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The boy shrugged, which suggested to Quinn he’d seen that and more before, and that made her sad.
Digging around in her pocket, Quinn found the tissues she always carried and handed one to Luke. He pressed it to his nose. Jack and Joe arrived bloody and bruised. She handed them tissues too.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Joe said. “Sorry we lost control, Nixon.”
“We shouldn’t have done it.” Jack shook his head. “I’m fairly sure Sherriff Dans is going to arrest us all now,” he added.
“It’s okay,” Nixon said.
“It’s really not.” Joe sighed. “But when your past resurfaces and it’s something that makes you irrational, you tend to react that way. It won’t happen again, okay?”
Nixon gave a small nod.
“You look identical to Luke when he was your age.” Jack winced as he smiled and his abused lip tugged. “Now that wouldn’t have made any difference to us, even if you didn’t, because as soon as Sheriff Dans called and told us about you, we were coming here to get you anyway.”
Quinn still held a hand on the boy’s shoulder. She could feel the tension in him. Behind the Trainers, Sheriff Dans and his men were talking to Nixon’s father and the other bikers, who were sending hard looks their way.
“We were raised by a man who hated us and a mother who did her best but wasn’t good at giving us the things we needed,” Joe said. “The same mother you had. We know what it’s like to be cold and hungry. To want stuff you don’t have.”
They were offering him a home and a life. Would Nixon want to take it? Would his father let him? But then hadn’t he said he was happy for him to stay with Child Protection Services. Bastard. She knew what awaited Nixon in Ryker Falls. Love, and that was only the beginning of what he’d experience there.
“If you choose to come with us, we’ll fight to make it happen,” Luke added. “If you stay here your father wants you to stay in Child Protective Services, and if you choose that, then we’ll respect your wishes. But coming with us means family. It means food, a warm bed, and love.”
Nixon turned to look at Quinn, his green eyes conflicted now. He was battling down the emotion but it was there. Hope, and fear.
“I’ve known them since my first year in school,” she said. “I’ve seen them change with love and support, to the good men that stand before you today, Nixon. They won’t hurt you; they’ll protect and love you.”
“Nixon, your father wants to talk to you. But if any of you throw another punch, I’m locking you up,” Sheriff Dans threatened. “I’m not ruling it out anyway.”
“Nixon, get over here,” Grill said to his son.
“Don’t speak to him like that,” Luke snapped.
“Luke,” Joe warned him. “We can’t get into that again.”
“I’ll finish you this time, and what’s left won’t be worth keeping if you come at me again,” Nixon’s father growled at Luke. “No one threatens me and walks away.”
“Whatever. Read this.” Luke pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to the sheriff, who handed it to Nixon’s father. “She wants him to be with us.”
Quinn watched the man look from Luke to his son. He read the note and then handed it back to the sheriff.
“You stay in this town, I’m coming for you,” he said, looking at the Trainers.
“Well now we’re trembling,” Jack drawled from beside Luke.
She was trembling, Quinn thought. She knew the Trainers had been raised bad and knew they’d probably had their fair share of fights, but still, this had been scary, and yet they weren’t. They were standing up to the bikers.
Nixon’s father glared at Jack, then said, “I want to speak to Nixon.”
Quinn didn’t exactly shy away from confrontation, but she never walked toward it deliberately. It was part of her life, but rarely did she come face-to-face with anyone who wanted to punch her.
“Nixon, do you wish to speak to your father?” Mrs. McMillan asked.
He nodded, and Quinn let him go. He stopped before the sheriff and his father.
“You want to go with them?” Grill nodded at the Trainers.
Nixon shrugged. “You don’t want me, and I don’t want to go into Child Protective Services.”
