Page 7

Chapter Seven

Cade

The day had been a busy one. Benny and Jake had roped the other five boys from the shelter into decorating the place, so Cade sent the older boys to the store with all the cash he had in his pocket to buy more lights. When they returned, the boys proceeded to find some old art supplies in one of the cupboards to make construction-paper garland to decorate around the common room.

There was a radio Cade had found in one of the monitor’s rooms and they had it blaring Christmas music from one of the local stations. It was a festive atmosphere and even Cade’s spirits were light.

He went back to the kitchen after he locked the front door to find Bev singing carols along with the radio while she made more cookies. “Damn, those smell amazing. What are your plans for the holiday, Bev?” The woman had been cooking for the past week to leave frozen meals in the large, upright freezer in the basement to ensure Cade didn’t have to worry about feeding the boys.

“We’re going to see Regina’s sister and her family in Oklahoma, of all places. I asked her if they’d stone us, but she assured me we were safe. Her brother-in-law is a cattle rancher and has a big spread down there with horses and everything. The boys are excited about meeting their cousins and getting to learn to ride horses. I’m anxious to see how they take to helping do chores around the ranch. They’re city boys, so I have to be there to take pictures when they’re shoveling manure from the stalls.” They both had a good laugh at her sons’ expense.

Bev’s warm smile quickly faded into a look of pity. “I know you’re here for the holidays, but are you doing anything after?”

“I’m looking forward to spending time with the boys. I thought maybe we’d walk to the church down the street for their holiday carol sing-along, and then we’ll play games and eat like pigs. I’ll make breakfast on Christmas morning, and then we’ll be lazy guys and scratch ourselves since no women will be in the house to complain.” He ate a chocolate chip cookie stolen from the cooling rack.

Bev laughed. “I can see they’ll be in good hands. If they get bored during the week, get them to clean out the junk in the basement, and maybe we can get Mr. Shaw to give us a budget for a foosball table or something.”

I nodded, but I doubted Mr. Shaw would be thrilled about giving another penny for things at the house. He came across as generous of spirit, but generous of pocket? Cade doubted he wanted to give one more penny to the house.

“They need someplace to let off steam in the neighborhood, because it’s not good for them to be cooped up in the shelter all the time, Cade. Boys need to work off excess energy, and that shitty playground and basketball court down the street isn’t safe for them. We’re not in the gentrified end of Boystown because people in that neighborhood don’t want to be reminded how things aren’t always so rosy in life.” Bev pecked her fingernail on the counter to emphasize her point.

The woman was right, but Cade wasn’t sure what to do about it. The boys could sign-out during the day, but if someone else came in and needed a bed, they weren’t guaranteed to find their old one open if they didn’t come back before six. That was one of the things he disliked about the way the shelter was organized, but there was limited space with too many young men who had nowhere to go. Cade had no say in the matter.

Before he responded, the front doorbell rang. Cade hurried down the hallway to glance at the CCTV monitor to see it was his brother and Jax. He opened the door, greeted by two smiling faces, which was a huge relief. He wasn’t sure how Ashton would get along with his lovers because Cade barely knew the boy himself. Things seemed to be going well, much to his surprise.

“Hello, you handsome devils. Come on in. How was the day?” He closed the door and slid the dead bolt behind them.

Cade studied Jax, who chuckled. Ashton dramatically rolled his eyes. “He’s a show-off. He can bench press a pickup truck, easy, but they turn him loose with regular size guys who he plows through like a bulldozer. He says he was taking it easy on them because they were his teammates. What does he do to an opposing team?” Ash dramatically shook his head.

Cade smiled. “He’s a steamroller, trust me. You hungry? Bev’s making cookies, and she might give you some if you ask politely.”

“See ya, Cajun.” The boy ran down the hallway.

Cade watched Jax look around before he pulled him into his arms. “How was your day, chére? Your brother’s a good kid. You talk to his momma?” Jax leaned forward and kissed Cade stupid. Tongues tangled, and Kincade wondered if he’d ever get used to the way his boyfriends made him feel.

“He’s legally a runaway, and if I harbor him here, I’m violating the rules of the shelter. I can’t do that to the people who sponsor it, so I’m going to have to call Cheryl and tell her where he is. I’m sure the cops will show up, and then I’ll have to deal with the fact some of the underage kids aren’t in the custody of CPS. Though, I only have two boys who are sixteen and one of them turns seventeen on January second,” Cade explained.

The rest of the boys who stayed at the house were between eighteen and twenty, but they were sporadic residents. Roberta Stubbe talked to the younger boys on a regular basis, but Cade couldn’t fool himself to think it counted if the cops showed up.

“Where do his folks live?” Jax was referring to Ashton.

“A fancy apartment downtown. He won’t go home willingly, I’m sure, and if they report him missing, I’m fucked. That’s why the cops don’t bother us here at the shelter because nobody reports the other kids missing. Their parents threw them out, Jackson. They’re not runaways. They’re castoffs.” Cade did his best to hold in the tears. The truth was awful, but it was unavoidable.

Jax pulled him into his arms and kissed him again. “I’d say I’ll take him home to his folks, but that might be more problematic.”

“Yeah, they’d arrest you for sure. He’s thirteen, Lucky, and you sure don’t need that hassle. Anyway, I have a question. Do you think you might be able to talk to Kenneth Shaw about maybe giving us a budget to make some repairs, paint, and maybe get a few pieces of workout equipment for the kids? Maybe we can find a used BowFlex on Craigslist or something? There’s nowhere around here for them to burn off energy and be teenagers.”

Jax raised his eyebrows. “What? Wait, babe? What about that basketball court at the end of the block?”

“That’s fine if you have a ball. Oh, and it’s snowing outside right now so what should I have them do? Build snowmen? They need something to look forward to, Lucky. They’ll work for anything they’re offered, but nobody’s offering. God knows I don’t have anything to give them. I spent my last twenty today on Christmas lights for the boys to decorate the common room. Oh, come see. They’re so proud of it.” He took Jax’s hands in his.

They walked down the hallway to see that even Ashton was involved in the decorating. Bev had popped a lot of popcorn, and the boys were stringing it. “What’s that for?” Cade asked.

“It’s going to snow tonight, so we thought we’d put some in the trees out front for the birds. That’s okay, right? We won’t get a fine or somethin’?” Benny and Jake were threading dental floss through large sewing needles.

“Sure, guys. That’s perfect.” Cade held himself in check because he could cry at seeing how much joy they derived from the idea of providing something less fortunate than them—the birds.

He excused himself to the large restroom everyone used and slipped into a stall to collect himself. Most times, he held it together being around those kids, but there were times when he lost it like anyone else with a feeling heart would do. It was currently one of those times.

Ten minutes later, Cade made his way back into the common room, not seeing Jax. “Anyone know where my friend went?”

Ash looked up and grinned. “He’ll pick us up at seven thirty. He had to go. You gonna help us or stand there like a jackass?” All the boys laughed, and Cade joined them. They needed to laugh about something or they’d all be crying like him.

The front bell rang at 6:45 while they were still in the common room, so Cade hurried down the hallway in his stocking feet. They’d found an old Twister game in the game closet, and they were all playing. Everyone was in good spirits, and they were having a lot of fun.

Cade looked at the CCTV as he passed to see it was Sam and Stan, so he let them in. “Hey, guys. Good to see you both. Stan, how’ve you been? I haven’t seen you in a while. You haven’t come by since I started working here.” Cade offered his hand to shake with the lawyer’s.

“I help out when Sammy tells me I should. He also tells me what to do, but that’s not really anything new. Anyway, Cade, I saw the Blue Beast outside waiting for you. I’ll go down the hall to acquaint myself with things while you two do your catch-up thing. Good to see you three worked things out, Cade. I was worried about him.” Jax’s agent hung up his heavy coat and scarf. Cade could see snowflakes in his hair.

“Will you guys… I can stay, you know. I’ll send my brother home with Jax.”

Sam smiled. “No. You go. We’ll be fine. Your brother can stay if he wants so you can have time with those two.” Sam offered a wink.

Cade smiled in thanks. “No. I need to call his folks to tell them where he is so I don’t get all of us in trouble. I’m hoping his mother will be sympathetic, but it’s a big mess. Anyway, call or text me if you need anything, okay?”

Sam nodded, so Cade went into the office to grab his things, calling down the hallway for Ashton. Ten minutes later, they were on the sidewalk moving toward the Hummer.

Jax opened the passenger side door and the back door from his place inside. After they were safely in the vehicle, he drove them down the street to a Target, pulling into a parking space before he turned to them. “I bought a tree today but we need decorations. I’d like to surprise Ford when he gets home. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but maybe some lights and shiny crap?”

Ashton glanced at Cade then Jax. “You got your black card? I love Christmas decorations.”

Before Cade could object, the three of them were heading into the store, each with a cart. Ninety minutes later, they wheeled out an assload of merchandise, and Kincade wondered where they’d go with all of it.

His brother was a strategic missile when it came to picking out decorations. Apparently, the kid had composed a theme in his head—Gay Pride Christmas—and he’d purchased several of everything in every color available at the store.

When they got home, Jax went to build a fire in the fireplace while Cade and Ashton carried in the bags. The tree was huge, but it was already stabilized in a stand, so they started liberating the decorations and lights from their packaging.

An hour later, the big man was on a ladder placing lights as Ashton directed while Cade hung lighted garland over the fireplace. It wasn’t fancy, but it looked perfect as the light reflected off the mirror hanging above the large stone structure.

Jax and Ashton were caught up in the tree, so Cade slipped off to the office upstairs to call Cheryl, Ashton’s mother. He wasn’t sure about Hudson, but in his experience, a mother’s love would prevail.

“Hello?” Amy answered. Damn the bad luck? Doesn’t that woman answer the fucking phone?

“May I please speak with Cheryl Hayes?”

“She’s with Daddy. Who is it?”

“Tell her I have news about Ashton.” That was no lie.

A minute later, he heard the last voice he wanted to hear. “This is Hudson Hayes. Do you know my son’s whereabouts? Is this a ransom call?”

That mother fucker!

“No, Father. It’s Kincade. Ashton ran away from school and ended up at my door. Oh, I guess you know that because you’ve had me followed, haven’t you? Anyway, he doesn’t want to come home but it’s not my call. I’ll give you an address to meet us so I can return him to you.” Cade tried to keep emotion out of it.

“You have the wrong number. This is an awful prank. Go to hell,” Hudson responded before he hung up.

Cade was stunned and wished to fuck he’d have taped the conversation to keep his own ass out of jail. He was certain the cops would show up at any moment. He needed to get the two of them out of there before he got Ford and Jax in trouble.

He heard the front doorbell’s bong from his spot in the study. He turned toward the window, relieved there were no flashing lights in front of the house. He slowly walked down the stairs to see Jax open the front door. “Stan? Hey bud, what’s up? Come in and let’s have a drink.”

Cade walked down the stairs to see Stan and Sam standing at the door, both looking horribly upset. “What’s going on?” He hurried forward.

“The cops showed up at the shelter and closed it down. They said it had been reported as a brothel. They took Benny and Jake into custody, and they kicked out the other boys. I was able to ensure they didn’t arrest the older boys for prostitution because there was no evidence of any such activity in the house, but there’s something wrong with this whole thing. It’s not my territory, Jackson, but something’s dirty about it,” Stan said.

“Where’d they take Benny and Jake?” Astonishment was evident in Cade’s voice.

“Best guess? Separate group homes. They haven’t been reported missing, which was why they were likely fine, but this was a vendetta from someone. The house was basically running under the radar since it opened, but someone wanted to make a statement,” Stan told them.

Cade didn’t doubt it, and he had an uneasy feeling about who might be responsible. Unfortunately, he didn’t know what to do about it. He’d lose sleep over it because those sweet young men were out in the cold.