Forever in Love (2 page)

A smirk twisted his lips. “Nothing at all, sassy.”

“Right. Tell me another one.”

He chuckled. “You’re a suspicious little thing. I was just helping.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Why?”

“Because unlike a lot of the other people around here, you’re actually trying to make something of yourself. I can respect that.”

“So what do you want?”

When he stepped closer, she held her ground. If he could intimidate her by invading her space, he was sadly mistaken. Any kind of weakness on the street and she wouldn’t last a day, then there was her brother. His welfare was paramount. She met and held Buck’s gaze. Something flickered in the cerulean depths then disappeared before she could decipher it.

“If you were a little older, I’d tell you, but for now a thank you will suffice.”

She swallowed hard. Owing a debt to a man like Buck was not what she wanted. It was one thing to help him keep his business going, but this, him rescuing her was something different.

Buck was dangerous. Well to maintain his business and stature he had to be. He was the savior of a dying and dysfunctional neighborhood, keeping a semblance of order when the police were afraid to answer emergency calls. She seen him here and there, but for the most part he stayed to the shadows. And now he was in her living room playing the white knight, giving her a chance to work for him so she could support herself and her brother. Between being a runner and her part-time job at the local supermarket, she could just scrape by.

“You have a problem with that?”

She nodded.

“Get over it, sassy. You’re under my protection and that means no more hustling on the streets.”

She scoffed. “I don’t need your help.”

He arched a brow. “No? And what if I hadn’t showed up?”

She opened her mouth and quickly snapped it shut. If he hadn’t showed up they’d have probably forced their way in and taken them both. “Fine. Thank you.”

“My pleasure. You all right in there young blood?”

“Yeah. I don’t like this reading thing,” Dexter answered.

“Keep at it, you’ll need it if you want to go far in this life.”

“I want to build things. I don’t need to read if I want to build things,” he replied stubbornly.

Bonnie watched the exchange with some amusement. Buck appeared to give the statement some thought and she couldn’t wait to hear his answer.

“Then how will you know what materials to order if you can’t read very well or the architect’s specifications?”

She tuned out of their conversation as she made her way to the kitchen to finish dinner.

“Can Buck stay for dinner?” Dexter asked.

“I’m sure he doesn’t want neckbones and greens.” She glanced over her shoulder.

“And why wouldn’t I?” A distinct challenge in his warm honeyed voice. “Because I’m white?”

 She looked at him, then her brother and finally back at him. The thought had crossed her mind, but not just his skin color. She was sure a man like Buck would rather have a thick steak and a fat juicy potato on his plate than what she could afford on $5 a day, if that.

Buck shifted from his post on the wall and sat at the head of the scarred dining table. “I grew up on a farm in Arkansas and we ate plenty of greens, beans and purple hull peas.”

She huffed and set a plate in front of him, then Dexter. She placed a small plate of cornbread on the table near Buck’s elbow. “And you decided Michigan would be a better place?”

“I was stationed here for a bit while I was in the military and after I left, I never went back home.”

She filled her own plate and sat down at the only vacant chair at the table, between her brother and Buck. A sense of peace stole through her. She didn’t have many of these moments in her life and she was determined to hold on to this for as long as it lasted.

***

A few weeks and a night later Buck knelt next to Dexter as they put the finishing touches on a birdhouse. He’d made sure he had a visible presence at Bonnie’s home, but he didn’t want to draw too much attention to what he was doing. He had a few enemies and the last thing he wanted to do was draw trouble to her front door. The girl was too sassy for her own good. She refused to let him help and he resorted to stuffing money in her purse when she wasn’t looking or buying groceries.

 He hadn’t realized how much she’d struggled to feed her brother until the first time she came home and found the refrigerator stocked with food. Tears had drenched her cheeks, before she could hide them. Right then and there he vowed to make sure she had what she needed to take care of herself and her brother.

What good was leading a life on the wrong side of the law if he couldn’t help those around him? He had more than enough money saved and stashed in various places that he could afford to give it to her. He glanced at the sky, daylight fading as the sun drifted lower on the landscape. Reds and oranges burned across the horizon.

“Shouldn’t your sister be here by now?”

“She’s running an errand.”

He sat back on his haunches. “An errand? This late?” He glanced at his watch and with a sinking feeling realized what day it was. She didn’t need to be out on the streets. He stood, dusting off his clothes. “C’mon let’s go pick her up.”

“I’m not supposed to leave the house when it’s dark.” The adolescent put away the tools. “She should be back in an hour.”

“C’mon young blood. I haven’t gotten this far without listening to my instincts. Let’s go find your sister.”

***

Bonnie adjusted the strap on her shoulder and glanced around the vacant bus stop. It wasn’t totally dark yet, but was fast approaching that hour and the darker it got the more her gut churned. She glanced at her watch. The bus should be here any minute. She hadn’t made a drop since Buck started hanging around her home.

She couldn’t allow him to dictate what she could and couldn’t do, even though with him around she felt safer than she had in a long while. This time, she’d gone behind his back to do this. Now she wished she hadn’t. She peered into the gathering night. Warning bells clanged in her head.

Something seemed off to her. She bounced the bag on her shoulder, threaded her other arm through the strap, and then tightened the pack on her back. Maybe she was being paranoid, but something was making her jumpy.

She glanced around the area again. The hair on the nape of her neck stood on end. Someone was watching her. She reached in her pocket for the can of pepper spray she kept there. It wouldn’t be much, but it would give her a few precious seconds to run away.

Air brakes squealed in the distance and she glanced to her left. Relief washed through her as the bus slid to a stop in front of her. She flashed her pass to the driver and found a seat near the back. She pulled her phone from her pocket and fired off a text to her brother, she was later than she told him and didn’t want him to worry.

Ten minutes later she stepped off the bus and onto the curb three blocks from her home. The feeling of being watched returned with a vengeance. She gripped the dangling straps of the backpack a little tighter and palmed the can of pepper spray in the other. She paused at a crosswalk to allow a car to move through the intersection. Just ahead the sidewalk was dark. A glance at the other side of the street showed the same thing. With a deep breath, she hurried across the street scanning ahead for any possible threats.

The porch light to her home beckoned. A smile creased her lips. Dexter left the light on for her. She quickened her steps. Just a half block separated her from inside and safety. A flash caught the corner of her eye. She shifted, narrowly deflecting the blow intended for her face. It caught her on the side of her head, near her ear and knocked her off-balance. She squirted the spray in her assailant’s face. He howled and clawed at his face. Bonnie tossed up an arm and turned her head as the fine mist blew back at her.

Strong hands seized her from behind. She swung around, raising the hand with the pepper spray and her wrist was grabbed.

“Stop. I’ve got you.”

It took a moment for the voice to register, when it did she slumped against him. She stared into bright blue eyes, now cold and flat. Some of the ice melted from his gaze as it drifted over her.

“Buck...”

“Take her inside young blood. I’ll be in soon.”

She turned when a smaller hand grasped her elbow and steered her toward the house. “Wait. I need...”

“C’mon Bonnie before he gets really upset,” Dexter said tugging her along.

One last glance over her shoulder showed Buck jerking a skinny guy to his feet. The door closed before she could catch a glimpse of his face.

***

Buck made sure Bonnie and Dexter were out the way before he snatched the young man he knew as Cool-Ade to his feet. All he had to do was make a phone call and a couple of guys would handle this annoyance for him.

“I’ll kill her,” Cool-Ade threatened alternately wiping his eyes and nose.

“Really?” His voice was deceptively calm. “And what’s to stop me from doing the same to you?” He snatched the smaller man to his toes. “We’re going to a place a little more private.” Buck dragged the guy along, dug in his pocket for his keys and popped the trunk. “We’re going for a ride.”

Cool-Ade dug in his heels while fear widened his eyes. “I’m not getting in there.”

Buck pulled back his jacket just enough to allow the other man to see the handle of the 9mm tucked into his jeans. “It wasn’t a question.” In one swift movement, he belted Cool-Ade in the stomach, when he doubled over Buck knocked him into the trunk and slammed the lid.

By the time he returned to Bonnie’s house, an hour had passed. He flexed his hands as he strolled up the walk. His knuckles were a little raw, but he’d accomplished what he set out to do. That little punk would think long and hard about his actions next time.

The door opened as he stepped on the porch and Dexter shook his head. “She’s not here.”

“What?” Annoyance burned in his gut. “Where did she go?”

“I swear, my parents never asked this many questions.”

He whirled at the voice behind him and Bonnie stood at the edge of the porch. Relief washed through him, even though she wore a scowl on her pretty face and her fists were planted on her hips.

“You know exactly what day it is and exactly where I’ve been. So why are you acting like my daddy all of a sudden?”

He opened his mouth and snapped it shut. “Get inside.”

She rolled her eyes, but stalked past him into the house. “I don’t need you to watch my every move.”

He slammed the door. “That guy was out to hurt you.”

“Really? I thought he was asking for my phone number?” Sarcasm dripped from her voice as she shoved past him to get to the kitchen.

He grabbed her by the elbow, forcing her to face him. Her face was red and irritated on one side. A small bruise disappeared into her hairline, while a few dots of blood stained the collar of her shirt. “It’s too dangerous.”

She widened her eyes. “Are you saying this because I’m a girl?”

“Bad move,” Dexter muttered and returned to his homework.

Buck glanced at the youth, then Bonnie. “No, it’s because...” He scrubbed the heel of his hand over his face and released her. “Are you okay?”

 She shrugged and continued to the kitchen. “I’m fine.”

He leaned against the wall observing the way her hands shook as she pulled a small meatloaf from the oven.

“Did you make the potatoes, Dex?” she asked lifting the lid on a pot.

“Back of the stove. Peeled, quartered and salted per your instructions.” He closed his books, then shoved them in his backpack. “Want me to smash ‘em?”

“Knock yourself out.”

Buck regarded the scene a moment. “Bonnie? I need to talk to you a moment.”

She stiffened and followed him from the kitchen.

Dishes rattled in the kitchen as Dexter moved around, Buck sat on the sofa and patted the cushion next to him. She chose the chair and perched on the edge of her seat.

“I know you don’t want to depend on my help, but right now I know your brother is the most important thing to you. He has no one else if something happens to you,” Buck began keeping his voice low so as not to be overheard. “You tell me what you need and I’ll make it happen, but you can’t work for me anymore.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Be mad at me all you want. I’ve already told Red to find another runner.” If he wasn’t mistaken fear drifted through her eyes, before it slid from view. He could practically see her weighing her options. He dug in his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

She eyed the paper in his hand with suspicion, but pulled it from his fingers. She lifted the flap and extracted a nondescript debit card.

“A permanent card will arrive in a few days.”

“I make my own way. We don’t need you to take care of us.” She thrust the card and envelope back at him.

He closed his hand over hers and gently pushed it back. “Yes you do.” He met and held her gaze. Uncertainty and an emotion he couldn’t quite define lingered in her irises. “Have I let you down thus far?”

She shook her head.

“No matter what happens this,” he tapped the card, “will have whatever you need on it.”

“How do I know you won’t walk away from us the way my parents did?”

“Because I need you as much as you need me.”

A sharp inhale and an eyebrow raise were his only indicators of her surprise. He surprised himself with his admission.

“What’s in this for you?” she asked, returning the card to the envelope, folded it and shoved it in her pocket.

“The satisfaction of keeping a family together and a young lady with a promising future off the streets.”

She studied him a long time. For one so young, she seemed to miss nothing and for a moment, Buck believed she knew the truth.

“What?”

“No one does something in this neighborhood, just because it’s the right thing to do.”

He held her gaze. “I do, but if it makes you feel better. You owe me one.”

She chuckled. “See, you want a favor.”

“A simple thank you will suffice.”

She stood, and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. “Thank you.”