody is. How would they not know who Cody is? He’s the current champ. Also, money was never a big deal for either of them. When I mentioned you, his whole body changed, his mask fell, and his whole body deflated. He said to tell you he’s sorry, and that he wished things could be different. Then his wall slammed back down, and of course, he said something rude.”

  There was a sullenness about Jace that Maddy hadn’t seen before. He was lost without Skylar; it was taking a higher toll on him than she thought.

  She pulled him in and hugged him, holding him tight. “I promise, we’ll figure this out, Jace.”

  Knock, knock.

  “Are you expecting anyone else?” Cody yelled from the sectional.

  “Yes. Can you get the door? It should be Torr and Crusher. Be nice, guys!”

  Cody huffed and got up to open the door.

  Jace rolled his eyes.

  Maddy’s mind was reeling from what Jace had said about Skylar, and she took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. With a smile on her face, she walked into the living room with Jace behind her.

  Torr rushed over and hugged Maddy. “Thank you for inviting us.”

  Crusher walked over to Maddy. “Thank you for inviting me; it means a lot.”

  She gave him a hug, too. “Just be nice is all I can ask for.”

  “Now, for proper introductions. Torr, Crusher, I’d like to introduce Ryder, Jace, and Cody, who you met at the club.” She pointed to each of the guys who were standing up. “Guys, this is Torr, who I work with, and I’m sure you know Lucca, AKA Crusher.”

  The guys shook Torr and Crusher’s hands and slipped easily into a conversation with Crusher.

  Why was it always so easy for guys to talk to each other? It just boggled her mind.

  “What can I do to help?” Torr asked, her tone chipper.

  “You can set the table for me.”

  Maddy pulled out the dishes she wanted and let Torr set the table.

  “It smells good, Maddy,” she said when she came back to fetch more dishes. “So, how are things working out with the guys? Still trying to pretend you’re just friends?”

  Maddy’s face turned bright red as she continued to toss the salad. She knew Torr wouldn’t give up until she told her.

  “Come on, Maddy, tell me.” Torr shifted her head, popping her hip out with her hand on it.

  Maddy feared what her friend might say when she told her she was dating all three, but she hadn’t said anything bad when Maddy told her two of them had kissed her.

  A few seconds later, Torr eyes widened in realization. “Holy shit, you’re dating both of them? Which ones?”

  Maddy bit her bottom lip and held up three fingers.

  Torr’s eyes widened. “All three of them? How does that work? Have you had sex with all of them?”

  Maddy smacked Torr’s arm. “Only you would think of that, wouldn’t you? No, I haven’t had sex with any of them. I fooled around with Ryder, though.” She blushed.
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  A troubled look crossed Torr’s face. “I don’t want to burst your bubble of happiness, but I’ve heard his name being whispered around the cafeteria before. He’s known for getting around.”

  Maddy wasn’t sure what bothered her more. That Torr heard about Ryder’s indiscretions, or that she felt the need to tell her.

  Swallowing hard, Maddy went back to tossing the salad. “I know. We talked about it at length.”

  Torr smiled in relief and left to finish putting the dishes on the table. By the time she was done, everything was ready to come out.

  “Come on, guys, it’s ready.”

  “Thank, God, I’m starving.” Ryder jumped up from the sectional.

  They all picked seats, with Cody and Crusher at the ends. Torr sat on Crusher’s left with Jace, while Ryder and Maddy sat on the other side.

  “I made chicken enchiladas and salad. I hope that’s all right?” Maddy asked with concern as she watched them fill their plates.

  “Sound great, Silk,” Ryder said. “Can’t wait to try it.”

  “We’re guys, Maddy, we’ll eat anything,” Crusher added.

  Maddy watched as they took their first bite, and the room filled with, “Mmm,” and “That’s good.”

  She let go of the breath she was holding.

  Dinner went better than Maddy could have hoped for. Everyone was enjoying the food, and the conversation flowed, thanks to Ryder.

  When everyone’s plates were empty, Maddy stood and gathered dishes. “I made dessert, too. We can have a piece now, or we can watch a movie, then have some. Whatever you guys prefer.”

  “I have to go hit the gym, but can you save me a piece for when I come back later?” Cody cocked an eyebrow.

  She blushed at the secret way he was asking if he could spend the night.

  “I’ll gladly save you a piece.” She gave Cody a wink before looking back over to Jace. “Do you think, if I make a plate for Skylar, he’ll eat it?”

  He was never far from her mind, and she’d made sure to have extra so she could make him a plate.

  Jace nodded. “If he doesn’t, I will. I’ll put it in the refrigerator for him. I’m sure he will enjoy it.”

  “I think I ate too much. How about we wait to eat the cake?” Crusher suggested, patting his stomach.

  Everyone else agreed, and Maddy walked Cody to the door to say goodbye while the other helped load the dishwasher.

  Once Cody left, she told them to stop and pick out a movie.

  “I’m sorry I don’t have many movies, and I’m sure you’ve seen most of them. I’m thinking about ordering Netflix. Maybe we can find something on that?” She sat on the couch between Ryder and Jace. Crusher and Torr were sitting on the floor with Crusher’s back up against the small part of the sectional.

  Crusher searched through the movies. “Yeah, these are old. Where have you been living? Under a rock?”

  Torr let out a gasp, and Maddy lowered her head, embarrassed.

  Ryder growled in anger, and Jace wrapped his arms around her.

  Crusher glanced at everyone. “Oh, shit, what did I say wrong?”

  “He doesn’t know, guys. Calm down, it’s not a big deal.” Maddy patted Ryder and Jace as she fixed her attention on Crusher. “You said nothing wrong. I grew up in an orphanage. The small town I lived in didn’t have a movie theater, so I didn’t get to see movies or watch TV like a normal kid.”

  Crusher’s forehead creased, then smoothed back to normal. “Well… um… huh.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Don’t know what to say to that.”

  “You’re not the only one. It takes a while for it to all sink in. At least, for us it did.” Jace hugged her.

  “You never told us what happened to your shoulder?” Ryder mentioned, tapping his lip.

  Jace punched Ryder in the arm, giving him a dirty look.

  Ryder mouthed, What?

  “You don’t have to tell us now, if you don’t want to, Maddy,” Jace said.

  She swallowed hard, glancing down to her hands. “It’s not a very happy story to tell.”

  She’d gotten out of telling it once, but it didn’t look like she’d get out of telling it twice.

  Crusher nodded in encouragement. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to learn more about your life.”

  Maddy pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. “At the home, there was a guy, Ben, who had all the girls scared. Everyone at Wings of Hope took turns cooking, and usually we did it in teams, but my helper for the day had a cheerleader thing and no one else would help me. There wasn’t anything in the cupboards, and I only found ground meat in the refrigerator. There was only one other place to look.”

  Maddy’s hands started shaking. “Man, did I hate going into that pantry. You ever want to witness me crumble, put me in a room with no windows and no light. That day, I didn’t have a choice. I broke the number one rule and turned my back to the door.”

  Maddy’s entire body shook, now, and Ryder wrapped his arm around her. It was like she was back there again. Ben slamming her back against the cement wall until she crumbled to the ground. Scrambling back up, knowing if she stayed down, she was done for. Searching the wooden shelves for anything she could use to help her get away from him. Her fingers wrapping around a large jar and smashing it over ben’s head. The scent of pickles filling the small area. Her hand stretched out for the door handle, getting it open a crack before he slammed her back down on the ground. The sound of something popping and her own screams at the unbearable pain.

  “Even through the pain, I fought him tooth and nail. Then a bright light blinded us, and his body was yanked off me. I heard fighting from the kitchen; it sounded like it was being destroyed. Mike, another guy from the group home, heard me scream and came to investigate. He saved me that day, and the lady who runs the place, Ms. Reynolds, came in and broke Ben and Mike up.

  “When she found me in the pantry, the fuckin’ bitch told a girl to take me to the nurse they had on staff. Mike told her I needed a hospital, but Ms. Reynolds wouldn’t hear of it. I will never forget her face when Mike got in front of her and told her if she didn’t send me to the hospital, he’d report to the board how she just sat there and listened to Ben trying to rape me. She called 911 after that, and I ended up having a clavicle fracture and a concussion.” Maddy stopped speaking because she was crying too much.

  Ryder picked her up and settled her on his lap. “I’m sorry, I had no idea. I would have never asked you to repeat that if I had,” Ryder whispered, giving her small kisses.

  Maddy sniffled and glanced over to Torr who sat in Crusher arms, crying.

  “Told you it’s not a happy story. I’m sorry. Now everyone’s upset. I wanted this to be a happy, fun dinner.” She buried her head in Ryder’s neck.

  Jace moved the hair from her face and cupped her cheek. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, baby. You just once again proved how strong you are.”

  “What happened to Ben?” Torr questioned.

  Maddy turned away from Jace’s concerned, chocolate-brown eyes and looked at Torr. “I don’t know. He wasn’t there when I came back. At the hospital, the cops told me he’d go to jail for attempted rape. They never called me to testify, though, so I’m not sure what happened. Sometimes, I pass someone who wears the same cologne, and it sends me back there. And I still can’t stand the smell of pickles.”

  “If I ever find out he’s out, he’ll wish he never touched you,” Crusher growled out.

  “You and me both, brother,” Ryder said, nodding to Crusher.

  Torr forced a smile, clapping her hands together. “How about if I go cut some of Maddy’s cake?”

  “I can do it.” Maddy stood.

  Torr waved for Maddy to stay there. “No, you sit and relax. You made us all dinner; the least I can do is serve the cake.”

  Ryder cocked an eyebrow. “Mike. That’s the guy you thought you saw at our party?”

  Maddy didn’t want to talk about her past, anymore. Sh
e wanted to move on and forget it. She squirmed on Ryder’s lap. “Yes. I swore I watched him heading upstairs, but I was so gone at that party, I wouldn’t have known if the Easter bunny had stood in front of me.”

  Maddy was glad she never mentioned she thought she saw him at the club, too. They’d put her in a padded room. After she had time to think about it, there was no way Mike could be here. He still had a few months before he turned eighteen. And why would he come here of all places? He wasn’t good at school; he skipped more than he went. And Maddy had already turned him down, so why would he follow her here?

  “I wouldn’t mind meeting Mike to thank him. And I’m sorry the kid who taught you to fight passed away. I’d have liked to thank him, too, for all the help he gave you.” A smile creased Ryder’s face. “They protected you until you came here to us.”

  She sniffled. “Ryan. His name was Ryan. As for meeting Mike, he’s still in the group home in Ohio.”

  If Maddy wasn’t facing Crusher, she would have missed his eyes bugging out, then quickly going back to normal. “Hey, um, Maddy, I might know this Mike. Can you describe what he looks like? And what’s his last name?”

  Unease rolled through Maddy. What was the likelihood Crusher would know Mike? She thought she left him in the dust back in Ohio. “His last name’s Calloway, Mike Calloway. He’s about six-one, with black hair and blue eyes. He has a tattoo of a dragon on his back, and a tribal one on his left arm.”

  She swore she heard Crusher growl. His entire body tensed, and she noticed that his fist was clenching and unclenching. He squeezed his eyes closed, and when he opened them back up, they were stormy, but his face showed no emotion.

  Maddy stared at him in surprise. “Do you really know him?”

  “No, it doesn’t sound like him. Since you seemed so familiar, I thought maybe we’d met before through my friend. He… uh… grew up in a group home also, but the guy I know doesn’t have any tats.” Despite his words, his fist was so tightly clenched his knuckles were turning white.