He threaded a little steel into his next words. "At least not anyone who has his best interest at heart."
St. John took a step closer to Jack as both detectives went on point. "Are you just guessing or do you have a solid reason to think that?"
Jack shoved his hands in his hip pockets to keep from making fists, which he was pretty sure the cops might not take well. "A combination of both. For one thing, if it had been a stranger who attacked him, there would've been no reason for him not to give you a description of the guy. Even as bad as Ricky was hurt, he'd have to remember something about him even if it was just the color of his shirt or some idea of his size."
St. John put his notebook away. "Yeah, that's what we're thinking, too."
To give himself a minute to gather his thoughts, Jack pulled a bottle of water out of his cooler. He held it up to see if either of the detectives wanted one.
Daily held out his hand. "Sure, I could use a cold drink."
Done playing host, Jack took a big swallow and then started talking again. "I think Ricky had good reason to leave home, and that reason is still out there somewhere. Since he's never once said a word about his family situation, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that it had to have been pretty bad. Kids can forgive a lot when it comes to their parents."
"And you would know about that."
Since it wasn't really a question, Jack figured the cops had gone poking around into his background. He wasn't sure how much access they would have to his files, but it wasn't like he had any big secrets. His biggest problem with his past was that he had put up with his dad's shit for so long.
"Yeah, I am speaking from personal experience. I stuck around until it was almost too late. After that last fight with my dad, I wound up in the hospital in similar condition to how you found Ricky. If CPS hadn't stepped in when they did, I would have ended up dead, and sooner rather than later."
He focused on Joe's old truck, needing that connection to the man who'd saved not just Jack's life but his sanity as well. "You probably already know that my dad and his brother both ended up in jail for beating a man half to death. Two weeks later, Dad got a shiv in his gut for crossing the wrong guy on the inside. When that happened, my grandfather demanded permanent custody of me. My caseworker took one look at how his sons had turned out and figured that wasn't a good idea."
Damn, he hated talking about this stuff and wasn't sure why he felt compelled to share it with the two detectives. "A few weeks after I got placed with Joe and Marlene, my grandfather showed up drunk and pissed off as usual. He was a big man and scary enough when he was sober. I expected Joe Lukash to toss me to the wolves. Instead, he stood up to the old bastard. I had never seen my grandfather back down, but he did that day. The cops hauled him off to the drunk tank to sleep it off. When he got out, Joe was waiting outside of Granddad's house with a baseball bat. Told him that if he ever came near me again, the cops would have to use DNA to identify the body. That is, if they found the body at all."
Then he did know why he'd just shared that story. They needed to know how far he'd go to protect Ricky. "In case you're wondering, I still have that baseball bat."
St. John started to say something, but one look at his partner shut him right up. After making sure his young partner got the message, Daily spoke for both of them. "I don't have to tell you that if you end up in jail yourself, you won't be of much use to Ricky. It would also destroy your mother."
"True enough."
Although he thought she'd understand if things really got that bad. "If anyone comes looking for Ricky, rest assured I plan to call 9-1-1."
He silently added, But the cops better get there fast.
After that, there wasn't much left to be said. "We'll be checking in with you occasionally, Mr. McShane. If you learn anything, call us."
"Don't worry. I will."
As they walked away, he hoped his farewell smile looked a lot friendlier than it had felt.
-
Caitlyn thought Friday night would never get there, but it had finally arrived. She hadn't seen Jack since their date last Saturday, even though she and Ricky had had their usual three sessions over the course of the week. He'd finally called last night to talk about which movie she'd like to see and to ask how she felt about barbecue for dinner. It seemed he had a real fondness for ribs and wanted to check out a restaurant that had just opened in the area.
After getting their plans set, they'd talked on the phone for nearly an hour. The topics of conversation ranged from sports to books and then even the weather. She didn't know about him, but she would've gladly talked about anything at all just to hear his voice.
Man, she had it bad.
Her mother would be thrilled to know that Caitlyn was going on a date at all, much less the second one in a week with the same man. Not that she had any intention of telling her parents about Jack quite yet. It was too soon to know how this was all going to play out, and she didn't want to get their hopes up too much. Maybe after tonight, if all went well, she might make a casual mention of it to her mom the next time they talked.
Or not. It was too tempting to keep her relationship with Jack and his family to herself for a while. Maybe it was unfair that Jack's mother already knew about their relationship, but-
A movement outside derailed that line of thought. Jack had just pulled up out front. Caitlyn checked her appearance one last time. On the whole she was satisfied with what she saw in the mirror. She'd made a point of wearing the gargoyle earrings he'd bought her. Jeans paired with a dark red tank top and matching shirt hit the right note for a movie and barbecue. It was the fact she'd pulled her hair back from her face with a couple of silver clips and then left it free to hang down her back that had her second-guessing herself.
Not because she didn't think Jack would like it. No, he'd made it perfectly clear that he found the idea of her wearing it down sexy. She hadn't been able to resist the temptation to give him exactly what he wanted. The only question now was what else he might want from her that she'd be willing to give.
When she opened the door, she had her answer-there wasn't much of anything she'd deny him, especially right then. He looked that good. Jack had on a dark green Henley shirt that really brought out the color of his eyes. He'd shoved the sleeves halfway up his forearms, which showed off his sleek muscles to their best advantage.
He stepped across the threshold and immediately reminded her how much she loved being wrapped in those powerful arms, not to mention how she liked the way Jack kissed. His quick, fierce embrace seemed more than a mere greeting and a lot like a claiming. When he tangled his fingers in her hair and deepened the kiss, she knew it was a promise of more to come later.
When he finally released his hold on her, she was glad to see that she wasn't the only one breathing hard or looking tempted to pick up right where they'd just left off.
Jack took a half step back but stayed close enough that he could capture a strand of her hair, twining it through his fingers. "I knew you'd look sexy as hell with your hair down."
His words pleased her, although she suspected she was blushing. She couldn't remember the last time an attractive man had looked at her with such heat in his eyes.
"Keep looking at me like that, Caitlyn, and I'm going to suggest we see what's on television tonight." His voice got a little deeper. "Just the two of us on the couch. Or at least that's where we'd start out."
Jack might not be big on subtle, but she didn't care. Not when she was having the same thoughts. Still, she didn't want to rush things. "You won't get your barbecue if we don't leave the house"-she paused to rest her palm on his freshly shaven cheek-"at least for a little while."
His eyes turned a seductive shade of smoky green as Jack moved in close for another slow kiss. "I'm betting we could get those ribs to go but that wouldn't be fair. I promised you dinner out and a movie."
Why would she want to sit in a theater full of strangers when she could have this sexy man all to herself? Caitlyn offered Jack a compromise. "How about we check out your barbecue restaurant and then come back here and see what's on pay-per-view? If there aren't any good movies on, I'm betting we can find some way to pass the time."
"Lady, I love the way you think. Let's hit the road, because I hear those ribs calling my name." Then Jack's mouth spread in a slow grin. "But this time, let's get our desserts to go."