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He’d been with him almost eight months now and still knew relatively little about his past. of course, he knew enough.
The abuse was evident, like a beaten dog that cowers at loud noises and growls to warn off strangers. Wolfe’s tattoos, shaved head, and piercings showed he searched for his own sliver of peace and probably hadn’t found it yet.
Sawyer only meant to give him an opportunity in the business world and get him off the streets. Instead, he became his mentor, dragged him to Italy, and put him in charge of his biggest operation. He even lived with him, for God’s sake.
The memory flashed before his vision and played out in slow motion.
He’d been staying at the Waldorf hotel in Manhattan— an elegant queen set amidst the class of Park Avenue in midtown. The exquisite richness of service and class New Yorkers demanded from a top-class hotel was achieved with marble floors, antique furniture, rich tapestries, and golden, dripping crystal chandeliers. He’d been consult-ing on a project and was walking down the hallway to his next meeting. An employee passed by with his head down, and though he was distracted, Sawyer immediately realized when his wallet was lifted from his suit pocket.
Quick as a snake, he reached out and grabbed the man’s hand. Someone else probably wouldn’t have noticed—the guy was good—but living on the streets had given Sawyer an edge most didn’t own. The quick indrawn breath and frantic tug made Sawyer squeeze harder, until a pair of blazing blue eyes lifted and locked on his.
A kid. Maybe eighteen—dressed in the hotel uniform.
Before he had a moment to process the information, the kid shoved him hard and he fell back. The kid raced toward the end of the hall with his prize. And slammed right into one of the hotel managers.
The next few hours blurred as they discovered he’d been living in the janitorial quarters, stealing uniforms, and basi-cally living off the guests. Taking food from the room service trays. Washing in various bathrooms around the hotel. As the story came full blown, the memories of his own childhood choked him mercilessly. Trying to find a safe place to sleep and knowing the shelters were the most dangerous places to hole up. Finally getting smart enough to target one of the big hotels and learning the ins and outs of the system. My God, if Jerry had never taken him under his protection, he’d be in jail, too. And now, years later, he looked upon another teen in the same position. He’d be endless trouble and a huge complication Sawyer didn’t need. Better to walk away from the whole mess and not look back. He’d get the hotel to drop the charges and make the whole thing go away. Then wish him luck.
Instead, he made a bargain. Got the charges dropped.
Then offered the kid a job where he could keep an eye on him.
Sawyer never thought it would work. After all, this kid was surly as hell and full of scars. He was a minefield ready to explode or implode. He traced the paperwork to a boy named Vincent Soldano who had been linked to numerous foster homes and a list of complaints. At eighteen, he was now on his own with nowhere to go. Sawyer got him a room at the hotel he stayed in and offered to train him as his assistant. Hell, he figured the kid could at least learn to file, copy things, and be a general errand boy. With his full black hair, blue eyes, and classic features, he’d polish up nice in a suit and tie.
Sawyer shook his head at the memory.
Oh, yeah, he remembered that polite conversation all right. Vincent had nodded and told him he’d give him his answer in twenty-four hours. When he returned the next day, he had a gold ring piercing in his brow, a snake tattoo around his neck, and he had shaved off half of his hair. He confronted Sawyer with a snarl and a comment that changed Sawyer forever. “This is what you’re really getting. I’m f**ked up now inside and outside. Do you still want me now?”
Sawyer realized it was both a challenge and a plea. His gut lurched as he glanced at the kid’s freakish appearance and admired his stubborn spirit.. “You can never touch drugs or I throw you out. And no stealing. That’s nonnegotiable.”
“I’m not a user. And I won’t steal from you.”
The truth gleamed in those blue eyes. And Sawyer gave him his answer. “Yes, I still want you. We need to buy you some clothes. You start tomorrow.”
Sawyer figured he’d get him on his feet and the kid would move on. eight months later, they were still together, with a f**ked-up relationship both of them were afraid to probe.
He had tried setting him up with a shrink, but the kid almost bailed on him, so Sawyer decided just to keep him close and see what happened. Looking at his homemade gym, he realized he might be able to show Wolfe another way of slaying the monsters. He chugged the rest of his water and slammed it back on the bar. “Come with me; I need a spotter.”
The gold bar in Wolfe’s eyebrow caught the light as he arched it. “No, thanks.”
“Don’t think you can pull your own weight?”
His lips twisted in a snarl. “I could take you any time, old man.”
Sawyer grinned and tossed him a pair of shorts and a tank. “Prove it. you may wear some pretty jewelry, but I don’t think you can lift.”
His taunt worked. The kid disappeared to change, then trudged to the bench press. Sawyer noticed he didn’t wear the tank, but had replaced it with a long-sleeved tee that covered his arms. Wolfe loaded on the weight, lay back on the bench, and put his gloved hands elbow width apart.
“Count it down.”
He did a full set, rested, then did another. They switched on and off, while the sounds of classic Guns N’ roses blared around them and drowned out any attempt at conversation.
They worked the circuit together, pushing, pulling, grunt-ing, and sweating, until Sawyer’s mind was clear and his body exhausted. He threw Wolfe a bottle of water, and they guzzled it down with sheer greed. “you did good,” Sawyer said. “Those skinny arms surprised me.”
Unbelievably, the kid half smiled. Sawyer realized he’d rarely, if ever, seen any type of emotion cross Wolfe’s face.
especially a hint of laughter or happiness. Sawyer’s heart did a weird little flip that almost embarrassed him. “I’m surprised a man your age can still box.”
Sawyer snorted. “I studied boxing for years. It’s more than just punching a lousy bag. It’s about balance, flexibility, controlled power.” He remembered sparring in that hole of a gym. He did the shittiest jobs so the men would keep him around. Cleaning bathrooms, washing disgusting towels, taking punches as a sparring partner, all in the hope of a few hours of staying in a place that made him feel safe.
