Rush (Hector & Millie) (Seaside Valleria #1)

by Marianne Knightly

  Her hair was a frizzy, curly, tangled mass against his dark green sheets. He’d have to ask Liz to get a brush, or did she need a comb? He’d never seen her hair down before today. It was gorgeous.

  He leaned down and brushed a lock of it away from her face. She whimpered, then shivered. He checked her forehead for a fever; it was thankfully cool.

  Maybe she was having a bad dream. He knew a lot about those. He’d certainly relived the moment he’d lost his legs often enough. He also knew not to wake her, or else she’d come out of sleep fighting the nightmare, and maybe even him.

  He reached out and held her hand. “You’re safe, baby.” He’d repeated those words so many times to her, and he’d keep doing it until she realized it and accepted it. He’d never stop, not even if it took them the rest of their lives.

  She whimpered again, her head shaking.

  He brought her hand to his lips; she was so cold. “You’re safe, Amelia. You’re safe here with me, baby.”

  The whimpering died down.

  “You’re safe. You’re safe.”

  After a few minutes, her breathing evened out, slow and steady. He stayed with her for another ten, just to be sure. Then he kissed her hand once more and put it down. When she didn’t move, he did.

  He did a quick check of his apartment—mostly clean and organized—but threw a load of laundry in anyway. His machines were quiet and wouldn’t wake her, and she’d have hot, clean towels when she woke up.

  He checked his fridge and saw it was almost empty. Frannie—a.k.a. Jasmine—must have moved everything back to the pub once the freezer was fixed, so he’d need someone to make a run to the market, too.

  He left Amelia a note just in case she woke up, then walked out and down to the pub.

  As soon as he stepped in, he was crowded.

  “How’s Millie?” Beth asked.

  “What the fuck happened?” Daley chimed in.

  Liz finished up with a customer and hurried over. “How is she?”

  Frannie/Jasmine walked out of the kitchen with a tray. Her eyes widened when she saw him. She dumped the tray on the bar, then ran over and joined the group, too. “How’s she doing?”

  Hector held up both of his hands. “I’ll give you an update, then I need some help.”

  “Anything,” Beth said immediately.

  “Absolutely,” Liz added.

  “Who do I kill?” Daley asked, and Hector didn’t think he was joking.

  Hector grinned; his staff were the shit. “I’ll get to that. Amelia’s doing about the same since this morning when I called Liz. She was exhausted, so she’s asleep in my apartment right now.”

  “Does she need somewhere to stay?” Beth asked. “She could stay with me.”

  Hector shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s staying with me.”

  “With you?” Liz asked. “Do you mean with you, or do you mean with you?”

  “The last one.”

  “Uh, Hector,” Liz began cautiously. “I think that’s really sweet, but you do think Millie is ready for something like that after what she’s just been through?”

  “We’re working through that.”

  “Really?” Beth asked, a smile tugging at her lips. “Look, I think it’s really hot that you’re going after her—she deserves someone great like you—but maybe she needs more time.”

  “She needs someone looking out for her. That someone is going to be me. We talked about it.” Sort of. “Plus, we’ve been seeing each other for a few months now.” That was also basically true.

  Amused silence. From the looks he saw, most of them had already guessed as much.

  “Hector—” Beth muttered.

  “Look, she was fucked up.”

  Amusement fell away, and they frowned.

  “Her face is covered with bruises, her arm’s in a cast, and her ribs are bruised and cracked. I’m going to protect her, I’m going to take care of her, and, if the cops don’t find these sons-of-bitches before they strike again, I’m going to do that, too.”

  Liz gasped. “You think they might come back?”

  Hector nodded. “I think they’re past the point of common sense. Someone destroyed everything in her place. Police think it’s the same people who have been burglarizing the neighborhoods nearby. FYI—it could be Piers involved, and maybe even his father, too.”

  Daley ran a hand through his hair. “Shit, man. Police have been trying to track the burglars and Piers for weeks now. And now Piers’s father, too? Fuck. How do you think you’ll find them?”

  “I’m letting the cops handle it for now. They don’t, then I’ll come up with a plan. Right now, we have more pressing things to worry about.”

  He turned to the women. “All of Amelia’s things are trashed. Do any of you have clothes she can borrow?”

  Liz pursed her lips. “I don’t think she’ll fit into any of my things, but we’ll figure something out.”

  “Good. Also pick up any other female shit she needs.”

  The women exchanged a glance. Liz turned back, her eyebrows raised, and lightly waved her order pad like a fan. “What, uh, do you mean by female shit?”

  They wanted him to say the word ‘period’, he was sure. Since he was a man secure in his masculinity, who realized women had periods and that was nothing to be ashamed of, he’d say it. “You know what I mean. Toiletries, period stuff just in case, and anything else she might need. Her hair’s really curly, too, so a comb or brush, shit like that.”

  Liz flattened her lips, clearly trying to suppress a smile. “Really? Is it curly? That’s so interesting.”

  He gave Liz his warning tone. “Curly hair isn’t interesting.” That was a lie; Amelia’s was fascinating.

  Beth piped up. “Don’t you have a comb she can use?”

  “She deserves her own things. If you think it’s better to wait until she wakes up and get a list, do it, but still get her some stuff she might need when she wakes up. I’ll also need you to go to the market. I’d go myself, but I don’t want to leave her alone for too long.”

  Frannie/Jasmine tilted her head towards the kitchen. “I can make you what you need.”

  “Thanks, but I’m going to fix something up in my place. After Amelia wakes up, if she wants something else, I’ll let you know.”

  “I’ll fix up some casseroles and a couple stews, all stuff she likes, just in case.”

  “When you’ve got time, that’d be great.”

  “On it. Sorry, I’ve got orders on the stove. Just let me know what else you need. Liz, your order for ten’s on the bar.” She dashed back into the kitchen.

  Hector took a deep breath and looked back at Liz and Beth. “I think Amelia’s going to need some help with her bandages, and maybe some help in the shower. Are either of you up to helping her?”

  “I can do it,” both Liz and Beth said at the same time. They glanced at each other and had some unspoken twin-speak between them.

  “Either of us can help,” Liz said. “Just let us know.”

  He nodded. “One more thing, and this affects everyone on staff.”

  “We need to cover Millie’s shifts beyond just tonight,” Beth guessed.

  He nodded. “Yes, but also mine. I’m not leaving her. I know that’s going to put a strain on all of you, but it’ll only be for a short while. You know of anyone looking for a temp job as a waitress or bartender, let me know. It wouldn’t be permanent, but it could be. I’ve been looking to hire on some more staff to help out, maybe someone from the MARC.”

  Daley straightened his shoulders. “We won’t let you down, boss.”

  “I know you won’t. Liz, why don’t you head out now and get that stuff taken care of for Amelia. I’ll message you the list for the market in a few minutes. I’m gonna take care of a few things in the office, then help out front if I’m needed. Though, I’m not staying for long, so the faster you can work, the better.”

  “On it. Beth, let me just drop off that food and go over m
y tables really quick.” The pair left, Liz pointing at her order pad as they walked towards the bar to pick up the food.

  Hector glanced around the pub. It was still early, so there were a few tables empty. They’d be filled in an hour or two.

  He couldn’t close the pub completely—not just for the money, but because that wouldn’t be fair to the staff who needed the work and tips—but he could close off a section of the pub.

  Fewer open tables meant fewer customers, which in turn meant less money. It also meant it would take a little longer to pay Low off.

  But Amelia’s needs were the most important right now. His staff would understand, so would Low. He’d make them understand if they didn’t.

  Amelia was Hector’s priority. She’d never been anyone’s priority before, had never had anyone looking out for her before, but now she would.

  “Daley, when table eight leaves, go ahead and close that section off.”

  “Are you sure? Less customers means less in tips.”

  “I know and I’m sorry, but it also means a little less work for the rest of you. Priorities, Daley.”

  “Got it, boss.” He went back to the bar.

  “What the fuck is going on, Perez?”

  Hector turned to find Low in the door to the pub, early for their meeting with the cops.

  “Low, man. Let’s grab a seat and I’ll give you the details. You need a drink?”

  “No drink, just give me the rundown before the cops get here.”

  After they sat, Hector gave him a brief overview of everything that had happened and what the detectives had told him. “I appreciate you vouching for me with the police.”

  Low waved his hand dismissively in the air. “No worries, man. I just can’t believe they fucking think you had something to do with this.”

  “Look, if the detective is racially-motivated—and I’m not saying he is—it won’t be the first time I’ve dealt with this kind of shit.”

  “Doesn’t make it right.”

  “No, it fucking doesn’t. But I’m going to do whatever I need to in order to help Amelia.”

  Low gave him a broad grin. “Fucking happy for you, man. Glad you two are working things out.”

  “She isn’t convinced yet.”

  “From the little you’ve just told me about her, it sounds like she hasn’t just had a few shitty days, but maybe a shitty life. She needs to believe that you’ll be there for her, since it doesn’t sound like anyone ever really has before. You know what that feels like.”

  He sure as fuck did. He’d been on his own for a long time, with no one to lean on until he joined the army. That was how he knew what was best; he’d been there and done that.

  It was time Amelia learned to lean.

  The pub door opened, and Detective Tanan stepped inside. “Cop’s here. I’ll send him over.”

  “Shouldn’t take long.”

  Hector slid out and walked towards the door. “Detective.”

  “Mr. Perez.” They shook hands. “I appreciate you arranging this.”

  “Don’t thank me, thank the prince. He’s the one who’s giving his time. Any updates?”

  “Not yet. We’ve questioned the neighbors and we’re following up on some leads now. We should have some more information tomorrow afternoon. We’d like to meet you and Miss Asti then for some follow up questions.”

  “That’s fine.” Hector walked them over to Low’s booth. “Captain, this is Detective Tanan. Detective Tanan, this is His Royal Highness, Prince Lorenzo Robert Louis Santoro di Valleria. I’ve got some things to see to so, unless you need me, I’ll leave you both.”

  Tanan bowed to the prince then spoke to Hector as he slid into the booth. “Thank you, but I don’t think we’ll need you for this discussion.”

  Hector nodded and disappeared down the hall. He checked supplies in the kitchen first, messaged Liz what he needed at the market, and then went into his office. He ran payroll early, placed some calls to his suppliers, and put in some additional orders to get them through the next several days. By the time he went back out to the floor, the detective was gone and Low was talking to Daley and one of their regulars, Luke.

  He walked over to them. “Everything good?”

  Low nodded. “Straightforward. I got the impression Tanan thought you were still joking about knowing me until he actually saw me.”

  Daley shook his head. “What kind of idiot would just throw the name of a prince around?”

  “You’d be surprised,” Low muttered.

  Luke put a hand on Hector’s shoulder. “I just heard about Millie, man. You need help with anything, let me know.”

  Hector had learned to take people up on their offers of help. Luke worked construction, and his company was currently rebuilding a lot of houses that’d been condemned and torn down, but there wasn’t enough work to go around for all of them at the moment. He’d heard Luke complain about it before.

  “You want to pick up a few shifts as a bartender?”

  Luke blinked. “Me?”

  “You’re here often enough. I figure you know how to pour a beer. It’d just be for a few days, until I could hire someone else.”

  Luke pursed his lips, his hand reaching up to rub the nape of his neck. After a few moments, it fell away. “Yeah. Yeah, sure. When do you want me to start?”

  “Tonight, if you’re up for it. You working at the lot tomorrow?”

  Luke nodded. “Gotta be there at six.”

  “Could you work until eleven, or maybe midnight? Daley can handle it after that.”

  “That should work.”

  “Great. I’ll leave some paperwork I need you to fill out. Just put it on my desk, along with the hours you worked tonight, and I’ll get you in the system. Daley, can you start showing him around?”

  “Sure thing, boss.” The two moved to the other end of the bar.

  Hector turned to Low. “Know anyone at the MARC who’s looking? I’d like to hire someone for the kitchen, the floor, and for behind the bar.”

  Low gave him an assessing look. “Sure you’re ready for more staff?”

  He wasn’t sure. He was still learning to be a leader, but he hadn’t completely screwed anything up yet. Not to mention, his staff were good people who could train the new personnel that he hired.

  His eyes tipped to the ceiling and his thoughts went to Amelia again, then he looked back to Low. Maybe he wasn’t ready for more staff, but he was going to need to be. He’d take the pay cut, too, if it came to that. “It’s going to be pushing it a little at first, but we’re nearly there. If I’d planned better, we’d already have them in place, and we could handle two people down.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up like that. You do a fucking great job with this place.”

  Sometimes—like now—he wasn’t so sure, but he pushed those thoughts aside for now.

  He shrugged. “We hire more staff, it’ll take me longer to buy you out. That’s the only thing.”

  “I don’t give a fuck about that. Take as long as you need to.”

  He hadn’t realized how tense he was until he felt relief at those words. Low had said as much before, but now Hector finally believed him. Hector had been right to trust that Low would understand. “Thanks, Low.”

  Low clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t mention it. I’ve got to get back to the castle. Oh, speaking of, once I tell Lily what’s happened, she and Liliana will want to come by and see Millie. Just let me know when’s a good time.”

  “Amelia looks pretty rough. You sure Liliana will be okay?”

  “She’ll be fine. She needs to learn that sometimes people get hurt and they look different, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve the same consideration or respect.”

  He grinned. “You gonna start taking her to the MARC, too?”

  Low grinned back. “You know it. I know she might be young, but I’ve made it my life’s work to make society more accepting of people with disabilities, regardless of whether they’re mental or p
hysical. Even if she doesn’t follow in my footsteps, it’s a good thing to learn at any age.”

  Damn right it was. “Okay. I’ll talk to Amelia when she wakes up. Today might not be the best day, though.”

  “No problem. Actually, Carolina might want to tag along, too,” Low added, mentioning his younger sister.

  “Okay, I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks. I’m going to use my own resources to see what’s going on with the investigation. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  With Low’s connections, he could find all kinds of info on Amelia’s family and the others, information that Hector could use to track them down. Beating the shit out of them probably wasn’t the best idea, but just getting them arrested—without bail—might help Amelia breathe easy for once. “I’d appreciate that, but I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position.”

  “Don’t worry about me. We can spin it if someone tries to twist it. I’m a prince; people try to make up shit about me all the time. The truth is, I’ve been following the burglaries for a while, and I’ve even met with Masillia’s mayor to discuss it. The whole situation was troubling before. Now that the cops think these are linked and that their behavior is escalating, it’s even more so. The local police should—and are, according to the detective—calling in the VBI,” Low said, referring to the Vallerian Bureau of Investigation.

  “My brother will get briefed on the situation, and I’ll touch base with him to see what’s what.” Low’s older brother, Marcello, oversaw the VBI. “I already asked him to look into the judges that approved Piers’s bail. Get this: it was the same judge both times. Digging deeper, there’s been talk that judge is a militant anti-monarchist, but no proof. If true, it could explain his actions.”

  “Shit, Low. Are you worried?”

  “Not the first time it’s happened, unfortunately. We’ll get proof, then get him removed from the bench and his prior decisions reviewed. In the meantime, don’t worry. I’m on it.”