Page 45 of Landon (In Safe Hands)
Landonapproaches me, his eyes alight with anger. “I have to go. The boy will be keptunder a secure watch.” His gaze meets mine.
“Youcalled the cops?”
“Afriend of mine has connections in the police department. He owes me a favor. Aprotective order will be active by morning.” For someone who has beencompletely absent for two weeks, he sure is eager to help. “I have to go,” herepeats. He drops a quick kiss on my lips, and rushes off, leaving me moreconfused than ever.
ChapterTen
Landon
Whata fucking night. I’ve done my best to avoid Zoe the past two weeks, ever sincewe had to spend a day in a grimy motel room. I know I’ve hurt her, but betterthis than dragging her into my complicated nocturnal life. I wasn’t going tocontact her again, but the second I saw her in the club, all those noblethoughts were squashed flat. I want her. Hell, I need her. I don’t understandhow it happened, but she slid into my life under my radar and filled a space Ididn’t realize was hollow.
Iwas only going to stick around the hospital until I knew her brother and hisboyfriend were okay, until I overheard their conversation. It’s not an uncommonstory, unfortunately, a parent basically renting or loaning out their kid forsome kind of profit, but it’s the one that pisses me off the most. Parents aresupposed to protect their children from the monsters, not feed them to one.
Aftergetting the abuser’s name, I put in a call to an old friend. Mason Reed runs adomestic violence shelter for women and children, and he isn’t afraid to crossa few lines. He has cops, judges, and lawyers working with his organization, soI know he can find a way to protect this kid until ISH can take care of theoffender.
Masondoesn’t disappoint. A few minutes after we hang up, two uniformed officersarrive to talk to Colin. Zoe has already informed social services, so betweenthe two of us, the kid should be okay for the night. I need to get to Dare’sapartment if we’re going to make sure this guy never hurts another child.
Ican see the confusion and hurt in Zoe’s eyes as I kiss her goodbye, and itgrates at my heart. As soon as I’ve taken care of this pervert, I’ll be backfor my girl. I can’t let her go, I know that now. I’ll make her life as normalas I possibly can, try to keep my disability from stealing her daylight, but Ihave to have her with me.
Irode with Zoe, so I have to grab a cab back to the club to get my car. I makeit from there to Dare’s place in record time, and I’m happy to see Justus isalready there.
Darelooks up from his laptop. “What’s wrong? You’ve got a face like a smacked ass.”
“ArlenGeorge. Tibbs Street. I need everything you can get on him,” I tell Justus, whojumps on a computer. “He’s been raping his stepson—a friend of Zoe’sbrother—for years. Kid’s in the hospital because he tried to off himself.Mother knows, but allows it.”
“Christ.”Dare shakes his head.
“Ibrought in Mason Reed’s organization to handle his protection until we resolvethis, but if he doesn’t tell the doctor and social service worker what he toldZoe, I don’t know how long he can be kept from his mother.”
“Youknow it’s hard for a boy to admit, especially at that age,” Dare warns.
“Iknow. I want to know if Arlen George has been convicted before, whether weshould hand it to the cops or deal with him ourselves.”
“Ifthe cops have already been notified, we may not have a choice.”
“There’salways a way,” Justus argues. “Fuck, Landon, this guy has a record a mile long.He did two years in a juvenile facility for molesting a five year old boy whenhe was fifteen. Another five years in Pendleton for raping a twelve year oldboy. Nothing but drunk driving and public intox the past ten years. Of course,that doesn’t mean he stopped abusing kids.”
“No,he had a stepson right under his roof, better access and less chance of gettingcaught,” I reply. “I shouldn’t have involved the police at all. This guyshould’ve been pig food.” I turn to Justus. “You said there’s always a way.Tell me what to do.”
“Rightnow we need to see if he’s going to be arrested.” There’s a knock on the door,and Mason Reed walks in. Mason is a big guy, and a former MMA champion. He’s agood guy to have on our side.
“OfficerRoberts picked up Arlen George, but they won’t be able to hold him for long.His wife has already paid his bail,” Mason informs us.
“Thatbitch should be charged too,” Dare growls.
“Doyou know when he’ll be released?” Justus asks. “Can you get your buddy in theforce to hold him until late? Say, around three a.m.?”
Masonstudies Justus for a moment, never breaking eye contact. “Do I want to knowwhat you’re planning?”
“Trustme, you’re going to want plausible deniability on this one.”
* * * *
Mason’sguy comes through for us and agrees to release Arlen at three o’clock in themorning. Mason’s brother, Alex, is standing guard outside Colin’s hospital roomfor the night, and Dare is camped out outside Colin and his mother’s house,waiting to see if she’ll try to pick up her rapist husband. It’s not much of aconcern since Dare has pulled the fuse for her fuel pump. She won’t be goinganywhere.
Masonhas assured us there are no cameras on the Sixteenth Street Bridge. It’s a damngood thing since Arlen George has less than an hour before he’ll be flying overthe guardrail. We can’t just make him disappear, but if the man decides to killhimself on the walk home? It won’t exactly be a tragedy.
Trafficis non-existent in that area in the middle of the night. It’s a badneighborhood and no one in their right mind would be hanging around on thebridge after dark. It’s also a common place for jumpers and junkies. They’realways fishing bodies out of this part of the river. One recently arrestedpedophile won’t raise any suspicions.
