Prisoners of the Past (CC, A/U, Adult) Part 20 - 4/2/12
Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:18 am
Alien_Friend: Waiting is the best option for them right now.
DJ knew that he couldn’t handle what happened on his own. He’s a pretty straightforward kind of guy so he faced his problem head-on. The guys are definitely laying the framework for a good friendship. Liz has to be willing to face her problem. Forcing it won’t help her. The only way for her to heal is if she is willing to take that step of her own free will.
LOL, I don’t think anyone’s placed James Valenti Sr. as Kyle’s grandpa.
Had Kyle had a little more information those pieces would’ve fallen into place. But don’t worry, it won’t be long before he has that one piece of the puzzle that he didn’t have upon meeting Max.
We will eventually learn more about Michael’s past.
We’ll get Ava’s reaction in this part.
Liz is making progress and having Max and DJ there for backup will be good for her.
mary mary: Thanks!
Yep, these guys all fall into the category of “good guys”.
Michelle in LA: We’ll continue to see that warming trend.
Liz was definitely being unfair about her treatment of Max. Hopefully now that he’s nudging her in the right direction and she realizes she isn’t the only one who has things in the past to deal with it’ll give her the necessary push to want to get help for herself.
It would be interesting to see Jeff’s reaction to some of their interchanges. The truth will eventually come out to her family and friends.
DJ is a lot of fun to write. He’s smart enough to know he couldn’t handle that situation on his own and he sought help.
Finally we see some progress with Liz.
That is exactly why Kyle was switching things around in his bags. He doesn’t want to be conspicuous with what he’s carrying in his bags.
You have good reason to be nervous about Ava.
Natalie36: They will get there.
begonia9508: Thanks!
Ah, we will make that connection…
Liz will get to a place where she sees that it’s a good thing.
Max hasn’t given up on that idea… just tabled it for a bit.
keepsmiling7: It may take a bit of time to get to that point.
Time is an important part of rebuilding trust and acceptance. For these characters time is a valuable tool.
MP: Thanks for reading!
dreamon: Glad you’re enjoying and thanks!!
Part 20
The house was quiet when Ava woke up, but there was the underlying buzz of activity. She listened for a few minutes and couldn’t stop the slight smile when she caught the scent of pancakes. Her cop was back. She had no idea when she had started thinking of him as her cop but her mind refused to let it go. Even though he had said he would do his best to come back she hadn’t been expecting it. She had learned long ago that expectations tended to lead to disappointment.
“He came back,” she whispered as she rubbed her belly. The baby kicked in response and she smiled, imagining her baby girl was as happy about it as she was.
She sat up and eased her legs over the side of the bed so she could get up and begin the extensive process of getting ready for another day. She paid little attention to the footsteps in the hallway while she was in the bathroom. When she came back out a while later she made her way to her room and went inside, pausing when she saw the gift-wrapped boxes that had been placed on the bed. She slowly crossed the room and reached out to run her forefinger over the pretty pink ribbon tied around one of the boxes. The paper was printed with tiny teddy bears in pastel colors and her eyes watered as she traced over them.
She bit her bottom lip as she turned her attention to the other boxes, studying the print that was designed more for a woman rather than an infant. She smiled and gave the bow a tug, releasing it and then holding her breath without realizing it as she lifted the lid on the box. She brushed the light pink tissue paper aside and the tears spilled over as she ran her hand over the soft material of the tiny one-piece. She lifted it up and as the tissue below it was disturbed she realized there was a second outfit below. She picked it up, softly touching the tiny ribbons and running her fingers over the rose designs that dotted the fabric.
Why would he go to the trouble of not only going to a baby store, but taking the time to pick out clothing for a baby that wasn’t even his? She held the clothes to her chest and rocked herself as her heart squeezed with emotion. Seth hadn’t been cruel but he hadn’t had any interest in the baby and she had known better than to expect him to. He had cared enough to try to help her escape and she would always be grateful to him for that.
“And for you,” she whispered as she rubbed her belly.
She carefully placed the clothes back in their box and pressed the tissue over them before putting the lid back on. She slid the other boxes closer and undid the ribbons so she could open them up and look inside. Her eyes widened when she saw the maternity jeans and the cream-colored short sleeve tunic with a colorful sash. The other box held a deep red maternity sundress with short sleeves and a beautiful floral print. She didn’t know what kind of material it was but it was soft and it was long and she just knew it would sway when she walked.
Ava smiled and got up, walking over to the mirror and holding the dress up in front of her. She stared at her reflection for a moment before she decided to go ahead and put the dress on. She felt a little self-conscious when she stepped out of her room and started to make her way to the kitchen. She paused at the doorway, peering around to watch her cop as he grabbed the handle of the frying pan to flip the pancakes without the aid of a spatula.
“Hey,” she said quietly. The feeling of self-consciousness fled the moment he turned around and she saw the smile on his face.
“Wow, look at you.” He set the pan on a cold burner and motioned for her to come closer. “I thought the dress was pretty on the hanger but…” he shook his head and whistled under his breath. “You make it look really good.”
“Thanks.” She ducked her head. “No one’s ever bought me a dress before.”
“Terrible oversight on somebody’s part.” He nodded at the stove. “You hungry?”
She nodded. “Yeah, actually I am.” She followed him over to the stove, detouring and taking a seat at the table. “Thanks for the clothes. The baby clothes are really sweet.”
He grinned and flipped the pancakes onto a plate and slid it on the table in front of her. “I’m glad you liked them.” He tapped her nose with his forefinger. “You’re especially pretty when you smile, Ava.”
And that brought the smile out again. “I think Max would like you,” she said as she took a sip of the orange juice he placed next to her plate.
“Who?”
My best friend, Max. He would…”
Her words faded into the background as he suddenly connected the dots. How many recent parolees named Max could be running around the city? “Max,” he mused aloud. “What’s his last name?”
“Evans.” She shrugged. “At least we think that’s his last name. His mother kinda screwed around with his name so he’s not positive that’s right but that’s the one that stuck.”
Kyle checked on the agents, locating one doing a perimeter check and the other watching TV in the living room. He held a finger to his lips as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through several folders. “I was hanging out with my sister and some friends yesterday…” he held the phone out to her. “This is him, isn’t it?”
She took the phone from him, turned it so she could look at the screen. “Oh, my God.” She stared at the picture. Max standing in front of a pool, looking at someone who was making him smile. “He’s okay, he’s really okay,” she whispered.
“You can scroll through the pictures if you want. There’re more. His girlfriend and my sister kept grabbing my phone and anyone else’s who happened to be lying around to take pictures at the barbecue.” He tapped the edge of her plate. “Eat while it’s hot.”
“How is he?”
“He’s doing good. He’s in a program her parents are part of, helping parolees reintegrate into society. It’s a solid program with a high success rate and he seems to be adjusting to life on the outside pretty well. He has a good job, he’s looking at taking a psych class, and he’s staying out of trouble.” He sat down next to her with his own plate and a mug of coffee.
“You said he has a girlfriend?”
“He and my sister’s best friend are dating.” He nodded at the phone. “Keep going, you’ll know when you get to her.” He smiled when she paused on one of the pictures. “My sister and her boyfriend. They’re practically married, been together 10 years now.” He saw her smile when she went to the next picture and she saw Max standing over Hunter, the little boy holding onto his hands as he jumped up and down. “That’s my sister’s kid, Hunter. He and Max get along pretty well.”
“You actually spent time with him.”
“I wish I’d known it was him. I talked to Patrick about them getting you some information about him but I never asked you what his name was.” He shrugged. “I’ll blame it on the meds I was on because normally I’m more organized in my thinking. I couldn’t have told him anything about you even if I’d known it was him though.”
“I know.” She smiled and her eyes shone with tears when she looked up at him. “But he’s okay and I know that because of you.”
“He seems like a pretty solid guy, Ava. He’s managed to tame the shrew, something I wouldn’t have believed possible if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.” He leaned closer to her and slid his finger across the screen to go through a couple of pictures. “That’s her, that’s Liz.”
She stared at the picture of Max standing behind a brunette, his arms wrapped around her as he leaned down to whisper something in her ear. He was smiling and he looked happy. “You called her a shrew.”
“Well, she’s had her issues in the past but yesterday she was more settled than I can remember seeing her in a long time.” He rubbed her arm without thinking about it. “He seemed like he could handle her so I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Are these your parents?” she asked when she went to the next picture.
“Um-hmm, that’s Mom and Dad.”
“You look a lot like your dad.” She studied him for a moment before looking back at the picture. “I don’t see much of a resemblance between you and your mom though.”
“You won’t find much of one,” he agreed. “Maria’s mom married my dad when we were kids. But when you meet Maria you could really screw with her and go on about the resemblance between us.” He finished off his pancake. “Oh, before I forget, Mom told me about this maternity pillow that would help you sleep more comfortably. It’s still in my room so don’t let me forget about it later.”
“Okay.” Ava just smiled, thinking how nice it was that someone as normal as Kyle would mention her meeting his family like her past didn’t matter.
*****
Alex balanced his weight on his crutches as he looked around the busy grounds of the MacArthur Children’s Home. Boys and girls of all ages ran around enjoying the freedom of the beautiful afternoon under the watchful eyes of the staff. MacArthur ran at full capacity at any given time and while he was glad the place existed he wished it wasn’t necessary. He didn’t understand how people could have children and so carelessly throw them away. Looking around he spotted a little girl sitting alone at one of the picnic tables and he shifted to watch her.
“She just came to us.”
He turned his head to look at Sharon Coleman, the woman who served as the director at MacArthur. She was in her late fifties and looked a good ten years younger. “She looks lost.”
She smiled sadly. “She is. She feels set apart from everyone else.”
“History of abuse?”
Her smile slipped as she nodded. “There are so many of them and not enough good people willing to help.”
“What’s her story?”
“Her name’s Jennifer Rush; she’s five years old, she was abused by her father, neglected after her mother died of a drug overdose, and over the past few months she’s been in and out of foster care.”
He tipped his head to one side as he studied the little girl’s defensive posture. “She has a problem adapting?”
Sharon sighed. “She won’t try. She’s been placed with several families who have had success with some tough cases but she doesn’t want anything to do with them. She also suffers from a bone disorder that could and should have been treated before now, which only serves to further set her apart from her peers.” She looked up when her assistant called for her and she waved to acknowledge the woman. “I should get going. I have another meeting to attend to. In case I don’t see Isabel before the two of you take off please let her know that I look forward to hearing what she has in mind for the Labor Day event.”
He smiled. “I’ll let her know, Sharon.”
She reached out to rest her hand on his arm for a moment. “I don’t know what we’d do without her help around here.”
“You know she loves her work here.” He watched her rush up to the building and his thoughtful gaze turned back to the little girl. Isabel had started coming to MacArthur with her mother and when Diane had passed on she had stepped in to take the woman’s place. She had taken the position as the quality control manager without hesitation and she worked closely with the director. When the woman who planned their events quit Isabel had taken on that responsibility as well. He had volunteered prior to the accident, mentoring a few of the children, and helping out where he could.
He made his way over to the little girl and balanced his weight so he could tap the bench with one of his crutches. He lifted one eyebrow when she looked up at him. “Hey there.”
She looked away without speaking, her blue eyes following a group of children engaged in an impromptu soccer game. She sighed wistfully and her hands unconsciously rubbed over legs that were severely bowed below the knees.
“I used to play soccer,” he said as he lowered himself to the bench, giving her plenty of space.
“So?”
“So, kinda sucks that I can’t now.” He nudged his crutches. “Can’t exactly go out on the field and take that ball downfield with these things.”
That pulled her attention back to him. Most grownups tried to convince her that even though she was different everything was fine, that everything was normal. “I never played soccer. My legs are messed up so I can’t run. I gotta use crutches just to walk.”
He nodded. “Me too. You get tired of it though, huh?”
“Yeah.” She reached out to run her fingertips over his crutches. “Are you ever gonna be able to walk without them again?”
“That’s my plan.” He smiled. “I want to be able to stand by myself when I get married.”
Her eyes traveled over him. “You got a girlfriend?”
“My fiancé, yes.”
“But she’s gotta love you if she’s gonna marry you.”
“She does love me.”
“You’re lucky. Nobody loves me.”
Just hearing her say those three words in such a matter-of-fact tone made his heart hurt.
“My daddy said it’s ‘cause I grew all wrong. He said nobody would want me when he gave me away but I hoped he was wrong.” She shrugged. “I don’t think he was.”
“You don’t think your foster families wanted you?” he asked carefully.
“They weren’t mean or anything but…”
“But you wish you had your own family.”
“Yeah.” Her lower lip trembled as she stubbornly wiped her fisted hand under her eyes and turned to look in the opposite direction. “I’m not bad or anything.”
“I know.” He patted her shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting your own family. I think we all want that no matter how old we are.”
Across the campus Isabel stood just outside the entrance of the building that housed the business end of things. She had been watching Alex and Jennifer for a little while, enjoying the easy way he dealt with the little girl. He had the kind of personality that exuded trust and she had seen more than one child open up to him.
“Oh, I thought I was going to miss you,” Sharon said as she joined her.
“I was on my way out when I saw the two of them. She’s actually talking so I wanted to give them some space.”
The older woman smiled. “Well, if there’s anyone she would open up to it would be Alex. She’s had a difficult time adjusting and she sees foster care as a temporary thing so she refuses to put any effort into it.” She shook her head. “Her father did a real number on her so she has little confidence and no self-esteem. Her mother isn’t blameless but the woman’s dead now so there’s little point in making accusations there. The one thing we can be thankful for is that there’s no history of sexual abuse.”
“Thank God she was spared that,” Isabel murmured. “I’d better go, Sharon. Alex has physical therapy this afternoon and I have a stack of reports to complete. If you have time on your schedule tomorrow we can meet and discuss Labor Day.”
“Perfect, how’s lunch sound?”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll have Gail clear a spot around noon.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Isabel shifted her laptop and briefcase as she went down the steps and crossed the campus. They had to make a stop by the bank first to check the safe deposit box they hadn’t gotten around to checking on Saturday.
*****
Max slipped through the dining room, clearing tables and disappearing back into the kitchen area before returning to repeat the process. He had been working the front for several hours because a couple of people had called in, leaving Jeff short of help. He had volunteered to stay for a few extra hours, figuring it would help Jeff while giving him some extra money on his check. Which couldn’t hurt, he mused. He wanted to take Liz out someplace nice but damn, the kind of nice she was used to cost a lot more than he was used to.
“Table 17’s ready to clear,” Sandra called as she rushed by him to put a new order in.
He dumped another tub of dishes off, grabbed an empty tub, and headed back out into the dining room. He glanced at the time and made a mental note to call Liz and let her know he was going to be running late for dinner. She had called earlier while he was on his lunch break and asked if he minded her coming over and making dinner. At the time he had expected to be home around four but now he wasn’t sure.
He scraped food remnants from the dishes before stacking them in the tub, dumped the last of the drinks before carefully placing the glasses into the tub as well. He wiped the table down, brushing the crumbs and discarded wrappers into the tub before picking it up and heading back to the kitchen. His back was aching and he was tired after being on his feet since four that morning and he was ready to go home.
“Excuse me.”
The words, spoken in a quiet voice, drew his attention as easily as if his name had been shouted across the restaurant. The voice, the practiced culture and ice that defined it, was one he would never be able to forget. He turned to face the man who owned it and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the tub tighter.
Damon Knight sat in the circular booth, impeccably dressed and exuding an air of confidence. Those who didn’t know him would assume he was a businessman or a lawyer. No one would look at him and think he was the head of a criminal organization or that he had ordered the executions of more than one person. But Max knew better. He had witnessed first-hand what the man was capable of.
He wasn’t sure what he should do. He could go back and let Jeff know who was frequenting his restaurant and he knew the man would have Damon removed. But he also knew Damon could be vindictive and the last thing he wanted was for anyone to be hurt because of him. Part of him felt an obligation because if not for Damon there was a very good chance he and Ava would be dead now. But the rational part of his mind rebelled against that thought. Damon was a man who used people for his own gain. He exposed people’s weaknesses and then turned those weaknesses against them, using them to gain control. He had given Damon enough of his life, he wasn’t giving him another minute.
“I need to get this to the kitchen.”
“No problem, Max.” He smiled easily. “I’ll let Ava know you said hi.”
He cleared his throat and glanced around. “You know where she is?”
“I know where everyone in my company is at any given time, Max. You’ve been away too long if you’ve forgotten that.” He cut into his steak and took a bite, chewing slowly while he waited for a response. After a couple of minutes he made a dismissive gesture. “As I said, I’ll let Ava know you said hi.”
Max studied the man but it was useless. Damon’s face gave nothing away. He had seen the man sit at his dining room table calmly eating dinner while Pascal beat someone to a pulp right in front of him. It didn’t even disturb him. He was cold-blooded and ruthless and if he had Ava… why would he have Ava?
“You don’t need her, Damon.”
“No,” he agreed as he took another bite, chewed for a moment, and then washed it down with wine. “I don’t. What I do need is for you to do a job.”
“No.” He hefted the tub higher and turned to leave.
“Do the job and I release her,” he said, his voice smooth and emotionless. “Refuse and I really have no use for her. I’ll give you 24 hours to come to a decision. After that, well, Nicholas has always had an interest in exploring what she has to offer.” He smiled as Max walked away, his back ramrod straight. He glanced up when his waitress stopped by his table and the smile shifted to one that he knew would come across as sincere when he asked for her recommendation for dessert.
*****
The front door slammed behind Max and he nearly choked himself as he tried to yank his tie off. He slammed his fist into the door and pressed his forehead against the smooth wood. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to handle the situation. Ava’s life could very well be hanging in the balance and if he didn’t do what Damon wanted… He didn’t want to think about what could happen to her.
Liz stepped out of the kitchen and frowned when she saw him leaning against the door. “Max? Are you okay?” She moved closer to him, watching him and trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
He sighed heavily, his right hand clenched tightly around the tie. “I feel like I can’t breathe.”
“Okay, let’s start there,” she said quietly. She reached for his arm and urged him to turn around, looking into his face. She uncurled his fingers and brushed his hand aside as she set about untying the tie he had pulled so tight in his efforts to free himself of it.
It was after seven and she could see the exhaustion in his features, but there was something else. Tension, certainly. Worry, maybe? Possibly a hint of anger. Something else she couldn’t define. “You’ve had a very long day.”
He dropped his head back against the door, breathing a little easier when she finally succeeded in unknotting the mangled tie. He felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest. It wasn’t completely gone, but the pressure was subsiding. He nodded in thanks and closed his eyes as he reached up to rub his temple.
She tossed the tie on a nearby shelf and framed his face in her hands as she studied him. “Did something happen?”
“Just…” He wanted to tell her but knew he couldn’t. “One of those days.”
“Do you feel like eating?”
“It smells good but honestly I’m not sure I can stomach anything right now.”
“Why don’t you go grab a hot shower and I’ll clean the kitchen up.” She rubbed his arm. “You need to relax or you’re not gonna be able to sleep.”
“I’m sorry. I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble.”
She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. It’ll save.”
“Thanks.” He pushed away from the door and made his way into the bedroom to strip his clothes off so he could take a shower. He paused to pat Diablo when the dog appeared next to him then sent the dog back into the living room so he could have the space to himself.
After a long shower he dried off and pulled on a pair of boxers before stepping out into the bedroom. The overhead light had been turned off, the bedside lamp turned on, and the covers had been turned down. There was a glass of water and a couple of Tylenol sitting on the nightstand and he smiled as he sat on the side of the bed to take them.
“You should lie down,” Liz said as she came into the room. She felt his forehead before letting her hands slide down to rest against his cheeks. “You don’t feel that warm but maybe you’re coming down with a summer cold.” She urged him to lie back and then went to change into one of his tee shirts. “Alright, now roll over,” she instructed when she came back.
“Do I get a treat?” he grumbled as he rolled over.
“You could have a treat any time you want it,” she said as she straddled his body. She ran her hands over his back for several minutes, just familiarizing herself with him before getting to work on his tense muscles.
“Think we’ve already established it’s not a matter of I don’t want it.” He pressed his knuckles against his temple for a moment before Liz leaned forward to brush his hand away.
“Stop. That’ll make it feel good for a minute or two but only make it worse in the long run.” She worked for a while in silence and when his muscles had loosened considerably she let her hands just run over his back lightly. “You know, if you wanna talk about whatever it was that made your day suck I’ll listen.”
He shook his head and rolled over, wishing he could confide in her and knowing he couldn’t. Not about this. “Not right now. I’m feeling all relaxed and sleepy after that backrub.”
“Not all of you’s relaxed,” she said with a teasing grin.
He looked up at her as his hands rested on her bare thighs. It took considerable restraint to keep his touch relaxed. “You do understand I want you, right? That we’re taking it slow because we’ve both got some things we need to work through?”
She sighed and nodded. “I know and I’m not even gonna fight you on that anymore.” As much as she wanted to push that reality into the background and pretend that it didn’t exist like she normally did, she was reaching a place where she not only knew it had to be dealt with but she was also getting tired of the effort it took to subdue the memory of that night.
“No?”
“It scares me to think about that night and talking about it terrifies me. I’m not comfortable talking to anyone about it and I really don’t want to tell my parents what happened… but…”
“But?”
“But I know I’m eventually gonna have to get to that point.” Her eyes followed his hands when he threaded his fingers through hers. “I’m just not ready for it yet.”
“There’s nothing wrong with us taking our time, Liz.” It was something they both needed and it was something he really needed while he figured out what to do about Damon and his ultimatum. “It’s not a race and it’s not a competition, it’s just the two of us finding our way at a pace that’s comfortable for both of us.” He tugged her forward and she settled against him willingly, wiggling around to get comfortable.
She laughed quietly when she heard him groan. “Sorry. I have a feeling we’re both gonna be frustrated for a while.”
“Not a doubt in my mind about that.” Silence fell over the room and before long she dropped off to sleep. He desperately wanted to close his eyes and sleep but he couldn’t shake the memory of running into Damon at the restaurant. It wouldn’t be just one job in exchange for Ava. Once he took that step the man would have him under his control again. But he couldn’t leave Ava there. He had nearly taken Nicholas’ head off years ago when he had cornered her. It hadn’t been necessary because she had already taken a piece of that little bastard’s ear with her knife but it was the principle of the matter.
He didn’t know if Damon had Ava but he couldn’t risk blowing the man off and then hearing about her body turning up somewhere after a few weeks. It was possible Damon really had no use for them beyond sending him to run an errand, make it known that he held all the cards, controlled all the moves. He thought about the apartment and the lack of information he had been able to unearth about her whereabouts.
It was almost midnight before he fell into a restless sleep, no closer to an answer and confused as hell.
DJ knew that he couldn’t handle what happened on his own. He’s a pretty straightforward kind of guy so he faced his problem head-on. The guys are definitely laying the framework for a good friendship. Liz has to be willing to face her problem. Forcing it won’t help her. The only way for her to heal is if she is willing to take that step of her own free will.
LOL, I don’t think anyone’s placed James Valenti Sr. as Kyle’s grandpa.
Had Kyle had a little more information those pieces would’ve fallen into place. But don’t worry, it won’t be long before he has that one piece of the puzzle that he didn’t have upon meeting Max.
We will eventually learn more about Michael’s past.
We’ll get Ava’s reaction in this part.
Liz is making progress and having Max and DJ there for backup will be good for her.
mary mary: Thanks!
Yep, these guys all fall into the category of “good guys”.
Michelle in LA: We’ll continue to see that warming trend.
Liz was definitely being unfair about her treatment of Max. Hopefully now that he’s nudging her in the right direction and she realizes she isn’t the only one who has things in the past to deal with it’ll give her the necessary push to want to get help for herself.
It would be interesting to see Jeff’s reaction to some of their interchanges. The truth will eventually come out to her family and friends.
DJ is a lot of fun to write. He’s smart enough to know he couldn’t handle that situation on his own and he sought help.
Finally we see some progress with Liz.
That is exactly why Kyle was switching things around in his bags. He doesn’t want to be conspicuous with what he’s carrying in his bags.
You have good reason to be nervous about Ava.
Natalie36: They will get there.
begonia9508: Thanks!
Ah, we will make that connection…
Liz will get to a place where she sees that it’s a good thing.
Max hasn’t given up on that idea… just tabled it for a bit.
keepsmiling7: It may take a bit of time to get to that point.
Time is an important part of rebuilding trust and acceptance. For these characters time is a valuable tool.
MP: Thanks for reading!
dreamon: Glad you’re enjoying and thanks!!
Part 20
The house was quiet when Ava woke up, but there was the underlying buzz of activity. She listened for a few minutes and couldn’t stop the slight smile when she caught the scent of pancakes. Her cop was back. She had no idea when she had started thinking of him as her cop but her mind refused to let it go. Even though he had said he would do his best to come back she hadn’t been expecting it. She had learned long ago that expectations tended to lead to disappointment.
“He came back,” she whispered as she rubbed her belly. The baby kicked in response and she smiled, imagining her baby girl was as happy about it as she was.
She sat up and eased her legs over the side of the bed so she could get up and begin the extensive process of getting ready for another day. She paid little attention to the footsteps in the hallway while she was in the bathroom. When she came back out a while later she made her way to her room and went inside, pausing when she saw the gift-wrapped boxes that had been placed on the bed. She slowly crossed the room and reached out to run her forefinger over the pretty pink ribbon tied around one of the boxes. The paper was printed with tiny teddy bears in pastel colors and her eyes watered as she traced over them.
She bit her bottom lip as she turned her attention to the other boxes, studying the print that was designed more for a woman rather than an infant. She smiled and gave the bow a tug, releasing it and then holding her breath without realizing it as she lifted the lid on the box. She brushed the light pink tissue paper aside and the tears spilled over as she ran her hand over the soft material of the tiny one-piece. She lifted it up and as the tissue below it was disturbed she realized there was a second outfit below. She picked it up, softly touching the tiny ribbons and running her fingers over the rose designs that dotted the fabric.
Why would he go to the trouble of not only going to a baby store, but taking the time to pick out clothing for a baby that wasn’t even his? She held the clothes to her chest and rocked herself as her heart squeezed with emotion. Seth hadn’t been cruel but he hadn’t had any interest in the baby and she had known better than to expect him to. He had cared enough to try to help her escape and she would always be grateful to him for that.
“And for you,” she whispered as she rubbed her belly.
She carefully placed the clothes back in their box and pressed the tissue over them before putting the lid back on. She slid the other boxes closer and undid the ribbons so she could open them up and look inside. Her eyes widened when she saw the maternity jeans and the cream-colored short sleeve tunic with a colorful sash. The other box held a deep red maternity sundress with short sleeves and a beautiful floral print. She didn’t know what kind of material it was but it was soft and it was long and she just knew it would sway when she walked.
Ava smiled and got up, walking over to the mirror and holding the dress up in front of her. She stared at her reflection for a moment before she decided to go ahead and put the dress on. She felt a little self-conscious when she stepped out of her room and started to make her way to the kitchen. She paused at the doorway, peering around to watch her cop as he grabbed the handle of the frying pan to flip the pancakes without the aid of a spatula.
“Hey,” she said quietly. The feeling of self-consciousness fled the moment he turned around and she saw the smile on his face.
“Wow, look at you.” He set the pan on a cold burner and motioned for her to come closer. “I thought the dress was pretty on the hanger but…” he shook his head and whistled under his breath. “You make it look really good.”
“Thanks.” She ducked her head. “No one’s ever bought me a dress before.”
“Terrible oversight on somebody’s part.” He nodded at the stove. “You hungry?”
She nodded. “Yeah, actually I am.” She followed him over to the stove, detouring and taking a seat at the table. “Thanks for the clothes. The baby clothes are really sweet.”
He grinned and flipped the pancakes onto a plate and slid it on the table in front of her. “I’m glad you liked them.” He tapped her nose with his forefinger. “You’re especially pretty when you smile, Ava.”
And that brought the smile out again. “I think Max would like you,” she said as she took a sip of the orange juice he placed next to her plate.
“Who?”
My best friend, Max. He would…”
Her words faded into the background as he suddenly connected the dots. How many recent parolees named Max could be running around the city? “Max,” he mused aloud. “What’s his last name?”
“Evans.” She shrugged. “At least we think that’s his last name. His mother kinda screwed around with his name so he’s not positive that’s right but that’s the one that stuck.”
Kyle checked on the agents, locating one doing a perimeter check and the other watching TV in the living room. He held a finger to his lips as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through several folders. “I was hanging out with my sister and some friends yesterday…” he held the phone out to her. “This is him, isn’t it?”
She took the phone from him, turned it so she could look at the screen. “Oh, my God.” She stared at the picture. Max standing in front of a pool, looking at someone who was making him smile. “He’s okay, he’s really okay,” she whispered.
“You can scroll through the pictures if you want. There’re more. His girlfriend and my sister kept grabbing my phone and anyone else’s who happened to be lying around to take pictures at the barbecue.” He tapped the edge of her plate. “Eat while it’s hot.”
“How is he?”
“He’s doing good. He’s in a program her parents are part of, helping parolees reintegrate into society. It’s a solid program with a high success rate and he seems to be adjusting to life on the outside pretty well. He has a good job, he’s looking at taking a psych class, and he’s staying out of trouble.” He sat down next to her with his own plate and a mug of coffee.
“You said he has a girlfriend?”
“He and my sister’s best friend are dating.” He nodded at the phone. “Keep going, you’ll know when you get to her.” He smiled when she paused on one of the pictures. “My sister and her boyfriend. They’re practically married, been together 10 years now.” He saw her smile when she went to the next picture and she saw Max standing over Hunter, the little boy holding onto his hands as he jumped up and down. “That’s my sister’s kid, Hunter. He and Max get along pretty well.”
“You actually spent time with him.”
“I wish I’d known it was him. I talked to Patrick about them getting you some information about him but I never asked you what his name was.” He shrugged. “I’ll blame it on the meds I was on because normally I’m more organized in my thinking. I couldn’t have told him anything about you even if I’d known it was him though.”
“I know.” She smiled and her eyes shone with tears when she looked up at him. “But he’s okay and I know that because of you.”
“He seems like a pretty solid guy, Ava. He’s managed to tame the shrew, something I wouldn’t have believed possible if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.” He leaned closer to her and slid his finger across the screen to go through a couple of pictures. “That’s her, that’s Liz.”
She stared at the picture of Max standing behind a brunette, his arms wrapped around her as he leaned down to whisper something in her ear. He was smiling and he looked happy. “You called her a shrew.”
“Well, she’s had her issues in the past but yesterday she was more settled than I can remember seeing her in a long time.” He rubbed her arm without thinking about it. “He seemed like he could handle her so I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“Are these your parents?” she asked when she went to the next picture.
“Um-hmm, that’s Mom and Dad.”
“You look a lot like your dad.” She studied him for a moment before looking back at the picture. “I don’t see much of a resemblance between you and your mom though.”
“You won’t find much of one,” he agreed. “Maria’s mom married my dad when we were kids. But when you meet Maria you could really screw with her and go on about the resemblance between us.” He finished off his pancake. “Oh, before I forget, Mom told me about this maternity pillow that would help you sleep more comfortably. It’s still in my room so don’t let me forget about it later.”
“Okay.” Ava just smiled, thinking how nice it was that someone as normal as Kyle would mention her meeting his family like her past didn’t matter.
*****
Alex balanced his weight on his crutches as he looked around the busy grounds of the MacArthur Children’s Home. Boys and girls of all ages ran around enjoying the freedom of the beautiful afternoon under the watchful eyes of the staff. MacArthur ran at full capacity at any given time and while he was glad the place existed he wished it wasn’t necessary. He didn’t understand how people could have children and so carelessly throw them away. Looking around he spotted a little girl sitting alone at one of the picnic tables and he shifted to watch her.
“She just came to us.”
He turned his head to look at Sharon Coleman, the woman who served as the director at MacArthur. She was in her late fifties and looked a good ten years younger. “She looks lost.”
She smiled sadly. “She is. She feels set apart from everyone else.”
“History of abuse?”
Her smile slipped as she nodded. “There are so many of them and not enough good people willing to help.”
“What’s her story?”
“Her name’s Jennifer Rush; she’s five years old, she was abused by her father, neglected after her mother died of a drug overdose, and over the past few months she’s been in and out of foster care.”
He tipped his head to one side as he studied the little girl’s defensive posture. “She has a problem adapting?”
Sharon sighed. “She won’t try. She’s been placed with several families who have had success with some tough cases but she doesn’t want anything to do with them. She also suffers from a bone disorder that could and should have been treated before now, which only serves to further set her apart from her peers.” She looked up when her assistant called for her and she waved to acknowledge the woman. “I should get going. I have another meeting to attend to. In case I don’t see Isabel before the two of you take off please let her know that I look forward to hearing what she has in mind for the Labor Day event.”
He smiled. “I’ll let her know, Sharon.”
She reached out to rest her hand on his arm for a moment. “I don’t know what we’d do without her help around here.”
“You know she loves her work here.” He watched her rush up to the building and his thoughtful gaze turned back to the little girl. Isabel had started coming to MacArthur with her mother and when Diane had passed on she had stepped in to take the woman’s place. She had taken the position as the quality control manager without hesitation and she worked closely with the director. When the woman who planned their events quit Isabel had taken on that responsibility as well. He had volunteered prior to the accident, mentoring a few of the children, and helping out where he could.
He made his way over to the little girl and balanced his weight so he could tap the bench with one of his crutches. He lifted one eyebrow when she looked up at him. “Hey there.”
She looked away without speaking, her blue eyes following a group of children engaged in an impromptu soccer game. She sighed wistfully and her hands unconsciously rubbed over legs that were severely bowed below the knees.
“I used to play soccer,” he said as he lowered himself to the bench, giving her plenty of space.
“So?”
“So, kinda sucks that I can’t now.” He nudged his crutches. “Can’t exactly go out on the field and take that ball downfield with these things.”
That pulled her attention back to him. Most grownups tried to convince her that even though she was different everything was fine, that everything was normal. “I never played soccer. My legs are messed up so I can’t run. I gotta use crutches just to walk.”
He nodded. “Me too. You get tired of it though, huh?”
“Yeah.” She reached out to run her fingertips over his crutches. “Are you ever gonna be able to walk without them again?”
“That’s my plan.” He smiled. “I want to be able to stand by myself when I get married.”
Her eyes traveled over him. “You got a girlfriend?”
“My fiancé, yes.”
“But she’s gotta love you if she’s gonna marry you.”
“She does love me.”
“You’re lucky. Nobody loves me.”
Just hearing her say those three words in such a matter-of-fact tone made his heart hurt.
“My daddy said it’s ‘cause I grew all wrong. He said nobody would want me when he gave me away but I hoped he was wrong.” She shrugged. “I don’t think he was.”
“You don’t think your foster families wanted you?” he asked carefully.
“They weren’t mean or anything but…”
“But you wish you had your own family.”
“Yeah.” Her lower lip trembled as she stubbornly wiped her fisted hand under her eyes and turned to look in the opposite direction. “I’m not bad or anything.”
“I know.” He patted her shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting your own family. I think we all want that no matter how old we are.”
Across the campus Isabel stood just outside the entrance of the building that housed the business end of things. She had been watching Alex and Jennifer for a little while, enjoying the easy way he dealt with the little girl. He had the kind of personality that exuded trust and she had seen more than one child open up to him.
“Oh, I thought I was going to miss you,” Sharon said as she joined her.
“I was on my way out when I saw the two of them. She’s actually talking so I wanted to give them some space.”
The older woman smiled. “Well, if there’s anyone she would open up to it would be Alex. She’s had a difficult time adjusting and she sees foster care as a temporary thing so she refuses to put any effort into it.” She shook her head. “Her father did a real number on her so she has little confidence and no self-esteem. Her mother isn’t blameless but the woman’s dead now so there’s little point in making accusations there. The one thing we can be thankful for is that there’s no history of sexual abuse.”
“Thank God she was spared that,” Isabel murmured. “I’d better go, Sharon. Alex has physical therapy this afternoon and I have a stack of reports to complete. If you have time on your schedule tomorrow we can meet and discuss Labor Day.”
“Perfect, how’s lunch sound?”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll have Gail clear a spot around noon.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Isabel shifted her laptop and briefcase as she went down the steps and crossed the campus. They had to make a stop by the bank first to check the safe deposit box they hadn’t gotten around to checking on Saturday.
*****
Max slipped through the dining room, clearing tables and disappearing back into the kitchen area before returning to repeat the process. He had been working the front for several hours because a couple of people had called in, leaving Jeff short of help. He had volunteered to stay for a few extra hours, figuring it would help Jeff while giving him some extra money on his check. Which couldn’t hurt, he mused. He wanted to take Liz out someplace nice but damn, the kind of nice she was used to cost a lot more than he was used to.
“Table 17’s ready to clear,” Sandra called as she rushed by him to put a new order in.
He dumped another tub of dishes off, grabbed an empty tub, and headed back out into the dining room. He glanced at the time and made a mental note to call Liz and let her know he was going to be running late for dinner. She had called earlier while he was on his lunch break and asked if he minded her coming over and making dinner. At the time he had expected to be home around four but now he wasn’t sure.
He scraped food remnants from the dishes before stacking them in the tub, dumped the last of the drinks before carefully placing the glasses into the tub as well. He wiped the table down, brushing the crumbs and discarded wrappers into the tub before picking it up and heading back to the kitchen. His back was aching and he was tired after being on his feet since four that morning and he was ready to go home.
“Excuse me.”
The words, spoken in a quiet voice, drew his attention as easily as if his name had been shouted across the restaurant. The voice, the practiced culture and ice that defined it, was one he would never be able to forget. He turned to face the man who owned it and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the tub tighter.
Damon Knight sat in the circular booth, impeccably dressed and exuding an air of confidence. Those who didn’t know him would assume he was a businessman or a lawyer. No one would look at him and think he was the head of a criminal organization or that he had ordered the executions of more than one person. But Max knew better. He had witnessed first-hand what the man was capable of.
He wasn’t sure what he should do. He could go back and let Jeff know who was frequenting his restaurant and he knew the man would have Damon removed. But he also knew Damon could be vindictive and the last thing he wanted was for anyone to be hurt because of him. Part of him felt an obligation because if not for Damon there was a very good chance he and Ava would be dead now. But the rational part of his mind rebelled against that thought. Damon was a man who used people for his own gain. He exposed people’s weaknesses and then turned those weaknesses against them, using them to gain control. He had given Damon enough of his life, he wasn’t giving him another minute.
“I need to get this to the kitchen.”
“No problem, Max.” He smiled easily. “I’ll let Ava know you said hi.”
He cleared his throat and glanced around. “You know where she is?”
“I know where everyone in my company is at any given time, Max. You’ve been away too long if you’ve forgotten that.” He cut into his steak and took a bite, chewing slowly while he waited for a response. After a couple of minutes he made a dismissive gesture. “As I said, I’ll let Ava know you said hi.”
Max studied the man but it was useless. Damon’s face gave nothing away. He had seen the man sit at his dining room table calmly eating dinner while Pascal beat someone to a pulp right in front of him. It didn’t even disturb him. He was cold-blooded and ruthless and if he had Ava… why would he have Ava?
“You don’t need her, Damon.”
“No,” he agreed as he took another bite, chewed for a moment, and then washed it down with wine. “I don’t. What I do need is for you to do a job.”
“No.” He hefted the tub higher and turned to leave.
“Do the job and I release her,” he said, his voice smooth and emotionless. “Refuse and I really have no use for her. I’ll give you 24 hours to come to a decision. After that, well, Nicholas has always had an interest in exploring what she has to offer.” He smiled as Max walked away, his back ramrod straight. He glanced up when his waitress stopped by his table and the smile shifted to one that he knew would come across as sincere when he asked for her recommendation for dessert.
*****
The front door slammed behind Max and he nearly choked himself as he tried to yank his tie off. He slammed his fist into the door and pressed his forehead against the smooth wood. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to handle the situation. Ava’s life could very well be hanging in the balance and if he didn’t do what Damon wanted… He didn’t want to think about what could happen to her.
Liz stepped out of the kitchen and frowned when she saw him leaning against the door. “Max? Are you okay?” She moved closer to him, watching him and trying to figure out what was wrong with him.
He sighed heavily, his right hand clenched tightly around the tie. “I feel like I can’t breathe.”
“Okay, let’s start there,” she said quietly. She reached for his arm and urged him to turn around, looking into his face. She uncurled his fingers and brushed his hand aside as she set about untying the tie he had pulled so tight in his efforts to free himself of it.
It was after seven and she could see the exhaustion in his features, but there was something else. Tension, certainly. Worry, maybe? Possibly a hint of anger. Something else she couldn’t define. “You’ve had a very long day.”
He dropped his head back against the door, breathing a little easier when she finally succeeded in unknotting the mangled tie. He felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest. It wasn’t completely gone, but the pressure was subsiding. He nodded in thanks and closed his eyes as he reached up to rub his temple.
She tossed the tie on a nearby shelf and framed his face in her hands as she studied him. “Did something happen?”
“Just…” He wanted to tell her but knew he couldn’t. “One of those days.”
“Do you feel like eating?”
“It smells good but honestly I’m not sure I can stomach anything right now.”
“Why don’t you go grab a hot shower and I’ll clean the kitchen up.” She rubbed his arm. “You need to relax or you’re not gonna be able to sleep.”
“I’m sorry. I hope you didn’t go to too much trouble.”
She shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. It’ll save.”
“Thanks.” He pushed away from the door and made his way into the bedroom to strip his clothes off so he could take a shower. He paused to pat Diablo when the dog appeared next to him then sent the dog back into the living room so he could have the space to himself.
After a long shower he dried off and pulled on a pair of boxers before stepping out into the bedroom. The overhead light had been turned off, the bedside lamp turned on, and the covers had been turned down. There was a glass of water and a couple of Tylenol sitting on the nightstand and he smiled as he sat on the side of the bed to take them.
“You should lie down,” Liz said as she came into the room. She felt his forehead before letting her hands slide down to rest against his cheeks. “You don’t feel that warm but maybe you’re coming down with a summer cold.” She urged him to lie back and then went to change into one of his tee shirts. “Alright, now roll over,” she instructed when she came back.
“Do I get a treat?” he grumbled as he rolled over.
“You could have a treat any time you want it,” she said as she straddled his body. She ran her hands over his back for several minutes, just familiarizing herself with him before getting to work on his tense muscles.
“Think we’ve already established it’s not a matter of I don’t want it.” He pressed his knuckles against his temple for a moment before Liz leaned forward to brush his hand away.
“Stop. That’ll make it feel good for a minute or two but only make it worse in the long run.” She worked for a while in silence and when his muscles had loosened considerably she let her hands just run over his back lightly. “You know, if you wanna talk about whatever it was that made your day suck I’ll listen.”
He shook his head and rolled over, wishing he could confide in her and knowing he couldn’t. Not about this. “Not right now. I’m feeling all relaxed and sleepy after that backrub.”
“Not all of you’s relaxed,” she said with a teasing grin.
He looked up at her as his hands rested on her bare thighs. It took considerable restraint to keep his touch relaxed. “You do understand I want you, right? That we’re taking it slow because we’ve both got some things we need to work through?”
She sighed and nodded. “I know and I’m not even gonna fight you on that anymore.” As much as she wanted to push that reality into the background and pretend that it didn’t exist like she normally did, she was reaching a place where she not only knew it had to be dealt with but she was also getting tired of the effort it took to subdue the memory of that night.
“No?”
“It scares me to think about that night and talking about it terrifies me. I’m not comfortable talking to anyone about it and I really don’t want to tell my parents what happened… but…”
“But?”
“But I know I’m eventually gonna have to get to that point.” Her eyes followed his hands when he threaded his fingers through hers. “I’m just not ready for it yet.”
“There’s nothing wrong with us taking our time, Liz.” It was something they both needed and it was something he really needed while he figured out what to do about Damon and his ultimatum. “It’s not a race and it’s not a competition, it’s just the two of us finding our way at a pace that’s comfortable for both of us.” He tugged her forward and she settled against him willingly, wiggling around to get comfortable.
She laughed quietly when she heard him groan. “Sorry. I have a feeling we’re both gonna be frustrated for a while.”
“Not a doubt in my mind about that.” Silence fell over the room and before long she dropped off to sleep. He desperately wanted to close his eyes and sleep but he couldn’t shake the memory of running into Damon at the restaurant. It wouldn’t be just one job in exchange for Ava. Once he took that step the man would have him under his control again. But he couldn’t leave Ava there. He had nearly taken Nicholas’ head off years ago when he had cornered her. It hadn’t been necessary because she had already taken a piece of that little bastard’s ear with her knife but it was the principle of the matter.
He didn’t know if Damon had Ava but he couldn’t risk blowing the man off and then hearing about her body turning up somewhere after a few weeks. It was possible Damon really had no use for them beyond sending him to run an errand, make it known that he held all the cards, controlled all the moves. He thought about the apartment and the lack of information he had been able to unearth about her whereabouts.
It was almost midnight before he fell into a restless sleep, no closer to an answer and confused as hell.