Page 31 of Subtracting the Heart

The handsome man shook his hand while sporting a sympathetic smile. “Not at all. With the information you gave your mother, this divorce business will all be over very shortly. I was able to get in touch with the mayor, and he’s agreed to release you into your mother’s custody until Tuesday. Let’s get you out of here and somewhere a little more comfortable.”

Cade wanted to fall at the man’s feet and kiss them, but he settled for shaking the man’s hand again… vigorously. “Can I get my shoestrings?” he asked.

“Yes. They have to fill out the paperwork first, so why don’t you tell me what happened.” Lionel placed a tape recorder on the table and pulled a yellow, legal pad from his briefcase.

Cade started explaining the events from two nights prior, when the impromptu raid occurred. “Unprovoked,” Cade was sure to add.

He wasn’t there at the time when it happened. He explained about finding the five teens on the street and taking them to the Greystone home where Jax and Bix lived. He added how they’d decorated the house and the teens’ attendance at the football game.

“How’d your brother come to be in your custody?” Lionel asked.

Cade didn’t hold back explaining that situation either. When he was finished, his mother scooted closer and took his hands.

“I’m so sorry, Kincade. Your father’s always been a bit of a self-righteous nut, but I had no idea he’d stoop to such levels.It’s not surprising he’d send the boy out of the country to brainwash him or whatever they were going to call it, but I had a nice conversation with Cheryl today regarding what she believed your father wanted to do with you when you came out as a gay man. I explained to her that your father was too late because you were already eighteen, and he couldn’t touch you,” his mother told him.

“What did he want to do with me?” Cade was shocked to hear the news. Nothing had ever been mentioned in front of him when he was growing up. He’d seen his father as complacent at best.

“There was a camp in Florida that advertised they couldreprogramgay people, and your father wanted to send you there. That’s why I encouraged you to accept the scholarship and get lost at school so he couldn’t find you. His ideas weren’t sane or empathetic, I’m afraid.” Oh, he believed Katrina for sure.

“Where’s Ashton?” he asked.

His mother took his hand and held it. “For now, Cheryl wants him to stay with you three. Seems Hudson’s going to be arrested soon, and she didn’t want either of her children to be present for it. Amy’s at Cheryl’s sister’s house in Lake Ridge. I’m truly sorry this all fell on your shoulders, Kincade. If I could have stopped it, I would have.”

He hugged her and pulled away, looking at Lionel Rawlings. “So, how’s this going to go for me? I mean, Ididbreak into that shelter to retrieve their things.”

Lionel smiled and held his finger up to his lips. “Let’s have these conversations once we get you out of here. We’re not guaranteed privacy here, and if they’re listening in this room, anything you say can be offered at trial.”

Cade nodded and the door opened, the same unfriendly female guard stepped inside with a clipboard of papers. “I need signatures.”

Lionel rose and took the paperwork from her, signing it and then passing it to his mother and finally to Cade. He saw two places he was supposed to sign, one swearing he wouldn’t leave the state and one swearing he wouldn’t hold the City of Chicago responsible for any injuries received during his incarceration. Thankfully, he didn’t have any injuries.

Quickly signing the papers, Cade allowed himself to be led from the room to the front of the police station. He was handed an envelope with his wallet, phone, shoestrings, and belt. The policewoman held out Ford’s puffy coat and nodded before she disappeared behind a large steel door again. He’d never been so happy to see shoestrings and a coat in his life.

When they walked out of the building after Cade had everything secured, Lionel went to a Mercedes SUV after confirming an appointment with Cade on Tuesday. He turned to his mother, “So, a cab?” he asked as he pulled out his cell phone, seeing it was dead.

Just then, a large, navy-blue Hummer pulled up to the sidewalk through the slush. Ford was behind the wheel, and Josh hopped out on the passenger side. “Good to see you, Cade,” the young man greeted as he helped Katrina into the back seat, following after her.

“Please get in,” Ford beckoned. Cade climbed into the front passenger seat, feeling Ford pull him into his arms immediately.

“My god, my love, I’m so sorry I couldn’t get this done sooner.” Ford held him tightly.

Cade returned his hug and then pulled away. “Can we go home? I’ve been worried about Jax.”

No one complained as they drove away from the local precinct. In the right-hand side mirror, Cade saw the large white bus pull up and inmates in orange jumpsuits filed out in a single line. He knew he owed some deity for keeping him out of that line. It was truly a Christmas miracle.

Chapter Fourteen

Jax

“I don’t know why you feel the need to go?” Jax heard Cade complain as the three of them stood at the Signature Airlines desk waiting for Jax to check his bag on New Year’s Eve morning.

The team was flying to the great white north early to get settled because there was supposed to be a storm hitting Minneapolis that afternoon. Of course, the fans and the home team were used to the snow so nothing would stop the game, which was why Jax was at the airport that morning.

He’d received his new cast on Tuesday, and it was fantastic to be able to scratch his leg before it was cast. Unfortunately, he was still on those fucking crutches, but he’d learned to get around better with them, so it wasn’t too bad.

Cade had gone to meet with Lionel Rawlings while Ford took Jax to the doctor’s office. When they picked Katrina and Cade up later, the good news was Cade would be able to remain out of jail until a hearing could be scheduled after the new year. The bad news was he still couldn’t leave the state.

Not being able to shower would weigh on Jax for the next two weeks until the cast was changed again but having the team doctor give him the okay to travel with the team was a weight off his shoulders. He did, however, hate to leave his lovers to go to Minnesota. He was still team co-captain, and he owed it to his line to be there for them, broken leg or not. After he was in his seat at the front of the plane in a reclining chair, he thought about the day his leg was cast.

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