 
Make It Rain

The Montclair Brothers

Book1

By Terri Marie

Copyright © 2013 by Terri Marie

Smashwords edition

This novel is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people, dead or alive, is strictly a matter of coincidence. Places and events depicted in these pages are from the author's imagination.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

Published by Gossamer Publishing, LLC

Author contact:

Terri Marie

PO Box 972309

Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197

Cover art by:

http://stanzalonedesign.weebly.com

This Series is dedicated to my Beauties, with love.

A Special Thank you:

To my amazing editor, Angelique Luzader, you are my partner in crime, my sanity at crunch time, and an invaluable part of my journey. I love you!!

Chapter 1

(Thirty-four years ago)

The first woman Sebastian Montclair had ever indulged in was Natalie Griffin. The night began with music and dancing in Castle Lake, Michigan, during the town's Fourth of July party. She was pretty in a simple way, and he was tall with a seductive smile, but it was the alcohol that helped to lower any inhibitions.

Sebastian didn't start out the evening looking for a woman, especially one in the lower class. He was from old money, while Natalie's family struggled to make ends meet. The two were complete opposites, and Sebastian knew his parents would pick out his future bride when the time came, so meeting a woman without prior approval never crossed his mind.

He spotted Natalie standing by herself next to an empty table. She was the only girl who wasn't dancing. Sebastian watched her pick up and pour abandoned glasses of scotch down her throat, the same thing he'd been doing since the party started. He walked over, gently took her hand, and escorted her to the dance floor. Sebastian held her close so she wouldn't stumble and alert her parents to her intoxicated state. Natalie's scent, the way the worn, white dress clung to her curves, her dark hair, which felt like silk against his cheek, and her milky blue eyes, immediately aroused him.

Neither of them expected the swaying to end up in a reckless, awkward, romp in the woods. As the guests laughed and celebrated, Sebastian and Natalie lost their virginity. A couple of minutes later, they scrambled to collect their clothes and rejoin the festivities before they were missed.

Garrett and Florence Montclair wouldn't have approved of young Natalie Griffin, and Sebastian was well aware of this. He'd been preached at many times about finding a worthy woman, but he wasn't thinking about that at all when Natalie willingly disappeared into the trees with him. After all, Sebastian wasn't looking for a relationship and his parents weren't in sight.

When the night ended, Sebastian smiled at Natalie from across the makeshift dance floor, knowing he'd probably never see her again. Not that he cared. He was a man now, and Garrett and Florence Montclair didn't have any say in what they didn't know. Besides, fighting with his controlling parents was exhausting. He could only imagine how upset they'd be if they knew about his indiscretion with the young Griffin girl.

Sebastian wasn't allowed to go to the poor side of Castle Lake where Natalie had told him she lived. It angered him that his parents cared more about what other people thought then they did about what their only child wanted, and what he was interested in was finding more women where his parents didn't mingle. Once a year they threw these parties at the Montclair Estate and invited the underprivileged families for free food and booze; which was the only reason he came in contact with Natalie. His parents told everyone it was their charity work, but Sebastian knew their only motive was to show off.

As fall rolled around, his parents sent him off to Harvard to pursue a medical degree. Sebastian moved into a small apartment, leaving Castle Lake, and his memories of Natalie, far behind. For the first time in his life, he could do whatever he wanted. Sebastian was quickly making new friends, and his favorite, by far, was Angelique Barns. She had long blonde hair, a smile which could light up a room, and was beautiful both inside and out. It didn't take long for the two of them to begin a wonderful courtship. She was shy and conservative, quick witted, and she rejected every one of Sebastian's attempts at seducing her into his bed. Angelique let him know, in no uncertain terms, that she was waiting for marriage.

A letter arrived one afternoon, after Sebastian's lunch break. Just as he was getting ready to walk out the door, he decided to stop and open the envelope. Inside was a simple message: "Call me at the sheriff's office this Sunday at noon." It was signed by Mrs. Griffin, Natalie's mother. What does she want from me?

Sebastian thought about disregarding the message, but his curiosity got the best of him. At the designated time on Sunday, he went to the campus office and dialed the number. An officer answered and abruptly handed Natalie's mother the phone, which made plenty of static noise in Sebastian's ear. It irritated him.

"Is this Sebastian Montclair?" she asked.

"I don't understand why you went to the sheriff's office to phone me. Are you in some kind of trouble, Mrs. Griffin? I can assure you, you're wasting your time." Sebastian had no tolerance for anyone who took time out of his busy schedule, especially someone he didn't even know.

"You've impregnated my daughter. You'll marry her, or I'll ruin the Montclair name with rumors of rape. Are you understanding me, Sebastian?" Mrs. Griffin spoke calmly, as if she were discussing a play.

"Certainly she'd rather marry someone she loves. We were both drunk and...it just happened." Sebastian's face went white. There was no way his parents would allow him to disgrace the family. "I'm in love with someone else. Surely you can—" His pleading was interrupted,

"You are to marry her in a private ceremony in one week. That gives you plenty of time to arrange your travels. She'll be coming with you when you return to Cambridge. We're not rich like you, so we don't have telephones. Don't bother trying to call me to change my mind. This marriage is not up for discussion." Mrs. Griffin was just now starting to raise her voice. Her disdain was evident.

"My mother and father are not going to agree to this union. They'll put a stop to it, I can assure you." The rich comment stuck in his head and he cringed. "Is it money you want?" Sebastian couldn't believe what Mrs. Griffin was forcing him into. If he married Natalie his life would be ruined.

"One week, Sebastian, or I'll go to the press!" Mrs. Griffin yelled, despite her surroundings.

Sebastian listened as the loud click echoed in his head. He sat down on the wooden chair by the door and wiped the sweat from his face. Because his father was a distant man, and his mother was overly formal, there wouldn't be a chance of talking this out. They'd be appalled, force him to marry the girl to save face, and then have nothing else to do with him.

Sebastian respected his parents out of duty, but there was never any affection under the Montclair roof. Although he wasn't shown love from them, he knew what it was, and he didn't love Natalie, nor did he have any desire to make her his wife. The repercussions for not making an honest woman out of her, and for getting her pregnant in the first place, would be huge. Sebastian wasn't sure if he could handle them. Garrett and Florence Montclair would instantly pull their financial support from underneath him as punishment, and any chance at becoming a doctor would be gone. I'll marry her, and they'll never know, thought Sebastian as relief flowed through him.

He sent a letter to Mrs. Griffin along with money for a train ticket to Cambridge for Natalie. He'd marry the girl and stay far away from Castle Lake until this situation was taken care of. When Sebastian's education was finished, he'd figure out how to end the marriage without his parents or their friends finding out. He'd yet to speak with Natalie to find out what she thought of this whole mess. Maybe she'll agree to a divorce if I promise to provide for her and the child. Sebastian smiled at his quick thinking.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

The wedding took place in front of a judge, with two strangers standing in as witnesses. Natalie was a little more plump than he remembered, but still pretty. When Sebastian put the small, gold-plated band on her finger, his mind was completely on Angelique. When they were pronounced husband and wife, Natalie smiled widely, but Sebastian walked out of the court house feeling nothing but anger and dread.

As the weeks flew by and her stomach grew, so did Sebastian's resentment. Natalie was a good wife, but he didn't love her. She kept the apartment clean, cooked for him and did his laundry, but they didn't speak other than simple acknowledgements. She didn't seem bitter about the marriage, just the opposite. Natalie was more than happy to be Sebastian's wife, and she'd said so numerous times, even to the point of flirting with him. Though she slept next to Sebastian in the bed, the only one available in the small apartment, he made sure to keep his distance.

Sebastian was still tempted by Angelique on a daily basis, and he was completely in love with her. He couldn't bring himself to tell her he was a married man and was going to be a father. He knew the moment he told her, she'd disappear, and his heart would be forever broken.

As the months went by, Sebastian had planned on avoiding the local hospital where Angelique worked, and have Natalie give birth at a facility farther away. His plan fell to pieces one Sunday, when he drove up to the hospital in Cambridge and escorted a hunched over Natalie through the front doors.

"Two weeks early!" he angrily recited, and he didn't give a damn who heard him.

She was quickly rolled away to the delivery room and Sebastian began to pace the floor. A baby boy was born nearly twelve hours later, and instead of rejoicing, Sebastian was overflowing with fear. Just as he was told he could visit his newborn and wife, he slowly turned around to go to Natalie's room. Sebastian was full of despair. His world completely shattered when, three feet behind him, stood Angelique in her work uniform. The anger and hurt in her eyes spoke volumes. His guilt and shame were equally as loud. Before he could tell her how sorry he was, explain the forced marriage, and profess his love to her, she stormed off.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler Sebastian Montclair was the smallest thing the young father had ever held in his arms. Sebastian cradled Tyler the way the nurse demonstrated, but he remained fearful of hurting the infant. The long labor had tired Natalie, so he was handed his son frequently after feedings. Over the next couple of days, Sebastian was able to quiet the child on his own, and when Tyler's tiny hand grabbed hold of his finger, the greatest love he'd ever known flowed through him. How his own parents were able to be so cold toward their child was baffling. If anything, Sebastian found himself overjoyed at the thought of having more children; a family of his own.

After Angelique stormed out of the hospital, she left Harvard without a word to Sebastian. He was quite sad and sulked for weeks, but eventually he realized it was for the best. As his love grew for his son, and Angelique remained out of sight, Sebastian was certain he'd be able to keep her out of his mind and focus on having children with his wife; he wanted a large family. No distractions, he reassured himself, confident in his ability to stay focused on his future.

As the months passed, Sebastian was relieved that Natalie was a good mother, and she continued to be an obedient wife. She never complained or asked him for anything, other than money for the baby and household supplies. He complimented her for being frugal, taking care of his son so well, and not bothering him so he could study.

The only breaks Sebastian took from his studies were to play with the baby. Despite the poor examples Garrett and Florence had provided for him, he decided he was, and would continue to be, a good father. Like normal, his parents wouldn't speak to him for weeks at a time, and then, only about trivial matters. The calls would literally last about three minutes, which was just fine with Sebastian. At least their decision to stay so distant, also kept them far removed from his secret life.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Three months after Tyler was born, Sebastian listened as Natalie read a letter from the Sheriff of Castle Lake, regarding the death of her parents. After leaving the church to drive home in a blizzard, their car went off a cliff. Sebastian knew the area well and could just picture their old car being tossed into Lake Superior like a toy. When Natalie broke down in sobs, she threw herself at him, so he opened his arms to her. He knew she had no one left but him and their son. He felt a pull on his heartstrings and sympathy for his grieving wife. Maybe he could learn to love her after all.

Sebastian provided a proper burial for the Griffins by using money he'd saved from his allowance. He'd made sure to quickly escape Castle Lake right after the small gathering, without being noticed. The people who came to the funeral were folks who lived in the little white houses, people who didn't associate with the Montclairs. He had grown a small beard, wore glasses now, and looked nothing like the young man who appeared at Montclair parties in his earlier years. To be safe, he asked Natalie not to introduce him in any way, to anyone, and she complied without complaint. Sebastian had hired a nurse to care for the baby until they returned from Castle Lake.

On the way back to Cambridge, in a very sad voice, Natalie told Sebastian how she knew that her mother had trapped him into marrying her.

"My parents are dead Sebastian. They can no longer threaten you. If you'd like a divorce, I'll agree. I don't want to be married to a man who doesn't want me."

Sebastian thought about her offer, but he couldn't stomach the thought of his son being raised without a father. Besides, he couldn't ask for a better mother for Tyler than Natalie. They'd stay together, he'd said, and grow their family.

That night, Sebastian curled up with his wife and pulled her to him. It wasn't a foreign gesture, as he would also lay close to her when he had to have his needs met. But on this night, right after the funeral for her parents, Sebastian knew he had to lift her mood and calm her. He knew that Natalie could only be a good mother if she stayed content.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

When Tyler was three, Natalie gave birth to twin boys; Jacob Ryan and Sean William. The apartment was no longer big enough since there were now five of them. Sebastian would have to get a job while he finished up his education. Asking his parents for extra money would do nothing but raise their curiosity, and besides, he hadn't bothered to visit them since he left, nor had he been invited. They had no idea they had a daughter-in-law and three grandsons; just the way Sebastian wanted it. Garrett and Florence were incapable of loving a child, let alone a woman from the poor side of Castle Lake.

There was a small drug manufacturing company nearby, which Sebastian applied to, and he was hired on the spot after the quick interview. He found himself fascinated by the process of developing and making medicines available that could help people. He went to the administration office at Harvard, and geared his studies toward pharmacology and chemistry, and soon rose up through the ranks in the company.

After a year of practicing no birth control, Natalie gave birth to another baby boy, Vincent Kyle. This delivery went poorly, and instead of a natural birth, the baby was delivered by cesarean section. Her physician hurried to the lobby, informing Sebastian that the bleeding and complications left him no option. He'd have to give Natalie a complete hysterectomy. She was hospitalized for two weeks, and Sebastian had to hire a sitter through an agency to care for his other sons.

When the sitter arrived, Sebastian watched as she walked up to the doorstep of the new modest home they'd moved into. When she lifted her head to ring the bell, he saw her face...her beautiful, beautiful face. Angelique stared at him with a shocked look on her face when he flung open the door. After all these years of forcing himself to close off all thoughts of her, they came rushing back to him like a tidal wave.

Chapter 2

After Angelique walked out on her shift that fateful day at the university hospital in Cambridge, they fired her, and she knew they wouldn't hire her back. She didn't even bother to explain the situation to her boss, nor did she want to speak the horrible truth of what happened. Discovering Sebastian was married, and had just had a child, crushed her in a way that she'd never experienced. She wanted to curl up in her bed and never move again, but she had to immediately look for another job. The only other hospital was in Manchester, over sixty miles away, which wasn't an option. She quickly found work as a secretary, but sitting behind a desk and clicking away at a typewriter wasn't making her happy. Angelique continued to miss her old job. She loved working on the wards, especially when she got to work with children. She'd been studying to become a teacher before she'd dropped out of Harvard. Once she exhausted her efforts to find the kind of work she wanted to do, and was ready to give up, she saw an advertisement from an agency that wanted women to sign up to be nannies. Thankfully, they hired her.

Angelique wasn't given the name of the family she was assigned to, just an address with the first names and ages of the four boys. When she knocked on the door, the last thing she thought would ever happen was coming face to face with the man she'd fallen in love with...and stayed in love with, even though he'd hurt her so badly.

Angelique stared at Sebastian, the other woman's husband. All those old feelings she experienced when he was near rose to the surface again, pulsing through every vein. She'd dated from time to time over the years, but couldn't force herself to be with someone she could never give her heart to.

"Sebastian, I'm sorry. I-I didn't know it was your children I'd be watching." She quickly turned around, trying to take deep, slow breaths to calm herself. Her cheeks felt as if they were on fire as she took a step away from the door.

"Please, don't leave," he whispered, as he pulled her gently inside.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

He didn't exactly know how to handle having both women under the same roof. While he lay in his bed next to his wife at night, all he could think about was having Angelique in his arms. The two women seemed to be getting along, both caring for the children, but he knew that the harmony couldn't last. Could he hide his love and desires for the other woman from his wife? He was sure he could. Was it wrong? Perhaps, but a forced marriage didn't exactly lay a foundation for a loving relationship. If anything, he'd developed a loving friendship with his wife, but every fiber of his being was still deeply in love with Angelique. He'd wait until the children were a little older, and then ask Natalie for a divorce.

As the weeks went by, Sebastian's subtle glances and the eye contact he exchanged with Angelique, turned into the slow brushing of clothing when they passed each other in the hall. He knew she tried to avoid him at first, but soon it became clear to him that the chemistry they once shared, didn't resurface only on his end.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

A few months later, Natalie was taking the children for checkups, leaving Angelique and her husband alone in the house. She was to clean; he was to go to work. As soon as her car left the driveway, they headed upstairs to the master bedroom, pulled at each other's clothing, and let their bodies fall onto the bed.

Her smooth ivory thighs were just like he'd imagined them to be. Her stomach was soft and flat, without stretch marks, or bruises from rough-housing boys. When he lay on top of her, she opened her legs and allowed him to enter. He experienced not only arousal and release, but also passion for the first time in his life. He wanted to lay there for the rest of the day, feeling her skin against his own, but knew better than to daydream for too long. They quickly got up, dressed, and went about their business. He went to work, she cleaned the house.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

What surprised Sebastian the most over the next year wasn't guilt from being with another woman outside of his marriage, but rather his concern about what his sons would think of him when they were old enough to understand his sins. When Sebastian was with Natalie, he felt sadness. He began to believe she'd be better off in the arms of someone who could treat her like a woman. He'd ask for a divorce soon, so they could both find happiness.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Natalie knew her husband was sleeping with the other woman. She had long, dark hair, so there wasn't any reason for long, blonde hair to be on their pillows and sheets. She also didn't miss the hunger in her husband's eyes when he looked at Angelique. She didn't miss how their bodies touched in a room with plenty of space to go around each other. It shouldn't have bothered Natalie, but she'd fallen in love with Sebastian...She loved her family. As her sons grew, they resembled their father in physique and mannerisms, but after carefully studying them, you could definitely see some of her facial features, and the boys had her dark hair. It baffled Natalie that Sebastian seemed free of guilt. How could he look at his children and not see me?

She was going to keep her husband and started to formulate a plan to accomplish that. Natalie would politely tell Angelique her services were no longer needed, and then she'd profess her love to Sebastian. Certainly he'd pick family over lust, wouldn't he?

Natalie planned to send the nanny out on a few errands with the children, and then have a nice long talk with Sebastian. Maybe he didn't make passes at her, because she'd never admitted to him how much she felt for him. Natalie knew she wasn't ugly, and she'd been careful not to put on too much weight over the years, so she'd buy a low cut dress, have her hair done, make his favorite dinner, and let him see that she was more than a mother, more than a wife in name only. He hadn't come to her to have his needs met since Angelique arrived, which would change. Natalie was sure of it.

Around the same time, Sebastian was contacted by the Montclair's attorney, letting him know his father had passed away from influenza. His mother had died the previous year from cancer, but he wasn't made aware of her death, which didn't surprise him. When he'd left Michigan, communication with his parents was minimal, until eventually it ceased completely. He didn't contact them, and they made no effort either. Sebastian didn't feel upset, because the relationship he had with his mother and father was more like one shared between business acquaintances. He doubted there was ever any love in their marriage either.

Sebastian was to inherit a very large sum of money, including the estate in Castle Lake, which immediately set his mind in motion. Michigan would be a perfect place to start his new life with Angelique. He'd keep his inheritance a secret from his wife, but would always provide for her and his children. He loved his sons and would remain close with them and nurture their relationship, no matter what.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Angelique quit her job suddenly one day; which Natalie wasted no time in telling Sebastian how great it was to take care of her family on her own. She told him she had some surprises for him and had planned a special day this weekend, just for the two of them, and didn't hesitate to add: "Thank goodness I didn't have to fire her. She was terrible with the children."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Sebastian knew his wife's comments were pure fabrication, and that she was behind Angelique leaving his house. It irritated him to hear Natalie speak such vile lies about the woman he loved. He couldn't understand it. The next day, Sebastian had asked to speak with Natalie, and her excitement over being summoned to his study was obvious.

"Natalie, I'm going to start my own business," he began. Sebastian tried to speak slowly, giving himself plenty of time to choose his words carefully. "There's a building for sale in Southfield, Michigan. I'm buying it and starting my own pharmaceutical company. I'll be moving out there. Because I'll be very busy, I would rather keep you and the children here and come back on the weekends. Tyler starts school this year, and the neighborhood here has lots of children his age." He didn't let his face soften. Sebastian was quite proud of himself for the way he'd handled it, and for speaking so authoritatively. Just like a good businessman. He wanted to make it perfectly clear to Natalie, that this topic wasn't up for discussion...or so he thought.

"...You're...leaving us?" gasped Natalie.

He expected her to agree like usual. Her words hit him hard. Natalie's eyes quickly began to overflow with tears, and Sebastian feared she'd begin to beg. He didn't expect to feel his gut twist, his jaw tense, or his pulse to pick up speed. Leaving Natalie was one thing, but leaving his children was another thing altogether.

"It's Angelique, isn't it? You're going to Michigan to be with her! I gave birth to your children, Sebastian, and I've been a good mother and dutiful wife," Natalie pleaded with a trembling lip.

"I know this." He bowed his head and stared at her hands, folded upon her lap.

"Do your children mean nothing to you?" She lifted his face. "Look me in the eyes, Sebastian, and answer my question."

He knew at that moment, when he stared into her eyes, that he couldn't continue to allow the mother of his children to feel so horribly. Even though Angelique had come back into his life, he couldn't just up and discard Natalie. So he asked himself if he felt so overwhelmed with guilt, because he was in love with his wife? He was pretty sure he wasn't before, but why was he crumbling inside? You're not only removing your wife, you're removing your children.

"I know you aren't in love with me, Sebastian, but I've grown to be in love with you. I want us to try. We've been together for all this time. You can't just walk away from us. It isn't right!" She sobbed and threw her face into her hands.

He got up from the chair and walked to the window. The view was of the backyard of another home, but where he stood was their home. Placing his palm against the cold glass while he looked at the swing set he'd built, his conscience ate at him. Have I fallen in love with Natalie? If things worked out with Angelique, he would lose the chance at being a father to his boys. Tyler, Sean, Jacob, and Vincent, would want nothing to do with him for hurting their mother. If it doesn't work out with Angelique, maybe Natalie would decide to find someone else, then I'd have no one. The thought of another man taking his place in his children's eyes filled him with the greatest fear he'd ever known. To avoid all of that, Sebastian would have to buy a house in Southfield Michigan, stay in it with Natalie and the boys, and put Angelique in the big stone house in Castle Lake. He could easily go up on the weekends. Yes, that's what I'll do.

"I want you and the boys to move to Southfield with me, Natalie. We can start over and be a family." Sebastian picked up Natalie's hands, lightly squeezing them, to provide comfort. When he saw the tension leave her face, his gut continued to twist with guilt. He knew the only way to rid himself of feeling like a horrible man, was to see where a real marriage to Natalie could lead. Then he could tell himself he had tried. Yes, I'll do this too.

"You can't be with Angelique or any other woman, Sebastian. I know you were with her," Natalie insisted with a firm voice.

"She moved away. We'll start a new life, just us. I'm sorry for everything, and I promise to try and be a better husband." He was sure this plan would be seamless. He'd keep Angelique out of site and out of mind, while he focused on his wife.

Natalie leaned slightly forward and he wrapped his arms around her. Sebastian kissed her lips, sealing his good intentions, as he pictured Angelique's full mouth on his.

Chapter 3

The children adjusted just fine to their new, larger home in Southfield. They had a very big yard, plenty of friends, and the family ate dinner together every night. Montclair Pharmaceuticals was growing strong. Natalie loved the comforts that came with the extra money her husband was bringing in. She was able to purchase new clothes for the children, enroll them in special programs, and with Sebastian's permission, she bought herself a small car. She hired a sitter, and once a week Natalie met with a card club, where she'd made some new friends. She realized her husband worked hard, so she didn't fuss too much when he had to travel. Now that Angelique was out of the picture, things would continue to get better. Sebastian kissed her in the mornings without being prompted, kissed her when he came home, and even made love to her when he wasn't too tired. Natalie considered her life to be as perfect as it could get. Sebastian even told her he loved her sometimes.

As the boys grew older, Natalie could tell her husband enjoyed his time with them even more. He took their sons to sporting events, taught the boys how to hunt and fish, and each time they'd charge through the door after an outing, she'd prepare a snack, then sit with them in the living room and listen as they recounted their day.

Her love for Sebastian was stronger than ever. Natalie was so grateful Angelique was out of the way. Hopefully far, far away. She never worried when Sebastian had to travel, being gone sometimes for days in a row. He always called and said goodnight to her and the boys. He even brought home gifts. Natalie felt sad when he was away, but knew he missed her as much as she missed him and would hurry to come home to his family.

When Tyler turned fifteen, Natalie said it was okay for him to work during the summers at Montclair Pharmaceuticals. She didn't complain; the business would be handed down to their boys someday. Their eldest son shared all of the great things he was learning, especially on the weekends when Sebastian didn't have meetings. Natalie began packing them special lunches, and had even purchased Tyler a couple of suits to wear to work. They look so cute, she'd think when they'd walk out the door.

For their wedding anniversary that year, Natalie wanted to do something special. With the boys back in school, she got ready the second Sebastian walked out the door for work. He'd send her flowers and chocolates like he always did, and maybe he'd give her another necklace. Natalie loved getting gifts, but this year, she really wanted to surprise her husband.

She made reservations at The Chamber, a five-star restaurant in Southfield, for lunch. Natalie made herself as beautiful as she could. Her dark hair flowed down her shoulders the way he said he liked it, she put on a little makeup and perfume, and slid on a new skirt and blouse. Natalie climbed in her car and drove the fifteen miles to his office, smiling the whole way, as she listened to the local radio station.

She was beaming as she approached Sebastian's secretary. "Hello, Janet, I'm just here to steal my husband away!" she announced excitedly.

"You look very nice today, Mrs. Montclair. But I'm afraid he isn't here. He stopped at The Chamber to have lunch on his way back from a meeting. Would you like me to call him for you?"

"No, that's okay. I'll go surprise him," said Natalie, as she walked out the door. She was sure she could still make the day special, even if he'd already eaten.

When she spotted Sebastian's black Lincoln in the parking lot, she walked briskly through the doors in search of him. Natalie promptly found her husband. She could recognize those broad shoulders and strong neck anywhere, even if he was facing away. He was wearing the grey pinstriped suit she had bought him for his birthday, and her heart began to melt.

"Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!" she joyously sang. When he turned around to face her, she saw Angelique; she was sitting in front of her husband, sipping on a glass of wine. "I'm sorry," Natalie heard her whisper, and watched her walk out of the restaurant.

"What are you doing here? What a surprise!" Sebastian said as he stood.

Natalie glared at his red face but spoke calmly. "Why were you with Angelique? Today is our wedding anniversary and you're spending it with Angelique? I made special plans for us for lunch, and you made your own plans with Angelique?" Her eyes began to water.

"No, no. You have it all wrong. I was already having lunch. She was driving through town and stopped to eat. I literally saw her as she passed by my table," he explained. He reached out his arms to embrace her.

"I'll see you when you come home, Sebastian, whenever you're done with Angelique..."

Natalie turned around, clutching her purse tightly in her fists. She slammed her car door and drove back home, while wiping her lipstick off with a tissue soaked with tears. There'd be no flowers or chocolate surprises to smile over, but in their place would be successful attempts at shielding her pain from the children, and making excuses for their father. She glanced at the clock as she helped out with homework and cooked dinner, all the while smiling and joking. When the boys went to bed, she threw her new outfit in the trash, then lay staring at the ceiling until her husband came home at three in the morning.

"I'm sorry, Natalie, I had to work late. You can ask Janet, she worked late as well," he explained softly as he sat on the side of the bed.

"I believe you. I'm sure you don't have any interest left in Angelique."

"None. I only have eyes for you," he said softly.

Natalie felt his lips on her cheek and wondered how long it had been since they were all over Angelique. An hour? Two hours? Through all the time he took giving his explanations, not once did he wish her happy anniversary. Not once. He never mentioned her new clothes or how pretty she looked. He lay beside her in the bed with his eyes open and a slight smile on his face.

The alarm went off at six the next morning, and Natalie opened her tired eyes. She had maybe gotten an hour of sleep. She rolled over, and Sebastian's side of the bed was empty. She let her hand move over the cool sheets, wondering if he'd left the moment she fell asleep. Maybe he was sitting in his study or at the table reading the paper. Walking into the kitchen, Natalie noticed his car was gone from the driveway, and no note was left, like he'd usually leave if he had to be at work early. Coffee, she thought, and put a pot on. She cooked breakfast for the boys and sent them off to school with kisses on their foreheads, then walked to his study and sat in his chair. Natalie rarely came in this room. She respected her husband's privacy, and knew he worked hard, so this room she left alone. Until now.

On the top of the desk was a stack of bills. With the silver letter opener Natalie had bought for him, she carefully sliced open each envelope. There were utility bills for two addresses. Another envelope contained cancelled checks made out to Angelique Barns. Natalie's hands began to shake violently and her mouth watered sourly, causing her to vomit in Sebastian's Detroit Tigers wastebasket. She quickly gathered the papers, threw on some clothes and shoes, left a note for the boys: I have my card club tonight. Here's money for a pizza. I love you, and then she walked out the door. Her first instinct was to go to the office and confront Sebastian.

After a bit of thought, Natalie changed her mind. She turned in the opposite direction, heading for the freeway. For every mile she drove, every hour which ticked by, she broke more. She gassed up again when she reached St. Ignace and didn't stop until she saw the sign: "Welcome to Castle Lake." Natalie pulled over and began to laugh hysterically. Here she was, after driving for nine hours, just to get the answers she already knew. Her kids had probably ordered the pizza by now, her husband, if he was home, would perhaps write more checks out for Angelique in the safety of his study. She shook her head and continued the drive to the old Montclair home.

Natalie stared at the massive stone house where Sebastian had grown up. The ground where she'd danced with him was now a garden, and if she was quiet, she could hear the waves from Lake Superior crashing into the rocks. I bet the inside of this place is beautiful, she thought, as she'd never been good enough to be invited in. Living in the strip of small white houses, going to school with butter sandwiches, and homemade clothes sewn out of cheap polyester, prohibited an invitation to step foot inside of Castle Lake's finest. Natalie looked over towards the woods, a tear sliding down her face. That night he picked me.

She walked up to the door and rang the bell. While Natalie knocked, she heard the garage door open and watched as a car, identical to her husbands, sped off. Angelique, with her long blonde hair, in my bed, wasn't hard to spot sitting behind the wheel. She felt a cold shiver run up her spine, as she walked into the open garage and let herself in through the side entrance.

Chapter 4

(Present Day)

Tyler Montclair stood at his large office window and breathed a sigh of relief, as security escorted Denise James off Montclair Pharmaceuticals' premises. He'd met the gorgeous sales associate when she was twenty-five and fresh out of college. He had then hired her based on her qualifications and outgoing personality. Denise's beauty and charm definitely didn't hurt, but he seemed to take notice of those other qualifications more and more as the weeks went by. His attention certainly didn't escape her. It wouldn't take him long to find himself wrapped around her little finger. Tyler didn't mind, though. He'd do anything to make her happy. Within three months he'd asked her out on a date. That was five years ago. Five wasted years, he thought. He was sure Denise was the one during their first year, but now, he was sure she was the craziest woman he'd ever met. It wasn't Tyler's plan to be thirty-three and single, but it was better than being tied down to that insanity for the rest of his life.

Not all his memories of the relationship were bad. Wining and dining Denise had been a lot of fun in the beginning. Just seeing the joy on her face was worth every dime Tyler ever spent. Even his brothers had fallen in love with her. Denise seemed to fit right in, leading them all to believe family was very important to her. Cooking exquisite meals for Sunday gatherings, and always offering a helping hand to the Montclairs, gave everyone a great impression of her.

Slowly but surely, the surprises he showered her with became expectations. Denise always wanted more expensive things from Tyler, but not more of his heart. In hindsight, it was his brothers who had noticed her change in behavior first. He'd seen the concerned looks on his siblings' faces, and even listened to their opinions, but their warnings fell on deaf ears, especially when she moved into Tyler's house. He hated to admit to the family that they were right. He even ran out of excuses to explain her bad moods. Toward the end, any eye contact he received from Denise James was filled with her extreme hatred.

Their small disagreements quickly built into heated arguments, mostly over money; he had it, and she wanted it. He began working longer hours just to avoid her. Denise didn't take no for an answer, but this morning she'd been told exactly that: No, he didn't want to be with her anymore and she had to move out. Tyler explained that their breakup wouldn't affect her job as long as they could maintain professionalism. He really hoped she'd act like an adult about the whole thing, but Denise showed up at eight this morning with an aluminum bat and "had at it," as his secretary described, on his black Mercedes convertible. Security caught her quickly, but not before plenty of damage had been done. They immediately confiscated Denise's ID and keys, so she couldn't get back on the premises even if she wanted to. His brother Vincent took care of the termination so Tyler wouldn't have to have contact with her again. Though dating within the company was frowned upon, there was no written policy. After today, that would change.

The office staff looked at him with sympathetic eyes and voiced how horrible he must feel to end a long relationship. Tyler knew his family would be there to support him, as the Montclairs were very close, but his heart wasn't hurting. If anything, he was both relieved and pissed. He was on the phone getting the locks changed at the house when his office door opened. His younger brothers came bounding in with a Champagne bottle in hand.

"Welcome to the single world, bro!" yelled Sean, one of his three younger siblings.

Tyler quickly motioned for them to be quiet, as he took care of protecting his house over the phone. His youngest brother Vincent, the corporate attorney, was sending out a registered letter to arrange a date and time for Denise to pick up her belongings. She'd also be presented with a restraining order as soon as she left Tyler's property. This would surely send her over the edge even more. They'd definitely have to make sure the cops were there. Security had called the police after the incident, but Tyler doubted Denise's crazy display on his car with her bat, would be repeated, so his Mercedes was safe. Besides, destruction to his car again, was the least of his worries. Tyler knew that his body and his house were next.

Having Vinnie in the family business had proved to be personally beneficial on several occasions within the Montclair brood. Not that they weren't law abiding citizens, but once in a while situations would arise. Like now. He hung up the phone, and then gladly accepted the glass from Sean.

"What a damn fiasco." Tyler shook his head in disbelief. "My car for God's sake. Was that supposed to hurt me?"

"I already ordered a rental while yours gets fixed. Your fast track to single status is the talk downstairs," said Jacob, a Senior Scientist and their brainchild down in the lab. He was also Sean's fraternal twin.

"Why must you encourage them?" Tyler sighed and glared at Jacob.

"Ty, this is some funny stuff. Seriously, you should have seen her wailing that bat around." Jacob laughed without trying to stifle it.

"I did. Pretty good swing, eh?" Tyler chuckled.

"I'd bet on her," added Sean.

"Thanks for the celebration, but I have to meet Vinnie and get my signature on a restraining order. Not that I'm worried, but..."

"She'd kick your ass and you know it. You should be very afraid." Jacob loved Tyler and would never tolerate someone bringing him harm. It took everything he had not to go running outside earlier and take that bat from her hands. Had security not have stepped in as fast as they did, that's exactly what he would have done. But he couldn't resist the urge to rub it in. He'd known how imbalanced Denise was for years, but didn't hold it against his big brother. He was more than aware of the power of a woman.

"Yeah you're right. I'll be back in a bit. Try not to blow the place up while I'm gone." Tyler grabbed his suit jacket off the back of his chair and headed out the door. Fresh air would do him some good.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

It was sixty degrees outside in Southfield, Michigan on this April morning. Tyler was grateful the weather was nice and he could walk the two blocks to the restaurant where he was meeting his brother Vincent. I can't believe she attacked my car, he laughed to himself, but was thankful Denise hadn't decided to make his body her target. She could have easily gotten inside the building. Tyler tried to shake off the disturbing thought by briefly closing his eyes and tilting his head back as he walked. The sun was much appreciated and even calming as he let the bright rays and warmth caress his face.

As he approached the corner, he saw construction up the street. He'd have to go around a different way to get to the restaurant. Tyler sighed heavily, wishing Vinnie would have warned him about the detour. The loud construction sounds broke through his serenity, as he hurried to get up the street and away from the loud commotion.

To the right, sitting up against the wall dividing the houses from the businesses, was a kid he'd become familiar with over the last couple of years. He couldn't be any older than sixteen or seventeen and he normally sat outside on the corner near Montclair Pharmaceuticals, playing his guitar for change. Tyler didn't know his name because the boy never spoke, even when asked a direct question, but Tyler always gave him some cash when he saw him and offered a compliment on his talent. The kid was very good. He should be in school, thought Tyler, but could only imagine the life he had to lead. Today, the teen was strumming for money up along the detour route. Tyler walked over, and was just about to reach in his pocket to drop some bills in the can, when he felt someone with large gloved hands grab at his Rolex. Without thinking, Tyler swung and knocked the man to the ground. The boy got up quickly and took off running with his guitar in hand.

"Help!" yelled the man.

Tyler noticed that the thief, lying on the ground, looked disheveled and dirty. He appeared to be around fifty, and his unruly red hair and long ratty beard were matted with filth; his nose and mouth were bloody.

"Someone help me!" he continued to yell.

A woman ran out of a nearby house with a phone in her hand. "Stay right there, I've called the cops! Don't you dare run. I know what you look like!"

"Yeah, call the police lady, this man needs to be arrested," said Tyler as he resisted the urge to hit him again.

The man continued to lay on the ground, unmoving. When the police showed up some minutes later, they asked what had happened.

"This guy tried to steal my watch, and I hit him." Tyler raised his wrist to show his watch.

"I don't see any marks on your wrist," said the officer.

The man on the ground didn't skip a beat. "I was walking along, and he gave me dirty looks as I went by. He called me names, then hit me! I can't move. Take me to the hospital. I've been assaulted!" The man wailed.

"That's not true. There's a boy who was sitting here playing a guitar. He saw the whole thing," explained Tyler, as he shook his head in disbelief over the blatant lie.

"Do you have a name for your witness? All we know is the caller saw you punch this man."

"No, I don't know his name. I think he's homeless. He's around town all the time playing his guitar for change." Tyler was immediately kicking himself for never reporting to the police that the teen wasn't in school, but he figured he was running from something; if the family cared enough they'd look for him.

After some more fruitless conversations with the police, Tyler Montclair was searched and his small pocket knife was confiscated. They cuffed him, and he was roughly placed in the back of the squad car. An ambulance took the disheveled man away as he cried out in pain, but Tyler could have sworn he saw the guy smile.

"If you'd have reported this child to the police, he'd be in our system. I see you're fine with a kid alone on the streets." The cop gave Tyler a dirty look through his rearview mirror.

"It's not like that!" Tyler let his head fall, and tried to slide his hands out of the handcuffs. They weren't budging.

I can't believe this, thought Tyler as they drove right past the restaurant. He saw Vinnie sitting in the window. Hope you answer your phone...

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"Tyler Montclair, in here please," said a guard as he pointed to a room. They strip searched him, made him put on an orange jumpsuit, and then took his mug shot and fingerprints.

"What are you doing with my watch? It's evidence," pleaded Tyler.

"Go sit down." The guard opened the door of bars and pointed.

Tyler walked in and scanned the room, as he heard the clank of the jail door shutting loudly behind him. He was livid. There were three young punks and a few grown men, who'd spent more money on tattoos then on dental work, in there with him,. He closed his eyes and rested his face in his hands.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Several hours later, he was escorted to a small room, where Vincent Montclair was already seated.

"Get me out of here, Vinnie," said Tyler through clenched teeth. "Fix this!"

"I wish I could, but you have a pretty big assault charge against you, not to mention the hate crime the prosecutor's going for. I haven't gotten any information regarding the man's medical status, and you could be looking at prison. Do you know where I can find the boy?"

"He's homeless."

"I'll hang out on the streets where you last saw him. Hopefully this won't end up on the news. As soon as a bond hearing is set, I can get you out of here. I think I saw that kid a year or more ago, but can't quite remember the details. Give me a description."

"He's in his teens, tanned complexion, long blonde hair, blue eyes..."

"Okay, got it. He looks like every other kid. I'll need to comb the streets and gather every male teen." Vincent shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Give me something more to go on, Tyler."

"Wait, his guitar has a dirty blue strap, and the front of it has some serious scuff marks. Yeah, long black scuff marks."

"I think the guitar is the only thing that'll make him stand out. If he's just walking around, I doubt I'll recognize him in a crowd."

"This is unbelievable. Un. Freakin'. Believable."

Back in the big holding cell, the guard and a few trustees brought dinner trays in. Tyler could tell he was in the company of a rough group. He didn't know if any of them were homeless, but just in case, he couldn't allow his story to get out. The large homeless population was a separate society, and hurting one meant you hurt many. He pushed his tray away without eating anything and leaned up against the wall.

"Dude, you're on the box," said a young man, looking to be no more than twenty.

Tyler got up and stared at the television. The reporter had obviously been in the lobby at Montclair Pharmaceuticals. He stared at the same portrait that hung in the entrance at work, next to the ones of his brothers and parents. The report quickly shifted to Roger Murphy, the fifty-two year old assaulted homeless man, as he lay in his hospital bed and relived his fabricated series of events for the camera.

"He called me filth," the man cried out. "Tyler Montclair said I was a drain on society! He told me to go back where I came from...then he hit me. All I was doing was walking by. Now here I am with stitches in my lip. My neck and back pain from the impact of his fist and being knocked onto the hard cement, are so severe, I can't walk. I feared for my life!" Roger Murphy had tears streaming down his face.

Tyler quickly motioned for a guard walking by.

"What do you want?" he said with a scowl.

"I need to be in my own cell. I'm not safe in here."

"Yeah, and I bet you didn't do anything wrong. All these innocent men locked up in here, make me wanna grab a tissue. Go sit down!"

Tyler found a book lying on the table; it only contained a third of the pages that it probably should have. He tried to keep his back turned to avoid everyone, only looking around when he heard the door open. He knew Vinnie was doing everything he could to get him freed, but this day couldn't end fast enough. I'll get a nice check cut for the homeless guy, and maybe he'll agree to tell the truth. Heck, I'll even throw in the Rolex as part of the deal.

"Montclair!" yelled the guard.

"Thank God," said Tyler, as he anxiously walked out of the cell and followed the guard. "It's about time I got out of here."

When the guard opened up another cell door and nudged Tyler in, his insides turned. "Wait a minute! I'm supposed to leave."

"When your bond gets posted I'll let you out. In the meantime, we need space in the tank. You'll be here with us for the weekend. Happy camping." The guard shut the door, his large set of keys jingling at his side as he walked off.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler got up from the thin mattress the next morning when the cell door opened and walked to a metal table in a small common room. He was by himself, but knew that wouldn't last long as more people were booked. His back was killing him. The entire jail seemed like it was made of nothing but cement and metal. While standing, he lifted the lid off the breakfast tray, looked at the small bowl of over-cooked oatmeal, and quickly covered it back up. He noticed a payphone on the wall of the common area, but according to the rules, it was too early to use it. What the hell time is it? Frustrated, he sat down on the metal stool. When he heard the door open again, he didn't bother getting up; the trustees always returned shortly after delivering meals to collect trays.

"Montclair! Come with me," demanded a large female guard.

"Where are we going?"

Without answering the question, she unlocked a small room and motioned for him to go inside. Sitting in the chair on the other side of the table was Vincent.

"I have good news and bad."

"Tell me I'm getting out of here today..."

"The good news is, your bail hearing is Monday at nine in the morning. The bad news...you're splashed all over the media."

"Damn!" Tyler was tempted to punch the wall. "For a guy who never broke the law, other than two speeding tickets—"

"I know, I know. Roger Murphy is singing like a canary from that hospital room. He still claims all the same things happened, only more embellished. The prosecutor is William Furrow, an ass, and the judge is Weddle. He's very stern, takes no crap, but is pretty fair. Hopefully he'll see that lying opportunist for what he is."

Tyler let his head drop onto the table.

"Listen, Ty, I'm trying to find the kid. Think about ways we can stop him from running. Without his testimony, there's slim to no chance I can stop the judge from sending you to Jackson Prison. The other witness, the woman who ran out of that house, claims she saw you punch Roger Murphy. She may have seen you throw a punch, but obviously she didn't see both sides to this story. We have to find the little scrapper. I'm going to head out and start looking around town some more. I'll talk to you soon." He stood up and hugged Tyler, more determined than ever to clear his brother's name.

Tyler tried to maintain hope while following the guard back to his cell. Monday morning couldn't come fast enough. He couldn't sleep, he couldn't eat, and his mind replayed the entire scene with Roger Murphy, over and over again.

The weekend was nothing but a blur. Thankfully, his cell was on the same side as the holding tank, so he couldn't be seen by other prisoners. From what Vinnie told him, the public wasn't too happy with the rich guy who'd randomly punched a homeless man. The jail employees, however, treated him like he'd stolen an infant.

The guards didn't have to wake Tyler up for court on Monday. He hadn't slept. When they opened the door to the pod, he was sitting on a hard stool; the container of dry cereal and carton of warm milk, was pushed away unopened. He was on his feet quickly. It took everything he had not to body slam this correction's officer who'd been extra mean to him, but Tyler just smiled and said 'thank you' instead.

After the hearing, Vincent wrote out the check, and then walked behind his fuming brother to the car.

"Go rest and get cleaned up, Ty. I put in a request for a subpoena, so when we do find him, he can be served. In the meantime, I'm going back to the streets."

"Thanks, Vin. I'm sorry I'm not very talkative right now." Tyler climbed out of the SUV and unlocked the front door to his house. Hopefully the solitude would improve his mood.

Chapter 5

Tyler wrapped a towel around his waist and dug his cell phone out of the pocket of his crumpled suit pants, which were wadded up on the floor. All of Denise's bath products, perfumes, clothes...he couldn't stand to look at, or smell, any of it a second longer. Gone meant gone, and having bits and pieces of her under his roof, was making him none too happy. He dialed up his assistant, Emma.

"Em, I need you to do me a favor. It's out of the ordinary but I'll pay you extra." Tyler tried to keep the desperation out of his voice.

"Sure, what can I do for you?" Emma quickly asked.

"Come to my house and remove everything in here that belongs to a female. Gather it up, so it can be sent to storage. Vincent can help you with getting the boxes picked up. I need it done as soon as you can get to it."

"Denise's things?" She didn't hesitate to ask.

"Emma, I need you to keep this between us. Yes, the things belong to Denise. Box it up and write her name on them. I'll be putting jewelry and other things she's given me on the table. Pack those as well." The reminders of Denise everywhere he turned, were just pissing him off. Going into the top drawer of his dresser, he removed a locket, which belonged to his mother, and slipped it into his pocket. Tyler didn't want to risk Emma packing it by mistake.

"Oh I'll gladly do that for you, Sir. Hopefully she'll show up and I can—" Not only was Emma great at her job, but she was also very protective. Tyler had helped her through many difficult situations in her life, and there was nothing she wouldn't do if he asked. The image of Denise with the baseball bat was still fresh in her mind and it filled her with worry.

"Em, you don't want to get involved in this. She's crazy. Let me know when Denise has been purged from my home. I won't be back until then." Tyler knew she meant the threat. Emma Ward had started at the company as a secretary, and within a year she'd been hired as Tyler's assistant, and now she knew him almost as well as his brothers did.

"Will do!" agreed Emma.

Despite the fact that everything was blowing up around him, Tyler didn't regret ending the five year relationship. It took him six months too long to come to the final decision he more than wanted to make, but the right wording and timing was necessary to avoid backlash. Obviously he'd failed.

After hanging up with Emma, he dialed Vincent and asked him to arrange a family meeting. He was hoping to resolve this nightmare on his own, but he was up against a clock and time was running out. If anyone could move mountains to find this kid, it was his brothers.

Tyler quickly dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt and tennis shoes, in case he had to chase the kid, and then headed toward the office. As he drove his Mercedes rental car, Tyler passed the spot where he had hit the man, and looked carefully for a camera that could have captured the moment. He knew it was something Vinnie would have already checked, but a second set of eyes never hurt. There were no cameras, and no sign of the witness. He was working hard to resist all temptation to drive to the hospital and write out a fat check for the crook, to make him drop the bogus charges. He continued inside the gates instead, and went up to his office on the twelfth floor.

Luckily, Tyler had already destroyed all the cute, but deceptive letters, emails, and texts Denise had written to him over the years, but her presence was still there. Until he got all of this legal mess cleared up, she'd still be a part of his life. Had he not been so angry, to the point of needing to walk it off, the attempted mugging wouldn't have happened. Prison! How the hell would I survive being locked up for years over a crime I didn't commit? The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.

There was no hope of him finding a reprieve amongst his paperwork in the office, because he couldn't concentrate. He needed to get away, but part of the bond agreement required him to surrender his passport, and agree not to leave the state. He picked up the phone and called his brother Vincent, hoping for some good news.

"I still can't find him, Ty. I have a copy of the police report and the list of charges against you, and--"

"The list..." Tyler laughed sarcastically.

"The prosecutor is going for a hate crime and felony assault. Roger Murphy said you pulled out a knife and threatened to kill him. They have your pocket knife, which the bastard identified as the one you threatened him with."

"I never pulled out my small pocket knife! So, that's why they didn't give it back to me." This is insane, thought Tyler.

"The man claims he didn't mention the knife before, because he feared you'd kill him. Look, Ty, I'm sorry you have to go through all this." Vincent slammed his car door.

"The bastard saw the knife when the cops searched my pockets in front of him. I use it to clean my nails for God sakes! I can't believe this is happening." Tyler sat his phone down and rubbed his face. He could hear his brother talking, but listening to these lies was killing him. He knew Vincent would be sick to his stomach over this injustice towards him, but providing comfort to his brother, wasn't one of Tyler's abilities right now.

Slowly he picked the phone back up.

"Are you there, Tyler?" Vincent raised his voice.

"Did you set the meeting up, Vinnie?"

"Yeah we'll all be in your office at eight."

"Can't we just meet at my house?" Tyler needed to go home, crack open a beer and clear his head.

"I really don't think you should be staying there in that house, but yeah, I can make it happen. See you then, bro. If you need me, give a holler, okay?" Vincent wanted to go to the hospital and give Roger Murphy a reason to complain. Tyler had always looked out for him and practically raised him. Now it was his brother's turn to be looked after, and he wasn't about to fail him. The restraining order was in place against his brother's insane ex-girlfriend, security was increased at the company, and three private investigators were searching for this kid. Threatening phone calls and letters were pouring in to Montclair Pharmaceuticals due to this incident with the gold digger, Murphy. Vincent tried to get Tyler to accept an off-duty police officer to provide protection, but the last person his brother was willing to trust right now was a cop.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler tried hard to relax and shut his mind off so he could make it until the end of the work day, but his eyes kept drifting towards the window. Before he knew it, he was looking down on the street, scanning the area for the witness who could ensure his freedom. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to focus on anything else. Out the door he went.

Tyler walked block after block, searching for the homeless boy without luck. He talked to everyone who would slow down long enough to hear what he had to say. A couple people knew who he was referring to, but hadn't seen him in several days. Tyler wished he had a photograph to flash on the news, or around town, but he had nothing. The truth was, a teen on the run could easily blend in.

Slowly he crossed the street to Montclair Park. Tyler and his brothers had donated the money to turn the lot across the street, into a park to honor their father and mother. He walked over to their bronzed faces on a large dedication plaque and wished he had them here to talk to. Sebastian and Natalie's deaths were such a mystery; it was still painful to think about. Tyler had been responsible for his siblings since he was eighteen. He reached in his pocket and held his mother's locket, but he couldn't bring himself to open it again. The first time he did, which was the last time, had shaken him to the core. He'd never even shared with his brothers what was inside.

Tyler walked over to one of the outbuildings and put his key in the lock. It was used as a kitchen for the Montclair events which were held many times a year. The light poured in through the open door, making the stainless steel glisten. Turning on the sink, he ran his fingers underneath the cool stream. He'd have to get a crew out here to scrub the outbuildings soon, as it was almost time for the events to begin. As soon as he reached up and shut off the water, an idea hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Oh my God!" Tyler took off in a sprint to his car. For the first time since this mess started, he saw some hope.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

He only had to wait at his house for a short time before his brothers arrived. He was grateful that, not only were Denise's belongings gone from the drawers and shelves, but so were the boxes. He hadn't heard that Emma had been arrested for knocking the snot out of his psycho ex-girlfriend, so he'd have to make sure he paid her well.

Jacob arrived first, carrying a dark brown leather briefcase. "You don't look so hot, Ty. Did you get any sleep last night?"

Tyler gave him a quick hug and patted his back. "Things have definitely been better, but no, I'm not sleeping much these days. Now that her things are out of here, I think I'll be able to relax a little more. Of course, being out of jail has its perks too."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that crap," began Jacob. "I never thought I'd ever see you involved such a mess. Sean on the other hand..."

Sean came in followed by Vincent, who went directly to the fridge and opened a beer, grinning at Jacob.

"Sean, man, you drive like a maniac. You almost gave me heart failure," complained Vincent jokingly.

Sean laughed and then turned his attention to Tyler.

"How you holding up? We're gonna find this kid, you know that right?"

"Yeah," replied Tyler as he squeezed Sean's shoulder.

The men all went to the large dining room table and sat down. Jacob reached into his briefcase and pulled out a city map. Tyler began to smile while watching his brother's assign and discuss search areas.

"Here you are, in this whirlwind of crap," said Jacob, "and you're smirking like a school boy. What's up?"

"Well, we can't seem to spot our young witness," explained Tyler, "so we're going to have to get him to come to us."

Vincent shook his head. "This better be good, Ty, because what you're asking for is nothing short of a miracle."

Tyler's smile broadened. "Here's the plan. Do you know how every year we hold the big barbeque for the homeless, to maintain our family tradition? We're going to have one next week."

"Tyler," began Sean, "We normally hold those over Labor Day weekend. Do you really think we can get it advertised and arranged in a week? We're talking supplies, catering..."

"Heck, I'm willing to have one every weekend, until we get the kid to come out of hiding," explained Tyler. "I don't have the time to sit around waiting for him to surface. I really think this is our best shot. We'll put it on the radio, hand out flyers, you name it."

"If that's what you want to do, I'm in," said Sean. "It's going to be pretty difficult to throw it together and run the company but who needs sleep?!" He reached over and shook Tyler's hand.

"I can get Emma to help out with a lot of this. She's amazing," offered Tyler.

"She hates me," said Jacob with a look of misery. "Can't we get someone else to organize it?"

"She only hates you because you hit on her. I told you not to do that," laughed Tyler. Emma was a beautiful, slender redhead, with green eyes. No matter how attractive she was, Tyler adored her like a sister. It didn't take his brother Jacob long to start flirting though. Finally, Emma had agreed to go out with him. Tyler didn't want to bring up the outcome of their one date.

As the men threw out ideas of what would have to be done, Jacob made a list. It didn't take them long to realize they didn't quite know what they were doing. Emma was the one who orchestrated every event, and they'd have to bring her in on it as soon as possible.

After everyone left, Tyler carefully approached the master bedroom, bracing himself for reminders of Denise. Emma must have called the housekeeper; his room was clean and so were the sheets. He was beyond grateful when he crawled into bed. Tyler's body was tired and his mind was mush. It didn't take him long to fall into a deep sleep, something he was very much in need of.

The phone startled Tyler awake at eight the next morning. He quickly answered it.

"Sir, did you still want to meet this morning?" Emma asked quietly.

"Emma, I'm sorry. Let me hop in the shower and I'll be right in." Tyler felt horrible. While he met with her every morning to talk about the upcoming plans for the day, this meeting was especially important. He hadn't yet told her about the barbeque and was hoping she wouldn't kill him. Even though she was the most resourceful woman he'd ever met, this was asking a lot. He quickly jumped in the shower and, after a good night's sleep, he felt energized; he was in a much better mood.

Tyler scanned the streets on his way to the office. There was no evidence of the kid anywhere. He even kept his windows rolled down in case he could hear the strumming of a guitar. Nothing. He tried hard not to let his frustration mount.

As Tyler pulled into the parking structure, Vincent pulled in right behind him. He normally loved seeing his brother, but because of the legal stuff he was swimming in, he saw the attorney side of him and his stomach automatically tightened.

"I take it Prince Charming slept for once?" laughed Vincent.

"Vinnie, why do I sense bad news underneath your concern for my sleeping habits?" Tyler sat his briefcase on the ground.

"Yeah, I wish I was bringing good news. The prosecutor wants to offer you a deal. They'll drop the hate crime if you plead guilty to the felony—"

"No! I'm not pleading guilty to anything! I did nothing wrong. Seriously, if I plead guilty, I'll end up in prison and paying out tons of money to this guy. I don't even want to hear it, Vinnie..." Tyler picked up his briefcase and began walking toward the elevators. He wasn't angry at his brother, but he didn't really want to yell and cause a scene. After all, Denise had provided plenty of entertainment for the staff. He didn't need to add to it. He heard Vincent's footsteps quicken behind him.

"Ty, I'm on your side, okay? As your attorney I had to bring the deal to you and give you my advice. I don't think you should do it either. We'll find this kid. Stop!"

Tyler stopped and turned to face his brother.

"We'll find him. Hear me?" reassured Vincent.

"Yeah, we will. I'm sorry, Vinnie, I'm not going to be myself until this is over with."

"I have to get back to the prosecutor's office, but I need you to sign this." Vincent held out a form and Tyler signed it. As he said goodbye to his brother, he wondered how unrealistic they were being, in thinking they were actually going to find a needle in a haystack.

As he walked into his office, Emma followed behind him with a hot cup of coffee. He wished he could clone her. They certainly broke the mold when they made this woman.

"Thank you, Em. Again, I'm really sorry about being late. We have some work for you to do. I'm taking you off all projects this week, and I'll delegate your work to someone else. I need you to focus on something...different."

"Sure, whatever you need." Emma sat down and began to write.

"We're doing the big barbeque this weekend." Tyler knitted his brow, trying to see whether or not she was going to combust.

"Those are on Labor Day weekend. You're talking about the one we do for homeless? The benefit to raise awareness?"

"Yeah, we'll do one then too, but we need to hold it this weekend as well."

"Um..."

"We have to find the witness. He's definitely in hiding, so maybe we can get him to surface by luring him with food. Last year we had, like, a couple hundred or more homeless, and they even came from different cities. It's our best shot, Emma. Please, I need you to work your magic."

"I'm waiting for the punch line. You realize you're giving me five days, Tyler." Emma cocked her head to the side and raised her eyebrows.

"Look, I know it sounds crazy. Well okay, it is crazy, but you're the brain-child behind these things. Can you pull it off? If all you have to do is organize this barbeque, can you do it? Some of the things, you can cut out, like getting donations, etc. Hell, I'll front the whole thing. Burgers, hotdogs, keep it simple. We'll have it at the park. I realize my motives aren't pure this time, but you know I've always been a big advocate for helping the homeless. Unfortunately, I also need my freedom protected." Tyler's mood plummeted.

Emma stared at his sad-looking face. "You do so many great things for the underprivileged in the area, even volunteering to help other organizations run events of their own. I'll do my part to help in any way I can."

"This is why I love you, Emma."

"Yeah, yeah." She smiled and walked across the hall to her office. As she sat down, there was a knock on the door, which she forgot to close behind her. It was Jacob.

"Emma, I wanted to offer my assistance with the barbeque. I'm assuming Tyler told you about it?" Jacob's cheeks glowed red as Emma got up from her chair with a smile, and slammed the door in his face. That felt good, she thought, as she looked up the number for Sugar and Spice Catering. Hopefully they wouldn't already be booked for this weekend.

Chapter 6

Renee Preston hurried out of the bedroom, half dressed, so she could answer the phone. She glared at her husband as she passed by him. Robert sat in the recliner; beer in one hand, chips in the other, the sports channel blaring. This is what she looked at every single day of her life. He had a business, but she did all the work and had to give him all the money. She watched her life slowly passing her by. At thirty, she thought she'd be further ahead in life. Robert had promised the business would take care of itself as soon as he got the big accounts. She was stupid enough at twenty-one to believe him.

"Renee, get the damn phone!" yelled Robert as he crammed another handful of chips in his mouth.

She took a slow deep breath so she wouldn't sound angry when she answered. "Sugar and Spice Catering, Renee speaking, may I help you?"

Emma was surprised to hear the roar of race cars blaring loudly in the background. She raised her voice a little to be heard over the commotion. "I wanted to see if your catering company was available for a barbeque this Saturday? It's a Montclair event at the park across the street from us, the same place as last Labor Day. We'd like to keep the menu simple and we're looking at approximately two hundred?" Emma didn't know how many people would attend, but whatever was left, the folks could take at the end. She gave the caterer a rundown of the menu.

"Let me take a look." Renee already knew they were available, since Robert had done nothing to book them any jobs. Every time she offered to advertise he stopped her. Nine years of marriage. Nine years of regret.

"It looks like we're open for this Saturday. One second and I'll give you a total for the head count you mentioned." Robert had blown all of their savings on gambling and drinking. She'd need every dime of the money from this barbeque so they wouldn't lose their apartment. After agreeing on the price, she hung up and turned to Robert, who sat there like a bump on a log, staring at her.

"Don't just stand there, Renee. What job did ya get? How much money?"

"Robert, this is a Montclair cookout. I'll need some help to cook for two-hundred people. Can I call Carol?"

"You best not be paying her more than minimum wage, got it? And after everyone's served, you can handle the cleanup so we get most of the money. I'll drive by and check on you. Carol better not be around." He turned his attention back to the television.

"You can help, how about that? It would be great if you got off the recliner for one second and pitched in. This is your business, not mine. You haven't even written my name on anything like you promised me. So here you are, doing absolutely nothing for the past six years, while I'm trying to keep food on our table and a roof over our heads."

"Shut it," threatened Robert as he pointed a finger at her.

Renee knew he meant it. Even though Robert had never hit her, he would release his anger by throwing things and damaging their apartment. She had already replaced her cheap set of dishes a few times, had the bathroom door replaced, and plenty of other things, but the worst were family heirlooms. Those were gone forever. It was best to just shut up and leave him to his race.

It's not like she had family to turn to. Renee was adopted, but was denied information on her birth parents. When she became an adult, she took measures to find out the details of her birth; her adoptive parents disowned her at that point.

Renee wished she could walk out that door for good. She'd have to save up enough money to move out of state, because if she remained anywhere in Michigan, he'd find her.

Robert wasn't an ugly man when she'd first met him. He'd hired her as a cook for Sugar and Spice, and he treated her like a lady. Renee now knew that his behavior was just to lure her into the mess she was currently in. He wanted a slave. He was six-foot-three and one hundred and eighty pounds when they met. Now he was unkempt and over three hundred. The bigger he got, the meaner he got. If he was nice, she wouldn't care what he looked like, but his size made her feel even more intimidated.

Renee jogged for three miles, several days a week. She was slim, had tanned athletic legs, and her long, dark brown pony tail could be spotted swinging side to side at six each morning. If she wasn't running, she'd be out for a long walk. She certainly wasn't exercising to keep her girlish figure. Renee ran for sanity. It was raining heavily at six this morning, so she cancelled her run, but after a telemarketer called and woke Robert up, he yelled at her, so she took off out the door. She headed toward the road and ran harder and faster than normal, while the rain pelted her face. She wished every step was permanently removing her from the tyrant she'd married.

When Renee got home, she saw Robert was passed out on the recliner again. She snuck in the bedroom and called Carol Perkins, her best friend since high school. Renee hated to ask for her help at the event, because she was embarrassed that Robert would only allow her to pay minimum wage. It wasn't up to her friend to fix the mess Renee's husband had made of her life and the catering company. Even though she couldn't offer more wages, the Montclairs always tipped her nicely, and she'd make sure to give a big chunk of it to Carol.

After they got caught up, since talking to each other last night, Renee asked if she could help with the cook out.

"For that jackass, no. For you, definitely." Carol hated Robert with a passion. She'd offered Renee to come and stay with her for free and get out of that hell hole, but Renee refused. Carol knew she was right. Robert would come after her there. Most of the cops were Robert's buddies; his brother was a private investigator. Getting help from the authorities would be a fruitless effort. Carol agreed to meet Renee at Montclair Park so they could test the facilities and make a list of what they'd need.

Renee stopped by Montclair Pharmaceuticals and picked up the key from Emma. She walked across the street and found Carol sitting on a bench.

"Okay come with me, Beautiful, and let's check the building out," Renee said smiling.

Once the building was unlocked, the girls stepped inside and turned on the lights. There was an industrial-sized refrigerator, ovens, and a very large sink with warm and cold running water. Renee opened the drawers and found all sorts of cooking utensils and towels.

"Everything is still the same," began Renee, "which is great. We won't have to haul anything here besides the food."

"If we use your pickup and my trunk, we can get everything over here, and I can always make extra trips." Carol looked over at Renee's small, old Ford pickup. She wondered how much longer that thing was going to last.

"The event starts at noon, so we'll have to be here that morning. It's supposed to rain Saturday, but not until the evening. Let's walk over to the grills and see if they're okay."

After Renee made sure the old coals had been emptied, she took the grill brush and cleaned the grates. She and Carol would be working their butts off from now through Saturday, at least it was better than being at home and waiting on Robert hand and foot.

They stopped by Emma's office and picked up the deposit for the cookout. This money would allow Renee to buy all of the food on the menu, because the catering company had exactly sixty dollars in the bank. If Robert knew that money was there, he'd take it. Renee kept the key and went back home to make the lists of what she'd need to pick up. She'd also have to draw up a time table so everything would run smoothly.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Emma left her office with a large stack of flyers. She walked into Jacob's office without knocking and plopped the stack on his desk.

"Put these up all over town. In your email is the advertisement for WJAM radio station, and Channels 2, 4, and 7 news stations. Do it this morning." Emma lifted her chin and turned on her heels.

Jacob was dumbfounded. "Sure...anything you need. Emma, do you mind if we sit and ta—"

Emma slammed the door and walked back to her office. She phoned Tyler.

"Okay, the caterer is on it, the flyers are printed, and the news stations will be advertising." Emma was proud of her accomplishments so far.

"Did you get someone to help you?" Tyler wanted Emma in charge, but didn't expect her to pull it off alone.

"Yes, I sure did. Jacob is helping."

Tyler laughed a little. "So you're back on speaking terms."

"No bloody way in hell." Emma smiled widely.

"Alrighty then." Tyler could feel Jacob's pain. He refused to interfere, because his brother had this, and a lot more, coming to him. He had to learn things the hard way, especially after ignoring all warnings and reasoning from his brothers in the beginning. Just like I did, thought Tyler

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Renee walked into the small kitchen in their studio apartment to make herself a quick sandwich. She hadn't eaten all day, and there was nothing to cook. Robert ate nonstop while he was awake. She opened the fridge to get out some lunchmeat and found the empty package sitting on the shelf. She threw it out. She opened the cupboard and got the empty jar of peanut butter and threw it out too. The freezer held an ice tray, which had one cube left in it. Dragging out the toaster, Renee reached for the loaf of bread. At least toast was something to fill her. The bread bag was left open on top of the fridge; the slices were hard as bricks.

She hastily grabbed her purse and keys which woke Robert up.

"Hey did you get the deposit?!"

She walked right past him and opened the door.

"I'm talking to you!!!"

As soon as Renee shut the door, she heard something smash against it. Hopefully he broke his remote, she thought.

When she showed up at Carol's apartment, her frustration over Robert was obvious.

"What'd the bastard do this time?"

"There's nothing to eat. Mind if I grab something?" Renee would normally feel embarrassed about asking, but she was getting light-headed and nauseous.

"Oh honey, I made the world's best pasta last night and saved a bunch for you. I'm glad you're hungry. You have to try it!" Carol tried to make light of the situation as she pulled the pasta from the fridge. She could clearly see her friend was looking kind of pale. She'd like to choke the hell out of Renee's jerk husband. Confronting Robert or causing any waves, would just make things worse for Renee. If he ever laid a hand on her, Carol would come at him like a wrecking ball.

"Oh my God, this is delicious!" said Renee with a full mouth. She was shoving food in her face like a half-starved animal.

"Don't you want me to heat it up?" Carol laughed. It wasn't hard not to notice that Renee could stand to gain a few pounds.

"No, this is amazing," she mumbled.

Renee finished off her large plate of pasta with a roll, and drank a tall glass of lemonade from the fridge. When she finally looked up at Carol's face, the embarrassment hit her.

"I'm really sorry. I ate almost all your leftovers."

"Renee, I made enough for the neighborhood. I wasn't going to eat anymore pasta. I'm glad you liked it. Now I don't have to throw it away." Carol walked over and took her plate and carried it to the sink.

Renee reached into her bag and pulled out the paperwork for the event. While she was opening it, she felt her friend wrap her hands around hers.

"Honey, you need to leave him," pleaded Carol in a soft voice.

"I know I do, but I have no place to go. Don't even suggest that I come and stay with you. He'll destroy your car, or anything else he can, including causing problems at your job, just to get me to surrender to him. When the time's right and I have enough money, I'll leave the state. It's the only way."

"Why don't you let me give you some money?"

"Carol, you're a waitress at a diner. You don't make that much money. I'll be okay. I've put up with him for years and have made it this far."

"He's getting worse, Renee. We both know it."

Renee nodded in agreement, but was eager to change the subject. She opened the folder and began to make up the timeline. It was going to be a very tedious next few days. Getting the cookout up and running was the easy part. Dealing with Robert, however, would be excruciating.

By the time Renee made it back home, it was after midnight. She hoped her husband would be asleep again, but he was wide awake staring at game recaps on the television. She tried to quietly sneak past him.

"Where've you been?" he asked with an accusing tone to his voice.

"I was with Carol going over the plans for the Montclair cookout." Renee rolled her eyes when her back was turned. She was exhausted and not in the mood for him and his mouth.

"Why are you involving Carol? I'm not paying her, do you understand me?" His voice began to rise.

"She's not getting paid until she helps with the food, okay?"

"Best not be."

Renee was used to Robert's snide remarks when she walked away from him. He always had to have the last word. I can't believe I'm still married to him, she thought. She'd always been afraid to bring up the topic of divorce. The only safe way she could find was to leave the state, then have an attorney contact him. In reality, it wouldn't matter. Robert would continue to cause problems for her, not to mention Carol.

She undressed, put on her favorite pink summer pj's and crawled under the covers. Renee hadn't slept with her husband in months, and hadn't had sex with him in three years. Robert hardly showered, wore the same clothes for days at a time, and the mere thought of him touching her was enough to make her skin crawl. She didn't like nor love the guy anymore. How could she? Renee couldn't even remember what it was like to fall asleep without the television blaring, or him screaming at the screen.

A couple of hours ticked by and Renee was still staring out the window from her bed. Her finances were preoccupying her mind. Normally she worried about how she'd pay the bills. She usually gave Robert the money and prayed he'd write the checks out for the rent, food, and utilities. The only things he was concerned about were cable, junk food, poker, and betting on games. But now, she thought about having a better life.

She had no idea how she could possibly come up with her own money to leave him. Getting a second job was out of the question. Not only would Robert get her fired, but he'd take that money too. Had Renee of known her husband would turn out this way, just after their second wedding anniversary, she would have started saving money a long time ago.

How do I get out of this?

Chapter 7

Tyler couldn't sleep. He sighed repeatedly, clenched his fists, and flopped around until all the blankets were on the floor. He wished Saturday would hurry and get here so he could hopefully regain some of his sanity. If he could spot the kid, his life would stop its rapid, downward spiral into hell. One of his biggest concerns was that the boy would take off running again as soon as someone tried talking to him. Then what? If he did run or go back into hiding, there'd be no way in hell of getting him to resurface.

The cookout was in just a few days, and even though they didn't really have enough time to advertise, Tyler hoped there'd be a good turnout. He felt guilty making this event mostly about him, but if he went to prison---He quickly distracted himself from thoughts of losing his freedom, by getting up and putting a pot of coffee on. When he opened the cupboard, right there on the middle shelf, was Denise's favorite coffee mug. Tyler smiled. He reached up and removed the purple mug, her favorite color, and then slipped his shoes on. He opened the front door and walked down to the end of the block near the woods. With all his might, he pitched it over his shoulder and watched it fly underneath the moonlight. He didn't leave until he heard the soft sounds of it smashing into pieces. It must have hit a rock. Good. As he walked back home, he noticed the car Vinnie had stationed outside his house. He thought it was a bit much, but then again, nothing that people could do to turn his life upside down, surprised him.

Tyler grabbed a raisin bagel, something Emma must have picked up, and devoured it with his coffee. After a quick shower, he jumped in his car and headed for town. Hoping to spot the boy, Tyler drove slowly as his eyes swept the area. It wasn't quite daybreak, but he also knew that there was plenty of activity at this hour for the homeless. During the day, they were harassed. He circled back and drove a different route. There were some bordering neighborhoods he could go through, but they weren't very safe. Vinnie was most likely having those areas monitored anyways. After an hour of driving around, Tyler headed for the office.

Security had definitely been amped up. Tyler was happy about that, but if Denise wasn't such a crazy person, he'd send all these guards out to search for his evasive witness. Vinnie would kill him if he did. Tyler couldn't seem to shake the panicked feeling which frequently rose in his gut. He constantly felt like he should be doing something more to find this teen, and it was eating at his insides.

Tyler finally reached his office and was grateful to be in a quiet environment. His floor was shared only by a few. Emma wasn't even due in for another hour, the rest of the staff, a half-hour later. Tyler picked up some papers and started to leaf through them. Nothing. His brain didn't comprehend a dang word he read. He got up and walked over to the window and scanned the streets once again. I should just put a chair here.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Emma came waltzing down the hall and noticed the light underneath her boss's door. She hoped Tyler hadn't spent all night here. She tapped softly on the door.

"Come in," said Tyler.

"Tell me you went home and got some sleep?" His desk had been moved to the window, and Emma couldn't help but notice the dark circles under his eyes.

"No, I couldn't sleep. I got here a few hours or so ago."

"Why'd you move your desk?" Emma looked around the room. Nothing else had been moved.

"Em, I can't even think of anything else besides this kid. I'm always looking down at the street, so at least I'll be comfortable now." Tyler gave a sad smile and tapped his arm rests.

She nodded in understanding and then quietly left to get her boss some coffee. Emma wished she could make all of this go away for him. She was going to try and do her best to make this cookout a success. After giving Tyler his coffee, she headed to her office. She let out a moan and then picked up the phone and pressed a button.

"Jacob Montclair, speaking."

"Did you do all the things I asked you to do?" Emma demanded.

"Emma, good morning!" Jacob replied brightly.

"Did you?" She asked again with an even firmer tone.

"Yes I did, and the advertisements have already begun. How are things—"

Emma hung up the phone. She wrote out a to-do list for the day, and her priority would be to make sure the caterer was on schedule. Hopefully the meats and other supplies have already been ordered. Nothing could delay this event, even if it meant she had to do it all herself. Emma reached in the lower drawer of her desk and pulled her purse and keys out. Emma couldn't just sit around and assume things were getting done, regardless of how dependable and good Sugar and Spice Catering had been at their past events. She walked across the street to Montclair Park.

Emma would often take her lunch breaks underneath the Elm trees or let the sun warm her face at the picnic tables. The park wasn't fenced in, so lots of folks visited; it was probably, just the way Natalie and Sebastian would have wanted it. She often wondered what Tyler's parents were like. He didn't have much to say other than they were taken way before their time. Emma fished the keys from her pocket and opened the large structure, which was used as a kitchen and supply area. When the door opened she nearly screamed. She didn't expect to see another person inside.

"You scared me!" exclaimed Renee, as she brought her hand down from her chest.

"I'm so sorry, Renee, I didn't mean to scare the crap out of you like that," laughed Emma.

"I was just here to double check everything. All the supplies were delivered about fifteen minutes ago. This gives me two days to right any wrongs in case something got overlooked. Has the event changed as far as menu or headcount?"

"No, we just need to make sure this event goes according to plan. Did I give you enough money for the supplies?" Emma knew the items necessary to pull the barbeque off would be expensive, so she had written Renee a hefty check for the deposit.

"I'm good with money so far. Is there another reason for this cookout besides helping out the homeless population? Like, do I need to get a birthday cake made or anything?" Renee took out a small pad of paper and a pen, ready to write down any further instructions.

"There's nothing extra included for Saturday." Emma paused for a minute before continuing. "I want to ask you something. Have you ever seen a homeless boy roaming around who plays a guitar? Late teens, blonde hair—"

"Yeah, I normally see someone matching your description, in the mornings, when I'm out running. Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him in some days. Is he a friend of yours?" Renee asked Emma with a concerned expression.

"Renee, would you like to sit outside with me for a few minutes so we can talk?"

Renee nodded her head and followed her friend outside to the picnic tables.

Emma took a deep breath and told Renee the whole story. She wasn't sure Tyler would approve, but at this stage in the game, they needed all eyes, and all the help they could get. She watched Renee's face closely for signs of disapproval, or of wanting to flee, but all she saw was sympathy.

"I'll help in any way I can. I may not know all of the Montclairs, as I've only dealt with you or the other staff, but what has happened to him isn't fair. As a matter of fact, it's criminal. Homeless or not, there are other ways to survive besides blackmail or to falsely accuse someone like this." Renee shook her head and looked down at the ground.

"That's my take on it. I think Mr. Murphy wants a big fat wad of cash in his pocket. The funny thing, though, is if Roger Murphy would have just asked Tyler for money, or for his watch for that matter, he'd probably have been handed whatever he wanted. Now, Tyler is facing a very long prison sentence." Emma wiped the corner of her eye.

"This kid's the only witness?" asked Renee.

"A woman in a nearby home saw Tyler punch the guy, which was in self-defense, but she doesn't know about the attack by the homeless man. The kid we're looking for saw the whole thing. He's Tyler's only hope at freedom."

Renee reached over and squeezed Emma's hand. "I'll help in any way I can."

After Emma hugged Renee and said goodbye. She walked back to her office and replaced her purse and keys in the desk drawer. She stood up, fluffed her hair, and checked her makeup in a hand mirror. Emma didn't want Tyler to know she'd been upset. She walked towards the large, corner office and knocked softly.

"Come on in," said Tyler, sounding distant.

As soon as Emma smiled and stepped into the office, she was barraged with the same questions her boss always asked lately, which she was getting tired of answering 'no' to.

"Anyone spot the kid? Do we have a name for him yet? Have we heard from Roger Murphy?"

"I'm sorry Tyler, but nothing's changed." She knew it'd do nothing but upset and frustrate her boss, if he became aware that she'd discussed the situation with Renee. Emma wasn't going to do anything to add to his worries. She didn't regret her decision to talk to Renee, as it had helped her feel better on the inside, and made available another set of eyes on the streets.

"Could you come to me right away if you hear anything?" Tyler asked with a look of desperation on his face.

"You know I will." Emma got up and gave him a hug. "How about we hop in my car and go for a drive, so you can take another look around the neighborhood."

"You'd do that?" Tyler stood up and began to slip on his casual jacket.

"Unless you have something else for me to do?" Emma smiled the best she could.

"Just the cookout stuff. That has to be the number one priority," said Tyler.

"The event is moving along as scheduled, Sir, so let's go!" Emma grabbed ahold of his hand and pulled. At least this way she could take him to a restaurant with a drive-thru and make him eat, while they looked around the area.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Renee walked into the apartment and cringed. She immediately wanted to throw the recliner in the trash. The visible evidence of what she'd had to live with sickened her: a dark spot where his head always rested, the cushions permanently indented where the weight of his body always flopped, and tons of food crumbs littered what was left of the fabric. Renee heard cursing in the kitchen. She set her purse down on the floor by the door. When she rounded the small corner, she spotted her husband rifling around in the cupboards and refrigerator.

"Are you looking for something, Robert?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm. He'd knocked a bag of flour on the floor and it had spilled open. She knew she'd have to be the one who cleaned it up.

"What the hell? Where's all the food?" he answered as he slammed the cupboard door shut.

"There's chicken breast in the freezer, veggies in the fridge—" Renee was cut off by his angry voice.

"The chips, and stuff. Where's the beer? Don't tell me we're outta beer!" He towered over her and screamed.

"Listen, Robert, with the little money I'm able to bring in, I have to focus on nutrition and paying the rent and utilities. Junk food and beer are on the bottom of the list. If you want extra in the house, you'll have to help me make more money." Renee put her hands on her hips and stood her ground.

Robert took off to the living room, picked up Renee's purse and dumped the contents out. He grabbed the twenty dollar bill she had for gas, and the business checkbook. Luckily, he didn't look inside and see the three hundred and forty-four dollars in the Sugar and Spice account. It was money she had left over from the deposit and it needed to go towards their rent.

"Stop!! You can't take that twenty dollars, or I won't be able to drive anywhere!" Renee thought about snatching the bill out of his hand, but knew it would be a bad decision.

"It's poker night! Go get some beer and snacks for the guys and stop being such a bitch!" Robert pushed the cash and checkbook at her ribs so hard, she nearly fell backwards. There was no way she could stomach was another poker night of obnoxious men, a smoke-filled apartment, and being belittled in front of people again. It was a vicious cycle. Tomorrow they'd be broke, and Robert would take out any of his losses on her. He'd called her names for the last time, and had probably left a bruise on her abdomen. It's now or never. She returned the twenty dollar bill back to her wallet, and then replaced the checkbook and other contents, from the floor, back in her purse.

"Don't come home without my shit!" he yelled, pointing a fat finger an inch from her nose.

With complete calm, and pure determination, she walked out the door. She had no intentions of ever returning.

"And hurry the hell up!!!" Robert was shouting as she quietly closed the door.

Renee climbed into her small rusted pickup, and it immediately hit her that she had nowhere to go. She couldn't go to Carol's because that'd be the first place he'd look. One thing was certain; she'd have to find someplace to hide her truck. He'd steal it in a heartbeat and it was in her name. Renee pulled over to the side of the road. Think, think, think! No one knew the full extent of the ugly truth about her life, other than Carol. She wasn't afraid when she'd walked out the door, but hadn't thought it all out. Regardless, she couldn't stomach seeing Robert spend their last dime, yet again, or put up with six unruly men gambling in a drunken stupor in her home all night...again.

As she headed into town she saw the sign for Montclair Pharmaceuticals. She pulled up at the security booth and asked to see Emma Ward, and showed the guard her driver's license.

"Wait right here, please," said the guard as he picked up the phone. "Okay, go on through. Stop at the desk, sign in, get your badge, and then take the elevator to the twelfth floor."

Renee did as she was told. Inside the lobby was gorgeous. There were large windows and skylights; it was obvious that great care had been taken to make this area as pleasant as possible. A pretty receptionist motioned her over right away.

"You're here to see Emma Ward?"

"Yes, please," said Renee as she signed the clipboard the receptionist held out.

"Baily will escort you up."

Renee smiled, but felt awkward being escorted to the elevators. She had no idea that he'd, not only stay on the elevator with her, but physically walk her to Emma's office, too.

The young guard knocked on Emma's door. She opened it and waved Renee in.

"Thank you, Baily," they both responded as the young guard left.

"I'm sorry, Renee. With everything that's happened here, our security is very amped up. Please tell me you came to see me because you spotted the kid?" Emma's eyes got big.

"No, I'm sorry, it's nothing like that. I feel kind of weird asking you this, but, is there any way I can park my pickup here in your lot? If I don't, it'll be stolen and it's all I have." Renee instantly regretted her words. What was I thinking, coming to this woman to park my truck?!

"Who wants to steal your truck? We should call the police, not that I have much faith in them at the moment," scowled Emma.

"My husband. Please don't say anything to anyone okay? If I can't park here, I can find someplace else. I just know he'll be looking for me soon." It felt to Renee, like the office had suddenly grown a hundred degrees hotter. Her skin felt on fire, and she hoped her embarrassment wasn't noticeable.

"Wait a minute. Does your husband hurt you?" Emma got a fierce look on her face.

"He's never hit me or hurt me directly, but he smashes things and is verbally abusive. I had to leave." Renee didn't want to say anything about Robert shoving her. The mere thought of trying to get her husband in trouble for domestic violence, scared the hell out of her. It was Renee's word against Robert's. With all the friends he had, she'd lose, and then he'd make her pay.

"Do you need a place to stay?" Emma locked her fingers in Renee's.

"No, I have some place to go." She wasn't ready for that step. Finding a place to park her truck was one thing, but taking advantage of Emma's couch, the woman who was paying her, wasn't going to happen.

"Let me call downstairs and let them know your truck will be in the lot. Otherwise they'll tow it." Her eyes looked full of worry.

Renee nodded and looked around the room as she waited as Emma to hang up with security. This was the only office she'd ever been in at Montclair Pharmaceuticals; it was spacious, and done in welcoming colors of spring green and pastels. There were wooden file cabinets, and all of the furniture matched. The Montclairs definitely treated this woman well, as they should; Emma was a gem.

"Okay you're all set. If you need to move the truck for any reason, you'll just have to show security your identification. You can bring it back to the lot anytime you want. You have to promise me that if you need anything at all, a place to stay, food, money, anything; you come to me and I'll get you help."

Renee stood up and thanked her. She wanted to get out of the office before she broke down in tears. She'd just started her friendship with Emma, and didn't want to make her run for the hills. However, she doubted her new friend would ever turn her back on anyone.

Renee walked out of the office with a thousand thoughts going through her head. The next step was to find a place to stay, which would be the hard part. Renee walked down Main Street to a large church, hoping she could ask a priest for help. She hadn't been to a service since she was a little girl. She pushed at the door, but it was locked. Anxiety was creeping into her again. She looked at her phone; it was five-thirty. Robert would be pacing the floor if he wasn't already out looking for her. Renee started to jog up the street to Montclair Park. She let herself into the kitchen building, and walked over to the dark corner. She slumped down the wall to the floor, and finally let herself sob.

Chapter 8

Tyler looked at the clock on his desk. He arrived at the office at five this morning; it was a bad habit he'd gotten himself into doing lately. Not sleeping was taking its toll. The cookout was scheduled to begin in just an hour, and he hoped the witness would make an appearance. Vinnie had called to inform him that he'd stationed everyone around the park in a strategic manner. If a boy matching the description showed up, he'd be spotted. Tyler picked up the hand-held radio which Jacob had given him. His brothers, along with the men Vincent had hired, were also equipped with a radio, and were instructed to instantly announce to the others if the witness was spotted. He pushed the office intercom and summoned Emma.

She walked in and sat across from Tyler. His despair was very noticeable on his face.

"Everything's on schedule, Tyler. Renee and her friend have been busy cooking and making the last minute adjustments. People are already arriving. Before you ask, the teen we're looking for hasn't shown his face, but I think he will!" Emma tried to sound hopeful.

"I guess I better head over there. Am I giving the speech or is someone else?"

"I asked Jacob to do it..." answered Emma with some hesitation.

"You and my brother have made up after all?" Tyler hoped they'd resolve their conflict at some point, but he had a feeling they hadn't.

"No..."

"So you told Jacob to do the speech?" Tyler let out a chuckle.

"Get ready, Tyler, we have a cookout to go to." Emma winked before walking out the door.

Tyler stepped inside his bathroom and changed into a nice pair of jeans, a yellow sweatshirt and sneakers. He picked up the radio and spoke into it.

"Are we ready to roll?"

"All men are on deck," replied Vinnie.

"And women!" replied Emma.

Tyler was glad his assistant had so much spunk. He walked out of his office and headed toward the park. He roamed around the wide perimeter of the grounds, smelling the delicious scents. He realized he hadn't eaten in almost twenty-four hours; Emma would kill him if she knew that.

As Tyler approached, he counted a little over a hundred people. Hopefully more would surface. When he headed to the grill, he spotted Jacob.

"You're cooking?" Tyler asked. "Shouldn't you be looking around?"

"Ty, I'm covering this area. People have to come up here to fill their plates. I'll be able to see everyone who gets food. I have the best vantage point." Jacob squeezed his shoulder. "Maybe you should mingle some. You can always ask about the missing teen, but be discreet about it."

"I need to find Emma, so she can get you introduced. You need to do the speech in about five minutes. The cookout has to start on schedule, because it's supposed to rain at some point."

"Speech? What speech?" Jacob's face went white.

"Okay, just go up there, welcome everyone, say a little about our company, and point out where the food is served. Simple."

"Why do I have to do it?" Jacob asked slightly irritated.

"Because Emma said so..." Tyler laughed, saw the look of defeat on Jacob's face, and then walked off into the crowd.

Tyler slowly made his way between picnic tables and mingled with the guests. He wasn't able to obtain any information on the kid, nor were there any sightings. Except for people giving reports from their stations, the radio stayed quiet. When his stomach was growling enough to get his attention, he managed to eat the hamburger which Emma shoved in front of him.

The leftovers, which weren't many, were handed out by Emma. By five that afternoon, everyone was gone, and Tyler's mood took a dive. He got tired of asking people the same questions. Some of the folks who had attended the cookout had mental illnesses and couldn't communicate very well, some were highly intoxicated, and some just didn't want to talk to him. The homeless were very protective of one another and their suspicions didn't take long to reach a high point.

Tyler looked for Emma but was told she had walked back to the office. She was probably going to number crunch and get the final payment ready to give to the caterer in the morning. His brothers had returned to work as well. They were the ones holding up the business, as Tyler was pretty much functionless these days. Asking the employees to rotate working Sundays wasn't easy, but the company was getting backlogged. He knew it was mostly his fault, which did nothing but add to his burden.

When the skies clouded over and he felt droplets, he walked into the kitchen. The building was empty other than one woman standing at the large sink scrubbing pans and utensils. She was crying softly and sniffling.

"Need some help?" asked Tyler, who stared at her puffy eyes when she turned around. She had sweat beading on her forehead, and stray hair strands covered her neck and face. Her cheeks were red and tear-stained.

"No, it's okay. Did you get anything to eat?"

Tyler could tell she was nervous and that he'd startled her. He didn't know who she was, but it was obvious she could use some help. He pushed up his sleeves, and put his hands into the warm soapy water in the sink.

"You don't have to help with this. There's a lot of grunt work to do." Renee let out a nervous laugh and wiped her face with a towel. She hoped this guy wasn't dangerous.

"Well I guess I'm going to be a grunt worker." Tyler picked up a serving platter and began to scrub it. His hand brushed against hers in the water.

"Sorry about that," said Renee as she moved over.

"Do you work for the catering company?" Tyler couldn't believe they didn't give this woman any help with the hardest part of the job.

"No, I am the catering company," she laughed. She looked down at the water and briefly shook her head. Her cheeks reddened again and her eyes watered.

"You should really hire someone to help you."

"It's just the clean-up. My friend helps me do the cooking and serving, but to cut costs, I do my own clean up. If you're looking to make a few bucks helping out, I really can't afford it."

"It's okay. I just want to help." She doesn't know who I am. Tyler had always kept a low profile. He liked staying out of the spotlight at all costs.

"Thank you. My name's Renee." She lifted a soapy hand out of the water and offered it to Tyler, but quickly let go and broke her gaze, when she saw the concern on his face. She didn't give him a chance to say his name.

He gently held her fingers, before placing them back into the water. His hand kept brushing up against hers. The first thing he noticed was the small diamond ring on her wedding finger. He was shocked that he even looked, but she had such delicate hands.

"Did you get something to eat?" Renee immediately asked again, trying to prevent any silence. She hadn't been this close to a man in years, and definitely not during her marriage to Robert.

"The food was great, thank you." Tyler couldn't believe she owned the catering company, and her husband wasn't even here helping. Maybe she isn't married. "Did you save some to take home to your family?"

"I don't have a family. I'm married, but I walked out on my husband--" Renee abruptly stopped talking. She couldn't believe she'd just said that to a complete stranger, but sometimes it was safer to talk to someone you didn't know.

"I'm sorry, Renee, I didn't mean to pry."

"And I didn't mean to tell you, but I must admit, I feel a little better." She tried to laugh but it didn't come out that way; a short sob was more like it. "He's a jackass. I had no choice but to leave." Renee was biting her lip so she wouldn't cry more.

"Was he hurting you?" Tyler felt himself needing to know if she was in physical danger. Hopefully he wouldn't offend her with his questions.

Renee took a deep breath, and once she started talking, she couldn't stop; neither would the tears. "This catering company is his. He was a decent guy, making all sorts of promises when we met, then sat on his behind, doing nothing for years. Sugar and Spice could be lucrative if he'd help, but he doesn't. Robert treated me like I was dirt and talked to me like I was a low-life, so I left him." Although she'd told Emma she'd left Robert, it felt good to say the words to someone else. Renee still couldn't risk telling anyone that the violence had become physical. Getting the cops involved was a big no no.

"Where are you staying now?" Tyler really wanted to dry her tears and hold her. Knowing he was just a stranger, though, being a supportive listener was the best he could do. If she told him her husband was knocking the snot out of her, the rules were definitely going to change.

"Um...up the street a bit." Renee blushed again, while she felt him reach over in the water and squeeze her hand.

"It'll be okay. He doesn't deserve you, but you already know that." Tyler looked over and saw more tears roll down her cheeks.

"Thank you. You're right, I know he doesn't deserve any decent woman, but it never hurts to have someone reassure you that you've made the right decision."

"Now that you've left, what are you going to do?" Tyler hoped she'd divorce the bastard.

"Things are up in the air, because I haven't been gone for very long." Renee didn't want to tell him that she had no idea what to do, and that she'd been living right here in this kitchen, surviving on raw hotdogs.

Tyler helped wash the last huge pan. She washed one end while he scrubbed the other.

"Is this the last of it?" asked Tyler. He wished there was more to do. He wasn't ready to let her walk off with her feeling so much pain.

"This is it. Thank you for all your help. I'm sorry, but I don't even know your name."

"Tyler." He smiled.

"Thank you for listening to me ramble. I guess I needed to talk to someone." Renee laughed, but really wanted to throw her arms around this stranger's neck and sob. She cried alone every single night, and would give anything just to be held. Hell, Robert hadn't hugged her in years. Carol didn't even know she'd finally left Robert.

Tyler picked up a towel, lifted the large pan and dried it off.

"I can get the rest. All I have to do is let the water out of the sink, and then come back in the morning and give an employee the key. The Montclairs are such a generous family. I've been doing this event for them for years, so I'll be sad not to be a part of it anymore."

"You can still do the events, just not under your husband's catering service. You do all the work, so he shouldn't be getting any of the money or credit. Why should you help his business be a success when he doesn't even care about it?" Tyler could just picture her useless husband relaxing on the couch with a remote, while his wife was out here busting her ass.

"I don't know. I'm sure they'll want to have the paperwork necessary to hire me. I make sure we carry our own insurance and my license is up to date, but Sugar and Spice Catering is on everything."

"You can do the event." Tyler had to be careful. He wasn't ready to tell her who he was. He had already been with someone who only wanted him for his money.

"You've been very generous and thoughtful with your time. Thank you, Tyler. It's late and I need to be getting home." She was ready to collapse. Even though her bed was a bunch of towels and linens she piled in the corner, it was still bed, and her back and feet were killing her.

"I'll hang around and make sure you get out okay." Tyler reached into the sink to lift the plug at the same time Renee stuck her hand into the sudsy water. He held it suddenly, causing the young woman to gasp in surprise. He reached his other hand into the water and massaged her palms softly. Before he knew it, their fingers locked for a moment. He tilted his head to look at her, the soft brown eyes, the messy ponytail...

"Tyler—" she began.

"Don't go back to him," he pleaded.

"I'm married. I'm confused, angry, lost...but I'm still married," she said softy as their lips got closer together.

"It sounds to me like you haven't had a husband in years." Tyler said as he softly brushed his lips across hers.

"Don't," she whispered.

Tyler turned his face back toward the water. He unlocked his fingers from hers, slid the small wedding band from her finger, and let it fall into the warm water.

"I'll wait for you outside," he said quietly, as he turned to go out the door. He didn't even feel the rain hitting him until the thunder and lightning interrupted the silence. He jogged over to a tree and stood under the branches. The least of his worries was being out in a storm. What was he thinking, hitting on a married woman? But she left him. Am I wrong? The jerk didn't even take care of her.

Renee dried her hands off, grabbed her keys and started out the door. She would much rather stay inside, but knew Tyler would probably be waiting out there like he said he'd do. She'd get in her pickup, drive around the block a few times, then head to the parking lot at Montclair Pharmaceuticals. She heard some thunder and lightning and hoped the storm would pass quickly. When she stepped outside, the wind and rain pelted her. She let out a slight scream and took off running.

Tyler ran up beside Renee and threw his arm around her, trying to provide a little protection and warmth.

She kept her head down and couldn't see a thing. Thankfully, Tyler could guide her to the truck. She knew rain was in the forecast but had no idea a storm was going to brew so quickly. She didn't mind rain, but thunder and lightning scared the heck out of her.

Lightning hit a tree near them and the crack vibrated through her. Renee screamed again and tried to run faster. When she finally reached her truck, she dropped the keys in the mud and bent to get them. As she did, she felt Tyler's hand on the keys too.

He saw she hadn't put the ring back on her finger. Without hesitation, and without thinking, he spun her around and kissed her without rules, without boundaries, without thinking of anything else. He let his tongue open her mouth. He felt her warmth, heard her soft moan, and then softly pushed her against the side of the wet truck.

Renee's hands reached up and grabbed the sides of his strong face. His weight against her was making her melt. Tyler's large frame blocked the rain from her face, and gave her the instant relief and comfort she'd been missing. This void seemed to have gone on for a lifetime. Renee didn't think about right or wrong, thunder or lightning or what she'd do tomorrow. She let herself get lost in this man's arms, sharing a kiss like she'd never experienced before...and definitely not with Robert.

After the long kiss, he opened her door and stood there in the rain, until he knew she got safely inside the pickup and drove away. His hair and clothes were soaked. Tyler didn't feel the harsh weather as he slowly walked back across the street to the office. He let the rain drip off the tip of his nose and his chin. For the first time in years, he felt alive. He'd definitely have trouble sleeping tonight when he climbed into bed, but it wouldn't just be because of the kid.

Renee circled the large block, thankful the rain had simmered down to a sprinkle. She still felt hypnotized by Tyler's kiss, and was even more determined to get a divorce now. She never believed that someone would find her attractive. Robert certainly never made her feel beautiful or pretty. Finding the money to pay for a divorce was going to be quite a challenge, but she'd do whatever it took. Tonight proved to her that there could possibly be a happy life, after drowning in the wake of her husband. It's not too late for me.

As Renee drove back past the park, she noticed someone with a guitar swung across his back, picking food out of the garbage. She quickly pulled over and rolled down her window. She was positive it was the teen Emma had told her about, especially when he stepped into the light and she could see his blond hair.

"Hey!" she yelled and waved her arm out the window. "I can get you some fresh food!"

He looked up and then took off in a fast run. By the time she turned the pickup around, he was long gone.

Damn, I scared him off. At least she could tell Emma he was still in the area. She drove to Montclair Pharmaceuticals, stopped by security, and then parked her pickup. She jogged off the lot while they stared at her, but no one said a word.

As she walked back down the block, she hoped her information would help the Montclairs. She hadn't even thought about the witness until she spotted him digging in the trash. Tyler. Then it dawned on her. She'd been so wrapped up in her own life, she totally didn't connect the dots. That Tyler? Tyler Montclair? Trying to gather her racing thoughts, she looked around to see if the boy had returned, then unlocked the kitchen door and turned on the small light over the oven, once inside. She gathered linen from the bottom drawer and began to lay them on the ground in the corner. Renee was shivering from the cold, as she spread her wet clothing over the counters to dry. She reached inside a small closet where she'd hidden some of her things, and fished out a dry pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She had no idea what lay ahead for her, and tried not to picture herself digging through trashcans like the homeless boy. Renee stared up at the sink as she waited for sleep to overtake her. Thoughts of her situation, the young kid with the guitar, the kiss...that kiss, replayed over and over again in her mind

Chapter 9

Renee woke up and stretched. There wasn't any light coming in under the door, so she knew she hadn't slept very long. She was cold, her body was killing her, and she wished she'd packed something warm to wear. If Robert actually left the apartment for once, she could go get some more of her things. Thankfully, she kept a couple of spare outfits in her truck, just in case she soiled her clothing during an event. Her extra clothes, however, had been in there for months, and weren't very warm for camping out in this weather. The nights were still chilly, and it was impossible to warm a cement floor.

After gathering her belongings and putting up the linens, Renee turned off the small light and took a second look around. She nervously went out the door, locking it behind her. Now where do I go to sleep? As she walked through the park, she kept her eyes peeled for the teen, but all Renee could see and hear was the occasional car, typical of Sunday mornings. She'd be getting ready for a long run if she hadn't of left her apartment, but that was then and this was now. Things change.

Renee crossed the street carrying a small duffle bag, which held her belongings. She stopped by security to sign in, and then walked to her pickup. She'd drive around for a while, and then return it later in the morning, just in case Emma started work early. After opening up the rusty door and placing her things inside, she noticed her cellphone was dead. Renee plugged it in, and then left the lot.

She'd have to give Emma the key to the kitchen and get her check. The anxiety she felt when she'd left the park, hadn't faded any. As soon as the banks opened up on Monday, Renee would find out the balance on the business account. Hopefully Robert hadn't gotten his hands on any of it. Renee had declined an ATM card because it would have made it too easy for Robert to remove all the money. She'd withdraw a hundred and seventy-five dollars, half of the current balance, which would leave her husband the same amount. She hated Robert, but she believed in being fair. If he did nothing to earn a living, or decided against using his portion wisely, then that was on him. They'd each have an equal start. Renee did the event without one bit of his help, so she'd ask Emma to make the final check out to her personally. Robert didn't deserve a dime of that money. With those funds, she'd make sure she was able to pay Carol.

Renee drove around the side streets, looking for a place to park her truck until she could drive back to Montclair Pharmaceuticals and get her check. She found a small grocery store, which had a large dumpster in the back, and so she parked behind it and waited until it was daylight. When a couple of cars pulled up out front, she started her truck and made her way back to the parking lot, while taking side streets.

Security opened the door for Renee and she went inside. She could smell coffee and her mouth watered. A young woman walked up to the reception counter from a different door. She said she'd be just a minute, as she put her bag away and hung her jacket up. As Renee walked around the lobby, she came upon large portraits on the walls. There was one of Sebastian and Natalie, the same faces on the plaque at the park, she recalled, and also portraits of Sean, Jacob, Vincent...and then there he was. Tyler. All the men had stunning blue eyes, dark hair, and looked very similar to Natalie. Tyler's eyes, however, were the ones which captivated her, looked inside her, and pleaded with her to leave Robert. Renee could still feel his face underneath her palms...the rain dripping from his lips as he brought them to hers...Should I have allowed him to kiss me? Even though she'd separated from Robert and was going to divorce him, she worried that she was wrong; the beautiful, amazing kiss, was wrong.

"I'm sorry, I can help you now," interrupted the receptionist.

"Oh, okay. I'm here to see Emma Ward. She told me she was working today. I know it's kind of early, but is she in yet?" What Renee really wanted to do was stand there and stare at Tyler Montclair some more; right or wrong. She couldn't believe how quickly he'd occupied her thoughts, and how much she was drawn to him. She hadn't allowed herself to think of any man this way since she'd married Robert. The first year of being Mrs. Preston was nice, but after trying so hard to be good enough for the love and attention he withheld from her, she'd given up hope. After so long, she desired nothing from Robert, other than civility and financial help. I've been existing inside of a jagged-edged shell. I only stayed married to him out of fear. Renee felt like she'd emotionally divorced Robert long ago.

"Give me one second and I'll check." The pretty young woman made a quick call. "She should be in any minute. Have a seat and I'll let you know when she's available."

With a sigh of relief, Renee sat on a navy upholstered chair, and let herself sink into the cushions. It felt so good on her back, she was fearful she'd fall asleep. After a few minutes, she stood up and faced the window to hide her yawns.

"She's in now. I'll get someone to escort you." She waved a young security guard over.

As Renee and the guard stepped onto the twelfth floor, she slowly walked to Emma's office, letting the guard walk ahead of her. She hadn't paid too much attention to the exquisite details when she was here last time. The décor was very masculine. Each door was a heavy oak, with name plates centered on them. Before she could read the engravings, Emma stepped out of her office.

"Renee! Good morning! Coffee?" Emma was wearing a smart navy blue suit with a crisp white shirt, and looked as if she never needed any sleep.

"Yes, please. Just black. How are you?" Renee couldn't wait to tell her she'd spotted Tyler's witness.

"I'm doing pretty good. It's chilly outside this morning. My car didn't even have a chance to warm up!" Emma moved the sofa pillows onto her chair, and then poured two cups of coffee and set them on the coffee table. Emma motioned for Renee to sit beside of her as she sipped the steamy brew.

After talking about Michigan weather, and other neutral subjects, Emma changed the topic to a more serious one. "...How are things with you and your husband?"

"I haven't seen him. I'm going to file for a divorce as soon as I can find an affordable attorney." Renee could only imagine how much it was going to cost.

"I can help you. Between the both of us, I'm sure we can cover it. I wouldn't normally get this involved, but my mom was abused for years. No woman deserves to live that way. If it wasn't for Tyler--" Emma smiled and patted Renee's knee. Her eyes were tearing up so she stopped herself from finishing the sentence.

"Listen, I appreciate the offer, but I'm sure I can manage something." Like hell I can, she thought. "I wanted to tell you, I saw the boy you guys are looking for last night. He was digging through the trash at the park. I'm pretty positive it was him. He was young and had a guitar strapped to his back. I tried to get his attention, but I think all I did was cause him to run off."

"Renee!! That's so great!" Emma held up her index finger as she smiled wide. The excitement in her eyes was evident. "Hold that thought. Let me get Tyler in here so you can make his day!"

Before Renee could object, Emma pressed the intercom to the office of Tyler Montclair.

"Oh my, look at the time!" began Renee with a panicked voice. "I really need to get to an appointment, I'm late." Renee stood to leave.

"Are you sure? Tyler Montclair is on his way over. He'd love to hear about your sighting."

"I'm sorry, Emma. I need to fly. Please apologize for me. If I can get my check, I'll take off and maybe make it in time." Renee never expected Tyler to be at work today. She didn't know why she was getting cold feet and feeling like a school girl. Her clothes were rumpled, she hadn't showered in a while, and her hair probably looked like a rat's nest. She was also sure that her friend would sense the chemistry between her and Tyler, and she didn't want to be judged any more than she was already judging herself.

Emma handed Renee her check, took the key back, and then hugged her goodbye. "Stop by and say hi sometime. I'll be calling you for the next event soon, so we'll be working together again. You did a great job out there."

"Thank you, Emma. I'll talk with you soon." Renee smiled and then half walked, half jogged to her truck. Once inside, she left the lot as quickly as she could.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler wished he could've slept in like most people did on Sundays. Instead, he sat at his kitchen table at four that morning with a stale cup of coffee. He hadn't been to bed yet, because his mind wouldn't shut off. His brain was creating a circle of defeat...Renee...find the kid...Renee. Without the kid he'd go to prison and there'd be no Renee. He knew deep inside, he wasn't ready to have a woman occupy his thoughts, but after listening to Renee's struggles, and seeing her tears, he knew he had to help her. He was definitely a sucker for tears, because Denise could turn those on like a pro, and then he'd feel guilty about breaking off the relationship. Walking away from Renee would be the easiest thing to do, but there was something about her he couldn't shake. Even if she never wanted to see or speak to him again, he'd find a way to help her rid herself of the useless bastard she was married to. He dumped his coffee out in the sink.

Jumping in the warm shower made Tyler close his eyes and remember last night; helping her get safely to her truck in the storm, the water; the droplets I licked off her lips...Tyler turned the temperature to cold. He hurried and washed, threw on some casual clothes, and then headed out the door. It was time to scour the neighborhood. Even though Vinnie called him daily at the office to give him updates, he felt like no one could save him better than himself. With this mysterious woman in the picture, the one who had him on fire last night, he had an even bigger reason to maintain his freedom. He hoped she'd let him close enough, again, to help her.

As he drove around the lonely streets of Southfield, there were few cars and even fewer people walking around, but then again, everyone was in their warm beds. Tyler shook his head. He'd normally sleep until ten, and then get up to sit at his kitchen table and read the paper in his boxers. The coffee would be fresh and he'd be enjoying the first sip of the day, but now, Tyler had a feeling that he wouldn't be relaxing for a while. As he turned the corner by the park, he spotted a shadow. He quickly stopped along the curb, and removed his seatbelt just in case. As the shadow stepped closer to the streetlight, Tyler saw him. The kid was wearing a dark hoodie, but he was clearly carrying a guitar. Tyler opened his car door and bolted.

Trying to make as little sound as possible, he got to the grass as quickly as he could. Tyler tried to stay out of sight, dodging from tree to tree, but the kid suddenly looked up. When they saw each other, they both froze.

"Please, I need your help," pleaded Tyler calmly. He could feel sweat running down the back of his neck.

The boy ran like the wind.

Tyler turned to walk back to his car. Part of him wanted to give chase, but he knew if he did, he'd ruin any future encounters. He didn't even realize he'd left the engine running and the car door open. He was lucky it was still there. He got inside and drove to the office. His hands were hurting when he got out of the car at work; he hadn't been aware of how hard he'd been gripping the wheel.

Tyler walked to his office, closed the door, and sat in the dark. He couldn't really see the streets yet, but at least he knew his witness was still in the area. He picked up the phone and called Vincent.

"So it's like five in the morning or something, Tyler," said Vincent with a raspy voice. "It's Sunday for God sakes, my only day to sleep in!"

"Vinnie, I saw him! The kid was in the neighborhood, and probably isn't staying too far from the park. I approached him and he ran. Make sure you tell your guys to keep their distance if he's spotted." Tyler stood up and paced. "They can't chase him," he firmly said to his brother.

"On my way, Ty. I'll let everyone else know in a few hours or so. Too bad you didn't spot him at like eleven or something."

"Yeah, yeah," he laughed at Vincent's comment, hung up, and then let his phone fall to his desk.

"Why don't you stop hiding!" yelled Tyler to his empty office. He walked over and let his body drop to his chair, threw his head back and closed his eyes.

After a few minutes, Tyler turned to face the window and stared through the glass. It's amazing what you find out when you stay up almost all the time, he thought. On weekdays, he watched papers being delivered, vendors setting up, and the city workers cleaning the streets before the traffic got too congested. Sometimes he witnessed fender benders, or saw parents scolding their kids. Parents. I could use a set of those right about now. He watched the security change shifts, and saw those who drove like hotheads in his parking lot...everything but the dang boy. This morning, however, the area was still. Just before he turned to pace, he saw the bar rise up and let in an old pickup truck. Tyler could recognize that vehicle anywhere. He smiled and felt his heart race. He knew she was there to drop off the key and pick up her check. I can talk to her again!

After Tyler could no longer see Renee's pickup, he darted to his bathroom and stood in the mirror. He looked like hell. God, I can't let her see me looking like this. He lifted the electric razor to his face, as he pulled out some clean clothes from the closet.

As he was changing into a suit and clean shirt, he heard his intercom buzzer go off. He hoped Emma didn't need to meet with him. He answered promptly.

"Good morning, Emma, what's up?" Tyler didn't want any delays. Renee was probably out in the lobby. She'd be up here any minute.

"Tyler, can you come into my office? I have Renee from the catering company in here, and she has some news you should hear!" Emma sounded beside herself with excitement.

"On my way!" This couldn't get any better, thought Tyler as he quickly put on his black dress shoes. All he had to do was pick out a tie, and he'd fly next door.

Tyler was almost to the door when his intercom buzzer went off again. He quickly raced back to his desk and pushed the intercom button with more force than was necessary.

"Hi, Emma, I'm on my way over," he said, clearly irritated.

"I'm sorry, Ty, but she left. She was running late for an appointment and had to take off."

Tyler sighed heavily and sat on the edge of his desk. "Is she coming back?"

"She'll do the next event for us, so yes, she'll be back."

"What did she say?" Tyler walked over to the window and watched as her pickup drove off the lot.

"Renee saw the teen digging through the trash last night in the park. He took off when he saw her, but at least we know he isn't staying far away."

"Yeah I spotted him too. This morning he was back at the park, but he bolted before I could get him to talk to me."

"Now we know where to look," said Emma with an encouraging voice.

"Give me Renee's phone number and address, please," he said with a serious tone.

"Tyler, I talked to her about what she saw. You won't get any more information other than what I told you, but I'll pull her file up. I can only give you her old address, because she hasn't given me her new one. She's having personal problems and had to move. The phone number is still good, though."

He listened as Emma quickly typed. Tyler wrote down Renee's contact information, and then went to his bathroom to put his jeans back on. He should have just run to Emma's office instead of wasting time. He shut the lights off, stretched out on the sofa, and tried to calm his temper. It wasn't working. After an hour Tyler angrily grabbed his keys and wallet, and then walked out the door. She was this close! He didn't even tell Emma he was leaving. All he knew was, he had to get out of his office before he started yelling at everyone. Before Tyler got to the elevator, he darted back to his office and tore a piece of paper off the notepad. He knew exactly where he was going to go.

Tyler drove around until he found Renee's apartment complex. It wasn't very big, and was definitely off the beaten path. When he spotted a small sign in a window with the words "Open" written in orange, he parked his car and walked inside.

"What can I do ya for?" said the gruff man, with a large belly, standing behind the desk.

"Is the manager in?" asked Tyler. His pulse was really racing now.

"I'm it," the man answered with his hands splayed by his sides. He picked up a lighter and lit the wet cigar he was rolling around his lips. "I normally don't open up until noon, but my grandson has a bowling tournament at one."

"I'm looking for Renee Preston."

"Well when you see her, tell her she's late on her rent. This is the sixth month in a row, and I won't hesitate to evict her and that lazy husband of hers." He sat down and slid his chair up to the desk. He put glasses on his face, and then looked over the tops of them at Tyler. "Apartment six. We don't have those fancy buttons to announce yourself like they do at bigger complexes, so you'll have to go up there and knock."

Tyler thanked the man, and then went outside. He knew he was probably pushing the limits, but he had to know where she went. He'd have to concoct a story as to the reason for his presence. Tyler could hear the television blaring even before he knocked.

"Who is it?!" The loud voice demanded.

"My name is Morris! I'm looking for Renee Preston!" yelled Tyler. He was getting impatient. Finally, a large man flung open the door with force, causing it to hit the wall. Even though Tyler disliked making assumptions, he believed he was standing face to face with Renee's bastard of a husband.

"What do you want with her?!"

"I'm sorry, unless you're family, I can't disclose anything." Tyler was trying to think fast.

"My name is Preston. Robert Preston, and Renee's my wife. Say whatever you came here to say," scowled Robert.

"Nice to meet you." Tyler reached out his hand. The thought of touching this scuzzy man was making his stomach turn. He could smell his foul odor from three feet away.

Robert stretched out his large hand, and returned Tyler's handshake with force.

"What do you want with my wife?" Robert kept looking back into the apartment to watch a race, which was blaring on the screen.

"I have a check for her." Tyler almost kicked himself. He not only didn't have a check, he didn't have his check book.

"Give it to me then!" yelled Robert, sticking out an open palm.

"Is she here?" Tyler asked again, trying to sound professional.

"No the bitch ain't here. She ran off. Give me the check and I'll make sure she gets it pronto!" Robert laughed boisterously.

Tyler looked at the glare in his eyes, and had to restrain himself from punching the creep. "Do you know where she went?"

"No, I don't know where she went. How the hell would I know when she doesn't even bother to come back and see if I need anything?! But when I see her, I'm going to Kick. Her. Ass! Ya hear me?!" Robert yelled even louder, and when he did, spit came sailing out of his mouth onto Tyler's face.

Without saying another word, Tyler wiped his face off with his sleeve and quickly walked away. He nearly lost his restraint and slammed his fist into Robert's head. His blood was boiling, and he had to sit in his car for a minute to calm down, before starting the engine.

Driving away, Tyler was even more determined to find Renee. Robert was a large guy, and Renee was maybe a hundred and ten pounds, soaking wet. He feared that if she returned, Robert really would bring her physical harm. Hell, he was near the man for two minutes and completely understood why she'd left. Tyler could only imagine the hell that Renee had lived through.

As he drove around the neighborhood, Tyler realized, his attempts at spotting his witness during the day, were a wasted effort. If they were going to find him, it'd have to be in the wee hours. He quickly drove to his office and called the number on the piece of paper. The greeting was from Renee at Sugar and Spice Catering, and instructed him to leave a voicemail.

"Renee, this is Tyler Montclair, the guy you talked to at the cookout. I need you to call me as soon as possible." He left his cellphone number, and mentioned that he was calling from his direct office line and told her to save it. If Renee called back, he'd ask her to come in. He had to make sure she was aware of the danger she was in.

A few hours later, Tyler's brothers entered his office.

Sean sat down on the sofa, and stretched out his legs, letting his feet rest on the large coffee table.

"Must you do that?" asked Tyler while he smiled and shook his head.

"Well, yeah," laughed Sean as he leaned further back into the plush sofa.

The others took seats too.

"Thanks for coming in today guys," Tyler apologized for asking them to work Sundays, and then he filled them in on the latest news before they had a chance to complain.

"Were you able to follow him?" asked Sean.

"No," began Tyler as he sat on the edge of his desk. "He bolted. What we're going to have to do is ruin everyone's sleep. We need to look for him at night. He's been spotted after midnight on two occasions. We don't think he's roaming too far from the park area."

Jacob playfully pushed Sean's feet off the table. "When we spot the young man, how are we going to get him to testify if we can't make him stop running?"

Vincent opened up his briefcase and pulled out a folder. "I've already figured this out my dear boy. I've had plenty of time to think...Like today, for instance. Ya see, Tyler, our kind brother, felt compelled to wake me up at the ass crack of dawn. I asked the court for a subpoena last week, for him to testify, and here's a copy. Now, if we can't find him, I doubt the guy I paid can find him either. We can't say he's a runaway and have him picked up, because we don't know his age, we're just guessing. The cops would have to let him go on the spot if he's not a minor and can prove it. Also, you guys have to keep in mind, if he doesn't want to testify, he can lie about what he saw. We can't force him. But clearly, he's the only person who can help Tyler's defense. My best idea is to have a cop friend of mine try to serve the subpoena, and then bring the young man into custody if he runs. That'll at least give us some time to talk to him and alleviate his fears while they have him detained. I'm pretty sure the kid will give up his name then. I'll talk to Frank and see if he'll help us out."

"Nice, Vinnie. Thank you." Tyler let out a sigh of relief.

"Make sure your friend Frank doesn't need sleep, Vinnie. If we have to be on night patrol, so does he," laughed Sean.

"There's one more person I need to find." Tyler opened up the piece of paper from his pocket. "Renee Preston."

"The caterer, Renee?" asked Jacob.

"Yes, she's a friend who might be in danger. I don't know where she went, but I met her gruesome husband who threatened to bring her harm when he sees her. She has to be warned." Tyler knew his brothers would back him, regardless if they agreed with his request or not.

"...So you slept with her," laughed Sean.

"No, I didn't sleep with her egghead," Tyler's cheeks reddened.

"Oh, but you want to," laughed Vincent. "I know that look."

Tyler ignored the comment because he didn't know how to respond to it. He described the pickup she drives, and gave them her last known address. "I left her a message on her voicemail, and so did Emma. Hopefully she calls one of us back."

"Ty," began Sean. "You have a great track record of making people run from you."

"Do you want to live to see tomorrow?" Tyler playfully threatened.

"It depends. Can I be your best man?" Sean teased.

"Get out, all of you." Tyler winked and held the door open. They patted Tyler's back with promises of finding both the witness and Renee, before heading back to their offices.

Tyler closed the door and walked to his desk. He picked up the phone and called security, and told them if the pickup truck belonging to Renee Preston arrived on the lot, they were to notify him immediately.

Tyler pushed the intercom to Emma's office.

"Did Renee call you back yet?" Tyler asked.

"No, I called her right when you asked me too. Why do you need to find her? If you want another event, I can take care of all that for you," explained Emma.

"Well, that's a mighty fine idea, Emma. Call Renee every hour until you reach her. Tell her we're throwing another cookout. Pick out any weekend want, but make it soon, and offer her the job." Tyler couldn't hide the desperation in his voice.

"Sure...but then you have to tell me what's really going on, okay?"

Tyler released the intercom button and grabbed his keys. He certainly wasn't ready to discuss everything with Emma yet. He had to look for Renee's truck before sunset. Once he found it, he could find the driver.

Chapter 10

Renee stopped at a red light and looked at her phone. She turned it on and saw that it was fully charged, with several voicemail alerts. There were five from an unknown number. Renee knew they were from Robert. She didn't even bother listening to them, because they'd be full of rants. The others were from Emma and Tyler. She quickly drove to a large parking structure and pulled into a spot on the middle floor. It was a risky move, but at least her pickup couldn't be seen from the streets, and it was close to the bank. Renee didn't dare go back to Montclair Pharmaceuticals to park after having such a close call with Tyler yesterday. The last thing she wanted was to have him entangled in her messed up life. Having only an eighth of a tank of gas left, after spending all night in her truck, Renee couldn't afford to keep driving anyway. It was cold last night, so she'd had to turn on the heat frequently.

Renee's phone kept breaking up, so she climbed out of her truck and began walking out of the structure. As she did, she saw signs posted for no overnight parking with a picture of a tow truck hooked up to a car. She'd just have to take her chances. She walked back to her pickup, gathered her few belongings, and put them in her duffle bag just in case.

Renee walked the two long blocks to the bank and wished she had a sweater or light spring jacket. She picked up her pace so she'd be there the second the doors opened. The door unlocked, and Renee walked inside and up to the teller. She signed the back of the check and gave them her license. Renee was frustrated at herself for forgetting to ask Emma not to write the check out to the catering company, but Tyler was on his way, and she had to get out of there as fast as possible.

She'd just cash the check and open up an account in her name. "I'd like to cash this please."

"Do you have an account with us?" asked the teller.

"Yes, our business account, Sugar and Spice Catering," Renee answered as she watched the teller bring up the account.

"I can't let you cash this check. Your name is on the account, but you don't have check cashing or withdraw privileges. I can deposit it for you into the Sugar and Spice account."

"What is the balance?"

"I'm sorry, I can't give you that information," said the teller, as she looked at Renee apologetically.

"No, that's okay. I'll take the check back to the company who wrote it. There was an error." Damn! Renee knew Robert wouldn't hand over one dime of the three hundred and forty dollars left in the business account.

Renee slipped the check back into her purse and stepped outside. She had to have this money if she was going to free herself from Robert. She walked to the edge of the bank parking lot and called Emma.

"You're a hard person to get a hold of! How are you, Renee?" asked Emma.

"I'm doing okay. I forgot to ask you to make the check out to me instead of Sugar and Spice Catering. Would it be a problem to change it?" She'd have to think of something so she wouldn't have to walk into Montclair Pharmaceuticals, nor did she have a home to have it mailed it too.

"Give me your new address and I can send it to you, or you could come here and I can give you a new one. Bring the old check with you if you could. It'll be easier."

Renee was thinking as fast as she could. "I could really use a friend right now. Could you come down this way and have coffee with me?" Renee hoped she'd say yes.

Emma sounded excited to meet with her again. Renee gave her directions, and then walked into a small diner on the corner. She made sure to sit away from the windows, as Robert was surely looking for her. While she waited for her friend, she listened to Tyler's voicemail. Whatever he wanted to talk to her about, she was sure Emma could relay the information.

Renee only had to wait about forty-five minutes for  
Emma to walk through the door. She waved her over and stood up to give her a hug. After they sat down, it was Emma who spoke first.

"Sorry it took so long, but parking is atrocious," she said after laying her jacket over the back of the chair. "Renee, I have a feeling that things are a lot worse than you're leading on. I want you to come and stay at my place." Emma looked around to make sure there weren't any eavesdroppers. "I know you're going through a hard time, but I don't think you're taking care of yourself very well. You look like you've lost a few pounds." Emma got a concerned look on her face.

Renee tried to smooth her hair and push it's unruliness behind her ear. "I'm doing okay. I just came back from a run, so I'm pretty gross. I have to go home, shower and change. I hope I've lost a few pounds, I've been trying to shape up a bit." Renee smiled, but she was self-conscious about how she looked.

The girls had their cup of coffee over small talk, but then Emma knew she had to bring up Tyler.

"There's been someone else concerned about you, Renee."

"Are you talking about Tyler? I got a voicemail from him. Did he just want to know something about the future events you mentioned?" Renee hoped that was all he wanted. Letting Tyler see her looking this way was out of the question. If Emma could guess that something was wrong, so could he.

"He's worried about you. Could you call him?"

"No, there's no reason to worry. Let him know I'm doing fine, and that I'll see him at the next event." Renee smiled and tried to look as confident as possible. She was everything except confident, not to mention unclean. Her anxiety rose, as she began to pick at her nails.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to come to my place for a few days?" Emma asked again as she lifted up Renee's chin to look her in the eyes.

"No thank you. To be honest, I have to go cash this check and then get an attorney to start the divorce proceedings for me. Robert has pretty much locked me out of the business account." She hated disclosing such information, but needed to make sure Emma continued to write the checks out to her for the events.

"Could I have your new address for our files before you take off?" Emma held her arm for a minute.

"I don't know it by heart yet. I'll call you with my information when I get home." Renee smiled as brightly as she could muster, then hugged Emma and walked out the door.

Renee walked back into the bank, opened an account, and deposited her money. The teller said the funds would be available the next day, but she gave her some temporary checks. Renee would keep her eyes open for a cheap attorney.

Her next stop was the post office. She paid the few dollars for a post office box, not just for Emma, but she'd need to have a place to receive papers for her divorce.

In the lobby, on the way out of the post office, she saw him. Robert must have spotted her first, because he was already staring at her with a very angry expression on her face when she met his eyes.

"We have a few things to discuss, you stupid bitch!" he growled under his breath. "I heard you were trying to remove the rest of the money from my business account?" Robert gave an evil laugh.

"I have nothing to say to you, Robert. You'll be receiving divorce papers, and if you don't want a restraining order filed against you, I suggest you close your mouth and let me pass by." Renee stood her ground and spoke with her voice raised to attract the attention of the people around her for her safety. There were men in line, but no one bothered to come to her defense. Regardless of how Robert chose to conduct himself at this moment, she had every intention of filing for a restraining order. Hopefully, thoughts of being arrested were enough to deter him from coming after her.

"I've destroyed all of your shit. When I find that truck of yours, I'll do the same. If I catch you alone, you'll be sorry!" Robert kept his voice low and moved past her. He shoved her shoulder as he went by.

Renee knew that Robert wasn't lying. Hopefully it wouldn't take all of her money to get the divorce process going; she'd have to find a job to cover the full cost. Renee wasn't naïve enough to believe that a piece of paper was going to stop her husband, but it was a start. She'd still have to find a way to travel out of the state, but until then, she'd do whatever it took to stay hidden.

Renee continued to worry about her financial situation. Not only would she have to hire a lawyer, but she'd have to have money to buy clothes, meals, and hopefully find a cheap place to live. Regardless, what was in her account wasn't going to last her very long.

While walking down the street, frequently looking over her shoulder, she found a thrift shop a few blocks over. Renee picked out a pair of jeans, dress pants, and two nice tops so she could go to interviews. They sold miniature bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and soap, which she also bought, and luckily, there was a comb for a quarter. Her hair was felt matted. Renee's sneakers were in good shape, but she'd have to buy a couple of pairs of underwear, which made her cringe.

Next, she had to get to the courthouse, but they were closed. She'd come back first thing in the morning and fill out the necessary information for a restraining order. Looking around to a find place that was hiring and putting a roof over her head was next on the list. She'd have to figure out some place where she could sleep. With bags under her eyes, dirty hair and soiled clothing, she doubted anyone would want to hire her, let alone let her rent a room. The list seemed to be getting longer.

She took the bus to the college in hopes of finding a student looking for a roommate. Renee carefully read the boards in the student center, and wrote down some numbers. She sat on a nearby chair to make the calls. Out of the four people she briefly spoke with, they all wanted between three and four hundred on up per month, and half of utilities. There was no way. She grabbed a phone book and looked up the local shelters. They didn't expect openings until June. Renee wanted to cry, but breaking down wasn't going to solve anything. She made her way through the busy campus, over to the cafeteria, and paid fifty cents for an empty cup. She walked to a local gas station.

Luckily no one was in the bathroom. Renee got the key from the man at the counter and went inside. It wasn't very clean, but she'd definitely seen worse. After locking the door, she took off her clothes and scrubbed her body and scalp at the sink, using the cup to rinse out her hair. She thoroughly dried herself and the cup off with paper towels, and then carefully placed the cup in the duffle bag where she thought it wouldn't get too crushed. Her mouth felt disgusting, but running her finger over her teeth was the best she could do. Putting on her new clothes felt refreshing, even though they smelled pretty musty.

Part of Renee wanted to go curl up in her truck to get some rest and maybe turn on the heater, but she knew she couldn't be caught inside of it when Robert showed up. He gambled with some of the local cops, and she was sure they'd help him help find her. Robert's brother Clarence is a private investigator, but he was just as lazy as her husband, and Renee doubted he was a threat. Personally, she thought his business was a gambling front. How Clarence managed to make an income, other than illegally, baffled her. She thought about calling Emma, and taking her up on her offer, but she was terrified that Robert would show up and cause problems at her apartment, or go after the Montclairs. She'd also have to hide from the cops who showed up at her apartment to play poker. Renee refused to make anyone else one of his victims. She still hadn't even called her best friend yet to let her know she'd moved out. She would jump to Renee's defense, which would do nothing but place her in the line of fire. Carol would start blowing up her phone out of concern, soon. Renee turned her phone on only when she needed it, and she didn't listen to messages; her cell phone battery was nearly drained.

Job. I need to find a job. Renee began walking by every business she could, and when she'd see a help wanted sign, she would go inside and fill out an application. Listing references would be a problem, though. She left those blank.

The sun had set and Renee was becoming even more miserable. She was cold, hungry, and exhausted. The only safe place she could think of to go was Montclair Park. She could easily sit away from the lights and step into the small patch of trees if someone arrived. It wasn't safe for her to be roaming around alone in downtown Southfield. Renee stopped at a street vendor and bought a hotdog and a steaming cup of coffee before heading across the street. The park was deserted and, for that, she was grateful.

Just before she finished her meal, she heard a loud engine and looked up. Renee saw her truck being towed right past her. Quickly getting to her feet, she began to sprint. By the time she reached the sidewalk, the tow truck had turned the corner and was no longer in sight. There was no way she could afford to get her pickup out of impound. Slowly, Renee made her way back to the picnic table. That was all I had left! The gas tank was almost empty, but she could have put a few dollars' worth of gas in it if she had to get warm. Now, it was gone. Renee fished her phone out of her pocket to turn it on and check the time. She didn't think it was late enough for the parking structure to have had it towed. Suddenly, the phone began to ring. She answered the unknown number just in case it was a potential employer calling, or someone notifying her of an opening at the shelter.

"Is this Renee Preston?" asked an older man.

"Yes it is, can I help you?"

"I was calling to see if you were still interested in working here and if you could start in the morning?"

"What's your name?" asked Renee. She'd filled out so many applications; she didn't know which one could be calling her.

"My name is —"

Her cellphone went dead. Damn! She had no place to charge it. She only had her car charger, but now she didn't even have her truck. The tears started to fall all over again. She reached inside her duffle bag and began to layer on her clothes as the cold winds picked up. Even though it wasn't a good idea for her to walk around after dark, she'd have to find a restaurant or something that was open for twenty-four hours. They'd probably throw her out anyway for not ordering anything, and then she'd be outside, only in a crappy side of town.

When the full moon started to illuminate the park too much, she walked into the trees in hopes of finding a soft patch of grass to sit on and a tree to lean up against. It was super dark in the small wooded area, but at least she couldn't be spotted. Due to pure exhaustion and stress, Renee dozed off against the side of a tall Ash tree.

At three in the morning, Renee was startled awake by the sound of footsteps crushing leaves around her. She quickly jumped to her feet and grabbed her duffle bag. The footsteps stopped, but she felt like she was being watched.

"Who's there?!" asked Renee with panic in her voice.

The sounds of leaves crushing and sticks breaking resumed and were getting closer to her.

"If you come closer, I'll take off screaming! I have a phone and I'm calling 9-1-1!!" Renee braced herself, then turned her body to run out of the wooded area and away from the park.

She felt a firm hand around her arm as another hand covered her mouth.

"You don't have a phone in your hand, and I'm not going to hurt you. Don't scream okay?"

Renee nodded out of fear to get the stranger to let her go. Finally, she felt the hands come off of her arm and mouth. The voice was male and he spoke calmly.

"Who are you?" Renee asked as she backed into another tree. Her body was shaking.

"Here, I'll show you," said the man.

Soon a small flashlight was placed in her hand. Renee quickly found the button and turned it on. She pointed the light directly in his face. She saw part of the arm of the guitar over the man's right shoulder, but his face was darkened by his hoodie.

"Oh my God..." whispered Renee.

The young man smiled. "I don't know your name, but I've seen you coming and going from the building over there, and you yelled something to me from a truck once."

"We've been looking for you! What's your name?"

"My name's Brian. Did my parents send you to find me? Some man tried to chase me down too."

All of a sudden the trees were lit up by a bright light. A loud voice and heavy footsteps came toward them. Brian quickly grabbed the flashlight from Renee's hand and shut it off.

"Stop right there!!" yelled a man sounding winded.

"Shit! It's the cops. Come with me!" Brian grabbed her hand and pulled her with him as he ran through a bunch of branches. They were camouflaging the entrance of an old drainage pipe. "In here, hurry!"

Renee went through the limbs and watched as Brian came inside behind her.

"Okay let's go. Stay close!" Brian kept his voice low and held her hand tighter. He quickly led her through tall weeds and around trees. After a few minutes, they arrived at a small pond.

Renee's chest was heaving. She didn't know how this guy could make it in total darkness, while running through this mess.

Brian briefly placed his hand over her mouth and whispered. "Just be quiet for a bit in case they're in the woods."

"Where are we and why are we running? Did you break the law?" Renee had no idea what to do.

Brian placed his finger to her lips to silence her again. Full of fear, she complied.

Renee looked around until her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She saw silhouettes of people walking around, and there was a small fire blazing on the bank of the pond. Though she had no idea where she was, one thing was certain; she wasn't in the park anymore.

"I'll explain in a few minutes, but for now, you have to stay by me. You're not safe being alone here," he whispered.

"Just take me back where I was. I won't say anything." Renee began to beg.

"Well, it's a little late for that," he said as he walked her towards the fire.

Chapter 11

Renee sat down in the makeshift shelter which Brian had led her to. It was dark inside, and she was filled with panic.

"Please take me back to the park. I have to get home!" Renee tried to look at Brian's eyes, but it was too dark.

"If you had a home, you wouldn't have been crying on the picnic table or hiding in the woods so you could sleep. People with homes don't do that. Unless you have a home and it isn't safe to go back to? Kind of like mine," said Brian as he kept his voice quiet.

"Why can't you go back home? How old are you, anyway?" Renee didn't want to pry, but she wasn't exactly in a safe place and needed to know who she was dealing with. Maybe she couldn't find her way back to the park, but she was willing to bolt if she had to. She could hear Brian picking at his fingers. There were a couple minutes of silence, and she was concerned that he'd stopped communicating with her.

"They'd drink and then beat the hell out of me. My folks kept me locked in a bathroom for over a year. Sometimes they fed me, but it was garbage, literally. I heard my mom's car leave one day. When my old man came in to bash me around a bit, I hit him square in the face with everything I had. It didn't knock him out, but it stunned him enough for me to run out of the house. If the cops find me, they'll return me back to that prison."

Renee heard his voice cracking with emotion. "Why don't you go to the police and tell them what happened to you?" Renee couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could someone do that to their own child?

"After I took off from my house that day, I ran to the police station. I had no shoes, and was in my boxers." Brian let out a nervous chuckle. "The cop made a phone call, put me in the back of his squad car, and then pulled up at my parents' house. I wasn't going to go back there. When he opened the car door, I took off as fast as I could. I hitched rides from Ohio to here. One trucker gave me some clothes, but didn't trust me in his truck. I was grateful though."

After Renee was able to control her outrage, she prompted him further. "What are you now? Seventeen? Eighteen?" She had never heard of such a horrible story. Now she didn't blame him for running. But he certainly didn't look like a child anymore.

"Fourteen. I'll be fifteen in a couple of weeks. That's not old enough to up and leave home, no matter what's happening to you there. I'm a runaway and they'll return me to that hell." Brian wiped his eyes.

Renee thought long and hard. She had to figure out how to ask Brian to testify for Tyler, without the risk of being sent back to those abusive monsters. There was no way she'd knowingly let that happen. She was positive that this damaged boy would never step foot inside of a courtroom. But, even though he'd gone through hell, it wasn't right for Tyler to sit behind bars for a crime he didn't commit. There had to be a way.

"You were playing your guitar on the street when someone was mugged by a homeless man. You're the only witness." She had to try hard not to fumble her words.

"Yeah I know what you're talking about. I can't help anyone through the legal system when I'm already in it myself. Some of the folks in the camp keep up with the news, and they've told me what's going on. I know that the man who was arrested is looking for me. I think he even chased me one night." Another silence fell between them. "You can't tell anyone who I am, or where I'm living. Promise me." Brian held both of her hands. "Promise me," he pleaded.

"I promise." She had no idea if she could keep her word.

"What's your name? Why did I find you in the woods like that?" asked Brian.

"You really want to know?" Renee couldn't believe how kind and concerned this boy was. He'd even risked getting captured to help her.

"Yeah, I do. I don't have any place I need to be." Brian leaned back and rested his weight on his elbows.

Renee took a deep breath and began filling him in on her horrible marriage to Robert. Making herself Mrs. Robert Preston had been the biggest mistake of her life.

By the time they were finished talking, the sun was coming up and Brian had fallen asleep. Renee was cold and she desperately needed to relieve her bladder. Afterward, if she could get her hands on some hot coffee, that would be fantastic. She stuck her head out of the enclosure and looked around. There were several shelters, similar to the one she was sitting in, scattered around the banks of the pond. The small fire was still going, and Renee longed to go sit by it. A man, with a dirty blanket around his shoulders, was adding another piece of wood to the short, flickering flames, so she didn't dare. Looking to the right, she saw the woods. If she could just run out there without getting noticed, she could relieve herself. Renee waited until the man by the fire turned his back. She got ready to run. As soon as she started outside, Brian grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?" He looked at her sternly.

Renee took offense at being grabbed. She wasn't a prisoner for Pete's sake...or was she?

"I have to use the bathroom. Then I'd like to go find some food, and maybe a cup of coffee."

"Renee, you can't go out there alone. These people here don't know you and you could really get hurt. I'll take you wherever you need to go. Get your duffle bag and stay with me."

Renee watched as Brian strapped his guitar across his back. His hood was slipped off his head and she could clearly see the youth in his face, his blue eyes, and scraggly blond hair. His clothes were filthy and when he reached up to pull the hood back up, his shirt lifted. He was much too thin.

"Brian, when was the last time you had a meal?" Renee already knew one of the things she needed to get done this morning. Get the kid fed.

"I eat leftovers." Brian smiled and offered his hand. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Renee held his hand as he escorted her through the woods, back into the drainage pipe and through the trees at the park.

"The police wouldn't have that hard of a time trying to find you at the pond." She looked up at his face. Brian had to be close to six feet tall.

"The cops know we're there. Sometimes the camp gets raided if they're looking for someone who committed a serious crime. It's not that hard to disappear into the woods when they show up. Trust me, I've have to do it several times." Brian smiled and led her further into the trees. "I'll wait over here."

Renee could have walked to a gas station, but she knew there'd be no way she could hold it for that long. When she finished, Brian was right where he said he'd be.

"Why don't you come with me? I'll buy you some breakfast." She knew he had to be hungry.

"I can't exactly walk around in daylight anymore," he said.

"I'll buy you something to eat and come back to you." Renee smiled at thoughts of giving him some warm food.

"Nah, it's okay. I used to play my guitar for money and I'd buy food with it. Now I can't. I'll wait until tonight to eat. Sometimes the bakery throws out donuts, and sometimes people throw away full meals!" His eyes got big.

"I want you to wait here and I'll be right back." Renee smiled, made sure the coast was clear in the park, and then stepped through the trees. She walked at a brisk pace to the corner diner. There were several people eating breakfast and chatting over steaming cups of coffee. Luckily, she didn't know any of them. There was a waitress at the counter, so Renee approached her and asked if she could place an order for carryout. She was handed a menu. Renee only had to wait about fifteen minutes to get her food.

Carrying her duffle bag over her shoulder, a cup carrier, and the bag, which held two orders of eggs, bacon, and pancakes, was proving to be a feat. On the way down the street, Renee saw an electronics store. They weren't open for another hour and a half, but they advertised refurbished cell phones. She made a mental note to come back and see what they had. Renee couldn't afford anything expensive, but she had to do whatever was necessary in order to be reached for potential job offers. She also needed a phone for emergencies, especially since Robert had threatened her.

Arriving back at the park, she headed towards the trees where Brian was waiting. Just before she was ready to step in his direction, she heard a female voice calling her name. She could hear the sounds of Brian running away.

Emma! Renee forced a smile and then walked over to the nearby picnic table where her friend stood waving. That was close.

Chapter 12

Tyler was still awake when his phone rang. It always made his adrenaline go into overdrive when he got calls at this hour. Maybe it was because he was the oldest, or had lost both of his parents, but late night phone calls always made him worry about his brothers.

"Vinnie, what's up?" Tyler quickly answered.

"Frank was on the tail of the kid. He was with a woman, but he couldn't make out her features. Anyway, he asked the kid to stop, but he didn't. My cop friend lost him in the wooded area at the park."

Tyler let his breath spill out of him loudly. He didn't realize he'd been holding it. "Vinnie, I told you guys he'd run and not to chase him." The irritation in Tyler's voice went through the phone loud and clear.

"How else was he supposed to drag the kid down to the precinct? Listen, I know you're at your whit's end, but capturing this kid is going to test all of our patience, not just yours. Anyways, Frank said he's going to get a few of his buddies to help out."

"If we keep scaring him off, he's going to leave the area." His frustration was mounting.

"Ty, these guys know what they're doing. Get some rest. We'll meet up in the morning. Roger Murphy was discharged from the hospital. He doesn't have a home, so Montclair Pharmaceuticals is paying for a hotel and his meals until the trial."

"Honest to God. We should have just written the man a check and made him go the hell away!" Tyler banged his fist down on his kitchen table.

"No, because he would have cashed the check, pressed charges anyway, and then spilled his guts to the press. Seriously, Tyler, that kind of maneuver always backfires."

"So, now what do we do?" Tyler spat.

"Seriously, Brother, get some sleep. I'll be at your office first thing this morning."

Tyler thanked him and hung up the phone. There was no way they were going to get their hands on Sir Runsalot. Even though it was three in the morning, he called Emma. He may have to send her some flowers, but she'd forgive him.

"Hello?" answered Emma in a groggy voice.

"I know that calling you at this hour isn't the best idea I've ever had, but could you meet me at the office in a couple of hours?"

"Ty, I'm so sleepy. Is this super important?" Emma asked.

"We have work to do. I'll pay you extra and wash your car or something."

"Seriously, Tyler?!" Emma groaned into the receiver.

"Please? I'm not beyond begging..." Tyler sat down on the kitchen chair and hoped she'd say yes.

"Okay. Let me sleep for another hour, then I'll get up, get ready, and be there around five. Is that good enough?"

"Perfect. See you then," he said softly, as he stood up and headed to the bathroom to shave and shower. He needed to talk with Emma alone, before Vincent showed up.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Robert Preston stood up and brushed the cheese corn crumbs off of his soiled clothes and onto the disgusting carpet around his recliner. His orange-stained fingers left a hand print on the wall, as he looked through the peephole before answering the door. Having to get up and down so much was giving him another reason to want to choke the shit out of his wife. His cop friend was outside, getting ready to start banging his fist on the door again.

"What the hell, Frank! My apartment isn't huge. I'm sitting right here, so there's no reason for you to practically break it down. Stop with the cop-knock."

"Your pickup has been successfully towed from the Ridgeway parking structure," said Frank as he took a bow. "Now your wife won't have it. Make sure you get the locks changed. She obviously has a key and will probably take it again. I need you to get it out of the impound lot before you end up with a bill. The guys will keep it off the record, but when the manager shows up, it'll be logged in. If we leave right now, I can give it to you. Let's go while I'm off duty." Frank made an awful face and then stepped back a bit. "Holy hell, Rob, get in the shower. You smell like crap."

"Can't you just tow it here? Better yet, tow it to the lake just west of here. She can't get to it when it's sitting under fifty feet of water." Robert laughed at his plan.

"Why would you sink your own vehicle?" Frank looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"I don't have a key. The truck belongs to my dipshit wife, and after all I've done for her, she doesn't deserve anything. All her crap's been hauled off already. It's amazing how much trash the dumpster outside can hold. The garbage truck emptied it two days ago." Robert laughed and rubbed his large, rounded belly.

"Wait. What did you say?" Frank's face grew red when he realized what he'd done. "You had me steal your wife's vehicle? I'm a cop and you had me commit a crime, which could cause me to lose my badge and get locked up? We have to take care of this before she makes a call to the station and reports it stolen!"

"Relax and stop being a girl. Have it towed to the lake, and then you can walk away. I'll push it into the water myself." Robert gave Frank the smile of a used car salesman.

"I'll get it out of impound and have it put right back where I had it picked up from. You're a bastard, Rob, a real bastard. Playing a few hands of poker with you on Friday nights, doesn't give you permission to treat everyone like you do your wife! She's lucky she got away from you..." Frank shoved Robert in the chest, and then turned to walk away.

Robert retrieved a large kitchen knife, a funnel and a bag from the cupboard. He slipped on his flip flops, put the contents he gathered into an empty box, and then walked out the door. He'd be ready when that witch's truck arrived.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler was waiting at his desk when Emma walked in at five sharp. She was carrying two large cups of coffee. She turned around and thanked the guard for helping her with the doors. She sat the coffee down, and then went to her own office and retrieved her planner.

"Thanks for coming in, Emma," said Tyler as he lifted the cup of coffee to his lips. "And for the coffee. You know me well." It tasted wonderful.

"I don't mind helping you, just make sure you talk slowly until I wake up some." Emma lifted her own cup and took a long drink.

"There's a cop named Frank, one of Vinnie's friends, who's going to help us catch the witness. His plan is to arrest him and bring him to the police station."

"He didn't break any laws did he? Can a cop just arrest him for being homeless?" Emma asked.

"He's the sole witness in my case, so he's necessary. If he keeps running, he can be charged with obstruction of justice or something, especially after running from a cop trying to subpoena him." Tyler saw the expression on Emma's face. She looked quite lost. He started from the beginning and filled in all the blanks.

"I hope it works. Too bad the cop wasn't able to bring him in. What did you need me to do, canvas the area?" Emma began to write a note.

"Not exactly. I'm having him look for Renee as well." Tyler braced himself for a barrage of questions.

"Oh I forgot to tell you. I saw Renee yesterday. She said she's doing fine and promised to contact me with her new address. I'll make a note to call her this morning, when it's not so dang early." Emma gave him a sarcastic smile.

"Em, you have to get Renee in here. Her husband is going to really hurt her." Tyler's voice was beginning to rise a little.

"Wait a minute. She's filing for a divorce, and she told me he'd never physically hurt her. How do you know this?"

"I met him. I went to her old address and introduced myself. Don't worry, I used a fake name. Anyway, he's not a nice guy, and he's huge. Hurting Renee would be easy for him. If we can get her in here, we can put her in a safe place until her divorce is final."

"I offered for her to stay at my apartment, but she declined. I doubt you'll get her to move to a new location, but you can try." Emma got a sad look on her face. Her eyes were full with worry.

"I'll do whatever I can to find her and make sure she stays safe. If you could assist in the process, it would certainly help. One more thing, my brother, Vincent, will be here this morning. I'd like you to be in our meeting." Tyler felt bad. He knew that Emma was exhausted. "I'll let you leave after the meeting to get some sleep. I might call you back in though."

"I'm not going anywhere. If I need to close my eyes, I have a nice sofa in my office which you graced me with, remember?" Emma stood up and walked to the door. She turned around to look back at her boss. "When do you want to do the next event? Renee already said she'd do it, so that's a sure way of bringing her in. I'll have to give her a down payment and go over the menu."

"Next weekend." Tyler grinned widely.

"Sounds like a plan!" Emma returned the smile and then closed the door softly behind her as she left.

At eight o'clock, Tyler received a call from Vincent.

"Listen Ty, I'm on my way over. I have Frank with me, and he has some pretty interesting news to share with you."

"He got our witness?" Tyler sat up straight in his chair.

"No, but when I told him the full name of the other person we're looking for, he told me a few things, which you should hear. I'll be there in ten."

Tyler listened as the call ended. Now what? He called Emma and asked her to bring a tray of coffee in and to get ready for the meeting. He could tell he had awoken her again.

Tyler paced the floor until Vincent and Frank arrived. Emma walked in behind them with the coffee tray.

"Thank you, Emma. I'll have a cup with two sugars please," recited Vincent.

"She's hasn't had much sleep, Vinnie, get your own coffee." Tyler laughed at his brother. "While you're pouring, explain what's happened."

"I called Frank this morning to give him the heads up to start looking for Renee. Frank, let Tyler know what you told me."

"There's a man I play poker with. He's sort of a big idiot, but tolerating him one night a week isn't so bad. He told me his wife stole his truck and he needed it back. I felt bad for the guy, because he had no other transportation. I got a tow truck buddy of mine to keep his eyes open, and if he saw the pickup to tow it to the impound lot."

"Oh God..." said Tyler.

"Yeah," continued Frank. "So Vinnie calls me to help find this Renee woman. When I found out that her last name is Preston, it all went downhill from there. Basically, I stole her truck. I'm having it returned to the parking structure where I found it right now. The woman you're looking for isn't just difficult to find, she's hiding. She has every reason to do so, trust me. Robert Preston is out for blood." Frank leaned back in his chair, ready for whatever Tyler Montclair had to say to him.

"We need to find her," said Vincent, "before her husband does. Frank said he had it towed back to where it was, and Robert was made aware of the location. Frank's going to the parking structure to make sure Robert doesn't touch the truck or Renee, should she return to where it was parked. She may or may not know that it was towed in the first place."

"One more thing," began Frank. "Robert said he threw out all of her belongings, and tried to get me to tow the pickup down to the lake so he could sink it. I didn't discover the vehicle wasn't his, until after I had it pulled to the impound lot. He lied. I shouldn't have believed him in the first place. Normally I would have run the plate, but I didn't. I screwed up, and I'm sorry."

Tyler could see that Frank meant every word he said. To be a cop and admit what he'd done, showed a good conscious. He stood up and shook Frank's hand. It was better to have the cop as an ally, as opposed to an enemy in Robert's corner.

"Let's go find her," said Tyler as he turned to grab his jacket.

"Do you want me to come with you?" asked Emma.

"No I don't think so. Keep trying to call Renee. If you can get her to the office or to meet you somewhere, let me know immediately and I'll get to that location." Tyler didn't know what he'd do without Emma having his back.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Robert was already pissed off. What should be a celebratory event was being ruined because he had to take the bus all the way to Fourth Street, and then walk the remaining one and a half miles to the parking structure. He was beyond pissed. He wished Frank had told him the exact location of the hunk of shit. Now he had to walk around like an idiot to find the damn thing. He took the grimy elevator to the third level. The structure was big, and Robert was already breathless before reaching the end of the third tier. He was grateful that he hadn't chosen to skip the elevator ride. It was far easier to move his large frame downhill. While turning the corner on the second level, he spotted a tow truck driving away. His eyes lit up. It didn't take him long to spot his useless wife's pickup.

He approached the truck with caution and sat his box down on the ground. Robert looked around for nosy losers who had nothing better to do with their time than to spy on him. So far the coast was clear. He pulled out the big kitchen knife and then proceeded to cut all four of the truck's tires. After opening the gas tank, Robert stuck the funnel in. With a devious smile on his face, he emptied the entire bag of sugar into the tank. He wanted to stick around and rejoice in his handiwork, but he couldn't risk getting caught and giving his stupid wife the pleasure of seeing him get locked up. Robert fled to the elevator, going faster than his body had moved in years. His large belly shook from laughter as he made his way back to the bus stop.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler drove Vincent to the parking structure while Frank followed them in his squad car. When they reached the second level, Frank jumped out of his car and cursed.

"Damn!"

"Well it looks like Robert beat us here." Vincent walked around the truck. "The tires have been slashed."

"I swear to God, if he harms her..." Tyler began looking around. "He can't be very far. Let's go, Vinnie."

"No," said Frank. "You two stay here and wait for Renee to show up. I'll go take care of Rob."

As Frank drove off in his patrol car, Vincent walked over to the side of the truck.

"Ty, look at this." Vincent reached down to the cement floor and picked up some granules, which had made a small pile on the ground.

"That piece of shit put sugar in her tank?" Tyler walked back to his car in a rage and retrieved a pair of winter gloves so he wouldn't leave his finger prints. He returned to the truck and opened up the gas lid. Granules of sugar were visible.

"Are you sure it's sugar?" asked Vincent.

"If I die, donate my body to science," said Tyler as he removed a glove and dipped a finger into the pile on the ground, and then stuck it on his tongue. "Yep, it's definitely sugar." Tyler began to run back to his car.

"Ty, let Frank handle this. If you go kick this freak's ass, you'll definitely go back to lockup. Instantly. They'll revoke your bond and there will be nothing I can do to get you out." Vinnie took the keys from Tyler's hand. "Let's park your car where we can see if Renee shows up. We need to stay focused."

Tyler sat in the passenger seat while Vincent moved the car. He got his phone out and called Emma. He spoke only two words because he was so pissed off.

"Find her."

Chapter 13

Throughout the morning, Emma had sat in her office, repeatedly calling Renee. She was getting worried, especially when Tyler told her about the slashed truck tires and the sugar in the gas tank. She feared Renee's husband had gotten his hands on her. Grabbing the sweater on the back of her chair, she walked out of Montclair Pharmaceuticals and headed across the street to the park to think. Right before Emma sat down at a picnic table, she looked around. She could hardly believe her luck.

"Renee! Over here!" she called. She quickly began waving her arms. Why was she going into the trees? She watched as Renee smiled and headed towards her. Emma spotted the duffle bag and the large take-out order from the diner. She could smell the bacon.

"Hey, Emma," said Renee as she gave her a hug.

"Long time no hear from! Where have you been and why aren't you returning my calls?" Emma asked with worry clear on her face.

"My phone died. I only have a car charger, because I didn't have time to pack the other one. Unfortunately, I think my truck got towed." Renee reached inside her duffle bag and placed the dead phone in front of Emma.

"Let me run this to my car and plug it in—"

"No, I'm going to go to the electronics store up the street and buy a cheap refurbished one. Well, hopefully they're cheap. I'll have a charger then!" Renee laughed.

"Honey, don't buy a new phone, I have a spare at my apartment. I'll give it to you. It works really well and nothing's wrong with it. Tyler got me a new phone for my birthday." Emma pointed to the take-out bag. "Go ahead and eat, Renee, don't let me stop you." She could clearly see the containers through the plastic bag. "I must say, that looks like a lot of food!" She tried to laugh but it was forced. She couldn't help noticing the bags underneath Renee's eyes or how stressed she seemed. Emma debated over telling her about her truck to avoid adding to Renee's worries, but knew she'd have to. Tyler had reminded her of how important it was to keep this woman safe.

"I was meeting a friend but she didn't show up. Are you hungry?" Renee asked as she pulled both containers out of the bag.

"No, I had a big breakfast, but thank you." There was an awkward silence. "Listen Renee, I don't know how to tell you this without it stinging, so I'm just going to blurt it out." Emma tried to offer a reassuring smile.

"Okay. I hope I didn't do anything wrong at the last event."

"Your husband, Robert, had your truck towed by his cop buddy. When the cop found out the truck belonged to you and not Robert, he returned it to the parking structure. Before Tyler and his brother could get to Ridgeway to protect you, Robert beat them there. They were afraid he'd do something, and he did. Robert slashed all four tires and poured sugar down the gas tank. Renee, I know you said you don't want my help, but please, come back to the office and I'll take you to my apartment. You'll be safe there." Emma looked at her shocked expression.

Renee sat silently for a bit, and then put the unopened containers back into the bag. She began blinking rapidly, but the tears welled up and spilled over anyways.

"I don't think you should be out in the open in this park. He made verbal threats to physically harm you. Let's go. I'll help you carry everything, Renee." Emma stood up and lifted the duffle bag.

"No. I'll be okay. I know he's the biggest creep, and doing all of those things to my truck is pretty low, even for him, but I don't think he'll harm me, especially if I'm out in public." Renee dried her face with a napkin. She took her bag from Emma's hand and sat it back down in the grass.

Emma stared at her face for a few minutes. She had a feeling Renee had no idea of the depths to which Robert would sink.

"Listen!" Emma couldn't help but raise her voice out of concern. "Even you seemed surprised by the vandalism of your truck, and it was in a public place, too! I can't let you walk into harm's way, and that's what you're doing." Emma reached over and picked up the duffle bag again and stood up. "I'm sorry, but I can't leave you alone out here. Come on. Besides, Tyler will kick my butt if I don't get you to safety."

"What does Tyler have to do with this? I mean, I appreciate all he's done, but it's not necessary for him to be running around trying to protect me." Renee rested her face in her palms. "This has gotten blown way out of proportion." She had to minimalize her situation if she was going to keep people from intervening and getting hurt.

"Sweetie, you obviously don't know Tyler. He'll turn this city upside down to find you and keep you safe." Emma pulled slightly on Renee's arm to get her to come with her.

Renee pulled her arm back. "Look, tell him I appreciate his concern and all, but I can handle myself." Renee took her duffle bag, the food and beverages, and began to walk out of the park.

Emma stared at her in disbelief.

Around the corner, Renee hid. When she saw Emma cross the street and disappear into Montclair Pharmaceuticals, she ran as fast as she could while carrying all the things she had in her hands. She hurried and stepped into the trees at the park.

"Brian!" She called out in a loud whisper. There was silence. Slowly she began walking through the woods, trying to find the entrance to the old drain pipe. It was certainly hidden well. Just when she thought she'd found it, there was nothing but more brush and trees.

"Brian! It's safe!" She called out a little bit louder. Suddenly she felt an arm wrap around her from behind, and a hand slid over her mouth. Renee let out a muffled scream.

"Ya know, you're pretty crappy at this." Brian smiled and took his hands off of her.

"Why'd you do that?!" Renee was trying not to yell at the kid.

"For two reasons; first, I can't let you go into the camp alone, and secondly, I knew you'd get startled if I spoke. You can't just wander alone out here, especially this close to the camp." Brian looked down at the takeout bag and licked his lips.

"Well, you're forgiven. Let's go someplace and eat," said Renee as she lifted the bag to show him that she did indeed have food.

Brian walked deeper into the woods, and led her to a small clearing, where he used to sit for hours and play his guitar, or take naps in the sun. He turned this way and that to prevent a path from being worn in the grass.

Renee tried to make a map in her mind of exactly where they were, but soon she found herself twisted around and completely lost.

When they finally stopped, she sat on the ground and gave Brian a container. She looked in the bag to get the plastic ware and napkins, but Brian was already shoving the food in his mouth with his fingers. It was obvious he was starving. She took a couple of bites of a pancake, and told him she was full. Renee held out her container to Brian. He ate it just as fast as the first one.

"Here you go. I got you some orange juice, and I have coffee. Cheers!" she said as she smiled and handed him the large, white Styrofoam cup. Renee watched Brian remove the lid and down over half the cup. He let out a belch.

"Wow, thank you. It's been a bit since I had a fresh meal."

"I'm going to start feeding you. You're too thin, Brian." It was breaking her heart to see him like this.

"What did that woman want? The one who was yelling for you," he asked suspiciously.

"That's Emma. It seems my husband is after me, and she wants me to go to her apartment where I'll be safe, but I don't want to involve anyone else. He's a monster."

"Then you should go there, Renee. I see all kinds of crime, and if you have someone after you, you should be in a safe place," he pleaded.

"No. I'm not going to go. Robert has many contacts, especially in the police department. He'll easily track me, just like he did my truck. No matter where I go, I'll be found." Renee began picking up the empty containers.

"You're going, and I'm not asking you," said Brian.

"No, I'm not," said Renee adamantly.

Brian stood up to leave. "Being homeless isn't a game, and it's not fun. It's definitely not fun when it's cold outside. You don't belong here." He began to walk off.

As soon as he took a few steps, Renee grabbed the back of his hoodie. "Wait! I'll go, but only if you come with me," she blurted, without even thinking.

Chapter 14

Emma found Tyler doing pushups in his office. He didn't even look up when she knocked and opened the door. Sweat was beading all over his face, and his t-shirt was soaked. Her first thought was to slowly back out of the office. Emma had seen him like this before, but Tyler normally exercised in the employee gym located in the basement. Doing pushups for this long, Emma knew, meant her boss was beyond pissed. Every vessel and muscle was bulging, and she could tell his teeth were clenched.

"Excuse me, Tyler, can I have a moment?" Emma softly asked.

"What now?" he grumbled.

Emma took a deep breath. She hated to give Tyler more bad news, and she knew, she was going to add to his bad mood.

"It's about Renee." Emma almost stuttered. She took a step back when Tyler jumped to his feet with great speed.

Tyler wiped his face off with the front of his shirt, and then stared at her.

"Did you find her?" he quickly asked with a sense of urgency in his voice.

"She refused to come with me, Ty, I can't kidnap her..."

"For God sakes, Emma! Did you tell Renee, her crazy husband is going to kill her?" he yelled.

"Okay, stop yelling at me, I'm the good guy. I know you want to protect her, but no one can force her to do anything." Emma wished he'd calm down.

"Where is she?" Tyler lowered his voice and slowly exhaled.

"I found her at the park. Something has me worried and I may be wrong, but she doesn't look good. I think Renee—" Emma stopped herself, not wanting to say the words out loud.

"Spill it, Emma!" Tyler's patience was gone.

"I think she didn't give me her address, because she doesn't have one. When I saw her at the park, she was heading into the woods. She was carrying a duffle bag and didn't even know her truck had been returned from where it was towed." Emma wished more than anything, that she was wrong.

"I have to find her. I can't believe this!" Tyler hurried to the closet to grab his jeans and a clean t-shirt.

"I encouraged her to come and stay at my apartment. For whatever reason, probably fear and pride, she won't take me up on my offer."

Tyler stepped into his bathroom and changed his clothes. With sweat still gleaming off his face, he briskly walked past Emma and out of the office.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Renee asked Brian to wait for her while she walked to the gas station and cleaned herself up, and to the electronics store to look at the cell phones. Hopefully that would give him enough time to think about whether or not he'd come with her, and hopefully Emma would agree to it. Running her fingers through her tangled hair, she wished she'd have kept a brush in her purse. After rolling her eyes and shaking her head at her reflection in the dirty mirror, she stepped back outside, with hopes of finding a cell phone which wouldn't cost her an arm and a leg.

Renee walked inside the air-conditioned store. She rubbed her arms and couldn't wait to get back out in the warm sun. A salesman spotted her and approached with a glued-on smile.

"Can I help you find something?" the older man asked.

"I'm just looking," said Renee, as she walked over to the glass counter. The section labeled "Refurbished" was way out of her price range. How can they charge this much for a used phone? She shook her head and walked back into the sun. Part of her wanted to go in the direction of the parking structure to check on her truck, but if it was true that Robert had caused such damage, she would need to avoid the area. It was bad enough trying to walk down the street while frequently checking out her surroundings.

When Renee finally made her way back by the park, she had to muster up as much courage as she could, to walk into Montclair Pharmaceuticals. She didn't think Emma would judge her when she disclosed that she was homeless, but it didn't mean Tyler wouldn't. Finally she came up with an idea. She'd ask the guard to contact Emma for her, that way, she could avoid going inside the building.

The guard looked up the second Renee stepped foot on the walkway. She smiled, and tried to keep her duffle bag out of view. She feared they'd want to search it, and find it full of dirty clothes and underwear.

"Can I help you, Ms. Preston?" asked the stout guard.

It shocked Renee when he'd addressed her by name, but she quickly remembered all the times she had signed in on the clipboard.

"Could you contact Emma Ward for me please?" she asked politely.

"You can go inside to the receptionist if you'd like." He looked at her suspiciously.

Renee looked at his name tag.

"David, I hurt my back and it's difficult to walk far. Could you call Emma for me so I can speak to her?"

His face softened. "Sure." He pushed a button, spoke quickly, and then handed Renee the phone.

Emma spoke rapidly. "Is everything okay, Renee? Why don't you come on up?"

Renee could hear the tension in her voice, but was determined not to chicken out.

"Emma, could you meet me at the park please? It's pretty important." Please say yes, thought Renee, before I back out.

"I'm on my way," said Emma.

Renee listened to her hang up. She thanked the guard and walked across the street. She looked towards the woods but couldn't spot Brian, but that didn't mean he wasn't there.

She sat down at the same picnic table where she'd last met with Emma. Renee slid her duffle bag under the table near her feet. Despite washing up some, she felt dirty and grungy, and she hoped she didn't smell offensive. Out of the corner of her eye, Renee spotted her friend walking quickly through the spring grass.

Emma smiled and waved as she approached. The sun was warm, but Renee felt chilled to the bone. Her stomach was turning upside down, especially when Emma wrapped her arms around her, and then stared into her eyes with worry.

"Renee—" she began.

"Emma, have a seat," she requested.

Emma smiled softly and took a seat on the other side of the table where Renee had gestured with her hand.

"I'm worried about you, Renee, and I can't let you—"

Renee held her hand up to silence her. She knew Emma was speaking out of concern, but if she didn't say what was on her mind, she'd just swallow her thoughts and leave.

"I would like to take you up on your offer, Emma, if it's still available," Renee blurted. She could feel her eyes begin to water and her face heat up.

"To come and stay in my apartment? I hope that's what you're talking about." Emma raised her eyebrows when Renee nodded her head.

"Yes. The truth is...you're currently sitting at my house. When I walked out on Robert, I had no place to go, so I drove around in my truck, walked the streets, or slept in the kitchen over here. But since I gave you back the key, and my truck got towed, I had no place to go. My fear of Robert hurting people I care about was making me run from everyone. But I need some help, and so does my friend." Renee stared down at her hands, while she waited for Emma's reply. There was a short silence which was quite unnerving for her.

"You're more than welcome anytime, and for as long as you want to stay. Personally, I think we'd have a blast. But who is your friend and what can I do to help?"

"First, you have to promise me, whatever I tell you will stay between us. You can't say anything to Tyler until we figure a few things out." Renee feared that she had just opened up Pandora's Box. What if Emma went straight to Tyler? Brian would run away and be gone forever, but it was a risk she had to take. He was a kid and shouldn't be living on the streets.

"His name's Brian." Renee slowly lifted her eyes to meet Emma's.

"Is this the new man in your life?" Emma smirked, but her eyes looked happy.

"He's a kid, Emma. He's the boy who everyone's been looking for. Brian is only fourteen years old, and came from the worst hell I've ever heard of. He needs to eat proper meals, and to be taken off the streets. Is it possible for him to come to your place with me? I have some money to pay our way, and I'll do whatever events you need me to do, for free." Renee was willing Emma to make that promise to her.

"Oh my God. Of course he can! Tyler can finally stop looking for him!" Emma reached over and squeezed Renee's hands.

"No! You can't tell Tyler or anyone else. If the authorities find Brian, they'll return him to his parents. Emma, they beat him, and held him prisoner in a small bathroom for a long time, and I'm not talking about days or weeks. For over a year they did that to him!" Renee didn't mean to get so angry.

"Wow, that's horrible!"

Renee watched as Emma processed all the information she had just told her. She knew that at any time, Emma could get out her phone and call Tyler. Everything would crash and burn if she did.

"Do you understand why it's important that no one knows anything until we figure it all out? I don't really care about me so much, but Brian's a kid on the run. Someone's going to hurt him out here. This area isn't very safe at night. With the cops and everyone else looking for him, he can't even walk around during the day. He's penniless and eating trash, or not eating at all." A tear slid down Renee's cheek.

"Is there a way for me to meet him?" asked Emma.

"I'm not positive he'll come to your apartment with me. If he doesn't agree to this, then I'm not going to go either. I can't just leave him alone. I really, really like Brian. He's a super sweet kid." Renee thought about him coming to her in the woods that night when she was all alone. He knew she wasn't safe, so he had protected her.

Emma's phone rang but she didn't answer it. Renee sighed in relief.

"Do you live close by, Emma? If so, I'll need your address. I can't risk putting Brian on a bus or in a cab, not that he'd show his face in the first place."

"I live about a half-mile from here. I can always drive you and Brian—"

"No. When you get home, just wait for us. We can't come until it's dark out, and we'll have to stay off the main road. I won't do anything to risk him being captured. If you say one word to Tyler, he'll run, and I'll go with him." Renee had to make sure Emma got the point.

Emma nodded her head in understanding, then took a pen out of her purse and wrote her address down on a business card.

"Here you go, Renee. My door is open for you, and I agree, a fourteen-year-old has no business fending for himself out here. I'll keep this between us, but you have to make a promise to me," Emma said as she reached over again and held Renee's hands.

"I'm not very good at keeping promises right now, but I'll try." Renee felt her stomach tighten.

"I want you to promise me that we'll work out a way for Brian to testify. You're my friend, and I admire what you're doing, and I care about what happens to you, but Tyler is my family. I can't let his life get ruined over a crime he didn't commit." Emma squeezed her hands more firmly.

"Okay, but you have to give me a heads up if you need to disclose Brian, and give me time to get him out of there if he's not comfortable. He ran away the first time when he was able to escape, and he went directly to the police station. The cop drove him back to his parent's house. He's a runaway, Emma."

"Come to my apartment. Between the three of us, we'll figure it all out, but I want you to know; Tyler is one of the best people I've ever met. There's no way he'd do anything to risk the life of a kid." Emma stood up, hugged Renee, and turned to walk back across the street.

When Emma was gone, Renee picked up her duffle bag and looked carefully around the park. When she was sure it was safe, she stepped into the woods.

"Brian!" she called out, as loud as she dared. "Brian!" she repeated as she walked around, but there was no reply. Renee headed towards the direction where the drain was hidden, and said his name again. She was afraid to go any closer. What she wanted to do was to make her way down to the camp, but Brian was right. The homeless people didn't know her, and they had every right to protect themselves against any possible threat. Renee was sure that most of them were friendly, but then again, you never knew what people had been through. Looking at Brian, she would have never guessed his past. Renee understood why he struggled with trust, but he'd taken a leap of blind faith and trusted her. He could have easily done harm to her while she was alone, but he didn't. It was he, who'd reached out to her.

Renee sighed in frustration, knowing she'd have to wait for Brian to come out of hiding. God, what if he overheard me telling Emma so much information about him? What if he decided not to go to the apartment with me? What if he already ran away again? Renee turned to go back to the edge of the woods where he'd first found her, when all of a sudden she ran right into him. Renee let out a yelp.

"Brian! You scared the daylights out of me!" she loudly whispered.

"I've been following you. I couldn't respond because you were too close to the park and you never know who's roaming around. I have cops looking for me out here, remember? Renee, you have to stop calling my name. You're going to attract attention. I don't go by my real name. It's harder for people to find me. An old man I met on the streets called me Ace. That's what stuck with me." Brian put his hand on top of Renee's head and patted it.

Renee promised not to call his real name again, but Ace certainly didn't fit him. "Did you think about coming with me to the apartment? I talked to Emma and she said it was fine." Renee didn't want to argue with him, but for his safety, she was willing.

"I know. I heard you," smiled Brian, "especially when you began to practically yell."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Renee wished she hadn't risked other people overhearing the conversation with Emma. "She's going to wait for us this evening, and we can leave once it gets dark. I'll help you carry your things."

"My things. You realize I don't have much?" Brian reached around and pulled up his guitar. "I'm sorta scared to leave from here. I mean, if it doesn't work out at your friend's place, I won't have my spot to return to at the camp anymore. It'll be plucked up in no time." Brian looked down in deep thought.

"Listen, if it doesn't work out at Emma's, I'll find us something until I can start making money and rent an apartment. You're not going to stay on the street anymore." Renee had to fight not to raise her voice.

"I still need to think on this some. I really appreciate it and all, but I'm risking a lot. Meet me back here right before dark, and I'll give you my answer. Either way, you're going to Emma's apartment, even if I have to drag you." Without saying another word, Brian darted off deeper into the woods.

Chapter 15

Emma hurried home after leaving a message on Tyler's desk that she was feeling under the weather. She wasn't exactly being upfront with her boss, but she really did feel ill. Her stomach was nauseated and in knots, and she was literally sick with worry. What exactly had Renee gotten herself involved in? What did I involve myself in? Emma had acted on impulse, when she had agreed so quickly to allow the teenage boy, whom she'd never met, to come live with her. Would he hurt me in my sleep? Would he steal from me? She walked from room to room, dusted, vacuumed, and picked up. Luckily she had enough extra linens and blankets for the spare room and the couch, which converted into a sleeper.

She wished her suspicions hadn't been confirmed by Renee. When she first met her, she was pretty, clean, and smelled nice when she hugged her. Seeing the unkempt version of Renee, the way she'd physically deteriorated, including the weight loss and bags under her eyes, made her worry. Watching her drag around a duffle bag, combined with asking for a place to park her truck, gave her the truth. Emma just wished she would have figured it out earlier, and involved Tyler right away. Now she was knee deep in a secret she was afraid to keep, and if something happened to her, who would know? Renee could be harmed just as easily.

Emma's phone rang, startling her from her thoughts. She raced to her jacket pocket to fish it out.

"Emma, are you okay? I just got your message," began Tyler. His concern came across loud and clear.

"I'll be fine. I think I just need to lay low today. I'm sorry for taking off so quickly. I should have called instead of leaving a message. Sorry for worrying you." Emma bit her lower lip and shook her head. The last person she wanted to hide things from was this man.

"I'll let you get some rest. Make sure to call if I can do anything for you."

Emma thanked Tyler and ended the call. Her apartment was clean and ready. All she could do now was watch the clock tick, which was the hardest part.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Renee sat quietly in the woods waiting for Brian. She was trying desperately not to make any noise, which would draw attention to herself. She occasionally heard branches break and leaves rustle, but it was imperative she made not a sound. Her stomach was growling, her eyelids grew heavy, and her legs were beginning to grow restless, but she remained still. The sun was setting, and she worried that Brian wouldn't show up. When she heard footsteps, which seemed to be getting closer, she slowly got to her feet, lifted her duffle bag, and got ready to flee. When the branches parted in front of her, she gasped.

"Shhh! You're going to wake the dead," laughed Brian.

"Oh my God!" Renee pulled his lanky body towards her and hugged him. "I thought you weren't going to show." Renee knew almost immediately that something was wrong, when he winced. She let him go and backed up a step. "Brian, where's your guitar?" She tried to see his shadowed face underneath his hood.

"It broke. I tossed it in a dumpster," he laughed.

Renee had a feeling he was lying. She stood on tiptoes and slid his hood back. Brian's bruised, swollen eye, cracked lip, and bruised neck, made her see red.

"What happened to you?!"

"I ran into a door. Seriously, I'm okay. You should see the other guy." He half smiled, groaned, and then reached up to hold his lip.

"You were beaten up for your guitar?" Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Something like that. I wasn't kidding when I said the camp could be dangerous. There are a couple of guys who showed up earlier, big dudes, just to harass and beat on people." Brian pulled his hood back over his head.

"Do you know who they are?" Renee was sure she'd kill them if she couldn't get the cops to arrest the thugs fast enough.

"They aren't homeless from what I saw, trust me. Apparently they've been working their way down to this camp, terrorizing the homeless."

"You're not staying out here anymore, Brian, I mean it! I don't care what I have to do, but you're coming with me!" Renee demanded.

"...Alright, I'll go. You have to understand that the first time I feel like I'm going to be turned over to the cops, I'll take off, and you probably won't see me again. I'll leave Michigan." Brian stared down on her with a determined look on his swollen, battered face.

"I totally agree. I don't want you to go back to your horrible parents as much as you don't. If you have to take off, I'm coming with you. You're way too young to be living on the streets alone. Let's get out of here, Brian."

Renee took his hand and felt the scrapes across his knuckles. She took a step towards the park, and with some hesitation, Brian followed. Right before they walked into the clearing, Renee reached in her pocket for the business card which had Emma's address on it.

"I'm not exactly sure where this place is, let alone trying to get there without using the main streets." Renee would never forgive herself if she caused Brian to be spotted by the police.

"Let me see the address." Brian reached down and gently took the card from her hand and studied it briefly. "I know exactly where this is. Stay with me, because we have to move really fast."

Renee nodded, and after Brian made sure no one was around, he ran with her into the shadows of the park, and jogged around the edges, making sure to avoid the street lights.

"Renee, we have to get you some dark clothes. You look like a neon sign," laughed Brian as he continued to lead the way.

She shook her head and smiled, grateful that he had chosen to come with her. What would happen after they reached Emma's, she didn't know, but she was more than serious about going with him if he needed to bolt.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler sat at his desk feeling horrible about how he'd treated Emma. He'd been bossy, short tempered, and had dragged her into something way outside of her job description. As a matter of fact, he'd done that to her several times recently. No matter how much his temper flared, or how bad his mood had become, she still went out of her way to watch his back and help out in anyway she could. He'd definitely have to come up with something, in addition to money, to make up for being such a jerk.

Tyler's mind kept spinning because of Renee as well. Where was she? How was she? As long as Robert walked the face of this earth, she wouldn't be safe. That big, nasty troll wouldn't rest until Renee was destroyed. Tyler would do anything to get the guy in a ring, but he knew better than to lay hands on him. Creating more waves would just make Robert go after Renee even more.

The office door slowly opened and startled Tyler.

"Vinnie, you have to start knocking," he laughed, but Tyler was serious. It didn't take much for him to jump these days.

"Think of it as a way to keep you on your toes." Vincent walked over, gave his brother a hug and then sat in the chair. He placed his briefcase on Tyler's desk, opened it, and then handed his brother a large file.

"What's all this?" Tyler opened it.

"I want you to review it. That way, at your next court date in two weeks, you'll be up to speed. Seriously, you have get your mind of Renee Preston, and focus on helping us find your witness." Vincent picked up a few papers from his briefcase and then leaned back in the chair.

"I can tell when you have shitty news to tell me, so just get it off your chest. Now what's happened?" Tyler didn't think he could handle any more bad news. His thoughts instantly went to Roger Murphy. He wondered what the creep was pulling now.

"You do know that your picture is shown in the newspapers and television reports whenever Roger Murphy starts running his mouth, right? And by the way, he got admitted again last night for neck and back pain."

"I've about had it with him! I've been avoiding the news because of this. I hate the guy!" Tyler quickly stood up, sending his chair rolling.

"I know, we all want to clock Roger Murphy, but we can't. The whole coverage has given us another fish to fry." Vincent handed the papers to Tyler.

"What the hell?" whispered Tyler through clenched teeth.

"Yep. It seems like Robert Preston, Renee's husband, wants you charged for harassment. He recognized your face in the newspaper, and my guess is he thinks you're having a fling with his wife. He wants money or your ass, perhaps both. Please tell me this is a fabricated story, and that you didn't go to her apartment." Vincent leaned forward in his chair and raised his eyebrows at Tyler.

"Well, there was a reason I went there, Vinnie. The guy is dangerous and is going to hurt Renee!" Tyler slammed his hand down on the desk.

"...And that's why there's law enforcement. You do realize you could get tossed in the can for this? Being out on bail means you can't do anything dumb. This was dumb, Ty, and you could be sent right back to jail. Now the police are doing an investigation. I'm telling you, as your attorney and as your brother, stay out of other people's problems right now. You have enough of your own. If the police can find evidence, you're going to get arrested. If you're involved with Renee Preston, you need to end things. She's a married woman and isn't going to help your case one bit!"

"I'm not involved with her. I just—" Tyler's could feel the heat in his face. He hadn't admitted his feelings to anyone.

"Nice. So Sean was right? You slept with her?" Vincent stood up from the chair and walked over to the sofa. He slowly sat down and pointed to the other end. "Sit down, Brother, and start from the beginning. I can't help you unless I know everything, and I do mean everything."

Tyler slowly walked over to the sofa and sat down. It was time to spill his guts, and as much as he didn't want to, he knew Vincent was right.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Emma stood in the kitchen, sipping on a cup of tea which had gone cold. Her nerves were ready to snap, and she had no idea what her next step would be if Renee did, or didn't, show up. Hopefully if she did, her young friend would have found a different, safe place to go. Her biggest worry was Tyler. If he found out she'd been deceitful, would he fire her? Would their friendship be ruined? She carefully placed the full mug of tea in the sink as a wave of nausea hit her.

At seven-thirty that evening, Emma heard a soft tap on her apartment door. Her stomach rose to her throat again. She quickly glanced around her living room, looking for some kind of weapon. She trusted Renee, but she had no idea what this friend of hers was like. Maybe he'd told nothing but lies. Maybe he just wanted to get both of them alone and—

"Emma, it's us," came a faint, familiar voice.

Emma walked to the door and looked through the peep hole. She could clearly see Renee, but not her friend. Keeping the security latch on, Emma cracked the door open.

"Hi, Emma. Could you let us in? It's not safe being out here under this light," said Renee softly.

As Emma's stomach twisted, she unlatched the door and cautiously opened it. She was relieved to see Renee standing there alone. Just as she was getting ready to shut the door, Renee walked back outside and made a waving motion with her hand. Emma could hear fast, heavy footsteps running towards her apartment. She wasn't expecting to see what stood before her.

Emma eyed the young man standing in front of her. He was skinny and tall, and he certainly didn't smell very good. His dirty blond hair hung in his blue eyes, and his face showed evidence of a fight he had most likely lost. The teen immediately tugged at her heartstrings.

"I'm Emma," she said as she offered her hand.

"I'm pleased to meet you, Emma, I'm Brian. Thank you for letting me tag along with Renee." Brian tried to give her a big smile, but the cut on his lip was stopping him.

Emma watched as Brian surveyed the apartment, and placed his hand on the door knob.

"It's okay, Brian, no one's here but me. Come on in and I'll fix you something to drink. Would you like a sandwich?" Emma could only guess how hungry this poor kid was, but first things first. "While I'm busy in the kitchen, you can grab a towel in the closet there and take a nice hot shower. I'll find something clean for you to wear." Emma was happy when Brian nodded and smiled instead of getting offended. She was glad that she had a large t-shirt and dark blue pajama bottoms he could hopefully wear for now. Tomorrow, she could go shopping and buy him some new clothes. Renee, she knew, could fit into anything in her closet with room to spare. Every time Emma had seen her friend, she could tell she'd lost some more weight. Renee didn't look or smell quite as bad as Brian, but she wasn't in the greatest of shape. She didn't dare guess how long it'd been since Brian had the ability, or facilities, to bathe. Emma had always been a nurturer, and now more than ever was the time for her to put that instinct into overdrive.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler couldn't stand the silence in the room. Vincent sat there staring at him while he nervously bobbed his knee up and down.

"Vin, say something," Tyler pleaded. He knew he'd given his brother a lot to digest, but he did not want or need to be grilled. He felt like Vinnie was preparing to give him a long lecture.

"I'll do it," said Vincent.

"You'll do what? Ring my neck?" Tyler asked nervously.

"I'll get her the divorce. Maybe she's the one you're supposed to fight for, or maybe she isn't. Either way, she should get away from that jackass husband of hers. I don't personally have the time to deal with Renee, nor am I a divorce attorney, but my buddy is. I'll pull in some favors. Give me her number and address." Vincent took out his phone.

"That's just it. We can't find her, and trust me, I've tried. Emma has had contact with her, but so far, Renee has declined all help. I really don't know what to do. She's living on the streets, Vinnie." Tyler nervously ran his hand through his hair.

"Let me think on this, Ty. You read through the file I gave you, and let me know if you have questions. Don't forget what I said about staying out of trouble. Hopefully you don't end up behind bars again for trying to save a damsel in distress. I'll help you with Renee, but first things first...your freedom."

Tyler watched his brother gather his papers and walk out of the office with the utmost confidence. It reminded him of when he'd turned eighteen and left foster care, adopting his three brothers. The life insurance policies, which were awarded to them, coupled with Tyler's plans for Montclair Pharmaceuticals, allowed him the opportunity to keep what was left of his family intact.

Tyler would never forget the first night he, and his siblings, were together on their own. Vincent, just a child back then, had looked him square in the eye and said, "Don't worry, Tyler, we got this." He was right. But Tyler needed for him to be right in this situation too, when he said not to worry and that everything would work out.

After getting out monogramed stationary, which Tyler used when he had to handwrite a letter or a thank you, he wrote a thoughtful note to Emma, walked into her office, and sat it on her desk. Hopefully she'd feel better tomorrow; he'd take her out for a nice lunch and they could chat like old times. He needed to take better care of her, the most loyal and honest person he'd ever met.

Chapter 16

Emma sat on the kitchen chair across from Brian. She'd made grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, tossed salad, and a couple cans of chicken noodle soup. She tried not to notice how fast Brian devoured his meal, but it was obvious to her, he hadn't had eaten in a while. When she offered him a third sandwich, he declined and rubbed his stomach. He was clean and smelled of lilacs, which she guessed he didn't mind. The t-shirt fit in length but was a little too big in the shoulders. Emma knew if he'd been fed properly, he'd have filled out the shirt with no problem. The pajama bottoms, though way too short, fit him in the waist because of the elastic.

"I have some extra toothbrushes I'll leave on the bathroom sink. The spare bedroom is all set up and the couch is a sofa sleeper. You two can decide who sleeps where." Emma smiled, though what she really wanted to do was cry. She couldn't understand what was wrong with Brian's parents. He was the sweetest kid she'd ever met, and didn't deserve anything that life had handed him thus far. She had every intention of making things better for both of her guests. She watched as Renee smiled at Brian, and his face softened. When it did, his young age was much more evident.

"Emma," began Renee. "I can't thank you enough for what you're doing. While you're at work, we'll handle all the chores around here. I have money in my account and I'll give you some tom—"

"No. No more talk of money, okay? All I ask is that you two make yourselves at home. Watch television, make some food, sleep in...you both have seen some pretty rough patches. I want you to focus on getting your bodies healthy. Tomorrow we'll make something delicious for dinner. I'm sorry this wasn't the greatest meal, but I tend to slack when it comes to grocery shopping. We'll plan some great dinners. Brian, what's your favorite food?" Emma patted his arm, noting that there wasn't a lot of meat on his bones.

"My grandma used to make one heck of a roast. Before she died, she gave me a cooking lesson! I was only ten, but I remember the day vividly. If I have the ingredients, I'll make it and you can come home to a hot meal." Brian gave as big of a smile as he could, without making his lip bleed.

"I'd love that! There's a pad of paper on the desk over there and a pen. You write down what you need, and I'll pick it up. Maybe I can bring home a pie or something for desert too." Emma thought the conversation was going great, until Brian jumped from the table and ran to the bathroom.

"Renee, what's wrong with him? Is he sick? Did he eat too much too fast? I feel horrible." Emma looked towards the bathroom door. If he was her son, she'd have gone and checked on him, but she had no idea where the boundary lines were and didn't want to cross them.

"I don't know, Emma. Let me see what's up," Renee walked to the bathroom door and softly knocked.

Emma watched as the door finally opened and Renee stepped inside.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Renee didn't hear a sound after knocking a few times on the bathroom door. When she didn't get a reply after calling Brian's name, and didn't hear any water running or other sounds, she got worried and opened the door. She didn't know if there was a window in the bathroom or not, and if so, she feared he'd climbed out of it. She certainly didn't expect to see Brian slumped in the corner on the floor, looking like he was five instead of fourteen.

"Brian, are you okay?" asked Renee quietly.

"Dinner was great and all, but I don't think my stomach's used to so much food in one day." He smiled but held his belly.

Renee could tell he didn't feel very good. After the large breakfast and dinner, both of which he'd consumed too quickly, she could understand why his stomach hurt." Let me see if Emma has something to settle your stomach," she said as she rubbed Brian's arm and then walked back into the kitchen. Emma offered her a variety of teas, but she chose the peppermint. As the tea kettle was whistling, Brian appeared back in the kitchen and sat down.

The two women exchanged concerned glances as Brian sipped his tea. After a few minutes, his face appeared less pale, and he seemed to relax some. He lifted his hand and brushed the hair out of his eyes.

"Brian," spoke Emma when she took his empty mug to the sink. It's getting late. Would you like for me to show you your room? I bet you're exhausted."

"That would be great, Emma, thank you." Brian stood up and hugged Renee goodnight, and then disappeared down the short hallway with Emma.

After a minute, Emma came back out and sat on the couch, motioning for Renee to come join her from the kitchen.

"Thank you for giving the bedroom to Brian. You read my mind," said Renee as she grinned and nodded her head in approval.

"I figured a fourteen-year-old boy should have a little privacy, because you two might be staying here for a while, not that I'm complaining. I love having company." Emma smiled brightly.

Renee hoped that Brian wouldn't get frightened and run. If he took off, she didn't know what she would do. Renee definitely had a fondness for him, but it was more than that. She knew he didn't belong out on the streets alone, and it wasn't his fault that he'd been dealt such a bad hand in life.

"I want to ask you something," began Emma as her expression changed to a more serious one. "What's going on with the divorce and Robert?"

"I need to get a job first. Divorces are expensive and I'm sure Robert will put up a fight. He's crazy. I'll start looking for an attorney tomorrow. Someone called me back regarding an application I filled out. I applied to a lot of places, so I wasn't sure which position they were contacting me about. Before I could get the information, my phone died," Renee replied, as she rolled her eyes.

"Is it possible for us to go get your things?" It was obvious that she wanted to help.

"He'd probably flatten me if I showed up, and there's no way he'd let a stranger in, especially someone he thought was on my side. I still need to call Carol, my friend. She's probably worried sick about me. But if I involve her any more than what she already is, she could get hurt." Renee felt guilty about leaving Carol in the dark, but knew she'd come looking for her, and possibly lead Robert to Emma's apartment.

"Okay, I understand. If you need anything, let me know. But getting a divorce is paramount, Renee. I don't care what we have to do to get it done." Emma sounded determined, and looked almost angry.

After the girls were done chatting, Emma helped Renee fix up the sofa sleeper, and then went to her room. Renee curled up under the covers, grateful for somewhere clean, soft and warm, to rest her body. Her mind, however, wouldn't shut off. She quietly got up, went down the hall, and cracked open Brian's door. She listened with relief when she heard his deep breaths of sleep. She didn't know what the next day would bring, or the day after. What she did know was that they couldn't stay in Emma's apartment forever. She'd do whatever it took to keep her and Brian together. Without someone who cared about the teen, he'd be on his own. Remembering his badly battered face made her even more adamant about giving him a better life.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Emma woke up at six the next morning. Normally she'd turn on the lights as she walked through her apartment, but after hearing Renee cough in her sleep, she remembered to stay quiet and keep the lights off. She went into the bathroom and got ready, making as little noise as possible. When Emma left, she was happy she hadn't woken anyone up. She doubted that Brian had slept in an actual bed, in a safe location, in a long time. She also knew that Renee hadn't been sheltered in a decent environment since she'd left Robert. Even though her friend had sought refuge in the kitchen at Montclair Park, it was hardly sufficient.

Emma found herself feeling slightly paranoid as she pulled out of the parking lot. She knew Renee's husband Robert would go to any lengths to cause harm. Though she didn't think he'd figure out she had any connection to his wife, other than through the catering events, Emma had to be cautious. Robert had hired a cop to do his dirty work, so there was no telling how easy it would be to have Renee followed.

When she walked into her office, she immediately saw the note from Tyler sitting on her desk. Normally, Emma would have jumped at the offer to go out with her boss, because they had such a great time when it was just the two of them. She had gotten pretty good at making him relax and laugh. But if Emma were to get in a lengthy conversation with Tyler now, she was sure he'd bring Renee up, and then she'd have to lie again. She instantly felt the tension creep into her neck.

She jumped when she heard a tapping on her door.

"Tyler! Good morning," Emma smiled, though she was sure he'd see right through it.

"You up for lunch today? Is your schedule free?" Tyler handed her a large cup of coffee, fixed with cream and sugar, just the way she liked it.

"Oh my gosh, you made me coffee?" Emma was dumbfounded as she took the cup and sipped it.

"It was the least I could do. Besides, there weren't any florists open when I got here at five. How are you today?"

"I'm okay, just tired. I don't know about lunch though. I have to type up your monthly reports and work on the next event."

"As your boss, I'm telling you to put it all off for a couple of hours and come for a nice lunch with me." Tyler raised his eyebrows and stared at her.

Emma had difficulty meeting his gaze. She knew she'd have no choice but to go with him and hope for the best. "Okay, I'll go," she smiled.

"Great. I'll pick you up at eleven thirty. Unless you'd rather have breakfast? In which case, we could leave now." Tyler looked at his watch then back up at Emma.

She thought about her options and realized if she went to breakfast, she could play the tired card to avoid talking too much. "I am pretty hungry. Let's get breakfast." She picked her purse back up and made sure her desk was locked.

Following Tyler outside, Emma looked at the sky and knew today would be gorgeous, which worried her greatly. She hadn't discussed with Renee the risks that would be involved if she decided to leave the apartment either alone, or with Brian in tow. Someone had already attacked the poor kid, and Robert had Renee in his crosshairs. Emma would have to find a way to contact her, but it wouldn't be easy. Renee didn't have a cell anymore, and Emma didn't have a phone in her apartment. She'd have to run over there on her lunch break. Until then, she'd worry.

She climbed into Tyler's Mercedes and scoured the streets for Renee as they headed to a local restaurant, which was known for their great breakfast buffet, but Emma wasn't concentrating on food. Any other day, she'd be chatting away with Tyler as they drove along and people watched; now she was watching for an entirely different reason.

"Earth to Emma..." Tyler said while laughing.

"What? I'm sorry, I stayed up late last night watching a movie and I'm kind of out of it today." She hoped her excuse would be good enough.

"What movie?" he asked without skipping a beat, and leaving her no time to think.

Crap. "It was a chick flick. Nothing you'd be interested in." Emma turned her face towards the passenger window.

"What channel was it on? I may have seen it. Denise used to make me watch stuff like that."

Emma could feel his eyes on her. To prevent anymore lies from being told, she knew she'd have to change the topic. If he sensed she was being deceptive, he'd know something was up, which would just create another story she'd have to tell. Hopefully breakfast wouldn't last too long, and they could go back to the office so she could get busy with work. Tyler rarely interrupted her when he knew she was busy at her desk, unless it was urgent.

Finally they reached the restaurant, and Emma was grateful that Tyler had something else to do besides ask her questions.

"This is delicious," he said as he crammed a slice of bacon in his mouth.

Emma smiled at Tyler's plate full with a little bit of everything. "These eggs are nice and fresh," Emma responded. She worried that the small talk would end, and he'd ask about Renee.

"You seem distracted, Emma. What's going on?" Tyler sat his fork down and picked up his coffee.

"Nothing really. I'm just tired and still recouping after being sick." She was already regretting this get-together.

"Have you talked to Renee?" Tyler asked as he sipped his coffee.

"We're having such a great break from work. Let's not talk about anything serious." Emma looked at him fondly, but her mind was screaming at him to put food in his mouth.

"Well I have a confession to make," began Tyler in a matter-of-fact voice which abruptly became serious. "I was in the parking lot when Renee approached the guard station yesterday. After she took off, I asked David what she wanted. He told me he made a phone call to you for her. What's that about?"

There was an awkward silence as Emma tried to think fast. She knew she'd have to come up with something satisfactory to Tyler, or she risked being cornered. "She just wanted to know how I was doing," she replied as she motioned with her hand to wave it off.

"I'm not buying it. I've known you for too long not to recognize when you're hiding something, and I have every reason to believe that it has to do with Renee." Tyler removed his plate from in front of him and sat it on the edge of the table. His food was only half eaten.

Emma knew she was busted. Do I tell him all of it? If she only told him a little bit, then stretched the truth with the rest of the story, maybe that would satisfy him.

"Renee asked me to meet with her at the park and I did. I had to re-write the check in her name, instead of Sugar and Spice Catering, so Robert wouldn't get his hands on the money." Satisfied with her answer, Emma took another bite of food.

"Look, my life is completely upside down at the moment. I'm facing prison, I'm now facing harassment charges from Robert, for going to see him, and I can't find my witness or Renee. After all these years, I'd appreciate if you don't add to it, Emma. You're a horrible liar. I know you have her best interest at heart, but it wouldn't take much for you to get in way over your head in this. The closer you get to Renee, the more you're setting yourself up to be attacked by Robert. Please, be honest with me."

At this moment, Emma knew her days of secrecy had ended. She certainly never expected to break her promise to Renee, especially after only one day. She'll never trust me again, she thought. She pictured Brian back out on the streets getting beaten up, and Renee leaving right behind him. Before she knew it, tears spilled from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

Tyler took his napkin and patted Emma's face dry. "You know you can tell me anything. Between us, we can work it out, okay? But you have to trust that I'll do the right thing. I trust you, you trust me. That's how it has to work." He picked up both of Emma's hands and held them.

"First, you have to promise me, Tyler, that you won't act on the first thought which comes into your head. You're going to be very angry and disappointed in me, but I hope you understand that I only did what I did to help her." Her tears flowed again, and she wished more than anything that she wasn't sitting in a public restaurant.

"Start from the very beginning, from when you first called Renee to help with the event. When you're done, I have a story to share with you too. But first, where is she?" he asked with a very calm voice.

"She's at my apartment...with Brian." Emma took a deep breath and then let out a small sob. "You can't get up from this table, Tyler. I promised her I wouldn't tell, so you have to promise me you won't go ballistic." Emma felt like she had no right making anyone promise her anything. She'd just broken a very important one, and she definitely didn't get the response she was expecting.

"That's the safest place for her right now, Emma. Keep her there." Tyler's face relaxed.

"I expected all hell to break loose when I told you that, Tyler, because I had kept it from you." Emma's relief was short lived.

Tyler downed the rest of his coffee and waved the waiter over for the bill. He tucked his credit card in the black leather binder, and then waited patiently until his card and the receipt were returned. He took Emma's hand softly and led her outside, and helped her get in the car. He gave her a big smile as he closed the door. When he climbed in behind the wheel and started the car, he turned his body to face her.

"Who's, Brian?" Tyler's attempt at making his voice sound calm, failed.

Damn thought Emma. She might as well let every single cat out of the bag. Here goes nothing...

Chapter 17

Tyler wasn't totally sure that Emma knew more than she was letting on when they left the office, but how she was acting during breakfast, and over the last few weeks, helped him to put the pieces together. She'd been avoiding him for the most part, had stopped coming to his office for morning chats, and combined with the business at the guard station, had led him to believe that Emma held the answers. Luckily she had finally done the right thing and confided in him.

"Tyler, where are you going?!" Emma looked panicked when he turned the car and drove past the office.

"We're going to your apartment." Tyler expected her to freak out a little bit, but he didn't have a choice. Yes, he needed to get Brian to testify, but he had to do his part to keep Renee safe. Vincent would help out with her divorce, while Tyler relocated her to a safe place. If she decided she wanted him to leave her alone after that, he would. As far as Brian was concerned, his parents were probably sick with worry. Whatever caused the teen to run away couldn't be bad enough to render him homeless. Tyler would do everything he could to keep the kid off the streets, so he'd find out who Brian's folks were and pay them a visit. Usually, the parents were older and set rules their child didn't want to follow. He'd figure it out.

"She's going to hate me. Heck, they're both going to hate me and probably take off running! Are you going to my apartment just so you can see Renee?!" Emma pulled a tissue from her purse and dabbed her water-filled eyes.

Tyler pulled over on the side of the road, unbuckled his seatbelt and faced her. He brushed the hair out of her face and lifted her chin.

"Emma, listen to me. The kiss I shared with her in the park wasn't just an ordinary kiss. Sure I'm attracted to her, what guy wouldn't be? But when she told me what was going on in her life, I felt bad for her. Renee was desperate that night. She wanted and needed to be saved, and our kiss was the only way she could communicate it to me. Trust me, I enjoyed it more than you know, but I got her message loud and clear. My heart plunged because she's such a good person. I really care about what happens to her. She'll probably hate me too, because I'm sure she knows by now, that I'm a Montclair and didn't tell her upfront, but I'll risk it. Let me ask you something. Would you rather her hate you, yet be safe, or like you and be at risk for harm? And don't forget, you could be harmed too and I'll be damned if I'll let either of those things happen. But I can't protect anyone without knowing all of the details."

Emma blew her nose and then shook her head. "I'd rather them both hate me, but be safe. Brian was beaten up and had his guitar stolen right before they came to my apartment to hide. He's such a sweet kid! I don't want him to run again." She began to fall apart all over again.

"Here's the plan, Emma. You have to contain your emotions when we go in there. If they see you upset, they'll think me being there is unsafe. You have to keep your composure. You go inside, and then I'll step in behind you and close the door. I'll stay right there, so if they decide to bolt, they'll have to go through me first. I have to have a chance to explain." Tyler put his seatbelt back on and pulled out into traffic as soon as he saw Emma nod.

As they drove to the apartment, Tyler and Emma kept their eyes wide open. Tyler looked for signs of being followed by Robert or one of his 'buddies', while Emma checked the sidewalk and store fronts for Renee, Brian, and the crazy man.

"They might even still be sleeping, Tyler. If that's the case, you're going to scare the daylights out of them." Emma kept her eyes glued to her surroundings.

"Like I said, any reaction they have is worth it to keep them safe." Tyler knew he'd really upset Emma, and that he needed this encounter to go well or he risked having her distrust and be mad at him forever, which wasn't something he ever wanted.

Tyler pulled up in the parking lot at the far end. Emma started to open her door, but he stopped her and shook his head. He carefully scanned the parking lot. His eyes landed on an unmarked police car. It was the same kind of sedan that was used to patrol events the Montclairs threw. Tyler always requested unmarked cars so the cops wouldn't scare off any homeless people who happened to have warrants out. There in the front seat was an overweight cop with big jowls and in the passenger seat, was Robert.

"There's Robert," said Tyler as he tried to keep his body low.

"Where?" asked Emma as she strained her neck to look in that direction.

"Get down. See the burgundy sedan? Robert's in the passenger seat."

"Oh my God, Tyler, I didn't even know what he looked like. He could have easily gotten close and I wouldn't have known it was him!" Emma's breath quickened.

"Exactly. Stay down until they're gone. I'll take care of it." Tyler got out his phone and called Vincent. Within the hour, a private pavement striping company showed up and began to spray over the lines in the parking lot, close to the cop car. Tyler saw the sedan window slide down, and then heard some swearing from the cop before they drove away. Once Robert and his thug were out of sight, Emma and Tyler made a beeline for the door. Emma, who was out of breath from running, stepped inside the apartment, and Tyler came in behind her and closed the door, locking it.

"Hi Emma! You're home early," greeted Renee, but her face turned cold as ice as soon as she saw Emma's expression and Tyler's presence.

"Hey Emma, thanks for the bed. I slept like a rock," laughed Brian until he looked up.

Tyler could tell by the kid's expression that he was going to make a run for it. He watched him quickly grab Renee's hand and run straight at him. He hit Tyler hard, knocking him into the door. With both feet firmly planted, he was able to stop Brian from getting at the lock. With as much speed as he could, he got the kid around the arms and pulled him to the floor and kept him pinned down with his weight.

"Brian, it's okay, man. I'm not going to bring you harm or turn you into the cops. But you and Renee aren't safe here. Robert is stalking this apartment to get at her. If you don't let me help the both of you, Renee, and probably you, will get hurt. If Robert had it his way, Renee would be dead already. I'm going to get up now, but you can't run, okay?"

"Robert's here?" asked Renee with pure terror in her eyes.

"Yes," said Emma. "He was outside in an unmarked car. He's after you, Renee. Somehow he figured out where you're staying. My guess is he spotted us talking at the park or at the diner, and followed me. I'm sure that anyone he thinks is connected to you is being followed. I'm not sorry for telling Tyler everything. I trust him with my life, and now you two have to trust him with yours." Emma spoke firmly and maintained her composure.

Renee let her body slump on the couch, and then looked at Tyler. "Let him go, he won't run. Brian, get up and come sit by me. We need all the help we can get right now. Robert will go through you, and anyone else, to get to me." She watched as Tyler's grip loosened.

"Seriously," warned Tyler. "Don't try to go out the door. You'll get us all killed. Regardless of how fast you think you are, you can't outrun a bullet." Tyler got to his feet.

Brian got up and walked to the couch and sat next to Renee. Tyler could see that they both looked way too thin. The boy had obviously been trying to take care of himself, but was failing. The kid looked much wiser than his age right now, with fire in his eyes. Brian was clearly battered on the outside, but Tyler had no idea how damaged he was on the inside. He stood back in front of the door, not completely convinced that they wouldn't try to take off.

"I'm not going back to my parents. If you turn me into the cops, they'll take me back there." Brian's eyes pleaded with him.

Tyler's heart was melting. "Let's lay everything out on the table. First things first, Emma told me you know who I am. You testifying for me would be great, but I don't think that now is the time. You'll be risking arrest and risking your life by being visible. I have to move you guys. Emma, this includes you. Everyone gather your things." As Tyler relaxed some, his phone rang. It was Vincent.

"You're welcome and you owe me a thousand bucks. Are they gone?" Vincent asked.

"Yeah, thanks Vin. I really appreciate it, but I don't think the apartment complex will," laughed Tyler.

"Probably not. They only had time to paint half a line, so they'll have to reschedule," said Vincent sarcastically.

"How'd you manage this one?" Tyler was quite impressed.

"They were just finishing up painting the lines at the courthouse before all the employees showed up for work. I happened to be outside in my car while they were packing up to head to another job when you called. It's amazing what a grand can buy you, Ty." Vincent beeped his horn at someone.

"I'll pay you back, but first I need you to do something else for me." Tyler knew he was asking a lot.

"Please tell me this has nothing to do with Robert or Renee..." Vincent sighed heavily into the phone.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Renee had no choice but to trust the guy. It's not like she had to explain her circumstances to him, he knew all about her marriage from their meeting at the park. Tyler seen firsthand what Robert was capable of after seeing her damaged pickup truck. She thought the man she'd met in the kitchen that night was a really nice guy, which had been confirmed by Emma. Truth be told, Renee should have allowed her friend to bring Tyler into the situation sooner, but she had feared that Robert would harm him. After learning of her husband's appearance in the parking lot with another cop in his pocket, she knew every one of her fears was justified.

She packed the few outfits she had in the dryer, and gave Brian his clothes. Emma washed them once, and then Renee had to restart the cycle and wash Brian's things two more times to get most of the dirt out. His hoodie was stiff with dirt and blood when they'd arrived at Emma's, and his clothes were threadbare and filthy, but it was all the kid had. At least they smelled clean now.

Renee felt Brian tug on her arm and lead her to his bedroom. He twisted the knob while pulling the door closed, obviously trying not to make any noise. Even though there was a window, Renee knew he wouldn't run.

Brian stared down at the carpeted floor for a minute and then looked at her. "You know I should jet, don't you?" Brian asked seriously.

"No, not this time. We have to stop running, and I said 'we' because I'm sticking with you. You're not alone anymore."

"Is this Tyler guy for real? I mean, he's looking at some serious time if I don't testify. You think he's going to let me stay out of it? I don't think so, Renee..." Brian shook his head and then walked over to the window.

She could tell what Brian was thinking. "If you go through that window, or run in any way, shape, or form, I will follow you, and I won't stop searching until I find you. Understand what I'm saying, Brian. We're done running. The street is no place for me, and it's definitely no place for you." Renee walked over, turned Brian to face her, and then hugged him close. He began to cry.

"Honey, I know you've been abused by the adults who were supposed to protect you, and that your faith in us isn't very strong. Tyler's a stranger to you, and I totally understand your fears, but I trust him and right now, that has to be good enough. I haven't turned you in, or put you in harm's way, because I care about you, Brian. I care about what happens to you. If I feel like you're in danger of being sent back to your parents, I'll let you know, and then we'll both get out of dodge, okay? Will you trust me?"

Renee squeezed Brian close and then stepped back a little to look at him. His tear-streaked face made her want to cry. She had a feeling that he'd only shared with her a fragment of what he'd gone through in his young life. She looked at Brian until he met her gaze and agreed.

"I trust you, Renee, but I can't trust anyone else right now. Emma's nice and all, but she brought Tyler here after we told her not to tell anyone. But I'll do what you ask." Brian smiled, but the fear in his eyes was plain to see.

"Thank you. Now let's help Emma pack and get out of here before the monster comes back." Renee had no doubt that Robert would return, and as soon as he saw the parking lines weren't completed, he'd connect the dots, especially if he spotted Tyler. Robert would unleash his wrath upon him. Her husband, when enraged, should never be underestimated.

When Renee and Brian walked back into the living room, Emma was handing Tyler her things, and he was putting them inside of a suitcase. After she quickly packed the items in her bathroom she'd need, she double checked the rooms.

"I think that's everything," said Emma.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do. I'm going to pull the car up to the door here when the coast is clear. Emma, I'll text you when to come out, and when you guys open this door, you hurry, and I do mean hurry. We can't risk being followed."

"What if he's out there and catches you?" Emma looked at him with fear in her eyes.

"I'd rather him get his hands on me rather than the three of you. No matter what happens, do not come outside unless I say. Emma, call 9-1-1 if you spot him. I doubt the police station knows that Robert has one of their sour apples with him." Tyler gave them each one last look before heading out the door. She knew if she called the police, the thugs would answer the call and show up here with lights blaring.

Renee sent up silent prayers and tried to listen for any noises which would indicate fighting. She heard Tyler's footsteps as he ran from the building, but that was it. Once he was gone, no more sounds were heard until Emma's cell phone chirped.

"Let's go guys, now!" Emma hurried and grabbed her purse and the few items on the couch that hadn't gotten packed, while Brian lifted the big suitcase.

Renee threw her duffle bag over her shoulder and locked the door behind her. Emma was already climbing into the backseat with Brian, so Renee hurried and got into the front. She was thrown against the seat when Tyler stepped on the gas.

Between the four of them, they were able to keep an eye out for Robert while navigating through a series of side streets to get to Montclair Pharmaceuticals. Once they pulled into the lot, Tyler drove directly up to the doors and put the car in park.

"Is it safe to be here?" asked Renee, knowing that Robert had met Tyler and knew what he looked like. Emma had told her about his visit to the apartment, and now, Tyler was on Robert's shit list.

"Get inside. I'll get the door." Tyler jumped out, quickly pressed buttons on the security pad and let the others go in ahead of him. He ushered them inside the elevator. Once the doors closed he called the head of security and locked the building down. Tyler quickly informed them of the situation, and to not even let cops on the premises without a warrant.

"Renee, we're not staying here, but I have to keep my family safe. If Robert will go through me or Emma to get to you, then he could easily go through my brothers to get to me. I can't have that," he said, with pure conviction in his voice.

Renee felt nothing but fear and extreme guilt. When had Robert turned to physical violence? After I put up a fuss over money and walked out, that's when. I should have stayed and put up with it to keep his temper from exploding like this. Now I've put everyone in harm's way.

Within thirty minutes, Tyler had everyone inside of a supply room. Renee had met Sean, Jacob, and Vincent at prior catering events, and she hoped they wouldn't judge her too harshly for the predicament they were now in. Tyler introduced his brothers anyway.

Brian's eyes grew huge. He began to swallow loudly, and his eyes darted back and forth between the Montclair men and the door.

"Okay," began Tyler. "We're going to need transportation. We have to stay together."

"I'll pull the dark blue van with tinted windows into shipping and receiving around back, but you guys have to be fast." He then looked at Tyler with softened eyes. "We'll get through this, Ty, we always do." He patted Tyler's shoulder.

"If they see a vehicle with Montclair Pharmaceuticals on it, they'll know it's us," Renee anxiously said.

"It doesn't have any writing or logos on it, but if a cop runs the plate, they'll know it's us." Sean responded to her right away.

"Are the seats in it?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah. We'll have to squeeze in though. I'll sit on the floor if need be." Sean answered.

"Ty," began Vincent with a big smile on his face. "Uh, our grandmother died if anyone asks."

"Let me guess," said Sean. "You had court appointments?"

"Nah, that's in a couple of weeks. But I have a hot date who I'm standing up, for the second time," Vincent proudly smiled.

"You're such a swell guy," laughed Tyler.

"I think it runs in the family," said Emma as she glared at Jacob.

"Sean, go get the van before we need an ambulance in here," Tyler said as he looked at Emma's angry face.

Renee kept her eyes on Brian, who seemed beyond scared. She reached down and held his hand. "It's okay," she whispered up at him. The only person she was worried about was Vincent. Emma told her he was Tyler's lawyer. Hopefully, he could be trusted.

Tyler glanced at Renee, and then at the young boy who looked absolutely defenseless. "Brian, you can trust my family. We'll protect you, no matter what." Tyler walked over and stood before the boy. After his brothers offered reassurance as well, he saw some of the tension leave Brian's face.

Until the trial begins, thought Renee, but all she could do was muster up a nervous smile. She hoped she'd made the right decision, and hadn't led Brian into a trap.

Chapter 18

Tyler was on the phone with the two armed security guards he'd asked to follow him until they were away from Southfield. He maintained his speed, but it wasn't easy for him to obey the traffic signs. His guts were churning, and he had to get them far away, to someplace safe. If a cop tried pulling him over, the guards were instructed to call their precinct and get directions. There was no way he was going to stop on the side of the road.

The forty-five mph freeway was hard to travel in many spots. There was heavy traffic near the entrance ramps, and Tyler knew that stopping in the middle of the road was just as dangerous as pulling over. Luckily, his security was keeping a close eye on him and staggering their tail.

Everyone was crammed inside the van. It was meant to seat eight, but Tyler realized they meant two adults and six kids, or something along those lines. The seven adults were packed into the van like sardines.

"There's 94," said Vinnie as he directed Tyler from the passenger seat.

"Yeah I see it. You seem to have forgotten that we've lived in this city for a few minutes. Seriously, if I can't find I-94 by now, I should hang up my license," laughed Tyler. He was trying to decrease the tension in the van.

"Yeah, yeah," replied Vincent as Tyler got ready to switch lanes and hop on the interstate.

"Go north on 23 when we get to it."

"Vincent, you need to stop it. If I go south, we'll end up in Ohio. I'm not going to cross state lines. Wouldn't the law just love that one. Plus, North seems to be the only option. I love you, but shut the hell up and let me drive." Tyler couldn't hide his agitation.

"Where are we going?" asked Emma. She sounded more irritated than Tyler.

"We're getting out of Southfield and heading north. Are you okay?" Tyler raised his voice so it'd reach her.

"No!" she shouted.

Tyler hadn't heard Emma get this mad since someone boxed her in on the parking lot and she couldn't leave for two hours.

"Em," Tyler was just getting ready to ask her if she was getting car sick, when he glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the source of her fury. He couldn't pull over, and had no way to remedy the situation. As compacted as everyone was, there wasn't any way to change the seating arrangement without opening up the big door and letting some of them out first. He eyed his brother Jacob in the mirror, and shook his head. Tyler knew that his love-sick brother had piled in next to Emma on purpose. This is going to be a very long drive, he thought. "

"Hopefully, she won't dig his eyes out," mumbled Vincent.

"Jacob did it to himself. All we can do is hope for the best and clean up the blood when we stop." Tyler glued his eyes back on traffic. The further he drove out of the city, the fewer number of cars were around them.

"At least he can go 70 mph now, instead of 45," said Vincent. "Maybe we can roll the windows down and let the wind dry up Jacob's blood after Emma is done with him. Then all we have to do is scrape it."

"You're sick, Vinnie," laughed Sean from behind them. "Where're we going, anyway?"

Vincent looked over at Tyler and shrugged his shoulders.

"Seriously?" Tyler was beside himself. "You're our navigator, and you have no idea where we're going? Vinnie, you told me not to worry, and that you'd handle it. Remember?!"

"If I told you, it'd take the fun out of the mystery," protested Vincent.

"Oh my God. You really don't have a clue as to where we're supposed to be heading, do you?!" Tyler was ready to reach over and ring his neck.

"...No." Vincent didn't meet Tyler's or Sean's eyes.

Just as Tyler was getting ready to lay into Vinnie, his phone rang. It was the guard, David.

"We've got company. Robert's in the black Buick behind me."

"Damn! I see him, thanks. Let me know if he starts to pull up beside the van. I'm going to try and lose him." Tyler stepped on the accelerator.

"Got it," replied David.

"Woah!" yelled Jacob.

"Hang on everyone!" Tyler loudly instructed. "Robert's behind us in the black Buick in the right lane. Try to stay as low as you can!" Tyler gunned it. The van was flying at eighty-five.

Vincent, while keeping his eye in the side view mirror, spoke calmly to Tyler. "Bro, we need to dump this van. We're going to have to separate."

"I'm aware we're sitting ducks right now, but I can't exactly go speeding through these small towns off the highway and risk putting innocent people in danger. Think of a better plan."

"There isn't a better plan. Get close to an exit, and slow down. Wait for him to get side by side with us, and then slam on your breaks. Back up on the shoulder of the road and take the exit. Let me jump out. I'll rent us a car and meet you some place."

"That's not going to help, Vinnie. You'll be in a different vehicle, but everyone else will still be in the van." Tyler's patience was gone.

"Keep repeating it Tyler, until you've dropped everyone else off at different exits. We'll pick a place to meet up." Without giving his brother time to respond, he picked up Tyler's phone in the cup carrier and hit redial. The guard answered it.

"I can still see him," said David.

"This is Vincent..."

Tyler listened closely as Vincent informed David of their new, insane plan. When he was done, he handed Tyler the phone.

"This is crazy, Tyler; but I understand it," explained David. "Robert could easily fire off a few bullets, and strike the gas tank, your tires, or pick you guys off through the windows. You have to get off of the highway, but be able to lead Robert right back on it."

"I could get us all killed, David." Tyler could feel the sweat bead on his upper lip.

"When we get to the closest exit, I'll stay on your ass to make sure no other cars get behind you. Do what Vincent said to do. And most importantly, let everyone know to brace themselves!" David laughed.

Tyler didn't return the laughter. "Next exit is in two miles. I'm going to get in the left lane and slow down when we get close to the ramp. As soon as Robert comes up beside us, it's Indy time. Hang tight." Tyler got off the phone and put both hands on the wheel. He raised his voice and quickly explained the plan.

"Oh, shit!" was the response by most.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Robert followed the big ugly van as it sped down US 23. The idiots thought they wouldn't be spotted when they left this morning. Robert cackled away as he fondled the cool metal revolver in his jacket pocket. After Ron the Sucky Cop chickened out and drove away from Stupid Emma's apartment complex, due to his fear of yellow paint on asphalt, Robert had almost snapped, but another great idea entered his mind instead.

Blackmailing Ron the Sucky Cop, was easy. Ronald was a drunk. When he drank, he'd run his mouth. If you're a cop who steals cash out of the evidence room, don't blab your drunkin' ass off about it at a poker game. If you do, you'll become a bitch. Robert's bitch. A half a block later, Robert was at the rental agency, and Ronald was renting him this four-wheeled beauty. That's what friends were for.

He knew Renee was holed up in the van with that Emma broad. Did they think he was stupid? He drove the rental car directly to the pharmaceutical company as soon as he received the keys, and waited. Robert couldn't see everything through the windows of the van, but he could make out Tyler's profile as he drove right past him. That jackass was probably sleeping with his wife. He must have thought he was being Mr. Important, trying to save the little skanks, as he attempted to sneak them away. He knew the three of them were inside. Easy pickin's.

Buying the gun was easy. Robert found the first low-life he could, in downtown Southfield, and asked him where he could buy a gun. It was the day after his wife didn't come home. Ballsy move, he thought, as he laughed again. She'd pissed him off royally. Can you just imagine how stupid he'd felt to tell his poker buddies, there'd be no beer and munchies that night? After one lousy hand, the guys left. Robert would teach the bitch not to ever cross him again. He was gonna teach her real good.

The goon following Tyler was a joke. Did they really think that Robert hadn't recognized him, when the moron was out at the security booth every day, raising and lowering the white gate? What a dumb freakin' job. He'd have to lose the car and get the van alone. Eventually, a vehicle of that size, was going to have to stop for gas. Robert would follow them to where they'd be staying and break the damn guard's neck instead of popping him one with the gun. He had to conserve his bullets. Robert couldn't be caught buying ammunition, so the meth-head gave him the two bullets he had for ten bucks each. Steep, yes, but watching the bodies twitch til the death would be worth it. He even named his bullets. One was Tyler, and one was Renee.

Robert had no trouble keeping up with the speeding van. Did Tyler really think they could outrun him? He was going eighty-five with ease, and he bet the van was ready to shimmy right off the road. Suddenly, Robert had another grand idea. He'd just push the Buick a little harder and drive up to the van and wave his nice revolver. Maybe that'd cause them to panic and tumble off the road. A nice roll over and explosion would be just as satisfying as pushing a bullet through their heads. Robert pulled the gun out of his pocket and sat it on the seat beside of him.

As Robert put on his blinker, like a nice law-abiding citizen, he moved from the left lane into the right. Maybe he could even nudge the decrepit guard off the road. Bashing them in the backend would be fun too. The impact would scare the shit out of them. As he sped his slick black car up the right lane to get next to the idiots, he watched with astonishment as the van pulled quickly in front of him. Just as he was getting ready to go back in the left lane, the van braked hard and flew to the shoulder of the road. Robert watched through the rearview mirror as the van fishtailed in reverse, and jumped on the exit ramp. There was no way he'd be able follow them. Pushing the accelerator all the way down to the floor, Robert headed for the next exit.

He cursed at the top of his lungs.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler rolled down the ramp at an even pace so he wouldn't flip the van. The traffic light was green when he approached, so he drove through and turned on the first side street, drove two more blocks, turned again, and stopped.

"Vinnie, I swear to God. Keep me posted and stay out of sight!" Tyler gave him a quick hug as everyone else told him to be safe.

"Go, Ty. I'm cool! Lure him back onto the highway. He's probably taken the next exit!" Vinnie jumped from the van and jogged up the street as he put his cell phone to his ear.

Tyler looked in his rearview mirror and saw his two security men. He rolled down the window and gave them a thumbs up before pulling back out on the main road.

"Sean," began Tyler as he quickly turned his head to address his brother. "Get up here."

"Am I up next?" asked Sean as he climbed into the passenger seat.

"You got your phone on you, right?" asked Tyler as he turned the corner. "Keep your eyes open for Robert. We need to get him back on the highway."

"Yeah, and it's charged." Sean patted his side.

Tyler's phone rang and he grabbed it. "Yeah," he answered. It was David.

"Eddie is going to pull in front of you. I can see Robert. Go now through the light and hop on 23. Don't speed, because we need to give Robert time to follow us."

"Got it." Tyler hung up the phone, and waited for his other security guy to pull out in front. Eddie waved at him as he passed.

Once David, Eddie, and Tyler were on the highway, Eddie slipped back behind David and they continued on in the right lane. Tyler could see the fear on the faces of everyone in the back of the van, but he couldn't find any words to comfort them.

Tyler heard Sean's phone ring and listened as he answered it.

"Okay," said Sean as he opened up the glove box. "What's it called?" he asked as he fished a pen from his pocket and pulled out a map. After a quick pause he wrote something down on it. "See you there, Bro. Please be careful."

"Was that Vinnie? Is he okay?" Tyler fought to keep his voice calm. He wasn't comfortable dropping his young brother off in the middle of a strange neighborhood while Robert was after them. While he'd watched Vinnie jog away, it occurred to him that it might be the last time he saw him alive.

"Yeah, he's calling a cab company to take him to the Wilderness Creek Lodge in Benton." Sean folded up the map. "I know where it's at, just go."

"I've never heard of it before. How do you guys know about it?" Tyler's curiosity peaked.

"Bachelor party...don't ask," he replied.

"Enough said." Tyler grinned but refused to let down his guard. "How many more exits are there?"

Sean opened the map back up. "Only two before the lodge." He looked at Tyler and frowned.

Tyler called David right away. "We're going to meet up at Wilderness Creek Lodge in Benton. Between here and there, we only have two exits. That's not enough to drop everyone off..."

"I have an idea!" Renee called out.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Robert was seeing red. The little asshat thought he'd slip one over on him, but there was no outsmarting Robert Preston. If he could get close enough to the van, he was going to fire a shot at Tyler. At this speed, body parts would end up scattered all over the highway. That's what he'd do—I'll take the driver out, and then slow down to watch the show! Robert knew that hopping across the grass medium to head south, and get the hell out of dodge, would be easy. He'd get his kicks out of seeing pictures of the wreckage on the news, and he'd even clip out the articles and keep them. Robert slid the safety off of the revolver, and carefully held it in his right hand, while he steered with the left. Cool guys have revolvers, thought Robert. He knew how powerful and smart he was, but the gun made him feel a surge. Never having to think about Renee again, was a big fat bonus. She'd die in terror, getting flung around. Robert smiled.

The engine of his Buick wasn't quite making the sound he wanted. Robert had always dreamed of being behind the wheel of a rumbling race car engine. If he had the money, he'd definitely buy himself a fast little sports car. Maybe he'd get one of those sleek Italian babies. He kicked himself for never taking out a life insurance policy on his wife. "What a waste," he said to himself. He could have lived the high life for once, and had himself a good time. But with all the jogging and running around she did, he figured the bitch would live to be a hundred; a wrinkled freaky mess. Robert giggled uncontrollably as he sped into the left lane, closing in on the van.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler looked into his side view mirror and couldn't believe his eyes. Robert had sped by the security guys and was almost beside the van.

"Sean! Robert's with us and we don't have an exit!" shouted Tyler.

"Keep gunning it!" yelled Sean.

Tyler pushed the pedal all the way down. "If you have a good plan, Renee, now would be the time to tell me what it is!"

"I saw a hospital sign for the next exit! Can we make it?!" Her face showed nothing but horror.

"Get down," yelled Brian as he wrapped his arm around Renee and pulled her into his lap.

Right before Jacob and Emma were able to duck, the glass exploded.

Chapter 19

Tyler fought to keep control of the van, as glass rained over everyone.

"Oh my God!" shrieked Emma. "Is anyone hurt?!"

Out of the side view mirror, Tyler watched as Eddie gunned his Mustang, moving in front of Robert. He slowed down as David moved up beside the Buick. Robert was boxed in. Tyler was pushing the van to the max, while trying to dodge other vehicles. Traffic was beginning to pick up, which worried him. With the windows blown out, he knew that Robert could easily hit his target if he drove up beside of them again.

"Tyler!" shouted Sean over the loud wind sweeping through the van. "The hospital is coming up!"

Tyler kept his eyes on the road in front of him, and prayed that David and Eddie could keep the homicidal maniac contained. Whenever Robert slowed down, so did his security.

When the exit approached, Tyler knew he had to take it. Hopefully Renee's plan would work, because he was completely out of ideas. He suddenly slowed the van down and put his blinker on, hoping the car behind him wouldn't end up in his back seat. As he turned off, he watched as Robert remained boxed in up the highway. After about a mile, Tyler pulled into the hospital parking lot,

"Stop here!" yelled Emma, and pointed to a parking spot in the shadows.

Tyler pulled in, threw the van in park, and quickly helped everyone out. He was grateful that none of them actually needed the emergency services. Jacob and Emma had some cuts on their faces from the glass shards, but none were serious enough to need stitches.

Once they were all out, they began to run into the building. Once inside, they knew they'd have to blend. Tyler followed the sign, and escorted them through the lobby, and to the elevators. He went down a level towards the busy cafeteria.

"In here," whispered Renee. "We can't be running around with blood on us. This is a family bathroom."

As they all filed in, Tyler locked the door. He watched as Renee went into a stall and closed the door. It was easy to hear her sobbing. He wished he could bust down the door and hold her, but for now, he had to keep his mind on keeping everyone safe.

Tyler took out his phone and tried to call Vincent. He hadn't realized how badly his hands were shaking, until he had to hold his phone still enough to press a button. He felt relief when he heard the familiar voice on the other end.

"Tyler, are you guys safe? Did you lose Robert?"

"Yeah, but probably not for long. We'll be meeting you at the lodge in about an hour. We have to leave the van here at hospital." Looking at his brothers, he realized how close they'd come to being shot. He thought he was going to vomit.

"Hospital?!" Vinnie's voice rose.

"We're here hiding. Listen, it's a long story. We'll meet you there."

"I already booked us a room under the name of Winston. I'm still riding there in a cab, as I told the driver to take the back roads to avoid 23. Be safe, Brother."

As soon as Tyler hung up, he had to keep everyone moving. Brian was able to get Renee out of the stall, and hold her for a moment. If he could have afforded to take the time to be compassionate, he would have. Right now, he had to get cabs for all of them. Even though they were in a hospital, with lots of cops roaming around, he knew that they were still sitting ducks. By now, Robert had probably gotten off at an exit and was doubling back.

"Come on, we need to get out of here. Stay alert and keep close." Tyler led everyone to an information desk and asked if they could phone a couple of cabs for him. He watched as the older woman took her time looking up the number.

"We're in a hurry, please," said Emma.

"Everyone's in a hurry. Have a seat and relax." She shot an evil glare at Emma.

Emma opened up her purse and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. She handed it to the woman. "Now," Emma said with a golden smile and eyes that could burn holes through steel.

The woman looked around her, took the twenty dollar bill, and quickly stuffed it in her sweater pocket. She promptly dialed the cab company.

"They'll be here in ten minutes," the woman said.

Tyler thanked the lady and turned around.

"Emma," Tyler whispered in her ear. "You're full of surprises. Just when I thought I knew you so well..."

"You have no idea what I'm capable of right now." She took his hand and pulled him away from the glass entrance.

The cabs arrived faster than expected. They all agreed to put Jacob in with Renee and Emma, while Tyler, Sean, and Brian, rode in the other. Just like Vincent, they asked to take the scenic route.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

The sun was setting when Tyler walked into the dirty lobby of the motel to get the room key. When he did, he spotted Vincent getting up from a metal chair to approach him.

"...So we're going to get eaten alive by bed bugs I take it?" Tyler smiled and threw his arms around his brother.

"Probably," Vincent laughed and held up the key. Sorry about the cramped accommodations, but we need to stick together."

"Agreed. The others are outside in the cabs. Let me pay them, and then we can go on up." Tyler walked outside, paid the cab drivers, and then followed Vincent to the room.

Stepping inside, Tyler closed the curtains, and then turned on the light. The room was dingy and the smell of mildew was strong, but at least there were two double beds. It would be a cluster, but everyone was safe, and Tyler wasn't going to complain.

Vincent called down to the office to ask for more pillows and blankets, and by the time the light was shut off, there were people strewn all over the room. It was an obstacle course just to get to the bathroom.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Renee could hear Brian tossing and turning. He had insisted on sleeping on the floor, and it was bugging the hell out of her. Everyone was cramped and uncomfortable in their clothes, inside of a room that smelled like rot, but the poor kid had slept on the ground long enough. She quietly got up, and pulled his arm. Emma was sound asleep on the edge of the bed, so Renee scooted over and made room from Brian. When he was covered up, she turned and looked at him. It wasn't chilly in the room at all, but she noticed he'd pulled his hood up. She realized then, it was a security thing for him, sort of like a blanket to a child, not that Brian had ever had one of those.

"Are you okay?" she whispered to Brian.

"Yeah, I am now, but that was pretty crazy on the road today. Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine, but you're right. Today has been one heck of a crazy day. Goodnight, Brian." She curled up next to Emma, and waited until she heard Brian fall asleep before she moved again. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She was responsible for nearly getting everyone killed today. Part of her wanted to hand herself over, so Robert would call off the hunt. How long can we continue to run? She knew they couldn't stay here forever. Are the guards okay? She rolled back over onto her side and let the tears flow. Renee tried to contain her sobs, but they came out in small gasps. Suddenly, she felt Emma roll over and envelope her in her arms.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler startled awake by the sound of someone crying. When he lifted his head, he heard Emma whispering to Renee. He couldn't make out their words, but he wanted to go over and whisk her away. There wasn't one person in this room who hadn't seen their fair share of hard times, but Renee and Brian had gotten the worst out of life. He had no idea what their next move was going to be, but he'd have to think of something before daylight. They didn't even have transportation.

"You awake, Ty?" whispered Vincent.

"Unfortunately, yes," Tyler responded. He checked his phone and looked at the time. "It's three in the morning, Vinnie, try and get some sleep."

"I can't. Step outside with me so we can talk."

Tyler quietly put his shoes back on and followed Vincent out to the parking lot.

"Vin, I'm really sorry about all of this. I'm not sorry for helping Renee out, but I'll understand if you guys want to bail. I'll probably end up in prison anyway, but while I have my freedom, I have to get her to safety."

"I think Brian will testify, so no, I don't believe you'll go to prison for a second. Don't worry about that."

"I don't know the full extent of what happened to Brian, but something scared the hell out of him at his house. He doesn't appear to be a drug user. He has manners, and is a pretty good kid. I'll take him along with Renee, to somewhere neither of them has to be afraid anymore." Tyler would hate himself forever if he failed them.

"We need to figure out where we're going and how we're going to get there. I think we should head out while it's still dark. I spoke with David and Eddie. They're both fine, but they lost Robert in traffic. I'm afraid he's going to kill one of us if he discovers where we are. That was a close call on the highway, Tyler. I know you have good intentions, because your heart is huge, but right now, we have to keep our heads together. Our lives depend on it. As far as us bailing on you, it's never going to happen. Ever." Vincent gave Tyler a long hug.

"Thanks, Vin, and you're right. We have to figure things out before daybreak. Do you have any ideas?"

"It's a long drive, but yes. I know we said we'd never go to our house on Castle Lake, but I think it's the safest place for Renee and Brian. As far as we're concerned, we can't stay up there for very long. We have a company to run. Our inheritance pays for the upkeep, so it's in living condition. But we have to decide as a family if that's where we want to go."

"I know," began Tyler. "We haven't really talked a whole lot about mom and dad, and what happened. I don't think we were ever inside of the Montclair house. If we did go there, it was when we were babies. You made a good point, though. We'll talk to Sean and Jacob and see what they think."

"Yeah, and the other three have to agree." Vincent reminded him.

"I'm not letting Emma come out of hiding until Robert is locked up or six feet under. She doesn't have a choice in the matter. She's family." Tyler put his arm around Vincent's shoulders and walked him back towards the room. Hopefully, they could both get a couple more hours of sleep.

Vincent stopped walking and turned to Tyler. "We need to rent another van. The plates would be traceable to the rental agency and not to us. I doubt if Robert has ties in the police department way up here, but he might know a state trooper. We have to watch our backs. I'm going to make some calls and see what I can get delivered. If we're going to have to wait all day for it, I'll hop in a cab and rent one somewhere. Keeping us separated in different vehicles isn't a smart move."

Tyler stayed outside with Vincent as he dialed up rental agencies. He was glad that they had a plan now, but he wouldn't allow anyone to step foot in Castle Lake, until everyone agreed to walk into the big Montclair skeleton closet.

A knock on their motel room door, woke everyone up, and sent them all scrambling. Tyler hurried to the window, and peeked outside. A large, white, custom van sat in the parking lot in front of their room.

"You'll need to sign for it, Vinnie." Tyler didn't take his eyes off of the guy at the door.

"Got it," said Vincent, as he stepped in front of Tyler and walked outside.

As his brother was handling the paperwork, Tyler asked everyone to get their shoes on and be ready to leave in five minutes.

"Wait, do we have time to shower? I still have some dried blood on me." Emma showed Tyler the cuts on her neck and face.

Tyler's heart was breaking just looking at the girls. Their hair was in disarray, the small wounds on their skin glared like the sun, and the sad, anxious looks in their eyes were killing him.

"I'd love to let everyone take hot showers, but we can't waste any time. When Vincent gets squared away with the van, I'll need to step outside with my brothers and have a little chat, and then we'll come back in and—" Tyler was cut off by Vincent coming back inside while holding up the van key.

"Back outside?" asked Vincent when he saw everyone's confused faces.

"Yeah. Sean and Jacob, come with us." Tyler held the door open. Once they were outside, he motioned them over to a place out of ear shot.

"As you know," began Tyler. "We're screwed." He smiled, as the men nodded in agreement. "Vinnie and I, have come up with a plan. Sorry we didn't wake you guys up at two in the morning, but we couldn't sleep."

"Appreciated!" smiled Sean.

"What's the plan?" asked Jacob.

"Castle Rock. It's the only place we could think of where Renee, Emma, and Brian, will be safe. We can stay for a few days." Tyler watched as his brother's faces went from calm, to anxious.

"...A few days. Ty, do you realize that we're targets? If Robert sees our faces, we're as good as dead!" Sean began gesturing with his hands to add impact to what he was saying.

"He's right," said Jacob. He wasn't as animated as Sean, but close. "We can't just pop back into Southfield and expect Robert to leave us be. He knows we have Renee, and that we're protecting her. None of us are safe right now. As far as Castle Lake...really? You couldn't pick some place different?"

Tyler could see the panic starting. "Do you have any better ideas? There's no way we can stay together in a motel room like this, and a luxury suite is just going to draw attention to ourselves. Now, we could get two or three rooms further north, but I don't think it's a good idea for us to separate." Tyler hated to see his brothers full of worry. It brought him back to his eighteenth birthday, when he had vowed to keep their family together.

Vincent thought for a moment before speaking. "The house on the estate is pretty damn big, so we'll all fit in there just fine. It's highly unlikely that Robert is going to find out about Castle Lake, unless he does some serious digging, which I doubt he's capable of. Hell, we didn't even know about the estate until dad died." he said as he looked into his brother's eyes.

"Do you guys agree?" asked Tyler.

After the brothers agreed with the plan, they walked back to the room. Tyler opened the door slowly, so he wouldn't scare anyone. Even though he had to keep explaining the plan to Emma and Renee, they eventually agreed that it was the best plan, and Brian didn't object.

The van was spacious, but of course, not with seven adults crammed inside of it. There was some small chatter, but for the most part, everyone stayed silent. Tyler knew that returning to Castle Lake was weighing heavily on his brothers' minds, but they weren't talking about it. His last memory of his family life with his parents was at the age of sixteen. His siblings were children. They'd always looked up to Tyler, not only as a role model, but as a safe haven. He'd discovered information that he'd never shared with them. Confusing their young minds even more than what they already were, served no purpose. After careful thought, Tyler had chosen to withhold the ugly truth about their parents. It had nearly destroyed him, so he could only imagine what the disclosure would have done to his brothers.

As the years went by, Vincent took over the legal handling of the estate. Tyler was tired of keeping up with it. Besides, he felt that since his youngest brother remembered very little about the past, it wouldn't pain him as much. Every time Tyler received mail from the estate, however, it brought back those awful memories, unanswered questions, and the horrifying deaths at Castle Lake.

Chapter 20

Emma could see Tyler's eyes from where she was sitting in the van. As they drove further north, while staying on the back roads, his eyes looked tired. She worried about him driving sometimes, and frequently offered to take the wheel. Sean, Jacob, and Vinnie didn't seem to have slept much either. Although they also looked just as tired as their big brother, their attention seemed to be on their surroundings, especially on any black cars they happened to pass.

The closer they got to Lake Superior; Tyler's expression changed from weary to sad. Emma wished he'd meet her eyes in the mirror, but he never averted them from the road. If she got up to comfort him, she knew he'd explode and make her stay seated. Emma was sure that the nightmare from yesterday was still weighing heavily on him. As bad as their situation was, there was something else weighing on Tyler. She could tell. He'd spoken very little about his life with his parents. Emma knew they were dead and that Tyler had adopted his brothers at eighteen, but she didn't know anything else. None of the Montclair brothers ever talked about it.

Renee was worrying her just as much as Tyler. Emma held her last night as she cried, and now and then she'd see a tear slide down her friend's face. This entire situation was crushing the poor girl. Emma understood why Renee would think this situation was all her fault, but it wasn't. She'd never forced anyone to get involved. Tyler and his brothers are just doing what they do best; they'd never once failed to step up to the plate.

Emma knew how much her boss liked Renee, but this was more about Robert being a monster. If her husband was capable of causing this much harm to Renee, then he was even more likely to hurt unsuspecting people who had the misfortune of crossing his path. Tyler knew that Robert didn't belong on the streets. Emma understood her boss's need to keep everyone safe, especially because of his past, but her fear that he'd end up dead in the process was overwhelming. If any of them inadvertently got seriously injured or killed, Tyler would never come back from that. It's what scared Emma the most. After all, anything was possible with a lunatic who had a vendetta, and a gun.

Looking over at Brian was even more excruciating. He escapes his deadly parents, and then he ends up almost getting shot in a van full of people trying to save him. Emma thought about leaning over and asking him if he was okay, but she knew that Renee was the only one he truly trusted right now. If anything, it was Emma's decision to bring Tyler in on Renee's and Brian's situation. She didn't regret it though. People come into your life for a reason.

Emma could hear Jacob behind her adjusting his long legs. When the glass had exploded, she was sure he'd been hit. The first thing he'd done, was grab her and pull her down with him, for which she was grateful. Part of her wanted to throw her arms around him when she saw that he was okay, but the other part still wanted to slap him whenever she saw his face.

Her history with Jacob was complex. Emma had always been attracted to him. She kept her distance so he would never have the opportunity to hurt and humiliate her again. Only Tyler knew the entire story. She doubted that Jacob even realized the depth of the pain he'd caused her.

Emma was introduced to the four Montclair brothers during her first day of training. Over time, Tyler, Sean, and Vincent had become like brothers to her, but it was Jacob who'd caught her eye. Sean and Jacob were twins, but they weren't identical. It wasn't difficult for Emma to tell them apart. Jacob began to flirt with her. When she was promoted to Tyler's assistant, Jacob stopped in daily to discuss business with his brother. He'd bring Emma a hot chocolate, with a wink and a smile on the side. She was shy, though, and whenever it looked like he wanted to ask her out, she'd find an excuse to hurry and leave the office.

One day, Emma was checking her business email at work. There were some messages from Tyler, as usual, but then there was one from Jacob: "You have the best smile ever. Have dinner with me at the Blackbird at seven. I'll be there waiting for you."

Emma couldn't believe it. The Blackbird restaurant was pretty pricey. She'd heard nothing but great things about the place, but unfortunately, the cost was way over her budget. She began to think about what she could wear; something to make her green eyes stand out. Rushing home at exactly five thirty, she quickly showered, and then took great care with doing her hair and makeup. She'd just started in her assistant position, so she couldn't afford to buy a new outfit, but she had a pretty dress in pale pink she hadn't worn to work before. Emma was a nervous wreck as she went out the door to go home and get ready. When she walked into the restaurant and asked for Jacob Montclair's table, she was quickly escorted to the back of the restaurant. Emma smiled, and ran her fingers through her long red hair. But her smile quickly vanished when she saw Jacob ordering a bottle of wine for himself and the blonde who sat across from him.

"Hello, Jacob," she said sternly.

"Emma! What a surprise!" he said as he stretched out his arm and squeezed her hand.

"Well, have a nice dinner," she said, barely audible. With a burning face and water-filled eyes, she turned from the table and left.

After that, all she'd wanted was for him to stay far away from her. He never brought up the incident, and neither did she. Jacob Montclair had bought himself a one way ticket to Bastardville. The next morning, Tyler knew right away that something was wrong. He apologized and hugged her when she told him, but Emma made him promise to never say a word about it to his brother.

Emma continued to avoid not only Jacob, but also any other men who looked her way. The fact that Renee had put her trust in a man, who was currently tracking her down like a rabid dog, gave credence to her belief; there weren't any men who could be trusted. Tyler was different, though. He'd never made one pass at her, or led her to believe he wanted anything more than her friendship. She didn't have any siblings, so it was Tyler who filled the shoes of a big brother to her.

As Emma looked around at everyone in the van, the stress on their faces brought her back to the here and now. No matter how tough everyone's past had made them, and regardless of how hard they fought to persevere, nothing could prepare them for the things to come. Without a shadow of a doubt, Emma knew, Robert was coming.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler found the Montclair estate after only a couple of wrong turns. Castle Lake was a small town, but finding the entrance to the winding driveway wasn't easy. There were wrought iron gates about ten feet in from the main road, but they were open with weeds and brush growing around them. Tyler guessed that they hadn't been closed in years. A thick moss was covering the fieldstones on the house, and weeds had overgrown the walkway.

"What the hell..." Tyler wasn't happy. The estate was paying someone good money to care for the property, but obviously they hadn't been doing their job. Tyler was afraid to enter the house.

"Ty, do you have the key on you?" Vincent asked with a cocky grin.

"No, but it's not illegal to break into your own house. Let's go see what we're in for." Tyler put the van in park and everyone climbed out. He could hear the sound of waves crashing, but that was it. There weren't traffic sounds, or any of the other distractions you'd find in a busy city. The solitude, he decided, would be good for everyone. The history of this place, however, would not.

Tyler made his way up to the front porch and tried the large front door. It was locked. He could tell the door was solid, and there'd be no way to push it open, so he waved his arm to encourage everyone to follow him.

As he was making his way through the jungle, which was supposed to be the front yard, he heard Vincent call his name.

"What's up, Vinnie. Did you find an opening?" Tyler hurried over to his side.

Vincent was standing in front of the garage door, yanking on the door handle. "Look at this. Do you see anything odd?"

"A garage door? Really?" Tyler laughed.

"No, Ty," said Vincent as he pointed to the ground. There aren't any weeds." Vincent turned around and pointed towards the driveway. "There are also two worn tracks that lead to the asphalt. See them?"

"Yeah," said Tyler as he tried to pull at the garage door. "Someone's been here. A lazy someone. Let's go around back." Tyler shook his head as he pushed his way through the thick overgrowth. He could only imagine how beautiful this place must have been back in the day. Beauty on the outside of a closed door, doesn't necessarily mean beauty on the inside, he reminded himself.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Renee was the last one out of the van, after they stopped in the driveway of a very large, derelict house. When she saw everyone moving through the thick weeds and bushes, she knew she'd be following right behind them. Michigan had lots of ticks this time of year, so she hoped she wouldn't find one crawling on her. But then again, she'd already been bled dry by the world's biggest tick, Robert.

Even though Tyler and Vincent had found evidence of occupancy, there were no signs of habitation from the road. All they'd have to do now was hide the van. If they could get the garage door open, that problem would be resolved. Renee knew Tyler and the others would stick to her like glue throughout this ordeal, but if Robert figured out this address, and then spotted the van in the driveway, he'd automatically know she was with other people. He'd do anything and everything to get to her. She'd surrender to him before letting anything else happen to her friends.

Tyler was caring, protective, and very bright, but Robert was smart like a criminal, and he was to be feared. Hopefully the Montclairs were aware of how low he was capable of going, and would stay out of his crosshairs.

She remembered how scared she'd become when they got closer to Lake Superior, but Renee realized that if she didn't stay strong, she wouldn't be ready to fight when Robert arrived. She still had the eerie feeling of being hunted, and her fight or flight instinct was in high gear. Even birds flying out of the trees scared the hell out of her. She surveyed the area as they walked, trying to make a mental note of where to run. Robert wouldn't attack in daylight again, because he knew his earlier efforts had failed. He'd come in the still of the night and pick them off, one by one. At this point, he wouldn't want just Renee, he'd kill them all.

Renee watched Brian cut through the brush with the most ease. When in this kind of environment, they were in his world. She couldn't imagine a thirteen year old kid trying to survive in the elements; no parents, food, water, or clothing. He took his first steps of freedom with nothing but bad memories playing over in his mind. Renee knew she'd do whatever it took to save Brian. She'd managed to get him to trust her, and now here he was, running for his life again.

She watched as Tyler frequently stopped to look down the line and make sure she was still with them. Renee wanted to hold Tyler's hand and comfort him, like he'd done for her that afternoon in the kitchen, because something was definitely wrong. She could see it in his eyes. It was the same look Tyler got on his face when Brian begged him not to do anything that would cause him to be returned to his parents. Something was wrong with him. Something was wrong with this place.

When Renee's foot got tangled up in a vine, causing her to trip and fall, Brian turned around quickly, and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Okay, so now I know that it's not only impossible for you to be quiet in the brush, but you're clumsy to boot." Brian began to walk slower.

She laughed, but declined his offer for her to walk in front of him. Brian had asked her three times so far, but there was no way she'd let the kid out of her sight. She felt completely responsible for his welfare. Everyone in his young life had failed him, and when you're a child, you don't have much of a choice in who raises you. There are law enforcement agencies who are supposed to step in, but all it takes is one officer to disbelieve a child, and then they're taken right back to the very hell they escaped from. She wasn't going to add to the list of adults who'd let him down. If they made it through this mess alive, she'd have to get a job and figure out where Brian could stay. Because he was a minor, and considered a runaway, she could get in serious trouble with the law for sheltering him.

Trying to walk around to the back of the house wasn't easy for Renee, especially when most of the branches were whacking into her when she walked. She'd love to be as tall as the guys were right about now. But she wasn't going to allow herself to slow down and fall behind.

The home was built on a bluff overlooking Lake Superior, so they literally had to walk around the base of the property. It was proving to be a very large hunk of land. Whenever Tyler found a path or a break in the brush, he'd lead them up the steep slope, something Renee dreaded. Once they were able to get inside the house, she hoped they'd be safe. But, if Tyler could break in, Robert could too.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler couldn't wait to be out of the brush and up the ridiculous hill, regardless of how bad it was inside the house. He'd gladly collapse in a bed of cobwebs for all he cared. If he was ready to fall over, he knew that Emma and Renee were pushing forward on nothing but fumes. Tyler and his brothers stayed in pretty good shape, but they were going to struggle getting up there too. Brian was keeping up with the men and moving through this terrain better than any of them. Tyler was positive that being homeless made you do what you thought you couldn't, or wouldn't for that matter. One thing he knew for sure: He'd sell the damned estate before ever doing this trek again.

He was pretty sure that a home belonging to such a wealthy family, would keep an immaculate yard. He saw some nice Maples and Birch trees, but those were obviously planted to border the property. All of this vegetation they were entangled in, was from pure neglect.

The temperature was definitely cooler the closer they got to the water, but it wasn't like they had a choice. Hopefully the electricity was turned on or there was wood stacked around back. Tyler could clearly see two fireplace chimneys on the roof of the house, and he hoped they wouldn't have to clean them out first.

"Right here, Ty!" shouted Sean.

Tyler backtracked and wasn't surprised that he'd missed the path. It had overgrowth, but wasn't nearly as bad as what they were currently walking through. Now he had hope. The path was steep, but doable. He led the way up the long ascent. He could hear Renee and Emily struggling to catch their breath. He offered to let them rest, but they voiced their lack of desire, to sit in this mess.

When they finally reached the top, Tyler was dismayed to find no access. There was no way he was going to give up after climbing all the way up here. There had to be another trail to lead them around back. They all spread out, looking for a path like the one they were on.

"Come here, Tyler," waved Jacob.

Tyler walked back down to his brother, and let his eyes follow the direction in which Jacob was pointing. He saw the possible route too. It was rocky, but if they could climb it, they had a chance of getting inside.

Tyler could see the top of a balcony, jetting out over the rough waters, and figured there had to be a door of some kind below it. "Let's try it." Tyler asked the guys to help Renee and Emma.

The rocks were rather large, and some were jagged. He heard everyone cry out in pain at one point or another. Tyler's skin felt dug up from the brush, and now the rocks were stealing more of his flesh. When they were almost to the top, he looked down in dismay.

"It's a pretty big drop," Vincent pointed out. "My guess is about fifteen feet. We need to rest up before trying this part of the climb."

Tyler let his eyes wander around. "There's a tree. It might not hold our weight, but if it can help us from busting our skulls open, we should go for it. I'll swing down first. Jacob goes last. He can help the girls to the tree, and then we can catch them when they land." Without waiting for any protest, Tyler climbed over to the tree, grabbed the branch, and used it to help himself scale down the rocks. He made it safely. Once on the ground, he turned his head and saw just how small the landing was. Had he of swung out three more feet, he'd have been long gone. Whatever barrier was there before had deteriorated long ago. "There's a door here! Sean, come on down. Hold onto the tree, and let your feet climb down the rocks."

Sean grabbed the branch and followed Tyler's instructions. He made it safely as well. Brian went next, followed by Vincent. But Emma was petrified.

"I can't do it Tyler," as she rubbed her hands, which were bleeding from making her way through the brush.

"Em, listen to me," began Tyler. "The only way to get you inside the house is if you climb all the way back down the path, and then walk all the way to the front of the house. I need you to trust me. Grab the branch with all of your might."

"My hands are pretty sliced up." Emma began to cry.

Tyler knew she wasn't a whiney woman. She was exhausted, frightened, and had already pushed herself more than most people.

"Hey, Jacob!" called Tyler

"Yeah!"

"Jacob, I want you to help Emma get to the edge. Can you hold her hands and help lower her down to me?" Tyler prayed to God his plan worked.

He could hear Jacob encouraging Emma to walk with him. When she was on the edge, she saw the long drop and panicked again.

"I can't jump down that far! Look how narrow the space is? I could crash down to the lake!" She cried.

"Emma," began Jacob. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Now I'm going to hold tightly to your wrists, like this. Then I'm going to lower you down the side. You can help me by stepping on some of the rocks as you go down. Tyler won't let you fall either. When you're down far enough, you'll feel him grab ahold of your feet. Once Tyler and the guys have you, I'm going to let you go, but you're not going to hit the ground. Don't take your eyes off of mine, okay?"

After a few minutes of sobbing, Tyler saw Emma backing up to the edge. Her eyes were glued to Jacob's.

"Emma, you're at the edge now. I want you to lower one foot down until it reaches a firm spot," said Jacob calmly.

Emma nodded her head and stepped down. Tyler could see his brother's white knuckles. He was holding onto her for dear life.

"Okay, Emma, you're doing great. Now I want you to do the same with the other. Keep repeating it. One foot and then the other," he smiled.

After three more steps, Tyler was able to grab her feet and the other three men stood right next to him with their hands holding her legs. Emma was completely stretched out.

"You got her?" yelled Jacob.

"Yep! We won't let you fall Emma." Tyler's heart was pounding. If they screwed up, she was going to fall off the landing.

Jacob let Emma's wrists slide out of his hand, and with a slight scream, she was safe in Tyler's arms.

After he got Emma safely next to the house and away from the cliff's edge, he had Renee grab the branch. When she swung down she pierced all their ears with her scream, but Tyler caught her too, and carried her over next to Emma. Jacob swung down with ease, but was shocked when he saw the sudden drop off.

Once they were all by the door, Tyler tried to open it. Once again, they were locked out.

"Hey Tyler, look up there. It looks like someone has tried to climb up." Renee shielded her eyes and pointed upward.

Tyler thought he'd pass out. What Renee saw swinging from the balcony, was his mother's noose.

Chapter 21

Tyler didn't respond verbally to the rope his mother had chosen to end her life with, but he was screaming inside. Tyler felt like he had the strength of ten men surging into every muscle. His anger was peaked, his mind was splintering, and all he could think of was WHY?! Tyler slammed into the weather-beaten door with his shoulder, instead of using his fist like he'd wanted to. He had to get them inside before he self-destructed in front of his brothers. When the frame cracked and the door flew open, he ushered everyone inside.

With the light streaming in, Tyler was able to make his way to a corner lamp. His hands were shaking as he tried to switch it on, but he knew he'd have to get a grip. He never allowed himself to fall apart in front of his siblings before, so he wasn't going to start now. He'd had to be strong; his parents threw him in the deep end to learn to swim.

The light was dim, but he was relieved when it turned on. After the group made their way through to the kitchen, they found the light switch and flicked it on. One foot in front of the other, Tyler told himself, just like he did when he was sixteen.

Sounds of amazement came from everyone when the area was illuminated some. Not only was the kitchen spotless, but the house smelled amazing with the scent of homemade bread and fresh air.

"There must be windows open to keep the place aired out," said Tyler, after he regained his composure. Just like he did seventeen years ago, he shut off his emotions. "Someone has definitely been taking care of this place. This house is huge. Let's take a look around."

The seven bedroom Montclair home was full of expensive furnishings and antiques. On one of the mantels were professional photographs, which Tyler picked up and studied. They were definitely pictures of his grandparents, as their resemblance to his father was uncanny. He'd never met them. His mom said that all of his grandparents had died before he was born, and she didn't have any pictures of them. He stared down at their faces. They looked serious; angry even.

There were two spacious bathrooms on the ground floor that were clean and tidy, but the mirrors were tarnished. The fixtures, like most of the house, were antique.

Tyler found his grandfather's study. The large roll top desk was locked, but several first edition books lined the bookshelf. An empty pipe lay on a small mahogany table, but there wasn't any evidence that the room had been used recently. Tyler lifted the pipe to his nose. It was the only thing that smelled foul so far. The Persian rug underneath his feet was showing some wear, as was the red velvet cushion of the desk chair.

The sitting room by the front entrance wasn't cluttered, but had enough furnishings for two, maybe three couples. So far, Tyler estimated that there were hundreds of thousands of dollars in antiques, and they were all well cared for. He was amazed at the size of the ground floor. There was more than one sitting room, and on every wall were photographs of his grandparents posing at a variety of social functions. Their facial expressions remained unchanged. Not one brown hair was out of place on his grandmother's head, and his grandfather always posed with the pipe in his mouth. His hair was short and wavy, and his face was clean shaven. The broad shoulders were definitely a Montclair trait.

Tyler knew his ancestors came over from Europe. He figured the furnishings in this house had been passed down through generations. Then again, buying antiques would have been easy. Anthony and Maria Montclair, were loaded. He had no idea where all of their money came from. His mom once told him that his great-grandfather was in the oil business, as was his grandfather. Because his father had never brought up his childhood, or his parents, his knowledge was limited. Tyler had no desire to research the family he was trying to forget. Sometimes, filling in the blanks isn't necessary; it can even be harmful. But how could he ignore the past, while standing inside of this house with his brothers?

By the time Tyler reached the beautiful, oak staircase, which matched the rest of the flooring, he was anxious to find the bedrooms. He felt like he could sleep for days on end. The bedroom doors were closed and scattered down a long hallway. They were big, but not huge. Each had decent sized windows, and most of them were open a few inches. Now Tyler knew where all the fresh air was coming from.

At the end of the hallway was the last bedroom. While the others were looking around, he opened the door. It was definitely the master bedroom, but it was full of dust and cobwebs. The French doors were closed and the curtains were drawn. The covers were rumpled and clothes had been carelessly tossed on the floor. On the nightstand was a pair of wire-framed reading glasses, a half-full bottle of red wine, and a wallet. He opened the wallet and inside was the license of Sabastian Montclair. Beside the wallet lay a locket, an exact replica of the one he had at home. Carefully opening it, he saw pictures of his father and mother. He set the locket back down on the table and once again, felt like he would be sick. He ran to the French doors and opened them wide with his eyes closed. He let the cool wind fill his lungs until he felt like he'd no longer lose his lunch. When he opened his eyes, he saw the rope that had been tied in knots, swaying in the breeze from the banister of the balcony. His legs grew weak as he slowly proceeded outside, the wooden slats were creaking underneath him. As he carefully walked to the edge, he looked down; there was nothing but the crashing waves against large jagged rocks. He realized then, that he'd just taken his mother's final steps.

"This is dad's!" announced Jacob as he held up the wallet from the nightstand.

Tyler quickly spun around to go back inside of the room, but he wasn't fast enough. Vincent came walking out towards the edge of the balcony, and had begun pulling up the rope.

"Why is this here?" he asked. When he got to the very end, he saw that it was a noose. "What in the hell is this?!"

Tyler could clearly see the devastation on his face.

"Someone hung themselves?" asked Vincent as he looked Tyler in the eyes.

"Let's go downstairs, my Brothers. We need to talk."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler brought Renee, Emma, and Brian, into the kitchen. He checked the fridge and cupboards, and found them to be stocked full of fresh food. He sent Renee and Brian into the wine cellar, and when she returned with a couple of bottles, he left them to cook something up to feed them all. Tyler, meanwhile, found a nice bottle of scotch. He grabbed four glasses and walked to a sitting room, which had beautiful views of the lake. His brothers looked up at him and smiled when they saw the bottle of scotch.

"Drink up!" announced Tyler. He decided to wait until they had taken a few swallows before beginning the conversation that he'd been dreading for over half of his life.

"Say what you need to say, Ty," Vincent encouraged with a serious expression.

"Alright." Tyler got up and walked over to the window. He stood there for a minute without saying a word. This could easily be the last time he and his brothers would ever speak.

"Are you okay? You're making me nervous, Ty," Sean said as he leaned forward in his chair.

"We need some ground rules before we begin. First, no one leaves them room until things get resolved. Second, know that right or wrong, I had your best interests at heart. Third, and most importantly, I love you guys."

"It's okay, Tyler. Just say what's on your mind. We're family." Jacob smiled, but his anxiety was evident.

"The night before we were taken into foster care, we were laughing and eating pizza. Mom and dad weren't home so we stayed up pretty late. You guys finally went to bed around midnight, and I decided to stay up and watch some television. I'll never forget this." Tyler closed his eyes and swallowed back tears. He couldn't look at their faces.

"Anyways, I fell asleep on the couch. When I heard mom's alarm go off in the other room, I thought I was going to get in trouble for not being in bed. I prepared myself for a good grounding, but the alarm just kept buzzing. I got up and shut it off. It was six o'clock and their bed was still made up. That's when I realized they'd never come home. There was no note, other than the one that mom had left for us about ordering pizza. I got you guys up, poured your cereal, and walked you to school. While sitting in my English class, the office called over the P.A., and asked the teacher to send me down." Tyler paused again and cleared his throat.

"The principal brought me into his office and sat me down in front of a cop and a woman in a suit. She reached over and held my hand as the cop said these words to me. "I'm really sorry, Son, but—" Tyler began to pace.

"Ty, is that when he told you mom and dad died in the wreck?" asked Jacob.

"Okay, here it goes. This is the part where you guys don't get to leave the room." Tyler had never felt his gut wrench so bad in his life. This pain he was feeling right now, was the worst he'd felt in thirty-three years.

"Mom didn't go to a card club gathering that night. She drove up here to this house. Something happened to her, and I still don't know what it was, but the rope you saw upstairs was hers. She hung herself from that balcony. I knew she died here, and I knew how she died, but I had no idea about the location until I saw the noose when we arrived." There were some soft mumblings from his brothers, but so far they weren't expressing any anger. Tyler was grateful for that.

"That's what the cop told me. It was the first time I'd heard about this place. After school, I'm sure you guys remember, we were driven to our new home. Our foster parents weren't bad people, but they were getting up there in age. When I turned seventeen, we were all separated. Sean and Jacob went to one family, I stayed where I was, and they put Vinnie in a foster home two hours away. All of us were treated well, and I know each of you remember those times, but I wasn't doing so hot. I felt like someone had ripped my heart out. I made promises to you guys that I'd get us all back together and I did. When I turned eighteen, the estate was handed over to me, along with a lot of money. I bought a crappy car, an apartment on West Avenue in Southfield, and went to work at Montclair Pharmaceuticals. We may have inherited the company, but I had to start in an entry-level position, and work my way up. I knew a little from working with dad, like my way around and stuff, but that was about it." Tyler paused when Sean got up and poured everyone more scotch.

"I never forgot my promise to you guys. I was scared shitless, but I jumped through every hoop necessary to keep it. With the help of Bob Nelson, the attorney who retired when Vinnie took over, I went to court and legally adopted you all. We had a social worker checking on us frequently, but I made sure you guys were well taken care of."

"What about dad, Ty?" asked Vincent, who was looking more and more like an attorney with every minute that passed.

"I was told by the cops that dad was the one who found mom hanging. They found blood below the balcony, and they believe he'd jumped. He would have died instantly when he hit those rocks and the tide would have pulled him out into this lake, which has to be like what, a few hundred miles long and several hundred feet deep? His body was never recovered."

"That would make sense," began Sean. Dad's wallet, mom's locket..."

"About the locket," explained Tyler as he downed the rest of his scotch. "I have the identical locket at home, only it's a picture of dad and some other woman. I have no idea who she is."

"Where did you get it?" asked Jacob.

"It was the only personal effects I was given from mom that day, which I wanted to keep. The locket was inside of her dress pocket when they found her." Tyler stared at each of them. Their expressions were hard to read.

"Was dad married before? Maybe the locket belonged to someone he knew before he married mom," suggested Jacob.

"I have no idea what dad's past was. I wish he was alive, though. I'd ask him about lots of things," shrugged Tyler.

"I remember things from back then," said Vincent. "I remember mom's funeral, but we never had one for dad. How come?"

"I was sixteen, Vinnie, and had no idea of what to do. In my safe is a copy of his death certificate. I really didn't know how to handle it. If you guys would like to hold a service, I'm all for it." Tyler still felt sick, even though his secrets had finally been poured out from his soul.

"Vinnie, Sean, Jacob...I really do love you guys. I'm sorry for screwing up so much, and basically lying to you for all these years, but you were so young. I knew that if I had trouble hearing about and handling the way mom and dad died, then you guys would too. I didn't want you growing up plagued by our parent's suicide." Tyler could remember so vividly, waking up from nightmares of his mom hanging. He didn't even realize he had tears on his cheeks until one dripped onto his hand.

One at a time, his brothers rose to their feet, and embraced him.

"We love you, Ty," began Vincent as he wiped at his own eyes. "Thank you for everything you've done, and still do for us. Mom and dad decided to make selfish decisions that left us alone in this world. You stepped into their shoes; not because you had to, but because you wanted to, and you did a great job."

"I'm going to clean out that room upstairs tomorrow, Ty," said Sean. "We can finally remove the past which has been haunting you."

Haunted, thought Tyler. That's exactly it.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

When Renee saw Tyler and his brothers walking back into the kitchen, she could tell by their blotchy faces and watery eyes, that something was definitely wrong. Terribly wrong. She finished setting the table, while Emma placed a platter full of egg-salad sandwiches down. It wasn't much, but it was the best they could with what they had. She poured the wine and sat in a chair beside Tyler. She took a bite of her sandwich, and noticed that she, Emma, and Brian were the only ones eating. The wine, however, was flowing down all of their throats like fountain drinks. It wasn't too long before Sean went down to the cellar and brought up a few more bottles. The men were looking a lot more relaxed the longer they sat around the table, but she could tell Tyler was still hurting and it was killing her. Underneath the linen tablecloth, Renee moved her hand to Tyler's thigh, and rested her hand on it. He looked over at her, and she could see the hint of a smile on his face. Soon, she felt Tyler lay his hand on top of hers. Renee wanted to whisk him away to another room so she could talk to him in private, but she didn't know if he'd push her away if she tried to comfort him.

Tyler's fingers curled around her hand and Renee felt him gently squeeze. He poured more wine for her, and then lifted his glass in a private toast to her. He took a long drink. She turned her hand a little and locked her fingers in his, and then returned the squeeze.

Just when she was feeling so many wonderful emotions, Tyler let go of her hand, and told everyone he'd be taking the last bedroom on the right. Her heart sank.

After helping clean up the kitchen, Vincent went to the linen closet near the bathroom, and pulled out blankets. He stumbled to the front room, and curled up on the couch. Renee took a hot shower, as did Emma. They found some old fashioned night gowns in a closet, so they were ecstatic to have something clean to wear.

Renee was on the way to her room when she spotted Brian sitting on the floor by the stairs. She knew he was waiting to make sure everyone got a bed first.

"Let's go, Buddy." Renee showed him to his room, and her best guess was that he'd fall asleep in seconds.

While she was lying in bed, her mind began to race again. Renee had three glasses of wine with dinner, and was sure they'd help her sleep soundly, but she found herself tossing and turning.

After an hour or so, Renee sat up on the side of the bed. She got up to look out the window, but there was very little moonlight. While walking back to her bed, she heard a noise coming from the room to the right of her. Slowly she stepped out into the hallway, and saw the light on underneath the master bedroom door. That room wasn't suitable for anyone to sleep in. I hope Brian's not in there. She slowly opened the door and peeked inside. There stood Tyler, with tears on his face, and the bed linens lying in a heap on the other side of the room. She froze. He turned around and walked out onto the balcony. Tyler cursed loudly. She quietly pulled the door closed and walked back to her room, unsure of what to do.

Suddenly, Renee heard him walk briskly down the hall, and then down the staircase. She could hear the lock on the front door release. In a panic, she ran down the hall and followed him. When she reached the front doorway, there stood Tyler, outside, on the front porch.

"Tyler?" she whispered.

"Renee. Good morning!" he said rather loudly as he wiped his face and took a long swig from the bottle scotch in his hand. "Do you need something? Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked, as he staggered.

Oh my God, she thought. What happened to him? Renee suddenly remembered the expressions on his and his brothers' faces when they walked into the kitchen earlier. Quickly, she stepped onto the cold cement in her bare feet, took the bottle from his hand, and sat it on the ground. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close to her.

"Your husband's a real son of a bitch, but you already know that one!" Tyler said as he slurred his words. "The things I'd like to do to his wife, will probably send me to hell for eternity, so shhh don't tell em'!" he laughed while putting a finger to his lips. "I don't feel bad about that kiss Renee. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Ya see, I'd be a good man to you. Yep! I wouldn't cheat on you and break your heart when you bust your ass everyday raising our kids. I would never! I wouldn't cause you to drive allll this way, just to see where I bed my mistress. I wouldn't rob you of a family, or hurt you sooo badly, that you felt like you had to put a rope around your neck to make the pain stop. So as your potential suitor, I will always make you feel loved, and put you first! Not last, but first! So you tell me what I can do for you on this wonderful morning in the great Castle Lake! Whatever you want it's yours." Tyler looked down at her face and smiled.

The rope! Oh, Tyler! She couldn't even imagine the pain this man was in. Renee held him closer as his arms hung limply at his sides. Her heart was breaking and all she could think about was saving him. He'd done it for her that night. He'd lifted her up, filled her with his strength, and gave her the will to keep fighting. She could have collapsed on the ground that night, underneath the lightning filled skies, because giving up would have been so easy. Now it was Tyler who needed strength, protection, and a reason to keep going.

"Tell me, Renee! Anything you want, and it's yours, baby!"

She moved her hands onto his strong face and felt the wetness from his eyes, as he began to sob. Renee pulled him down and pressed her forehead to his. "Make it rain, Tyler, so you'll know it's just a storm and you're not going to drown. Let me be your shelter. Let me help you."

"I feel so lost and tired, Renee," he whispered.

"I know you do," she said, as she led him back inside.

Chapter 22

Renee held Tyler's hand on the way up the stairs and towards the bedrooms, all the while walking close to the wall so he'd have something to help him support himself.

"Wait right here, okay?" she directed and she hurried through the open door of the master bedroom to close the French doors. Renee pulled the other door closed behind her as she stepped back into the hallway to Tyler. His eyes looked so heavy and unfocused.

Renee knew that Tyler had way too much to drink, and she feared that in his inebriated state, he'd go into the room again, and stumble right off the balcony. She wrapped her arm around his waist and walked him over to her bed. She slid his t-shirt over his head, and helped him to lie back on the pillows. His shoes weren't tied, so it was easy for her to remove them.

When she looked up at him, while unfastening his belt and jeans, he was sound to sleep. There was no way she'd allow him to stay in that position with as much alcohol as he had in his system.

Renee wrestled with the blankets, to pull them from underneath the dead weight of his legs. She certainly didn't want to wake him up. He was wearing boxers, so she felt a little more comfortable looking at his body; the dried blood on the scrapes up and down his arms, and angry looking cuts on his legs from where the thorns had penetrated his jeans...Visions of Brian's battered face came to her mind. Tyler was assaulted, but mostly by the turmoil his mom left in her wake.

She crawled in next to Tyler, rolled him onto his side, and then wrapped her arms around his waist. As she spooned tightly up against him, Renee was sure if he tried to roll back, he'd alert her, even if she fell asleep. Tyler had mixed too much red wine, with an abundance of scotch, and any normal person would probably start throwing up at some point. She didn't want him lying on his back if that happened.

At six in the morning, after getting only a couple of hours of sleep, at the most, Renee was awakened by the muffled hum of a vacuum cleaner. Her heart skipped a beat and she jumped to her feet. Who's here? Then she remembered the caretakers. Please don't wake Tyler up!

Renee couldn't recall if the floor squeaked, so she walked slowly. Being responsible for waking everyone up at this hour, would probably get her tossed back down the hill. She followed the sound down the hall, and to the master bedroom. Here she was, worried about being the person to awaken everyone, when a caretaker was dumb enough to start vacuuming at six in the morning. It was obvious that people were in the house and probably sleeping; the big van was still in the driveway.

When the vacuum sounds stopped, Renee took the opportunity to open the door and see who was here.

"Come on in, Renee, and close the door. Did you sleep well?" Sean smiled as he opened up the balcony doors to air out the room.

"Why aren't you sleeping? There are caretakers who come to the house to clean," she said when she saw the sweat dripping from his temples. It was obvious that someone had made this area off limits.

"I know you know what happened. I didn't put two and two together like Tyler did, but it all makes sense. His conclusion to the rest of the story is the ugly truth. I heard Ty falling apart in the front yard, but I saw that you were with him. He needed you more than he needed to see one of our face's, which would have reminded him of what happened.

"I'm so sorry about your mom, Sean." Renee could see the rope tied onto the banister outside. She wiped a tear off of her cheek.

"At first I couldn't believe it, you know? The things Tyler said to us? I came in here and then it all began to come together, in a twisted way. I think dad was having an affair with a woman, and he kept her in this house. That's the reason we never came to Castle Lake. If you think about it, this would be a great vacation home for a family, but we were kept away. Anyway, I think mom drove up to confront my father's mistress. Seriously, this house is several hours away from Southfield, where we grew up. All of those business trips..." Sean shook his head and laughed before continuing.

"My best guess is that after my mother drove up here to this house, she found the master bedroom and then spotted a locket containing pictures of her husband and his mistress. She placed that necklace in her pocket, and then took her locket off and sat it down on the nightstand in the same place. When the switch was discovered, dad would have known he'd been busted, and that mom had seen it all." Sean motioned with his arms to include the women's clothing on the floor and the bed linens Tyler had thrown to the other side of the room.

"I think when mom put two and two together, especially after seeing all the evidence of dad's infidelity, she realized he was living a double life. The affair must have been going on for a very long time to have caused mom to take such drastic steps. Out of this whole house, she chose this spot; the room where my father had committed all of his transgressions. It's obvious that she did this at him. Mom made a display for him to see, so he would know her death was caused by his choices. I just wish she would have thought about us kids.

"Did he find her?" asked Renee softly as she walked towards Sean. "Your dad?"

"I believe he found her, yes. He knew there'd be no possibility that she didn't see the evidence. Dad took out his wallet and placed it on the nightstand next to the locket he'd given to mom. The son of a bitch had given the identical locket to his mistress! That's pathetic to give the same gift to both women."

Sean blinked rapidly as he turned his face away for a moment. Renee gave him the time he needed to regain his composure. "I remember mom. She was very dedicated, kind and loving to us."

"When she hung herself, she had the locket with the other woman's picture in her pocket. She must have taken this one from around her neck for my father to see." He lifted the necklace off of the nightstand. "We'll never know what caused him to look inside at the photos. Maybe mom left the locket open. The only two people who hold all the answers are dead." Sean glanced towards the balcony and shook his head.

"My mother put his lover's locket in her pocket, which Tyler still has by the way. He was the one who was given mom's personal effects before her funeral. We don't know who called the ambulance or coroner for my mom, but the moment my dad realized he'd been stripped of his secret life, he jumped to his death. There was blood found where his body would have hit on the rocks below. The cops figured he was swept away in the current. He was presumed dead."

"Sean..." Renee gave him a long hug and whispered in his ear. "I'm so sorry for all of you. This is horrible."

"I don't quite know what to think, because I'm still processing it all. Who I'm worried about right now is Tyler. He shouldn't have to see this grotesque wreckage ever again. I'll have this room of horrors all cleaned up and emptied out before he gets up. He's been living with this pain for seventeen years, Renee. He protected us from a truth that would have severely altered the way we got along in life. Wanna help?"

Sean winked and smiled, but Renee knew he was trying hard to fight the demons lurking here, in this bedroom.

"I sure do, Sean. Let me run downstairs and find some garbage bags, cleaner, rags, and a strong pair of scissors."

When Renee returned, Sean was removing all of the clothes from the large closet. There were suits, which Renee guessed were his fathers, dress shoes, and dresses. In the armoire, they spotted a piece of lingerie, and without looking any further, they dumped the remaining contents out, directly into trash bags.

Renee was just about ready to go out onto the balcony when Vincent's voice startled her. She turned around and saw Jacob, Emma, Sean, and Brian, standing by his side.

"I'll take those," Vincent said softly, as he held out his hand to take the scissors.

Renee carefully sat them in his hand, and watched as he walked outside. She could hear him making the cuts, and then without pausing, Vincent flung the dirty, frayed rope, as far as he could, into the water below.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler slowly opened his eyes. It took him a moment to realize where he was, but then he remembered being outside with Renee. I must be in her bed, he thought as he carefully sat up. The room he'd chosen was decorated in dark blues, while this room was done in a floral print. His head was pounding, and the busy wallpaper wasn't helping. When he stood up, he noticed he was only in his boxers. Oh God. Certainly he would have remembered making love to her. Tyler slipped into his dirty clothes and made his way to the bathroom. He could hear a commotion up the hall, but it hurt too much to move his head in that direction. He quickly turned on the shower and climbed in. The water running down his neck and shoulders felt so good.

Tyler remembered the conversation he'd had with his brothers, and hopefully they still chose to forgive him. He felt weak. It wasn't all from the booze though; the ugly history, which he'd tried so hard to keep buried, had gotten flung into the present. The past few weeks hadn't been easy. He really cared about Renee. Tyler recalled the night of the storm when he saw her struggling emotionally. She seemed so nice, and she certainly didn't deserve to be mistreated by someone who was supposed to love her. What started out as concern for Renee, quickly escalated into a panic. Did she become Robert's prey? Did she decide to end her life? Every time Tyler saw a woman on the brink of collapse, his heart raced. Why? Suddenly, the answer came to him. He lived with the fear of not being able to stop someone else from his mother's fate. I could have saved my mom, but she wouldn't give me the chance.

When the water started to turn cold, Tyler got out of the shower. Through every woman he ever cared about, he fought to save his mother. He'd first met Emma, while walking on a pier. Her father had thrown her out of the house at seventeen, and she'd been under his wing ever since.

Renee. I have to talk to, Renee. Tyler wrapped a towel around his waist, and stepped out into the hall. When he heard the commotion still going on in the master bedroom, he approached the door with caution, before opening it. He was stunned at what he saw. Every single item was gone from the room. There was absolutely no evidence that anyone had ever lived there. The walls were wiped down, the floor was vacuumed...he went outside onto the balcony; the rope was no longer swinging from the banister.

Tyler couldn't find a way to express his gratitude without losing it. He felt his eyes water as he looked at all their faces and tried to smile. He couldn't speak, so he silently expressed his gratitude by nodding his head. At that moment, he felt many arms encircle him.

He had no idea what happened to his father's wallet and his mother's locket. Tyler didn't think he could handle ever seeing them again. He considered himself to be a pretty damn strong man, except for now; he'd never felt so vulnerable in his life.

Tyler looked at Renee, who was staring back at him with eyes full of compassion. Her hands were holding dirty paper towels and a bottle of spray cleaner.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" he whispered.

Renee sat the stuff down, before following Tyler down the hall and into her bedroom.

Once inside, he closed the door. "Obviously I slept in here. Don't hit me, but I don't remember if anything happened between the two of us or not. I was pretty drunk, and no, I don't usually drink that much...ever."

"Yes, you were drunk. If I was going to take that step with you, I'd want to make sure we both remember it." Her cheeks glowed red, as she looked down at the floor.

Tyler lifted her chin. "If I were sober, I wouldn't have minded it at all. I wish I could remember lying next to you in this bed. Listen, you saw me at my worst, and still chose to help me. While I remember most of the things we talked about outside last night, I can't recall everything that came out of my mouth. I apologize if I said anything inappropriate to you."

"I just wanted to help you. I wanted to—"

"I know," began Tyler as he lifted her hands to his lips and kissed them. "You said you wanted to save me from the storm, but it didn't rain last night, Renee. Right now, I'm going to create a downpour. Come here." Tyler pulled her into his arms, so close, her entire body was touching his. He ran his hand up her back, and into her hair, carefully aiming his mouth at hers. When he saw Renee's lips part before he'd even touched her, he didn't bother to push down the moan that rose from his chest, or try to hide his arousal. He felt the sweet pull of need from his ass to his loins. . .Tyler lifted her nightgown over her head and let it fall to the floor--his hunger for this woman grew when he saw nothing but her naked skin. Beautiful skin. He reached up and unfastened her hair, allowing her dark brown tresses to cascade down her back and over the tops of her round breasts. Her body was lean and tan, and better yet, she fit against him like a glove.

Renee looked up at him, relaying total permission and approval with her eyes. After shedding his wet towel, Tyler slid his hands down her smooth skin, and lifted her up by the backs of her thighs. His hands caressed her skin until they reached her butt, and then he pulled her to him as if she was his only source of air.

Their eyes never closed. Tyler stared into hers and saw no flaws in her soul, no harmful intent; just a woman whose passion was encompassing him.

He felt her ankles tighten around him as she let her knees fall to the sides. He quickly carried her to the wall, pushing her against it with incredible desire. His towel hit the floor, as she gasped and closed her eyes.

"Keep them open, Baby, please..."

Tyler felt Renee's hips press and rock until her wet center, moistened his abdomen.

When he felt Renee's warm hand try to wrap around his full thickness, he pushed through her fingers and entered her with one swift motion. Her legs wrapped tighter around Tyler's waist, holding him to her. He felt like he was home...like the world outside of this moment, had ceased to taint and destroy his life. Empowered.

Tyler's hands caressed her thighs, spreading her moisture between them like a hot blanket. He moved his hips slightly as she arched her back and quivered around him. Tyler could no longer resist this final connection, with the woman he wanted to trust with his heart. He looked into her eyes as he let his body spasm and melt into hers.

When Tyler's legs regained their strength, he carried her to the bed, and slowly let his body rest upon hers. Looking down at her beautiful face, he knew now that he had the strength to defend.

The strength to win.

Chapter 23

Just before noon, Renee followed Tyler out of her bedroom. She attempted to smooth down her messy hair, but she knew that the glow on her face could not be disguised. Not only did Tyler's body feel and look amazing, but he had given it to her. It wasn't just sex. He'd made love to her. Her mind wanted to recall all of the years she'd been left untouched and alone, but when she looked up at Tyler's face, she realized she couldn't allow Robert to infect her heart and mind anymore. Right before they entered into the kitchen, Tyler leaned down and kissed her cheek softly before whispering in her ear.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked.

Without a pause, she answered him. "Yes."

He reached down and lifted her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. He held on firmly, as they approached the group. Renee, for the first time in years, felt butterflies in her stomach.

Everyone looked up and stared, with surprised looks on their faces. Vincent and Emma were the first to smile and nod in approval. The rest followed suit, shortly thereafter. Tyler pulled out her chair as she sat down, and then he stood behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Now that we have everyone's attention, there are a few things we need to get done today. Sean, when we're done with the van this evening, it has to go inside of the garage."

"Got it," replied Sean.

"Brian and Jacob, stay here with Sean. The rest of us are going to find a store to get some groceries and clothing. We're looking a bit—" Tyler stopped himself.

"Homeless!" shouted Brian as they all broke out in laughter.

"Exactly," Tyler laughed and winked at the kid. "We'll swing by a drive-thru for some dinner on the way back. Remember, we have to make this a quick trip. Being out in public, isn't a good idea right now. Is everyone ready?"

Tyler looked down at Renee. She could feel his eyes on her, so she lifted up her face and met his gaze.

"Always," she answered with a smile.

"Good. Let's rumble," he said as he bent down and covered her lips with his own, in front of everyone.

Renee didn't feel any embarrassment or guilt. After the longest, most painful journey of her life, Tyler touched and healed her. Now, she finally felt like she was home...and she never wanted to leave.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Robert reached over and cuffed his brother on the back of his head.

"What the hell was that for, Robbie?"

"I should have already had this report in my hands. You're a lazy ass, Clarence. A real lazy ass," sneered Robert, as he cuffed him again.

"Look, Robbie, you have what you need in your hands now, so that should count for somethin', doesn't it? They might not be there, but it's a start. Doing detective work takes time. You know my computer's on the fritz, and the library isn't open twenty-four seven. You have it all now. 61 Lake View Drive. Here, I got a map for you and everything." Clarence adjusted the seatbelt over his large belly.

"Let's go back to your place. I'll need to borrow your car." Robert said sternly.

"Aww, Man! Robbie, this is my only form of transportation. Don't take my car," begged Clarence.

"I also need you to rent me a motel room."

"I don't have the money to spend on a motel room, Robbie. I just don't have it. Mary would kill me if I did!" Clarence pleaded, as the vein on his forehead stood out.

"I'm sorry, Clarence. I keep forgetting to tell you, that I just don't give a rat's ass about what Mary thinks. Now, let's go rent me a nice room, so we can get you home...to Mary." Robert hated the way his brother drove. A dead guy could drive faster. When they finally reached Clarence's shabby little house, he got his brother to walk to the shed out back, and put the gas can in the trunk. Of course it was empty, the moron always kept it empty, just like his head.

After cuffing Clarence a few more times, the bastard finally did what he was supposed to do. When your older brother tells you to jump, you jump. Plain and simple.

Robert decided that he'd have to travel at night, just in case he was being watched by the security flunkies. Those idiots nearly got him killed. He didn't notice the second car, but that's okay. They'd get theirs, just as soon as he took care of the matters at hand. He was in this predicament because of his dumbass wife. Women are idiots. When a man tells you to do something inside of his castle, you do it! Plain and simple.

Robert went to the motel room, and sat at the small, round table. Not too shabby, he thought, as he opened up the map and studied it. Hopefully the five hundred dollars he had in his walled, a nice gift from Ron the Cop, was enough to last him. Tyler and that stupid broad, Emma, were heading north, so the address his brother gave him made sense. Robert looked at his watch. Two more hours and he could be on his way.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Tyler thought it was best to let the girls grab some groceries, while he and Vincent walked to another department and picked out clothes. He was proud of himself. He'd had the girls write down their sizes and knew this was going to be a no-brainer. They had thirty minutes, he'd said, to meet up at the checkout line, or he was coming to look for them.

Emma and Renee showed up, with the groceries, right on time. Tyler proudly handed them their new outfits.

"Are you kidding me?" asked Emma. Her sarcasm was obvious.

"What?" asked Tyler with a baffled expression on his face.

"I'm not wearing this. I appreciate the effort from you guys, but I'm not eight-five years old." Emma put the clothes back in the cart.

Renee held up what Tyler had picked out. "These are beautiful, Tyler, but I can't wear them in public," she laughed.

"Okay, I get it. We'll follow you ladies back to women's apparel, and you can pick out what you want."

When a woman shopped for clothes, Tyler realized, it was best if men stood on the sidelines. He loved the outfits he'd picked out for Renee, though. Perhaps they were a little too low cut, and maybe he shouldn't buy her clothes to wear out in public, but for the bedroom, he'd have it all under control.

Renee turned around and winked at him. When she did that simple act, he walked over and kissed her, softly on the lips. If he could keep her in his arms at all times, he'd be the happiest guy around.

As they drove back up to the house, Tyler asked Vincent to call their work, just to make sure things were going okay. After dialing the number a few times, Vincent looked at him with some concern.

"Ty, there's no signal up here."

"Shit," he said. "We're going to have to get a land line put in, like pronto."

When they got to the house, everyone went inside. Vincent walked through to the garage and opened the door for Sean to pull the van in while he directed him. It was a tight squeeze to park between the stacks of boxes, but it fit, and Tyler was relieved. He made sure everyone was inside, and then he locked the garage door. He went back through the house and helped Sean unload the van.

When the burgers they'd picked up were handed out, Tyler studied Brian. He was glad to see that the kid had gained a couple of pounds. It wasn't much, but his face didn't look as thin.

While they chatted at the table, Tyler heard the unmistakable sound of the front door unlocking. He jumped to his feet and directed everyone into a bathroom where there weren't any windows.

"Don't make a sound!" he warned.

As everyone was trying to get inside the room, he heard the voice of a woman.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?!" she asked, her eyes wide.

"This happens to be our house. I believe you've gotten mixed up," said Tyler. Because of the woman's advanced age, he didn't think she was much of a threat. He didn't know who the caretakers were, so he'd just ask her to come back tomorrow afternoon.

Everyone walked back out of the bathroom. Tyler could see fear on Renee's face.

"Do you know what address you're looking for?" asked Sean.

"61 Lake View Drive. I may be old, but I'm not that old. This is indeed, my house." The older woman sat her purse on the kitchen counter, and looked at the mess they'd created with their dinner.

"Who are you?" asked Vincent.

"My name is Angelique, and I've lived here for years."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

At four o'clock in the morning, Robert stood at the end of the driveway, with a can of gasoline in his hand, a book of matches in his pocket, and a loaded .22 long rifle slung over his shoulder. He just might have to get Ron the Cop a Christmas card this year. He carefully propped the rifle against the wrought iron gate, then carried the gas can up to the house. Robert wanted to crack up, but he knew he had to be as quiet as a mouse.

Very carefully he sprinkled the gasoline around the right side of the house. Stupid field stones. Robert tried hard not to make too much noise, while trying to dodge the forest that engulfed the place. He'd just burn that too. Thank you Mother Nature. There were so many bushes to choose from. Who the hell would live in this dump? Tyler Montstupidclair. He thinks he's all high and mighty, but he can't even manage to cut his damn lawn.

The stupid weeds and trees made it impossible for him to get around back, but that was okay. When he emptied the can of gasoline, there'd be a nice little blaze. That was all he needed.

Robert walked about ten feet away from the house, and then lit the nice, big, fat cigar he had stuffed in his pocket. He drew on the end, and felt a little bad about wasting it, but it was for a good cause. With an immense joy flooding through him, Robert flicked the cigar into the gasoline, and then ran back to the gate to get his rife. He knelt in the driveway, carefully aimed at the front door, and waited.

Once his dancing inferno ignited the roof, he only had to wait a couple more minutes before people started to run out of the front door. They ran out like scared cattle. Robert didn't expect so many people to be there, but there were enough bullets for them all to share. Easy pickin's.

With steady hands, Robert fired the rifle and dropped the first one on the porch. He fired again, and one fell on the lawn. This is just like shooting ducks! Robert laughed. He was able to fire a third shot, and heard a woman scream, before being hit on the back of the head by something hard.

TO BE CONTINUED...

IN

THE MONTCLAIR BROTHERS

BOOK 2

Coming to all major retailers in early 2014

From the Author

I want to thank you, my readers, for your amazing support and encouragement. Thank you for reading The Montclair Brothers, Book 1, "Make it Rain."

There's no one greater than you. I love you guys!

BOOKS BY TERRI MARIE:

A Billionaire in Disguise Series:

Forbidden Disclosure, Book 1

A Perfect Plan, Book 2

The Wrong Side of Midnight, Book 3.

Book 4 to be announced

The Montclair Brothers Series: New contemporary romance/saga:

Make it Rain, Book 1

Emma and Jacob's story, Book 2, will be coming in the spring of 2014

The Ties that Bind Series

Running from Beige, Book 1

Secrets by the River, Book 2

Children's Action and adventure

The Shack, Merry and A Cat Named Cha-moan,

You can find Terri Marie's books at all major retailers.

I love to chat with my fans!

Find me on twitter:

@authrTerriMarie

Email:

terri.marie@rocket.mail.com

Come join me on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/terri.marie.50

https://www.facebook.com/authorterrimarie

My Website:

http://www.authorterrimarie.com/

