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Authors: Shelley Gray
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he answered. “I don’t drink or gamble or spend my evenings in the company of men who do. That is true. But it is precisely because of those reasons that you need me.”
Mr. Marks’ eyes had narrowed. “Why is that?”
“You need someone who will not be tempted by vices. You need someone you can trust.”
“And you feel I’m going to be able to trust a man like you?” His voice had been thick with sarcasm.
Marks’ disdain had hurt. At once, Vincent realized he wasn’t very strong, and he wasn’t very confident around men who used their muscles to get their way. He felt weak and useless.
But then he’d remembered what really mattered in life. “I don’t steal or cheat, sir. I don’t lie.”
For the first time a spark of interest appeared in his eyes. “Ever?”
“Never. I can also keep secrets. I will keep your secrets, sir. If you are ever made aware that people are gossiping about you, you will know beyond a doubt that whatever rumor is circulating didn’t begin with me.”
Suddenly, Mr. Marks had looked at him with a spark of approval. “You’re hired, Hunt.” He then named a weekly pay that was more than Vincent had made working at the law office for a whole month.
Vincent had walked out of the club feeling empowered for the first time in his life. And until lately, he’d never looked back.
With a clang and a jerk, the car stopped, bringing Vincent back to the present. And, he realized, to his stop. He quickly moved forward, hardly noticing the other passengers as they squeezed aside to get out of his way.
After the car clanged again and shot down the street, he walked the two blocks home. Only when he got to the front walkway of his modest but well-appointed brownstone did he dare let down his guard.
A window upstairs opened. “Daddy!”
His sweet girl’s dark-blonde curls matched his own. But her smile was the spitting image of Irene’s. “Hi, Mary. Have a care now. Don’t lean out so far. You’re going to fall.”
She giggled. “You say that every time.” She giggled again before disappearing, only to burst through the front door mere seconds later. “You’re home!”
“I am.” After holding out his arms so she could launch herself into them, he hugged her tight. Breathed her sweet, clean, innocent scent. Enjoyed the feel of her little-girl arms wrapping around his sides.
After giving her cheek a kiss, Vincent sat down next to her on the stoop. “Where’s Aunt Janet?”
“I’m right here,” Janet said from the doorway. “You say that every time too.”
He gave her a pointed look over his shoulder. “I simply want to make sure you’re safe.”
“You’re silly, Daddy,” Mary said, giggling again.
“Oh? And why is that?”
“We don’t have to worry about being safe,” she declared in that confident way he was learning only four-year-olds could. “You’re the strongest and toughest man on the whole street.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh yes,” she replied, looking completely serious. “Everyone says so.”
He attempted to laugh. “Little Mary, you’ve been telling tales about your old man?”
She shook her head solemnly. “No. I only heard some of the boys on the corner talk about you.”
“Oh? What did they say?”
“That no one should disrespect you.”
That made him mildly uncomfortable, though he wasn’t sure why. “Well, remember how Daddy works for Mr. Marks? The man at the fancy building I told you about?” When she nodded, he explained, “That’s why the boys said that. It’s because I work for a very important man.”
Mary giggled. “That’s not why, silly. The boys said if they made you mad, you’d break their knees. Or worse.” She giggled again before scampering back into the house.
As Vincent felt Janet’s gaze settle on him, he shrugged. “Don’t know what to say about that.”
“Nothing you can say, Vincent. The boys were simply stating the truth.” She raised an eyebrow, pretty much daring him to deny her
Mr. Marks’ eyes had narrowed. “Why is that?”
“You need someone who will not be tempted by vices. You need someone you can trust.”
“And you feel I’m going to be able to trust a man like you?” His voice had been thick with sarcasm.
Marks’ disdain had hurt. At once, Vincent realized he wasn’t very strong, and he wasn’t very confident around men who used their muscles to get their way. He felt weak and useless.
But then he’d remembered what really mattered in life. “I don’t steal or cheat, sir. I don’t lie.”
For the first time a spark of interest appeared in his eyes. “Ever?”
“Never. I can also keep secrets. I will keep your secrets, sir. If you are ever made aware that people are gossiping about you, you will know beyond a doubt that whatever rumor is circulating didn’t begin with me.”
Suddenly, Mr. Marks had looked at him with a spark of approval. “You’re hired, Hunt.” He then named a weekly pay that was more than Vincent had made working at the law office for a whole month.
Vincent had walked out of the club feeling empowered for the first time in his life. And until lately, he’d never looked back.
With a clang and a jerk, the car stopped, bringing Vincent back to the present. And, he realized, to his stop. He quickly moved forward, hardly noticing the other passengers as they squeezed aside to get out of his way.
After the car clanged again and shot down the street, he walked the two blocks home. Only when he got to the front walkway of his modest but well-appointed brownstone did he dare let down his guard.
A window upstairs opened. “Daddy!”
His sweet girl’s dark-blonde curls matched his own. But her smile was the spitting image of Irene’s. “Hi, Mary. Have a care now. Don’t lean out so far. You’re going to fall.”
She giggled. “You say that every time.” She giggled again before disappearing, only to burst through the front door mere seconds later. “You’re home!”
“I am.” After holding out his arms so she could launch herself into them, he hugged her tight. Breathed her sweet, clean, innocent scent. Enjoyed the feel of her little-girl arms wrapping around his sides.
After giving her cheek a kiss, Vincent sat down next to her on the stoop. “Where’s Aunt Janet?”
“I’m right here,” Janet said from the doorway. “You say that every time too.”
He gave her a pointed look over his shoulder. “I simply want to make sure you’re safe.”
“You’re silly, Daddy,” Mary said, giggling again.
“Oh? And why is that?”
“We don’t have to worry about being safe,” she declared in that confident way he was learning only four-year-olds could. “You’re the strongest and toughest man on the whole street.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh yes,” she replied, looking completely serious. “Everyone says so.”
He attempted to laugh. “Little Mary, you’ve been telling tales about your old man?”
She shook her head solemnly. “No. I only heard some of the boys on the corner talk about you.”
“Oh? What did they say?”
“That no one should disrespect you.”
That made him mildly uncomfortable, though he wasn’t sure why. “Well, remember how Daddy works for Mr. Marks? The man at the fancy building I told you about?” When she nodded, he explained, “That’s why the boys said that. It’s because I work for a very important man.”
Mary giggled. “That’s not why, silly. The boys said if they made you mad, you’d break their knees. Or worse.” She giggled again before scampering back into the house.
As Vincent felt Janet’s gaze settle on him, he shrugged. “Don’t know what to say about that.”
“Nothing you can say, Vincent. The boys were simply stating the truth.” She raised an eyebrow, pretty much daring him to deny her
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