“What happened here, Maddox?” asked Carlos.
“The entire place is trashed. Not sure how many were involved, but to be in and out and not bring attention, it had to be at least a few people.” His gaze left Carlos and landed on Ashton. “Do you know who might have done this?”
She did, but there wasn’t proof. What if she mentioned Duke’s name and it got back to him? Would that make things worse? “Uh—”
Carlos put his arm around her shoulders. “We think it was Duke Rivers.” He looked at Ashton. “And knowing her, she’s documented all her contact with that family. But we’ve got no proof, and it very well could be a few teenagers being jerks.”
Ashton leaned into him, silently thanking him for saying Duke’s name so that it wasn’t her. “I do have things documented, visits I’ve made and a summary of what Monica and I spoke about. Would that help?”
Carlos was right about the kids. They had vandalized the building before. Not this bad, though. “There is some truth to the possibility of it being kids. When I first started working on the building, I had some vandalize the place. And from time to time, there’s graffiti. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was a bunch of teenagers being stupid.”
Maddox nodded. “I’ll tell Kyle, our investigator, about Duke. He’ll be happy to have a lead.” He looked around the room. “I’m really sorry this happened. I wish I’d had something like this place when I was a kid. Looks pretty cool.”
Wiping a tear away, Ashton nodded. “Well, it was.”
“It’ll be amazing again,” Carlos said, wrapping her in a hug. “We’ll get it cleaned up.”
“It’s going to take money I don’t have to paint the walls, replace broken shelves, and the myriad of other things destroyed.” She sniffed. The only money she had left was what she lived off of, and she wouldn’t be able to dip into it any more than she already had.
How could anyone do this? It wasn’t even her they were hurting. It was the kids in the community. Parents who had somewhere for their kids to spend time so they didn’t have to worry.
Maddox touched her arm. “Carlos is right. We’ll get it cleaned back up.”
“We?” She asked.
He winked. “I have plenty of friends.”
“And so do I,” Carlos said, squeezing her. “You aren’t alone. Not anymore.” To emphasize it, he kissed the top of her head and then her forehead.
Ashton snuggled in, soaking up his warmth and strength. “Thank you.” There she was, standing in the middle of chaos, and she’d never felt more at peace. She could easily imagine facing the future with him and finding solace in his arms.
Chapter 23
For the first time in a week, Carlos found himself at home, washing his truck while listening to music on a beautiful day. When he didn’t have a shift, he’d been at the center helping Ashton get it cleaned up, and when he wasn’t there, Polly, along others in the community, were stepping up. It was amazing how quickly it had gone from wrecked to almost back to its original condition.
He and Ashton had kept their agreement when it came to driving by Lucy’s home. She’d promised him she wouldn’t, and he trusted her not to. They’d both agreed that it was better and safer for everyone if they put some distance between themselves and Duke.
The only thing eating at his heart was that he hadn’t spoken to Polly about his feelings for Ashton. Over the last week, whatever feelings he’d had before were only fueled with the amount of time he spent with her. He’d quickly gone from falling to fallen.
If he was honest with himself, he was afraid. Polly had been so mad when he’d asked her teacher out, and he’d only been mildly interested in that woman. With Ashton, it was so, so much more. The idea of choosing between her and Polly crushed him. He loved Polly, much like he expected to love his children. He cared about Ashton, and when picturing those children, she was right there next to him.
He turned off the music, pulling the earbuds out. What would Ashton think if she knew what he was thinking? That he was afraid to let his sister know how he felt about her. It could be classified as cowardice for sure. Except, every time he tried, his tongue tangled and he couldn’t.
“Did your woman get the message?”
Carlos whirled around, shocked to find Duke standing in the driveway with his thumbs hooked into his belt loops.
It was amazing to Carlos how many things zipped through his mind all at once. How did he know where they lived? What did he think he was doing there? Where was Polly? He was glad she wasn’t inside since she didn’t need to know about this, but what if one of Duke’s pals was watching her?
“What message would that be?” Carlos asked, staring the man down. He didn’t want to claim Ashton, even if he felt that way about her. “And who is my woman?”
“Don’t be cute.” Duke smiled. “We both know. I’ve seen you two together.”
Carlos blinked. “Have you been following us?” They’d backed off, and this man was still at his home? It didn’t make any sense.
“It’s not that difficult, especially since you two seemed joined at the hip.”
“Okay, so we like spending time together. We’ve left you alone. Why are you here?”
Duke straddled his bike, keeping his eyes on Carlos. “I just want to make sure it stays that way. Stay away from my family, and I’ll stay away from yours.”
Anger coursed through Carlos. “I’m sure you’re not saying what I think you are, what with being on parole and all. Now get out of here before I decide to have a chat with some of my police friends.”
Sighing, Duke shook his head. “And here I was, hoping to visit with Polly before I left. Be sure to give her a kiss for me.”
Carlos could feel the color drain from his face as his heart hit his shoes.
The guy crossed his arms over his chest. “Listen, I give you credit. You could’ve thrown up a peace sign and walked away, brother. But you didn’t. You stuck by her. Family. That means everything.”
Carlos seethed. “I’m not your brother, and if you ever approach my sister, if you ever talk to her or touch her or bother her in any way, you’re going to have a problem on your hands. I won’t hesitate to send you right back to prison.”
For the first time, Duke’s smug smile faltered. “Just do what I said. Stay away from me and mine.” He started his bike and peeled out, leaving tread marks on the driveway.
Once he was far enough away, Carlos braced his hand against his truck as his body trembled with rage and fear. His little sister was now in the middle of all of this. He’d made a promise to protect her, and he’d been so stupid to think that what was happening couldn’t bleed out onto her.
Now what was he going to do? He didn’t want to choose between Ashton and Polly, but with Duke showing up at his home, it felt like the choice was made for him. It left him gutted and sick, but he had a promise to keep. One he had to honor.
Of course, he’d call Kyle, his friend at the police station, tell him about Duke’s visit and the previous one to the station. Maybe the guy would slip, break his parole, and all the little things would add up and help put him back in prison for even longer the next time.
At the same time, Carlos needed to put the brakes on whatever was developing between him and Ashton. Maybe if they waited for this to all blow over, he’d have another chance. Polly would be older. On her own. It would be easier for all of them…yes. He’d just repeat that lie until he believed it.
Chapter 24
Walking the grocery aisle a little before eight on a Tuesday morning, Ashton smiled to herself. Not only did she like shopping earlier because it was less crowded, but it was typically the only time she could carve out to do it without being hurried.
Her thoughts were on the sheer number of people who had shown up the past week and a half to help her rebuild the center…and honestly, herself. Men, women, and kids all volunteering to clean, fix, and replace what was gone. The local home improvement store supplied toilets and sinks, and men who contracte
d with them had come in to work without being asked or paid. A furniture company had replaced all the damaged chairs and tables. The kids had picked up all the torn wall art, taking it to a corner of the gym to piece it back together.
It had been incredible. Even more so were Carlos and Polly. Even with his shift and her classes, they put in more time than anyone. Of course, there was no kissing with Polly around, but there were times Carlos caught her gaze that made her feel just as tingly as his kisses did.
“Excuse me. Ashton?” a voice broke through her thoughts.
Ashton looked over her shoulder, finding Lucy’s mom. “Oh, hi. How’ve you been?” she asked, trying to keep down the excitement of seeing the woman since she worked at the grocery store. It could very well be that she wondered if Ashton needed help.
“Better, as of recently.” Monica took a step toward her, arms wrapped around her waist. She ducked her head a little. “I took Lucy, and we left him. We’re living in an apartment on the other side of town, using money I saved up.”
Ashton gasped, and she couldn’t help but wonder if that was why the center was trashed. Did Monica know? If she did, Ashton would let her mention it. It was hard to leave an abusive relationship, and she didn’t want to put the guilt onto the poor woman. “Oh, wow. Takes a lot of strength to do that.”
Monica limply shrugged. “I should have been stronger sooner and left, but…”
Ashton touched her arm. “You did, and that’s all that matters.”
“We only left two days ago, but I wonder if he suspected or followed me. I lied and told him I was looking at apartments because the neighborhood was getting bad. I didn’t tell any of the property managers that’s what I was planning, though, so I don’t know.”
Duke had followed her before, and it seemed like Monica didn’t know. “Has he followed you before?”
Monica sighed and touched the pendant at her throat. “I don’t know. I mean, he knows where I work, so I don’t know why he’d follow me here.” She lifted her gaze to Ashton’s. “He wasn’t always like this. He was good to me and Lucy, and then he started hanging around these guys at the dock. You remember that big fire?”
Nodding, Ashton said, “Yeah.” The fire had been huge. A couple of people had been trapped in it, and some had even died. Then she remembered. Carlos had been one of the firemen to rescue another fireman and a cop. He was already fantastic, and realizing this made him even more so.
Monica continued. “He’d been spending a lot of time at that warehouse before going to prison. I can’t help but wonder if he was involved in all of that. I say wonder because he went to prison for trying to sell a gun to an undercover cop.”
“Oh.” That didn’t give Ashton any peace of mind. With a temper like that, he didn’t even need to own nail clippers, much less a weapon. “Do you think you’re safe?”
“The apartment is gated.” She tucked a piece of her copper hair behind her ear. “I spoke to an abuse advocate, and they helped me with the deposit and first month’s rent. The guards that rotate are ex-cops. I feel pretty safe there.”
“How about when you’re out driving?” Ashton looked around. “And here?”
“When I spoke to the advocate for my case, she counseled me to let everyone I’m in contact with know what was going on. When I leave at night, one of the gate guards at the apartment follows me home, and here at the store, they’ve asked for increased patrols.”
Ashton’s jaw dropped. “Wow, you really thought this all out.”
“It wasn’t just me. It was Lucy. He’s never hurt her or even tried, and I don’t think he would. But now that I’ve taken her from him? I don’t know. I want her to return to the program, but I’m afraid.”
Was this Monica’s way of telling Ashton she knew about the center? It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. She took Monica’s hand. “I completely understand. Your safety comes first.”
Monica nodded. “Thank you. Do you think she could come back later…maybe when Duke isn’t so angry?”
“Of course she can come back. We’ll all be so happy to see her. Her friends have missed her, and so have I.” Ashton patted her hand. “I want you to be okay too.”
For once, the woman flashed a real smile. No nerves, no hesitation. “Yeah. I’m really okay. We made out just fine without him when he was gone. We’ll do fine now.”
“Listen, and I mean this. If you ever need anything, anything at all, let me know. Promise?”
“I promise.” Monica looked over her shoulder. “I’d better move. My manager will give me a warning if I’m socializing.”
“Got it.” Ashton nodded with a wink. “See you soon.”
Ashton could have done a backflip. Monica and Lucy were safe. Most likely, it had come at a cost to the center, but they mattered more. Things could be replaced, and they had been. Hopefully, Duke would see it as a wake-up call. Some men did. Although, Ashton struggled to see that hope when referring to him.
Now the question was, who had destroyed the center? Had Duke figured out Monica was leaving and felt Ashton was to blame, or had it actually been some kids being jerks? It had happened before Monica left. Maybe the worst was over and everyone could move on. That was her hope at least. Instead of focusing on that, she put her thoughts on Monica and Lucy breaking the bonds of abuse and finding freedom.
Once she finished her grocery shopping, she drove home, checking her mirrors pretty thoroughly. She was optimistic, not stupid. Still, she was thrilled that Lucy might return to the center soon.
Pulling up to the curb, she cut the engine with her eyes on the front door. It looked like a note was on it, waving as a breeze hit it. She tilted her head as she cut the engine in her driveway, and her throat constricted. Whatever message was hanging on her door was held there by a knife.
From the safety of her locked car, she looked around, twisting in the seat to see if anyone was around. When she was sure that no one had waited for her to arrive home, she quickly pulled out her phone and called Kyle and then Carlos. Hopefully, if there was someone lurking, they’d see she’d called someone. More than anything she wanted Carlos and the safety she felt when she was with him.
Chapter 25
Just as Carlos was heading to bed after coming off his shift, Ashton had called, panicked. In truth, it had sent a chill down his spine too. Of course, there was no name attached to the note, but there was every reason to believe it was Duke. His wife had left him with his child, and there was no doubt he put the blame on Ashton for breaking up his family.
Holding up the note that said MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS, now in an evidence bag, Carlos shook his head. He understood angry, but to tack a note onto a door with a knife? That went beyond angry. “It has to be Duke. I’ll bet a month’s pay if there are fingerprints, they’ll belong to him.”
Kyle rubbed the bridge of his nose like a man either dealing with a headache or trying to fend one off. “Wouldn’t surprise me. The guy is known to have a temper.”
“But here? In Baker Beach? I’ve lived here my entire life, and I’ve never heard of anything like this. Using a hunting knife to stick a threatening note to a door?”
“Like I said,” Kyle sighed, “it happens, and it doesn’t make the headlines.”
“I don’t understand. Since when are there people in this town capable of this?” Carlos took a seat next to Ashton, who looked only slightly less shaken up than she’d looked before Kyle’s arrival.
Kyle exhaled long and heavy. “You need to think about closing the center until we can get the evidence we need.”
“No, that’s not an option. I’m not letting that man take it away from me or the community. It’d be giving in to a bully, and I’m not willing to do that.”
“Ashton,” Carlos said. “He’s got a point. I don’t think Duke is someone to just brush off. It’s not just you. The kids aren’t safe either.”
Kyle nodded in agreement. “You need to listen to him. Duke is a mem
ber of the Vipers. He calls them a club, but they operate more like a gang. We don’t have the proof I need, but I’ve had a gut feeling they were involved in that fire that trapped me and Bryan.”
Carlos sat forward. “The Vipers? Are they local here?”
“No. They have members running up the East Coast,” Kyle replied.
“So that serpent tattoo on that suspect?” Remembering back, Carlos swore there was a snake tattoo on the dead suspect at the warehouse fire, and now that he put it together, it looked a lot like Duke’s.
“Gang?” Ashton asked just above a whisper. She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Giving in to that type of people just fuels them. No. I won’t.”
“Do you have any idea what this could be referring to? Has anything else happened since your last update? Why Duke would be getting more violent with his threats?” Kyle looked from one of them to the other. “Either of you?”
Taking a deep breath, Carlos nodded. “We made him angry. Not intentionally, but—”
Ashton cut him off. “His wife left him and took their daughter. I’m positive he blames me. But I had no idea she was leaving him. The first time I spoke to her, there was nothing to even suggest she was thinking of leaving him.” She started from the beginning, rehashing the whole story for Kyle.
“Did you ever have the feeling before Duke came home that Lucy was afraid to be there? Or unhappy?”
“Not at all,” Ashton quickly replied, shaking her head. “I knew Monica was raising her alone. I didn’t know Duke was in prison, or that there was any father in the picture at all. That was something Monica chose to keep to herself when we first met. I guess I can understand why. There’s a stigma.”
It was a detail Carlos thought should have been mentioned long before now. “Why didn’t she tell you that from the beginning? So you knew what to expect?” he asked.
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