“In my backpack.”
“I’ll want that too. Where did you get it?”
“My stepdad’s. It’s registered to him, but I know he won’t report it missing any more than he’ll report me gone because that would mean talking to the cops.”
“What about your mom?”
“She’ll only notice me missing when she runs out of food or realizes there is nobody around to redirect Josh’s anger.”
“I outta knock some sense into the woman.”
“She’s not worth it.” He sighs, his shoulders dropping.
“Maybe not, but you are.”
Once food arrives, along with a Raven Souls hoodie, which I roll my eyes at, we all move to the sofas to eat. I figure that has to be more comfortable than sitting at the table, given Theo’s ribs.
None of us speaks as we eat our burgers. I keep my eyes on Theo, who digs in with gusto, telling me that it’s been far too long since he’s eaten real food.
Once we’re all done, I clean up the mess and head back to the sofa as Kruger starts grilling him for information.
“Josh Milton?” Why do I know that name?
“You said he wanted to be a prospect, right? But the Ravens said no. Maybe that’s what it is.”
“He wanted to prospect for Ravens?”
Theo nods as Kruger pulls out his cellphone. “G must have done some digging on him. He digs shit on everyone. Hell, he even has a file on the fucking mailman.”
While he fires off a text, I hand Theo a bottle of water. “Do you need any painkillers? I’ve got some in the truck.”
“I got some over-the-counter stuff. I don’t want to take anything stronger. Living with addicts makes it really hard to take anything that might become addictive.”
“I get that. Your mom…was she…did she take drugs when she was pregnant with you?”
“No. From what my nana said before she died, my mom slipped and fell when I was about three. She was carrying me and unable to put her hands down to save herself. She hit the curb funny, broke her pelvis, and fractured her hip. That’s how it started. She was on oxy and she got addicted. Found a doctor who would write her a script for it if she slept with him. But after a couple of years, his wife found out and the doctor got fired.After that, she moved on to other shit—coke, molly, h. Every day I come home, I expect to find her dead. She met Josh at an AA meeting. Can you believe that? They met at the meeting, then went to score together afterward.”
He rubs his jaw, looking far more tired than a kid his age should ever look. “Nana said she used to be a good mom, used to think I was her whole world, and then her world shrank down to the size of a metal spoon. I don’t remember her loving me. I only know the version that blames me for everything.”
“It’s always easier to blame someone else than look in the mirror. Trust me, kid, I’m speaking from experience,” Kruger adds, his eyes moving to mine. Something tells me we’re not just talking about Theo anymore.
“Some people change, some don’t, some fuck up over and over again before it sticks. We’re humans. None of us is infallible, but none of us is blameless either, especially when it comes to our own downfall.”
“You think she can change?” Theo asks Kruger.
Kruger’s eyes leave mine before locking on Theo’s—a kid who, despite everything, still loves his mom.
“No. Maybe before your stepdad got his claws in her. But now. I’m not sure if she did get clean, she’d be able to live with what she allowed to happen while she was under the influence. That’s the fucking kicker.”
“So what the hell am I supposed to do? Wait for her to die, and fight off rapists, hoping to become of age before I’m thrown in the system, which isn’t built for teenage boys with baggage like mine?”
“I mean, Ravens are always looking for prospects. Wouldn’t that be the ultimate fuck you to your stepdad—flying high where he failed?”
“That’s still years away.” He sighs, his fingers twitching. But I can see the excitement in his eyes, and it makes me feel a littlesick. I lock it down, though. That’s my issue with the club, not his.
“How old are you, Theo? And don’t lie.”
“Fifteen.”
