Page 11 of Alex
“Notif I hide you,” I tell him, and his eyes widen.
“Hideme? You going to tuck me away in an attic or basement somewhere? I’d rather notend up chained to a water heater.”
“Mybrothers and I run a domestic violence shelter that helps women and children.We can keep you safe. Keep you away from your father and out of the systemuntil you’re eighteen.”
Hiseyes narrow and he angles his body away. “What’s in it for you? I’m not fuckinganyone.”
Christ.What the hell has this boy seen? “I don’t want anything except to get you outof this situation.”
Heturns to Officer Roberts. “And you can do this? Just let me go with him?”
“Notlegally,” Roberts says with a smirk. “But if you happened to run away and theytook care of you until you’re emancipated, there’s not much the law could do.”
Disbelieffills his face, but I also see a spark of hope in his eyes. “Why would you dothis? Either of you?”
Ilook him in the eye. “This is what my organization does. I’ve been where youare. My father is an abusive asshole who’s sitting on death row for killing my mother.”
“Shit.And I thought I had issues.” His hands fumble in his lap.
“AndI don’t want to get a call that your father has beat you to death,” Robertssays.
Anuncomfortable silence hangs heavy around us until Kyle finally says, “Okay, I’llgo.”
“Grabsome clothes and anything else you want to take. We can get you whatever elseyou need.” He gets to his feet and grabs a trash bag from the kitchen, pausingat a bedroom door when I add, “Take your time and don’t forget anything. Youwon’t be coming back here again.”
Forthe first time a smile spreads across his face. “Yes, sir.”
“Whereare we going?” Kyle asks as we pull onto the highway, his trash bag ofbelongings tucked into the backseat.
“Ineed to call my brother and make arrangements for a safe house and a guardian.We’ll go back to my place in the meantime.”
“Idon’t need a guardian. I’ll be fine living by myself.”
“We’llsee. Are you hungry?”
“Icould eat.” He shrugs.
“Pizza?”
“Soundsgood.”
Wecan hear Ian yelling into his mic before we even get the front door open.“Fucking camper! That’s why you got blown up!”
Kylegrins and flops down beside him on the couch. “Call of Duty! Awesome.”
Ianlooks up from his game, and I nod toward Kyle. “Ian, meet Kyle. He’ll bestaying with Striking Back for a while.”
Understandingdarkens Ian’s eyes and he offers Kyle the controller. “Want to take out some ofthese losers? I always end up in a group of squeakers.” Ian and Kyle spend thenext few hours lost in the game, only breaking away to eat more pizza. Mason textsto tell me he’s looking for a guardian to stay with Kyle and asks if I’d mindkeeping him overnight.
Onesurreptitious glance and Ian follows me to the kitchen. “Do you mind if hestays in the guest room tonight? Mason is making arrangements for a morepermanent solution.”
“Fineby me. He seems like a good kid.”
“Andnow you have a playmate your own age.”
“Biteme.” He breaks down the pizza box and shoves it into the trash.
“I’mgoing to take him to S.B. and get him some clothes and stuff. Want to go?”
