Helios Exposed (The Helios Chronicles Book 2)

by Tawa M. Witko

  Andrew frowned. “What makes you think I’m new here?”

  The man smiled. “I’m here every day and have never seen you.” He took a sip from a drink he had in the bag. “People don’t come here unless they are looking for trouble or to see Mr. Cortez. Which one is it? You been inside?”

  Andrew lit another cigarette and nodded.

  “Where at?” the man asked curiously.

  “L.A. County,” Andrew replied, drawing the cigarette back to his lips.

  The man’s eyes widened. “How long?”

  Andrew blew out a puff of smoke and sighed. “Six years.” Andrew glanced around and the three men were no longer paying him any attention. “Hey, you want something to eat?” Andrew asked, turning to the disheveled man.

  The man tilted his head to the side. Andrew recognized the look. He didn’t trust him, wondered what kind of game Andrew was playing. It’s the exact look Andrew used to wear when someone showed him kindness without asking for anything in return.

  “Is that place over there good?” Andrew asked, motioning his head towards a hole in the wall hamburger joint across the street.

  “Yeah, it won’t kill you or give you the runs, so it’s alright.” the man said before sucking the last bit of tobacco from the cigarette.

  Andrew smiled, knowing exactly what he was referring too, as there was nothing worse than getting food poisoning or eating something that would give you diarrhea when you had nowhere to really go. Andrew still had an hour before he needed to meet with Cortez and was extremely hungry. He didn’t like that feeling at all as it brought back too many bad memories. He directed the homeless man across the street, and as they entered the restaurant, a man from behind the counter came around quickly to meet them at the door.

  “No, no, no, no, you can’t be in here.” He waved his hands angrily at the man Andrew was with.

  “He’s with me,” Andrew said with venom and the man stopped in his tracks, turning his attention to him.

  “He steals...” He started to say but stopped as Andrew glared at him.

  “I said he is with me.” He pulled out some cash. “Is my cash not good enough here?”

  Everyone was quite as Andrew stared down the owner of the establishment. There was definitely something about Andrew that screamed 'don’t mess with me' that people picked up on immediately. The owner shook his head and swallowed before motioning with his hands towards one of the booths.

  “Thank you,” the man said, slipping into the booth. “My name’s Randall.”

  “Nice to meet you, Randall. My name's Andrew. Order whatever you want,” Andrew said, looking at the menu, which didn’t consist of much.

  The two men ate and made small talk. Andrew spent the time educating himself about the neighborhood, what was nearby, where he needed to avoid and what gangs were in the area along with their colors, signs and leaders. He had learned in Los Angeles to determine based on the graffiti whether there were any feuds going on with the local gangs. Most gangs avoided him, he wasn’t a threat to them, and he never came across as scared. That was something he had perfected while in prison. What he discovered was that, generally speaking, gang members didn’t care about people outside of their neighborhood.

  When they finished, Andrew paid and then pulled out another twenty. “This should cover him for a few days. Do you understand?” Andrew said, eyeing the owner, who nodded.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” Randall said quietly as they crossed the street.

  Andrew tapped his shoulder. “I remember what it was like.”

  The man turned to him. “How long?”

  “Six years, but in reality most of my life.” He tapped the man’s chest, feeling the bottle in his jacket. “You know that won’t help.”

  The man sighed. “It makes it bearable. I won’t give it up.”

  Andrew nodded and pulled out his cigarettes and lighter, handing them to him. “Well, hang in there, Randall. I better go see Cortez.”

  With that, Andrew turned while Randall went back to his spot, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it eagerly. Andrew walked into the small run-down building. There were a few people already there so he took a seat, not seeing anyone to check him in. An hour later, a short, slightly balding man walked out and stared at Andrew.

  “You Harrison?” the man asked disinterested.

  “Yeah.”

  “Come on,” the man Andrew presumed was Cortez said as he turned around and motioned with his finger for Andrew to follow him.

  Andrew sat down and watched as the man buried his head in Andrew’s file.

  “Is this address correct, the 50th Street location?” he asked, still reading.

  “Yes.”

  “You have twenty-four hours to register at Midtown North before they issue a warrant.” He finally looked up from the file. “And they will issue a warrant if you don’t show up.”

  “I’ll go right after this,” Andrew said, watching him.

  “What can you do?” Cortez asked, eyeing him with curiosity.

  “I’m sorry, what?” Andrew asked as his brows furrowed in confusion.

  Cortez sighed and placed the file down. “What can you do? What kind of jobs have you had?” he asked slowly as if he were talking to a child.

  Andrew frowned. “I can work on cars, bikes. I’ve also done some construction. I’ll do whatever I need to do.”

  Cortez stared at him, assessing him before reaching into his drawer. He pulled out a sheet of paper and waved it at Andrew. Andrew rose and grabbed the paper out of his hand.

  “That’s a list of employers that will hire ex-cons. Do you do drugs?”

  Andrew shook his head as he looked over the list of places.

  “Are you affiliated with any gangs now or in the past?”

  Andrew looked up. “No, I’ve never been in a gang or been affiliated with any. I don’t know anyone out here aside from my girlfriend. I stick to myself primarily. I won’t be a problem.”

  Cortez flipped through his appointment book. “I want to see you on Thursday mornings at nine. I won’t look for you, Harrison. You don’t show and you’ll be on your way back to California,” he said matter of fact.

  “I understand,” Andrew replied.

  “Good,” Cortez said as he motioned with his head to the door.

  Andrew stared for a second and then stood, briskly exiting the room, where there were already other people waiting again. Once he left Cortez, he said bye to Randall and hopped on his bike to the local precinct to register. They had treated him apathetically, neither good nor bad. He was given the standard lecture about how they would not tolerate bullshit and was once again advised that if he messed up in any way, shape, or form, he would be on the first bus out of town. After he stepped out of the precinct, he went to light a cigarette and remembered he had given his pack away. He swung by a nearby convenience store, picked up a pack and a new lighter, and then headed back to Madison’s apartment. He had initially wanted to look around New York but he decided to go home instead. Once there, he picked up the phone and dialed the number Madison had left him.

  “Ms. Ellis,” Madison answered in her professional tone.

  “You sound very sexy right now,” Andrew said in a husky voice.

  Madison immediately smiled as her bottom lip entered her mouth.

  “I wanted to let you know that I’m back at the house.”

  “Did it go okay?” Madison asked, noticing the change in his tone.

  “Yeah, it was fine. How’s your first day back?”

  “Extremely busy,” Madison said with a laugh.

  Andrew grinned. “Alright, I’ll let you go. I’ll see tonight.”

  “I love you, baby,” Madison said before hanging up.

  Andrew grinned at the phone and muttered 'I love you, too'. The rest of his day seemed to drag on endlessly. He made several inquiries into jobs and had scheduled an interview the following afternoon with one of them. When he heard Madison’s key in the door, he set
his sketchbook down and started walking towards the door. Madison smiled and kissed him immediately as they met at the kitchen entrance.

  “Let me change clothes and then we can go out to eat,” Madison said against his lips.

  He hummed against her mouth. “Let me help you.”

  He circled his tongue around her lips while pulling her shirt out of her skirt. She moaned in anticipation as his hands steadily unzipped her skirt, slipping it off of her. He stepped back slightly, unbuttoning her shirt and letting it drop down her arms. His look was predatory as his hands cupped her breasts and then unsnapped her bra. Before Madison could say anything, he lifted her up and placed her on the countertop in the nearby kitchen.

  “I have wanted you all day.”

  Madison threw her head back, lost in the sensations he was creating in her and only looked down at him when she heard his jeans hit the floor. She closed her eyes tightly as her body succumbed to Andrew's prowess. His chest was heaving against her and she knew neither of them would last much longer. Andrew knew exactly how to please her and Madison's wails of pleasure told him that she was close. He continued to please her, making sure that she knew, without a doubt, that she was everything to him. Their bodies worked rapidly against one another until they were both quivering, having finally found their release.

  “Madison,” Andrew hummed as he lifted her off the counter. “That was... phenomenal.” He kissed her sweetly.

  “Helios, baby, I don’t know if I even want to go out anymore,” Madison hummed, moving even closer to him.

  “We have no food in the house.” He kissed her again. “And I think we might need a little more sustenance besides one another.”

  She giggled and continued kissing him, only stopping when they heard a knock on the door.

  “Are you expecting anyone?” Andrew asked, concerned.

  She shook her head and kneeled down grabbing her clothes. “Can you answer that?”

  “Sure,” he grinned as he slipped on his jeans while Madison made a mad dash to the bedroom.

  Andrew ran his hands through his hair and picked up his torn shirt, smiling as he opened the door. He came face to face with a man around his age and height in a nice suit. His hair was combed back, neat and professional. The man narrowed his eyes at him and Andrew reciprocated the look, they stood there silently staring at one another. Andrew didn’t know who it was but he was already upset with the intrusion.

  “Can I help you?” Andrew finally asked.

  “Who are you?” Kurtis asked, eyeing the man in front of him.

  “I’m Madison’s boyfriend. Who are you?” Andrew asked with bite.

  The man couldn’t mask the surprise on his face or the feeling that he had just been punched in the gut. He couldn’t figure out when Madison had time to get a boyfriend, especially one that wasn’t him. Andrew watched as the man looked him up and down. His expression suddenly changed as if he had come to a realization of which Andrew didn’t know, or care to know. The man smirked slightly and straightened his already perfect tie.

  “I’m Kurtis. It’s funny though, she didn’t mention having a boyfriend at all and we spent the entire day together,” Kurtis said with a sly smile at the expression that was now on Andrew’s face.

  “Well, I would guess she doesn’t talk about her personal life with just anyone,” Andrew replied coldly.

  Kurtis smiled widely as he walked inside the apartment and past Andrew. “Oh, I’m not just anyone,” he said, walking into the living room.

  Kurtis removed his jacket and laid it across the arm of the couch as if he belonged there. He sat down and crossed his legs before eyeing Andrew, who was currently standing next to the dining room table.

  “She didn’t tell you about me, did she?” Kurtis asked cockily. “Tsk, tsk, shame on her, playing games with you like that,” he said, enjoying that he had this man flustered.

  Madison could hear talking in the other room but couldn’t make out who it was. She had no idea who would be coming to her house but had an uneasy feeling about it. She hurriedly walked out of her bedroom in a pair of jeans and one of Andrew’s t-shirts. She was carrying another one for Andrew since he had ripped his off in their earlier tryst in the kitchen.

  “Here, babe,” she said, coming up to Andrew. “Who was at the door?”

  Andrew didn’t say anything but his posture was hard and hostile. She turned to see what was making him feel that way and that’s when she saw Kurtis sitting on her couch with that same smug expression he had earlier in the day.

  “What are you doing here?” Madison practically snarled in disdain.

  He smiled and stood. “I came to take you out to eat so we could discuss my promotion and how it will affect us, but I see that you have company.” He gave Andrew a wicked grin. “Why don’t you call me when you’re through with him?”

  Madison wasn’t sure but she thought she heard Andrew let out some sort of growl and for a brief moment she had visions of Andrew attacking Jimmy at the lake. She didn’t want that again. Madison placed her hand on Andrew’s lower back and could feel him tense up. She turned back to Kurtis, her face expressing the harshness of her feelings at the moment.

  “That’s not going to happen,” Madison gritted out. “I love Andrew. Now get the hell out of my apartment,” Madison ordered with anger.

  His expression faltered for only a moment before he got that arrogant look on his face again. He strolled past her and then glanced at Andrew, giving him a knowing smirk. When the door closed, Madison moved in front of Andrew and let her hands caress his back as her head rested on his chest.

  “Helios, baby, I love you so much.”

  He didn’t say anything right away but, after a few moments, his hand moved into her hair as he rested his head down on hers.

  “You... dated that guy?” he asked tentatively.

  Madison sighed. “Yes, on and off for a few years.”

  “And you didn’t tell him about me,” he queried and Madison could hear the hurt in his voice.

  “I don’t really talk to many people and I was so swamped today. My boss told me to work with him because he was promoted and we need to transfer all his clients.” She stepped back slightly so she could see his face, “I don’t talk to Kurtis about anything. I tried to keep it completely professional, which is probably why he showed up here.” She reached her hand up and cupped his cheek. “I love you and I want you, only you. I’m sorry. I should have handled Kurtis better today, made it clear that he had zero chance in hell at having what is yours.”

  He closed his eyes and pulled her back to his chest. They held each other closely, not talking. Andrew wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say. This Kurtis guy was apparently his competition and he didn’t strike Andrew as someone who would just give up on her. Unfortunately, to Andrew, Kurtis appeared to be just the type of person Madison should be with, not some ex con who could offer her nothing. Andrew was surprised at what he was feeling. He normally would be jealous but at that particular moment, all he felt was his unworthiness of her. She soon kissed him tenderly on his chest before looking up at him lovingly.

  “Let’s go get something to eat and pick up some groceries. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get naked again,” she said wagging her brows.

  Andrew smiled slightly and lifted her up. She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked them towards her bedroom, kissing her fiercely the entire time. Andrew was not thinking about food as he brought her into the room and laid her on the bed. He undressed her quickly and then stripped, staring at her the entire time. He crawled on top of her and entered her with a powerful thrust. She was his and he would not let anyone get in his way.

  6 The Ice Queen

  The rest of the week, Andrew and Madison fell into a comfortable routine. For Madison, she resumed her regular duties in the office along with the ones assigned to her by her boss, Mr. Turner. Kurtis avoided her and when they had to work together he was distant, although every so often she
would catch him watching her. It was an uneasy and awkward situation. Madison would definitely be glad when he moved to the other office. There had only been one time he spoke to her about Andrew and that time had left her feeling extremely troubled.

  “So that’s what you want?” Kurtis asked, watching her.

  “What are you talking about?” Madison asked, not looking up.

  “Does he even have a high school diploma? Hell, Madison, if you had told me I needed to dumb myself down for you to take me seriously, I might have considered it,” he said with a sneer.

  “You’re already an asshole so being dumb as well would have been overkill,” Madison said with a satisfied smile and then looked up. “Besides, he isn’t dumb. He’s very sweet and kind and talented. He has a lot to offer and...”

  Kurtis laughed, cutting her off. “Sure, Madison, you keep telling yourself all that poetic bullshit but...” He paused and smiled evilly. “Do you really think he belongs here?”

  Madison narrowed her eyes at him while he smiled and leaned back against his chair.

  “And what about work, do you honestly believe you can advance with him by your side?” He cackled and rested his arms on the table between them. “That look tells me you know you can’t.” He ran his finger along her hand and grinned when she pulled it back. “I can bide my time because I know,” he tapped his finger on her nose, “that you will tire of him.”

  “I won’t!” Madison glared at him.

  “We’ll see,” he said, picking up the file he had been reading.

  Madison rolled her eyes at the memory and glanced at the clock, wondering how things were going with Andrew. He had interviewed for a position as a mechanic at a shop near Harlem a few days ago. Andrew said the interview went well and that the owner had told him to come back on Friday, which was today, so that he could see if it ‘worked out’ and if it did, he would hire him. She took a deep breath, hopeful that it would. She knew that Andrew would feel much better about everything once he was working.

  ~*~

  Andrew had already done a couple of tune ups, helped one of the other guys work on an alignment and was now under the hood of a Nissan that had just come in, trying to determine what was wrong with it. It felt good to work and so far he liked the people at the shop. The owner was a man everyone called Sonny, he wasn’t sure why, but he seemed nice enough. It appeared that he hired a lot of ex-cons as most of the other employees seemed to have served time one place or another.