Clasping his shoulder, Raider gave a crisp nod. “If you’re sure, then I’ll get going.”
Jogging away from the house, he looked back to confirm the women hadn’t come outside. He hoped Fuse got lucky and the women continued to talk. They’d picked up additional reasons to keep surveillance on Junior and Malcolm, as well as enough to start tracking the two unidentified women.
Ali helped the trim, older woman, who cradled a sprained wrist, back to the front where her neighbor waited to take her home. By the time the doctor had finished, Ali learned she was a widow, traveled a great deal, and loved college football.
Returning to her exam area, she found herself smiling. The woman had extended an invitation to come over on one of her Saturdays off and watch a game. Maybe she would.
Ali clocked out, passing the nursing station. “I’m taking my lunch break.”
Stepping outside, she breathed in the clear air, exhaling to help wash the antiseptic smells from her lungs. Her Jeep was parked several rows over at the back, next to a row of dumpsters. Unlocking it, she started to get inside when she heard a soft voice.
“Ali?”
Making a slow turn, not spotting anyone, she once again started to climb into the driver’s seat.
“Ali?”
This time, the voice was stronger, clear enough for her to recognize. “Timmy?”
She moved to the back of the dumpster. Covered in dirt, hair plastered to his head, Timmy stared up at her. Through cracked lips, he let out a breath.
“I’ve been waiting for you.”
Chapter Eleven
Ali knelt beside Timmy, her gaze skimming over him, searching for any new injuries. He hadn’t made a move to stand, which told her at least one of his legs hurt him.
“I was told you were placed in a foster home.”
Looking away, he nodded. “I didn’t like it there.”
“Why?”
Shrugging, he picked at crusted dirt on his pants, not answering.
“What brought you here? Were you trying to find me?”
She got a slow nod.
“Well, I’m here.” Holding out her hand, she encouraged Timmy to stand. When he did, she saw the way he favored his right leg. “Is your hip still hurting you?”
“He pushed me last night. I landed on my hip.”
The slow burn of anger began to build. “Who pushed you?”
“Another kid at the house. He’s older and bigger.”
“A bully?”
Timmy nodded. “Real mean. Knows how to hit so no one can tell what happened. I was going down the stairs, and when I didn’t go fast enough, he shoved me.” Absently, he rubbed his hip. “I didn’t even hear him behind me.”
“What did your foster parents do?”
Looking up at her, he snorted. “Nothing. They have five foster boys at their house. They don’t like problems.”
Her stomach churned, chest squeezed at what Timmy and the others had to endure. Ali knew she had to call Protective Services, but it would come after she checked him out. No matter how he might protest, she knew he’d have to return to the clinic for X-rays and other tests.
She found herself wondering if Timmy’s case was typical of children in the foster care system or if he had especially bad luck.
“Let’s get you in the Jeep. We’ll go to the clinic—”
“No! I’m not going back to the foster home, and that’s what they’ll make me do.” He began backing away, ready to run if Ali insisted.
Taking him home, even for a short time, would put her at risk of being complicit in Timmy’s disappearance. In his condition, running wasn’t an option.
“All right. I’ll take you home until I can decide what to do.” Helping him into the Jeep, she waited until he’d secured the seatbelt before climbing in on the other side. “Are you hungry?”
“I ate yesterday.”
Ali gripped the steering wheel, her frustration returning. “It’s my lunch break. How about we get sandwiches to take back to my house.” For now, she wouldn’t bring up another trip to the clinic.
She glanced over at him, seeing a broad smile. The only one he’d ever given her.
Ali drove straight to a deli with a drive-thru. Ten minutes later, she parked the Jeep in her drive.
Timmy wouldn’t let her help him out. Even at his young age, he showed the pride of a man.
Unlocking the door, Ali let him go in ahead of her. When he stopped a few feet into the entry, she moved to his side.
“Is something wrong?”
Shaking his head, Timmy stared up at her. “I’ve never been in such a nice house.”
Throat constricting, she found it hard to draw a breath at the longing on his face. Recovering, she placed a hand on his shoulder.
“That’s the best compliment I’ve ever heard. Thank you.” Guiding him to the table in the kitchen, she set down the bag of food, removing their sandwiches, drinks, and chips.
Timmy attacked his meal as if he hadn’t eaten in weeks instead of the day before. Ali’s heart squeezed as he finished off the sandwich and chips before she’d taken one bite. Shoving hers toward him, he cocked his head at her.
“You have to eat, too.”
“I had a big breakfast. You go ahead.”
Once again, he powered down the sandwich and her chips. Ali found herself dreading his return to the foster home, wondering how many days would pass before he ran away again, how many meals he’d miss.
Placing both hands on the table, she stood. Opening a cupboard, she grabbed a bag of gourmet chocolate chip cookies. He wouldn’t be able to discern the difference between them and a package of the cheapest cookies on the shelf, but it didn’t matter. The smile on his face when he realized what she handed him was worth it.
“I’ll be right back, Timmy. Don’t get sick on those.”
Taking the cell phone from her purse, she glanced into the kitchen before heading down the hall to her bedroom. Hesitating for a moment, she called the one person who might help Timmy. The phone rang several times, enough for her to believe he wouldn’t pick up.
“Yeah, Ali. What do you need?”
“Timmy was hiding behind a dumpster next to where I parked at the hospital. I brought him home.”
“Stay there. I’m on my way.”
She started to thank him, realizing he’d already hung up. Still, relief flooded through her. Checking the clock, Ali realized she was out of time. She still had a shift to complete at the hospital. Not wanting to bother Jace again, she sent a brief text, explaining her dilemma. She had no choice but to leave Timmy at the house alone until Jace arrived.
Returning to the kitchen, she didn’t take the time to sit down. “I have to go back to work, but a friend is coming over to stay with you. His name is Jace.”
Timmy stood, moving away while shaking his head. “No strangers.” The panic in his voice should’ve been expected after all he’d been through.
She knelt in front of him. “You don’t know him, but he isn’t a stranger, sweetheart. Jace is one of the nicest men you’ll ever meet. Do you know what he loves doing more than anything else?”
Timmy shook his head, his features cloaked in unease. “What?”
“Video games. Do you play?”
Eyes widening, he nodded before his face fell. “I had a PS4 at home until one of Mom’s boyfriends threw it against a wall and broke it.”
She didn’t allow her disgust at his mother, and her friends, to show. “Come on. I have something to show you.”
A cabinet sat underneath the flat screen television in the living room. About four feet wide, less than two feet deep, and almost three feet tall, it had four doors. Opening the two on the right, Ali stepped away.
“Wow!” He dropped to his knees, wincing at the pain in his right hip. “This is epic. You have both an Xbox and a PS4.” When she opened the other two doors, Timmy let out a boyish yelp. “It’s a Wii. I’ve never seen one of those.”
“It’s older, but
I have a lot of games for it. For all of the consoles. Will you be all right until Jace arrives?”
“Can I play while I wait for him?” The spark of hope in Timmy’s eyes caused her heart to twist.
“Of course. But keep the door locked and only let Jace inside. Promise?”
Features serious, he gave a somber nod. “Promise.”
So lost in a game, Timmy didn’t hear the knock on the front door until it transformed to pounding.
“Timmy, are you in there?”
The deep voice pulled him from the intense action on the screen. Dropping the controller, he hobbled to the front window to peer out. A tall man wearing a leather vest, similar to his mom’s latest boyfriend, and blond hair stood on the step. Ali told him Jace was a great guy, but never mentioned him looking kind of scary. Timmy froze, unsure what to do.
“Timmy, it’s Raider. I’m Ali’s friend.”
“Raider?” he whispered. That wasn’t the name Ali had given him. Moving to the door, he spoke through it. “Do you have another name?” He could hear the man chuckle before answering.
“Ali usually calls me Jace.”
His breath calmed at the familiar name. Opening the door a crack, his gaze moved up and down Jace. He looked all right, but the vest unnerved Timmy. It was so much like the one his mom’s boyfriend wore. The man who’d smashed his game console to bits.
“Do you know where Ali works?”
“Sure do. She’s a nurse in the emergency room.” He looked past Timmy and into the living room. “What are you playing?”
“Spider-Man. Ali says she doesn’t have games my age, but pulled out some that were okay. She won’t let me play Call of Duty or Bloodborne. She says I have to be in high school.”
As Timmy spoke, he let go of the front door, letting it swing open. Limping back to pick up the controller, he grabbed another one from inside the cabinet.
“I hope that one’s for me.”
Raider pulled up an ottoman, taking the controller from Timmy’s outstretched hand. He had no idea Ali was a gamer. She’d always made such a big deal about him playing instead of getting the rest she swore he needed to recover after the explosion at WETC. The first and second degree burns had healed, but not before he heard every imaginable reason why he should turn off the games by midnight and sleep.
“Ali has everything.” He pointed to the consoles, controllers, and games inside the cabinet. “Is your real name Jace or Raider?”
The change of subject didn’t bother him. “Most of my friends call me Raider. Ali is one of the few who calls me Jace.” Few being his grandparents and Ali. His mother had, but he hadn’t seen or heard anything about her in years. “You can call me whichever you want.”
“I want to call you Raider.”
“Good choice.” Holding the controller toward the console, he put on his game face. “You ready, buddy?”
“Yeah!”
Ali hadn’t taken a full breath since returning to the hospital. A multi-car pileup on the highway brought them several patients. Most didn’t have life-threatening injuries, but two had been moved to intensive care. Thankfully, there’d been no deaths. Unlike the casino bombing a couple months earlier.
Even with the hectic last few hours, a minute didn’t go by without her wondering how Jace and Timmy were doing. She’d heard nothing from Jace, no voice message or text, which could be a good sign. Maybe they were getting along so well they hadn’t thought of her.
“Ali? We have another patient coming in. Are you able to stay a little longer?” The supervising nurse rushed to her. “I know you’ve been putting in long hours, but…”
“No problem. I can stay another hour.”
“That should be enough. Your replacement is stuck in traffic because of the pileup. The roads are blocked in several directions.”
Ali understood. Liberty Lake had one main road to the freeway. When an accident occurred, there were few alternatives, forcing drivers to wait, sometimes hours, for cars to be cleared. She hoped her replacement arrived much sooner than that.
She needed to speak with Jace, get his take on what to do with Timmy. Ali knew she couldn’t hide the fact he’d come to her injured, or that he was now in her home. Taking him back to Child Protective Services without first making a formal complaint about the foster parents and the boy who bullied others wouldn’t happen.
Jace had connections everywhere. Ali hoped to find a way to put more force behind her grievance. Maybe he could put her in touch with Vela Bettencourt, the deputy who’d spoken with Timmy. Someone who would take her criticism seriously.
“Ali, there’s a man in the waiting room who wants to talk with you.” The intake nurse touched her arm when she started past. “He wears one of those cuts bikers have. Maybe I should alert the security guard.”
Assuming it was Jace, she shook her head. “I’ll be fine, but thanks for the warning.” Striding into a full waiting area, she stopped, not seeing Jace.
“You the lady who took our boy away?”
Stilling at the harsh, unknown voice behind her, she glanced at the security guard, who paid her no attention. Turning, Ali composed herself before meeting the man’s hate-filled eyes.
“Are you speaking to me?”
“Yeah, bitch, I am. Where’s Timmy?”
Crossing her arms, she made a quick scan of his cut, noting the Night Devils patch and one showing him as the Enforcer. “Who’s Timmy, and why would you think I know where he is?”
He moved forward, crowding her space, his features menacing. “You’re the one who reported his mother to the cops and had him put in foster care. We want him back.”
Raising her hands to ward him off, she saw the security guard making his way toward them. “If you’re talking about the young boy who came in here with numerous cuts, abrasions, and broken bones, then yes, I took him to the free clinic, where his injuries were reported to Child Protective Services. Judging by the X-rays, he should’ve been removed from his mother a long time ago.”
Reaching out to grab her scrub top, he yanked her to him. “You’ve poked yourself into a matter that doesn’t concern you.”
“Let her go.” The guard, as big and brawny as the biker, stopped beside them. “It’s time for you to leave.”
Whirling to face him, the biker took a menacing step forward. “This is none of your fucking business.”
Before the guard could respond, sirens sounded, a police cruiser parking in front of the emergency entrance.
Glaring at Ali, the biker’s stormy eyes met hers. “This is your only warning. Stay away from Timmy and his mother. If not, I promise you’ll regret it.”
Chapter Twelve
Ali still shook from her encounter with the biker when she parked in her driveway. She’d gotten a brief text from Jace, asking about her ETA and if she wanted him to get dinner started. It annoyed her to think about relying on him for anything, which made no sense as she’d been the one to ask for his help.
Instead of having him cook, she’d stopped by Mrs. Caruso’s deli for spaghetti with extra meatballs, cannelloni, salad, and breadsticks. It had blown her budget, but comfort food might help her relax after the biker’s appearance.
Before she had time to gather the food from the passenger seat, Jace came out, followed by Timmy. He still had a noticeable limp, but it was now tempered by a bright smile.
“Raider knows every game, Ali. And he’s really good.”
“You’re a tough opponent, buddy.” Picking up the bags of food, he studied her expression. Something bothered her. “You must be exhausted.”
“No more than normal.” She tried to force a small amount of enthusiasm. It didn’t work. Jace continued to study her as they disappeared into the house.
“Sit down, Ali, while I get what we need.” Placing the bags on the table, he grabbed plates, utensils, and napkins. “What do you want to drink?”
“I got lemonade for Timmy. It’s in the bag. I’ll just have water, but there’s beer in the r
efrigerator.”
“Water’s good for me.”
As they dug into their food, Raider kept watching her, seeing her take tiny bites, moving the cannelloni around on the plate. Convinced something was wrong, he waited until Timmy finished and went back to gaming before setting his fork aside.
“Are you going to tell me what else happened today?”
Resting her chin in her hand, she glanced up. “Nothing else happened.”
“You’re a lousy liar, Ali. There’s more going on in your head than Timmy running away from the foster home.” Getting up, he shifted to the chair next to her. “Talk to me.”
When she opened her mouth to answer, he slid a hand behind her neck, drawing her into the kiss he’d been thinking about for days. Her lips were warm, soft, inviting, the contact firing his blood in seconds. When she didn’t push away, he wrapped his arms around her, aligning their bodies, her supple breasts pressing against the hard muscles of his chest.
Feeling her hands drift up his arms to the nape of his neck, he groaned into her mouth, tracing her full lips with his tongue. Encouraged, he delved inside, sweeping inside her mouth, tasting, savoring.
Shifting one hand to her front, he cupped the fullness of her breast, his body pulsing when she arched toward him. He couldn’t recall the last time a woman affected him as much as Ali. He wanted to lift her into his arms, carry her to the bedroom, and get to know every inch of her delicious body.
“Ew… You guys should give a kid some warning.”
Shoving apart, they sucked in air, calming their racing hearts. Raider grabbed Ali’s hand for a quick squeeze.
“Can you play with me now?”
He motioned Timmy back into the living room. “I’ll be right there.”
Glancing at Ali, he stifled a chuckle at her red cheeks, her eyes gleaming with unfulfilled passion. “Come in and join us when you’re ready.” Turning to leave, he abruptly stopped at her voice.
“We have to talk, Jace.”
Sliding his hands into his pockets, he gave her a sheepish look. “Yeah. I figured you’d want to.”
Exposed (Eternal Brethren Military Romantic Suspense Book 7) Page 8
