“We’re just here to help,” I say, tensing as he takes another step closer. Being a shifter, I’m way stronger than him, but the last thing I want is to get into a brawl with the guy.
Randy curls his lip. “You don’t know me. You don’t know my family.” He gets in my face, and I swear my nose hairs singe. “You’ve been in this town five goddamn minutes—”
“Randy, are you for real right now?” Liam’s voice is harsh as he appears beside me. His presence is solid and grounding. “Take a step back. Right now. You’re acting way too aggressive to my partner, and you’re not helping yourself any by acting like a fool.”
Something in Liam’s tone gets through. Randy takes a step back, his chest heaving. His hands clench and unclench at his sides, but his gaze is on the ground now. “This is bullshit,” he mutters, but he takes a few more steps back.
Liam looks at me. “You good? I just have a few more things to discuss with Donna.”
“Of course I’m good,” I say confidently. “Go talk to Donna. Me and Randy will just hang out here.” Randy mumbles but doesn’t challenge my statement.
Liam nods and guides Donna down the hallway toward a back room. Randy drops onto the couch, seething but contained. I position myself where I can see both him and the boy.
The minutes stretch out. Randy mumbles to himself about people minding their own business. The boy still hasn’t moved. I want to tell him it’s going to be okay, but I don’t. I remember how hollow those words sounded when adults said them to me. Plus, if his mother doesn’t do something to stop the abuse, things won’t be okay. So instead of giving him empty words, I just stay nearby. Present. Visible. A buffer between him and his asshole father.
Liam comes back with Donna. Her eyes are red but there’s something firmer in her expression. Like maybe she’s made a decision.
“Okay, Randy, here’s what’s going to happen,” Liam says evenly. “Donna and Tyler are going to move in with her sister for the time being—”
Randy shoots to his feet. “The hell she’s leaving with my kid!”
Liam ignores his outburst. “I should also let you know that Donna has agreed to let us photograph her injuries this time around.”
“What injuries?” Randy sneers, moving toward us. “That bitch purposely walked into the wall right before you got here. She’s…. she’s trying to get me in trouble.”
I grit my teeth and my muscles tense as Randy advances. I don’t want to overreact and escalate the violence, but I also won’t stand by and let him attack the others. Situations with violent drunks like Randy are complicated. There’s no clear playbook. You have to operate on instinct.
I step in his path, and hold out my arm. “Hold up. Stay here,” I say gruffly. “Give your wife some space, Mr. Schultz.”
He stops walking, but he bunches his fists. “Get out of my way. She’s my wife. You have no business getting between us.”
“Calm down, Randy,” Liam says impatiently. “I’m trying to be respectful and not cuff you in front of your son, but you’re not making it easy.”
“Cuff me?” he screeches. “For what? I didn’t touch her. She… she’s the aggressor.”
I narrow my eyes. “Then why is she the one with the bloody mouth and you’re the one with the raw knuckles?”
He looks down at his hands and guilt flashes over his tense features. But then he looks up with a belligerent expression. “That’s from hitting the wall. I didn’t touch her.”
“Liar,” Donna screams, suddenly losing her cool. “You hit me for the last time you bastard. You don’t deserve me or Tyler.” She starts sobbing as she goes over to her son and he starts crying too.
Randy slumps and turns away. “Bullshit. Lying whore. I didn’t touch her.”
“That’s for the court to decide.” Liam moves toward Randy, pulling his cuffs off his belt. “Randy, you have the right to remain silent…”
From that point on Randy seems to give up. He’s scowling and cursing under his breath as Liam pats him down, but he doesn’t struggle. Liam leads him to the back of our SUV and about ten minutes later a woman who looks a lot like Donna pulls into the driveway. She runs into the house, glaring at Randy in the back of our SUV.
Donna has already packed a bag for herself and Tyler. The boy moves mechanically, clutching a stuffed animal he grabbedfrom his room. He still won’t make eye contact with anyone. As they’re heading toward the door, I touch his bony shoulder.
“Hey, Tyler.” I wait until his eyes finally meet mine. They’re brown and huge and old in a way no kid’s eyes should be. “You did good today, okay? When grownups fight, it’s best to keep out of the way. You made the right choice.”
His chin trembles. “Maybe I should have protected mommy.”
I shake my head. “No. Then you might have got hurt and that would just upset your mommy more.”
He sniffs and wipes at his eyes.
“Don’t blame yourself for the fighting. The adults are responsible, not you. You just enjoy the peace and quiet at your aunt’s house for a while, okay? You and your mom deserve to be safe.”
