alone, do you understand me?” I keep my voice low but firm. His lip wobbles, but he nods.
“Okay, but what about when you send me back?” he chokes out.
I lean forward and press my forehead against his. “I’m not sending you back. You deserve a better life than the one you’ve been given, and if I can help you get that, then I will. I can’t take you home with me, even though I’d love to have you. It’s too dangerous right now, and some of the people I will be dealing with would use you to hurt me. Now, is there anyone else you’d feel comfortable staying with?”
He shakes his head before frowning. “The only people who care about me are Ben and Kevin.”
“And where can I find Ben and Kevin?”
“Usually on the corner of Wilson. There is an abandoned warehouse there,” he admits, fiddling with his hem once more.
“They’re homeless too?” I prompt, wanting to clarify.
He nods before looking down.
“Okay, DJ, I’ll find them for you and let them know you’re safe. For the next few days, you’ll stay here until I can find a better alternative for you. I know this is all new and scary, but if you can just trust me, I promise I won’t let you down. I won’t walk away from you when you need me and I will never forget you,” I vow.
I’m not sure I would believe him if the tables were turned, but I’ll just prove myself to him. It’s not even so much of not believing in people, it’s being too scared to have hope because when that gets stripped away, it leaves you with nothing. When you’ve been let down time and time again, you learn to stop hoping—that way, people can’t disappoint you.
“When it’s safe, I’ll come pick you up and we can start your shooting lessons,” I offer, ruffling his hair.
“Okay, Viddy.” He sniffs.
I can hear the tears in his voice, so I pull him to my chest and let him cry against my shoulder. His soft sobs are silent even though he’s trembling so much he’s making me shake too.
I look over his head and see Danny approaching with a box of tissues in his hand, his eyes filled with sadness as he takes in DJ wrapped tightly in my arms. He hands the box to me and sits on the sofa beside us.
Sensing movement, DJ pulls back and looks up, jolting when he sees Danny sitting and looking down at him. His cheeks flush with embarrassment, but he doesn’t look away from him.
“Viddy has your back, kid. I don’t know if you understand what a big deal that is, but if she says she will keep you safe, she’ll move heaven and earth to do so.” Danny looks at me for a second before continuing. “Here are my ten cents worth. What you’ve been through, what you’ve endured, would have brought stronger men to their knees. You, DJ, are a fucking warrior and don’t you forget it. And with Viddy, you also get me and Baker and Chris, who you’ll meet in a little while, and a bunch of other people who will literally kill for you.”
DJ looks shocked for a minute, swallowing hard before turning to look at me. I nod, and with that, he turns back to Danny, straightening his spine and lifting his head proudly.
“Thank you.” DJ’s voice is still quiet, but there is a thread of pride in it now.
“Don’t mention it. Now how about you jump in the shower? I’ll order you a pizza and Baker will sort you out some clothes and give you a cell phone with all our numbers in it. You can call or text us whenever you want and we’ll reply as soon as we can.”
“A shower? Yes, please, I’d really like that.” DJ nods vigorously.
Baker, who had disappeared momentarily, returns with an armful of clothes.
“Hey, DJ, these are for you. I’ll set them on the bed in the spare room which is at the end of the hallway. I’ll show you if you like. Not gonna lie, these will swamp you, but they have a drawstring waist and they’re clean, so they’ll do for now. Take as long as you need. Me casa is su casa.”
He moves back and waits for DJ, who stands slowly. Again, DJ looks at me, so I nod, letting him know it’s gonna be okay. He walks over to Baker, who is smart enough not to crowd him