Renegade Path

“We’ll sort it out, Roman,” she said with a little more authority.

But it was too little too late.

They could sort it out later, but the damage would be done. My life would be upended. Even if I was vindicated, the chances of me being returned to Pine Bluff were slim.

The two officers marched me out the front door and into a van. “Where are we going?”

“A more secure facility.”

Kiddie prison.

“I just started the school year.”

“They have a school there.”

Great, I was headed to a facility where I wouldn’t be allowed to leave the grounds. Not even to go to school.

Juliet.

I had no way to contact her. Even if my backpack somehow made it to the place I was going, they’d search it and find my phone. She was going to be so worried.

My job would be gone too. I had no hope anyone involved would have the decency to call and let Ulfric know why I wouldn’t be coming in this weekend.

I yanked at the restraints on my wrists. Tears of rage welled up, burning my eyes, but I gritted my teeth until they dried up.

I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of my tears.

They wouldn’t break me.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Juliet

By Sunday I was out of my mind with worry. Something bad must have happened to Roman.

As soon as I realized Roman wouldn’t be showing up for work Friday night, I told Ulfric about the ominous message he had received at school.

He shook his head. “Fucking bastards,” he’d muttered.

I called Uncle Dex to see if he could do anything.

“I’ll see what I can find out, Julez. But I’m not family. I’ll have a hard time getting anyone to talk to me.”

After work Sunday night, I went to see Mrs. Shields. While watering the flowers Roman and I bought her earlier in the summer, I broke down crying.

Behind me the screen door clicked open and thumped shut.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Mrs. Shields pulled me into the warm circle of her arms and stroked her hand over my hair.

I spilled all my fears and worry to her.

“Oh, Juliet.” She sounded so distressed, I felt bad for telling her. “Poor Roman. What can I do?”

For a moment we were both quiet. What could she do? What could I do? I’d never felt more powerless.

“Do you think I could apply to be his foster parent?” she finally asked.

I wiped the tears off my cheeks and stared at her. “You’d do that?”

“Of course. He’s a good boy. He deserves some stability.” She hesitated. “I might be too old to be approved as a foster parent, though. I don’t know.”

“I don’t think so.” My heart already felt lighter. They’d be crazy to turn her down. Mrs. Shields had a lovely home and lots of time to give. She’d be a perfect foster parent for Roman. This might actually work. It had to.

“I’ll call my lawyer tomorrow morning and see if he can help me figure out where to start,” she promised.

“Thank you. Thank you so much, Mrs. Shields.”

Monday morning, I waited out front for the Pine Bluff van to arrive. Praying Roman would be on it. Maybe the home found his phone and he was grounded for the weekend, but he’d show up for school. Everything would be okay.

Everything was not okay.

The van pulled up to the curb. I didn’t recognize the driver and I was afraid to approach. I doubted he’d answer any of my questions anyway. Instead, I waited for Pip.

He trudged down the van steps last.

“Pip!” I called out.

“Aw, you waiting for your fuck boy?” Sam taunted.

“Sorry, he’s not coming today,” Janet added. “So sorry.”

I hated these two. Roman never talked about them much, but it didn’t take a genius to know there was friction among the three of them. Sam Squire had bully written all over his aggressive posture. If I knew Roman, he stood up for the kids Sam probably enjoyed picking on.

“Where is he?” I asked, pushing into Sam’s space.

“Back off, bitch.” He lowered his filthy face until it was inches from mine. “He’s gone.”

My stomach churned. Gone where?

“What did you do?”

“Who, me?” Sam pretended to be offended. “Nothing, darlin’.” He slung his arm around Janet’s shoulders and the two of them strolled inside together, smug as two slugs.

A cry of pure fury burst out of me.

“They took him Friday night,” Pip said in a quiet voice.

I glanced down at him and wanted to cry. Misery was written all over his pale face. In the dark circles under his eyes and the tension lines around his mouth. Losing Roman had hit him hard.

“Who took him? What happened?”

He gestured toward a bench away from the other kids and we moved over to it for privacy.

“Sam’s been gunning for him for a while. First, Evie and he tried to set Roman up. Janet’s been pissed since Evie got sent away. She stole some stuff from school and the two of them planted the stuff and some drugs under Roman’s bed. Our room had a ‘surprise’ search and that was it.”