Page 25 of Street

Getting to work, she wandered around the space, picking up debris. Rosa made neat piles of nails and pieces of drywall and lumber, as well as organized the tools by type. When she discovered a broom in the garage, she swept out the entire house and both vehicle bays, using a bucket to hold the dust and small scraps of supplies like a trash can.

“Hey! What are you doing?” a gruff voice demanded from behind her.

Startled that he’d snuck up on her, Rosa turned her back toward the closest wall, assessing him as a threat. She shot glances in several directions to find the best escape route. “Um, I’m Rosa. I’m staying with Street…”

Before she could finish her statement, the man had his phone out. When she eased toward the door, he held up his hand for her to stop, pinning her in place with a steely stare.

“Yeah, Pirate. Does Street have someone named Rosa okayed to be in the compound?”

“I’ve talked to Pirate….” She stopped rambling when the man shook his head. His eyes remained locked on her.

“Gotcha. Thanks, brother.”

The newcomer nodded at her. “You check out. Does Street know you’re here?”

“He’s aware that I’m in the compound,” Rosa said quickly.

“And in his new house?”

“No,” Rosa admitted. “I wanted to do something to help while he’s at the warehouse. I can go back to his place.”

The man studied Rosa as if assessing her. She stiffened her spine, trying not to show any weaknesses. Inside, she kicked herself for leaving the safety of Street’s house. This was a stupid idea.

Finally, he asked, “Are you the one who drove his bike to get away from the Ravagers?”

Rosa nodded as she eased toward the door leading to the garage. She asked him a question to cover her planned sprint for the door. “Does Street know you’re roaming around the construction zone?”

“Yeah. I’m Fury. I’m here to work on the pipes.”

“Oh, I see. I’ll get out of your way,” Rosa said, continuing to back away.

“I’m not going to hurt you. I could use some assistance if you’d like to work.”

“Doing what?”

“Can you measure accurately?” he asked, pinning her in place with an assessing look.

“Sure.”

“Ever cut PVC pipe? That’s like the plastic white tubing?”

“No, but I’m a fast learner.” Rosa never turned down an opportunity to pick up a new skill. Excitement flared inside her. Who knew how she could use that in the future?

“Call Street. Ask him if you can help me.”

“I don’t want to bother him,” Rosa said quickly as her hand automatically went to the rear pocket of her jeans where she had stashed the new phone.

“He’ll take a break.”

Rosa followed Fury’s directions and fumbled with the unfamiliar device. She’d watched people addicted to their phones for years. Who enjoys messing with this? Finally, she remembered what Street had shown her and selected his number. She kept her eyes on the large man as the phone connected.

“Dinorosa! Is everything okay?” Street demanded.

“Yes. Sorry to bother you,” she blurted. She could hear the beeping of big machinery reversing and chugging around him. Voices shouted over the rumble.

“I was going to check on you in a few minutes,” Street said. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“I came over to your new house to see if I could do anything to help over here. Fury arrived. He says I can help him with piping but wanted me to call you first.”