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Finn bit his lip. “Marjorie promised Asa that when Zuri was older he would be allowed to help look after her, but that was before he overheard Clive call him a freak.” Finn was silent for a moment and Talon knew he was trying to process his thoughts. “What if they need help with their reading?”
Talon knew this was a fear. That Finn’s dyslexia would become a problem again. “What if they take one look at the house and laugh us out of the office? What if we get a judge that hates enhanced?” He didn’t wait for an answer, just kissed Finn gently until Finn had relaxed again. “What if one of them has medical or learning difficulties we don’t yet know about?”
Finn looked at him blankly. “What has that got to do with anything?”
“Exactly,” Talon chuckled.
“I think the idea of helping to look after Zuri made Asa happy,” Finn said. “I think it was a symbol. That he had a sister, a family. That he belonged.”
“See?” Talon murmured. “You’re much smarter than I am.”
An hour later, both Talon’s and Finn’s cell phones buzzed at the same time. As the on-call enhanced team for that evening, they were out of the door in twenty minutes and on their way to Tampa Correctional. The state prison had over five hundred inmates, but the inmate they were going to see was only seventeen years old. He had been due to transfer to Hillsborough Juvenile, a 100-bed state-of-the-art facility specifically for juveniles and one that accepted enhanced. Sutton Cormack had been in and out of foster care, then detention because of petty theft, then finally Tampa correctional after being convicted of assault and burglary.
Jacob had been involved in the last case and reported that the assault charge in his opinion wasn’t valid, but because of the scar on his face, the judge had thrown out all objections. He’d been stealing, but it had been simple shoplifting and he’d never hurt anyone before, until the store manager’s wife had gotten beaten badly.
Thanks to their unit, he was supposed to be transferred tomorrow, and Talon couldn’t believe that he’d apparently assaulted a CNA, or certified nursing assistant, because he was putting that move in jeopardy. He was three months away from being eighteen and a serious assault charge changed everything.
It wasn’t easy to get in even with their ID and permission. Finn had been allowed in immediately, but they had taken one look at Talon and despite his credentials, had insisted on extra screening. Talon put up with it because he really wanted to see this kid and find out what had gone on.
They both stared at the kid that walked in. He looked fourteen, maybe fifteen at an absolute stretch. Talon doubted there was an inch of skin he could see that wasn’t bruised. He felt Finn stiffen up, ready to go into battle mode, and Talon nudged his knee with his own. For the moment, they needed cooperation.
His cuffs were clamped to the table, and then both guards went to stand by the wall. Finn coolly quoted the law that meant that so long as the prisoner had no objections, since he was enhanced and so was Talon, they could interview him without cuffs and without the guards present.
The guards, reluctantly, uncuffed him and then left the room.
Finn smiled. “Hi, I’m Agent Finn Mayer from the enhanced unit and this is my partner Talon Valdez. What would you like us to call you? Is Sutton okay?”
Sutton shook his head.
Finn didn’t miss a beat. “Okay then Mr. Cormack, how about—”
But he was shaking his head even more violently and made a scribbling motion with his hand, like he wanted to write something down. Talon frowned, wondering if the kid had hurt his throat or something, but he watched as Finn drew a small pad and a pencil out of his pocket, pushing them forward. Sutton took them and wrote carefully. He turned the pad around so it was clear.
“Evan, please. Sutton was my dad.”
Finn smiled. “Of course, Evan.” He glanced at Talon. There was nothing in the notes they’d been given about an inability to speak. “I’m pretty sure you can see from Talon that our unit’s a little different from—”
Talon reacted before Evan could touch Finn’s face. He had Evan’s outstretched hand in a vise-grip before he even realized he was doing it. Evan never reacted. He didn’t seem angry. He didn’t try and pull away. He just accepted it. Talon let go after another second, ashamed he had held the boy so tightly. But the scar on his face might mean Evan could hurt Finn, even though he had no documented abilities.
Finn was quiet when Evan drew his hand back and cradled it. Talon burned in shame. The kid was covered in bruises. “Should we get a doctor?” Finn asked. He didn’t look up.
Finn stretched his hand out, not touching Evan, but Evan saw it and jerked his head up. Finn met his gaze and clearly said. “Do you need a doctor?”
Evan shook his head.
Finn smiled again. “Are you reading my lips?”
Evan nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on Finn like he was a lifeline. Talon nearly closed his eyes in shame. Finn had been looking at Talon as he had been speaking, and Evan was trying to tell him he needed to see his face. He hadn’t tried to hurt Finn.
“That’s great,” Finn said and reached his hand across the table, palm up. Talon knew he shouldn’t. Fuck, Finn knew he shouldn’t, but when Evan reached over tentatively and clasped Finn’s hand, Talon excused himself and left the room. Someone, either by ignorance or plain cruelty, had screwed up.
And so had he.
He was met by the guards. “Why doesn’t it say in the case file that Sutton is deaf and mute?”
The older of the two scoffed. “Because he isn’t. He’s fooling you. He can hear just fine.”
Talon nodded. “I’d like to see his medical notes.” He didn’t bother quoting the addendum that said he had the right. He knew full well both these assholes knew. A few minutes later, after water had been delivered to the room, Talon was reading Evan’s full file. A nervous-looking admin assistant was hopping from one leg to the other. Talon looked up. “Why does the file not have any recent test results on his hearing ability?”
