Sworn to Protect Read online

  “Relax, man, or you’re gonna get wrinkles before your time. We’ll keep to the shadows, like ninjas. We won’t get caught.”

  So, despite the warning in his gut that screamed it was a bad idea, Drew had given Ty the address. Like a pussy, he was hoping his friend was home in bed, snoring away. A tap at the window a few minutes later proved he had no such luck.

  Crap. Padding to the curtains, he parted them to see Ty grinning at him. He held up a finger for his friend to give him a minute, then searched for his clothes in the dark. After getting dressed, he shrugged on his jacket and returned to the window. He’d already tested it earlier, and knew it would slide up easily.

  In seconds, he was out, standing on the ground. Ty helped him put the window back down all but an inch, just enough to get his fingers under it when it was time to sneak back in. Sneaking out, and anything could happen. What the hell am I thinking? His heart pounded painfully against his sternum at the thought of Tommy catching him—and, worse, telling Shane.

  “Man, this is gonna be awesome,” Ty whispered excitedly.

  “Jesus, what’re you on?” he muttered. “It’s the middle of the frickin’ night and you’re jumping around like a flea.”

  “Nothin’ but a natural high. Chillax, my friend. Come on, let’s get going.”

  He followed Ty to the street—and was brought up short by the sleek black SUV parked by the curb. “An Escalade? Is that yours?” he asked, incredulous. By the state of their run-down little house, he’d figured Ty and his dad didn’t have two nickels to rub together.

  “It’s my dad’s. Sweet ride, huh?”

  “Ty, he’s gonna freak if he wakes up to find this gone!”

  “Nah. My old man doesn’t give a shit what I’m doing as long as I show up before he has to leave in the morning.”

  “What does your dad do?” he asked as they climbed in, admiring the plush leather interior in spite of himself.

  “Hell if I know. He’s all mysterious and crap when I ask, but I intend to find out soon,” his friend said with a grin.

  “You don’t know what your dad does for a living?” That didn’t sound good. In fact, this whole scenario was giving him a stomachache. Still, he didn’t want to wimp out. “What’s on the agenda?”

  “Look.” He pointed to the floorboard at Drew’s feet.

  There was a plastic sack. A quick inspection of the contents revealed two cans of red spray paint. Fantastic—not. “What are we decorating with those? The train trestle or the bridge?”

  “Even better. I’ll show you.”

  They drove for a while, to the eastern outskirts of town. Before long, Ty pulled the SUV onto a small county road and parked off to the side. Grabbing both cans of paint, he handed one to Drew and said, “Come on.”

  “Where to?”

  “Up ahead is Franklin Johnson’s place. Yesterday he called my dad a worthless fucker and a cock-suckin’ son of a bitch,” Ty spat. “So we’re gonna make sure he gets a little payback.”

  “Ty, I don’t think this is a good idea. My dad would’ve killed me if he ever found out—”

  “Well, he’s not here, is he? And if he cared so much, why’d he stuff his body full of drugs and leave you all alone?” The boy’s dark eyes gleamed in the interior lights of the SUV. “We doin’ this or not?”

  Drew’s face burned as the rage welled up inside him again. Thick and hot. Anger at his friend for spouting off his big mouth. Even more rage that what he’d said was true. He was sick with resentment at his dad for not being here. For being a goddamn drug addict. For leaving Drew alone. And all that rage needed somewhere to go.

  “Yeah. Let’s rock.”

  6

  The night was cold and dark. Drew couldn’t see his breath forming little clouds, but it must’ve been.

  The cold couldn’t combat the anger and the overwhelming need to release it. He followed Ty through the brush, stumbling over a fallen tree. Then he almost caught a branch in the eye as it whipped his cheek.

  “Too bad we can’t use a flashlight. I can’t see a freakin’ thing.”

  “It’s not much farther, just through this crop of trees.”

  “You say that like you’ve been here before.” A noncommittal grunt was his answer. “Ty? Have you been here?”

  “I might’ve yanked Johnson’s chain a time or two. So what? He deserves it.”

  Reason belatedly began to return. He didn’t like the sound of that. With Ty, he was beginning to understand there was always more to the story than he was telling.

  “There’s the house. Look.”

  He came to a stop beside his friend and peered through the trees. The white wood-frame house was bathed in the glow of a single light high on a post—a security light. The house and yard were modest but well-kept. The pool of light didn’t quite stretch to the barn that was partially visible behind the house.

  “Does this guy have any dogs?” Drew eyed the perimeter and noted there was no fence.

  “Nah. Not since I poisoned the last one.” Drew whipped his head around and saw Ty’s grin in the darkness. “Gotcha. No animals were harmed in the making of this mischief,” he quipped.

  “Very funny.”

  “Come on.”

  He trailed his friend around the perimeter until they were behind the barn and away from the damning glow of the security light. Making as little noise as possible, they crept up to the building. It wasn’t easy to be quiet this time of year, given all the dead leaves and brown weeds. Each crunch under his tennis shoes went off like a bomb and ratcheted up his tension. He just wanted to do this and get the hell out of here.

  At the back of the barn, Ty uncapped his can of paint and Drew did the same. His friend went right to work, but Drew stood in indecision. “What do I write?”

  “What do you mean, ‘What do I write?’ It’s not a freakin’ English thesis, just start spraying!”

  Feeling stupid, he got started, making random patterns. Geometric shapes and swirls. He couldn’t see well enough to write actual words, and this Johnson dude hadn’t done anything to him, anyway, so he wouldn’t have known what to say. In fact, he was starting to feel sort of bad for messing up such a nice building. The owner obviously cared for his animals, since the barn was just as nice and well kept as the house.

  Strange that the odor coming from inside didn’t smell much like horses or cows. Wasn’t there supposed to be an earthy scent of manure? Instead the smell was sort of . . . chemical. He was about to mention it when Ty got his attention.

  “Let’s do the side facing the house,” Ty said, starting in that direction. “That way he’ll have a nice surprise when he wakes up.”

  “I don’t know,” he replied worriedly. “What if he wakes up and looks out the window?”

  “He won’t. Stop worrying.”

  He didn’t like it, but once again followed along. They repeated the process, and all the while, Drew cast nervous glances toward the house. When nobody came storming out to confront them, he relaxed a bit and finished his task.

  “One last thing,” Ty said. “Then we’ll be done.”

  “What else?”

  “I want to get the side of his house.”

  “What? No way! That’s too risky!”

  “Then go on back to the Escalade and I’ll see you in a few.” Making a few clucking noises, he sauntered off.

  “Shit.” Huffing, Drew hurried after the other boy. He didn’t want to tag the house, but he wasn’t about to walk back through the creepy woods by himself, either. Screw that.

  Ty settled for doing the back of the house, since it wasn’t directly in the light. They could remain mostly in the shadows, then retrace their steps to the SUV. At least that’s the way it should have worked. Halfway through their dubious artwork, a deep voice almost made Drew wet his pants.

  “Drop the cans.” They whirled to see a man roughly the size of a tank standing not twenty feet away. And he was wielding a shotgun. “Hands over your head, boys, and stay rea
l still.”

  Oh, fuck. Drew did as he was told, and Ty did, too. He also noted that all of the bravado had deserted his friend. Drew’s anger was a distant memory by now, and terror had taken its place. This man could shoot them both, throw them into a ravine, and their bodies would never be found.

  “I’ve been watching you two ever since you got here. Made for some entertaining viewing, too.”

  “You knew we were here?” Ty sputtered. “Why didn’t you stop us sooner?”

  The man gave them a toothy smile. “Because my house and barn could use a fresh coat of paint,” he drawled. “And now I’ve got free labor.”

  “You can’t make us do that!” Ty exclaimed.

  “Sure I can, Eastlake. That’s the deal that’s going to keep you two shitheads out of jail—as soon as the police get here to arrest you in, say, one minute. Now, that’s what I call ironic.”

  “Oh, God,” Drew moaned. Shane was going to find out, and when he did, he was going to freaking flip.

  “Gotta say one thing, you’re a chip right off the old block,” the man said to Ty with a smirk.

  Drew didn’t have time to ponder that statement because just then a squad car rolled into the yard. His life was over.

  • • •

  Shane awoke to a persistent buzzing coming from somewhere in the vicinity of the floor. The floor? His foggy brain tried to make sense of why the floor was buzzing, and hoped it would stop so he could go back to sleep. It did, for about fifteen seconds. Then it started up again and kept right on until he finally latched on to the meaning.

  His cell phone. The phone ringing in the middle of the night—and his, in particular—was never a good thing. He came awake as only a seasoned cop can do. Abruptly and unhappily. He slid from the bed and fished the thing out of his jeans, hoping to answer before it woke Daisy. As he squinted at the bedside clock, he saw that it read 4:17. Damn!

  He stabbed the touch screen and started down the hall to talk in the living room. “Ford.”

  “Hey, Shane? This is Cunningham, from the night shift.”

  Parking his naked ass on Daisy’s sofa, he rubbed his eyes and tried to process that. Cunningham. Brian Cunningham, from nights, was a big, tall, redheaded uniformed cop. Nice enough guy, if a bit of an ass kisser with the brass. Had his eye on making sergeant and probably would. If his puckered lips didn’t fall off first.

  “Brian,” he said in greeting. “Don’t tell me we’ve got another body.”

  “We don’t have another body. But you’ve got a problem, and it’s sitting down here at the station as we speak.”

  “What are you talking about? What kind of problem?”

  “The Teenage Boy Sneaks out in the Middle of the Night and Is Caught Doing Criminal Mischief kind.”

  “I don’t— What?” Now he was fully awake, eyes widening in dread. “Explain.”

  “Your kid was caught out at Frank Johnson’s place, along with a friend of his. They did a number on his barn and house with a couple of cans of spray paint and—”

  “Wait. Hold up.” He shook his head in disbelief. “You’ve got Drew there, at the station? That’s impossible! He’s spending the night with my sister!”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t doubt he was, right up until his friend helped him sneak out to go joyriding and tagging.”

  “Goddamn it,” he groaned, slumping back on the sofa.

  “Sorry, man. It sucks. Say, I’m having trouble reaching Callahan, and I know she’ll want to talk to these two.”

  “I’ll get in touch with her,” he managed. “I’ll be there in half an hour at the most. And Brian?”

  “Yeah?”

  He hated to say it, but it was for the kid’s own good. “Do me a favor and take a hard line. It won’t do him any good if he’s treated with kid gloves because of what he’s been through, or given preferential treatment because he’s mine. Scare the crap out of them both.”

  He chuckled. “My pleasure. See you soon.”

  Ending the call, he blew out a deep breath and stared at the ceiling, trying to gather his thoughts.

  “Shane? What’s going on?” Daisy padded into the living room and switched on a lamp. She had slipped on a large T-shirt and was standing there looking worried.

  “Drew and a friend of his got arrested. I cannot fucking believe this.” He swiped a hand down his face in frustration.

  “Oh no. What happened?” She sat beside him.

  “Apparently, a friend of Drew’s went over to Shea and Tommy’s house a while ago, and Drew snuck out. Then they ended up tagging Frank Johnson’s house and got caught.”

  “Damn.” She frowned. “If this friend knew he was at your sister’s and how to get there, they must’ve planned this in advance.”

  “That hadn’t occurred to me, but you’re right.” Anger took root and bloomed. “I’ll bet it’s this new kid, Ty, that I told you about. He’s the only one Drew talks about. Whoever he is, I’d like to wring his scrawny neck.”

  “Down, tiger. Getting mad isn’t going to solve anything.”

  “Maybe not, but neither will coddling Drew. I’ve already told Cunningham not to go easy on him until I get there.”

  She frowned. “Are you sure that’s the answer? He’s been through a lot in the past couple of weeks, Shane.”

  He gave a humorless laugh. “Do I look like I’m sure? I said from the start I had no idea how to raise a teenager, and evidently I was right.”

  “You’re doing the best you can, and he’s going through a rough time. Give yourselves a break.”

  “For how long? How long should I give him until Brad’s death becomes an excuse and not a reason for him to act out?”

  “Honey, this is his first offense, right?”

  “Yes,” he admitted. “As far as I know. Honestly, from this incident and some things Drew has said, I have to wonder what sort of stuff Brad let him get away with.”

  “But you and I know he’s a good kid.”

  “He is, and I don’t want to see him go down the wrong path—that’s all.” His hands clenched into fists. “And he had to cross Frank Johnson, of all scumbags. If that asshole touched my boy, I’ll skin him alive.”

  Daisy made a face. “Johnson’s too smart to do that, which is why we haven’t caught him at a felony yet. Unfortunately, he has the upper hand here.”

  “Yeah. Now I’ve got to get dressed, go downtown, and make sure Drew doesn’t end up where that slime deserves to be.” Leaning over, he kissed her on the lips. “And you’re coming, too, since they’re already trying to call you. Bet you’ve got a few missed calls on your cell.”

  “I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” she told him. “To me, Drew is more than just another kid to deal with on the job.”

  Emotion welled in his chest and he gave her a smile. “I’m glad to hear you say that, because he’s a permanent part of my life now. I love that boy.”

  And I think I love you, too. But that was a big step after the way he’d treated her before. Would she even want him for keeps? He had a lot more thinking to do.

  “I know you do.” She patted his knee. “Why don’t you jump in the shower? I’ll take mine after, and arrive a few minutes behind you.”

  “Why don’t you take one with me? To conserve water, of course.”

  “Nice try,” she said, kissing him on the lips. “Now go. You don’t want to show up at the station, reeking of sex.”

  “True.” He sighed. “But I demand a rain check on that shower together.”

  “You’ve got it.”

  As Shane jumped into the spray, he knew she was right—he needed to get to the station soon, and that wouldn’t happen if she joined him. He wasn’t capable of keeping his hands off her wet, slick, sexy body.

  He toweled off and dressed quickly, wishing he had a different shirt to wear. This one wasn’t too wrinkled, but it looked a little too nice for being pulled out of bed at just after four in the morning. He definitely appeared as though he’d been on a date, but there wa
s no help for it.

  On the way out, he stopped by the bathroom, leaned into the shower, and gave Daisy a lingering kiss.

  “Out, horn dog,” she teased. “While you still can.”

  “Spoilsport. See you soon.”

  One last kiss and he forced himself to leave, grumbling all the way. What should’ve been a nice, relaxing day alone with Daisy was shot to hell, and he was pissed. Her caution to go easy on the boy faded more into the back of his mind with every passing minute. He couldn’t believe Drew would abuse his trust this way, no matter what he’d been through.

  At the station, he parked in front and jogged inside, to the room where they kept the detainees for questioning. Through the observation window, he saw Cunningham and another officer sitting across the conference table from Drew and a black-haired boy who looked like a Steven Tyler wannabe, without the mojo. Schooling himself to refrain from charging in like a raging bull, he reached for the knob and walked inside.

  Drew’s expression when he looked up to see Shane was priceless. His eyes were wide, face pale. It did Shane’s heart good to see that he was properly terrified, because maybe that meant he wouldn’t be making a repeat performance. The other kid, however, was a different story.

  The boy was slouched back in his seat, skinny arms crossed over his chest, an expression of what he could only describe as insolent boredom. The classic I don’t care and you can’t make me face that Shane had seen thousands of times on career criminals. This one appeared to be well on his way to that status, if looks were anything to go by.

  “I reached Daisy,” he told the officers. “She’s on her way.”

  The boys exchanged a look, and the raven-haired one smirked. This did not go unnoticed by Cunningham, who arched his red brows, and Shane fumed inwardly. Little shit.

  The second officer, who apparently had done the arresting, rose. “Since Mr. Johnson is willing to cut a deal with these two young men, I’m going to get back on the street. Good luck,” he said to the boys by way of excusing himself.

  Cunningham stayed, since it was their policy to always have two people in the room with juveniles. Despite the security cameras, the police couldn’t be too careful when it came to shielding themselves against accusations.