by Jen Davis
The fire in his eyes dimmed a little. “I have responsibilities to my family, Miss T. I have to work. I’m not choosing to ignore my opportunities. What I’m telling you is I have no choice.”
“What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “There’s a guy in the neighborhood. He kinda runs things. When he says you have to work for him, you have to work for him.”
She held back a shudder. Those words sounded ominous. “What about your parents? Do they know you aren’t coming to school?”
“No parents,” he sighed. “Not for a long time now. It’s only me and my brother.”
“Can’t you do both? If you have to work, can’t you still come to school? At least graduate, Devon. You’ll have your diploma, and no one can ever take it away from you.” She lowered her voice. “If you want out of the situation you’re in, I can help you. I can call—”
“No. I won’t leave my brother. He’s all I have.”
She understood all too well. She would never leave Will or Izzy as long as she had a choice. “Will you at least think about coming back?”
“I’ll think about it.”
Justin returned to the table and held out a paper bag. “You, uh, might want to take your burger to go, ma’am.”
Acutely aware of everyone looking at her, she accepted his offering and drew to her feet. “Thanks, Justin.”
Suddenly, she felt very exposed. Was the man in the green car staring at her?
She returned quickly to her Corolla and sped away without even taking the time to put on her seat belt. Her unease followed her all the way home.
Still, if there was even a chance Devon would take her advice, the trip had been worth it.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Brick
The house on Burgundy was coming together. The team had completed the framing, along with the plumbing, electrical, and insulation. They would start to drywall today, which meant soon, they’d have real walls, and it would finally feel like a real house.
The guys had hit a problem on the other build. Something about the buyer wanting to make some changes. So, the project sat on hold until the higher-ups could get it all sorted out. Brick had heard Xander on the phone with his bosses off-and-on almost every day this week.
Poor bastard.
He studiously ignored Will when he pulled up outside. He hadn’t seen him in months, but Liv’s brother would be working upstairs, so there was no reason for them to cross paths. He took his time lingering at the ice chest while Will passed behind him and climbed up.
Kane slapped him on the back. “He’s gone, brother, you can stop hiding.”
He shot his friend a look that would make most guys wither. Kane just laughed. “Hey, I wouldn’t want to face the guy, either, if I was the one who fucked his sister.”
Before he knew what came over him, he had Kane up against the two-by-fours which would soon become a wall. “I didn’t fuck her,” he hissed.
Kane appeared totally unfazed. “Oh, I can tell there’s absolutely nothing going on there.”
He sucked in a deep breath and let go of Kane’s shirt. “Sorry,” he muttered. He’d been on edge for weeks.
A dozen times, he’d picked up the phone, tempted to call Olivia. Even more often, he caught himself staring at the ring she gave him, questioning whether he’d be a bigger fool to break things off or to keep putting his selfish desires ahead of her safety.
“I don’t know what to do, man. You ever been involved with a woman who was too good for you? Someone who doesn’t belong surrounded by the shit we live in?”
Kane’s jaw tightened. “Once.”
“I want her. More than fucking air sometimes. But having her feels selfish. She could be with some guy who’s got class, some guy who doesn’t have blood on his hands and dirt under his nails. A guy who—”
“She doesn’t want some guy, though, dumbass. She wants you. Or at least she did.” Kane tapped him lightly on the forehead. “If she wanted another kind of guy, she’d be with one. So, man up.”
He almost let the conversation end there, but more words spilled out before he could stop them. “I don’t even know how to be with her. What the fuck do I talk about? How do I act? I feel like I’m playing a part in a goddamn movie. Like I’m pretending to be a regular guy. One who calls her on the phone…or takes her to get ten-dollar hamburgers…or wears her fucking jewelry. That’s not me.”
Kane shrugged. “Isn’t it? You did all those things, right? Her shiny gold band is right there on your finger, am I right?”
Cocky fucker.
“You feel like it’s a part? Play it. Maybe it’s not who you can be most of the time, but it’s who you want to be when you’re with her. There’s no shame in it.”
“Xander.” A woman’s voice rang out from the front of the house. It was strong, loud, and more than a little pissed off.
Kane’s eyes widened, and Brick spun around to get a glimpse. The woman stood in the doorway as though she owned the place. She had thick, straight, dark red hair, which fell to the center of her back. Her skin glowed porcelain. A black pencil skirt ended right above her knees, and a cream-colored silky blouse tucked into the top.
Everything about her screamed power and class.
Her gaze flew right past him and landed on Kane. “Where is he?”
“What are you doing here?”
His head swiveled around and did a double-take at the venom in Kane’s eyes.
“It’s still my company, Kane. Tracking problems is my responsibility.” Her eyes were green with little flecks of gold, and her gaze fired with every bit of intensity as Kane’s.
“I thought your brother was guaranteed to manage our crew.”
Finally, a little chink appeared in her armor. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Mike was in a car accident.”
Kane stepped forward, the malice on his face replaced with concern.
The woman waved it off. “He’ll be fine. For now, I’m responsible for everything, including this clusterfuck in Decatur. Can you please…tell me where to find Xander?”
“He’s upstairs.” Kane gestured toward the staircase, and she walked toward it. “Amanda?”
She stopped but didn’t turn around.
“I’m sorry about Mike.”
She nodded, then started to climb.
He waited until her shiny black pumps disappeared from view before approaching Kane. “What just happened?”
The man stomped out the front door, and Brick followed him into the street. “Wait up. Kane!”
Tattooed arms flexed as Kane pulled off his hard hat, and several strands of his dark hair came loose from the ponytail at the back of his neck. “Amanda and her brother Mike own the construction company. Seems like she’s here to rip Xander a new one over the Decatur house, which is stupid because the delays aren’t his fault.”
Folding his arms, he stood still and watched Kane pace the pavement next to the curb. “So, what’s the deal with the two of you?”
Kane’s jaw flexed. “There’s no deal.”
“If you say so, man.” He pulled a ten-dollar bill out of his wallet. “Why don’t you take a run to the donut place and get us some coffee? My treat.”
Kane scowled.
“She’ll probably be gone before you get back.”
Snatching the cash out of his hand, Kane stomped to his motorcycle. “Fine. I’ll be back in twenty.”
As the bike rumbled away, he wondered briefly how Kane would carry the coffee, but shrugged it off. The coffee had only been a smokescreen anyway.
He stepped back into the house, and raised voices echoed from upstairs. The entire crew had migrated to the backyard for an unscheduled break. Only Xander and Amanda remained unaccounted for. Robby paced nervously in and out of the French doors, which led to the rear patio.
“Robby.”
The kid froze at the sound of his name.
“What’s going on?”
Abandoning his post at the back door, Robby appr
oached him. “Ms. Griffin is getting a lot of flak from the guy who commissioned the other house. He said we’re not giving him what he wants.”
“The guy signed off on the plans. How is it Xander’s fault if he changed his mind? It’s bullshit.”
Robby snuck a glance at the staircase before continuing. “Yeah, it is. Now, the man’s threatening to pull out if we don’t make the changes for free. The company takes a hit either way, and you know bad stuff rolls downhill.”
The unmistakable sound of heels clicked down the stairs. “Get it done, Xander. I don’t have time for excuses, and we can’t afford any delays.”
The older man followed her down. The sun-darkened olive skin on his face blanched. “We’ll do our best, Amanda.”
She shot a look at the men now crowded around the back door. “See that you do.” She blew out the front door like a tornado and slammed it behind her.
Heat flooded his face. He liked Xander. The guy worked hard and gave things to you straight. Boss or no, the redhead had no right to talk to him the way she did. Judging from the expressions on the other guys’ faces, they felt the same way.
“Stand down,” Xander said tiredly. “We’re all under a lot of pressure. Amanda too.”
“But, Boss,” Will began.
“No. No buts. Sometimes you’ve got to shove it down and keep moving. I’m going to need every one of you to get these projects done on time. Can I count on you?”
One by one, every man nodded.
“Great. If you guys could all work down here for a bit, I have a few calls to make upstairs.”
Kane still hadn’t returned, so he headed over to Matt to team up on the drywall. Together, they loaded the first piece of sheetrock onto the lift to install on the ceiling. Cyrus helped them tack it to the joists, and they made quick work of the dining room.
Robby brought pizza for lunch around one o’clock, and the guys fell onto the boxes like they’d been starving for days. The calories chipped away at the effects of their hard work and stress.
He tossed his trash into the big waste barrel. Before he could get back to work, Will grabbed his left arm.
“Where did you get that?”
He resisted his first instinct, the one to wrench free. The thought it would upset Olivia kept his temper in check. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, man.”
Gripping his arm tighter, Will lifted it into the air and shook it. “The ring. You’re wearing my sister’s ring.”
He had no idea how to respond, so he said nothing.
“Give it back to me, you dirty fuck.”
Cyrus pulled Will back as he tried to rip it off Brick’s finger.
Cradling his hand to his chest, Brick spoke softly. “She gave it to me.”
Will’s face darkened with fury. “Liar. Izzy bought that ring because it looked like one our mom used to wear. It was her good luck charm when she had fucking cancer because it made her feel like Mom was watching over her. She would never give it away. Never.”
It didn’t make any sense. Olivia hadn’t told him the ring was special. “I don’t know what to tell you.” Cancer? “She wanted me to have it. If you don’t believe me, call and ask her yourself.”
Will tried to shake loose, but Cy kept him from lunging again. “Stay away from her. You’re not fit to breathe the same air as my sister, you shit thug. You think I’m scared of you because you chop up people for Sucre de la Cruz?”
The words took the air out of the room.
“Yeah. I said it. I know what you are. Which is exactly why I will do whatever it takes to keep you away from her.”
He couldn’t even get mad. Will only spoke the truth. Still, hearing the words come from someone else hollowed him out. “We’re not together.” No one could know the truth.
“Let. Me. Go, Cy.” Will’s eyes glinted wildly. Cyrus didn’t budge.
He wanted to tell Will he was crazy about his sister. He wanted to keep her safe. If the information got into the wrong hands, though, it could destroy the very thing he was fighting for. He liked the guys he worked with, but he didn’t trust them with Olivia’s life. So instead, he repeated, “We’re not together, Will, and you don’t want to do this here.”
“Don’t tell me what I want to do, motherfucker. What I want to do is bash your ugly face in. You are not good enough for my sister.”
“You’re right.”
Finally, Will stopped struggling.
He shot Liv’s brother a cold look and hardened his voice. “I’m everything you say I am, and your sister is a sweet little school teacher with a crush. But I don’t even remember the last time I saw her.” Lie. “We’re not playing house. I didn’t even fuck her. So, cool your jets.” He stepped forward, crowding Will, but no one got in his way. His stone-cold killer voice fit like a glove. “Don’t come at me again. There will be consequences.”
Xander cleared his throat from the staircase. “Do we have a problem here?”
“No problem.” He raised his eyebrows at Will, daring him to argue.
Silence.
“Let’s keep it that way. We don’t have time for petty squabbles. Let’s get back to work.”
Kane stomped back onto the property right as their boss made his pronouncement. Judging by the look on his face, the three-hour coffee run had done little to cool the heat of his anger.
There was no sign of any coffee, but Brick wasn’t dumb enough to say a word.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Liv
The banging outside Liv’s front door had so much force behind it, the windows rattled in their frames. She hesitated to answer until Will’s voice boomed from the front porch.
“Open up the goddamn door, Liv.”
No matter how angry he sounded, she could never consider her brother a threat. An annoyance, yes, but the man was all bark and no bite.
The second she turned the knob, he barreled in, still dusty from his worksite. “You don’t fucking listen! Dammit, Liv. I told you to stay away from Brick Barlow.” His cheeks flushed red, and he paced with unspent anger.
She closed the door gently. “Calm down, Will.” He didn’t acknowledge her words, so she settled in on the sofa. “I can’t talk to you when you’re like this.”
He slammed the heel of his hand against the wall, leaving a black smudge on the cream-colored paint. “You keep fooling around with Brick, you won’t be talking to anybody.” He wasn’t getting calmer. “You’ll be too busy getting ass-raped by one of Sucre’s other goons, or if you’re lucky, you’ll only be dead.”
“Will—”
“You don’t understand the kind of people you’re dealing with.” He strode to the sofa then knelt in front of her. “When I went to prison, I learned fast, you don’t mess with Sucre’s crew. I saw one of his guys pop out somebody’s eye with a fucking spoon, Liv.”
His voice shook. Will never talked about the time he was in prison. “Those guys had no fear. They had no limits. They even scared the guards.”
She reached out to cup his jaw. “He isn’t like them.”
He clenched her hand. “You don’t understand. Brick was the one those guys whispered about. The one they were afraid of. You are letting a monster into your life.” His eyes glistened with tears. “I can’t protect you from these people, Liv. Please listen to me.”
Her stomach churned with his warning.
She’d never seen her brother scared before, and he was clearly terrified right now. As she pulled him into a hug, the wetness from his cheek soaked through her shirt. “Whatever was between us is over. I haven’t heard from him in months. Not since before Carol…”
He pulled back to search her face. “I don’t get it. I know he wants you. I’m not blind.”
“He said he wanted to keep me safe. I guess you two have something in common.”
Will climbed up from the floor and clasped his hands behind his neck. He stared up at the ceiling. “I pray to God what you say is true.” His gaze cut back to her. “You and Izzy
are everything to me. I’d die before I let something happen to either one of you. I couldn’t do anything when you were sick; I was stuck in fucking jail. Please don’t make me feel so fucking useless again.”
He didn’t wait for a reply. Gritting his teeth, he spun around and walked straight out the door.
She took a shuddering breath. She believed him when he said he would die to protect her. It was a promise she prayed he would never have to see through.
***
Thank God for Google Maps. Without the app, Liv would have never found her way to the address in Devon’s student file. He hadn’t come back to class, even after their chat at Burger King, and she couldn’t help but wonder if his brother knew he’d been skipping out.
Will’s meltdown reminded her big brothers tended to put their siblings first. No way would he have been okay with her ditching school. Will would’ve found a way to keep her in class, even if he had to work three jobs to do it. Maybe Devon’s brother would feel the same way.
The apartment complex sprawled over a block, but it desperately needed repairs. Boards covered several of the windows. The siding sagged, and a sheen of green mildew obscured the original color. One of the buildings had obviously been damaged in a fire and left in ruin. She stepped carefully over the broken concrete as she tried to figure out which section housed Building E. If there were ever markings on any of the structures, she saw no sign of it now.
She didn’t spot anyone outside, strange for a Saturday afternoon, but the back of her neck prickled, the same way it had when she’d left the burger place. Even if she couldn’t see who, someone watched her. Nerves crept up her spine.
She shook them off. Old Liv would have never set foot in this place.
Go big or go home. The expression had been one of Carol’s favorites.
“You in the right place, lady?” The high-pitched voice almost made her jump out of her skin. Liv swiveled her head to the source, a gangly kid who looked about twelve.
She forced her voice to remain neutral, despite her unease. “Maybe you can tell me. Am I close to Building E?”