Page 2 of Moon's Promise

Devon saw the anguish on his mother’s beautiful face. No, his mother would never lower her pride to bring herself to her knees. Vance had tried many times to accomplish that humiliation but had never succeeded.

“Do you think he will keep his promise to bring them to see me?”

His mother smoothed her tears away. “I wouldn’t count on it. Vance promised to marry me when he talked me into leaving Hawaii. He didn’t. He promised to let me adopt Eric and Riley. He didn’t. He promised to treat you and me well. He didn’t. Vance hasn’t kept any promises he’s made to me. Maybe you will have better luck.”

Devon didn’t hold out hope.

Seeing his mother’s proud face break into tears made him feel bad. She was hurting as badly as he was but had been hiding it to appear strong in front of him.

He hugged his mother, manfully holding back his own tears.

“Don’t cry. It’ll be all right.”

“He took my babies from me …” She sobbed into his shoulder. “No one ever keeps their promises to me. Your dad promised me he wouldn’t reenlist again. Vance promised never to leave me. Why can’t they keep their promises?”

“I will. I’ll keep any promise I make.”

“Swear to me, Devon. Don’t be like other men. When you make a promise, keep it.”

“I swear.”

Two Years Later…

Devon sat in his mother’s car, waiting for Vance’s truck to pull into the garage he managed. It had taken him two months to find the bastard after he stopped by to take Eric and Riley out to a movie and lunch. The hatred between them had only grown over the last two years.

He had applied for his driver’s license the day he turned sixteen. As soon as he earned it, he drove to see Eric and Riley and take the option out of Vance’s hands to bring them to see him.

He had only seen them six times during the last two years. Vance had tried to prevent him from seeing them, but one benefit of him getting older was his size. Vance was a small man, barely five-four, and if Devon was to guess, he weighed less than one-twenty. He, on the other hand, was six-three, and working out with the football team had developed his body into a muscular build which Vance noticed gradually becoming more aggressive each time they saw each other. The bastard couldn’t bear someone he still considered a boy not being afraid of him.

Devon gave a sarcastic snort in the silence of the car. He hadn’t been afraid of Vance since he was fourteen and caught his swinging fist before it could land on his back. Vance had a bad habit of waiting until his back was turned to drill a fist into him when his mother hadn’t been home. When he swung around and caught Vance’s fist then pinned him against the refrigerator, Devon had seen the fear in his eyes.

“You’re not going to touch me again,” Devon told him as he placed a restraining forearm against his neck to hold Vance in place. “Got it?”

Vance glared back at him. “Got it.”

“Good.” Devon released him, and neither of them had mentioned it to his mother.

Two weeks later, Vance had come home and told her he was leaving her. The son of bitch was a coward, and they both knew it. If Vance had stayed, it would have only been a matter of time before the arguments between them became more physical.

Seeing Vance pull to the side of the garage, he got out of the car to intercept him before he could reach the garage bay.

Vance noticed his approach. “What do you want?”

“Where are Eric and Riley?”

“None of your fucking business. Get out of here before I call the cops on you for trespassing.”

Devon didn’t move. “Call them. Neither of them are answering the cell phone I bought them. I checked with the bitch you were living with. She doesn’t know where they are since she kicked your sorry ass out. They’re not in school and too young to be left alone, so unless you found another woman to keep your ass up between jobs and she’s watching them, which I doubt”—watching Vance’s expression as he talked, Devon carefully scrutinized his features for any telltale sign to indicate his brother or sister had been hurt—“I might be able to convince them to check it out to make sure they are being taken care of.”

Vance gave him a gloating look.

Devon’s heart sank. Whatever Vance had done to Eric and Riley, he knew it was going to hurt.

“I’d tell them they’re with their mother.” A cruel smile played on the bastard’s lips. “When Carole threw me out, I didn’t have any choice but to call Marie. She came and got them. They’re in Georgia. I threw the phone away. You’re not a blood relative of theirs. You keep bugging them, I’ll press charges on you for stalking.” Vance laughed at the expression he wasn’t hiding. “You’re a little too interested in children much younger than you. It’s in Eric’s and Riley’s best interest to live with their mother. You’re not a blood relative; it’s none of your fucking business where they are.” Vance gave him a curt lift of his chin. “Get your ass out of here before I call the cops and have you arrested.”

Devon stared at Vance, unmoved by the threat. “I’m going to check on them and make sure they’re okay.”

“What you going to do if they aren’t? You’re a kid; you can’t do a fucking thing …”

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