Angel of Redemption (7 page)

“
You had to deal with Dean?
”
she asks. I nod.
“
Was
he
…
?
”

“
Was he what?
”

Two
years ago, Sara had a fifteen-year-old boy placed at Wyatt House.
Unfortunately, after only a week of living in the house he stabbed a high
school classmate at a football game. Meth-induced psychosis. He was sentenced
to three years in a juvenile detention center. DHS is no longer involved.

“
I mean, he
’
s totally gorgeous, but I
’
ve
heard he
’
s kind of
…
“

“
He
’
s
a dick,
”
I say, nodding.
“
I don
’
t care how attractive he is, I
’
m not looking forward to working with his moody ass.
”

“
Really?
”
she asks, smirking.
“
I thought you liked dicks.
”

“
Shut up,
”
I laugh.

“
Kayla, Kayla, Kayla,
”
Kate groans, walking into the room with what I assume is my
report in her hands.
“
Logan Davidson? Again?
”

“
I know,
”
I sigh.

“
Matty doesn
’
t deserve to be at Wyatt House. He
’
s done nothing to warrant that
placement.
”

“
I know that, too, Kate, but I can
’
t separate them. Trust me, I
’
ve tried. If I do it forcibly, I
’
ll lose Matty completely. And I
’
m pretty sure Logan would completely
give up, too.
”

“
Logan
’
s already given up,
”
she murmurs. I
’
m
not meant to hear it, but I do. And I jump to his defense.

“
He hasn
’
t given up. If everyone would stop
telling him how worthless he is, maybe he
’
d stop believing it.
”
I clench my teeth together, hoping Kate won
’
t take my frustration personally. Luckily, she doesn
’
t.

“
How
’
s he doing with the independent-living
information?
”
she asks, changing the subject
slightly.

“
Once he gets settled, we
’
re going to start again. I think we
’
re on financial responsibility.
”

Sara
lets out a snort, but bites her tongue when I glare at her. She has no faith in
Logan, either. She thinks he
’
ll end up in jail at some point no matter how hard I try to
steer him in another direction.

“
That
’
s good,
”
Kate muses.
“
Well, I know it
’
s hard when he keeps blowing his
placements. Just try to stay on target.
”
I don
’
t respond. It was a rhetorical
statement anyway.

“
I
’
ve got another visit to do before heading over there, and then
I have to go pick up Claire.
”
I announce, resting my head on my
desk.

“
Why?
”
Sara asks curiously.

“
She
’
s staying with us for the next two
weeks. My mom and Richard are heading to Maui for their anniversary.
”

“
Must be nice,
”
Sara scoffs.
“
Can
’
t she stay by herself?
”

I
chuckle and turned my head to look at her.
“
I
suppose if they hadn
’
t had to deal with me first, they might have let her.
Actually, no, probably not. Her father
’
s too paranoid. He likes to punish her before she does
anything wrong.
”

Claire
is my half sister; we have the same mother. You
’
d never know it by looking at us,
though. I
’
m
short and skinny with brown hair and dark-blue eyes. Claire is a good three
inches taller than me. She
’
s got curves that could cause a car accident, white-blond hair,
and eyes the color of glacier ice.

“
Whatup, ladies?
”

I
grin as Warren enters the room with a travel tray full of Starbucks.

“
Warren, you
’
re my hero,
”
Sara sings, jumping up and grabbing a paper cup from the
tray.

“
So
mami
,
”
he purrs, sitting down on the edge of my desk and handing
me a coffee.
“
Word on the street is that you placed
the Davidson boys at Wyatt House. How was that? Did you get to meet Mr. Hottie-with-a-Body?
”

Kate
reaches over, grabbing a coffee and listening intently for my answer. I work
with a bunch of teenage girls.

“
Jesus Christ, you all are pathetic.
”

“
Oh, don
’
t go there, princess. You can
’
t tell me you didn
’
t notice.
”
He doesn
’
t even have to clarify. Of course I
noticed. I noticed more than I should have.

“
Dean was an asshole to her.
”
Sara laughs. I frown.

“
Was he now?
”
Warren says, sticking his tongue out and biting on it.

“
Have you had a kid there?
”
I ask.

“
No. I go to their Christmas fundraiser
every year, though. My
papi
donates big time.
”

Warren
’
s father is Jose De Jesus, a corporate
big shot in the world of finance. He
’
s worth $1.2 billion or something like that. Warren makes forty-one
thousand dollars per year and donates every cent to a local LGBTQ foundation.
He
’
s
one of the nicest, most generous guys I know. He
’
s also extremely good-looking
;
one of those
gender-neutral beauties. He
’
s ripped like the sexiest of men, but
there
’
s
a feminine quality about him, too.

“
Sadly, I believe the younger Mr. Wyatt
prefers the ladies,
“
Warren adds with a pout. I can
’
t deny the stab of jealousy that courses through me. There
is no rational reason for it, though. I just met the guy, and I don
’
t even like him. He
’
s
irritating and mean.

I
ignore the rest of their chatter when the topic changes to one of Warren
’
s court reports. Pulling up my email I
see that I do, in fact, have a message from Dean Wyatt. My stomach flip-flops
in the same way it does every time I hit a downslope on a roller coaster. I
hate roller coasters.

Opening up the attachment, I read all the names as
well as their positions.
Aiden Wyatt,
CEO; Dean Wyatt, COO; Emily Wyatt, CFO; Tracey Halloway, Assistant CFO/House Manager;
William Halloway, maintenance
. Joseph and Maria Wyatt are also listed along
with a handful of others who appear to be mostly contractors. I print out the
list to put into Logan and Matty’s files and sign off my computer.

“
All right, I gotta get out of here,
”
I grumble.
“
I guess I
’
ll do my court report at home.
”

“
Did you put in for your overtime?
”
Kate asks.

“
Yes. Do you think I
’
ll actually get paid for it this time?
”
I ask, picking up my coffee and my bag. Kate laughs and
shakes her head.

“
At least you
’
ll get comp time.
”

“
Fantastic,
”
I say sarcastically. In the six years I
’
ve worked for DHS, I have accumulated
well over six months of comp and vacation time that I will probably never get a
chance to use.

I
confidently head through the door, past the security desk, and out to my car.
By the time I reach Wyatt House, my stomach is in my throat.

Dean

My day has been absolute crap.

My brother and I spent an exhausting hour talking
about what’s going on in the house. Afterward, we tried to shoot the shit, but
I was too tired to keep my focus.

Around
noon, Emily and Tracey joined us in my office to go over the budget. I fucking hate
money. It never feels like we have enough to cover all our expenses. We
’
re a private 501(c) nonprofit. We receive a subsidy from
the state of Minnesota for each child and the rest of our finances are covered
by donations and grants. My parents are no longer running the house, but they
still spend a huge amount of time raising money for it. My mom loves throwing
parties. I despise them. My parents insist I attend, but I feel like I do more
damage than good. People see me and wonder if their donations are being
appropriated properly. In their eyes, I
’
m
still the fuckup with the drug conviction and blood on my hands.

“
Is that it?
”
Aiden asks, standing up after we
’
ve finished with the books.

“
Yeah,
”
I groan. I need a cup of coffee before I fall the fuck
over.

“
So when are you expecting Ms. Brooks?
”

The
mere mention of her makes my blood pressure rise. I think about the dream I had
about her. I think about the things she did and said in that dream. I think
about the things I did to her. Jesus, I
’
m such a hypocrite. Didn
’
t I just give my brother a lecture
about being professional? I
’
m pretty sure fantasizing about two kids
’
social worker would be considered unprofessional.

“
Dean?
”
Aiden is still looking at me.

“
What?
”

“
When is she getting here?
”

I
shrug.
“
I don
’
t know. I didn
’
t ask.
”

“
Huh. All right, whatever. I
’
m going to my office to return some
phone calls. Let me know if you need me.
”

Aiden
’
s office is across the hallway. It
’
s smaller than mine because he doesn
’
t spend nearly the amount of time here
that I do. His bedroom is smaller, too, for the same reason. He has a fucking
life.

Tracey
fixes me a quick sandwich before she heads out. She
’
ll be gone all afternoon and then back
to supervise dinner. It
’
s Eric and Edgar
’
s night, and the two of them cannot go two minutes without
fighting. The last time they were left to cook without supervision, we ended up
with ground beef on the ceiling. I
’
d separate them, but it
’
s important for them to learn to work
together. At least, that
’
s what Tracey keeps telling me.

I
know the exact moment the boys get home from school. It
’
s like a herd of elephants has
invaded. I hear Emily yelling, and I smile to myself. They love to mess with
her. My guess is that they
’
ve probably dropped their bags and coats in her office,
which is at the front of the house. They know they
’
re not supposed to do it, but I
’
ll give them a break since I also love
torturing my sister-in-law.

I
wonder if Logan and Matty are with them or if Kayla picked them up. My question
is answered as I walk down the hallway and see the younger Davidson hanging his
coat up in the closet.

“
How was school?
”
I ask. He startles slightly, but turns to face me with a
shrug.
“
That good, huh?
”

“
It was fine, thank you.
”
His voice is soft, unsure.

“
Are you going to hang out with the
other boys?
”

He
shakes his head, and I wonder why. I could ask him, but prying into his life
less than twenty-four hours after he was placed here is not the way to earn his
trust.

“
Why don
’
t we do this? I
’
ll go get your brother and we
’
ll go over the house rules. Is that
all right?
”
I offer. He nods, but doesn
’
t meet my eyes.

“Emily?” I say, peeking into her office. “Will you
show Matty to my office, please?”

“
Sure.
”
She smiles and stands up. I can hear her gentle voice
talking to Matty as I walk away. As much as I enjoy giving her a hard time, she
’
s good with the boys and I love her
for it.

“
Logan,
”
I call over the mayhem happening in the den. Of six boys,
four are playing Rock Band, and two are shouting at the others from the couch.
Logan is singing. It sounds like a fucking cat dying, but he looks like he
’
s having a great time, and the rest of
the kids seem to be enjoying it.

“
What
’
s up, Dad?
”
he asks, grinning.

I
raise my eyebrows at him as the rest of the boys start snickering. Rolling my
eyes and taking a breath, I motion for him to come with me. He tosses the
microphone to Jax before strutting over. He
’
s bigger than me, but I
’
m not intimidated. I
’
ve dealt with much bigger threats than
him. He
’
s
still a child whether he wants to admit it or not.

“
Let
’
s go. I
’
m gonna give you the lowdown on the
rules and then Emily will take you on a full tour, all right?
”

“
Yeah, whatev,
”
he grunts. We
’
re obviously going to have to work on communication skills
with these two.

When
we get to my office, Matty is already seated in one of the chairs, and Emily is
perched on the edge of my desk. She hops down quickly, knowing how much I hate
it when she sits there, and sets her hand on Matty
’
s shoulder. I might even see a hint of
a smile on his face before she pats his arm and leaves.

I
go over the basic house rules with them. No drugs, no alcohol, no parties. I
realize that I don
’
t really have much control over them when they leave the
premises, but none of that shit is allowed in this house. Friends have to check
in, and girls have to stay on the main floor. Sexual activity is not allowed on
Wyatt House property. I say this firmly, but I know that the boys completely
disregard this rule. I found Brayden banging a cheerleader
—
still in uniform
—
out back last fall. I can
’
t tell you how many blow jobs and hand
jobs I
’
ve
either walked in on or completely thwarted. Poor kids. I
’
m not telling them not to do it,
though, I
’
m
just asking them not to do it on my property.

No
stealing, no physical fighting, personal spaces are not to be violated. I go
over the computer and television rules. No porn. I make sure to say that twice
and there
’
s
also a big sign over the computer. I have parental blocks, but some of the
little smart-asses get around them.

They
are not to leave the property without telling whoever
’
s in charge. That can be Aiden, Emily,
Tracey, or me. I don
’
t mind swearing for the most part, but if they disrespect
me or any other adult, there are consequences.

When
I finish up telling them that other rules will be addressed as they come up, I
call Emily in. She shows them the offices and the location of Aiden
’
s and my personal spaces before
heading up front where I can
’
t hear her anymore. I need to enter Logan and Matty into
the computer system, so I grab their files and start the input. I
’
m so distracted by the effort that I
’
m completely taken off guard for the
second time today when Aiden calls my name.

“
Shit, man, what
’
s the matter with you?
”
he snorts.

“
I was fucking working.
”

“
Yes, well, I thought you might like to
know that the lovely Ms. Brooks has entered the building.
”

I
fight the urge to jump over my desk and bolt to the front door. Aiden laughs
and leaves me. The second he
’
s out of sight, I
’
m on my feet. I wish I knew what the fuck I looked like,
but I don
’
t
have a mirror. Not that I care, but
…
I
’
m a professional. I should look like a
professional, right? I tug down the sleeves of my shirt, hiding my arms from
sight before running a hand through my hair and walking as slowly as my legs
will let me.

“
Ms. Brooks, it
’
s a pleasure to meet you,
”
Aiden says smoothly as I walk forward.

“
Thank you, Mr.
…
”

“
Please don
’
t,
”
he laughs.
“
You know how the saying goes?
‘The
mister is reserved for my father.’”
He glances over at me.
“
Or
this guy.
”

I
scowl. I have repeatedly asked Kayla to call me Dean. Aiden knows I hate being
called
“
mister.
”
It
’
s
what they called me in lockup. Always
“
Mr.
Wyatt, get your ass over here,
”
and
“
Mr.
Wyatt, do I have to remind you that fighting gets you sent to isolation?
”

No, you don’t have to fucking remind
me
.
Tell it to the fucker with his gorilla hands around my neck.

“
Hi, Kayla.
”
I scan her briefly and notice that she still has the red
heels on. Of course she does. They
’
re
there to remind me of something that will never happen.

This
time she just nods at me. I assume she
’
s
still mad at me, but as her eyes remain on mine, I see a hint of something else
in them. Before I can interpret it, Matty comes down the stairs, and her
attention shifts to him. Kayla smiles at him, and he smiles back.

“
How was school?
”
she asks, walking toward him.

“
It was good. That algebra class I didn
’
t want to take turned out to be the
best one.
”

I
’
m a little stunned as they walk away
from me toward the living room and sit down. The kid can actually say more than
two words at a time. Go figure.

“
Dude, are you kidding me?
”
Aiden whispers, making me jump slightly. His breath is on
my ear, and he
’
s too close. If he weren
’
t my brother, I probably would have decked him.
“
You
’
re really going to let her get away?
She
’
s
hot.
”

“
Last time I checked, she wasn
’
t exactly clamoring to get in my pants,
”
I bite.
“
I
’
d
even venture to say she hates me.
”

“
I
’
m
sure she doesn
’
t hate you. You
’
re just a little abrasive. I know you have a soft side in
there somewhere. Just show it to her.
”
I know he
’
s trying to tease me, but I
’
m not in the mood.