Page 114 of Rules of Engagement

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Are you sure you want to do this?" We sat in my car about a half mile off the freeway, hidden from the road by all the trees and overgrown shrubbery. It wasn't the nicest area, but it was discreet.

"No, but I'm going to anyway," said Solomon.

"You don't have to."

"I know."

"They're here," I said when a beaten-up SUV I’d never seen before turned onto the dirt road, rocking past us and pulling up a little way in front of us. Garrett got out and opened the rear door. Damien emerged, squinting at the bright sunlight. He looked a lot more tired and weary than he did a few days ago and naturally, a part of me cared. The rest of me was still too furious to give a damn if he lost any sleep over his voluntary participation with gang activity that nearly got my fiancé killed.

"He was never a bad kid," said Solomon. "I keep wondering where I went wrong with him. Maybe it was losing our parents when he was so young. Maybe I didn't provide enough guidance. I just don't know."

"Did you treat him the same way you treated Anastasia?"

"I always tried to be fair and equal, making adjustments as necessary for their individual needs."

"Anastasia turned out great so I think your conscience should be clear."

"Thank you," said Solomon.

"John, you were dealt a horrible hand when your parents died and you did the best you could under the circumstances. You also raised your sister who turned out to be a lovely person. She's smart, hard-working and a respectable citizen. You put Damien through school and he became a cop. At some point, you have to release your responsibility toward both of them and let them lead their own lives. As adults, they get to make their own choices, and with that comes taking responsibility for their own actions. What Damien did is totally on him, not you."

"I could have helped him if only he explained the situation and made sure I understood. He asked me for a loan and I instantly refused."

"That's your right."

"I could have stopped all this if I’d given him the money. I thought he had incurred some credit card debt, which happened before, and I figured it was better for him to learn from his mistakes. I never knew it could have been anything as serious as this."

"Would it really have stopped then? Or would Damien’s debt have simply increased at the gang's whim? Having done it previously, what would stop Damien from playing another hand he couldn't afford at the poker table? Or being pushed into tampering with evidence again?"

"I know you're right."

"I've had a lot of time to think about this stuff. You've been taking a lot of naps recently," I teased.

"I'm trying to conserve my energy," said Solomon.

"What for?"

Solomon smiled and I couldn't help smiling back. "Nice to have you back," I said. "Now let's get this over with. We have a lot of stuff to do."

"You don't have to come. Garrett told me that Damien stuck a gun in your face. I can get out of the car and ream my jerk brother out by myself."

"It wasn't in my face," I pointed out.

"It shouldn't have been near you at all. I don't know if I'll ever trust him again. That kind of betrayal is off the scales. What are you doing?" Solomon batted my hands away.

"Patting you down," I said, checking that he didn't have a gun and wasn't planning on shooting Damien. It was probably a good thing Garrett was spiriting Damien away. I was sure Solomon had some fleeting moments of temptation when considering what he should do about his brother.

"There's no way I'm carrying a weapon. I only just left the hospital," said Solomon. "Are you sure this isn't really sexual harassment?"

"Complain to the boss." I finished my pat-down and popped open the door.

"You really don't have to see him," said Solomon.

"I know."

We both got out of the car and, and stood side-by-side before we walked over to meet Garrett and Damien.

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