Six
Leo
His mother, desperate to pull him away from Hunter and Skye, demanded they go away for the summer.
“It’ll be a distraction,” she’d told his father one evening on their bedroom terrace. She was sipping her nightly glass of wine and George was looking over a nondescript folder on the glass table. “I’m tired of those delinquents hanging around the marina all the time. He tried inviting that girl over for dinner last week.”
“Did she come over?” George Itani asked, uncaring.
“No,” she retorted with dismay. “Absolutely not. I told him he had an appointment at the dental clinic.”
“Did he?”
“No, but they took us in anyway and gave him a cleaning. I’m surprised he didn’t have any cavities—he’s been eating rubbish with those kids.”
They didn’t know Leo was in their bedroom, sitting in the dark, listening to everything. He had his back against the wall next to the door, frowning as he ran his tongue over his teeth.
“That boy is filthy. His teeth are crooked, his clothes are torn, and he’s got these scars along his arms.”
“Sounds like he’s been abused at home.”
“Kids brought up in abuse wind up abusing others.”
He grunted indifferently. “I don’t think that’s true.”
She huffed. “George, I grew up around these sorts. Iknowwhat I’m talking about.”
“So, correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re unhappy he’s around an abused child and—what’s wrong with the girl?”
“I don’t like how fascinated he is by her.”
“Hmm.”
“I don’t like when you look at me like that. Take me seriously.”
His father sighed. “They’re kids, Loraine.”
“Kids now, beasts later. I’ve had enough of it. Three years it’s been going on, George.”
“So what do you want to do about it?”
“We need to go away. He needs to be around kids more suitable for him. I’ve been meaning to do the Caribbean with the Rileys. They’ve got wonderful children. A girl Leo’s age, too.”
George didn’t respond straightaway, and his wife sighed. “George, they’re a respectable bunch, and if Leo’s going to be hanging around girls, Candice Riley is the perfect choice. If we can steer him down that road, you can have your foot in the door with that family. We’d have an opportunity to channel more allies—”
“You do whatever you want,” he interjected. “I’m not stopping you.”
Leo imagined his mother looked smug right then, like she did every time she got her way. “You need to do something about him, too, you know,” she then added, like it wasn’t enough that her husband was giving her what she wanted.
“I need to do what?” he countered, his voice growing harder.
“You need to discipline him more,” she said. “Like your father disciplined you.”
Leo’s body tensed with dread.
He’d already gotten a taste of his father’s discipline before. Any time that man was ever idle, disciplining was his favourite sport. He played mind games with Leo, and Leo would have preferred a solid beating instead. Luckily for Leo, his father hadn’t been idle for a while.
“Take him to that nightmare place,” she continued. “Put some fear into him.”