“Shay,” I whisper, sliding my hand along her back.
“We understand your concern,” the cop says. “Really, we do…”
“Do you have kids in a similar situation?”
“No…I-”
“Have your kids been kidnapped by Anton Mathers after witnessing their parents’ murder? Were your kids sold to a mobster and abused for thirteen years? Please tell me, because if you can possibly understand what this feels like, then we should make a little club. We could call it ‘Parents Against Monsters’ PAM for short. Maybe then we can share coping mechanisms and the best ways to keep our children locked up so that their abusers can’t keep making attempts on their lives.”
Damn. Shay is really on fire.
Compassion filters across the other’s face and he takes a small, hesitant step toward Shay, lowering his voice. “I have two teenage daughters and I can’t even begin to understand what this situation would be like. Had that been one of my girls, I probably would have sought out the guy myself and handled it, consequences be damned.” He pauses for a beat and nods, “I’m going to personally see to it that this man spends the rest of his worthless life behind bars.”
Shay stares at him, not sure whether she should put her faith in him or not. “Let’s hope that you do.”
With that, she lets out a heavy sigh and walks away, leaving Slade and I standing with the very men who have let the system fail us too many times before.
Chapter 10
I sit in Slade’s living room with his sisters running around me, somehow managing to make me smile despite all the bullshit that’s been going on.
Shay sent me home from the hospital as it was getting late and Slade demanded I came here for dinner, knowing that I’d probably just sit at home worrying about my little turd of a brother. Slade wasn’t wrong, I planned on spending my night overthinking it all. He thought taking me out of my home and throwing me in front of friendly faces was going to put an end to that, he was sorely mistaken.
Blake woke up from surgery early this afternoon and it’s been a hard few hours. He didn’t talk much, except for when the cops came back to take his statement, but truth be told, I probably would have done the same thing had it been me.
It’s just as bad as we had thought. His leg was crushed and his knee cap obliterated. The surgery took hours to put him back together but I must applaud the doctor, he certainly gave it his all. He took every effort to do what was best for Blake and give him a fighting chance to be able to play basketball again, but we just don’t know if that’s ever going to happen. His leg is being held together with pins and it’s going to be a long road ahead. Who knows if he’s even going to be able to walk again let alone play basketball.
There were tears, there was anger, there was complete and utter devastation. I might have lost a piece of myself when Lucien attacked me, but I ran and now have a chance for a great future, but Blake ran and now his future has been taken away.
All day I’ve been trying to work out how I’m going to make this right, but I don’t know if that’s possible. How am I supposed to give Blake everything that he’s always dreamed about? Am I supposed to tell him tough luck and to find a new dream? That would crush him. Hell, just knowing that he’s out for the rest of the season is bad enough. To get into a good college team, he’s going to need to play next season during his senior year and in Blake’s head, he’s going to have to do it as captain, but I don’t see him claiming that title if he doesn’t play this season. The coach will give it to the next best, not the one who’s surrounded by uncertainty.
I let out a deep sigh and look up when Slade squeezes my hand. “He’s going to be alright,” he promises.
“How do you know that?”
“Because he shares your DNA and because if he even thinks about giving up, you and I both know that you’re going to kick his ass.”
Despite not wanting to, I can’t help but grin at the idiot. “Okay, you’ve got a good point.”
Slade smiles right back. “There she is,” he cheers. “I thought I lost you for a second.”
“Shut up,” I laugh, rolling my eyes and trying to push at him when he grabs at me. He doesn’t let me get away with it and pulls me until I’m curled up on his lap and his lips are pressing against mine.
“Ewwww! Mommy! They’re kissing again,” Rain shouts throughout the house.