“Same thing as always. The asshole beat and raped her.”
“Damn. I’m sorry, man. What can I do?”
“Track him down for me. I’ll get a name in the morning, and when I do, I need you to find out everything you can about this asshole.”
“You want me to go with you?”
“Nah. I’ve got this one. Maybe you could stay with her and make sure she’s okay.”
“You know I will.”
“Where is she now?”
“Staying with me. Listen, I know after the last time?—”
“Forget about it. Just tell me what you need.”
“Tomorrow morning. Meet me at my place.”
“What about the job?”
“I’ll talk to Liam. I can’t let this go for even a minute.”
“Do you have everything you need?”
Walking over to the window, I pushed the curtain aside just enough to see the street. Everything was silent, which meant the asshole hadn’t followed her. Not that it mattered. He would be dead by tomorrow night.
“Yeah, I’ve got everything.”
“Alright. See you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow,” I answered, hanging up the phone. Taking a deep breath, my eyes flicked over to my neighbor’s house.
She had no idea who I really was.
I peeredoutside at the early morning light. Sleep didn’t come easily for me last night. As much as I tried to shut my brain off, every thought kept drifting to Alyssa and the first night I’d met her.
We were just kids then, barely able to take care of ourselves, but we were forced to survive on our own in the shitty house of the asshole that took us in. I could still see the evil in his eyes, the way they followed Alyssa on her way down the hall as she went to her bedroom she shared with two other girls.
Those first months were the hardest for me as I tried to adjust to my new living arrangements. After staying with a nice, older couple, being placed in that three-bedroom house that smelled like smoke and filth was a tough thing to deal with.
But even worse was the chill that snaked down my spine every time I laid eyes on my foster father. The woman he was married to was a waste of space on the best of days, and the things she let him get away with would make the most disgusting person vomit.
They never should have been allowed to foster a single kid, but the area we lived in was short on people willing to open their homes, and the sight of government money was too tempting for the despicable grifters.
I had barely gotten out of there with Alyssa. Running away, we made a life for ourselves until each of us decided to part and go our own way. I couldn’t say I was exactly proud of the things I had done, but I wasn’t ashamed either.
Alyssa, however…
She was another story, and if I didn’t find a way to convince her to stay with me, I was afraid she wouldn’t survive another round with whatever asshole she found next.
My eyes wandered over to my neighbor’s property. I hadn’t seen her in days, and that was probably for the best. After what happened the last time I saw her, I needed the space.
Not because I had a thing for her.
She was a complication I didn’t need right now. Alyssa had to come first. Not that I would actually consider anythinghappening with Josie anyway. She was too sweet for someone like me. Too naive. Too full of life.
I would only bring her down.
