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

by Alexis Morgan

  Finally, it was Ricky who stepped back. “They want to take me to the hospital to get checked out. I told them my jaw is bruised, not broken, but the cops said I have to go.”

  “I know.” Jack slung his arm around Ricky’s shoulders again. “And just so you know, they’ll probably want to take pictures, too. Detective Daily said they want to document everything that happened as carefully as they can. They plan to charge Lawrence with assault, and they want all the evidence they can pull together in case it goes to trial.”

  Ricky hiccupped, probably a leftover from his crying. “Will I have to testify?”

  There was no use in lying about it. “Yeah, you might have to, but we’ll be right there with you every step of the way. I know it will be hard for you, but we all want to make sure the bastard never gets his hands on you again.”

  “And my mother? What will happen to her?”

  When Jack didn’t immediately answer, Ricky frowned and looked at Tino and then back at Jack. What could they say?

  “All I know for sure is the cops are going to want to talk to her about what’s been going on. For starters, they’ll want to know why she didn’t report you missing. You know, stuff like that.”

  In that moment, Ricky might have still looked like a fourteen-year-old at first glance, but those eyes staring back at Jack were much older. “She and my dad did okay. But after he died, she could barely take care of herself. There was no way she could take care of me, too. I don’t blame her for choosing Lawrence over me. At least she didn’t have to worry about where her next meal would come from.”

  Tino finally joined the discussion. “Screw that, Ricky. You should blame her. She’s your mother, for God’s sake.”

  Jack waved him off. “Not now, Tino. We can talk about all of that later. Let’s see what the cops want from us right now and then get you to the hospital.”

  His brother held out his hand. “Give me the keys to your SUV, and I’ll go get it.”

  At least one of them was thinking ahead. “Earlier I left word for Caitlyn to call me, but would you let Mom know what’s going on? Tell her Ricky and I will be at the hospital.”

  “Sure thing. And, kid, she’ll be really glad we found you. She was worried.”

  Jack tossed him the keys. “I parked on the street facing the front of the station. On your way, can you pick up the kid’s backpack and that plastic bag of clothes, too? They were lying in some bushes beside the building.”

  “You betcha.” Tino smiled at Ricky. “See you both soon. Mom and I will come to the hospital, too, if you need us.”

  Thank goodness his brother had been there to help out. The last thing Jack wanted right then was to leave Ricky’s side even for the short length of time it would take him to retrieve his car. “You hanging in there all right?”

  He noticed Ricky was still shivering and led him back over to where the EMTs were standing. He picked up the blanket and wrapped it back around the boy’s shoulders. “Keep that on. It’s not cold out today, but sometimes chills are a side effect of facing off against the enemy.”

  Ricky pulled the blanket tight around himself, his expression so bleak. “My mom and I weren’t doing great before Lawrence started sniffing around, but he made it so much worse. I hate that guy, Jack.”

  “I don’t blame you. He’s a major asshole. Only a bully of epic proportions would use his fists on a kid.” He dropped his voice before continuing. “Looking at Lawrence was like a flashback to when I was a kid. My old man, his brother, and my grandfather were just like him.”

  Ricky’s eyes widened. “And your mom?”

  There was no use holding back now. “She left when I was a kid. The only way my dad would let her go was if she left me behind. I never blamed her for getting out while she could.”

  Then he shook his head. “No, that’s not true at all. I blamed her then, and I blame her now. She knew what my life would be like living with him, and she left me there anyway.”

  The lost-child look on Ricky’s face faded into one of grim acceptance. “Sometimes I actually hate my mother. But after this morning, I don’t feel anything for her one way or another. It’s like she no longer exists in my life.”

  “It’s her loss, Ricky.” Jack hugged the kid again, keeping his hold on him gentle but firm. “And don’t forget, you’ve got other people who love you now—my mom, my brother, Caitlyn, and me. It might not be the same, but it’s real.”

  He spotted the two detectives headed their way about the same time Tino pulled up in Jack’s SUV. “Let’s see what these guys have to say, and then I’ll get you to the hospital.”

  Ricky gave the cops a worried look, but he stood his ground. “And then can I go home with you?”

  “Where else would you go? It’s your home, too.”

  Evidently that was the right thing to say, because for the first time Ricky actually looked hopeful. “Do you think we could order in pizza?”

  “Maybe tomorrow night. I’m guessing Mom will be cooking like crazy. She always does when she’s worried about one of her boys.”

  Ricky’s eyes filled with tears again. “And I’m really one of her boys?”

  As if Jack and Marlene hadn’t done everything they could for the past few weeks to make that clear to the kid. Obviously Ricky still needed to be reassured he wasn’t just some stray they’d brought home, that he was a real member of the family now. Jack shoulder bumped the kid a little harder than usual for emphasis.

  “Yeah, you lucked out. Now you belong to the Lukash gang just like me, Tino, and Mikhail.”

  Then together, they turned and waited for the police.

  Chapter 20

  Caitlyn made her way toward the front door of Marlene’s house. As far as she knew, she and Jack hadn’t made any plans for tonight, but she wanted to make sure everything was all right. She’d tried to return Jack’s call during a couple of breaks at work, but he hadn’t answered. Normally she wouldn’t have been concerned, but there’d been such an odd note in his voice when he’d left her a message earlier.

  She lifted her hand to ring the doorbell when a loud crash startled her. It sounded as if it had come from the annex. When it was followed closely by another even louder one, she decided to investigate. Moving cautiously, she made her way around back to the old garage apartment that Jack and his brothers shared. No sign of anyone outside.

  Then she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. Just as she turned her head to face the side window of the garage, something flew past it on the inside ending with another loud crash. What was going on? Had someone broken in to the place? It didn’t seem likely when both Jack’s SUV and his dad’s old truck were parked out front.

  She inched closer to the window to peek inside and instantly wished she hadn’t. It was Jack in there tearing the place apart. As she watched, he heaved a brightly colored dumbbell across the room. Even through the wall of the garage, she could hear him screaming curses as he immediately threw the next one off the rack. Then he started on the discs for his weight set, flinging them one right after another.

  As she watched, her skin turned cold despite the warmth of the late-afternoon sun. If it weren’t for his familiar hair color and the fact that this was his home, she wasn’t sure she would have recognized Jack at all. His face was contorted in absolute fury as he continued to trash the place. She backed away from the window, hoping to escape before he saw her.

  How had Jack hidden this side of his personality from her? The familiar taste of disappointment and fear made her sick. God, did she never learn? Josh had been the same way, all charm and good looks until something triggered his temper. How many times had he exploded in a rampage when some little thing hadn’t gone his way? Most of the time it hadn’t been anything she’d done; she’d just been the closest target for his anger.

  What had set Jack off like this? And where was everyone else? Surely if Tino or Marlene knew Jack was raging out of control like this, they’d be trying to stop him. Well, maybe not Marlene
. She wasn’t big enough to stand up to a man Jack’s size, but surely Tino could do something. And where was Ricky?

  Fear for the teenager had her running back across the driveway to see if anyone was in the house.

  Caitlyn yanked the back door open and hollered, “Marlene! Ricky! Is anyone home?”

  No answer. She went inside, pausing to lock the door behind her. It wouldn’t keep Jack out if he left the annex, but it might slow him down long enough for her to escape out the front. After quickly checking the first floor, she headed up the stairs to where the bedrooms were located.

  It was a relief to find them all empty. Rather than hang around, she quickly ran back downstairs and let herself out the front door. Once she reached her car, she got in and locked the doors. What should she do next? Should she call Ricky’s caseworker and tell her what was going on? That was her duty if she honestly thought the teenager was in any possible danger from Jack.

  She stared at her phone but couldn’t bring herself to dial the number. What could she say? That she’d seen him toss a few things around, that he was taking his anger out on objects, not people? It wasn’t as if anyone else had even been around to witness the display of temper except her. No, without knowing the facts, she could easily do more harm than good, not just to Jack but to Ricky as well. If the caseworker jerked him out of this home, who knew where he’d end up next.

  Then there was the fact that she cared about Jack. No, that was too weak of a word for what she felt for the man. She loved him, and he loved her, too. Her heart knew that, even if they hadn’t yet admitted it. What’s more, she trusted him. Had from the very beginning.

  Yeah, he occasionally admitted that he was in over his head sometimes when it came to Ricky and his problems. From her own experience as a teacher, she knew that most parents felt that way at times. That didn’t mean they weren’t doing a good job of raising their kids. The same was true of Jack even if he wasn’t the boy’s natural parent. It was also clear that the teenager both liked Jack and looked up to him. A streetwise kid like Ricky didn’t trust easily, and Jack had won the boy’s respect.

  From what she had seen, the man was incredibly patient with Ricky, but that didn’t mean he went easy on the kid, either. If Ricky crossed the line, like the day when he’d taken off without calling, Jack had let the boy see he wasn’t happy with his behavior or the choices he had made. He’d also made sure to let Ricky know that everyone made mistakes and that there would be consequences. She could still remember how shocked Ricky was that Jack hadn’t tossed him back out on the streets.

  “So what should I do?”

  Even though she asked the question out loud, she was the only one who could answer it. All things considered, she had two choices. She could let the scars from her past rule her emotions, which meant calling the caseworker without really knowing what was going on. Her second option was to trust her instincts that said Jack was the good man she’d believed him to be, which meant she should give him the chance to explain.

  If she didn’t like what he had to say, well, she could still make that call.

  Praying she was doing the right thing, Caitlyn unlocked the car door and marched right back up the driveway to the annex before she could chicken out. She drew a deep breath as she knocked on the door and waited to see what would happen next.

  When Jack didn’t respond, she pressed her ear against the door and listened. No more crashes or curses. After knocking again, she opened the door just far enough to see into the room on the other side.

  “Jack?”

  No answer.

  She was pretty sure he was in there somewhere. In fact, now she could hear him breathing hard as if he’d been running a long, hard race, and all of it uphill. She pushed the door open the rest of the way to see more of the room. At first, she didn’t see him, but then she saw his legs on the ground on the far side of the sofa.

  Her concern for Jack overrode the last of her caution. She tiptoed into the room, which looked as if a tornado had ripped through the place.

  “Jack, are you all right?”

  “Oh, yeah, I’m just dandy. Can’t you tell?”

  His voice was pure gravel, but at least he’d answered. She stepped around the scattered weights and other stuff he’d tossed on the floor. When she finally saw him, she gasped. He looked as if he’d aged ten years since yesterday, and his pretty green eyes looked as if he were staring straight into hell.

  “What happened in here, Jack?”

  He laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “What’s the matter, Caitlyn, don’t you like what I’ve done with the place? And I worked so hard on it too.”

  She ignored his sarcasm. “If you don’t want to tell me why you tore the place up, at least tell me that Ricky is all right.”

  Because it was clear that something horrible had happened to the boy. She couldn’t imagine anything else would have set Jack off like this.

  “He will be, no thanks to me.”

  Jack drew his knees up and hid his face on his crossed arms. “He’s back in the hospital.”

  Caitlyn collapsed on the ground right next to him. Moving slowly, she stroked the back of his head. “Talk to me. Tell me what happened.”

  The silence dragged on for what felt like forever. Finally, he lifted his head and waved his hand around to point out the mess in the room. “You should go, Caitlyn. Don’t get caught up in the chaos that follows me everywhere.”

  His eyes were looking a bit feral, but she wouldn’t retreat now. Moving her hand in slow circles on his back, she kept her voice calm. “I repeat, tell me what happened. I can’t help if you don’t talk to me.”

  Jack shook off her hand as he surged up to his feet and began pacing back and forth in the small area of floor that was clear of debris. “Ricky took off sometime before dawn this morning. The little shit packed up a bunch of his clothes and other stuff and then just disappeared.”

  He paused to stare out the window. “I should’ve known something was wrong when he didn’t get up to go out on the job site with me. Mom said she’d heard him moving around a couple of times during the night. We thought maybe he was feeling under the weather or something. So instead of going upstairs and checking on him like I should have, I went off to work like nothing was wrong.”

  No wonder he was beating himself up. “Jack, you couldn’t have known he’d leave like that. You’re not a mind reader. For Pete’s sake, anyone could see that he’s been happy living here with you and your mom.”

  Jack’s broad shoulders were rigid with tension. “That’s just it. On some level I did know, Caitlyn. I’ve wondered all along if he’d leave once the cast was off his arm, and he could take care of himself again. Yesterday afternoon, he and Tino and I tuned up Dad’s truck together. We were teaching him just the same way Joe taught us. Everything went fine right up until the end. Then it was like someone flipped a switch, and the kid walked away. He didn’t say what was bothering him, and I didn’t ask. He seemed distracted all evening.”

  “Again, Jack, you couldn’t have known what he was thinking.”

  Some of Jack’s temper came roaring back. “Don’t make excuses for me. I should’ve known…should’ve done something…anything that would’ve kept his bastard of a stepfather from getting his hands on Ricky again.”

  Oh, dear God, no wonder Jack looked so broken up inside. Her own heart hurt for both the boy in the hospital and the man standing in front of her. She’d never seen anyone so in need of a hug even if he’d be the last person on earth to admit it. Pushing herself up off the floor, she joined him at the window. Even without touching him, she could feel the waves of heat and frustration pouring off his body.

  “So how did the man find him?”

  Jack shoved his hands in his pockets. “Just as we suspected, Ricky’s mother lives in the area, but his real father died several years ago. The two of them struggled financially after his death. From what we can tell, she married this guy Lawrence, who dragged them up here from Cali
fornia. As it happens all too often, the man liked the woman but not her kid. When she had to choose between them, she chose the meal ticket instead of her son. To make sure Ricky got the message that he was no longer wanted in the fabulous new life they were building together, Lawrence damn near killed the kid. That’s when Ricky ended up in the hospital the last time.”

  Now Caitlyn was furious. “What kind of monster would choose an animal like that guy over her own child?”

  “Not everyone is as strong as you are.”

  “Don’t go making excuses for her, Jack. I’d give anything—anything—to have a son like him, but that woman threw Ricky away like he was a piece of trash.”

  Now she was the one who needed that hug, but Jack wrapped his arms across his chest and moved farther away from her. “Long story, short, Ricky went to see her this morning to give her one final chance to step up and be his mother for real again. I think he knew what the outcome would be, but it’s hard to give up on a parent for good, no matter how awful they are. True to form, the woman ran him off and then called her new husband to let him know that Ricky had come back.”

  The temperature in the room seemed to drop twenty degrees. “He caught Ricky, didn’t he?”

  Not that she really needed to ask. The answer was written in the grim set of Jack’s mouth and the pain in his eyes. “He did, but not before Ricky called me to come get him. By the time I tracked them down, the guy had already smacked him around some, but I managed to get him off the kid. My brother had called the police, who took the bastard into custody.”

  “How badly hurt was Ricky?”

  “He’s got a swollen jaw and a concussion along with a whole new crop of bruises. The cops are pressing charges against both the mother and the stepfather, so they wanted the doctors to do a full assessment of Ricky’s injuries. The doctors also wanted to keep him overnight for observation to make sure the concussion isn’t serious. Mom and Tino are with him right now.”

  He glanced back at the mess behind them. “I held it together until we got him admitted, but then I needed to get away before I lost it completely.”