Fire and Agate Read online

  Chris chuckled, and Marie must have approved because she turned, continued forward, and knocked on the door.

  The house was deadly silent. Three women sat in chairs, looking up at him as though he were the devil incarnate, fear radiating off each and every one of them. He nodded to each lady and gave them all a small smile.

  “This is Deputy Chris,” Marie said.

  “What he want?” one of the ladies asked. She had big brown eyes, and her lips curled in a sneer.

  “Letty, that’s enough,” Marie said gently, but with a firm undertone. “He’s here to help Pavle.”

  A woman bustled into the room, and Marie introduced her as the housemother, Annette.

  “His room is down the hall. He rarely leaves it, even to eat,” Annette explained, never raising her voice much above a whisper. “Follow me.” She turned to lead him down the hallway to the last room. Annette knocked, spoke softly, and opened the door.

  The curtains were drawn, the room dark, even though it was the middle of the day. A single light burned next to a twin bed that had been made to within an inch of its life, with corners sharp enough to make any drill sergeant proud. The room, however, was empty.

  “Pavle, sweetheart. It’s Annette,” she said gently and waited.

  Slowly a figure, curled up and small, made an appearance from around the side of the dresser. The first thing Chris noticed were the biggest, brownest eyes he had ever seen, filled with the pain of years of hurt. They blinked, and then Pavle stepped farther into the light. Even standing, he looked half hunched over.

  “This is Deputy Chris. He’s here because he’s going to help keep you safe.”

  Pavle raised his head slightly, his black hair, long and uneven, falling to the sides of his face.

  “Hello,” Chris said, mimicking the soft tone the others had used. “I’m Chris. They told me you needed help, so I’m going to protect you so no one hurts you anymore.” In that moment, he made up his mind to do whatever was needed to help this man, and if that meant moving him into his home to protect him, so be it.

  “I’d like it if you went with Deputy Chris. He is a good man and will not hurt you,” Marie explained slowly and gently.

  Chris didn’t expect Pavle to believe her or to agree to come. “It’s okay if you don’t want to,” Chris said, crouching down so he was at the same level as Pavle. “This is your choice.”

  “Choice?” Pavle asked in a raspy voice that tore at Chris’s insides, looking at him and then back to Marie.

  “Yes. You can choose to stay here or go with Deputy Chris. We want you to be safe, but we aren’t sure how well we can protect you here. If you go with Deputy Chris, he will protect you. Keep you safe.”

  “INS?” Pavle asked.

  “No. He is good man. Caring. He will help you.” Marie seemed to have infinite patience.

  Pavle blinked, standing still, then nodded and walked to Chris. It seemed as though he either didn’t understand or thought he didn’t have a choice, even though he was being given one. Chris held out his hands, palms up, to show that he wasn’t going to hit him. When Pavle looked at him with those huge eyes and the face of an angel, he looked much younger than the twenty-four listed in his file. Maybe that was his previous owner’s fetish. Still, after all he’d been through, Pavle’s handsomeness and light shone through, with soft features and an almost delicate frame.

  “I’ll gather his few things,” Annette said.

  Marie extended her hand to take Pavle’s gently. He went with her in silence. She led him out of the house, and once they were in the sun, Chris got a better look at him. Pavle was pale, probably from years of being inside. Chris reminded himself to ask Marie about any past injuries. He suspected that Pavle had been treated very badly in the past and he needed to know if he was okay physically.

  “Thank you for doing this,” Marie said once she had opened the door to Chris’s car and gotten Pavle settled in the passenger seat. He sat without moving or looking to either side. “You have to keep him safe. He is the main witness against the man who held him for nearly two years. We need to get that man and then trace back to the people who sold Pavle to him. We’re pulling each thread to see what we can unravel.”

  “Okay. I will do my best, I promise you.”

  “I’ll follow you to your house and help Pavle get settled.”

  As Marie got to her car, Pavle reacted for the first time.

  “She’s just riding separately. She will be back in a few minutes.”

  Chris drove the short distance to his house and pulled into the garage. He didn’t want Pavle to be seen, and yet he also didn’t want him to feel like a prisoner again by being hidden. He got out and waited, hoping Pavle would get out on his own. After a few moments, Pavle opened the door and climbed out of the car. Chris opened the door to the yard and motioned for Pavle to go ahead of him.

  Marie came through behind him, and Chris closed the garage doors and joined the two of them in the yard. Pavle looked around, saying nothing. Chris wished he would say something… anything. He was way too quiet, and that worried Chris because he had no idea what he was thinking, and damn it all, those eyes still held buckets of fear.

  “It’s okay. This is where you are going to stay.” Marie gently coaxed Pavle toward the house, and he shuffled along, looking at the yard. Hopefully he liked what he saw. Chris had spent too many hours working out stress for the garden to be unappreciated.

  Chris opened the back door, went inside, and turned on lights, letting Marie bring Pavle into the kitchen, motioning toward the living room. Maybe this was the biggest mistake of his life. He wasn’t equipped to handle someone as fragile and frightened as Pavle. Chris had no clue what he needed or even how to get through to him.

  “I sold?” Pavle finally asked, barely above a whisper.

  Chris caught Marie’s gaze, and his heart twisted in his chest. God, this was going to wrench his guts six ways from Sunday.

  “No. This is where you are going to live. You are not going to be sold to anyone anymore. Deputy Chris is here to help you and nothing more.” She patted his hand and took Pavle through to the other room.

  Chris got three glasses of water and put some cookies on a plate. He needed some sugar if he was going to get through this in one piece.

  Marie and Pavle were talking softly on the sofa when Chris handed each of them a glass and offered them cookies. Marie took one, and Pavle stared at the plate as though it were a foreign object. Finally, he took one and ate a small bite before shoving the whole thing in his mouth, chewing and swallowing like he hadn’t eaten in days. Then he drank the entire glass of water.

  Chris offered him another, and Pavle took it in disbelief, ate it quickly, and then rested his hands in his lap.

  “Why don’t I take you upstairs and show you your room?” Chris offered. He led Pavle and Marie upstairs and into the bright guest room, with cream walls and a deep green coverlet on the bed. The furniture was white and rather plain, but functional. He’d found the set at a secondhand store and painted it himself to clean it up. “You can put your clothes in here,” Chris told Pavle, who shrugged and looked down at what he was wearing.

  “I have his things in the car. There isn’t much right now,” Marie explained.

  “That’s okay. I can take him to get everything he needs.” Chris needed to do some shopping tomorrow anyway and figured he could take Pavle with him. He would need to disguise Pavle somehow. “I have something he can wear tonight if he needs to, and then we’ll shop tomorrow.”

  “Thank you,” Marie said with a sigh. “Are you going to be okay?” she asked Pavle, who nodded.

  Chris showed her downstairs, while Pavle stayed behind, and got Pavle’s things from her car.

  “I’ll stop by whenever I can. He’s going to need care and plenty of help.”

  “Of course. Is he seeing a counselor?” Chris asked.

  “Yes. But they are having some language issues. I’m working on it. I’d like to find one
who understands Serbian so they can talk in his native language, but it’s very difficult in this area. But I’m not giving up. I’ll let you know when his next appointment is.” She left through the back gate, and Chris locked it from the inside and went back into the house. He brought Pavle’s things up to his room and set them on the bed next to him.

  “Are you hungry?” Chris asked. When Pavle finally nodded, Chris motioned, and they left the room. He didn’t know what to make for dinner, but decided on pasta. He got Pavle seated in the kitchen and started cooking. It wasn’t fancy, and the sauce was from a jar, but when he put the plate and a glass of water in front of Pavle, the surprised expression and then the way he shoveled the food into his mouth, his arm nearly a blur, told him a great deal about Pavle’s treatment. Chris got his attention and ate slowly. “I’m not going to take your food.”

  Pavle nodded and ate a little more leisurely, but his body was rigid the entire time, as if he expected Chris to take away his plate at any moment.

  Once Pavle had eaten everything, Chris got him a little more and showed Pavle what he had to drink. Pavle pointed, and Chris poured him some juice. Pavle sniffed the glass and sipped before downing the liquid like it was a huge shot.

  “I am not going to take your food or drink. You can have all you want.” He poured Pavle some more grape juice and set it in front of him before clearing the dishes. Pavle stared at the glass like it held some deep meaning and then sighed dramatically and drank it.

  Once Chris had cleaned up, he motioned for Pavle to follow him through to the living room. Chris put on the television and sat in the chair. Pavle sat in the other one, alternately watching the television and then him. It was a little unnerving, but Chris sat still and tried to relax, hoping Pavle would do the same.

  At bedtime, he turned off the television and led Pavle up the stairs, turning out the lights. “It’s time to go to bed.” He showed Pavle the bathroom and the towels that were his to use. He also found a new toothbrush and some extra toiletries for him, placing them on the bathroom counter. He tried to think of anything he was forgetting. “Is there anything else you need?”

  Pavle shook his head and went to his room, and when Chris came in to bring him some pajamas, Pavle stood in the center of the room, naked, his hands behind his back, head bent down.

  Chapter 2

  CHRIS STOOD stunned into inaction. He hadn’t been expecting this at all, not for a moment. And Pavle was breathtaking. Chris’s brain instantly clicked on to the gorgeousness, damn near perfection, standing in front of him. So yeah, he looked for a second, and then rationality kicked in.

  “No,” he whispered and turned away, giving Pavle some privacy. “Please put these on. I….” He swallowed as heat rose to his cheeks. Damn, this was a fucking minefield. “That is not what you’re here for.” He held out the soft nightclothes, and Pavle reached for them. He slowly pulled them on as though he thought Chris might be crazy. Once Pavle was covered, Chris motioned for him to sit on the edge of the bed. “This is your room. You are not here for sex. You stay here, and I keep you safe until you have to go to court and testify.” God, he hoped Pavle understood some of this.

  Pavle blinked up at him with those huge, stunning eyes, and Chris sighed, rubbing his eyes as he willed his heart to return to normal.

  “I use bathroom,” Pavle finally said, and after Chris nodded his understanding, he left the room.

  Chris swallowed hard and went to his own room, leaving the door open so he could hear if Pavle needed help. The toilet flushed and water ran, leaving Chris feeling like a voyeur of sorts, but he wasn’t sure what would happen next. When Pavle came out, he crossed to his room, and after a few seconds, the bed squeaked and that was all.

  Chris took a turn in the bathroom, noting that Pavle had used the toothbrush. Hell, other than a very few indications, it was like he’d never been in the room. He thought of asking Pavle if he wanted to take a shower, but had second thoughts, fearing Pavle would think he wanted to take one with him and….

  He cleaned up and turned out the bathroom light. Across the hall, Chris could see a figure curled up in the bed in Pavle’s room. Chris didn’t know why, but he felt tension radiating out from him, like even at rest, Pavle was on guard. He hoped with time that Pavle would begin to trust him and that things would get better.

  Chris went to his room, leaving the door ajar so he could hear Pavle in the night, and crawled into bed. He found himself listening for a while but heard no sound from Pavle and eventually fell asleep, though he didn’t get a lot of rest.

  After tossing and turning once the morning light hit the windows in his room, he got up and went downstairs. He started the coffee, then sat at the table with a mug and his laptop to read the morning news and to sign in to the department so he could check the logs just to see what was going on. He’d probably been at it an hour when his stomach rumbled, so he started breakfast.

  A scent, soft and slightly musky, gave the first indication that he wasn’t alone. He hadn’t heard Pavle come down, even on the squeaky stairs of the century-and-a-half-old row house.

  “Would you like some coffee?” Chris poured a mug and offered it to Pavle, who took it and sipped.

  Pavle sighed, and Chris smiled to himself, willing his mind to remember that, the first sound of contentment of any type Chris had heard from him.

  “I’m making breakfast.” Chris put a pan of bacon in the oven and started working on some eggs and toast. “Do you want some juice?”

  Pavle nodded. “Yes, thank you,” he said warily, watching him. Pavle watched everything he did, each and every second.

  Once the food was ready, Chris placed the plates and utensils, along with juice glasses and some fresh fruit, on a tray and carried it outside. He loved to eat on the patio. Once he set the tray on the table, he turned to find that Pavle hadn’t followed him. Pavle stood in the kitchen doorway, looking outside but not moving.

  “Oh my God,” Chris whispered to himself, wondering when the last time had been that Pavle had stayed outside during the day… or at any time. “You can come out,” he said, louder.

  Pavle took a step outside, turning his head upward and closing his eyes as the sun shone on his face. He simply stood there as though rediscovering the sun.

  “Are you hungry?” Chris asked softly, and Pavle nodded after a second. He walked over, his head craning from side to side. Chris indicated the chair, and Pavle sat down but didn’t eat. “That’s yours,” Chris said, and started eating.

  “I no understand,” Pavle said.

  Chris paused and set down his fork. “Tell me. You can talk all you like. Talk to me.” God, he was trying to infer what Pavle thought and felt from his actions and inactions, and it was hard as hell.

  “I no…,” Pavle started, breathing rapidly. “You… last night….” Agitation rang in his voice. Chris wanted nothing more than to take him in his arms to comfort him, but didn’t dare.

  “What about last night?” Chris asked.

  Pavle’s eyes swirled with confusion and doubt. Chris waited patiently, letting Pavle think about what he wanted to say. “You no… I have to pay, and….”

  Chris shook his head slowly. “No. You don’t have to pay. Marie and I are helping you, and we want nothing in return.” He tapped Pavle’s plate. “You eat all you want. And you don’t have to pay me back.” He was so tempted to take Pavle’s hand to comfort him, but he resisted. “Those days are over. Your body is your own, and no one is going to make you pay for things with it. Not me, not Marie.” Now he hoped Pavle understood. “Go ahead and eat.” He smiled, and Pavle picked up his fork, digging into the food.

  Chris finished his breakfast and put his dishes on the tray. Pavle drank his juice and smacked his lips. When Chris took his dishes inside, he brought the bottle and refilled Pavle’s glass. Pavle looked up at him as though wondering what Chris wanted from him, but Chris decided to ignore the look. He’d also brought the coffeepot and refilled his mug and topped off Pavle’
s.

  Today was his day off, so at least he wasn’t going to have to figure out what to do with Pavle while he was gone, not until Friday when he was back on shift. That gave him a couple of days. His phone chimed and he picked it up off the table. He answered Marie’s text, saying they were doing okay and he was going to take Pavle to the store to get him some clothes. He hoped that was a good idea.

  I’ll bring over some vouchers. What store are you going to?

  Target, he answered, and Marie said she’d be around in half an hour. Great. See you then. He set his phone aside.

  Pavle had finished eating and was actually leaning back in his chair. “Thank you. It good.” He took his time pronouncing the words, clearly trying to improve his language skills. He smiled, though it seemed a little forced.

  “I’m glad you liked it.” Chris gathered the last of the dishes. “I’m going to take these inside. You can stay out here if you want.” He carried in the dishes and loaded the dirty ones into the dishwasher. A soft scrape reached his ears, and Chris opened the door to the back sitting room and peered out the window. Pavle had moved his chair over a little, sitting with the sun shining on him. He looked angelic like that, his head back and eyes closed.

  A knock caught his attention, and Chris went to the front door to let Marie inside.

  “How is he doing?”

  Chris briefly told her about the incident last evening. “I explained things to him, I hope.”

  “That’s not unexpected. Pavle is used to paying for his food, his bed, everything, with his body. It was the only currency he had.” Marie sighed, opened her bag, and handed Chris an envelope. “I brought some cards for Giant as well. That way at least we’re helping with groceries too.” She flashed a quick smile. “How much do you know about his situation… human trafficking in general?” she asked as Chris motioned her through the house.

  “Not a lot. It was discussed in the academy, but this is my first real exposure.” He continued to the back room. Pavle hadn’t moved a muscle, just sat still in the sun. “I think he likes being outside.”