Chapter 30

I was asking Too Mean if there was any way the room could have two doors. I was thinking ahead if Star ever decided to come live with me then she would be able to have access to the room from this side. Houston smiled and loved the ideal.

Star came into the room and asked, "Boss Lady this whole place is for you? Wow, you have so many rooms and you live alone? This big house is all yours?"

I nodded and gave her a full tour. I showed her the kitchen and she was in awe of all the gadgets I had in there. She asked if I liked to cook and I told her I did I found it relaxing and I didn't get to do it as much as I wanted to I explained I had to learn to cook at a young age having to sometimes to make my own meals. I was taught by Inez the Houston's family housekeeper/cook. She had been the female presence in my life that I had come to depend on while growing up. She was there when ever I had a question regarding girl things since I would die of embarrassment if I ever had to ask Houston's dad or worse Houston. She was patient with me and I was grateful to have her.

Star said she loved to cook and that her mother had been an excellent cook and loved to show her how to make things. She became quiet and tried to smile. She turned away and opened the refrigerator asking if she could make a sandwich. She didn't want to talk about her mother so I let it go. She would tell me when she was ready but, it would have to be soon. We needed to get her off the streets she was not safe on her own and it was only a matter of time till she could get hurt or worse. What Maureen and Carol had witness today only made this more of a priority. I said she could have whatever was in the fridge but she could make it after the grand tour.

I showed her my home office/library with my awards and pictures of our family. She looked at all of them laughing at the ones of me and Houston growing up through elementary, Junior High and High School and college.

She picked up the picture of me when I had graduated from college. "CJ who's this?"

I looked at the picture of me and Houston's dad. "That's Houston's dad at my college graduation."

Why isn't boss man in this picture. I explained he had shipped out a week before to start his boot camp.

"Boss man was in the military?"

"Yes he and Will signed up and served together. Maybe Uncle Roy and Will can tell you that story."

She looked puzzled but shrugged her shoulders and said she would ask. We ended the tour at the bedroom I had envisioned for her.

"How do you like this room? We can paint it your favorite color whenever you decide to visit and spend the night. We can ask Maureen if she could get you some posters of your favorite bands from the venues she represents. If I remember you two have the same taste in music, I'm sure she could get you whatever you want."

She stepped into the middle of the room looking around and then to me.

"Why would you do that? Why would she? This is too much." She walked towards the window facing the back yard.

I had pushed her too far but it was time to put all of our cards on the table we needed to get this settled. I came towards her and wrapped my arms around her.

"We talked about this, remember, we are going to continue to meddle in your life. We just want you to be safe. I don't want to have another worry and neither does anyone else wondering where you will be laying your head down to sleep. This room is yours, you just need to let us help you but it's up to you. Please Star, trust us to help you."

She started to sob and I held her tight. She said she was so tired of running that she wanted to stop but was afraid.

She looked up I wiped her tears and she whispered, "What would I have to do? I don't want to go back to my step father. I'll run. I asked for help once when I was beaten up for not giving up my shoes and all they did was send me to juvie and then contact my step father. That was the last time I saw him he picked me up and put his hand on my knee and told me what he was going to do to me when we got home. He was drunk and was very graphic on what was waiting for me when I got home. He said I was going to pay for running and I was going to become a woman that day."

I felt bile rise up my throat. I wanted to kill him for making this little girl go through this. I would die before she was ever in the same room as that animal.

"I jumped out of the car and ran and I've been running ever since. How can you protect me? They'll just send me back. He lied, he said he adopted me he didn't, my mother asked if I wanted that and I told her no never I only had one father and it wasn't him. The paperwork has to be fake; we never went to court. Please don't send me back." She was near hysterical when she stopped talking and started to sob. I just held her tight and whispered she would never go back.

I heard a growl and looked up to see Houston, Too Mean and Uncle Roy. I shook my head when Houston wanted to come in. Too Mean grabbed his arm and took him out of the room. I waited till she was done crying. I wiped her tears and kissed her forehead.

"I promise you will never go back. Even if I have to smuggle you out of the state or country you won't ever see that sorry excuse for a man ever again. But, you need to start answering some questions so we can start to help you. For starters, is Star really your name?"

She let me go "Yes and no my name is Emiliana Estrella. I am 13 years old. My mother's name was Ana, I was named after my father Emiliano and my little brother's name was Jake. I have no other family. My parents met in a foster care home and both had no other family but each other. My father joined the Marines when he was able to and married my mother. I was born at Camp Pendleton and we moved around some. My father passed away while he was serving. I don't recall alot of that it was one of the worse days of my life. We moved to Los Angeles, my parents had friends there and we would come and visit them whenever my father had leave. My stepfather was one of these friends and she married …."

I waited for her to say his name. Wanting to etch it in my brain and once I went back to the office I'd punch it into BABY and he would rule the day he touched this little girl. I'd find him and see how it was to touch a girl that would fight back.

"Star? Please give me his name."

"You promise you won't tell boss man his name, CJ he'll hurt him, others have tried to help me and it's never been a good outcome. He's scary and I'd rather not tell you his name. I don't want you to get hurt. Boss lady I know you and your sisters will go confront him and I couldn't bear if he hurt any of you because of me."

My brave girl wanting to shield us from her tormentor.

"We will help you get away from that monster. Maureen is already contacting everyone she knows in family court and lining up lawyers that will help us unravel this mess. You can stay with me. I was granted temporary custody once for one of our client's sister. Her name was Butterfly and she had a similar situation but she is safe and doing well with a new foster family and they are in the process of adopting her. You would stay with me, this would be your room. Please Star or Emiliana tell me his name."

"Boss lady did you know Estrella means star in Spanish. My dad used to call me Mia, it means mine. Momma told me when I was born he kept saying Mia over and over again and she almost changed my name but he said no that name was his name for me only."

She was barely holding on. I thought I had pushed her too much. She turned to me.

Jonathan Miller. His name is Jonathan Miller. We lived in Santa Monica. I have the address. But I think he moved. I'll write it down. But promise me please don't go confront him. He is a bad man. He threatened my mother if she ever left him he would hunt us down and kill us than himself. He's not sane."

I gathered her into my arms again and let her cry, taking this burden that she had been living with and making it my own. I held her and looked up. Houston was at the door with tears in his eyes as was Uncle Roy and Too Mean just looked angry. They had heard everything.

Houston pointed at his watch. We had to leave.

"We got this, your new family will take care of you Star. Can I get Uncle Roy and Too Mean to come in, I hate to do this to you sweetheart but we have to get to the hospital and deal with that."

"I'm sorry I shouldn't….

Houston walked in, "You have nothing to be sorry about, like CJ said we are your family and we take care of our own you need us and so does Jake. Uncle Roy and Uncle Too Mean are going to take you to my house and I heard we are having an Italian Feast Thanks to Mama Novelli."

Star looked at Houston, "Mama Novelli is no longer open, my parents used to take us there for dinner. They had the best food and Mama, she used to take me to her kitchen and show me all the fresh ingredients and let me make our pizza. I miss her and that place."

Uncle Roy came over and put an arm around her, "Well since you are part of the family let me let you in on some of our other members, Mama Novelli and her son Vince with his whole family then theirs Houston's dad my brother to name a few."

"You know Mama Novelli? We thought she moved away to Hawaii."

"She did but we keep in touch and we see each other whenever we can. So yes we will be having Mama Novelli tonight and yes she lives in Hawaii and we will go and see her soon. Sounds like a plan."

Star smiled, "Wow Mama Novelli? What a small world or fate."

I came over and leaned into Houston he whispered if I was alright. I nodded.

"One down, one to go. Come on Houston, let's go see our little buckaroo."