by Keeland, Vi
“Yep.”
“Nice. Are you sure you don’t want to take yours?”
I buckled. “Definitely not. This will fit in better. People in this neighborhood don’t trust two types of people—police and haves.”
“Haves?”
“Yeah. They consider themselves have nots, and haves are outsiders. If we’re going to drive around, your Hyundai will be less conspicuous than my overpriced Mercedes.”
“Okay.”
I pointed down the street. “Pull out and make a left, then go straight for about a half mile. We’ll start at the closest park.”
Autumn did as I asked. As we waited at a red light, she said, “Why did you buy it?”
“What?”
“The Mercedes. You said it was overpriced. So why did you buy it?”
“I didn’t. The firm leases it. They give us three choices of cars so we look the part when we go see a client. I don’t drive it that often since I live and work in the City and prefer trains.”
“Oh.”
A minute later, she said, “What kind of car would you get if you were buying it?”
“If I was buying it and wasn’t planning on pulling up to a client in it?”
She nodded.
“A nineteen seventy Ford Bronco.”
“Really? A fifty-year-old car? I don’t know what it looks like.”
“Did you ever see the movie Speed?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, it’s what Keanu Reeves drove. I watched that movie twenty times when it came out, just to check out his character’s car.”
She smiled. “That’s not the type of car I would have expected you to covet.”
“I think there’s a lot about me you’re going to find out tonight that you might not have expected.” I pointed up ahead. “Pull over in front of those of stores.”
“Near that group of guys?”
“Yeah.”
Autumn did as I asked. But when she put the car in park, she went to turn off the ignition.
“Keep it running. I’ll just be a minute.”
“I want to go with you.”
“You’re not going with me.”
“Why not?”
“Can you just trust me?”
She sighed. “Okay, okay. I’ll wait in the car.”
I opened my door and turned back before getting out. “Lock the doors behind me.”
There were three guys standing in front of a closed neighborhood grocery store. They eyed me as I approached.
“I’m looking for a twelve-year-old kid named Storm. Any chance you’ve seen him around?”
The taller of the three lifted his chin. “Who’s asking?”
“I am. Name’s Decker.”
He shook his head. “I don’t know any Decker.”
“I don’t live in the neighborhood anymore. I used to hang with Dario over on Cleveland Street and ate my meals with Bud most nights.”
The guy rubbed his chin. “Decker, huh? That does sound familiar.”
“Look, I’m trying to find the kid to keep him out of more trouble than he’s already in.” I tilted my head toward the car. “That’s his social worker in the car. She’s putting her neck on the line right now by not calling in that he disappeared from Park House. If I don’t find him, we’re going to have to call it in, and then he’s in deeper shit than he needs to be.”
Two of the guys looked at each other, and one nodded. “I don’t know if the kid you’re looking for is there, but there’s a group around that age that hangs out in the abandoned lot over on Belmont Ave. And check out behind the pizza place off Jerome Street.”
“Thanks.”
Autumn and I stopped at the park, since it was on the way. I ran out and looked around, but it was empty. Then I gave her directions to the abandoned lot the guys at the store had mentioned.
“You know this neighborhood pretty well. Did you have clients here when you did street crimes?”
“Nope. Used to live here myself.”
“Really? I don’t think you mentioned that when we…met to exchange luggage.”
I looked over and waited until her eyes met mine. “I don’t think you mentioned that I only had seventy-two hours to fill you in on my life story because you were going to disappear.”
She smiled sadly. “I guess I deserve that.”
We both stayed quiet until we pulled up at the abandoned lot. Again, I got out by myself and had a few words with the people I encountered. Unfortunately, Storm wasn’t there, but one of the kids knew him and suggested trying some girl named Katrina’s block, because Storm “got it bad for the girl.”
Over the course of two hours, we went from place to place. It was beginning to feel like a futile attempt when I finally saw a kid about Storm’s size walking alone on a block he shouldn’t have been walking alone on. We rolled up and sure enough, it was him.
As we pulled close, Autumn asked, “Can I handle this?”
I nodded. “Of course. Just stick close to the car, please. And if he acts like a little punk and takes off running, you get back in the car and let me chase him down on foot. Deal?”
“Deal.”
I watched from the car as Autumn and Storm spoke. It looked like she laid into him good, and the kid was smart enough to just take it and not argue back. After about ten minutes, he climbed into the backseat while Autumn got behind the wheel. I turned.
“I’m sure Autumn covered most of what needs to be said, so I’m just going to add two things.” I counted off with my finger. “One, you may not give a shit what happens to you, but Autumn here could be arrested for not reporting that you took off. I’m going to take a leap of faith and assume you didn’t know that. But now that you do, you need to think twice about how your actions affect others—especially a person who is good to you.” Storm was avoiding eye contact, so I spoke with a stern tone. “Look at me.”
His eyes flashed as they met mine.
“How many people in your life can you count on? I got a pretty good feeling that number is low. So I’m going to give you some life advice, man to man—not attorney to dumbass client. When you find a person who has your back, you make sure you have theirs. So from now on, before you do something stupid, you act like a man and think about the consequences. Got it?”
Surprisingly, he didn’t grumble too much. “Got it.”
Autumn was driving, so she couldn’t see our interaction, but I nodded in her direction, hoping he’d take a hint.
Storm frowned but after a moment, he spoke. “Sorry, Autumn. I didn’t mean to cause trouble for you.”
Satisfied, I went on with my lecture. “And number two, you might be a tough kid, but you don’t walk around these streets alone at night. You stick with a buddy, or better yet, two or three of them. If you grew up here, you know what you were just doing was dumb. You might have friends and know the blocks to keep off of, but it’s not safe out here alone, no matter how tough you are.”
He wasn’t as receptive to that comment, but at least he didn’t argue. Honestly, half the struggle for a kid in his situation was knowing which battles to fight and which to surrender to. Storm was smart and had figured that one out early.
“I don’t remember which way the police station was,” Autumn said as she drove. “Do I make a right or a left at the light?”
“The police station is to the right, but go left. Let’s drop him off at Park House before you take me back to my car.”
“It’s okay. I can handle it from here. I already have you out so late.”
“I’m fine. I’d rather make sure the resident manager didn’t jump the gun and call Probation, and also that no one gives you a hard time.”
“Oh, alright. Thanks.”
Park House was quiet, and luckily no one had called Probation. So once I knew there was no trouble brewing, I waited outside to give Autumn and Storm some time to talk. I sensed she’d wanted to have another heart to heart with him.
I was leaning against her ca
r when she walked out a few minutes later.
“Everything go okay?”
She nodded. “Though I also thought everything was going to be okay the other day when I dropped him off. I just don’t get what it’s going to take to scare him.”
“Unfortunately, not much scares a kid like him.”
Autumn’s eyes quietly roamed my face. “It sounds like you’re saying that from personal experience.”
“I am.”
She made a face that reminded me why I didn’t often talk about how I grew up. I loathed pity. That shit should be saved for people who can’t help themselves.
I shoved my hand into my pockets. “Every screwed-up kid who manages to pull himself up out of the dirt has one person who made a difference in his life. You’re Storm’s person. You may need to use that to your advantage at times.”
“What do you mean?”
“He doesn’t value himself right now. But he does value you. Don’t hesitate to do what I did in the car—remind him his consequences could get you in trouble or hurt you in some way. He’ll do the right thing by you, even if he won’t yet do the right thing for himself.”
“That feels really manipulative to lay on him.”
I smiled. “Trust me, he’s manipulating you more.”
Autumn sighed. “Thank you. Not just for coming with me, but for giving me some insight into what’s going on in Storm’s mind. They don’t teach that kind of stuff in social work school.”
“Anytime.”
“I owe you one. I’m not sure I can put on a cape and come to your rescue like you did for me tonight. But keep my IOU in your pocket in case you need some help with social service on a case someday or whatever.”
I nodded.
“Come on,” she said. “I’ll drop you back at your car before it’s time for you to be at work already.”
“Actually, how about if we go out for a cup of coffee or a drink? I’m not tired.”
Autumn nibbled her bottom lip. “I should get going.”
It would’ve been smarter to use her IOU to have her put a good word in for me with her boyfriend, but instead I reached into my pocket and pretended to pull something out. Extending my empty hand to her, I said, “I’d like to cash in this IOU that’s been burning a hole in my pocket.” I smiled. “Have coffee with me.”
CHAPTER 7
* * *
Autumn
“Is that Latin?” My eyes followed Donavan’s arm as he lifted his drink.
“It is.”
“What does it mean? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“Not at all. Vincit qui se vincit. It translates to He conquers who conquers himself. Someone I’m close to used to say it all the time when I was a kid getting in trouble. It basically means if I can control myself, I can conquer anything.”
“That simplifies a lot, doesn’t it?”
Donovan smiled, flashing one of his dimples, and it set off a flutter in the pit of my belly. His smile had a sort of devilish quality lurking beneath the surface. It was confident and somehow overtly sexual. Dangerous. That’s what it was. I trained my eyes away from his face, only to have them land on his forearms. That certainly didn’t help my situation much. They were so muscular and tanned, and all of the tattoos made the entire package insanely sexy.
“You know, you look very different in jeans and a T-shirt than you do in a suit and tie.”
His eyes moved over my face. “Oh yeah? Which do you like better?”
That was a tough question, like having to decide between Godiva milk chocolate truffles or dark. Both were delicious. Though there was something dangerous to my sanity about a man who looked as good as Donovan did in a custom suit and had all those tattoos hidden underneath. But I didn’t think it was smart to share those thoughts, so I shrugged and went back to enjoying my fries.
When I looked up, I found Donovan staring at me like I had two heads. “What?” I wiped my chin and looked down at my shirt. “Did I drip or something?”
His face was an odd mix of amused and grossed out. “Did you just dunk your French fry into your chocolate shake and eat it?”
“Oh.” I chuckled. “I guess I did.”
“That’s disgusting.”
“Have you ever tried it?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know it’s disgusting? You might love it.”
Donovan smirked as he sipped his chocolate shake. “Never ate dog shit, either. Pretty sure there are some things you don’t need to try in order to know they’re not going to taste good.”
“Whatever.” I shrugged. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”
Donovan and I had gone to a twenty-four-hour diner for coffee, not too far from Park House. But I was sort of hungry since I hadn’t had dinner, so I decided to get a shake and fries, while he’d opted for just a shake. Coming here with him was probably a dumb thing to do, but how could I say no after he’d spent hours combing the streets to find Storm with me? At least that’s why I told myself I’d agreed to come. It had nothing whatsoever to do with how beautiful the man sitting across from me was, or how strongly the magnetic pull toward him gripped me.
“Did you know that French fries are one of the most expensive foods in Venezuela?” I wagged a fry at him. “McDonald’s even took them off their menu there for a while.”
“I didn’t know that. Did you go to Venezuela recently?”
I shook my head. “I read it when I was looking something up once.”
He smirked. “Let me guess—someone mentioned that potatoes were the starchiest food, and that sent you down the Google rabbit hole. I’ve missed your deep dives and random trivia.”
I stuck my tongue out because, well, he was right. I had found that on one of my tumbles down the research rabbit hole, so I had no comeback.
Donovan’s eyes dropped to my mouth. “You shouldn’t stick that thing out, unless you’re planning on using it.” He winked.
I laughed. But I also sucked down enough of my shake to give me a brain freeze, because I needed to cool off. Stirring what was left in my glass with the straw, I said, “So…I hope I didn’t interrupt anything when I called this evening. It is a Saturday night and all.”
He smiled. God, he really needs to stop doing that.
“Are you asking me if I was out on a date?”
“No,” I said defensively. “I was just saying I hope I didn’t interrupt anything good.”
“You did.”
I frowned, feeling an unexpected pang of jealousy. “Oh. Sorry.”
Donovan leaned in, his smirky smile widening. “I had a hot date with Bruce Willis planned. How about you? Any plans spoiled for this evening?”
I shook my head. “Just a night of catching up with The Bachelor.”
Donovan’s nose scrunched up. “You like that show?”
“I’m addicted to it—so much so that I can’t handle the stress of watching it once a week and waiting to find out what happened. I record them and don’t start until I can spend an entire evening bingeing the episodes. My friend Skye and I watch it together.”
He chuckled. “I find it amusing when women talk about the people on that show like they’re real.”
“What do you mean like they’re real. They are real.”
“You don’t think shows like that are scripted?”
“Don’t say that!”
He laughed. “Did I just tell eight-year-old Autumn there’s no Santa Claus?”
“Well, even if it is scripted, it’s better than—which aging action hero did you say you were going to watch? Bruce Willis or Tom Cruise?”
“Bruce.”
“Those movies are faker than The Bachelor. Most of the actors don’t even do their own stunts.”
Donovan’s eyes flickered down to my lips a moment. It was less than a second—I could’ve blinked and missed it—yet that fraction of a second set off a frenzy of butterflies in my belly. This. This was the reason I’d done something I’d never done before an
d spent an entire weekend with a man I barely knew. We just had to look at each other, and sparks flew.
I felt the need to change the subject, but really, what was safer than talking about action movies?
“Anyway…” I said. “I’m glad I didn’t interrupt any big plans you had for tonight.”
He nodded, and then silence fell while he watched me. I got the distinct feeling he was debating saying something, and when he finally spoke, I realized I was right.
“So…the Dickster. How long has that been going on?”
I stirred my shake again to avoid eye contact. “Not too long. A month or so.”
He nodded. “I guess things changed over the last year, then?”
My eyebrows dipped together. “What do you mean?”
“After our luggage exchange, you disappeared because you only wanted what we’d had—a weekend, not a relationship. And now you’re in one.”
“I’m not in a serious relationship with Blake. We’re just dating.”
“Yet you gave him your phone number and let him see you more than once…”
“It’s different.”
“How?”
“Well, Blake and I only really see each other once a week, if that. We keep things simple. He’s divorced with kids and not looking for anything complicated.”
“I would’ve kept things simple, if that’s what you wanted.”
“Really? Because I wouldn’t have been able to.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “But the time we spent together didn’t feel like something simple to me. Did it for you?”
He studied me. “No, but that doesn’t mean I would have pushed you for more than you were ready to give. I work eighty to ninety hours a week most weeks, anyway.”
I sighed. “I just prefer to keep things uncomplicated.”
“So things with Dickson…they’re uncomplicated?”
“Yes.”
“And that means…”
“I don’t know. I guess it means I don’t have to worry about either of our feelings becoming too much.”
Donovan scratched his chin. “Let me see if I understand this. You liked me, and you had a good time that weekend we spent together. But you thought one or both of us might develop feelings. You have no worry about that with Dickson, so you keep seeing him.”
