Page 17 of More Than Nothing
Elenie lay back on her thin mattress, staring up at the ceiling, and tried to think of two men who were more opposite ends of the spectrum than Chief Martinez and Frank Dax.
Shameless, cunning, and unpredictably vicious, her stepfather was always on the lookout for the next way to screw someone over, right a perceived snub, or bend a law in his favor. He took pride in breaking as many as possible when bending didn’t work. A barging ram of muscle, force, and noise. No subtlety, no nuances. He was a man of self-serving actions, almost all of them unethical.
Roman Martinez seemed to wear his scruples like armor. There was something innately dependable about him, as if he would show up whenever he was needed, deal with any problem thrown at him, and tie off all the loose ends. Hard to read on the surface, maybe. From their limited number of meetings, Elenie suspected he had more going on than he cared to reveal. He was clearly happier to listen than talk. But she thought he might be someone you could rely on. Sincere, honest, and utterly decent.
And hot, she added to herself. My god, the man was hot. A breathtaking mountain of sexiness, impossible to ignore. His body was ridiculously toned. Chief Roberts may have ruined her appreciation for a uniform until now, but only a dead person could fail to notice how Roman Martinez wore his like a made-to-measure suit. And Elenie was far from dead.
She was also a realist. Most likely, there was an equally attractive and intimidatingly successful girlfriend waiting at home for the police chief. Respectable and confident. Someonewith qualifications, a career path, savings. Someone whose mother wouldn’t blot her lipstick on a lacy thong pulled from her jeans pocket.
Grabbing a pillow to prop herself up on the bed, Elenie reached for the E.V. Huxley book she’d just begun. A distraction was necessary; no good could come of pipe dreams. Once he’d been back in Pine Springs for more than a few weeks, she’d be lucky if Roman Martinez ever spoke to her again. Outside of a police cell, that was.
Footsteps sounded on the landing and Elenie’s eyes flew to the door handle as it turned. Athena didn’t bother to knock; she never did. Her mother sauntered in, a chipped mug in her hand.
“That for me?” A smile lifted Elenie’s lips. She could kill for a coffee.
“I wasn’t sure you were home.” Athena took a long sip and leaned against the closet at the foot of Elenie’s bed. It wobbled alarmingly. Ash from the cigarette in her other hand dropped onto the carpet. She rubbed the toe of her boot over it, blowing a stream of smoke through Cranberry Kiss–colored lips. Elenie sighed and studied her, wearily.
“Got any cash?” Athena asked. “I’m going food shopping.”
By food, she meant drink. And by drink, she meant vodka.
“I’m all out. Frank’s already had my wages for rent.” She’d be damned if she’d give up the few tips she had in the pocket of her hoodie.
Athena eyed her suspiciously and pulled open one door of the closet. There wasn’t much inside but she jiggled the front of Elenie’s denim jacket in the hope of hearing coins, huffing when it made no sound at all. Elenie raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment.
“They never tell you raising kids will be so expensive,” her mother groused around the cigarette. “This family keeps me poor.”Sober Athena without access to a drink could be as self-absorbed as Drunk Athena.
“I don’t ask you for money, Mom. And I buy my own food.” The emptiness in Elenie’s stomach swelled to fill her chest. Her mother’s comment wasn’t an original one. Nor was her own response.
“I just want some vodka. It’s not too much to ask for,” Athena mumbled without heat. She stubbed her cigarette out on the side of the closet and dropped the butt onto the floor.
Elenie was tired, hungry, and done with this conversation. “Nor is a carpet without burn holes and the chance to bring home a nice boyfriend, but I’m not doing so well there either.”
Her mother gave her a hard look. She muttered something dismissive about the male population of Pine Springs and drifted back out of the door.
Elenie closed her eyes, her book falling into her lap. She wondered what it would feel like to be part of a normal family.
Chapter 8
Roman
Since his shift pattern allowed it, Roman had accepted an invitation to Sunday lunch at his sister’s house. Typically, the whole family heard about it via the Martinez jungle drums and pitched up en masse to join the party.
“It’s so good to have you back home!” Thea squeezed his face between her hands, pinching his cheeks for good measure. “I’ve missed you, little brother.”
Roman rolled his eyes. “Eleven minutes, T. You’re only eleven minutes older. And I’m the fucking police chief. Have some respect.”
When he first moved away, he’d missed Thea like he’d miss an arm. She knew it, too. It wasn’t easy keeping secrets from a twin. Heaven knows, he had even more to keep from her now.
Thea laughed and looked over his shoulder. “Did you bring Dougie? I told you he was welcome.”
“I asked but he and Summer have movie plans this afternoon.” Roman pulled a bottle of chilled beer from the fridge and a flying body hit him from behind like a boxer’s punchbag. “Ooof!” His younger sister, Florence, clung to his back, her arms wrapped around his neck. “Jesus, Flo—you’re too old for this shit! And if you’re not, I am.”
He twisted at the waist, shaking her off onto the tatty old couch pushed against one wall of the sprawling kitchen. Florence bounced once and jumped back up.
“Why do I never see you?” she complained. “There’s no point in having you home if you’re always working. I had to hear from Thea you were coming today!”
“I’m not always working. I’m just avoiding you, muppet.” Roman brushed her off with a smirk he dragged up from beneath a sudden wave of adrenalin. Florence stuck her tongue out and he forced a laugh, relieved she hadn’t heard the truth in his words. “What are you—twelve?”
