by LK Shaw
Of course she was worried. The last time I’d had a problem, it ended in a drug war where Pablo had been shot. I lived with the guilt of that every day. If I hadn't asked Brody and Preston for help after my friend OD’ed at the strip club, he'd still be hale and healthy.
"Michele?" her voice was sharp.
"Sorry, no, I'm not in trouble. It's probably nothing." Having started the conversation, I felt silly. Like I was blowing something way out of proportion.
"If you're worried about it, then it's not nothing,” she said, as though reading my mind. “Always trust your instincts, girl. What's going on?"
She wasn't going to let it go. Not that I blamed her. She was a cop, after all, and protecting people was ingrained in her. Ines was one of the only police officers I trusted. Her father and brothers were the others. The rest were useless and didn't give a shit about people like me. I'd learned that firsthand more than once over the years. To them, I was nothing but a slut. A whore. Trash, as I was called once.
I leaned closer and lowered my voice not wanting Maisie to hear. Thankfully, she was busy finishing off her treat. “He lives down the hall. Ever since he moved in, he’s been constantly trying to hit on me. Telling me how well he takes care of his women and maybe he could take care of me. He’s never tried anything. There’s just something about him, you know? I’ve seen him hanging out front a few times talking to some pretty rough looking guys. ”
Ines’ expression was full of a combination of worry and anger. “Shit, Michele. Let me talk to Pablo. That’s his precinct. Maybe he can talk to that guy. If need be, he’ll put a stop to it. You have to be careful. Especially with Maisie.”
The thought of Pablo knowing the kind of neighborhood I lived in bothered me more than it should. I’d never been ashamed of what I’d done over the last four years to not only take care of my daughter, but to actually survive.
But Ines was right. This wasn’t just about me. I had my daughter to think about.
“I appreciate you talking to him for me. It’s probably completely unnecessary. I’m sure the guy is perfectly harmless.” There was an undertone of uncertainty in my words, and judging from Ines’ skeptical expression, she heard it.
Maisie started getting antsy. It was time to go. “We need to do this more often,” I said. “As soon as I get on a regular work schedule, we'll make a plan.”
"You got it. Oh, before I forget, we're having a birthday party for my niece, Cristina, next week. If you're off work that day, you and Maisie need to come by for some cake and ice cream. I'll text you the date and time and just let me know."
"Thanks, we’d love to come if I can make it happen.”
We packed up our girls and hugged goodbye. Maisie leaned in and kissed Zoey on the cheek. On the drive home, I kept thinking about Pablo. Despite the reason for him checking in on me, I was looking forward to seeing him again. Which was ridiculous. I was a twenty-year-old former stripper with a nearly four-year old kid who was barely making ends meet. What would he want with someone like me anyway?
Chapter 5
“Is your leg still bothering you?”
I flinched at the gently-asked question and glanced over at Ines. “Why do you say that?”
Her eyes flickered downward, and I followed the path of her gaze. Quickly I dropped my hand.
“You’ve been massaging it for the last five minutes. I know the doctor cleared you to return to duty and you’re back to work, but are you really ready?” She reached out to clasp my fingers in hers. “You were shot Pablo. No one would fault you for taking more time off.”
I bit back the sharp reply. Ines sounded like Peterman.
“It’s just a dull ache. Must be a change coming in the weather.” I laughed stiltedly releasing myself from her hold. “They say you can feel rain coming after a broken bone.”
Ines stared hard at me, but thankfully didn’t call me on my shit. Especially considering it was the middle of summer, and they hadn’t forecast rain for several weeks.
“How are things over at Thomas Brothers, P.I. firm doing? Brody and Preston still keeping busy?” I hurriedly changed the subject. My sister could never resist talking about her significant other and his brother’s business.
She heaved a sigh but let the subject of my injury go. “They are actually. Brody doesn’t share a lot of details about his cases with me—confidentiality and all—but he and Preston seem to be as busy as ever.”
“Good. I know it’s a far cry from the undercover work he was doing with the DEA, but it’s definitely safer. I’m glad he hasn’t gotten bored with it. Being a PI is a completely different animal.”
“Are you kidding? After spending five years deep undercover and nearly being killed after his cover was blown, my fiancé is perfectly content with boring,” she said.
“Fiancé, huh?” My brows raised. “Is this a new development? Because I’m pretty sure no one’s said anything to the family.”
“Then apparently everyone but you knows Brody and I are getting married. Hell, we have a damn kid. I think we’ve moved beyond the boyfriend/girlfriend stage at this point. We’ve all been a little too busy the last few months to think about a wedding. I may not have the ring yet, but he is still the man I plan on marrying. So, yes, fiancé.” Ines nearly snapped the last word.
I held up my hands in surrender.
She might be six years younger than me, and the youngest in our family, but she didn’t take any shit from me or our brothers. In fact, she didn’t take shit from anyone. Best option was to diffuse the bomb before it exploded.
“Speaking of kids, when is that niece of mine going to wake up from her nap? It’s been too long since I’ve held her.”
“Not before you leave, God willing.”
Ines did look a little more tired than usual. “Zoey keeping you awake?”
“She’d been sleeping through the night, but then suddenly, a couple days ago, she started waking up fussy every two to three hours. Her appetite seems a little off too. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’ve got an appointment to see the pediatrician tomorrow.”
“If you need the sleep, you know you can always send her over to our house. Dad would be happy to watch her for a night or two.”
Ines laughed. “Dad, huh? I’m sure he’d appreciate you offering up his babysitting services while you’re off with Oliver and your new undercover gig. How’s that going by the way?”
“I’m as undercover as Landon was when she worked with Brody. Besides, you know I can’t really talk about it.”
Oliver was the one undercover. The one taking all the risks. I was just his handler. Except I couldn’t shake this unsettled feeling.
“Promise you’ll be careful. Oliver can be a little reckless at times. I already lost one brother.”
The pain of Ernie’s death hadn’t lessened over the last two years. He’d been the eldest, and we’d all looked up to him. He’d been a good cop, the kind we all strived to be. And then in a single moment, he was taken from us.
“I promise. Believe me, I don’t plan on getting shot again.” I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. Ines didn’t laugh with me.
“Don’t even joke about that. You have no idea what papá, Manny, and I went through when Victor called us that night.” She choked up and tears filled her eyes.
“Hey,” I said, pulling her into a hug. “I’m fine. A broken leg isn’t going to keep a Rodriguez down for long. I’ll make sure to keep Oliver in line. I’m his handler, that’s all. Nothing is going to happen to me, okay?”
Ines sniffled and pulled back, grabbing a tissue from the box on the coffee table to wipe her face. “God, these stupid fucking hormones. I swear if I didn’t know better, I’d think I was pregnant again.”
“Are you sure you’re not?” I asked.
She stared at me, aghast, cheeks still wet. “You shut your mouth right now, Pablo Ignacio Rodriguez. I can’t believe you just uttered that blasphemy. I love Zoey more than anything, but fuck, there’s no way
I could handle two babies under the age of two at the same time. I’d go bat shit crazy.”
Laughter escaped, and it actually felt good. It had been far too long since I’d felt like laughing. “I sure hope you clean up that potty mouth before Zoey learns how to talk.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Ines scoffed. “Between her four uncles and her father, my daughter is going to have a whole repertoire of dirty words to pull from. She certainly won’t learn all of them from me.”
That was the truth. Despite our best attempts, and Marguerite’s scolding, we’d never managed to curb the swearing around Manuel’s kids, Cristina and Nicholás. It was doubtful that anything would change with Zoey or with Victor and Estelle’s little one when it arrived.
I couldn’t believe how much our family was growing. A vision of a young woman and little girl popped in my head. I could still see the innocent gray eyes framed with long lashes staring up at me and feel the heat from her body when she’d laid her daughter in my arms. She’d been leaving here after a visit, and I’d carried a sleeping Maisie out to the car. It had been nearly four months since that evening, but the protective instinct that had flared to life hadn’t dimmed. In fact, seeing them at the rec center the other day had caused it to surge back to life. What was she doing right now?
I blinked at the flash of movement in front of me. Ines waved her hand in my face. “Hey, I’ve been calling your name. You okay? You’ve been staring off into space for the last couple minutes.”
“Yeah, sorry, my mind just drifted.” I glanced at my watch and rose to my feet. “Thanks for the chat, but I should probably get going. I need to meet Oliver tonight.”
Ines followed suit. She pulled me in for a hug. “Please be careful. Call if there’s any trouble.”
“I will. Everything’s going to be fine though.” If I said it enough times, hopefully it would be true.
“It better,” she scolded fiercely, as though daring it to be anything other than what she demanded, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, real quick. Michele has been having some trouble with this creepy neighbor of hers sexually harassing her ever since he’s moved in. He really makes her nervous. I sort of volunteered your services. I’m hoping you won’t mind stopping in and checking on her and Maisie a couple times a week, since your precinct house isn’t too far from her. She doesn’t live in the greatest neighborhood.”
A thin film of anger came over me at the thought of someone bothering her. “I can do that.”
“Thank you.” Ines gave me another hug. “I don’t have her exact address. Only that it’s in Little Village. She’s coming to Cristina’s birthday party on Friday. You can get it then.”
We said our goodbyes, and I spent the rest of the day feeling a mixture of anticipation and dread for tonight, as well as rage toward some unknown man.
Chapter 6
I trudged up each flight of stairs of the rundown building I called home. Temporarily, I hoped, anyway. The bundle in my arms grew heavier with each step. Paint peeled off the smoke-stained walls. The lights that did work either flickered, threatening to go out any minute, or surged bright and then dim again, casting a jaundiced hue over everything. The constant smell of mildew filled the air, which I wasn’t sure was any better than the skunky scent of weed. It was a step above the last building I lived, though, and how depressing was that?
God, my parents would die if they saw this place. My mother would anyway. She’d wrinkle her nose and cover her mouth with a handkerchief I swear she carried for just that over-dramatic purpose. Then she’d sneer and tell me she wasn’t surprised I’d ended up in a place like this. My father would merely say my name in that disapproving tone he always used and shake his head as though I was nothing but an embarrassment to the family. Not that I cared what either of them said. They’d been dead to me for years. Just as I’d been to them.
There were times I imagined them knocking on my door. Begging me to forgive them. Welcoming me back into their house. I couldn’t help myself. Did they ever think of me?
A quiet snore sounded in my ear from the little girl I carried. She was the reason my parents had nothing to do with me. My smart and beautiful daughter. The absolute love of my life. We only had each other, and everything I’d done over the last four years had been for her. I pitied them for the fact that they would never know her. Despite all the struggles, I wouldn’t change a thing. Not the long days spent studying my ass off. Not saving every penny. Not even the aching feet that were killing me after just getting done working yet another double.
Carrying an almost four-year-old wasn’t helping either. Especially a sleeping one. When did my baby get so big? I was changing her diapers just yesterday, but here she was, this little person who had so much personality.
The stairs creaked under our combined weight, and the sound echoed around us. I froze. My breath caught in my lungs, and my lids slammed shut, as if that would prevent anyone from seeing us. I prayed that everyone stayed behind their closed doors. Silence reigned and my breathing began again. I resumed the climb, only my pace picked up.
I hurried down the hall toward my door. I breathed a sigh of relief until my ears caught the sound of hinges in dire need of oiling. Shit. I ignored the noise, stuck my key in the lock, and continued my prayer the whole time that I only imagined it.
“Good evening, little lady,” a gravel-roughened voice bounced off the walls. “You’re getting in awfully late tonight.”
My hands shook. I shifted Maisie in my arms and pivoted to face the man standing far too close. The man I couldn’t ignore. Not unless I wanted more problems than I was ready to deal with.
“What do you want, River?”
“Now, is that any way to greet a friendly neighbor? Someone who’s only concerned about your safety? You never know what kind of riffraff might be roaming these halls at night.”
Friendly neighbor my ass. River was nothing but a slimy wannabe gang member. I was tired and cranky and really didn’t want to deal with his shit right now, but I also needed to be careful. River could continue to be a slight annoyance, or he could make my life complete hell.
“I appreciate you trying to look out for me, but I really just want to go inside and go to sleep. Like you said, it’s late.”
With his colorfully-tattooed arms crossed, he propped his lean form against the wall next to my door, emerald green eyes scanning up and down my body. There was nothing sexy about what I was wearing, yet the look in his eyes said he was imaging what lay beneath my clothes.
“You need a man to help take care of you. To treat you like a queen.” He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, letting it go with a pop.
God, I was so tired of his sleazy innuendos.
“I have a man.” The words escaped before I could stop them.
River straightened and narrowed his eyes. “Oh really?”
No backing out now. “Yes, really.”
“And where is this so called man of yours then?” His head swiveled around like he was actually looking for him.
Despite the heavy weight I carried, I rose to my unimpressive full height. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.”
“Mama?” Maisie raised a sleepy head.
I rubbed her back. “It’s okay, honey, go back to sleep.”
She trustingly laid her cheek against my shoulder again.
“I’m taking my daughter inside now. Good night, River,” I said, staring him down with a false bravado. My heart pounded inside my chest at his silent stare.
“Bring him by sometime. I’d love to meet the lucky man. Remember, though, if he can’t satisfy you, I can help with that.” He winked and finally turned to head down the hall and back inside his apartment.
I sagged with relief and let out the breath I’d been holding before turning the key in a hurried rush and then closing us inside. I threw the deadbolt and secured the chain. Dropping my bag on the floor, I toed off my shoes and made my way through the dimly lit living room and down the
hallway to the bedroom. Multiple night lights illuminated my path.
Thankfully, Maisie remained asleep as I settled her in bed, pulling the covers up and around her. I dropped a gentle kiss to her forehead before pulling the door nearly closed. Exhaustion threatened to overwhelm me, and I’d wanted to do nothing but crawl in bed with my daughter, but my empty stomach pushed me to the kitchen.
While I stood there eating some cold, leftover pizza, I looked around my tiny, one bedroom apartment. I’d piecemealed all the furniture together. The clean, but faded to almost pink, second-hand couch was pushed up against a wall. It was bookended by mismatched end tables, and a clear glass lamp minus the shade stood centered on the one in the corner.
Cable was a luxury I couldn’t afford. The rabbit ears on the box television stood at odd angles, each metal antenna pulled out to capacity, looking as though it was desperately trying to touch the ceiling. I was constantly having to fiddle with them to reduce the static on the four channels we could even get in.
I’d tossed down a few colorful throw rugs to try and cover the threadbare carpet and brighten up the place. A chipped formica kitchen table with three wooden dining room chairs completed what minimal furniture I possessed.
One of these days, I was going to be able to move us to a decent place. I just needed to keep my eye on the prize. With a resigned sigh, I finished off my slice of pizza and dragged myself into the bathroom for a quick shower. I would have loved to take my time—privacy was limited with a child—but my alarm clock would be going off far too early. Instead, I was in and out, putting my sleep shorts and t-shirt on, and crawling into bed in less than ten minutes.
Maisie’s quiet snores came from the pillow next to me. She’d been sleeping beside me her entire life. I really needed to get her a bed of her own, but we didn’t have the room, and I was embarrassed to admit that I liked having her close. It was a reminder that we were a team, she and I, and that I wasn’t alone. I had someone who loved me unconditionally, even when I screwed up. I’d never had that before she’d been born.