Damage Control

by M. S. Parker

  “I do some, ah, counseling of sorts.”

  “Of sorts how?”

  “I’ve been working with a shelter off and on since I graduated. I was finally taken on full time last year. Most of my work is with at-risk young adults and high school aged girls.” Nervous for reasons I couldn’t explain, I rubbed my hands together and resisted the urge to bite my nails. I’d quit that habit years ago, but now found myself practically smacking my hands to keep from nibbling.

  “What sort of counseling?” Kaleb’s suspicion had only grown.

  Huffing out a breath, I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “The kind of counseling you give girls who are trying to get away from a life of drugs and prostitution, you idiot. For some reason, I seem to have a knack for it. And I can tell you this – your sister is playing you.”

  Something hot and furious lit his eyes, and I watched as his chin went up, and he prepared to battle. Then, slowly, he lowered it, and the tension drained out of his body.

  “Shit,” he muttered.

  “Tell me about it.”

  “So what do we do now?”

  The rest of the flight passed in silence, and I ended up drifting off. Now that the plane had landed and taxied in, I was brooding over what lay ahead.

  As we moved through the Philadelphia airport, I glanced over at him, debating on what to tell him. I didn’t like it, but I think I was going to have to…hedge.

  If I was upfront, he’d want to come with me, and some of these things would just be easier to investigate if he wasn’t there.

  I wasn’t trying to hide anything, but I could move quicker if I wasn’t answering questions, and I already knew he’d have a hundred. Or more. I didn’t blame him.

  I would too. But I also knew we didn’t have time for a hundred questions, or even one. I could answer questions after I told him what I’d accomplished. And if I failed…?

  Shit.

  Then I’d give him the money, and we’d go back out there, and I’d offer Stefano more money if he’d just kick Camry to the curb right then and there. I could offer him enough that he’d do it too. Camry would be pissed, but he was her one anchor and maybe if she was cut off from him, she’d realize how much trouble she was in.

  But that was my last option, not my first.

  “I’ve got some things I need to do for work,” I said finally, looking over at him.

  His mouth compressed into a tight frown.

  “We’ll take care of her. I’ll make sure you get the money, and we’ll work on it tonight and tomorrow.” I didn’t like lying. In a way, I was telling him the truth, or a shade of it. I’d given my heart and soul to helping girls like Camry out. It didn’t matter to me that she hadn’t come into the shelter asking for it. She’d come across my path, and she needed it, so that was good enough for me.

  Twenty-One

  Kaleb

  “Wow. Something smells amazing,” a voice announced behind me.

  I glanced back at Astra, then immediately whipped my head back around to focus on the omelet sizzling in the skillet.

  She wore a whole lot of nothing. Okay, not nothing – there was a tank top that didn’t quite reach her panties and those panties covered very little, so she might as well be wearing nothing. It was true some could argue that I wasn’t really all that married and yes, I was neither blind nor dead, but still…she was Piety’s best friend and I was more than a little crazy about Piety. Seemed wrong to notice that her best friend had curves like that.

  She chuckled behind me.

  “I’ll go put on a robe, Kaleb. Sorry, not used to having people in here other than me or PS. It’s cute, though, seeing a guy blush.”

  “You’re a pain in the arse, Astra, you know that?”

  This time, it wasn’t a chuckle, but an all-out laugh. “Don’t suppose there’s enough to share, is there?”

  “There is.” I figure she’d wake up. One thing about Piety and Astra, they both enjoyed eating and made no bones about it. I checked the bacon in the skillet on the back and turned the burner off before reaching for my coffee.

  I started breakfast more to have something to do than anything else. Piety had left early that morning, telling me that she had to work. She’d smiled when she said it, kissed me, then just…left.

  I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was, but there was something she wasn’t telling me. She’d been gone most of the day yesterday too. Once we’d gotten in from the airport, she’d had the driver bring me to the loft, and she’d left, not coming home until late.

  And today, she’d left, just as distracted as she’d been late last night when she’d gotten in. Yes, something was going on. I had no idea what was up, and I didn’t feel right pressing the issue either.

  Since I knew I’d go crazy if I did nothing but sit and think about it, I’d decided to make breakfast. After that, I was going to clean the place. Not that it needed much, but I wasn’t used to sitting around and doing nothing.

  I’d been working my ass off since our parents died. Not having something to do went against everything I knew, and it was driving me crazy.

  “Okay, Crocodile Dundee. I’m decent.”

  I smirked. “That’s a bit of a dated reference, Astra.”

  “Hey, I’ll have you know I enjoyed the very best education. I immersed myself in the eighties culture and know all the best movies.”

  I grinned as she came to join me at the counter, taking a cup and pouring herself some coffee, staring down into the dark brew.

  She looked at me sideways. “I’m a little nervous here. I’m picky about my coffee.”

  “So am I.”

  “Let’s see if you make the cut. Otherwise, I’ll have to boot you out, just to save Piety the heartache.” She winked at me, then took a sip. A moment later, she sighed and leaned against the counter. “Okay. I give you my stamp of approval.”

  “So glad to know.” Nodding at the plates in front of her, I said, “Hand me one and I’ll dish you up.”

  A few minutes later, we were sitting down to eat.

  It wasn’t until Astra had cleared half her plate that she asked, with complete casualness, “So…where’s PS?”

  “She said she had to work.” I kept my attention focused on the plate in front of me, eating with mechanical focus and not really tasting any of the food. I didn’t want to look at Astra, because she’d see the lack of conviction in my eyes, and I didn’t need that.

  “Huh.”

  Slanting a look at her, I echoed her response. “Huh.” I popped a bite of omelet into my mouth, chewed, swallowed, then asked, “What does that mean?”

  “It’s just a noise. Do you plan on doing anything to amuse yourself?”

  “Not really.” I wasn’t about to tell her I’d located some cleaning supplies and was already making a game plan on what I’d do once I cleaned up the dishes. I had a feeling she’d tell me it wasn’t necessary. Better to already be doing it before she realized what I was up to.

  “Well, I’m not due back at work until Monday, so I’m going to enjoy being lazy.” She made a show of an exaggerated stretch before picking up her coffee cup.

  Grateful for something inane to talk about, I asked, “Where do you work?”

  “Get ready to be surprised.” Over the rim, she gave me a rueful smile. “Piety and I both work for homeless shelters. We love it but sometimes I need a break. I dragged Piety off to Las Vegas after I finished handling a rough case. She needed to get away from her folks, but she needed a vacation too, even if she won’t admit it. Her job is rougher than mine.”

  Homeless shelters. Frowning into my coffee, I turned that puzzle over in my head. Eyeing her, I asked, “Do you enjoy it? Does she?”

  “Yes.” The smile she shot at me was dazzling. “It’s hard work, for both of us, but we love it. It’s not what our parents would have planned for us, although I will tell you, Piety’s parents definitely play up the photo ops when they get a chance. But sometimes…”

  H
er voice trailed off, and she shrugged. “It’s hard. The place I’m at works with at-risk youth and runaways. We try to get them placed with…well, affluent families who are good at reaching troubled kids. The sort of people who want to make an impact on a kid’s life. It makes a difference. It’s still hard, but it helps. I see it.”

  She looked away, and I held quiet, wondering where she was going with this. She wasn’t done, I could tell that.

  “Piety, though…she’s at a shelter that specializes in helping domestic abuse victims, women trying to get away from abusers, girls who’ve run away from boyfriends…that sort of thing.”

  “Sounds like hard work,” I said softly, staring into my coffee.

  “It is. She’s good at it. Sometimes, it…hurts.”

  Tightening my hands on the cup, I thought of how she was helping me with Camry and wondered what it was doing to her, wondered how much Astra knew.

  Across from me, she sighed. “She should take more time off. But sometimes I think she doesn’t feel like she has the right.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  Astra caught sight of my scowl, and she shrugged. “It’s not logical. We were both born lucky, we’ve got so much, and others don’t have hardly anything. I don’t know if she feels like she has to balance the scales or what.”

  Was that why she was doing this? Trying to balance some sort of unseen scale?

  I didn’t know.

  “What are you doing?”

  The flabbergasted confusion in Astra’s voice told me I’d been right on base when I’d elected not to tell her about my exciting plans for the day – cleaning.

  Looking up from the table I was dusting, I cocked my head and then looked at the rag before examining the can in my hand.

  “It would appear that I’m cleaning.” I gave the table a final swipe and then moved to the bookshelves.

  “You don’t need to do that.” She sounded mystified. “We have somebody who comes in twice a month. She’ll be here next week, and we pick up our own clothes. We even wash them. We’re not totally helpless.”

  “I never thought you were,” I said, laughing under my breath.

  “Then why are you doing this?”

  She came around to stand in front of me, and I looked from the bookshelf to her. With a sigh, I met her gaze. “Because I’ve got nothing else to do. Piety isn’t here. I don’t know this city, and I really don’t feel like playing tourist – I’ve got too much on my mind. But if I just sit around and watch the fucking television, I’ll go flat out crazy.”

  Her eyes widened a little.

  “Sorry,” I said shortly, going back to the task at hand.

  “Hey, I’ve said bad words before. A lot.”

  Looking back, I saw understanding in her eyes. She smiled at me. “It’s cool,” she said softly. “I get it.”

  “Thanks.”

  I went back to work on the bookcase, acutely aware that she was still watching me.

  After another moment, she turned away. “I’m going to take care of some stuff and then order in something for lunch. How do you feel about Chinese?”

  “I feel just fine about it.” I wouldn’t have minded cooking lunch, but that would require a trip to the store, and I had no idea where one was, and Philadelphia was a monster of a city, completely different from what I was used to.

  I half-expected her to disappear back into her room, but Astra set herself up on the couch, laptop perched across her thighs, a pair of glasses on the tip of her nose. She focused on the screen with single-minded determination, and after a while, I forgot she was there.

  Nearly two hours passed before she interrupted me.

  “Chicken or pork? Sweet and sour? Kung pao? What’s your poison, Kaleb?”

  “Huh?” I threw the rag into the bathroom and swiped my arm across my forehead. I’d thrown myself into the cleaning with more intensity than it really needed, thanks to a text from Camry a half an hour ago.

  What’s going on, Kaleb? Where are you? Are you going to help me? I’m sorry I behaved that way. I do want to leave Stefano and come with you home.

  I hadn’t answered her back.

  I didn’t know what to believe anymore.

  I was…tired.

  I’d come here to help, and then when I finally talked to her, she acted like I was just there to be a pain in her skinny, underfed backside.

  “Kaleb?” Astra’s voice was soft.

  “Sweet and sour chicken,” I said, bending back over the bathtub. “That will do.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “No worries, Astra.” No fucking worries.

  She left me alone, and I scrubbed at the already gleaming bathtub as if I could scrub all the misery out of me.

  It was nearly ten when the door opened.

  Astra flashed me a bright smile and bounded up from her chair.

  The remnants of pizza still sat on the coffee table, and I stared at the box for a long moment before standing and cleaning it all up.

  Piety’s soft voice behind me didn’t even have me turning around. “I’m sorry I left you alone so long.”

  “No worries. It’s not like I need a babysitter.” I glanced at her as I carried the box into the kitchen. “There are two slices left if you’re hungry.”

  “No. I…ah…grabbed something while I was out.” She slid her hands into her back pockets and looked around. “What did you do all day? Astra show you the city?”

  “No. I’m afraid I’m not much up for playing tourist with everything going on.” I placed the two remaining slices on a plate and wrapped them, then put them in the fridge next to the leftover Chinese from lunch. Once that was done, I tore the box down and placed it near the trash to dispose of in the morning. While she watched, I cleaned up from the late dinner.

  “Seems like you figured out where everything is,” she said, giving me a smile. I think she tried to keep it light, but it just looked strained.

  “Yeah.”

  I waited, wondering if she’d say anything else, offer me…anything. She said I should come back here while we figured out what to do, but so far, she’d spent the past two days out of the loft, hardly talking to me. I was running out of ways to tell myself that I’d figure something out on my own.

  Piety toyed with the braided belt on her dress, but I abruptly said, “I’m tired.”

  Heading past her, I paused just long enough to kiss her cheek, then went straight into the guest bedroom where I’d originally planned to sleep, closing the door behind me.

  I heard voices just a few minutes later, low and soft, but I didn’t try to listen to what Astra and Piety might be discussing.

  I was…tired.

  Tired and feeling empty and just about out of hope.

  A sleepless night led to me sleeping past ten, and when I woke up, the loft was empty.

  A note was under a cup next to the coffee pot – apparently, they at least knew I needed coffee to function.

  Kaleb,

  Astra and I need to see to some business details.

  We will be gone for a while.

  I plan to be back in time for dinner, though.

  Don’t make plans.

  She signed it with a P inside a heart.

  I reached for the piece of paper and crumpled it in my fist.

  “What kind of fucking plans am I supposed to make?”

  Unless there was somebody on Craigslist looking for a kidney or something, I was shit out of options, and I needed to figure something out fast.

  Head pounding, I started the coffee pot.

  It hadn’t even managed to get me my first miserable cup when somebody knocked on the door.

  Frowning, I walked over and looked through the security hole. Nobody had called up, and security here was tight – I’d already seen that. So whoever it was must be somebody the building security knew. Unless that somebody knew how to get in undetected.

  I didn’t know him, but what did that mean? I could count how many people I really knew in
this city on one hand and have fingers left over.

  Eying the distinguished looking man, I felt an immediate rush of dread and distaste fill me.

  “Can I help you?” I asked through the door.

  “Mr. Hastings? Hello, my name is Stuart Rushmore. I’m a friend of Piety’s. I was wondering if you had a few moments.”

  As I studied him through the small Judas hole, he smoothed his tie down and beamed a brilliant smile directly at me, clearly aware I was watching him – or maybe he just liked to smile.

  “A few moments for what?” I asked.

  “Well, to be blunt, Mr. Hastings, I’m here to help you. If you could allow me in…?”

  “How about you give me some insight as to who you are first?” For all I knew he could be working for Stefano. Not likely, but still…

  “As I said, I’m a friend of Piety’s. To be more direct, I’m a friend of your in-laws.”

  Oh, shit. Dread dropped down on me like a leaden weight, and I wanted to tell him to get the fuck out. But instead, I unlocked the door and studied the man in front of me for a long moment.

  He did the same.

  He probably found me wanting. He looked expensive, in a lightweight summer suit and a tie the same shade of green as his eyes.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said after a few moments.

  Before he could hold out his hand, I turned away. “Something tells me I’ll need coffee for this. Bourbon, too, but it’s kind of early for that.”

  He followed me inside. “I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee myself. But relax…I don’t have anything hard to tell you. It will make your life so much easier, in fact.”

  I stared at the check.

  “What’s the catch?” I asked flatly.

  “Not much of a catch, really.”

  The moment I’d seen Stuart Rushmore standing at the door, I decided he would be an arrogant piece of work. I was right.

  He was also a prick.

  He smiled at me like we were friends, leaned forward, and gave me that we’re cool look as we talked and did all sorts of things that would have irritated me even if I’d liked him. But I’d disliked him from the get-go, so it made it even worse.