Tough Love

by David Horne

  Mark didn’t broadcast his sexuality, and he wasn’t interested in having it brandished around the office. Tracey looked him up and down with further sneering. Now she was starting to turn into the person Mark remembered in the courtroom. She looked rather scary.

  “We’ll get you, Washington.” She hissed, almost spitting in his face as she passed him. “You and McGuire ruined us. We’ll get you for this.”

  “You have five seconds to get out of my sight before I report you for threatening behavior. I’m sure that’s not going to look good on your own record.”

  Tracey’s eyes narrowed. Then she stalked out of the room, purposely bumping into Mark’s shoulder. She went across the office with her nose in the air, a few of the male workers watching her go with slight bemusement. Mark leaned on the doorframe and took a deep breath. So much for having a good day today.

  ***

  Jack was finishing a late breakfast when there was a knock at the front door. Putting his breakfast things on the counter, he crossed the apartment and opened the door. Stevie was on the porch, giving him a bright smile.

  “Hey, Jack.”

  “Hey, Stevie.”

  Jack looked towards the street and saw Amber Washington’s car waiting on the curb. He gave the older woman a smile and a wave, getting a wave in return before Amber pulled away. Jack beckoned Stevie inside.

  “You ready to get going on the back yard? We’ve got a lot to do today.”

  “I think so.” Stevie frowned. “I’m not sure I like gardening.”

  “I don’t know why. You’re good at it. Why don’t you start on the lavender bush? It’s taking over back there.”

  Stevie grunted. Then he headed through the apartment. It was less an apartment and more of a one-floor house, but it was tiny having been part of a much larger space that had been split into three apartments. Jack took the smallest one as it was just him and he was a simple guy with simple means. The complex he lived in was quiet and his neighbors were decent people, so he didn’t have much to complain about.

  Having said that, he often ended up being the one who did the gardening in their communal garden out back. The couples in the other two apartments used the gardens, but they had no idea how to maintain it beyond mowing the lawn. And the bushes did get overgrown. One couple were constantly travelling for work and the others had small children, so they were consistently busy. It came down to Jack.

  There were times when he didn’t mind, but Jack would prefer someone else did the gardening. Or when he had help. It wasn’t too much to ask. So, when Mark said Stevie had a week where he would most likely be with his foster grandmother, Jack had suggested Stevie come to help him out. It wasn’t fair for Amber to look after Stevie or for Mark to lose time out of work. They doted on the teen, but there was only so much they could do without support. And it was just them.

  Jack had enough vacation time saved up to stay home and give him something to do. Once Stevie got himself focused, he was a good worker. He just needed to channel himself properly once he had some responsibility. And Stevie was better at gardening than he said he was.

  As Stevie went out the back and into the garden, Jack started putting his breakfast things away. Once he was done, he would check his emails and then go out to help Stevie. It was a warm day despite being nearer to winter than Jack would have liked, so he was going to make the most of it.

  Hopefully, Mark would be impressed with what he saw when he came over. Jack wanted to show him what his foster son was good at. Mark was already proud of Stevie, and this would certainly have him smiling. Jack wanted to see that smile of Mark’s light up his face. Preferably in his direction, but he would take what he could get.

  Being around Mark every day this week and unable to say or do what he really wanted to do made Jack uncomfortable. He knew there were two kids around them all the time, and Jack knew he was not a quiet person. Talk about a mood killer. He adored Stevie and Christy, but they weren’t exactly helping him right now.

  Maybe he should suggest to Mark that he came over when the kids were at their foster grandmother’s or had a babysitter. They would then be able to do something that involved a lot of noise. From the way Mark looked at him, Jack knew he would be more than up for it.

  Having a handsome guy so close, but unable to touch him as he wanted, was more tense than he expected.

  Jack was heading towards his office when he heard Stevie calling him. He didn’t sound happy. Changing direction, Jack stepped out onto the back patio. Stevie was standing in the middle of the lawn being faced down by Denise Banfield. Stevie was starting to hit a growth spurt, but he was nothing compared to Denise’s tall stature. And she was towering over him, waving a finger in his face as she said something in a hushed snarl.

  How the hell had she managed to get in? The only other way into the back yard was around the side, and the gate was always locked. She had to have vaulted it to get inside. And now she was berating a child?

  Jack bit back a growl.

  “Mrs. Banfield!”

  Denise spun around, almost falling over. She was wearing suede boots with thick heels along with black leggings and a light gray sweater dress. She did look good, but the anger in her eyes had Jack pulling up. She did not look right, and that had Jack wishing he had his gun.

  “Mr. McGuire!” Denise huffed and stalked over to him. “I was beginning to think you weren’t here.”

  “How did you get in here? The gate was locked.”

  “It was unlocked, actually.”

  Jack didn’t believe that for a minute. He glanced over his shoulder at Stevie, who was shaking. If he were thirteen and confronted by a very tall and angry woman, he would be scared as well.

  “Stevie, would you go inside? I’ll just be a moment.”

  Stevie nodded and scurried indoors, giving Denise a wide berth. Denise watched him go with a sneer.

  “Do you normally have kids do your work?” she scoffed.

  “Stevie’s the kid of a friend. He needs something to do.”

  “Why isn’t he in school?”

  Jack folded his arms and gave the woman a sharp glare. She had invaded his home and berated a child. That was not okay.

  “What are you doing here, Mrs. Banfield?”

  “I went to your office and that redheaded bitch said you’re not there.”

  “I’m out of the office until Monday, and you shouldn’t be here. How did you get my address?”

  “Your secretary gave it to me.”

  Jack highly doubted that.

  “Josie is my fellow PO, not my secretary, and she wouldn’t have told you my address.”

  Denise shrugged.

  “I’m resourceful. I needed to talk to you.”

  “If this is about your son…”

  “Why else would I be here?” Denise’s defiance melted a little and she started to turn on the waterworks. Jack was startled at how quickly she changed. “He didn’t mean anything by it, Mr. McGuire. If you want to blame anyone for this, blame me. I got things wrong, and I regret it. Lucas is a good boy.”

  “You call what he did acceptable, then?”

  “They were lying. They just freaked out when their parents found out.”

  Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing. She was actually putting the blame on the children? People who blamed the kids in that situation always made him sick to the stomach.

  “Mrs. Banfield, are you seriously going to lay the blame for your son’s crimes on innocent children? Think very carefully before you answer because you won’t like my response.”

  Denise blinked and she faltered. Good, at least she knew when to back down a little. Jack could see where Lucas and Tracey got their mentality from. Denise thought she could get whatever she wanted and not take responsibility for her actions. He wondered if anyone actually stood up to her and called her out.

  Not without repercussions on their end, certainly.

  Denise’s faltering didn’t last long. She planted her hands on
her hips and pouted.

  “Lucas didn’t do anything. This was all working against him to screw up his life.”

  “Oh, so people are now out to get him for some perceived slight, are they?”

  “It has to be. Lucas has never committed a crime in his life. He didn’t know what prison was before he was thrown in that hellhole.”

  Jack didn’t bite on that. He had seen Lucas’ record as a juvenile and it wasn’t good. He was a sex offender in the making, certainly. Jack wouldn’t be surprised if Denise had been egging him on the whole time. Just thinking about it made him feel sick.

  He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It was either that or put his hands around the woman’s neck.

  “Your son committed a crime. He’s not the angel you claimed him to be. He went to jail, which is where he needed to be. If he wanted to be free for good, there was a set list of conditions he had to follow. If Lucas can’t do that, he’s not going to get freedom. Lucas needs to understand that. As do you, seeing as you think he should get away with it all because he loves you.”

  Denise’s nostrils flared. She clearly didn’t like being called out. She and Lucas really were related. Jack wondered for how many years had Denise been fighting Lucas’ battles when he could do it himself. It was no wonder he was still doing as his mommy said.

  Then she changed. Denise took a deep breath and fixed a smile. Stepping towards Jack, she rested a hand on his chest.

  “Isn’t there anything you can do to help him?” She gave him a coquettish look. “I’m sure there is something we could do to sort this out.”

  She was actually...Jack stepped back abruptly, backing up until he hit the back door. Dear God, she had come here to try and get him to think with the wrong head. She was that brazen about it.

  How the fuck did she think that was okay?

  “Get out of here now. Before I arrest you. And if you break anything on the way out, you’ll be arrested for vandalism.”

  It took a moment for Denise to realize that she had been rejected. She looked rather bewildered, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. Then her eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth.

  “Bastard.”

  “Out.”

  Jack had no idea how she got in, but he wasn’t about to let her through the house. Denise huffed, and stomped her foot. Then she turned and headed around the side of the house. Jack heard the gate open and close with a loud bang. He was sure he heard the sound of breaking wood, which had him groaning. The landlord wasn’t going to be impressed with that.

  “Jack?”

  Jack turned. Stevie was in the doorway, giving him a quizzical look.

  “How long have you been there?”

  “Long enough.” Stevie peered up at him. “Is that the mother of the guy you sent back to jail?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are all the family crazy?”

  Jack grunted.

  “Pretty much.”

  Chapter Four

  Mark put his laptop into its bag and zipped it up. Then he got to his feet, rolling his shoulders in relief. He had been hunched over for too long. A long, hot bath sounded like a good thing right now.

  “Right, I’m off.” Slinging his laptop strap over his shoulder, Mark waved at his coworkers in cubicles across the aisle from him. “Goodnight.”

  “Night, Mark.”

  Mark gave the two men and one woman a sympathetic look as he walked away. Not too long ago, that was him staying for overtime, nothing to go home to. Now he had kids, and he was looking forward to seeing them. They did make him feel better walking through the door, especially when Christy was still at the age where she ran to the door to hug him.

  People had called him mad for taking on two children he didn’t know, but they supported his decision. Mark felt it was his duty to make sure these kids got a better upbringing than what they had been given, and he liked to think he was doing a good job. And it felt good looking at Stevie and Christy and seeing what he had done.

  All children deserve a good childhood, and Mark would do that for all the kids he came across. But there was only so much he could do. Sometimes, there were instances where he couldn’t do anything at all, and he had to watch helplessly as the children went back to an abusive situation even though he argued that it wasn’t a good idea. Those phone calls telling him that a child had been killed not long after going back were the ones that came close to breaking him.

  It made Mark more determined to make sure he kept children in a safer environment. Which made people like Tracey Banfield calling to falsely accuse someone slide down the ladder, in his opinion. To accuse another parent of neglect or abuse to get back at them was petty and dangerous. Mark hated those calls, but he had to investigate it all. Joe Swarbrick understood, although he had been fed up with it. Just one look at his house and his kids and Mark knew he was on a false call. One look at Tracey and that said everything.

  She might have been a good person at one point. Hell, she might have been fantastic. But Mark didn’t see that when he looked at her. He saw a woman who was caught up in drugs, and she was sliding further into a spiral that would make things worse than they already are.

  He wouldn’t be surprised if Lucas Banfield had been the one to supply Tracey the drugs. When he went to jail and Tracey moved away, she had cleaned up and turned into a stable person. But as soon as she came back, she slipped back. A slip-up on Joe’s part, but Joe hadn’t realized the extent of Tracey’s addiction. He didn’t even know it was there, so to have her acting out and cheating on him was out of character.

  If she started doing it after years of bliss, then there was a good chance it had been happening before they met. It wasn’t easy for a leopard to change their spots, not without a lot of pain. And Tracey didn’t seem the type of person who would change so readily, if her outbursts in court were anything to go by.

  Mark was glad his family had been normal. Nothing that made his life feel like a soap opera or massive drama. It was warm, loving and Mark was glad to have had it. He didn’t think he would be strong enough to go through the things some of the kids he kept an eye on suffered with.

  He needed to stop thinking about work. He was about to go home and see his family. Leave work in the office. Mark had promised that when he brought Stevie and Christy into the house for the first time; work would be left at the office. For the most part, he did that. They deserved his full attention. And they didn’t deserve to hear about the fuckups Mark had to deal with on a daily basis.

  Fishing out his keys, Mark headed into the parking garage. Soon, he would be home and they would be ordering takeout. Perhaps Jack would be joining them; he had done so for the rest of the week. Mark smiled. He liked having Jack around. Once the kids were in their rooms, the two of them would be up talking for hours. Mark was reluctant to see Jack go, but he had to get him to leave; if he didn’t, the two of them would end up in bed, and Mark wasn’t the quiet type.

  God, to get that huge hunk of a man into bed…

  Mark pushed that aside. Not that right now. He was not going to drive home with a hard-on. Focus on something else. Something mundane.

  Easier said than done.

  Mark’s car was parked in the middle of the level, right under a light. Mark was halfway there when he heard a loud bang from across the garage. He jumped, spinning round at the sound. Mark scanned the garage, but saw nothing. The place was still full of cars, but there was nobody around.

  “Is someone there?” Mark squinted into the darkness on the next level. That light was always flickering out. “If this is you, Jarvis, it’s not funny.”

  That bastard from the office above liked to prank everyone else. He was a pain in the backside. Mark wondered how he got any work done at all when all he did was prank the guys and flirt with the women. Jack had told of a time when Jarvis attempted to flirt with Josie and actually put his hand on her backside while talking to her. Josie had promptly punched him in the groin, and Jarvis had been sent back to his o
wn building walking like a constipated penguin.

  Some people just didn’t learn.

  There was no noise after that. Mark waited and listened, but there was nothing. It was probably another one of the bulbs blowing. That had been happening, and they hadn’t been replaced. It was getting harder to find a well-lit level to park his car on.

  Mark turned to walk back to his car. Only to have something explode in the back of his head. Pain shot through his skull and the whole world tilted so fast Mark couldn’t right himself. He crashed into the ground, squashing his hand underneath him. Pain shot up his arm, and again in his head when it bounced off the concrete. Another explosion of pain shot through his back as something hit him. Mark felt like the air had been sucked out of him. He lay there gasping, wanting to curl into a ball from the pain but wasn’t sure what to protect first.

  He was vaguely aware of someone shouting, and then there was the clattering of something metal and running footsteps. Mark tried to curl up, but his body hurt too much to move. He felt sick, his head felt like it had been split open, and he was struggling to breathe.

  Footsteps came running at him, and someone was kneeling at his side. Small, warm hands touched his face, and Mark was aware of a female voice close by.

  “Mark? Mark, look at me.”

  Mark managed to turn his head, and his vision cleared for a moment to see Josie leaning over him. Thank God for that. He tried to speak, but no sound came out. Then the pain in his head got too much and he closed his eyes.

  ***

  Jack was furious. Someone had attacked Mark in the parking garage and he had passed out. Now he wanted to come home instead of going to the hospital. Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing when Josie called him. Mark needed to be seen by a doctor, he shouldn’t be coming home and scaring the kids. It was like the knock to his head had made things worse and made him lose his common sense.

  Stevie and Christy didn’t deserve to see this. Mark had to know that.

  But Mark was still insistent on going home, so Josie had agreed to drive him back. And then Jack would stay to keep an eye on him. No arguments on that. Mark might protest, but Jack wasn’t budging. If the idiot was going to risk his health, he needed someone to watch over him. And Jack wasn’t going to leave that to anyone else.