“We’ve got cameras to keep track of outsiders, not to monitor what people are doing inside. There’s even a room in the basement that’s impenetrable. No one gets into that room without approval. I’ll give you both the code to get into the building so you can come here whenever you want. You’re safe here. You aren’t prisoners. I swear.”
Cassidy took a deep breath and nodded. “The gate out front reminded me a bit too much of Jamaica,” she admitted.
“I know, and I’m sorry. I should’ve warned you.”
She shook her head. “No, this is your business. It’s smart to keep it secure. I’m just being jumpy.”
“Leo?” Mario asked from the back seat.
“Yeah, bud?” Leo said, turning to give him his complete attention.
“Do you really think we’re safe? That Lloyd or Martin won’t make us go back?”
Cassidy’s heart hurt. She’d done this to her son. If she could go back and make different choices, she would. But since she couldn’t, she vowed from this moment on to do everything in her power to put him first. To provide him a safe environment in which to grow into a man.
She jolted when she felt Leo take her hand in his, but he didn’t look at her. He kept his eyes on her son. No one gave Mario their entire attention like Leo did.
“I wish I could tell you that nothing bad will happen to you ever again,” Leo said. “But I can’t. There are bad men and women all over the world who take delight in having power over others. I guess if you locked yourself in your apartment and never came out, you might be safe, but that wouldn’t be much fun, would it?”
Mario shook his head.
“So I can’t guarantee that you’re one hundred percent safe. But what I can promise is that your mom, and everyone you meet today, will do whatever it takes to protect you from anyone who wants to hurt you. And I mean anyone. Lloyd, Martin, mean kids you might meet in the future, and anyone who thinks they can bully you because they perceive you to be different from them. Silverstone is a safe space for you and your mom, and everyone who goes through the door. Period.”
Mario nodded.
Cassidy knew he didn’t totally understand what Leo was giving him. If he did turn out to be gay, life wouldn’t be easy for Mario, but Leo was laying the groundwork for a place where he could be himself, whoever that was. It meant more to her than she’d ever be able to articulate.
She squeezed Leo’s fingers, and he returned the pressure, still not taking his gaze from Mario’s.
“I know a lot has happened in a very short period of time, but I promise things will calm down. Your mom will find you an amazing school where you can make friends with other boys and girls your age. I’ve even been on the lookout for a place for you to take dance lessons. Would you like that?”
“You have?” Mario asked, his eyes growing huge. “Really?”
“Really.” Leo darted a glance at Cassidy. “With your mom’s permission, of course.”
“Oh, Mom, can I? I really, really want to!”
Cassidy chuckled. “Of course, Mar. I thought we could also look into enrolling you in gymnastics if you wanted to try it.”
“Holy cow! This is the best day ever!” Mario exclaimed. Then he reached for the door handle and sprang out of the car and did an impromptu jig right there in the parking lot of Silverstone Towing.
“Guess he’s a little excited,” Leo said dryly, his eyes dancing as he looked at Cassidy.
“Just a little,” Cassidy said, then grabbed hold of Leo’s hand as he went to climb out of the truck. “Leo?”
“Yeah, Cass?”
“I’m sorry about getting freaked out over the security. I really do understand why you have it.”
“Don’t ever be sorry for worrying about something,” Leo said, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “You’re allowed to feel how you feel. And I’m sure this won’t be the last time something from your past triggers you. If you have concerns in the future, don’t hesitate to express them. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said, feeling her belly do somersaults. It was obvious Leo liked her, and she definitely liked him back, but it still kind of felt too good to be true. Was Leo this way with everyone he rescued, or was there something special between them? The connection she felt with him certainly seemed unique, but she was the worst judge when it came to stuff like that. Time would tell.
She climbed out of the truck and laughed at Mario, who was still dancing his little heart out.
Leo whistled and gestured to Mario. “Come on, twinkle toes. I need to show you how to work the code to get in the building.”
Her son laughed and scampered over to Leo’s side.
Thrilled that Mario seemed to be so carefree, she followed him over to where they were standing by the security box next to the door. Cassidy knew it would take her a few tries to remember the complicated code Leo punched in, but she nodded anyway, as if it wasn’t a big deal. He smirked, probably suspecting she’d never remember the ten-digit code he’d repeated three times.
They walked through the door, and she was surprised when Leo grabbed three name tags from a large metal board hanging just inside. He crouched in front of Mario and handed him a tag with his name in large black letters.
“You remember why you need to wear this when you’re here?” he asked.
Mario nodded. “Because Taylor has progro, promo . . . pro something, and she can’t remember faces and names.”
“Prosopagnosia, and correct. This isn’t just a safe space for you—it’s safe for everyone. And we want Taylor to not worry about figuring out who everyone is when she’s here. We all wear name tags so she doesn’t have to ask who we are.”
Mario nodded. “That’s nice.”
“It is,” Leo agreed as he stood. He held out a name tag for Cassidy. “Here’s yours.”
“I can’t believe you already had name tags made for us.”
“Skylar did it. She’s totally on-the-ball organized. I think it’s the kindergarten teacher in her,” Leo said with a smile. He attached his name tag to his shirt, then gestured down the hall. “Ready?”
Cassidy wasn’t sure she was, but she nodded anyway.
“It’ll be fine,” Leo said, easily able to read her uncertainty.
Mario grabbed her hand, seemingly as nervous as she was, and the three of them walked down the hall toward the large open room Cassidy could see ahead. It sounded like there were a lot of people there, and when they finally stepped into the room, Cassidy saw that she was right. The room was full.
But everyone was smiling and laughing and having a great time. The happiness in the room went a long way toward making her relax. She couldn’t remember ever walking into a room this crowded in Michael’s mansion and feeling comfortable. There had always been tension in the air, as if everyone was just waiting for shit to hit the fan.
“Hey,” Leo said, giving everyone in the room a chin lift.
Cassidy loved that. It was such an alpha-male thing to do, and every time he did it, she couldn’t help but smile. She’d even caught Mario copying the movement a time or two. It seemed as if she wasn’t the only one enamored of their rescuer.