Nineteen-year-old Joe has been living on the streets since escaping from a sex-trafficking ring. When a blizzard hits the city, he takes a chance, accepting Derek Clarke's offer of a place to stay for the night. It wouldn't have happened if Derek hadn't been doing a stake-out in the alley at just the right time and taken pity on Joe. The blizzard leaves the two men housebound for the next few days, and they begin to bond as Derek teaches Joe some of what being a private detective involves. Loath to let Joe return to the streets when the weather clears, Derek offers him a job as his apprentice, while allowing him to continue staying in his guestroom. Can their relationship grow from friendship to more, in spite of traumas in their pasts, or will Joe's fear of physical commitment ultimately drive them apart?

The Detective's Apprentice

“Hmm, going to the movies? Taking a hike around the park? Is there a park anywhere close?”


Derek chuckled. “There is, but we’re not going there. We’re cleaning house and doing laundry.”


“Figured as much,” Joe admitted. “I can clean the kitchen, if you want.”


“Go for it. I’ll get started on vacuuming.” Derek got the vacuum from the closet in the small hallway at the bottom of the stairs to the second floor. The moment he did, Sherwat raced up the stairs. “He hates the noise,” Derek explained when Joe looked at him in question.


“He’s not the only one,” Joe said under his breath when Derek went into the dining room and plugged it in. Getting what he needed from under the sink, he set to work scrubbing the stove and the counters. When he finished with that, he checked, found a mop and bucket in the closet, and dealt with the floor.


“Looking good,” Derek said as he started up the stairs to vacuum the second floor. Seconds later Sherwat appeared, making a beeline for the living room.


Chapter 17