A Family Man (10 page)

She shook her head. "No. He says stuff.” She glanced at him.”Joe you promised not to get mad."

"I ain't mad, sugar." He gave a tight smile. "What does he say?"

"He says I'm his special girl and he can't wait till I get bigger. I don't like it, he makes me feel uncomfortable."

"Have you said anything to your mom?"

"I tried, once."

"And what did she say?" Joe wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

"She said I was imagining things, an' that I shouldn't tell anyone. Especially you." Amy sniffed. "She said no one would believe me."

"I believe you." He slipped his arm around her shoulders. "You want me to talk to him?"

"Will it make him stop?"

"Not sure, sugar. He's just gonna say that he hasn't done anything wrong."

"Will you talk to him anyway?"

"Yes, I will." He was going to talk to Maria, too. He wasn't sure how he was going to tackle this. Clearly Rob hadn't done anything, yet. If he went rushing in making wild accusations, they would keep Amy away from him. But if he said nothing and Rob…He couldn't even bring himself to think of it.

Amy rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm just glad you believe me."

"Of course I do. You know you can tell me anything, sugar. I can't promise I can always make things right, but I will always believe you."

It was early the following morning, Joe sat on the hood of Rob's brand new BMW, watching as Rob left his house and walked down his driveway. He looked up and scowled;  "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Think you an' me need to have a little chat."

"I've got nothing to say to you."

"Then just listen." Joe slid off the hood and stood in front of him. "The shit you're saying to Amy stops now. You do not touch her, and if she doesn't want to be alone with you, you respect that." Rob opened his mouth to speak, but Joe held up his hand. "If you as much as look at her in a way that makes her feel uncomfortable. I will find you and I will kill you." He smiled. "Slowly."

Rob stuck out his chin. "I don't know what Amy's been saying to you. But I have never laid a hand on her."

"Nor will you, asshole." He pushed past him and headed towards the house. When he reached the front door, he turned. "I will be watching you."

Maria opened the door. "Joe, you're early. Amy isn't up yet."

Joe shrugged. "I wanted to catch you before she got up."

"Oh, is there a problem?"

"Yes, M. I think there is." He turned and tickled the cheek of the baby sitting in a high chair. "Amy isn't comfortable around Rob. I think he might be grooming her."

"No! You're wrong. She's lying."

"Why would she lie, Maria?"

"Because, because." Maria opened her arms wide. "Because she's a shit-stirring little bitch."

It took every last vestige of self control not to bury his fist in her face. "That is your daughter you are talking about. Jesus, M. How can you not believe her?"

"Because it's not true."

He was trying hard to keep a lid on his temper. He didn't want to start yelling and wake up Amy. "Maria, I will tell you what I told that piece of shit of a husband of yours. I will be watching very closely. If I hear that he has laid one finger on her I will cut off his balls and leave him to bleed out." He pointed his finger at her. "I know I can't prove anything, and I'm sure the authorities will believe a respectable accountant over a convicted felon. But trust me, M. Mud sticks. You try to keep me away from her, and I will be shouting my concerns from the highest rooftops. I'm sure the members of his lodge won't be keen on him keeping his membership once I've finished talking to them."

"Please Joe, you can't say anything. Amy is mistaken. He hasn't done anything."

Joe leaned on the table. "Fuck, how could I ever have loved a selfish bitch like you?" He straightened up. "Have Amy ready for me in an hour. I'll be back then."

Maria reached out and touched his arm. Roughly, he pushed her hand away. "Don't." He turned away. "I can't even stand to look at you right now."

He stormed out of the house and onto his bike. As he roared off, the rage coursed through his veins. He needed to calm down; he couldn't be with Amy when he was like this.

He had promised the little girl he wouldn't get mad. And when Joe made a promise to Amy he always tried to keep it.

FIFTEEN

His lips curled up in a sneer as she ran towards him, her arms outstretched. "Why would I be interested in an ugly bitch like you?"

"Please." She whispered, stepping closer. "Please, just give me a chance."

In the background, she could hear Motorhead's “Kill by Death,” playing over and over, worming its way into her brain.

With a gasp, Beth opened her eyes as Joe's ringtone found its way into her consciousness. "Joe? What time is it?"

"Early. Sorry for waking you, darling. But this can't wait."

"Problem?"

"Yeah, I think so." Joe took a breath. "Amy say anything to you about Rob?"

"I know she doesn't like him." She frowned and sat up with her back against the pillows. "I've got to admit the guy gives me the creeps. What's going on, Joe?"

"I think he's been grooming her. I confronted him and Maria. Of course they both denied it."

"Shit! You think Maria knew?"

"No." He sighed. "I hate to put this on you, but I think we should get Amy out of there."

"What about the baby?"

"I think he'll be fine. I just don't want the fact that she talked to me blowing back on Amy."

Beth nodded. "Makes sense. I have some vacation time due. I can arrange a flight and go out there." She sighed. "My boss deals in family law. I'll talk to him. See where I stand legally. It would be best if we could keep the authorities out of this."

"Thanks Beth. You're…”

"Yeah. I know. I'm a good girl. I'll talk to you soon." She hung up and closed her eyes. If she was honest, she wasn't surprised. There was something about Rob that had made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. There had never been anything she could put her finger on, just a feeling. She sighed. In future she would have to trust her gut more.

Joe climbed back on his bike and headed back towards Maria's house. He wanted to get Amy out of there. He didn't believe she was in immediate danger, but he did think that by confronting Rob and Maria, he had stirred up a shit storm, and Amy was in the eye.

He banged on the front door, and she pulled it open, her eyes red rimmed from crying. "Amy, sugar. What's wrong?"

She sniffed loudly. "Mom's angry with me. She said I shouldn't have said anything about Rob."

"You did right, sugar. You should never keep things like that to yourself. Ever. Do you understand me?" He ran a calloused finger down her cheek. "You want me to talk to your mom?"

She shook her head. "I just want to go out an' spend the day with you."

"Okay, sugar. Whatever you want."

Instead of heading for the beach, Joe took her to the zoo. Amy loved animals, and he wanted to take her mind off things. He hoped Beth would be able to take her back to Calli with her. He wasn't sure whether it could be a long-term solution, but he figured that if Rob had been grooming her, like he suspected, he wouldn't put up much of a fight.

He had decided to give Mac a call and see if the intelligence officer couldn't do a little digging into the asshole's past. He doubted that Amy was his first, and there was a chance that he was already known to the authorities. Joe's instinct was to kill the fucker, but he knew had had to try and go through the proper channels, for Maria and Amy's sakes. Of course, if the authorities couldn't protect the little girl, well, there was always the Joe way.

Amy loved the zoo. She leaned over the barrier to get a closer look at the lions. "Would he really eat me if I went in?"

"Probably, although there ain't much meat on you."

"He'd prefer to eat you." She giggled.

"Nah, I'd take it out with one punch."

"You ain’t that tough."

"Yeah, I am. All the animals here are pussies compared to me."

"Even the gorillas?"

"Especially the gorillas."

"If you're so tough, how come you were too scared ride a horse?"

"I ain't scared of no horse."

"Yeah. Whatever." She grinned. "I'm getting pretty hungry, Joe. Can we get a burger?"

"Sure."

The restaurant overlooked a lake occupied by flamingos. They both sat by the windows, enjoying the view and the air conditioning. Joe watched Amy as she tucked into her burger and fries. It never ceased to amaze him that, despite all the shit she'd been through in her short life, just how well adjusted she was. He wished there was a way he could wave a magic wand and make everything perfect for her.

She looked up and smiled. "I'm okay."

"Good to hear."

Her smile got wider. "I know you will always look out for me."

"Yeah, I will." Her faith in him was truly humbling, and he wasn't sure he deserved it. "C'mon, sugar. Finish your food. If we hurry, we'll be able to catch the alligators' feeding time."

"S'pose you could take out a gator too."

"You'd better believe it, sugar."

As they walked to the alligators' enclosure, Amy slipped her hand in his. She knew he was planning on leaving in the morning, so she wanted this day to be perfect. There seemed no point in discussing what Joe had said to Rob or her mom. Clearly, judging by her mom's mood this morning, he'd said something. Amy didn't care what he said as long as he made Rob back off. He really made her skin crawl.

It was dark when Joe dropped her off at her house. They had been putting off this moment for as long as possible, but now the time had come. Joe was going home. After giving her a long talk about not bottling stuff up, and how she could tell him anything, he kissed her on the top of her head and watched as she ran down her path to her front door, before gunning the engine and roaring off into the night.

SIXTEEN

Beth parked her little rental car outside her sister's house. She hadn't warned Maria she was coming; anything she wanted to say needed to be said face to face.

As she walked slowly towards the front door, she had to admit to herself, she was a little pissed at Joe for dumping this on her. She got that there was no way Maria would let Amy stay with him, and legally he wouldn't have a leg to stand on. But would it have killed him to stick around and give her some moral support? That fucking club was always going to take precedence, even over an eleven-year-old girl at risk of abuse. Maybe his mother had a point.

"Beth. Wow this is a surprise, come in." Maria led her sister into her expansive kitchen. "Coffee?"

"Thanks." Beth sat at the island with the steaming mug in front of her, making faces at the baby in the high chair. "He's getting big."

"Yeah, he is." Maria smiled. "He's a good baby, not fussy like Amy was."

Beth frowned. Amy hadn't been a fussy baby, and what would Maria know, she was always too stoned to notice her. She ran her fingers through her hair, unsure how to proceed. "Joe called me. He's worried about Amy."

"Amy's fine."

"Joe doesn't think so, and I gotta admit I'm inclined to agree with him." She looked up at her older sister. "He thinks Rob is grooming her."

"He's not! I'd know. He loves Amy." Maria started to pace up and down. "Why can't Joe just butt out. Rob is so pissed off he stayed at his club last night. He just wants to come between me and Rob."

"Oh for fuck's sake, Maria. If Joe wanted to come between you and that piece of shit he would have done it a long time ago. You need to open your eyes and see what's in front of you. The kid hates being around Rob, and Amy is one of the most trusting kids I have ever met." She stood and laid her hands flat on the island. "I think it would be a good idea for Amy to come and stay with me for a while."

"And why would I agree to that?"

"Because if you don't I will call the authorities with my suspicions."

"Ha! They'd never believe you. What you gonna tell them? That a convicted felon thinks my highly respected husband is a pedophile."

"I think you will find that sex offenders come from all walks of life. Trust me, Maria. If an accusation is made, they will look into it. Of course if Rob is innocent and you are absolutely sure Amy and Joe are lying, then you'll have nothing to worry about will you?"

Maria swallowed. "Joe really believes her, doesn't he?"

"Of course. Amy wouldn't lie to him."

"Shit. She tried to tell me once, but I shot her down." She blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall. "I was more worried about her threatening my lifestyle than her well-being. What sort of mother does that make me?"

Beth said nothing. Maria had always been a pretty lousy mother, putting her own needs before her daughter's. "You do know that if Joe's suspicions are right, Rob isn't going to want to be with you if he can't have Amy?"

"You really think I care about that? I may be a terrible mother, but I'm not going to be with a man that is planning on abusing my kid. Jesus, Beth. You must really have a low opinion of me."

"Actually I don't, which is why I've already got tickets for you and the kids to fly back to Cali with me." She gave a rueful grin. "I don't think Rob will put up much of a fight over you taking Jack out of the state, and I'm pretty sure, you should get a pretty generous settlement."

"I don't care about the money. I just want to get as far away from him as I can."

"Sure you don't, Maria. If it wasn't for his money you wouldn't be with him in the first place."

"We can't all be smart like you, with your fancy degree and high-powered career. What was I supposed to do, huh? It was never going to work between Joe and me. Do you have any idea how hard it is to be a single mom?"

"Joe has always supported you. He would never see you or Amy go without. A lesser man would have refused to even acknowledge you after all the shit you've put him through."

"I loved him. Still love him."

"Ha! You don't even know the meaning of the word. If it wasn't for Joe, you'd have been evicted a thousand times over. Who do you think paid for your rehab, your medical insurance?" Beth spun and faced her sister. "You've played him, Maria. All these years you've reeled him in then pushed him aside whenever someone you thought was a better prospect came along. I know he's far from perfect, and I know he has to take some responsibility for the shit that happened between you two. But there has never time when he hasn't been there for you and Amy. That's love, Maria. Maybe you should try it sometime."

"You're in love with him! Shit, how could I never have seen it?" Maria laughed. "Oh that is so funny! Joe would never look at someone like you."

Beth looked at her hands. She knew she didn't share her sister's looks. That she had always been the plain, dowdy one. She also knew that Joe would never see her as anything other than a kid sister. Maria was right, though, she did love him. Always had. She looked up and her eyes met those of her sister. "I suggest you start packing. The plane leaves at eight-thirty tonight. I'll pick you and the kids up at six." She turned on her heel and walked out, leaving Maria staring opened-mouthed behind her.

~ oOo ~

Amy jiggled in her seat as the plane started to taxi along the runway. She couldn't believe she was going back to Fillmore. While it was true that she had made new friends and would miss her pony, it would always be her home, and she couldn't get there soon enough. Jack fidgeted on his mother's lap and she turned and tickled him under the chin, making him giggle. "Where we gonna stay, mom?" It was clear that they wouldn't be coming back to Florida, judging by the amount of stuff they had packed.

"It's okay, sweetheart, we can stay with Beth until we get our own place." Maria smiled.

Amy nodded. "Can we get a place near to Nana Sophie again?"

"We'll see, sweetheart." Maria had no intention of moving back there. She fully intended on taking Rob for every penny he had. She was sure she'd be able to afford a decent place in a good neighborhood. She liked her middle class lifestyle and had no intention of giving it up any time soon.

Joe leaned over the intelligence officer’s shoulder at the computer screen. Mac sighed. "Looks like your guy is clean, no convictions. He seems to move around quite a bit with his job, always active in the local community, organizing church picnics and such like. I don't know how relevant this is. But is seems he left a couple of churches under a cloud. There's nothing specific, but, here look." He pointed to the screen. "He is on the church committee for just over a year, then suddenly he quits. There's no reason given, but look. It happens again two years later at a different church, then again, here and here."

Joe frowned. "There's no mention of why?"

"No, but that in itself is unusual. You would expect the minutes to mention the reason for a committee member quitting. The only time they keep quiet is if they want to avoid a scandal."

Joe could feel his hands ball up into a fist. He would have loved to fly back out there and squeeze the life out of that sick fuck. He knew though, that wasn't an option. For now, anyway. He gave a grim smile. He could wait.

Amy sat on the front doorstep listening for the sound of a Harley. Joe was coming today, and she couldn't wait to see him.

They had been back in Fillmore for nearly two months and still hadn't moved out of Beth's condo. It was small and cramped with all of them there and the atmosphere between her mom and her aunt was strained, to say the least. She sighed. Why did the adults in her life have to spent all their time fighting? Amy didn't get it. Surely if you loved someone, you wanted them to be happy. Why would you yell and say hurtful things that made them cry? If it wasn't Joe yelling at her mom, it was Nana Sophie yelling at Joe, or Maria yelling at Beth. Were all families like this?

She stood up as the sound of Joe's bike split the air. Maybe she should talk to him about it, although she doubted he'd have a satisfactory answer.

Joe pulled up outside Beth's condo but made no attempt to dismount; instead he waited for Amy to come to him. He kissed her on the forehead before making sure she'd put her helmet on correctly and was sitting securely behind him, then pulled off without saying a word. Amy gripped tightly onto his hoodie and tucked her face into his back, out of the wind. This was the first time she'd seen him since returning to Cali, although they had spoken on the phone. He'd insisted he'd been busy, but Amy got the distinct impression that he was avoiding her mom for some reason.

They stopped at a small park that was little more than a duck pond and a kid's play area, but had always been a favorite place to hang out when she was a little kid. Joe helped her to dismount then they wandered slowly to the hotdog stand on the other side of the pond to beg for some stale rolls to feed the ducks. Amy glanced over to her companion as they threw the bread to the ducks. "You okay, Joe?"

"Sure." He smiled. "I'm sorry, sugar. Got stuff on my mind, is all."

"Are you pissed at my mom?"

"No, what makes you think that?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Everyone seems pissed right now. Is it cuz I told you about Rob?"

"No, of course not. You did the right thing, sugar." Joe gave her a little nudge. "I think it's tough on your mom and Beth living in such a small space. They'll be fine as soon as you get your own place."

"I guess." She sighed. "Can we go an' see Nana Sophie? I've only seen her once since we got back. Every time I ask Mom she makes an excuse, an' Beth's busy all the time."

"Sure. She'd love to see you."

~ oOo ~

Sophia smiled as she heard Joe's bike pull up outside. Slowly and painfully, she hauled herself to her feet. The doctor had told her she had osteoporosis. Her bones were crumbling away—not uncommon, apparently, in one as slender as her. She guessed all those missed meals, when Joe was growing up and she was broke, were taking their toll. Despite her best efforts to hide her discomfort, she knew Joe was worried about her. They might fight all the time, but they did love one another, and he would always be looking out for her.

"Joe, Amy. Come in, come in." She hugged them both and led them into her cluttered living room. "I've baked a chocolate cake, and there's homemade leMariade. Would you like some?" Amy nodded enthusiastically and followed her into the kitchen.

Joe wandered behind them, frowning at how stiff she seemed. "You got any beer?"

"In the fridge." She smiled as her son pulled out a bottle. Cake and lemonade would always be wasted on him. Cutting a large slice, she put it on the table in front of Amy. "You okay sweetheart?"

"Yeah."

"How's school? It must be good to catch up with all your old friends again."

"Yeah, it is." She sighed. "I want to get a house near to you, but Mom says it's a shithole. She wants to get a place across town."

"Even if you get a place across town, you can still come and see me and your friends. It's only a bus ride away."

"I guess."

Joe and Sophia exchanged a look. While neither could find fault with Maria wanting her kids to grow up in a decent neighborhood, it was still looking like she was riding roughshod over Amy's feelings.

Joe slipped outside and lit a cigarette, closely followed by his ma. "Have you spoke to Maria?"

He shook his head. "To be honest, Ma, I'm trying to stay out of her way. She let Amy down badly. I don't think I can forgive her this time."

"She did the right thing in the end."

"She accused Amy of lying. No, Ma, it it hadn't been for me and Beth, that kid would still be there at the mercy of that asshole. She did the right thing because she was forced into a corner."

Sophia nodded, watching her son closely. "Have you told Amy you planning on moving to Seattle?"

"Not yet. But I will. I know you ain't keen on the idea, but it was something I always planned on doing eventually. And to be honest, Ma, I need the distance between me and M." His lips turned up into a tiny smile. "The last thing I need is that bitch sucking me back in."

"Even now? After everything you just said, you think that could happen?"

He shrugged. "I wish I could say no. But I really don't know. You have no idea, Ma, how many times I've convinced myself that we're done, only to have her do whatever it is she does, and I've caved in again and I'm back where I started. I ain't prepared to put myself in that position again."

"And Amy? Where does she stand in all of this?"

"I love that kid and I'll always try to do right by her."

"And me and Beth?"

"Same goes for you and Beth. You're my family, and I will always look out for you." He turned and headed back into the house. "I'll only be a day away."

Sophia nodded and followed him back into the kitchen, where she joined Amy at the table. In the past, she would have fought Joe tooth and nail over this. But she knew he was right. He needed to put some space between him and Maria, for everybody's sakes and he had proved, time and time again that despite his commitment to the Freaks, he would support those he considered to be his family.