Cooper

by Lagomarsino, Giulia

  “Way to go, asshole. Push away two people in one night. You’re on a roll.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Becky

  I clicked through the latest file on my computer at work and tried my damndest not to think about Coop and what he said to me last night. He was wrong, but maybe it hadn’t been my place to intervene. But I was really getting tired of a relationship that was based on sex and nothing else. He didn’t want me to help with his issues and he wouldn’t let me into his life even a little bit. I actually felt like I had better luck when I worked at Reed Security. Something was different back then. Maybe it was that we hadn’t been dating. Was there a rule that once you started dating, the emotional boundaries changed?

  “Becky, I have another one for you,” my boss, Don, said, entering my small office. It was nothing like my IT room at Reed Security, with all those nice computers and all the technology I could ask for at my fingertips. This was a sad replacement, to say the least. He plopped a file folder down on my desk and sat across from me. “I need you to look into this ASAP. This guy wants to insure his business, but it’s already been burned down twice. Now, if we take it, we can jack up his rates and really rake in some cash. But everyone else has turned him down. I need to know more than the fire investigations. I need to know if there was any evidence at all of foul play or if this guy is just the most unlucky bastard in the world.”

  I picked up the file and leafed through it, excitement at my fingertips. Finally, I was getting something exciting to look into. “I’ll get right on it.” I grabbed my jacket and stood and so did he.

  “Where are you going?”

  “Well, you can’t tell that much about a crime scene by sitting behind a desk.”

  “But isn’t that what you do?”

  “Don, the really good stuff is still at the business. They always think they clean up everything, but there’ll be hints of wrongdoing if it was foul play. I’ll interview some people that work there and see if I can sniff out anything.”

  He smirked at me and shook his head. “I knew I was getting a handful when I hired you. I’m still not sure how I managed to snag you.”

  “You have it all wrong, Don. I snagged you.”

  His laughter followed me out of his office. I hurried to my car and took off for the automotive business that was just on the outskirts of Pittsburgh. I talked with every employee and the owners too, not getting a single hint that there was any foul play. They even allowed me to walk through the entire place and look at whatever I wanted. The owner was an older gentleman who seemed truly uneasy about what had happened. In fact, everyone was just devastated over having to rebuild, which they were currently in the process of. The work was hard and the hours were long, and they weren’t pulling in any money yet. They were just trying to move on with life as best they could.

  From what I gathered from the lead mechanic, a charger for a new battery for a drill was placed on an old battery pack. They weren’t meant to fit together, but if given a good shove, it slid right into place. The battery pack was more powerful than the charger and it overheated, starting the fire. Since it happened after hours, no one was around to try and put out the fire. The whole place went up in smoke and flames before the fire department arrived. It was just plain bad luck. And stupidity on the part of the employee that plugged in the wrong battery pack. He no longer has a job there.

  I went back to the office and flopped down in my chair, reviewing all the evidence that was in the file from the first fire and then the second. The first fire happened twenty years ago, and it was a small fire. The place didn’t actually burn down. As far as I could tell, the two incidents had absolutely nothing to do with one another and this was a dead end. I could investigate some more and cover all the bases, but the fire investigator had already been very thorough and digging further would get me nowhere. I knew when the trail was dead, and this was dead from the moment the file landed on my desk.

  I knocked on Don’s door at the end of the day and entered, sitting down across from him.

  “Well?”

  “It’s legit. The first fire was a small fire that didn’t burn down the business. It was twenty years ago. The second fire was caused by an overheated battery pack for hand tools. I talked with everyone and checked out the entire place. There’s not a single hint of foul play anywhere.”

  “So, they just have really shitty luck,” Don surmised.

  I nodded. “Don, those people are trying to rebuild from nothing. They really need all the help they can get.”

  His brows furrowed. “What are you asking?”

  “I’m asking that you don’t give them insane rates. They’re just a small garage trying to get back on their feet. I have a feeling that they won’t be in business too much longer if they can’t get their business going soon.”

  “And they can’t get their business going if they don’t have insurance,” Don said drolly. “Alright, I’ll see what I can work up for them.”

  “Thanks,” I said, smiling big. “I’m heading home for the day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Sure I will,” he said with a smirk. It was like he knew me too well.

  I walked out of the building and got in my car, heading for the one place that I knew I could convince a few people to help me out. Well, there was one man in particular that I hoped would really want to help me, but I had a feeling a few others would jump on board in no time.

  Pulling into Reed Security, I parked my car and took a deep breath before heading into the main office building. Coming here always made me sad. Especially when I got to the elevators and had to be escorted up. There was nothing quite like losing all your power in a place like this.

  “Becky,” Cap greeted me, standing just outside the elevator with his hands shoved in his pockets. “What can I do for you?”

  “How did you know I came to see you?”

  “I got a call from your new boss. He said to expect you and to be prepared. Whatever that means.”

  I grinned and followed him back to his office. Apparently, my new boss knew me just as well as my old boss. Or, at least he was close. I was surprised though to see Coop already sitting in his office. His face was unreadable and cold, just like he was whenever he didn’t want someone knowing what was going on in his head. I wanted to go kiss him, but I was still too hurt over what happened last night. It was better to keep this professional anyway.

  “So, what’s going on? Are you ready to come back?”

  I shook my head. “I was hoping that you could help me.”

  I felt Coop stiffen besides me, though he wasn’t even in arms reach. The air in the room crackled with tension, so I hurried on.

  “I was investigating a fire this morning, and when I got to this mechanic’s shop, it was utter devastation. They’re trying to rebuild, but they don’t have a lot of resources. The insurance paid out, but it’s only enough to cover the workers for a little bit. They didn’t have the building insured, only what was inside the building.”

  Cap’s gaze narrowed as he leaned forward, resting his arms on his desk. “And what is the favor you want?”

  “We were lucky. We were insured when this place burned down. Now, Don has agreed to go easy on the insurance for them, but I was hoping that you could lend me a few guys to go help them out with getting their building up.”

  “Can they even afford the building supplies right now?”

  I shrugged. “They’re making do. There’s still a lot of wreckage to go through, but they’re trying to move and start building at the same time. It’s very…disorderly.”

  “I think we should help,” Coop piped up.

  I turned in surprise, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was looking at Cap.

  “You do, huh?” Cap grinned and shook his head. “Becky, I’ll make some calls and I’ll let you know what happens.”

  “Thanks.”

  I sat there for a moment, thinking that Coop might want to talk to me, but instead, he and Cap were having some k
ind of stare off. I stood and walked out of the room, a little sad that Coop didn’t bother to follow me. I was just getting into my car downstairs when Kayla came running toward me.

  “Becky, you have to help me.”

  “Why?”

  “Can you take me into town?”

  “For what?”

  “To escape the insane asylum. What else?”

  I chuckled and got into my car, motioning for her to go around to the other side. “I’ll let you come to my house, but that’s it. I don’t need your dad pissed at me.”

  “Of course, we wouldn’t want to piss off dear old Dad.”

  I rolled my eyes at her dramatics, but was quite confused when I saw her crawling into the backseat and covering herself with a blanket.

  “What are you doing?”

  “The guards won’t let me leave, so I have to sneak out.”

  I put the car back in park and shook my head. “Nope. I’m not doing this. Whatever is going on with you and your dad, it’s between the two of you.”

  “Please, Becky. I’ll explain everything when we get to your house. Just do this for me.”

  Her sad puppy dog eyes had me melting in an instant. I never could say no to this girl. She had a way of manipulating me that I was all too aware of, but couldn’t seem to control in any way.

  “Fine, but as soon as you’re done talking, I’m bringing you back here.”

  She grinned and pulled the blanket over her head. I cringed when we got to the gate, sure that the guard would know I was hiding her. Luckily, he let us through and I drove back to the house without any issues.

  Delaney wasn’t home yet, so we could at least talk without her listening in on our conversation. “Okay, start talking.”

  “I was over at a friend’s house last night and Dad came in and busted in the door. Nothing was happening! We were just hanging out and he came in with his team and pointed his gun at Smitty.”

  “Smitty?” I grimaced.

  “His name is Carl and he’s a really nice boy. Dad went all psycho on him and even held a knife to his throat. It was insane.”

  “Yeah, that does sound insane.”

  “And when we got back to Reed Security, he threw it in my face that Mom was a drugged up slut.” She shook her head as tears filled her eyes, and my heart broke a little for her. The poor girl had been through enough. She didn’t need her mother’s faults shoved in her face.

  “Wow…well, I’m sure that your Dad had his reasons for being upset.”

  “Yeah, he doesn’t want me to have a life outside the one he’s created for me. He’s acting like I’m still a little kid, but I’m almost eighteen. How am I supposed to go off to college when I don’t even know what it’s like to live in the real world? I mean, seriously, my life consists of all things military. Even my math problems in school have to do with military tactics. And instead of reading great American novels in English, I’m reading The Art Of War by Sun Tzu. I mean, that’s crazy, right?”

  That was so much more than crazy. These guys were certifiable for sure. But they couldn’t help it. They had their own little military base going and they controlled everything in their environment. “It’s definitely different.”

  She stared at me for a moment and shook her head. “Becky, I had a math problem the other day that went something like this.” She cleared her throat. “If Sinner has four rifles and Maggie has two grenades, how many bullets will Sinner have to fire before Maggie throws a grenade?”

  “That’s easy,” I answered. “Sinner won’t even get a chance to fire before Maggie throws a grenade.”

  “Exactly. I mean, I’m not even sure what kind of math problem that is. How is that useful when I go off to college?”

  “Um…it’s not?”

  “Not unless Maggie and Sinner follow me,” she said exasperatedly. “I convinced my dad to let me run in a track meet, but I lost. Like so far in last place that the judge wondered why I entered.”

  “Oh,” I said sadly.

  “Do you know why I lost?” I shook my head. “Because Sebastian has everyone run using evasive maneuvers. When I got on the track, I was running around the hurdles, thinking that I was supposed to avoid them like bombs. I was confused as to why everyone else was jumping over them.”

  I cringed, but she continued.

  “And do you know what they teach us in art class? How to draw weapons. Yep, you have to not only be able to recognize your weapons, but draw them also. So, every week, we’re assigned a new weapon to draw. And the details have to be spot on.”

  “Okay, I get it. They’re all insane.”

  “Becky, they’re not just insane. They all need a reality check. I don’t want to go into the military. I want to go to school for business. When I told Dad that, he said that I should talk to Sebastian, that I didn’t need a degree. I could just stay here and learn from Sebastian. You know, before last night, he was actually considering letting me go to college, but then he told me that college is off the table. That’s my life now. The only way that I’ll have a life is here. Do you see that?”

  I nodded and sighed. “Okay, I see, but Kayla, I can only do so much. I mean, I can talk to him about college, and maybe take you on a few visits, if he lets me. But the rest is on you. You need to think about exactly what you want to say to him. Make sure that it’s well thought out, and that you consider every answer he might give. You have to fight him with logic. Don’t give him a hard time or start stomping your feet. If you want to be treated like an adult, you have to make him believe that you’re already there and that you’re ready for the responsibilities that come along with it.”

  “I can do that.”

  “Okay, let me take you back and I’ll talk with your dad about college. If we’re going to get you in, we need to get in gear.”

  “Thanks, Becky. You’re the best.”

  She wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed me tight. I wished more than anything that I could be more like a mother to Kayla, but she was too grown up for that. She needed an ally, especially now that she was going up against her father. Lord help us all.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Coop

  “She snuck out again,” I fumed as I paced the IT room. “How the hell did she sneak out again?”

  “I’m looking now. Will you relax?” Rob said, scanning the video feed. “Well, she didn’t leave on foot.”

  “Then how the fuck did she leave?”

  He turned and glared at me. “You know, I’m not normally a violent person, but I will shoot you if you don’t get the fuck out.”

  I took a calming breath and took a seat. “I’ll be good.”

  “You’d better. You’re acting like she was kidnapped, which is highly unlikely.” He scanned for a few more minutes and then chuckled. “Found her.”

  I jumped up and hovered over his chair, scanning the screen for what he was seeing. “Where? I don’t see her.”

  “Just wait.”

  I watched as Becky pulled out of the parking garage, but I didn’t see Kayla. What was he looking at?

  “Did you see it?”

  “No.”

  “She was in the parking garage. Didn’t you see her run up to Becky?”

  “Shit.” There she was, talking with Becky. Then she got in her car and hid under a fucking blanket so the guard wouldn’t see her. How could Becky do this to me? I was just pulling out my phone when I saw Becky pull onto the property on the live feed.

  I stormed out of the IT room and made my way to the elevators as I called her.

  “Coop, don’t be mad.”

  “Why the fuck did my kid sneak off the property with you?”

  “That is the complete opposite of what I just said.”

  “Becky, I’m not playing games with you right now. You had no right to take Kayla off the property without my permission.”

  “Can we have this conversation in person, in like three minutes?”

  “Fine.”

  I hung up and finished go
ing through the security measures to get out of the building and met them in the parking garage. Becky rushed around the side of the car to stand in front of Kayla, like she had to protect her.

  “Let me talk to you first,” Becky insisted.

  I glanced over her shoulder at Kayla, but as much as I wanted to have it out with her right now, I nodded and let Kayla slip around me. When she was out of earshot, Becky started in.

  “Look, I’m sorry that I took her off the property without telling you-”

  “Snuck off the property. You actually hid her in the back of your fucking car.”

  “Yeah, well, the guard wouldn’t have let us off the property if he saw her.”

  “And there’s a reason for that,” I said angrily. “She’s been sneaking out of here and not coming home until early morning. Last night, she was at a friend’s house alone with a boy.”

  “She told me.”

  “Did she also tell you that the kid was older and he was crashing with his cousin and that his cousin didn’t know that she would be there?”

  She bit her lip. “She did not tell me that part. But Coop, you have to chill out. She’s almost eighteen.”

  “That doesn’t give her free reign to do whatever the fuck she wants.”

  “Okay, I get it, but the more you try and keep her here, the more she’s going to try and get out.”

  “Then I’ll make it so she never can.”

  “Oh, that’s a great idea. Coop, she’s never had a normal life. Why can’t you give just a little?”

  “Because I’ve always protected her,” I spat. “How the fuck am I supposed to do that when she’s off running around and no one knows where she’s gone?”

  “You know, at some point, you have to let her do that. You can’t keep her locked up here for the rest of her life. If you keep pushing her on this, she’s going to start doing really drastic stuff, things that will make sneaking out look like child’s play.”