“Yeah, sure. If he’s as young as he looks, you can see if he can be persuaded to come to the house. If he does a runner, then Ella will need to know.”
“Sounds good.” He looks at the screen one more time, then takes his towel from his bag and walks to the showers. I watch his broad tattooed shoulders and back that tapers down to a tight, high arse leave and regret, not for the first time, that we’re not attracted to each other. It would make our lives so much easier, but I have certain criteria for my lovers and muscled up isn’t one of them.
I check the times on the two images of the kid again. He’s been here around nine o’clock; it’s not late, but why is he here and not at home or with friends? Is he homeless? He must be pretty desperate to come here. Another thought comes to mind: when does he leave? I fast forward the recording until I see Dad lock up and stride through the car park to his car. The boy comes back out of the shadows, a bag with him now, and he sits down under the covered entrance and pulls a small blanket out. It looks like he goes to sleep.
My heart hurts for him. I’ll make sure that last night was the last time he sleeps outside. I grab my towel and head to the shower. The sweat has cooled my skin down now, leaving me feeling all sticky. I hear Saint call out that he’ll catch up with me later and to call if I need to.
Once I’m dry and dressed, I go back to the office and my other brother—Knox. “I’m going to wait for the kid, Knox, can you lock up as usual? I want to watch his pattern.”
“Sure, but be careful, Royal. He could be hiding a knife or something to protect himself with. If he’s a scared kid, he may lash out first and ask questions later.”
“I know the drill; I’ll be careful. I promise. See you later.” I leave and go to my car; I have one thing to do before I come back here to wait. It’s just gone nine-thirty when I return, and the gym is open for another half an hour. Tonight, the car park isn’t full of cars; I can count three others and Knox’s. Two men leave about fifteen minutes later, and the boy appears as they walk out. He must say something, but nothing happens, apart from his shoulders slumping. I want to know what he asked, but I can do that tomorrow since the guys are daily visitors.
Another member leaves, driving away into the dark night. It’s a full moon tonight, lighting up the sky, but the clear night will bring a drop in temperature. The lights inside the building go off, and Knox comes out and locks the door. He won’t pay any attention to my car tucked over in the corner.
It’s only minutes after Knox drives away that the boy appears. His routine is the same as on the recordings. I get out of my car, picking up the bag of food I brought with me. It’s only a burger and chips, but I hope it will help give me a chance to talk to him.
He’s sitting in the corner, his knees up to his chest and the blanket around him. I notice the moment he sees me, he stiffens, his eyes widening in panic.
“Hey, it’s okay.” I get closer into the entrance way and sit down in the opposite corner. “You hungry?” I hold out the brown bag with the distinct fast-food logo to him. He doesn’t take it, so I put it down next to him. “I’m Royal, my dad owns this place. It’s quite a story how I got to be here. You wanna hear it?”
“You’re not going to make me leave?” His voice is timid; he’s still looking around like I’m a trap.
“Nah, I thought you might want a bit of company. I’m here to help you if you want it. It must get cold and lonely here.” He shrugs as his hand creeps out from under the blanket and snags the bag. “There’s a milkshake in there too. I hope you like chocolate.”
“Were you homeless?” He unwraps the burger and bites into it. I hear his stomach gurgle from my corner.
“I wasn’t, but I was in a foster home that wasn’t safe for me. I would have been homeless if Kip hadn’t seen me because I wasn’t going back there. Is that what’s happened to you? You’ve not got anywhere to go?”
He nodded around a mouthful of food. “My dad kicked me out, says I’m an abomination, a dirty pervert.” His eyes flood, but he blinks them back. “I thought I’d be safe around here. I heard there were lots of men like me here.”
I’m surprised he’s told me this much; I thought I’d be coaxing every word from the kid.
“If you mean gay, then yes. That’s why I couldn’t stay at the foster home, but Kip and his husband showed me there’s nothing wrong with me. They took me in, and then later adopted me and the other three foster kids they were looking after.”
“That doesn’t sound real. That’s some dumb romance book fairy tale.”
It was my turn to shrug, “Yeah, it does, but it also happened. I was sixteen when I went to live with them. I’mtwenty-two now. I don’t know what would’ve happened to me if I hadn’t trusted him.”
He stays quiet and finishes the food. I lean my head back and ignore the fact that my bum has gone completely dead on the hard concrete. He’s got a lot to think about, to believe. As uncomfortable as I am, I’m not leaving him here.
“Would he have a space for me? Just for the night?”
“For sure, for as long as you need.” I don’t move; there’s no point rushing him.
“He can’t contact my mum and dad. They can’t know where I am. Will he call the police or social services?”
Honestly, I think that the boy needs to have Ella on his side, but it will be a deal breaker if I tell him that. It’s easier now that Robin has retired. He no longer works in Social Services, so I’m not lying about anything. He needs a nice hot shower and a safe place to sleep. Tomorrow will shed a different light on things for him. “Not if you don’t want to. It’s just a night, right?”
He nods and pulls his blanket away, shoving it back in his bag. “Okay.”
I open my passenger door for him and let him climb in, his bag tight against his chest. “Are you going to tell me your name?” I ask as we drive away from the gym and towards Dad’s house.
“It’s Memphis, a dumb name, right? Why couldn’t they call me a proper first name?”
I chuckle. “Don’t ask me, buddy. I told you my name is Royal, and my brothers are called Saint, Drake, and Knox, we’re cool with unusual.”
I pull up onto the driveway and look at the house the way I did eight years ago. “Don’t worry, Memphis. You’re going to be okay.”
