Chapter Four
Juniper
I’d heard of the Hades Abyss before, but I’d never met any of them. To think one of them had saved me… I eyed the man who’d set the bowl of soup in front of me. He had kind eyes. It was something I’d learned to look for since living on the streets. Even when people smiled and offered help, their eyes often told a different story. But this one… he’d helped me because he genuinely wanted to. I could tell.
“Breaker is an unusual name,” I said.
He grinned at me over his cup of coffee. “It’s my road name. My real name is Teller, but no one calls me that anymore.”
Teller . I liked it. Too bad he didn’t want to use it.
“How did you find me?” I asked. I remembered being rather far down an alley. It didn’t seem like the type of place a normal person would decide to take a stroll, especially when it was snowing.
“I’m not entirely sure.” He frowned as he gazed at his cup. “I felt like I needed to go down the alley, almost like something was guiding me.”
“Are you trying to tell me God or a guardian angel led you to me?” I asked. I’d stopped believing in such things a long time ago.
“Not sure what to label it. I’ve been thinking more along the lines of fate. Maybe we were destined to meet.”
It made for a pretty story, but… it wasn’t likely. Then again, if he’d been compelled to find me, without having any other reason for going there, then maybe he was right and I was wrong.
I slowly ate the soup and tried to process everything. I’d fallen asleep, nearly frozen, in an alley and woke up in a soft bed in a warm home. My body still ached a bit, and my head hurt. But I was no longer coughing like I had been. Not as much anyway.
“So I’ve been here for a day?” I asked. He hesitated, and I knew instantly it had been longer. “Exactly how long have I been here?”
“This is the fourth day. Dread, he’s the club doctor, he’s been by every day twice a day to make sure you’re able to take some medication. If we hadn’t been able to get you to take it, he said something about running an IV.”
Wow. I must have been really sick. Then again, I’d thought I might die out there, so yeah… made sense. What didn’t was how comfortable I felt with this man. I’d never met him before. Strangers had always made me feel uneasy. Until this one.
“Something on your mind?” he asked.
“A lot, and nothing at the same time.”
He took a swallow of coffee and didn’t say anything. Not that I’d really given him anything to respond to. I had so many questions, but my thoughts were complete chaos. I ran my hands over the leggings I had on. They were soft, and nicer than anything I’d had in years. He’d been so thoughtful.
“Thank you for the clothes, and for saving my life,” I said.
“It was the right thing to do.” He took another swallow of coffee. “Anyone who walked past and left you there was an asshole. I just don’t know how I haven’t seen you in town before now.”
I snorted. “I doubt you hung out around alleys and dumpsters. It’s not like I was permitted in stores or restaurants. They don’t like homeless people.”
“You have a home now,” he said softly.
My gaze met his. “What?”
“This one. You can stay as long as you’d like.”
There had to be a catch. No one was ever this nice. And I’d learned the hard way, nothing was ever free. But no matter how skeptical I wanted to be, this man made it difficult.
“I know it’s a lot to think about,” he said. “And I get it if you don’t trust me. You have no justification to. We’re strangers. Knowing what I do about your uncle, you have plenty of reasons to fear men.”
I tensed. “What you know about him?”
He rubbed a finger over his eyebrow. “Um, yeah. Your uncle, Robert Murray, is due to get out on parole soon. We looked into his crimes, or at least the ones people know about. Men like him usually have done far worse things.”
I swallowed hard. He was right. My uncle might have gone to prison for child pornography, and a few other things, but if they’d been able to find the bodies, he’d have never been set free. I’d never told a soul what happened. If I had, my uncle would have made sure I died. As it was, he probably thought I’d been the one to turn him in. If he was really getting out of prison, then he’d come for me.
I knew my uncle well enough to be certain he’d find a way to reach me. The only reason I’d stayed out of his grasp when I ran away was thanks to constantly being on the move, and the fact he went to prison. If he’d remained free all this time, my luck would have run out sooner or later. There was so much I didn’t know about him, but people who hadn’t known what he was really like, had all thought highly of him. Even after he’d been in prison, there would probably still be people who thought he was falsely accused and would stay beside him.
“Am I really safe here?” I asked.
“There’s an entire club to keep your uncle away from you. Don’t you think those odds are better than being out on the streets alone?” He shrugged. “I’m not saying it’s completely impossible for him to reach you. Just a lot less likely.”
“Fine. I’ll accept your help, but I still want to know what it will cost.”
“Nothing.” He frowned into his coffee. “At least, I don’t think it will.”
“That sounds a bit ominous.”
“I don’t expect anything in return. But I’m not the boss around here. My club president may not like harboring someone who could bring trouble to the club.” He sighed. “Actually, I know he doesn’t. He’s worried your uncle could harm the kids who live here, and I understand his concerns.”
Right. I got it. Really. After seeing what my uncle was capable of, I wouldn’t want him near any children in the area either. I knew there were other men like my uncle out in the world. Probably far too many. Thinking people like them would never harm innocents probably wasn’t realistic.
“If you think anyone here will be hurt because I’m staying with you, then please tell me. I’d rather leave than put anyone in danger.” I’d die on the street before I let my monstrous uncle get his hands on any more innocent children.
“It won’t come to that.” He reached over and lightly placed his hand on mine before drawing it back. “You have my word. I’ll do whatever it takes to help you.”
I wasn’t sure why I believed him, but I did. There might come a time when I’d regret this decision. Until then, I’d try to put my faith in someone again. It had been a long time since I’d been able to do that. This man hadn’t tried to hurt me, hadn’t asked for anything weird, and seemed to be genuinely nice. A rare breed.
“What if I decide I want to leave?” I asked.
“No one will stop you. In fact, if you feel up for it, we can head over to the main gate. Then you’ll know how to get there, and I can introduce you to one of the men who stands guard.” He took another swallow of his coffee. “You’re not a prisoner here. I didn’t bring you to my house for nefarious purposes. We don’t exactly have a hotel here for guests, so it was this place, or leave you outside the compound.”
“I’ll accept that offer.” Maybe seeing my escape route, and him proving I could walk out any time I wanted, would make me feel even more at ease. There was still this voice in my mind saying no one did good things for free. And yet, I wanted to believe there were still decent people out there, and that Breaker could be one of them.
If things turned out bad, I’d just leave. Wouldn’t be the first time. At least I wouldn’t be running from my family.
* * *
Breaker
She was taking this much better than I’d expected. It wouldn’t have surprised me at all if she’d freaked out, screamed at me, cried, and begged to leave immediately. Instead, she was proving to be even stronger than I’d given her credit for, and I’d known she had to have a spine of steel. No one could survive on the streets as long as she had without courage, and a lot of luck.
Of course, it was always possible she was freaking out, but not showing it. If she allowed me to see she was vulnerable, it might make her feel like she was at a disadvantage. Which is why I’d offered to prove to her she could leave anytime she wanted. I needed her to feel like this place was her home and not a prison. Something told me she hadn’t experienced something like that since she’d lost her parents.
So far, no price had been required for her staying here. Now that she was awake, things could change, and fast. I didn’t want to think of what Fox might demand of us. I’d already decided I’d do whatever it took for Juniper to have a safe and happy life. But would she agree to the extremes we might have to go through just to appease my club president? Most women wouldn’t. Unless they were aiming for a property patch, and she didn’t seem the sort, but club whores were the only ones I knew who thought that way.
“Come on. I’ll show you how to get to the front gate,” I said, standing and carrying my cup to the sink. I rinsed it, then left it to be cleaned later.
Juniper followed me to the door, and I handed her a coat I’d bought for her and pointed out a pair of waterproof winter boots on the rack. “Those are yours too.”
She eyed the coat and boots. “You really did think of everything, didn’t you?”
“I tried. I’m sure I missed some stuff.” Once she was ready, I opened the door and ushered her outside. “We could take my bike, but something tells me you’d prefer to walk.”
She nodded, then shoved her hands into her pockets. The movement made me realize I did forget something. Gloves. I’d have to get someone to grab a pair for her when we got back. Starting off down the street, I led the way to the entry of the compound. I didn’t live too terribly far, but walking in the cold made it seem like a mile or more. When we approached the gate, I waved to Leo. He was one of our newest Prospects but seemed to have a good head on his shoulders.
“Juniper, this is Leo. He’s one of the club Prospects, which means he wants to be a patched member like me. He’s only been with us about a month.”
She gave him a slight smile. I was sure everyone around here knew about Juniper by now. News traveled fast in this place.
“Nice to meet you,” he said.
“Leo, can you make sure anyone guarding the gate knows Juniper can leave anytime she wants?” I asked. “I think she’s concerned she’s a prisoner and not a guest.”
Leo’s eyes widened slightly. “Oh, Breaker would never do something like that. Ask anyone around here. He’s risked his life quite a few times to save women and kids. Just like he said, if you come here and want out, we’ll open the gates for you. But it might be safer to take a bodyguard with you when you leave.”
I arched an eyebrow at him, and his cheeks flushed. “Want to tell her why?”
“Um, I heard Fox and Spider talking. They mentioned her uncle was getting out of prison and might come looking for her.” He pressed his lips together and glanced from me to her. “You really don’t have anything to worry about with Breaker. He’s one of the best men I know.”
“Thanks for telling me,” she said.
“Want to go back home?” I asked. “Or do you want to walk some more?”
She shook her head. “I’m ready to rest, I think.”
Leo cleared his throat. “Shift changes in about ten minutes. Derek is taking my spot. If you want, I can run to that little café in town and grab some of their raspberry hot chocolate and warm croissants.”
“You don’t have to go to all that trouble,” she said.
“He wouldn’t have offered if he didn’t want to do it,” I said. “Besides, he can pick up a pair of gloves for you while he’s out. I didn’t remember to get you any, or a hat and scarf. This cold front we’ve had the last few weeks isn’t letting up anytime soon.”
Before she had a chance to say anything else, I pulled out my wallet and shoved sixty dollars into Leo’s hand. I knew if there was change, he’d bring it back to me. And if there wasn’t, he was the sort to pay the difference without saying a word.
Juniper sighed and started back the way we’d come. I fell into step beside her, and we made our way back to the house in silence.