He halted me. “Don’t you dare,” he warned in a threatening tone.
“Julius!” She banged on the door. “I’m here to help! Please don’t do this! We need to get your brother out! I’m here for you!”
He locked the door. It was the only sound that was heard.
“Julius, please!” she pleaded, breaking my heart. “This isn’t over! I’ll be back! I’m coming back!”
“Yeah,” he snapped, loudly hissing…
“Your ten minutes were up seven years ago!”
CHAPTER
THIRTY-EIGHT
KRAVEN
“Break it up!”the guard with a stick up his ass ordered.
“Fuck him!” I spewed as two other guards held me back. “He started it!”
The detention center was what I presumed jail would be, but for minors. It was basically the same setup—scheduled everything, shitty food, monitored visits, block cells, and fighting to remain alpha. If you didn’t, then you’d become someone’s bitch, and I wasn’t about that life.
They pulled us apart, throwing me into a holding cell. I was in there until someone banged their metal stick against the wall, waking me up.
“Come with me,” he demanded.
They changed guards all the time, so it was hard to keep up with who was who. Not that I was trying to keep track of them. I went through the steps and emotions of getting released, anticipating seeing Joe and having to pretend I gave a shit. Releasing me from this hellhole was the least he could do.
As soon as I stepped foot into the exit room, I saw her standing there. She was wearing a long dress, and her hair was down. She looked the same, but different.
“The fuck,” I whispered to myself. “What are you doing here?”
“Baby,” she greeted, approaching me.
I held my hand up, stopping her midway.
“Okay…” she coaxed with a sad smile. “I deserve that.”
“You deserve nothing.”
“Sweetheart, I’m here for you.” She gestured to the paperwork in her hands. “Look! You’re free! I signed you out!”
“Mrs. Knightly, now that your son is here, let me repeat his release terms,” the caseworker said.
I was stuck on probation until my court appearance, which meant I’d get sporadic house visits and phone calls. I was only allowed to go to school, where my teachers would supervise me, making sure I was in attendance and reporting back to my caseworker.
I was finally becoming an adult, and I was getting treated like a child.
Once we stepped outside into the open world, I told her, “You can go now.” I didn’t bother to turn around and face her.
I kept walking, but she grabbed my arm, stopping me to look at her.
“I’m not leaving you again. I’m here to stay. I promise.”
I cocked my head. “Stay where?”
“At the house…” She hesitated. “Our home.”
