Make it Rain (The Montclair Brothers)

by Terri Marie

  The guard looked up the second Renee stepped foot on the walkway. She smiled, and tried to keep her duffle bag out of view. She feared they'd want to search it, and find it full of dirty clothes and underwear.

  "Can I help you, Ms. Preston?" asked the stout guard.

  It shocked Renee when he'd addressed her by name, but she quickly remembered all the times she had signed in on the clipboard.

  "Could you contact Emma Ward for me please?" she asked politely.

  "You can go inside to the receptionist if you'd like." He looked at her suspiciously.

  Renee looked at his name tag.

  "David, I hurt my back and it's difficult to walk far. Could you call Emma for me so I can speak to her?"

  His face softened. "Sure." He pushed a button, spoke quickly, and then handed Renee the phone.

  Emma spoke rapidly. "Is everything okay, Renee? Why don't you come on up?"

  Renee could hear the tension in her voice, but was determined not to chicken out.

  "Emma, could you meet me at the park please? It's pretty important." Please say yes, thought Renee, before I back out.

  "I'm on my way," said Emma.

  Renee listened to her hang up. She thanked the guard and walked across the street. She looked towards the woods but couldn't spot Brian, but that didn't mean he wasn't there.

  She sat down at the same picnic table where she'd last met with Emma. Renee slid her duffle bag under the table near her feet. Despite washing up some, she felt dirty and grungy, and she hoped she didn't smell offensive. Out of the corner of her eye, Renee spotted her friend walking quickly through the spring grass.

  Emma smiled and waved as she approached. The sun was warm, but Renee felt chilled to the bone. Her stomach was turning upside down, especially when Emma wrapped her arms around her, and then stared into her eyes with worry.

  "Renee—" she began.

  "Emma, have a seat," she requested.

  Emma smiled softly and took a seat on the other side of the table where Renee had gestured with her hand.

  "I'm worried about you, Renee, and I can't let you—"

  Renee held her hand up to silence her. She knew Emma was speaking out of concern, but if she didn't say what was on her mind, she'd just swallow her thoughts and leave.

  "I would like to take you up on your offer, Emma, if it's still available," Renee blurted. She could feel her eyes begin to water and her face heat up.

  "To come and stay in my apartment? I hope that's what you're talking about." Emma raised her eyebrows when Renee nodded her head.

  "Yes. The truth is…you're currently sitting at my house. When I walked out on Robert, I had no place to go, so I drove around in my truck, walked the streets, or slept in the kitchen over here. But since I gave you back the key, and my truck got towed, I had no place to go. My fear of Robert hurting people I care about was making me run from everyone. But I need some help, and so does my friend." Renee stared down at her hands, while she waited for Emma's reply. There was a short silence which was quite unnerving for her.

  "You're more than welcome anytime, and for as long as you want to stay. Personally, I think we'd have a blast. But who is your friend and what can I do to help?"

  "First, you have to promise me, whatever I tell you will stay between us. You can't say anything to Tyler until we figure a few things out." Renee feared that she had just opened up Pandora's Box. What if Emma went straight to Tyler? Brian would run away and be gone forever, but it was a risk she had to take. He was a kid and shouldn't be living on the streets.

  "His name's Brian." Renee slowly lifted her eyes to meet Emma's.

  "Is this the new man in your life?" Emma smirked, but her eyes looked happy.

  "He's a kid, Emma. He's the boy who everyone's been looking for. Brian is only fourteen years old, and came from the worst hell I've ever heard of. He needs to eat proper meals, and to be taken off the streets. Is it possible for him to come to your place with me? I have some money to pay our way, and I'll do whatever events you need me to do, for free." Renee was willing Emma to make that promise to her.

  "Oh my God. Of course he can! Tyler can finally stop looking for him!" Emma reached over and squeezed Renee's hands.

  "No! You can't tell Tyler or anyone else. If the authorities find Brian, they'll return him to his parents. Emma, they beat him, and held him prisoner in a small bathroom for a long time, and I'm not talking about days or weeks. For over a year they did that to him!" Renee didn't mean to get so angry.

  "Wow, that's horrible!"

  Renee watched as Emma processed all the information she had just told her. She knew that at any time, Emma could get out her phone and call Tyler. Everything would crash and burn if she did.

  "Do you understand why it's important that no one knows anything until we figure it all out? I don't really care about me so much, but Brian's a kid on the run. Someone's going to hurt him out here. This area isn't very safe at night. With the cops and everyone else looking for him, he can't even walk around during the day. He's penniless and eating trash, or not eating at all." A tear slid down Renee's cheek.

  "Is there a way for me to meet him?" asked Emma.

  "I'm not positive he'll come to your apartment with me. If he doesn't agree to this, then I'm not going to go either. I can't just leave him alone. I really, really like Brian. He's a super sweet kid." Renee thought about him coming to her in the woods that night when she was all alone. He knew she wasn't safe, so he had protected her.

  Emma's phone rang but she didn't answer it. Renee sighed in relief.

  "Do you live close by, Emma? If so, I'll need your address. I can't risk putting Brian on a bus or in a cab, not that he'd show his face in the first place."

  "I live about a half-mile from here. I can always drive you and Brian—"

  "No. When you get home, just wait for us. We can't come until it's dark out, and we'll have to stay off the main road. I won't do anything to risk him being captured. If you say one word to Tyler, he'll run, and I'll go with him." Renee had to make sure Emma got the point.

  Emma nodded her head in understanding, then took a pen out of her purse and wrote her address down on a business card.

  "Here you go, Renee. My door is open for you, and I agree, a fourteen-year-old has no business fending for himself out here. I'll keep this between us, but you have to make a promise to me," Emma said as she reached over again and held Renee's hands.

  "I'm not very good at keeping promises right now, but I'll try." Renee felt her stomach tighten.

  "I want you to promise me that we'll work out a way for Brian to testify. You're my friend, and I admire what you're doing, and I care about what happens to you, but Tyler is my family. I can't let his life get ruined over a crime he didn't commit." Emma squeezed her hands more firmly.

  "Okay, but you have to give me a heads up if you need to disclose Brian, and give me time to get him out of there if he's not comfortable. He ran away the first time when he was able to escape, and he went directly to the police station. The cop drove him back to his parent's house. He's a runaway, Emma."

  "Come to my apartment. Between the three of us, we'll figure it all out, but I want you to know; Tyler is one of the best people I've ever met. There's no way he'd do anything to risk the life of a kid." Emma stood up, hugged Renee, and turned to walk back across the street.

  When Emma was gone, Renee picked up her duffle bag and looked carefully around the park. When she was sure it was safe, she stepped into the woods.

  "Brian!" she called out, as loud as she dared. "Brian!" she repeated as she walked around, but there was no reply. Renee headed towards the direction where the drain was hidden, and said his name again. She was afraid to go any closer. What she wanted to do was to make her way down to the camp, but Brian was right. The homeless people didn't know her, and they had every right to protect themselves against any possible threat. Renee was sure that most of them were friendly, but then again, you never knew what people had been through. L
ooking at Brian, she would have never guessed his past. Renee understood why he struggled with trust, but he'd taken a leap of blind faith and trusted her. He could have easily done harm to her while she was alone, but he didn't. It was he, who'd reached out to her.

  Renee sighed in frustration, knowing she'd have to wait for Brian to come out of hiding. God, what if he overheard me telling Emma so much information about him? What if he decided not to go to the apartment with me? What if he already ran away again? Renee turned to go back to the edge of the woods where he'd first found her, when all of a sudden she ran right into him. Renee let out a yelp.

  "Brian! You scared the daylights out of me!" she loudly whispered.

  "I've been following you. I couldn't respond because you were too close to the park and you never know who's roaming around. I have cops looking for me out here, remember? Renee, you have to stop calling my name. You're going to attract attention. I don't go by my real name. It's harder for people to find me. An old man I met on the streets called me Ace. That's what stuck with me." Brian put his hand on top of Renee's head and patted it.

  Renee promised not to call his real name again, but Ace certainly didn't fit him. "Did you think about coming with me to the apartment? I talked to Emma and she said it was fine." Renee didn't want to argue with him, but for his safety, she was willing.

  "I know. I heard you," smiled Brian, "especially when you began to practically yell."

  "Yeah, sorry about that." Renee wished she hadn't risked other people overhearing the conversation with Emma. "She's going to wait for us this evening, and we can leave once it gets dark. I'll help you carry your things."

  "My things. You realize I don't have much?" Brian reached around and pulled up his guitar. "I'm sorta scared to leave from here. I mean, if it doesn't work out at your friend's place, I won't have my spot to return to at the camp anymore. It'll be plucked up in no time." Brian looked down in deep thought.

  "Listen, if it doesn't work out at Emma's, I'll find us something until I can start making money and rent an apartment. You're not going to stay on the street anymore." Renee had to fight not to raise her voice.

  "I still need to think on this some. I really appreciate it and all, but I'm risking a lot. Meet me back here right before dark, and I'll give you my answer. Either way, you're going to Emma's apartment, even if I have to drag you." Without saying another word, Brian darted off deeper into the woods.

  Chapter 15

  Emma hurried home after leaving a message on Tyler's desk that she was feeling under the weather. She wasn't exactly being upfront with her boss, but she really did feel ill. Her stomach was nauseated and in knots, and she was literally sick with worry. What exactly had Renee gotten herself involved in? What did I involve myself in? Emma had acted on impulse, when she had agreed so quickly to allow the teenage boy, whom she'd never met, to come live with her. Would he hurt me in my sleep? Would he steal from me? She walked from room to room, dusted, vacuumed, and picked up. Luckily she had enough extra linens and blankets for the spare room and the couch, which converted into a sleeper.

  She wished her suspicions hadn't been confirmed by Renee. When she first met her, she was pretty, clean, and smelled nice when she hugged her. Seeing the unkempt version of Renee, the way she'd physically deteriorated, including the weight loss and bags under her eyes, made her worry. Watching her drag around a duffle bag, combined with asking for a place to park her truck, gave her the truth. Emma just wished she would have figured it out earlier, and involved Tyler right away. Now she was knee deep in a secret she was afraid to keep, and if something happened to her, who would know? Renee could be harmed just as easily.

  Emma's phone rang, startling her from her thoughts. She raced to her jacket pocket to fish it out.

  "Emma, are you okay? I just got your message," began Tyler. His concern came across loud and clear.

  "I'll be fine. I think I just need to lay low today. I'm sorry for taking off so quickly. I should have called instead of leaving a message. Sorry for worrying you." Emma bit her lower lip and shook her head. The last person she wanted to hide things from was this man.

  "I'll let you get some rest. Make sure to call if I can do anything for you."

  Emma thanked Tyler and ended the call. Her apartment was clean and ready. All she could do now was watch the clock tick, which was the hardest part.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Renee sat quietly in the woods waiting for Brian. She was trying desperately not to make any noise, which would draw attention to herself. She occasionally heard branches break and leaves rustle, but it was imperative she made not a sound. Her stomach was growling, her eyelids grew heavy, and her legs were beginning to grow restless, but she remained still. The sun was setting, and she worried that Brian wouldn't show up. When she heard footsteps, which seemed to be getting closer, she slowly got to her feet, lifted her duffle bag, and got ready to flee. When the branches parted in front of her, she gasped.

  "Shhh! You're going to wake the dead," laughed Brian.

  "Oh my God!" Renee pulled his lanky body towards her and hugged him. "I thought you weren't going to show." Renee knew almost immediately that something was wrong, when he winced. She let him go and backed up a step. "Brian, where's your guitar?" She tried to see his shadowed face underneath his hood.

  "It broke. I tossed it in a dumpster," he laughed.

  Renee had a feeling he was lying. She stood on tiptoes and slid his hood back. Brian's bruised, swollen eye, cracked lip, and bruised neck, made her see red.

  "What happened to you?!"

  "I ran into a door. Seriously, I'm okay. You should see the other guy." He half smiled, groaned, and then reached up to hold his lip.

  "You were beaten up for your guitar?" Tears welled up in her eyes.

  "Something like that. I wasn't kidding when I said the camp could be dangerous. There are a couple of guys who showed up earlier, big dudes, just to harass and beat on people." Brian pulled his hood back over his head.

  "Do you know who they are?" Renee was sure she'd kill them if she couldn't get the cops to arrest the thugs fast enough.

  "They aren't homeless from what I saw, trust me. Apparently they've been working their way down to this camp, terrorizing the homeless."

  "You're not staying out here anymore, Brian, I mean it! I don't care what I have to do, but you're coming with me!" Renee demanded.

  "…Alright, I'll go. You have to understand that the first time I feel like I'm going to be turned over to the cops, I'll take off, and you probably won't see me again. I'll leave Michigan." Brian stared down on her with a determined look on his swollen, battered face.

  "I totally agree. I don't want you to go back to your horrible parents as much as you don't. If you have to take off, I'm coming with you. You're way too young to be living on the streets alone. Let's get out of here, Brian."

  Renee took his hand and felt the scrapes across his knuckles. She took a step towards the park, and with some hesitation, Brian followed. Right before they walked into the clearing, Renee reached in her pocket for the business card which had Emma's address on it.

  "I'm not exactly sure where this place is, let alone trying to get there without using the main streets." Renee would never forgive herself if she caused Brian to be spotted by the police.

  "Let me see the address." Brian reached down and gently took the card from her hand and studied it briefly. "I know exactly where this is. Stay with me, because we have to move really fast."

  Renee nodded, and after Brian made sure no one was around, he ran with her into the shadows of the park, and jogged around the edges, making sure to avoid the street lights.

  "Renee, we have to get you some dark clothes. You look like a neon sign," laughed Brian as he continued to lead the way.

  She shook her head and smiled, grateful that he had chosen to come with her. What would happen after they reached Emma's, she didn't know, but she was more than serious about going with him if he needed to bolt.

/>   ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Tyler sat at his desk feeling horrible about how he'd treated Emma. He'd been bossy, short tempered, and had dragged her into something way outside of her job description. As a matter of fact, he'd done that to her several times recently. No matter how much his temper flared, or how bad his mood had become, she still went out of her way to watch his back and help out in anyway she could. He'd definitely have to come up with something, in addition to money, to make up for being such a jerk.

  Tyler's mind kept spinning because of Renee as well. Where was she? How was she? As long as Robert walked the face of this earth, she wouldn't be safe. That big, nasty troll wouldn't rest until Renee was destroyed. Tyler would do anything to get the guy in a ring, but he knew better than to lay hands on him. Creating more waves would just make Robert go after Renee even more.

  The office door slowly opened and startled Tyler.

  "Vinnie, you have to start knocking," he laughed, but Tyler was serious. It didn't take much for him to jump these days.

  "Think of it as a way to keep you on your toes." Vincent walked over, gave his brother a hug and then sat in the chair. He placed his briefcase on Tyler's desk, opened it, and then handed his brother a large file.

  "What's all this?" Tyler opened it.

  "I want you to review it. That way, at your next court date in two weeks, you'll be up to speed. Seriously, you have get your mind of Renee Preston, and focus on helping us find your witness." Vincent picked up a few papers from his briefcase and then leaned back in the chair.

  "I can tell when you have shitty news to tell me, so just get it off your chest. Now what's happened?" Tyler didn't think he could handle any more bad news. His thoughts instantly went to Roger Murphy. He wondered what the creep was pulling now.