Chapter 25
LUKE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
I’ve been living in Nick’s apartment since Mom received that photo.
The second school’s over, Nick and I run home, and he gets on his computer.
I wish I knew my way around a computer like he does. I hate the fact I can’t help him. So, instead, I sit on Nick’s couch, quizzing Shelby for her GED test.
“I found her!” Nick exclaims.
Shelby and I hop up and rush over to Nick’s computer desk.
“She’s in Danville, Virginia.” Nick points at the screen.
“That’s right over the border. Let’s go! I’ll go tell Mom.” I move to run out of the room.
“Wait, Luke, it’s six o’clock. If we leave now, we won’t arrive until at least nine or ten,” Nick reminds me.
“So what?” I growl.
Shelby rests her hand on my arm. “Nick’s trying to say we should leave right after school tomorrow.”
I don’t want to wait, but what they say makes sense. My mom won’t let me miss school.
“You’re right.” I scrub my hands through my hair. “It’s so frustrating.”
Shelby wraps her arms around my waist, resting her cheek on my chest. “But let’s do this right, okay? I have my GED test in the morning while you are in school. I should be done before school’s over. We’ll meet at school, then I’ll go with you to Danville.”
Nodding, I kiss Shelby before hugging Nick, thanking him for finding her. Nick and Shelby follow me downstairs to the front door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” I step out of the door and wait for the lock to click before rushing back to my house to tell my parents the news.
I slam open the front door. “Mom! Dad!”
Mom comes out of the kitchen. “Luke, what’s wrong? Why are you screaming?”
I jog over to her, barely able to contain the good news. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s not home yet. Is Shelby all right?” She pats her chest with her hand.
“She’s fine.” I grab her by the shoulders. “Mom, we found Lea.”
She gasps. “Where?”
“Danville, Virginia,” I say.
“Oh.” Tears fill her eyes, then spill down her cheeks. “She’s so close.”
I hug her. “I’ll bring her home, I promise.”
Dad walks in through the back door and sees me holding Mom. “Oh dear, what’s happened now?”
Mom wipes the tears from her face and turns to look at Dad. “They found her, Henry. They found our Lea.”
Dad gasps and stares at me like he needs confirmation that he heard her right.
I nod. “Nick found her. She’s in Danville, Virginia. I’m leaving right after school to bring her home.”
Both crying now, Dad pulls Mom into a hug and opens his arms for me to step in.
I remember watching the clock at school, wishing it would go faster, but nothing about my classes.
When three o’clock arrives, I run out to the parking lot. Shelby waits by my car.
“Isn’t everyone coming?” I grow impatient.
“No. We thought you and Shelby going alone would be better, but if you want us to come with you, we will,” Cam says.
“No, you’re right. Everyone showing up might be too much for her.” I scratch my head as the rest of the guys exit the school and jog over to us.
Nick hands me a piece of paper. “Here is her address, so you can put it in your GPS.”
“Thanks. Ready to go, angel?” I look at Shelby.
“Yeah,” she says a quick goodbye to everyone, Dom growling at her to be safe before he glares at me.
She hops into the car, and I maneuver out of the parking lot. The farther we drive, the darker the clouds become.
I lean forward, glancing at the sky, hoping the rain will hold off. “How did your test go today? How many people were also taking it?”
“About fifteen people.” She shrugs. “It wasn’t as hard as I expected. Today, I had language arts and science. Science isn’t my thing, but I think I did enough to pass. I have two more tests tomorrow, math and social studies. Tonight, I plan on studying some more.”
“You’ll do well.” I squeeze her shoulder. “Nothing to worry about.”
“How are you?” Shelby runs her hand up and down my leg.
“What has she been doing for the last four years? Is she stealing shit for drugs, or did she turn her life around?” I ask.
“So, what are you going to do? You keep saying you’ll bring her home, but what if she doesn’t want to go?”
I scowl, not sure why she keeps asking these questions. Then, it clicks.
If Shelby hadn’t made me sit here and think, I would have barreled in and forced Lea to come home with me, even if it meant tossing her over my shoulder and carrying her back.
But Shelby doesn’t want me to take away anyone’s choice, like Roger did to all of us.
Sighing, I flick my eyes over to her. “I want her to return home with me, but I can’t force her to. She would be much better off at home, with her family.”
“Are you going to tell her about Roger?” She glances at me.
“Yeah, I have to. She needs to know he’s a threat to her. That might convince her to come home if nothing else will.”
“Luke, she won’t be safe at your house, either.”
“She will.” I grow frustrated.
She shakes her head. “You can’t be around her twenty-four-seven. Who’s going to protect her when you are at school?”
“My mom,” I state through gritted teeth.
She picks her hand up off my leg, turns, and looks out the window. “As feisty as your mom is, I don’t think she’s a match for Roger. Look what he did to us.”
I’m an ass. Shelby’s worried about my family getting hurt, and I bite her head off. She’s right, though. Mom wouldn’t be a match for him.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “You’re thinking about how to keep everyone in my family safe, angel. But I want my sister home.”
“You miss her. I understand, but I want to make sure you’re prepared for how this might go down.” She places her hand back on my leg.
Shelby keeps me occupied while driving, moving the conversation to lighter topics. After a couple of hours, we cross the Virginia border into Danville. The minute we do, the sky opens up, and the rain starts.
The GPS directs us to the edge of town, where the houses turn from middle-class family houses to rundown drug dens.
“If this is any indication of her life…” I murmur.
“Why? Because the area is bad? You can’t judge her by where she lives,” Shelby says. “Cin and I lived in a run-down, one-bedroom apartment. We paid a hooker to play our mom when we needed a guardian to rent it. Don’t judge, Mr. Silver Spoon.”
My head jerks back. “You had a hooker be your mom?”
“Yeah.” She smiles. “We found her in the next town over.”
“Huh.” I rub my chin. “I always thought Ricky rented it for you.”
“Didn’t know him at that time.”
“And you used your winnings to pay for the rent.” I remember her saying that.
“Yeah. I miss that freedom.” She glances out the window at our surroundings.
“We’re here.” I pull onto the street the GPS tells me to and into the parking lot for a wretched-looking apartment building and find a parking spot.
Even though it’s raining, two guys sit on the steps, hanging out and smoking. Only drug dealers would be out in this weather. The ten-story apartment building lacks security or emergency fire escapes, and those two block the only way in or out.
After exiting my car, we race up the steps to the apartment building to stay as dry as possible. My gun is in the back of my jeans. The guys sitting on the steps eye us as we go inside. A large X is taped over the elevator.
“I guess it doesn’t work,” I say.
“Well, I need my exercise for the day. What floor?” she asks.
I pull the piece of paper Nick gave me out of my pocket, glancing at it. “Five. Apartment five-ten.”
We jog up the steps to the fifth floor. When I open the door, spice and spoiled garbage permeate the air from the trash bags that lay outside several of the doors.
As I walk down the hall, I read the numbers on the other doors and stop outside five-ten.
My hand lifts, but I hesitate to knock. I’m afraid of what I’ll find behind the door.
Before I can bolster my courage, a high-pitched scream comes from inside, followed by a shouted, “No!”
I grab my gun, then glance at Shelby, who pulls out her knife. I kick the door in when the next scream happens.
The first room we enter is bare. A couch covered with a sheet sits against one wall. I keep my gun low and ready as I continue to move forward. Another room off to the side must be the bedroom.
Leading the way, I head toward the commotion. I stop when a figure moves in the dimness of the bedroom. A woman holds someone behind her. Another moment passes before the figure exits the doorway, moving into the light of the main living area.
Lea.
She squints at us. “Luke? What the hell?”
“Lea, are you safe?” I scan the area with my eyes and gun.
The person, a toddler boy who Lea shoved behind her back, runs out. I lower my gun, pointing the muzzle at the floor.
The kid freezes, eyes wide.
“Mommy?” He sounds unsure of what is happening.
“Luke, put that damn gun away,” she says through her teeth.
Ashamed, I put my gun back in my jeans. “We heard screaming.”
“So, you thought you needed to bust my door down to save me?” She waves at the door. “And when did you start carrying a gun?”
I rub the back of my neck. “Um, yeah. Sorry.”
Shelby snorts.
I walk over to the door, examining the damaged frame that needs a new lock.
“Hi, I’m Shelby, Luke’s girlfriend.” Shelby waves from where she stands.
“Hi, I’m Lea, Luke’s sister,” she says. “That scream you heard was Carter and me playing. Let me put some toys down for him, and we can talk.”
“His name is Carter?” Shelby ruffles his hair.
“Yes. I’ll be back.” She picks Carter up and takes him farther into the living room, sitting him on the rug.
She grabs some toys and places them in front of him. “Now, you be a good boy while mommy talks with them, okay?”
He gazes up at her with the most loving, innocent smile.
“Carter is my dad’s middle name,” I explain to Shelby.
“He’s cute,” she says, a soft smile on her face.
“I screwed up, didn’t I?” I stare at Carter.
She touches my arm, drawing my attention to her. “We thought she was in trouble.”
“Which I wasn’t.” Lea moves toward us. “Why don’t you two have a seat and tell me what you are doing here?” She gestures to the couch.
We go to sit down on the couch when I notice she plans to sit on the floor. “Take the couch, Lea. I’ll sit on the floor.”
She shakes her head, sinking to the floor. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.” She glances over at where Carter plays.
I settle on the couch next to Shelby. “You look well.”
“Thanks.” She tilts her head. “Now, why are you here, Luke?”
“That’s my fault,” Shelby says.
Taking control of the conversation, Shelby fills Lea in about Roger, not going into detail.
“I’m sorry, Lea. He somehow found you. He sent a photo of you to your parents. On the back was a warning for Luke. If Luke didn’t stay away from me, he would send you back to him in pieces.” Shelby blinks back tears, and I reach for her hand.
“He sounds like a nasty bastard. I’m glad you escaped,” Lea says.
Unable to stand it any longer, I ask, “Why didn’t you come home?”
Carter toddles over and holds up a car for her.
She smiles back down at him, taking the toy before she places it on the carpet and rolls it back over to where she set him up to play.
Carter squeals and takes off after it.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Lea offers. “Carter only drinks water, so I don’t have much, but I can make coffee.”
“Stop stalling,” I say, frustrated.
Shelby squeezes my hand, reminding me to remain calm.
“I’m not stalling,” she says. “Okay, maybe I am. I need a second.”
“I’ll take some water.” Shelby interrupts what I’m about to say, narrowing her eyes at me before tipping her head toward my sister.
I sigh. “Water, please.”
She walks into the small kitchen and releases the tension in her shoulders when she turns her back.
“Bull and I moved a lot when I first left home.” She opens the fridge. “We’d find a place, then something happened, and we’d have to move.”
She hands us our water bottles and sits back on the floor. “We didn’t have jobs with how much we were on the move, so we’d panhandle or pickpocket to make money. Sometimes, Bull broke into a house and sold what he stole. About a year after I left, Bull was caught for breaking and entering and sent to jail. I was sent to juvie.”
“Why didn’t they call Mom and Dad?” I ask, confused.
“I had a good fake ID. I was Lea Trammell, not Lea Mason, and released before my fingerprints said otherwise.” She picks at imaginary lint from the rug.
Luke knits his brows.
“Kids who go into the system are required to be fingerprinted,” I tell him. “Part is a safety precaution if the kid goes missing, and part is for cases like Lea’s.”
She gestures at Lea. “Foster kids and kids placed in the state’s care have a high chance of turning to crime. And young kids don’t carry or have IDs. So, when a kid who is in the system is picked up for a crime, they lie about who they are. Fingerprinting an arrested juvenile may be the only way of identifying them.”
Lea nods. “I was fifteen when released, but my ID said I was eighteen. So, they weren’t required to hold me until a guardian came to pick me up. They opened the doors, and out I walked. I didn’t have a home. I spent a few nights on the street, then found a place where runaway teens went. I changed my name again but kept myself at my true age this time.”
Carter comes back over, this time walking toward me and holding up his car.
“That’s his favorite one.” Lea smiles. “He’s showing it to you.”
I reach out and take the car from him. “Thank you.”
He crawls up my leg and sits on my lap.
“This is a cool car, Carter.” I spin the wheels.
“Oool,” Carter repeats.
“Carter.” Lea gets his attention. “This is your uncle, Luke. Can you say, Uncle Luke?”
“Kul Uke!” Carter cheers.
“Close, buddy. We’ll work on it.” I smile at him. “This is Shelby. Can you say, Shelby?”
He looks at Shelby. “Shel.”
“Close.” She tickles Carter, causing him to squeal and wriggle around in my lap before he settles down again. He spins the car’s wheels as I hold it in my hand.
“A younger couple ran the place. They never pressured me for any other identification documents. The place was tricked out. If you didn’t break a rule, you had freedom. I met Trey inside.”
She glances over at a picture sitting on an end table. “He was two years older than me and so kind. I fell in love with him. He made me understand my worth. I started a job as a waitress, and everything was great.”
She lets out a staggered breath. “He walked me home one night after work. We were staying in a rough neighborhood at the Runaway, and we somehow ended up in the middle of a drive-by shooting. We thought a car backfired, but Trey recognized the sound and pushed me down.” She sniffles. “He was shot in the process.”
I hand Carter over to Shelby before I crawl off the couch to sit beside my sister. I hug her tight as tears pour down her cheeks.
“He bled out in my arms. The memories of Trey hurt, so I left. The guy who owned the store where I worked had a small apartment above the store. He let me stay there. A couple of months later, I found out I was pregnant. Once I gave birth, working was hard, so staying above the store wasn’t an option. I saved up as much of my money as possible, and before I had Carter, I received government housing help.”
She rubs her hands down her legs. “I never called Mom and Dad because of my embarrassment over what happened, how I acted, and what I did. If they turned me away…”
“Sis, they wouldn’t do that.” I rub my hand up and down her back.
“Your parents are the kindest people,” Shelby adds.
I look at Shelby, and she nods.
“It’s time to come home, Lea,” I say.
Tears brim in her eyes. “You think they’ll let me come back?”
“Of course, they will. Mom and Dad have missed you every day you were gone. They never stopped worrying about you or wondering where you went. Besides, Roger’s threat toward you makes it unsafe for you to stay here.” I glance around. “Why don’t you pack a bag for you and Carter? We can always come back for the rest.”
I reach down to help Lea up.
She hugs me, then steps back. “I don’t care about the furniture, and it won’t take me long to pack the clothes, since we don’t have much. Can one of you gather Carter’s toys? They can go in the bag in the corner. Whoever is not doing that, please grab the sippy cups and bottles from the kitchen. They’re in the cabinet to the right of the sink.”
“Got it,” I say.
It takes about an hour to pack the car. Lea tells the apartment manager she’s leaving, then she calls her job.
When the last items are loaded, Lea brings Carter down.
When he sees my Mustang, his eyes go wide, and he points. “Mine!”
“Nuh-uh, buddy,” I say. “Mine.”
His little lips tremble, then he bursts into tears.
Oh shit, I made my nephew cry.
Lea consoles the bawling kid.
“Hey, hey, Carter.” I take him out of Lea’s arms. “How about we share?”
The tears stop in an instant. “Share.”
Crisis averted.
When I pass my nephew back, Lea cradles him in her arms. “I don’t have a car seat for Carter.”
Uncomfortable driving home without having him in a proper car seat, I ask, “Are there any stores nearby where we can buy one?”
She thinks for a moment. “Yes.”
She and Carter climb in the back of the Mustang, sitting him in the middle seat. I almost laugh when she puts the middle seatbelt on under Carter’s butt before she grabs the right rear passenger belt, pulls it across Carter’s chest, and clips it into the left rear passenger buckler, repeating the process with the belt from the other side. Smart.
I pull the car out of its spot, and Carter waves bye to the apartment building.
We stop at the store, and I go crazy with some toys. I buy a car seat and a crib. I call Mom and tell her to expect us in about two hours, and Lea has a surprise for her.
Two hours later, we pull into the neighborhood. From the rearview mirror, I can see Lea looking around.
“It hasn’t changed much,” she says. “Where do you live, Shelby?”
“With Nick Tate,” Shelby says.
Her head tilts to the side in question.
“Her mom married Peter,” I explain.
“I bet Hannah loved that,” Lea snarks.
Shelby chuckles. “Not even a little.”
“Is she still lusting over you, Luke?” Lea teases.
I explain what happened and where she is now.
“A farm… Hannah Tate. On a freaking farm. In Iowa.” She busts out laughing.
“Yeah, Shelby has a picture of her milking a cow.” I laugh with her.
She’s still cracking up when we pull into our driveway, but quiets once the car comes to a stop. She takes a deep breath before she releases it.
She wakes Carter up, who stares around groggily. “Home, Mommy?”
“Yes, baby, this is mommy’s home. You’re going to meet your grandma and grandpa.” Lea unhooks him from his car seat before lifting him out.
I slide out and grab the bulk of their bags. Shelby takes the remaining so Lea can carry Carter.
We walk up the path to the front door, Lea trailing behind with Carter in her arms.
When I open the door, Mom and Dad are waiting in the living room.
“Shelby, it’s so good to see you,” Dad says. “Thank you for going with Luke.”
“It was my pleasure.” Shelby smiles.
“Where is she?” Mom looks behind us.
I turn around, to find Lea still outside.
“She’s a bit nervous, Mom. I’ll bring her inside.” I walk back out the door, where I find Lea hovering on the front step.
She holds Carter tight. “I’m scared.”
“There is nothing to be scared about. Come on, give me Carter. I’ll wait out here with him while you go in.”
She hands me Carter, and I say go. Carter repeats the word back to her, and she enters.
Shelby steps out the door after Lea enters and stands with me while I hold my nephew, letting my sister spend time with Mom and Dad.
After several minutes pass, I look down at Carter. “You ready to meet Grandma and Pap Pap?”
He nods, almost as nervous as his mother.
I step into the house. Mom and Dad have Lea sandwiched between them, crying.
“Mommy, no cry,” Carter says.
Mom and Dad’s heads pop up. Mom gasps. Lea stands up and heads over, taking Carter from me. Lea walks back to where Mom and Dad sit, frozen on the couch.
“Mom, Dad, this is Carter.” Lea turns Carter to face them. “Baby, this is your grandma and grandpa.”
Mom recovers first, standing up and wiping the tears from her cheeks as she approaches Lea and Carter.
“Hello, Carter. I’m your grandma.” She holds her hands out. “Can I hold you?”
He looks at his mom, who nods, and he leans forward, arms out. “Ndma.”
Dad stands beside Mom, gazing down at their grandson. “He looks like you, Lea.”
Carter lays his head on Mom’s shoulders and starts sucking his thumb. “He’s tired,” Mom says. “It’s been an eventful day.” She rocks him from side to side. “You ready to see your new room, little man?”
He nods his tired head.
“I’ll grab the rest of the stuff we bought so you can set it up.” The tension releasing from my chest as my family settles back in together.
“I’ll help you bring in their stuff, then I’m heading home,” Shelby states.
I turn to Shelby, who stands by the front door, giving us space for this moment.
“It’s nice to meet you, Shelby,” Lea says.
“You, too, Lea. I’ll see you around.” Shelby waves before she steps out onto the porch.
Mom and Lea take Carter upstairs. Shelby and Dad help bring in the items I bought.
“Don’t leave. I’ll walk you home, but I want to take this up first.” I hesitate at the base of the stairs. I’ll drop the bags here and follow her if she tries to leave.
My family is safe here. But she isn’t, and she means the world to me.
She sighs and leans against the wall.
I run the crib that will convert into a bed when Carter is big enough up to Lea’s room, where she and Mom sit on the bed, talking, then run back down.
Dad follows me to where Shelby waits, hugging her and saying good night. I open the door for her to go through, then take her hand.
“Nick wants to talk to you,” Shelby says as we walk across the street. “I told him we’re on our way over.”
“Okay. Thank you so much for coming with me today. It means a lot to me.” I squeeze her hand.
She stops on the edge of her lawn and turns toward me. “You mean a lot to me. I’m so glad everything turned out fine. I’m worried that everyone you and I care about is under one roof. It’ll be easier to take them.”
I pull her into my arms. “We’ll find him, angel. I’ll talk to Dad about installing an alarm system and ask Frank to install one with cameras.”
Nick runs out of the house as we finish walking up the lawn. “Hey, how did it go?”
“Good.” I smile. “She’s home with my nephew.”
“She had a kid?” Nick’s mouth pops open.
“Yeah.” I show him some pictures of my nephew. “His name is Carter. He’s two and a half.”
He smiles at me. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
We walk into the house and talk to Nick, then he heads to his apartment.
“Are you planning on taking your second-day GED test tomorrow?” I ask Shelby.
“Yes. It starts at ten.” She smothers a yawn.
“Well, get some sleep, and don’t worry about the test.” I kiss her. “Thank you for today.”
“You’re welcome.” She locks the door after I leave to return home.