I took off around the building and tugged my phone free of my pocket, my heart still thundering with adrenaline. Didn’t even look before I shoved it against my ear. “What?”
“Cole?” Rachel’s timid voice crackled over the line, and I nearly slammed into a phone pole.
“Yeah?”
“I-I’m sorry to call you after what happened last night, but I…I…”
I stole a look over my shoulder and ducked behind a truck. “What’s wrong, Rach?”
Something crashed in the background, and she gasped, lowering her voice to a panicked whisper, “Can you come get me?”
CHAPTER 27
Five words.
All it took was five words from Rachel, and I broke the speed limit all the way back to Wilcox. Dropped everything. The fight, the way I’d left things with my family—every other thought cluttering my mind.
I didn’t even knock when I got there. Their ancient lock was a joke, and I raked it in seconds. The second my foot crossed that threshold, I was ready for anything. “Rachel?”
She peeked around the corner upstairs, and then bolted down the steps with a bag. “We have to go.”
“Why?”
The answer came in the form of her turned chin and lowered gaze. Red, splotchy skin wrapped around her right eye and cheekbone. Her head had been slammed against something. A wall, probably.
Before I knew it, I was struggling to breathe around the anger knotting my chest. My senses sharpened, details ignited around the room. A crooked picture frame. A tossed pillow from the couch. “Where is he?”
Rachel shook her head, war waging in her eyes. “Mom told me to call you. She said I had to get out of here for a while. Until he calms down.”
“Where is he?” I repeated, careful to keep my voice steady.
“Cole, please.” Her fingertips brushed my arm before she latched on. “I just got in the way.”
Rage fueled my actions, but they weren’t hasty. I ripped my keys from my pocket and thrust them into her hands. “Go wait in the Jeep for me.”
“Cole…”
“It’s fine,” I lied. “I just want to check on your mom before we go.”
She hesitated by the door. “I should come with—”
“Rachel, it’s fine. I’m not going to touch him.”
There she went again, biting that lip. “Okay.”
Once the door closed, I made my way though the living room. I would’ve swept the whole house, but I could hear hushed voices arguing in the kitchen.
“Just let her go,” Wanda whispered, backed up against the stove. “She apologized last night, and again this morning. I don’t know what else you expect.”
“I expect you to back me up when I discipline her!” Gene ripped the dishcloth from her hands and threw it at the sink. “You’ve let that kid live without consequence all her life. No wonder she got knocked up in high school. Now she’s gallivanting around with thugs, inviting them into my home to disrespect me.”
I cleared my throat. “Actually, you invited me in last night. Unless you’re talking about some other thug.”
“You,” he hissed, turning around to march toward me. “Do you know what you’ve done to this family?”
“No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
He started for the phone on the other side of the table. “I’m calling the cops.”
“Good. Tell ‘em how you handled your girlfriend’s daughter. I’m sure they’d love to hear that.”
Wanda covered her mouth to hide a sob.
“That’s just the cure-all, save-all for your generation, isn’t it?” Gene faltered. “We can’t paddle anymore; we can’t discipline. No wonder you’re all so screwed up.”
“Is that what you call slamming her head against the wall? Discipline?” My anger had morphed into something eerily calculated. It was as if it’d possessed me, biding its time until the need to strike was imminent. “What about Wanda? D’you touch her?”
“Of course not.”
Because that would be wrong. I put my hands on my hips and blew out a breath toward the ceiling. “Tell you what, this is how it’s going to play out. Both of them are coming with me. I’m taking their things. We’ll be gone in ten minutes, and you can enjoy ruling over your little domain again.”
He took a rash step toward me. “You can’t just take them against their will.”
“Oh, it won’t be against their will.” I accepted his challenge with a step of my own. “These women deserve better than this scratch of life you’ve made them depend on, and I intend on showing them that. So, we’re leaving.”
Wanda shook with big, hiccupping sobs, but I couldn’t afford to lose my edge right now.
“C’mon,” I told her, holding my arm out. “Go pack a bag. Pack anything you can’t stand to part with.”
She lowered her hands to plead with me. “This is…this…I can’t.”
“You can,” I whispered. “Do it for Rachel.”
Her gaze lingered on me for a moment before darting to Gene in caged panic.
“Wanda.” I gently grasped her shoulders. “Go. Okay?”
She nodded and hurried out of the room as best she could.
Gene made to tear after her, and I blocked the open doorway. “Let me make something clear for you.”
“What?” he snapped, eyes livid as he tried to get around me. “Move!”
“If you come after them,” I began, lowering my voice, “I’ll cut out your intestines, tie ‘em around your dick, and hang you from the ceiling like a fuckin’ piñata. Do I make myself clear?”
His pupils contracted as he took a begrudging step back. “You’re a sick, wretched man.”
“Yeah?” I asked. “Well, you’re a coward. So, sit your ass down before I lay hands on you.”
~
Rachel seemed pretty shocked when her mom followed me out to the Jeep, our arms laden with trash bags full of clothes. But I saw the flicker of relief in her eyes. She knew they were safe now, free of that mind control he’d been using to imprison them there. As long as I was around, no one was going to touch them.
And it felt good.
We rode back to my place, and I set them up in what Tits called Command Central—really, it was just a futon-furnished guestroom with his server shit shoved in one corner. After I explained the situation, he said he was fine with the temporary arrangement…as long as they didn’t touch anything.
“Cole.” Rachel pulled me aside in the hallway, closing the door behind her. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure.” I opened the door to my room, beside hers, and gestured to my computer chair. “Shoot.”
She perched on the edge of the seat and twisted her hands. “First, I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to react so harshly. I just knew he’d be upset and—”
I raised my hand, cutting her off. “I created that situation. Don’t apologize for it.”
Her tilted lips contrasted the sadness in her eyes. “But you didn’t know.”
“Meh.” I plopped down on my bed and tossed the covers over an ERA file I’d left out in my search the night before. “It’s over.”
She nodded. “And for today, I…I don’t know how to thank you. You didn’t even have to come for me, let alone my mother. But you did, and you protected us, and I’ll never forget it.”
Protected them? That sounded halfway decent. Had I really done that?
“Don’t mention it,” I told her. “We’ll get this whole thing figured out.”
“Mom’s worried,” she admitted, looking down at the carpet…inches from where I’d left my boxers under the bed. “Without Gene, I don’t make enough at the 1-Stop to support us, and she can’t work…”
“What about Section 8? You guys could apply for housing.”
She stared at me, fearfully, hopefully, like I held their lifeline in my hands. “How long does that take?”
“I don’t know, but I can find out.” I shrugged. “In the meantime, you g
uys can crash here. We’ll shove Tits’ stuff somewhere else for a while.”
“Shove whose stuff?” Her brows drew together.
“Ti—oh, I meant Larry. The guy I called on the way here? He’s my roommate. That computer crap in the corner of your room is his.”
“And what did you call him?”
Ah, hell. This is gonna short-circuit her brain. “Tits?”
A loud giggle escaped her lips before she covered it, eyes wide. “Oh my goodness. That is the worst nickname ever!”
“It’s fitting,” I assured her, with an unexpected grin. “Wait until you see him.”
“You never cease to surprise me.”
The door shut out in the kitchen, and I rose to my feet. “Speak of the devil. Wanna meet him?”
“Sure.”
She stuck close behind me, peeking around my arm. I wasn’t sure if it had to do with her inherent shyness or the fact that Gene had assaulted her hours prior, but either way, he’d pay for it. Soon.
“Yo.” Tits dropped his laptop bag on the table. “What’s shakin’?”
“Titsy, this is my friend Rachel,” I introduced him. “Rach, this is…Larry.”
“Hi, Larry.” She smiled.
“Hello,” he greeted, mouthing hot to me like she couldn’t see him.
Rachel took a step to the side, visibly comfortable after she’d realized Tits was nothing more than a giant cherub. “Thank you for letting us stay here. I’d introduce my mother, but I convinced her to lie down. It’s been a long morning for her.”
“No biggie.” Tits opened the refrigerator. “We’re all going to be roomies for a while. I’ll meet her later.”
“Speaking of fun roomie things,” I cut in, seizing the opportunity while the thought was still on my mind, “we won’t be needing those hundred and fifty chocolate bars.”
He jerked his head out from behind the fridge door. “What?”
“My grandma didn’t want ‘em. Said she doesn’t eat things when she doesn’t know where they’ve come from. So, can you return ‘em? Chalk it up as a vending error?”
His shoulders slumped forward. “Yeah, probably, but I gotta be careful. You sure about this?”
“She was very clear.” I crossed my arms, still irritated about the whole situation. “Sorry about this, man.”
Rachel had a puzzled expression on her face, but didn’t say anything.
Tits straightened, palms up. “It’s fine. Mysteriously appearing candy bars are an acquired taste.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” I grunted. Grandma wouldn’t touch any loan she didn’t know the origins of, and I couldn’t afford to do it myself. Unless I won the lottery or got an inheritance from some long-lost relati—
My eyes widened, and I nearly had to grab the table for support. That was it. I knew how to get the money to move her house. “Titsy, can you play host for about an hour?”
“‘Course, man. What’s up?”
“I need to run downtown for a quick errand.”
“Ah.”
I turned to Rachel. “Will you be okay here?”
She looked around the room and gave a slow nod. “Sure.”
“Hey, Rachel,” Tits beckoned, setting lunchmeat on the counter. “Do you eat sandwiches?”
“I love sandwiches.”
I clapped my hands together. “Perfect. BFFs. Bond over your mutual love of sandwiches, and I’ll be right back.”
That’d tide them over until I got back from ERA HQ. Hopefully.
CHAPTER 28
“Auntie Faaaaaye,” I called outside the office door of R.S. Tobler Laboratory’s CEO. “I want a ponnnny!”
Since it was Saturday, hardly anyone was working, but I knew she wasn’t the type to take days off. She had to be here—or rubbing elbows with important people to get deranged legislature passed, but I was willing to risk it.
The door hissed open, and Faye leaned against the opening. “You’ve got a real pair on ya, kid. What do you want?”
I motioned behind her, to the desk. “A moment of your time.”
“Make it quick. I have a dinner meeting.”
“Of course.”
“You’re not here to kill me, are you?” she asked, walking back to her chair. “Because I really don’t have time for a battle, especially with both of us healing as we do.”
“No battle,” I assured her. “Besides, if you were worried about that, you would’ve escaped through your little latch to the Batcave.”
Her lips quirked. “You really do know your way around this place, don’t you?”
“I make it my business to stay informed.” I took a seat opposite her. “Speaking of business, I have a little proposal for you.”
“Do tell.”
I had her attention now. “You offered to pay Rena and Wallace as independent contractors for their expertise. I feel left out.”
The scarred side of her face didn’t move, but her other eyebrow lifted. “You want to work for me?”
“Not really,” I answered honestly, “but I need a favor, and you’re my wealthiest relative.”
She snorted. “What’s this favor?”
“Move Grandma’s house up here.”
Her good eye rounded in surprise. “What?”
“I had to move for work, so now the whole freakin’ family is up here—except Grandma. I know you want to keep tabs on her, anyway. Why not pay to facilitate that? You did it with Uncle Henry and Great-Grandpa Edwin.”
“You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
“Not when I can help it,” I answered. “So, are you in?”
She leaned back in her seat. “You know how I work, Nicholas. What would you give me in return?”
“How about the two guards I tied up with extension cords in the utility closet?” I smirked, matching her posture.
“Replaceable. Try again.”
Damn. “What about an upgrade? You take Rena out on these field trips, Wallace watches her, and I play bodyguard for you.”
“As much as I’d love to know where all three of you are during these recruitment visits, I’m not sure I’d trust you with my life.”
And with good reason.
I swung my gaze toward the ceiling. “Well, yeah, but I doubt you really trust these human rent-a-cops, either. What you’d have is someone for the other Dynari to target, should they choose to not come peacefully and quietly.”
She rubbed her chin. “That is appealing.”
“I know it is. I don’t bring useless shit to the table when I play ball. So, what do you say?”
Her stare hardened as she scrutinized me, before pulling her lips back in a wicked grin. “Very well. I’d like to see how this works out.”
“And I trust that you’ll inform Grandma of your generous offer to move the house for sisterly reasons?” I asked, standing.
She held out her hand, and I took it, imagining what it’d be like to have powers of electrocution. “Absolutely.”
“Excellent. Now do me a favor and pick up the phone when you need me. I’m not putting up with that summons shit again.”
“Duly noted.”
I headed for the door.
“Oh, and Nicholas?”
“Yeah?”
“For what it’s worth, I did keep track of Clara’s family from afar during my absence.” She shuffled a few papers around her desk. “Your mother was also straightforward in her dealings with…people she disliked.”
~
My phone rang on the way back. I hit the speaker as I wove through traffic. “Go.”
“Are you all right, sweetheart?” Grandma’s raspy tone struck a chord in my chest. “Your emotions have been all over the place since you left. I thought you were just going to cool off, and then come home to talk about this.”
Shit. “That was the plan,” I explained. “But then Rachel called and needed my help. It was kind of an ‘act now’ situation.”
“Oh, heavens. Is everything okay?”
I nodded, e
ven though she couldn’t see me. “It is now. She and her mom are going to stay at the apartment with me and Larry for a few days. Maybe weeks. Depends on how things go.”
“Well, if you run out of room up there just let me know. They’re more than welcome to stay here. Henry came for your great-grandpa Edwin yesterday—Jaya was with him—so, the guestroom is open. Wallace could sleep there, leaving the basement open for Rachel and her mom.” She rambled on, going over the logistics. “I really wouldn’t mind.”
“I’ll let you know if it comes to that,” I told her. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it, sweetie.”
I sighed and checked my blind spot, merging for the exit. “Hey, Grandma? Would you tell Wallace and, you know, yourself that I’m sorry about earlier? I'm off my game right now.”
“I understand, sweetheart. I’ll be sure to pass the message on—to him and myself.”
“Thank you. Oh, and let him know we can hunt down Titus on Tuesday afternoon…after my therapy session.”
“You’re a good boy, Nicholas.”
About damn time!
The rest of my drive home felt light. There were still plenty of problems looming over me, but for the most part, things were righting themselves. Faye was paying for the move, I’d get to keep an eye on Wallace and Sis during their recruitment missions, and I might even get to see the old bat catch a bullet. Too perfect.
Plus, despite my demotion, things were copacetic at work. Pulling janitorial duty gave me plenty of flextime, and I made a wicked speed-cleaner. Maybe this was my calling after all. I did look damn good in coveralls…
When I walked back into the apartment, Rachel was there to greet me. It was the kind of sight a guy could get used to, sans the rage-inducing bruises on her face. And even then, she looked beautiful.
Yeah, I probably should’ve called the cops on Gene, got that domestic incident on record, but then he’d blab about my involvement. If he happened to turn up dead in a few days, all fingers would point at me. Uh, no thanks. I’d go with street justice on this one.
Honesty (Mark of Nexus) Page 18