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“Did they mention Elijah?” Finn asked lightly.
Asa shook his head. “No, but they mentioned another name. John, I think. Said they didn’t want it happening again.”
Every hair on the back of Finn’s neck stood up. “Do you mean Jonas?” he asked, keeping his voice even.
“Yes, that’s it,” Asa’s smile was wobbly, but it was there. “I know they meant me. The freak.” He sighed. “I know what happens, I saw it on TV when we were in the home. It isn’t bad living with the Reynolds. They have weird rules but nothing I’m not used to. I used to share with Elijah and Henry.” He bit his lip. “They’d moved me yesterday. I get my own room now.”
Big hazel eyes met Finn’s and his heart thudded. “It’s...it’s not catching, is it?”
Finn’s heart simply broke. He shook his head and hugged the boy, even if he wasn’t supposed to. Asa clung on. He could see he was struggling with both his new reality and the fact it could suddenly change all over again. He’d been doing a lot of research into the types of PTSD foster children experienced, and he was even considering some classes.
“I don’t think Elijah sleeps much,” Asa shared after a moment when they drew apart. “I used to wake up and Elijah was missing, but Father said because Elijah was older he could stay up later.” He shrugged and paused. “I think him and Father watch movies. I asked Elijah if he would ask Father if I could, but Elijah just said I wouldn’t like them.”
Finn’s heart landed somewhere near his boots. Okay, so all this could be innocent. They clearly had old-fashioned rules but that wasn’t a crime. But the more he heard, the more Finn worried. He asked Asa if Father had ever been into his room, and Asa shook his head. “I don’t think he likes me much.” He tapped his cheek. “Even before this.”
Finn thought carefully about the next question. He couldn’t lead Asa.
“He didn’t used to like Elijah, but I think he does now.”
“Yeah?” Finn said. “What makes you think that?”
Asa gazed at him as if he was trying to decide what to say. It was probably one of the longest minutes of his life. “He hit him.”
Finn’s heart thumped.
“Back when we first got there, he slapped his face so hard Elijah fell. But Elijah said I couldn’t tell because it was only once.”
Sure.But Finn had no choice. Hehadto tell. “Honey, you know that even once is wrong, don’t you?”
Asa met his gaze. He knew. He glanced at the clock. Both kids were in school until 3.30pm. Elijah was safe in the hospital. But the baby?
He promised Asa he would see him tomorrow and returned him to his classroom. He called Talon immediately and related what Asa had said. Talon moved heaven and earth. It was a team effort, but within forty minutes a different social worker, plus the cops, had removed Zuri and were waiting for Asa and Henry to finish school. Finn returned to the school himself, as they agreed he should explain what he could to Asa since they had bonded somewhat. They were safe in their classrooms, had already had their lunch, and it would be easier if Finn met the social worker to collect them. The teachers had been warned to keep Asa and Henry back until after the other kids had left the classroom. The school had been informed that Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds weren’t allowed to collect them.
Finn got to the school just as the cops arrived with the social worker and Zuri at the school. The baby was being handed off to a different social worker, but the social worker assigned to Henry and Asa, Mark, was handling it for now. Mark Lincoln looked younger than Finn, and Zuri was screaming bloody murder in the infant car seat. Finn offered to stay with the baby since he didn’t have permission to get Henry, and in a moment Zuri was in his arms and Finn realized pretty quickly that she needed a diaper change. Luckily, the social worker had emergency supplies and Finn had her changed pretty quickly.
“You look like you’ve done that before,” one of the cops nodded to the quieter baby.
Finn couldn’t seem to find the words to reply, and tried really really hard not to adore every moment she was in his arms.
In a moment, Mark reappeared with both children. Asa looked relieved to see Finn, and Finn promised he would see him tomorrow. Mark assured them both he would text Finn the address of both temporary foster homes right now, as Zuri was going somewhere else. Mark got his phone out and did just that while Finn made sure both kids had their seat belts on, and secured Zuri in the infant carrier. Finn just stood and watched the cars drive away.
Talon was on his way to the hospital thirty seconds after he got the call from the cops. Clive Reynolds was absent when they arrived to collect Zuri. At first, Marjorie Reynolds had said her husband had gone to the store, but eventually admitted he’d gone to see Elijah as he had been moved out of critical care. When the cops asked for his cell phone number, she said they didn’t have one. They certainly didn’t have an account, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a pre-paid and she was just being difficult.
Talon raced over to Elijah’s ward accompanied by hospital security. After showing his badge for entry to the unit, the nurse confirmed Clive Reynolds was there and visiting Elijah. One of the nurses had just left them. She thought they might watch some TV.
Elijah had been given a two-bed bay, but the other bed was unoccupied. Talon burst in and Clive jerked upright. The fucker was sitting on Elijah’s bed leaning over him. “Get him out of here,” Talon growled and both guards, ignoring Clive’s protests, did just that.
Elijah was deathly pale. A tray with a beaker of water and a straw had been pushed to one side. He looked in pain, and Talon called a nurse. The nurse smiled in approval when Elijah took the pain pills he clearly needed, checked his vitals, then left to call the doctor.
Talon wondered where to start. He couldn’t put words into the boy’s mouth, and he couldn’t ask anything without a legal guardian here. Elijah wasn’t enhanced. The social worker was on her way. He felt his phone vibrate with a message and pulled it up. It was Gael.
Got him. All on laptop, and bad. No warrant yet but boss getting one now, so official soon. Let u no.
Talon texted back his thanks.
Gael replied again.Seen some shit T, but this was bad. Hope it hadn’t got far.
So did Talon.
