Cody sneered at Toni and shrugged her hand off. “Too late for that.”
TJ’s breath caught, and he asked, “Has someone hurt you?”
“Doesn’t matter. I asked for it and I got what I wanted.” Cody shrugged.
“What did you ask for, Cody?” TJ’s mind was going in a direction that chilled him to the bone. Cody was fifteen. No way was he talking about what TJ thought he was. “Has someone touched you?”
“You think Cass would touch me like that? Fuck no. He’d have to have a bath in bleach after in case I infected him. It wasn’t him.”
TJ slowly closed his eyes. “If it wasn’t Cass, who was it?”
“Has someone hit you?” Toni reached out to Cody but let her hand fall. “Cody? What happened?”
“None of your fucking business. I asked him for it, and he gave it to me, so you can all drop it now.”
“Which bar did you go to?” Even to TJ, his voice sounded hard.
Cody scoffed. “Like I’m going to tell you that.”
“You’re fifteen, Cody. Which bar did you go to and what was the name of the man?”
Toni’s lips parted, and she looked at TJ, then Cody, when she understood. “Oh Cody.”
“Fuck you. I got what I wanted—”
“You fucking whore.” Cass stormed into the room and grabbed Cody. “You’ve been fucking men? You fucking slut—”
“Get off him, Cass.” TJ shot up and tried to get between Cody and Cass. Cody pushed TJ away and ran out of the room. TJ heard the front door bang open. “I’ll get him.” Pushing past Cass, TJ ran out into the storm.
Chapter Three
TJ
“Cody!” TJ screamed. Cody ignored him, running ahead, slipping in the mud. The rain lashed at them as thunder rolled above their heads. TJ’s wet clothes stuck to his body, the rain running into his eyes and making him squint so he could see Cody ahead. TJ continued to run after him, catching up when the boy fell again.
As TJ pulled Cody up off the ground, Cody fought him, hitting him on the chest and the arms screaming in his face. “Let me go, you fucking piece of shit. Take your fucking dirty hands off me!”
“Cody, stop this.” TJ wrapped him up in his arms, holding him as Cody tried to hit him. He screamed and screamed, his fist pummeling TJ until he fell silent and still, leaning on TJ. He let Cody cry out all the anger and hurt, then leaned back and wiped the tears from his face. Or tried to. The rain still fell around them, and Cody shivered in TJ’s arms. “Let’s go inside.”
“I can’t stay with them. Please don’t make me go back in there,” Cody begged, burying his face in TJ’s wet shirt.
TJ pulled back and searched Cody’s face, then nodded. “I’ll speak to Cass, and you can stay with me for a couple of days until things settle at home. I’ll walk you to my car, then get some of your things. Okay?”
Cody nodded and buried his face in TJ’s chest. TJ held him, feeling how slim he’d become. Too slim. His long lanky hair stuck to TJ’s arm, and he closed his eyes, ignoring the itchy feel and need to remove it. This boy, who he’d only known for just over a year since Carter and Toni had married, had changed so drastically in that time. If he put a picture of Cody from a year ago next to one taken today, he wouldn’t think they were the same child.
“Let’s get you to my car.” TJ slowly walked Cody to his truck, helping him every time he stumbled. In the end, he picked Cody up and carried him, shocked at how little he weighed. At fifteen, almost sixteen, Cody should have been much heavier, but he weighed virtually nothing.
At his truck, TJ carefully moved Cody in his arms to fish his keys from his pocket and then opened the door and settled Cody into the passenger seat. He reached into the back and grabbed the blanket he kept there, wrapping it around Cody as he sat shivering. Cody didn’t say a word, but his eyes watched every move TJ made.
“What’s wrong, Cody? You can talk to me.”
Looking away, Cody shook his head. “Please take me to your house. I don’t want to stay here anymore.”
Nodding, TJ shut the door, then went round to the driver’s side and hopped in. He started the engine, then put the heating on. “It’ll help you get warm.” Leaving Cody in the truck, TJ jogged back to the house and walked in through the back, entering the kitchen.
“Where is he?”
TJ shivered, realizing how wet he was. “He’s in my truck. He’s asked to come to my place tonight, and I think under the circumstances that might be best. Things have been said in the heat of the moment and we need some time out to let the situation settle. I need to grab a few items for him.”
