by M. S. Parker
“So…” He blew out a harsh breath and tugged his hands free. Reaching up to scrub his hands up and down his face, he let out a stream of low profanity. “Are you telling me you don’t think he’s been threatening her at all?”
“Hard to say. But…” I lifted a shoulder. “She looked like she was maintaining pretty well. She could carry on a conversation. Wasn't jittery. If she was in such bad shape that she ended up in debt to the tune of ten grand, I think she would have been looking worse than she was. Which would leave her in not so great shape for his…um…other business. That makes her valuable to him. Men like him...they'll use someone who's that bad off, but someone like her, who can still function, that's who they prefer. Hooked enough that they don't want to get away, but not so much that johns don't want them.”
His eyes flew to mine and blood stained my cheeks.
“How do you know all of this stuff?” he asked, voice rough.
“I do some, ah, counseling of sorts.”
“Of sorts how?”
“I’ve been working with a shelter off and on for a few years. I was finally taken on full time last year. Most of my work is with women in...similar situations.” 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. I didn't want to have to say it, but I didn't think he'd listen any other way. “The kind of counseling you give girls who are trying to get away from negative influences in their life. 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 argue. 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 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.
That was the logical reason. The emotional one was that this was hard enough on Kaleb as it was, and I didn't want to make things worse if things didn't go as planned.
“I’ve got some stuff 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. I'd probably be doing the exact same thing if she hadn't been Kaleb's sister.
But as I watched him nod, resignation settling on his face, I knew I'd go above and beyond for Camry because of who she was.
Nine
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?”
I stiffened and she laughed again.
“The food, Kaleb. I'm talking about the food.”
Heat suffused my face and I scowled down at the pan. “There is.” I figured she’d wake up once she smelled breakfast. 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'd 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. She hadn't offered an explanation, and I hadn't asked, but my gut said something was going on.
Since I knew I’d go crazy if I did nothing but sit and think about how crazy my life had become, 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 my 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 where Piety was.
“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 I had a feeling she'd read more in my eyes than I wanted her to.
“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. “I work at a homeless shelter. It's a sister shelter to the one where Piety works. I 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. At risk youth...I couldn't do what she does.”
She'd told me about the work she did, but I couldn't deny that I was a bit surprised that Astra was involved too. Those two were so much more than they appeared at first glance.
“Piety’s parents definitely play up the photo ops when they get a chance, but it's never been about that for her.” Astra smiled. “She has a social science degree, did you know that? Graduated from Columbia at the top of her class. All she's ever wanted to do is help people.”
Not for the first time, I found myself wondering what I'd done to deserve someone like Piety in my life. “That's amazing you two do that.”
Astra's voice trailed off, and she shrugged. “I'll admit, 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. Not all the time, but most of it anyway.”
She looked away, but I stayed quiet, wondering where she was going with this. She seemed like there was more she wanted to say.
“Piety, though…she’s at a shelter that specializes in helping abuse victims. Women whose husbands or boyfriends or whoever beat on them. Her job is to not only get them away physically, but to work on the mental, and sometimes physical dependency they have.”
Her description sounded like one Piety had probably given.
“Sounds like hard work,” I said softly, staring into my coffee.
“It is. She’s good at it. Sometimes, though, it...hurts.”
Tightening my hands on the cup, I thought of how Piety 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, but she pushes herself like she has something to prove...or something to repay.”
Was that why she was doing this? Trying to balance some sort of unseen scale?
I didn’t know, and that bothered me more than I liked.
“What are you doing?”
The confusion in Astra’s voice told me I’d been right on base when I’d elected not to tell her about my exciting cleaning plans for the day.
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 launder them ourselves. 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 a shitload on my mind, and 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 mixing with the humor 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 nothing like Vegas, or back home.
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 home with you.
I hadn’t replied.
I didn’t know what to believe anymore.
I was…tired.
I’d come here to help my baby sister, and then when I'd finally talked to her, she'd 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 at all.
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, wrapped it up, then put it 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 rest of the mess from Astra and I's 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'd said I should come back here while we fi
gured 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 instead of waiting any longer for her to speak, I 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 put my stuff yesterday, 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 too tired to deal with this.
Tired and feeling empty and just about out of hope.
A second restless 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.
Kaleb,
Astra and I need to see to some business details. We'll 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 does she think I'll 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 because, clearly, Piety had forgotten all about my sister. Good for her. I couldn't do that.
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 the guy in the hall, 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.
