Always for You: Jack (Sergeant Joe's Boys #1)

by Alexis Morgan

  The memory made him smile.

  They rode in silence the short distance back to the house. As they pulled into the driveway, Tino cleared his throat. “Um, guys, what are we going to tell Mom about the business? I don’t want to lead her on and let her think we’re champing at the bit to take over the company permanently when we’re clearly not. Do you think honoring the last of Dad’s commitments will be enough to make her happy?”

  Jack already knew the answer to that. Hell, no, she wouldn’t be happy. Marlene and Joe had dreamed of the day when their three sons would return home and start families of their own. No doubt the two of them saw giving them the company like this as a way of jump-starting that process. Jack didn’t know how the other two felt about that possibility, but he had no intentions of ever saddling the world with another generation of McShanes. “I’ll talk to her after dinner and let you know how it goes.”

  Then the three of them trooped into the house and tried to pretend it didn’t seem awfully damn empty with Joe no longer living there.

  Chapter 2

  Two weeks later, Jack bit back a curse as he reached the ground. His damn knee was killing him thanks to too many times up and down the ladder to reach the steep roof he was repairing. If this went on much longer, he was going to have to hire an assistant to bring him the stuff he needed rather than making so many trips back to the truck himself. Taking on an employee was the last thing he wanted to do. Maybe he could find someone who would be interested in picking up some extra money but without a promise of long-term employment.

  Like maybe that kid who was circling the area and watching every move Jack made. He’d first noticed him hanging out at the edge of a small park down the street. Yesterday, the boy had crept closer but had gone into full retreat the second he realized Jack had seen him. He’d wondered if he’d be back today, but there hadn’t been any sign of him all morning until he’d suddenly appeared a little while ago.

  This time the kid stood his ground even when he knew he’d been spotted. He probably figured he could outrun Jack. Considering the ache in his knee right now, he was right. Instead of making any sudden moves, Jack slowly walked toward his truck with his hands full of tools.

  “Are you wanting something, kid?” Jack looked at him over the bed of the truck. “Or do you think watching me patch a roof and caulk a few windows is a spectator sport?”

  The boy sidled a little closer. “You look like you could use some help. Maybe picking up scraps of roofing, handing you tools, stuff like that. Cash only, though.”

  God, did that bring back memories. “I was going to take my lunch break right now, and I don’t like talking business when I’m hungry. Thought I’d walk down to that park and sit on one of the benches there. You’re welcome to join me if you want to. My mom always packs more than I can eat. We can talk after lunch.”

  There. He’d made the offer. It was up to the kid if he wanted to accept. Jack would bet trust came hard for him, though. He picked up his cooler and headed for the park, doing his best not to limp. In the end, the kid made it to the park ahead of him and had a bench already staked out for the two of them. Jack sat on the opposite end and set the cooler between them.

  “Help yourself to a sandwich, a bag of chips, and a bottle of water.” Then he shot the kid a narrow-eyed look. “Stay out of my cookies, though. I won’t share those with anyone that I’m not at least on a first-name basis with.”

  Then, to get the conversation started, he added, “My name’s Jack McShane.”

  The boy was already digging into the thick ham sandwich. He washed the bite down with a swig of water. “Ricky.”

  Jack tried again, although he wasn’t surprised the boy didn’t share his last name. “Ricky what?”

  The boy’s eyes shifted away from Jack. “Just Ricky.”

  “Okay, Just Ricky. I guess you maybe can have one or two of the cookies.”

  They lapsed into silence as Ricky continued to wolf down his food. When he finished off his sandwich, Jack dug out a second one for each of them. While they ate, he mulled over what to do about the kid. He might not know much about Ricky specifically, but he definitely recognized the type. He should; he’d been just like him at that age right down to the ragged clothes and fading bruises.

  It was always possible that some other kid had beat the crap out of Ricky, but Jack’s gut said someone much closer to the boy was responsible. Like maybe his father or possibly a stepfather. Either way, it made Jack see red.

  Between the two of them, they’d gone through every scrap of food like a flock of locusts. The only thing left in the cooler was a bag of Marlene’s best chocolate chip cookies. Ricky hadn’t tried to help himself, but he was definitely keeping his eye on them. Jack decided to show him some mercy and tossed him the whole bag.

  “You can have them. I’ve already had some this morning.”

  Okay, that was a lie, but he couldn’t bear to think of the kid going hungry just because Jack had a sweet tooth. Besides, watching to see what Ricky did with the cookies would reveal a lot about the boy’s current situation. Jack would bet the boy was living on the streets at least part of the time.

  Sure enough, the cookies disappeared into the boy’s ratty backpack along with half of his second sandwich. Damn, Jack had really been hoping he was wrong. He also needed to figure out how much he could do to help without scaring the kid off for good.

  “So here’s what I can offer you, Ricky. You hang around and help me this afternoon, and I’ll spring for dinner and pay you, say, twenty bucks. Do a good job, and we can do the same thing tomorrow.”

  He liked that Ricky didn’t immediately accept. A kid his age and living on his own shouldn’t trust too easily. Too many predators prowled the streets looking for their next victim. Worse yet, if the authorities picked him up, Ricky could get sent right back into the very place he’d be in the most danger.

  “It’s a deal.”

  “Okay, let’s get to work. The job won’t finish itself.”

  Another one of Joe’s sayings. Only this time Jack was the adult saying it to a kid who was stuck in the same hell that Jack had been trapped in at the same age. Thanks to Joe and Marlene, he’d been rescued and given a chance at a better life. As insane as it seemed, especially after such a brief acquaintance, he wanted to do the same for Ricky.

  The two of them went back to work. Jack kept an eye on the kid to make sure he wasn’t using the opportunity to case the clients’ house for a later visit to make off with anything of value. As far as he could tell, though, Ricky spent his time picking up the old shingles Jack tossed to the ground and anything else he was asked to do.

  Thanks to his help, Jack finished up everything he’d planned to do that day earlier than expected. He checked his watch. It was a bit early for dinner, but he’d promised to feed the kid. The real problem was where he could take him when he looked and smelled as if he hadn’t bathed recently. Jack finally settled on a fish-and-chips place that had outside seating.

  “Toss that last bag of trash in the back end, and we can head for that dinner I promised you. I hope you like fish-and-chips, because I’ve had a hankering for some all day long.”

  Ricky eyed the truck, maybe debating if he wanted to get into the cab with a man he didn’t really know. “Where is this place?”

  “Down by the water. I understand if you don’t want to ride with me, but I promise I just want to get dinner. From there, you can catch a bus wherever you need to go.”

  Finally, Ricky got in, but he hugged the door and kept a firm grip on the handle in case he decided to make a quick exit. Meanwhile, Jack pulled out his cell and called home. “Hey, Mom, there’s been a change of plans. Instead of me cooking tonight, what do you say to some fish-and-chips? I’m going to eat mine down by the water, because it’s so nice out. I’d be glad to bring you some when I’m done.”

  He listened while she talked to Mikhail before accepting his offer. “Okay, and to be clear, your dinner is on me, Mom. Baby bro
ther can pay for his own.”

  He laughed at Mikhail’s response when Marlene relayed Jack’s message to him. “See you both soon.”

  They were both going to miss the youngest of the brothers when he left to rejoin his unit in a couple of days. Good to his word, Mikhail had kept up the yard and even completed an impressive number of jobs around the house that Marlene had wanted done. Mikhail had been staying in the main house with her, but when Jack got back in town, she’d told him that she’d rather he stayed in the annex, the converted garage on the other side of the driveway. Marlene quietly insisted that she needed to get used to living alone eventually, and that would start as soon as Mikhail left.

  The annex was the closest thing to a permanent home that Jack could lay claim to these days. Back when the brothers had started turning sixteen, Joe had enlisted their help in turning the three-car garage into their own apartment. The main floor was a combination of living room, gym, bathroom, and kitchen. The upstairs had been divided into three small bedrooms and another full bath.

  They’d finished the project a year later. Jack had moved in on his seventeenth birthday, with the other two following suit as they reached that age, too. Even now, it was where they stayed whenever they came home on leave, allowing them to be close to Joe and Marlene but still have some privacy. It was serving the same purpose now.

  He realized that Ricky was staring at him with an odd look on his face. When he didn’t say anything, Jack stated the obvious. “That was my mom and younger brother. It’s my turn to do dinner.”

  “Seriously, man, you’re still living at home at your age?”

  Jack shrugged. “I just moved back. I’ve spent the last ten years in the army and recently got out. My father passed away unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago, so I’ve come home to stay with my mom until we get things settled. My younger brothers both took emergency leave to help out, but one has already had to report back for duty. The other one is leaving in a couple of days to rejoin his unit. The construction business belonged to our father, and I’m finishing up the contracts he’d started.”

  The kid’s smirk faded into curiosity. “So your brothers are in the military?”

  “Yeah. One is a cop in the army. The other one is a recon marine. Our old man spent twenty years in the army, too.”

  “What about you?”

  Jack signaled for a lane change before answering. “I was in Special Forces until a few months ago. I got out because of my knee.”

  Ricky sat up straighter, for the first time releasing his death grip on the door as he stared down at Jack’s leg. “I saw you limping. You take a bullet or something? You know, like in combat?”

  “No, on the bullet. Yes, on the combat. I landed wrong on a night drop.”

  And that was all he was going to share with the kid on that particular clusterfuck. The only good thing that had come out of that mission was that everyone made it back to base more or less in one piece. His knee, which had required a major overhaul, had been the worst injury, not that he was complaining. All that really mattered was that everyone had walked away from what could’ve been a total disaster. It might have easily been so much worse.

  He glanced at his companion. Yep, just as he thought, the kid looked disappointed. He probably played video games and thought they depicted actual combat. Yeah, some of the graphics were pretty realistic. It was the stuff they left out, like the smell of blood and the screams of the wounded, that drew a sharp line between a game and the hell of the real thing.

  At least the conversation might give Jack a chance to learn a little about Ricky’s own situation. “What about you? Anybody in your family ever serve?”

  The boy’s expression went totally blank. “No.”

  Rather than press for more information, Jack changed the subject. “I could use your help again tomorrow if you’re not busy.”

  Ricky was back to hugging the door. “Maybe, but I’m not sure where I’ll be.”

  Remembering how he’d been at the same age, living on the edge of fear all the time, Jack nodded. “Okay, if you’re there, you’re there.”

  Jack pointed out the window. “That’s the restaurant up ahead on the left. The bus stop is over on that corner unless you want me to give you a ride home.”

  “The bus is fine. You don’t want your mom’s food to get cold.”

  Jack lucked out and found a parking spot right in front of the restaurant. “You go find us a table by the water before they’re all taken while I place the order.”

  Ricky nodded and headed off down the beach. There was actually no rush in grabbing a spot to eat because several tables were available. Jack just needed a minute away from the kid to get his temper back under control. He wasn’t mad at Ricky, just the adults who should’ve been looking out for the boy.

  Short of calling the cops, which Ricky would see as a betrayal of the highest order, there wasn’t much Jack could do until the boy trusted him enough to ask for help. After they ate, he’d have to drive away and hope Ricky would show up to work again in the morning. It would kill Jack to leave him out there on the streets. But if Jack tried to drag him home to his place right now, Ricky would only take off.

  On the other hand, maybe Jack could circle back around and see which bus Ricky took. At least that way, if he didn’t show up for work tomorrow, Jack would have a starting point to start tracking him down.

  He’d reached the front of the line. “I’ll take two three-piece dinners with the works and two large chocolate shakes.”

  Once he had the food, he headed over to join Ricky at the table, where the kid practically inhaled his dinner. As soon as he was done, he got up to leave.

  “Wait a minute before you go.” Jack pulled out one of Joe’s business cards and a pen. He scribbled his name and cellphone number on the back and added the twenty dollars he’d promised him. “If you ever want to get in touch with me, the number on the front is our landline. The one on the back is my cell. Call anytime, day or night.”

  Ricky shoved both the card and the money in his pocket. “Thanks.”

  “I hope to see you tomorrow, Just Ricky.”

  The kid grinned and walked away. It was damn hard to watch him leave, but there wasn’t much else Jack could do. Hopefully Ricky would show up tomorrow. If not, Jack would go on the hunt and wouldn’t stop until he found him.

  He’d also talk to Marlene about the boy when he got home and see what suggestions she might have. God knows she had plenty of experience in dealing with emotionally and physically battered kids. Meanwhile, he ordered dinner for her and Mikhail, all the while keeping an eye on Ricky to see where he went. Since he’d already let one bus go by, he was likely waiting for one headed in a specific direction.

  Luck was with him. Jack’s order was ready just as Ricky got on a bus. After memorizing the route number, Jack got in the truck and followed the bus, taking care to hang back far enough to make it hard for Ricky to spot him. At a stoplight, he called home. “Mom, sorry, but dinner is going to be awhile. I’ll explain when I get there.”

  His patience was rewarded a short time later when Ricky got off the bus and ducked down an alley. As Jack drove by, he saw the boy handing his sandwich to another kid and passing out the cookies to a few more. Jack couldn’t risk following him any farther for fear of being seen. Ricky was skittish enough without him getting the idea that Jack was some kind of predator.

  Knowing the boy wasn’t completely alone left Jack feeling marginally better about the situation. That didn’t mean he’d stay safe out there on the streets indefinitely, but maybe it would give Jack time to figure out how to help him.

  “Joe, I wish like hell you were here. You would know what to say to him, but I’ll do my best to help the kid.”

  And once again, he heard his father’s voice in the back of his mind saying, “Your best is all anyone can ask of you, son.”

  That might be true, but what if his best wasn’t good enough? He didn’t need anyone to answer that question, b
ecause he already knew what would happen. It would be Ricky, and not Jack, who paid the price for his failure.

  Chapter 3

  “Son, wake up! Someone is here to see you.”

  Jack went from unconscious to fully awake in a heartbeat. The adrenaline rush from being jerked out of a dead sleep burned away all the cobwebs, leaving him alert and staring up at his mother. Kicking his legs free of the sheets, he sat up on the edge of the bed.

  “Who is it?”

  “The police. They want to talk to you.”

  Well, shit! He didn’t bother to exchange his flannel pajama bottoms for jeans before following his mother downstairs and across the driveway to her house. She’d left the two officers waiting in the living room. From the grim expression on the police officers’ faces, Jack knew the news wasn’t going to be good. But then there was never a happy reason for the cops to come calling in the middle of the night.

  “Hello, Officers. I’m Jack McShane. I hear you’re looking for me.”

  “We are, Mr. McShane.” The older one of the two stepped forward. “I’m Detective Daily, and this is my partner, Detective St. John. We wanted to know if this is your card.”

  Jack only gave it a cursory look before nodding; he already knew it was his. The only question was what had happened to Ricky since he’d last seen him. The boy showed up the second day to help, but Jack hadn’t seen him since, even though he’d told him where his next job site would be. He’d done a couple of drive-bys in the area around the alley where Ricky had gone that first day, but he hadn’t spotted him or any of the others who’d been there with him.

  “Yes, it’s mine. Why do you ask?”

  “Can you tell me how Richard Patton came to have it?”

  So at least now Jack knew Ricky’s full name. “I gave it to him. Ricky approached me at a job site a few days ago to see if I could use some help. He looked like he’d been living on the streets, so I offered him twenty bucks to pick up trash for me.”

  The younger cop spoke up. “And you’re an expert on what homeless kids look like?”