Truth, Justice and the Vampire Way by Ashley Ladd

Author:Ashley Ladd
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Tony stopped by the teen center to check on Liza. He peeked into several windows until he spied her then he stole in and crept through the dim corridors to her room. He rapped his knuckles on her door and stuck his head into her room.

“How’s my girl? You still hanging in there?”

She clutched a pillow to her and rocked back and forth on her bed. A haunted expression clouded her eyes.

The dorm room felt cold and sterile, devoid of the personal belongings that should clutter an adolescent girl’s room, with not so much as a stuffed animal to make the bed more homey. He made a mental note to bring one to her if she was still in residence in another week.

“Home sweet home,” she said wistfully, motioning toward the concrete block walls and scuffed linoleum floor. She nodded at the tattered chair in the corner. “Take a load off.”

He hunkered down in it and leaned forward. “Nice place. I can see why you wouldn’t want to check out.”

She half snorted, half chuckled and twisted her hair into a makeshift ponytail.

“Well, it’s safe and dry. And it’s the right price.”

He pierced her with his steady gaze. “Have you talked to your parents? Tried to work your stuff out?”

The girl’s eyes grew misty and she looked quickly away. “My old man left when I was real little. Ever since, my mom’s drowned herself in beer and stuff. She probably hasn’t even noticed I’m gone.”

81

Ashley Ladd

Anger ripped through him. These kids weren’t disposable. However, it didn’t sound like her mom had an easy time of things either.

“Are you married?”

Huh? He blinked. What was she getting at? “Uh, no.”

“Can I stay with you anyway? We could hang out. You’d make a great dad.” Hope flashed through her eyes the color of faded blue jeans and she squeezed the pillow harder.

One time, not long ago, he’d dreamed of being someone’s dad. Now that dream had died along with him. “I wish I could, but my circumstances won’t permit it.”

The hope dulled in her eyes before a defiant mask shuttered it. “That’s cool. Why should you want a troublemaking kid hanging around your neck, dragging you down?”

He winced as her pain seared him. Perhaps this had been a mistake. What did he have to offer her beyond his initial rescue? He should take Superman’s cue and do the initial save and then back off. He wasn’t the agency director anymore.

“Hey. Please don’t take it the wrong way. I’m just not in a place that can take kids.”

“I won’t. I-I’m really tired. So if you don’t mind?” Liza nodded at the way he’d come in and snuggled under her covers.

“Well, sweet dreams.” What else could he say? He switched off her light and closed the door.

Maybe there was something more he could do. He scouted out the file room and studied her records. She’d given her mom’s name and address.

He jotted them down and decided to take a little trip. He flew up the east coast to Jacksonville.

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