Page 5 of From the Shadows
That surprised Diego. “You… you are?”
“Yeah. What kind of life would she have been able to give me? I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t be playing Uno or watching TV together. She wouldn’t tuck me in or kiss me on the forehead. She wouldn’t cook—badly, by the way—for me. She wouldn’t comfort me when I’m scared. She isn’t you, D. No one is. It probably wasn’t what she intended, but she gave me a life that I’m really happy with. I have a family, and… well, when I grow up, I want to be like you guys. I want to protect people, because that’s what my dad does.”
Emotions Diego hadn’t experienced in a century flooded him.Tears pricked his eyes as he scooped Jeremy into his arms and squeezed for all he was worth.
Jerm patted him on the back. “We’re gonna be okay, D. Promise.”
And for the first time in years, Diego hoped he could believe that.
Chapter 2
Shay Nowak needed a second job.Like yesterday. His landlord had sent letters to the remaining tenants saying they were raising the rent. Again. For the rathole he lived in, the insane amount of money they wanted wassonot worth it. One of his neighbors had mentioned that the owner was trying to drive everyone out so he could sell the building to a company looking to “revitalize the area” and get some big bucks out of it.
Shay knew he needed to go somewhere else, but he’d lived in this place since he moved out of his parents’ home eight years ago, and even though the paint was peeling, the gross carpet was frayed pretty much everywhere, and there were water spots on his ceiling, it was his home. Besides, it wasn’t like the landlord would give him back the deposit he’d put on the apartment. That money was well and truly gone.
He scanned the help wanted ads on Monster, but nothing was jumping out at him. They either wanted someone with a Master’s degree or ten years’ experience. Shay had neither. It didn’t matter that what he lacked in credentials, he more than made up for in enthusiasm. Employers didn’t seem to care about that. They wantedthe best people they could get for the lowest wages they could pay. Whatever. Those jobs weren’t what Shay was after.
Thanks to his mom and grandparents, Shay knew how to cook a variety of simple, wholesome dishes and was well-versed in CPR and first aid. Those skills plus the fact that he loved to clean would make him ideal for taking care of a family. And that was what he wanted, more than anything. To help guide someone, to be a mentor, a friend, a protector. He’d give everything if he could do that.
Sadly, those jobs never popped up on the sites. Plus, most people were leery of a man who wanted to take care of kids. Damned people who claimed they wanted to work with children, then betrayed them in the worst possible ways made it harder for Shay to find his dream job.
Shay often fantasized about the life he would love to have. He’d make enough money to be a little more than comfortable. One of the things he enjoyed doing was making lists of items he’d love to have in his own place. From furniture to clothes to cars, Shay wrote them down, then revisited them whenever he was feeling like a failure. Which, especially lately, had been pretty often.
1211 Bright Ridge Road.
Shay startled as he twisted in his seat. He was so certain he’d heard a woman’s voice, but he didn’t see anyone there. He shook his head, because who’d be in his apartment? He went back to his search.
1211 Bright Ridge Road.
This time he stood, certain he’d heard a voice. “Hello? Is someone there?”
This was like a slasher movie, where a vengeful spirit would burst into the room to drag Shay’s soul to hell for a perceived wrong he’d done. When his phone rang, Shay yelped and might have jumped a foot in the air. Then he laughed at how ridiculous he was being. He picked up the phone, an ancient piece of crap with a cracked screen and two missing buttons. He stabbed Answer four times before it finally worked.
“Hello?”
“Yes, good morning. This is the Umbridge Employment Agency. Is this Shay Nowak?”
What the hell?“I’m sorry. Who did you say you were?”
“Oh, forgive me. I’m Melissa Carmichael with Umbridge Employment Agency.”
“I’m sorry, you must have the wrong number.”
“No,” she said, stretching out the O. “I.… Hm. Can I ask you to hold one moment, please?” Before Shay could respond, canned music filled his ears. Shay was tempted to hang up, but she had his name, so now he was curious. “Mr. Nowak?”
“Yes?”
“Hi, did you apply for a domestic housekeeper position last month, and?—”
“No, I didn’t. I’ve never even heard of your company before.”
She blew out a frustrated breath. “That can’t be right. The people called today and said they saw the posting and wanted to talk with you. We don’t…. Your number is in our database, and…. Well, that’s weird.”
“What is?”
“It shows it’s been in our system thirty-six days, but the date on this is today. In fact, it came in a few minutes ago. This doesn’t make any sense. I’ll have our IT people look into it. I’m…. I’m sorry to have bothered you. We’ll remove you from our list.”
Just as she was about to hang up, Shay heard the voice again.
