Blindsided - A Stepbrother Romance Novel Read online

CHAPTER 4

  Sam stood there still covered in dirt taking in slow, deep breaths. Normally in this situation she’d get Aaron out of there until Darren cooled down or sobered up and by the time they came back all would be forgotten until the next time. She had a feeling though that this time it wouldn’t be quite that easy. She brought a finger to her lips as she looked back at her brother. Leaning slightly to the left so she could see down the hallway she motioned to him with her hand. Aaron winced as he pushed himself up off the couch. Sam could see the blood on his t-shirt and the bruises on his arms now. It made her stomach roll. She put her eyes back on the hallway and watched for Darren until Aaron was at her side. When he was close enough she grabbed his hand and quietly led him toward the back door. They were halfway across the kitchen when they heard Darren’s drunken, booming voice.

  “Where the fuck did you go, boy? I told you to stay put you stupid little shit. You’re just like your mother, well not just like,” he said with a laugh, “She’s dead.” Sam clamped down harder on Aaron’s hand, pushed open the back door and in a whisper she told him,

  “Run! Wait for me in the park near the playground.”

  “I don’t want to leave you here with him. He’s worse than I’ve ever seen him tonight.”

  “Go!” Sam knew they didn’t have time to argue. She heard Darren stumbling towards the back door. She gave Aaron a little push and with a look that said he didn’t know whether to run or cry he finally took off. Sam reached for a rake she’d seen by the backdoor as she went in the house earlier. She barely had time to turn and swing it before Darren burst out the door. It connected with the side of his head and knocked him back into the house. She stood far enough back that he couldn’t grab her and watched him slide to the ground. He was still conscious but he was dazed and not trying to move. She took out her phone and found the number the detective she’d spoken to the funeral had given her. He answered it on the first ring,

  “Detective Brandt.”

  “This is Samantha Glass. I just hit my step-father in the head with a garden tool and if someone doesn’t get here fast I’m going to kill him with it.” She didn’t wait for his response before she hung up. She knew that would get them here faster than if she’d called and said he was attacking her. They had all rarely called the cops on Darren over the years, but the handful of times one of them had, Sam and Aaron had watched in horror as he did as much damage as he could before they got there.

  Darren was beginning to cuss now and call her vulgar names so she knew he was coming out of it. She held the rake up with the metal spikes pointing toward his face and said,

  “The next time you put your hands on me or my brother, I’m going to kill you.”

  “Bitch!” Darren grabbed hold of the steps that led into the house and started pushing up to his feet. Sam stood her ground, hoping that the police were on their way. It took Darren a long time to stand up straight. He was still holding onto the railing with one hand when he reached out for her with the other. Sam swung the rake again and she heard bones crunch and Darren scream when it made contact with his hand. The sirens in the background drowned out the names he was calling her. That was okay, she’d heard them all before.

  **

  A week later Sam and Aaron sat dressed in their best clothes in the office of a social worker. Detective Brandt arrested Darren that night and charged him with assault and domestic battery on top of the murder charges he was already facing, he wouldn’t be getting bailed out any time soon. That was the good news. The bad news was that although the detective didn’t call social services that night, the fact remained that Aaron was only sixteen and still had two years of high school to complete. Samantha was old enough to request guardianship of him but based on the fact that she didn’t have a reportable source of income the chances of them granting it to her were slim. That had prompted her to do something the night before that surprised even her…she called her real father in California and asked for his help.

  Samantha had been agonizing over this meeting all week. She’d re-read Luke’s letters and cards that she found in her mother’s closet and she imagined herself calling him. It wasn’t as simple in reality however and each time she picked up the phone she remembered that father or not, he was a virtual stranger. She had his business card from when she’d met him three years before and nothing but bad memories from that meeting. She hadn’t known that he’d been reaching out and now that she did she felt bad about the way she’d treated him. But, she also had to weigh in the fact that he did leave in the first place. He took off when she was only a year old and although he felt badly about that later and tried to make amends, it didn’t negate the fact he did it in the first place. What if sending cards and letters and money was the most contact he wanted? What if she called and asked for his help and he said no? What would that kind of ultimate rejection feel like?

  The night before the meeting she’d found Aaron lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. “Hey kid, what are you doing?”

  “Just wondering what it’s going to be like where they send me. When I was in Juvie nobody had anything good to say about these group home places.”

  Sam went over and sat down next to him on the bed. “I’m not going to let them take you away from me.”

  He rolled over on his back and looked at her. Sam had the same black hair and blue eyes as her father. Aaron looked just like his father with sandy blonde hair and brown eyes. His bruises were healing but the shadows of them remained. Nothing about the way either of them looked hinted that they had the same DNA running through their veins, but Sam felt it and she meant what she said. She was prepared to take him and run if that’s what they had to do. She wasn’t going to let anyone hurt him again, or separate them. They were all they had left now.

  “How are you going to manage that?” he asked her.

  “Don’t worry about it kid. Have you ever known me to fail when I really put my mind to something?”

  “A few times, yeah,” he said with a grin. Sam playfully smacked him on the shoulder.

  “Get some rest; you’ll have to drag your lazy butt out of bed early for that meeting in the morning.” Aaron didn’t argue with her. The past few weeks since their mother died he’d been really subdued. His usual smart mouth and sharp edges had been dulled by his grief. Sam left his room and went to her own. Taking out the card Luke left her with, she dialed the first number. That one went to an answering machine at the business on the card. It was a high performance parts store, the kind that Sam would practically kill to get parts from for the Mustang. She hung up and called the cell phone number listed. It was close to ten o’clock so when it also went to voicemail she wasn’t surprised. She felt a slight pain in her chest at the sound of his voice on the message but she waited for the tone and said,

  “Luke…this is your daughter, Samantha. I have a problem and I am calling to ask for your help…” She started with her mother’s death and ended with the meeting she and Aaron had in the morning. Then she put the phone away and lay awake in bed for the majority of the night. When she woke up in the morning she was disappointed but not necessarily surprised when he hadn’t returned her call. Sam was used to life not working out the way she wanted it to.

  “Miss Glass, did you hear the question?” The sound of the social worker’s voice pulled Sam out of her thoughts and back to the present. The middle-aged woman was looking at her over the top of a pair of turtle shell glasses. Her name was Miss Pruitt and she was nice enough, but Sam doubted she had any real idea about the world she and Aaron lived in.

  “No. I’m sorry.”

  “I asked how you expect to support yourself and your brother.”

  Sam took a deep breath and since Luke wasn’t going to help obviously, she went with her back-up plan. “Well, my mother had a large insurance policy…”

  “That’s in Darren Stark’s name.”

  “Yes, but if he’s convicted of her murder he won’t be able to collect on i
t, right?”

  She at least looked sympathetic as she said, “Right, but the insurance company won’t release it to next of kin until he is and you’ve filed a motion in a court of law and won. The whole process could take years.”

  Sam wanted to cuss, or kick the desk but she didn’t do either. She looked at her little brother’s face and back at the woman and said, “I’ll get a job. I’m really good with cars. I can find a job at a parts store or a mechanic’s shop…”

  Once again she looked sympathetic as she interrupted, “The court will expect you to have a job before you’re given custody of the minor.”

  “His name is Aaron.” Sam hadn’t meant to snap but she was sick of people talking about both of them like they were less than human.

  “Of course, Aaron…” The woman stopped in mid-sentence and looked up at the door behind them. “Can I help you?”

  “Samantha?” Sam’s back straightened at the sound of the voice. She turned around slowly. Luke Glass, her father was standing in the doorway holding a handful of papers.

  “You came!” It was almost a whisper, like she was afraid if she said it out loud, he’d disappear.

  He smiled at her. It was the closest she’d come to crying in years. She hadn’t even cried when her mother died although her heart was broken. “Of course I did. I was so sorry to hear about your mom. I’ve been having problems with my phone. I didn’t get your message until really late last night…”

  “Excuse me, who are you?” the social worker asked.

  “I’m Luke Glass,” he said, offering his hand. “Samantha is my daughter and these papers here also give me custodianship of Aaron.” Samantha and Aaron looked at each other. Her brother’s eyes were wide and disbelieving. Luke handed the papers to the woman at the desk and she looked through them.

  Looking shocked the woman said, “How did you manage this so quickly?”

  Luke shrugged. “I have a good friend who is a lawyer that has a good friend who is a family law judge. The only catch here kids is that in order for me to take guardianship of Aaron, you’ll have to move to California and live with me.”

  Sam and Aaron were still looking at each other. Aaron shrugged. Sam smiled and looked back up at Luke. “Thank you, I guess we’re moving to California.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Luke had to return to California that evening. He told Sam and Aaron he’d be back in three days with a trailer for the Mustang and a truck for the rest of their things. When Sam asked him why he was doing all of this he said, “Because I’m your Dad and it’s about time, don’t you think?” Samantha did cry that night, alone in her room. She cried for her mother and the loss of her own childhood and she cried for what her brother had to endure in his life. She also cried for all of the years she’d missed with her father. If her mother was still alive she’d be furious with her. As it were Sam figured she’d suffered enough.

  The next day she walked over to Troy’s house and found him as usual in his garage. “Hey girl, are you finally ready to start looking at the damage you did to that engine?” Sam had put him off all week and now she had to tell her best friend…her only real friend besides the racing crew they hung out with, that she was leaving.

  “Not exactly, there’s something I have to tell you.”

  He pulled his head out from under the hood of the old GMC he was working on and wiped his greasy hands on a shop towel. As soon as he actually looked at Sam’s face he said, “Uh oh, what happened now?” He looked over toward Sam’s house. “Darren’s not back out is he?”

  “No, he won’t be out for a while, if ever,” she said. “It’s actually mostly good news.”

  Troy grinned. “That’s new.”

  Sam smiled too. “Shut up. Aaron and I are moving…to Pasadena.”

  “Pasadena? In California?”

  “Yeah. They were going to take Aaron away from me. My father stepped up. He’s got temporary custody of him and he asked us both to come and live there.”

  “Shit. I mean, that’s great for you and Aaron. I’m happy for you both. I’m just not sure what to do without you around here bugging me and shit.”

  Sam laughed. “You’ll probably get a lot more work done.” Troy works on race cars and builds engines for a living. He does it out of his garage, but he’s the best around so he gets a lot of business. He also spends a lot of time and money on Sam’s car, usually for free.

  “True story, I’ll be able to make a living.” Sam faked a pout and he laughed and then shocked her by pulling her in for a hug. She and Troy have shared almost every moment of their lives in one way or another, but physical affection was not the norm. The hug was awkward, but appreciated. Then Troy started talking about a subject they were both comfortable with, racing. “I’ve got a good friend in Pasadena who has a crew I’m sure he’d love to hook you up with.”

  Samantha smiled. Her racing was one of the big things she worried about leaving behind. She grabbed Troy in another hug and this one wasn’t awkward. “What would I do without you?”

  Troy looked sad suddenly and said, “I guess we’re going to find out.”

  **

  “Aaron!” It was nine a.m. on the day Luke was coming to pick up Sam and Aaron. Luke had text her and said he’d be there with the truck and trailer at noon. Sam had everything ready to go. She was excited but slightly nervous…and now she was pissed. She hadn’t gone to bed until after two a.m. When she did, Aaron was still up on the couch playing a video game. When she got up he was gone and his bed didn’t look like it had been slept in. She called his cell phone at least ten times but he didn’t answer. She was getting more pissed…and anxious, by the minute. She was standing out in front of the house now yelling his name. She didn’t really expect him to be out there but she had to do something. “Aaron!”

  Troy stepped out his front door looking slightly disoriented. His hair was sticking up and he was shirtless and in a pair of pajama pants. “Why are you yelling so early?”

  “My fucking stupid brother didn’t come home last night. My dad will be here in three hours. I’m going to kick his ass, I swear to God.”

  Troy ran a hand across his face and through his hair. “Shit. Okay. Let me put on a shirt and some shoes and we’ll go look for him.”

  Sam was so mad she was shaking. Aaron better not screw this up. If she found the little punk drunk, high or in jail she would literally kick his ass. “Thanks Troy.” She went inside and put on her shoes and met Troy in his garage. He was already warming up his classic GTO. Troy collected old cars that didn’t run and fixed them up so they looked better and ran better than they did when they were brand new. His shiny, black 1970 GTO was his pride and joy. Sam slid into the passenger seat and Troy said,

  “Where are we going?”

  “He’s been hanging out with Pinky’s crew, let’s try his place first.”

  “The warehouse or his house?”

  Sam looked at Troy surprised. Pinky Ferguson is bad news and Sam had told Aaron to stay away from him more than once. He’s a drug dealer and Sam suspected drugs weren’t the only things he was dealing. Aaron’s latest stint in juvenile hall had been for stealing a car. He wouldn’t give Pinky up, but she was sure that’s who he was working for. He rents out a warehouse on the outskirts of Phoenix and pretends to be in the body shop business. From what Sam heard it was more of a chop shop. “How do you know where Pinky Ferguson lives?”

  “I know everything that happens in this town,” he said with a wink. “So where to?”

  “If I had to guess I’d say Pinky’s not the type to invite his little gophers to his house for a beer. Let’s try the warehouse first.”

  On the way there Troy asked her, “Is he still on probation?”

  “No, he got off right after my mom died. The little shit is going to screw this all up and then I’m going to have to kill him.”

  “You think your dad will be able to handle him?”

  “Hell if I know,” she
said, disgustedly. “I don’t even know my own old man, so I couldn’t tell you what kind of guardian he’s going to be to Aaron.”

  “It’s nice of him to take him in with him not being his son and all though.”

  “Yeah,” Sam’s tone softened. “Yeah, it’s really nice of him. If my brother hasn’t done something irreversible this time, hopefully he’ll finally have a decent male role model in his life.”

  As they approached the warehouse Troy said, “Maybe we shouldn’t both go up to the door. You wait in the car…”

  “Oh shut up. You know I’m not going to wait in the car while you take care of my business.”

  “These guys aren’t people to piss off or fuck with, Sam. I know you can handle your own, but these guys fight dirty.”

  “I’ll keep my cool,” she told him. “I’m just a sister here looking for her brother. If they give me any shit I’ll wait for your back-up before I go psycho on them, okay?”

  Troy laughed. “Oh yeah, that makes me feel better.” He drove all the way around the big building and then parked the car where he could see the only door. “Be careful, Sam.”

  She nodded and got out of the car. She jogged up to the door and tried the knob. It was locked. She knocked on it and waited. After several long minutes passed a kid about Aaron’s age with long, greasy black hair pulled open the door. He looked Sam over, pausing on her chest for an inappropriately long time. She wanted to kick him in the nuts…if he had any. “I’m looking for Aaron Stern. I’m his sister.” Once again she was subjected to his watery brown eyes taking in her every curve. She fought back a shiver.

  “Aaron’s not here.”

  “Do you know where he is?” The kid shrugged. He was getting closer to getting kicked in the balls by the minute. “Have you seen him recently?”

  He shrugged again and her leg actually twitched with need. “Couple of days ago, maybe.”

  “So he wasn’t here last night at all?”

  “Nah, not that I know of.”