Anything For Love (The Hunter Brothers Book 1)

by Lola StVil

  “No, but we were close. So damn close.”

  “So why didn’t you?”

  “I don’t really know. I mean, I thought we were headed that way and then he kind of veered off course and went an alternative route.”

  “And do we like the alternative route?” she asks. Before I can stop myself, a moan escapes my lips. Jana laughs and says she takes that as a “yes.”

  “He held me like I was so fragile and priceless. He possessed me like no man had before and I wanted him so bad, I damn near cried.”

  “Damn, that sounds good. Where can I get that kind of guy?” She laughs.

  “You can have any guy you want,” I remind her.

  “Throwaway guys. I mean the real thing.”

  “Are you saying you’re tired of being single, Jana?” She remains silent.

  “Jana?”

  “I’m just kidding. Let me get into this shower so I can get ready.”

  “Okay, see you soon. Hey, Jana?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re an amazing best friend and I love you,” I reply. I don’t know what’s going on with her but it feels like she needs a boost. Since she’s usually the one supporting me, I thought I’d remind her how wonderful she is and how lucky I am to know her.

  ***

  When I pull up to the center, all the blood drains from my face. My body goes cold as shock washes over me. I get out of my car and blink several times as if what I’m seeing can’t possibly be real. All the windows have been shattered, the building has been spray-painted with graffiti, and locks on the doors have been cut in half, thrown to the ground. My heart is pounding inside my chest as I run inside the center.

  The hallway is littered with torn textbooks, trash, and shattered glass. I enter the nearest classroom and find all the tables and chairs overturned. Boxes of supplies have been hurled on the floor, their contents dumped out into the center of the room. I race to the other classroom and find the same chaos awaiting me.

  “Shit!” I shout as I run up to the third floor and pray to God nothing has been damaged in the computer lab. I burst through the door and bite my lower lip to keep from screaming in anger. We have sixty-three computers and every one of them has been smashed, reducing them to mere paperweights.

  I call Jana but I can’t find the words to tell her what happened. Luckily she’s only a few minutes away and will see for herself. They even got into the media room and smashed the two TVs we had. The dumped out all ten bins of snack foods and threw them everywhere. They used bats and bashed holes into the wall. By the time I discover the full extent of the damage, Jana arrives. I sit on the steps outside the center, numb.

  Jana is horrified and making calls, a lot of calls. But I’m just sitting still, trying to absorb what happened. There must be thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. We won’t be able to repair any of it. It took so long to get those computers—we don’t even have enough for all the kids and now…

  I’m watching people come in and out of the center, cops in uniforms and parents who live nearby. They ask questions but I don’t really hear them. I’m far away. In my head, I’m so far from this place. This must be what an out-of-body experience is like.

  “WINTER, DAMN IT! DO YOU HEAR ME?!” Decker shouts.

  “Huh? Yeah, yeah. I hear you,” I lie. I’m not sure when he got here. Jana must have called him or gotten his number from my phone.

  “The Street Kings heard about Carlos leaving today; it doesn’t look good that they lost a new potential member to some after-school director.”

  “Carlos! Is he okay? I have to go check on him!” I reply as I stand up, only to realize my legs have somehow been turned into rubber.

  “No, I sent a patrol car to check on him, he’s fine,” Decker says.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure. He’s okay. And today is when he goes to his art class, right?” he says.

  “Yeah, he should be gone by tonight,” I reply.

  “We need you to fill out the police report while I talk to my guys in the gang unit. Okay?” Decker says.

  “Everything is gone. All our supplies, all our computers, everything.” He looks me over, shakes his head sadly, and pulls me in for an embrace.

  “Ah…Winnie, there’s someone here to see you,” Jana says in a strange voice. I follow her gaze and watch as Wyatt gets out of the car, just in time to see me in Decker’s arms.

  ***

  “Sorry, I didn’t know what to do. You gave me Decker’s number but when I called no one picked up. So, I called Wyatt,” Jana says, biting her lower lip nervously.

  Wyatt’s face is etched with worry as he comes towards us but there’s something else written on his face—but it goes away quickly before I can gauge what it is. I pull back from Decker’s embrace and as soon as he sees Wyatt, he gets this look as if he’s bracing himself for something. Wyatt takes me by the shoulders and looks me over.

  “Are you okay? Were you here when this happened? Did they say anything to you? Did you see anyone?” Wyatt demands.

  “I’m fine—fine,” I lie.

  “Wyatt, I—” Decker doesn’t get to say another word before Wyatt glares at him and marches into the center. He surveys the damage and begins to give orders. He sends some of the uniformed cops to canvass the neighborhood for witnesses while others chronicle the damage. While I watch him work, I’m struck by how in control he is and how much those around him respect him. He’s commanding, knowledgeable, and has an undeniable authority.

  “Hunt, take a look at this,” one of the officers says as they show him a file cabinet. All the staff files have been pulled out and thrown on the floor. “According to Ms. Bennett, there are twelve people working at the center. We found eleven staff files.”

  “Shit…” Wyatt hisses as he takes me aside.

  “What is it, what does that mean?” I ask.

  “They kept your file, they are not done with you.”

  “You’re saying I can’t go home tonight?” I ask, in disbelief.

  “I’m saying you can’t go home—period.”

  “Wait, no…I can’t just leave my home,” I plead.

  “You don’t have a choice until we find the guys that did this.”

  “What about my things?”

  “Look I’ll have a patrol car swing by,” Decker says. Wyatt’s jaw tightens when Decker enters the room.

  “I need to talk to you,” Decker says.

  “Not now you don’t,” Wyatt replies as he marches away. Decker takes off after him. I race behind Decker, fearing the two are about to get into a huge argument that is all my fault.

  “Look, let me explain,” Decker offers. Wyatt is livid now and turns to face his partner.

  “She doesn’t know what these guys are capable of, she’s a civilian. But you know this shit! You know what can happen when a gang wants to make their mark. You let her walk around with no protection and no security whatsoever. She works late all the time, she could have been here when they did this. You have been hiding this shit from me for God knows how long, what the fuck is wrong with you?”

  “We had it under control, Wyatt. We just didn’t—”

  “Under control? Does this shit look like it’s under control?” he barks.

  “She wanted to tell you in her own time—

  “I don’t give a damn what she wanted. You’re a cop, you know what’s out there. This was about her safety. You fucked it up!”

  “Look, man, you don’t get it—”

  “NO! YOU DON’T FUCKING GET IT! SHE COULD HAVE BEEN HERE WHEN THIS SHIT WENT DOWN! SHE COULD HAVE BEEN...JUST STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!”

  ***

  Wyatt can’t stop glaring at me. I’ve never seen him this pissed off before. He does, however, handle what needs to be done in terms of the case. He makes sure everyone is doing his or her job, and that there’s an accurate record of the damage. I am finally out of my haze, and I help Jana contact all the kids from after school and tell them w
e will be closed for at least a week. I call a few other programs like mine and beg them to take my kids for the week. Thankfully they agree and some even offer to keep them for two weeks if need be. I thank the staff for their help in getting the word out that we will be closed, and I promise to pay them for the week we are shut down.

  Jana offers to stay with me if I need it but she looks worn out, and so I ask Decker to please take her home. I also tell him how sorry I am that I caused such a huge rift between him and Wyatt. He says he’s sure they’ll work it out. I wish I could be as certain. I ask Wyatt to please drive me to Carlos’s house so I can say good-bye to him.

  Carlos tells me he’s sorry for what happened at the center and I tell him the only way to make it up to me is for him to do his best in the art class and stay away from his new friends. And for the first time since this whole thing began, I think he really hears me. I hug him. It embarrasses him but I do it anyway. I watch as the bus headed upstate pulls up across the street from the group home. I’m weak with relief as I watch him get on the bus and on the road, away from the Street Kings.

  Wyatt has been waiting for me in the car. He hasn’t said anything since he blew up at Decker. I know that he really wants to blow up at me. The fact is, Decker was just doing what I told him. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. My center is closed, our kids are displaced, the repair bill will be sky high, and I’ve ruined the friendship between Wyatt and Decker. I steal a glance in his direction and there’s no mistaking the look on his face—Wyatt hates me right now.

  He arranged for a female officer to get some of my clothes from my place. They’re now in the back of his trunk. When he gets to his place, he gets my suitcase and takes it upstairs. All the while not saying a word to me.

  Okay, I am not going to just bitch and moan about Wyatt being mad. I can fix this. Everything else is screwed up right now but not this, I can fix this. Okay, here goes nothing.

  I enter the kitchen, where he’s just downed a bottle of beer in three big gulps. His jaw is tense, his arms are folded tightly across his broad, muscular chest. God, even when he’s pissed off, he’s sexy. Or especially when he’s pissed.

  This is not a game, Winter! This man has really had it with you! Word…words…how do I find the right words to say?

  “Wyatt, I wasn’t trying to keep this from you,” I venture.

  “That’s funny because that’s exactly what happened,” he replies.

  “I know. I was gonna bring it up but it was never the right time. And I thought that once Carlos was gone, they’d just forget about it,” I admit.

  “Do you understand what you did? You threatened a gang that goes out of its way to be noticed. A gang that’s new and has something to prove.”

  “I know, it was stupid.”

  “No, it’s more than that. There are guys on that crew who are one violation away from going in for life! Do you know what they would do to you if they thought for a second that you could get them sent back to prison? They have enemies whose bodies we have yet to find. What the hell were you thinking, Winter?!”

  “I’m sorry!”

  “Yeah, I’m sorry too. Because not only did you put yourself at risk, you are not doing Carlos any favors by shielding him from having to make a decision.”

  “You think I should throw him out to the wolves?” I counter.

  “No! But you can’t make his decisions for him. You have to show him what gang life is really like. He has no idea. You could have asked me. I could have talked to him. I could have at least tried to reach him but instead—”

  “Yeah, I know. Instead I tried to handle it on my own.”

  “And when that didn’t work, you didn’t come to me. You went to Decker,” he said, sounding just as hurt as he is pissed off.

  “I didn’t want to bother you.”

  He places his hands on the rim of kitchen sink behind him and hangs his head in a mix of frustration and anger.

  “I know it sounds silly, but you’ve already done so much for me, so…I didn’t want to push it,” I admit.

  “I’m not sure if you’re just lying to me or if you’re lying to yourself too.”

  “What does that mean?” I demand.

  “The reason you didn’t come to me and tell me about this has nothing to do with you not wanting to bother me. It has nothing to do with how much I do or did not do for you.”

  “You seem to have a theory, Mr. Hunt. You wanna share with the class?” I ask.

  “Yeah, sure. Here’s my theory. You’re afraid of letting me in your life in any real way, so much so that you would rather go to anyone else for help. That way you can put yet another wall between us.”

  “Hey, that’s not fair! That’s not what—” The doorbell rings in the middle of my reply.

  “ARGH! Who the hell is it?” Wyatt barks as he marches up to the door and looks in the peephole.

  “You gotta be kidding me,” I grumble as he opens the door. Standing in the doorway are all my staff members. They come bearing pizza and beers. Standing at the head of the small mob is Jana.

  “Look, we all know how much today sucked for you, so we wanted to cheer you up. And I know you won’t mind, right Wyatt?” Jana says, giving him her best sweet smile. He looks over at me, and I can see he’s far from happy. In fact, he’s even more frustrated than when we first came in the house.

  “Guys, thank you for coming but I don’t think we should take over Wyatt’s home like this,” I reply as I look over at him.

  “It’s fine. Come in,” he says, stepping aside so they can all enter. As the group looks around and marvels at the layout of the apartment, Wyatt grabs his jacket and heads out the door. I open the door and call out after him as the crowd starts to gab in the background.

  “Wyatt, wait!”

  “I…I need some air...”

  I’m standing alone in the hallway, watching as Wyatt disappears down the stairs. Seeing him this upset causes a wave of panic in me that I didn’t see coming. Jana appears next to me a few moments later.

  “I’m sorry, I thought you guys would have fixed it already. So you told him you were sorry for trying to keep him at bay and that you love him, but he still stormed out? Maybe he just needs some time,” she says with her hand on my shoulder.

  “I didn’t exactly say all of that,” I mumble.

  “Wait, what exactly did you say?”

  “I told him that I wasn’t trying to hide things from him.”

  “So you lied.”

  “No…okay maybe. Argh! I know I should have told him but it was my issue to fix.”

  Jana looks over at me, rolls her eyes, shakes her head, and starts to walk away. I reach out to her and ask, “What is that look supposed to mean?”

  “Forget it. I’m gonna get everyone and maybe we’ll go down to the bar on the corner. We’ll get out of your way,” she says, clearly annoyed.

  “You’re not in my way. You’re my best friend, and if you have something to say, I want to hear it.”

  “Trust me, Winnie, you don’t,” she says as she starts to walk away. I stop her once again. She sighs loudly and pulls on her bottom lip. She always does that when she’s trying to stop herself from blowing up on someone. It never works.

  “Jana, say what you have to say. I want to hear it,” I push.

  “Okay, here goes: I love you very much, but right now, you’re being so fucking stupid, I could wring your damn neck!”

  “What? Jana, you don’t get it, I—”

  “No! You wanted to hear my thoughts, so here it goes: Wyatt could have any fucking woman he wants; we both know that. But instead of chasing mindless women whose shoe size matches their IQ, he has chosen you. That makes him a smart man because you’re wonderful. Or at least you would be if you would just stop letting Danny get in your head.”

  “This isn’t about Danny!” I protest.

  “Bullshit, everything is about Danny, and it’s not fair to Wyatt. I know Danny hurt you; I was there. And I get wanting t
o be guarded but when you find a guy like Wyatt, if you’re lucky enough, you take down your fucking walls, even if it’s piece by piece. But that’s not what you’re doing. Instead of working to tear them down, you keep making them higher and higher.”

  “That’s not true. I have been open with Wyatt. I practically live in his house.”

  “He’s not asking you to live in his house, he’s asking you to let him in. And you know what, he has a right to be pissed off. Can’t you see what’s happening?”

  “Apparently I’m missing it. So, why don’t explain it to me?” I reply as I cross my hands over my chest and try to stay calm.

  “It’s really simple: You’re blowing it. That guy who just marched out of his own house and let you take over, that guy is the guy you should happily let in your heart. That guy would move fucking mountains for you.”

  “I didn’t ask him to do anything for me.”

  “Argh! That’s just it—you don’t have to ask him; if it’s for you, he’ll do anything. Anything for love, that’s who he is when it comes to you.”

  “I know that he loves—”

  “Well you don’t act like you know. C’mon, Winter, do you have any idea how much pussy that guy gets offered? But he doesn’t care about that. He only cares about being with you. He’s a nightly guest at the ‘Blue Balls’ Inn because he’s waiting on you.”

  “So if I don’t fuck him then I’m blowing it?”

  “Sex would be greatly appreciated but if you are not ready, fine, but how about giving the man a goddamn key? How about telling him when your life is in danger and not going behind his back to his friend?”

  “Hey, you knew I was doing that. You can’t throw that in my face.”

  “Yeah, I knew you were hiding it from him but I hoped it was for a day or two. I thought you’d come to your senses. But you never did. Why are you trying to screw this up? Not everyone gets to be in love. Some of us are kept outside the gates and all we get to do is look in. Meanwhile you’ve been granted full access to love and everything that comes with it and you’re blowing it! You are letting Danny cast a damn shadow over everything.”