“You too, Mercy.”
When I looked back, his previously hard expression had softened, and he was watching the children on the playground.
* * *
The short day went quickly. The children were all so excited about Christmas they could barely sit still, and we were operating with a skeleton crew, so we focused on crafts, music, and activities between breakfast and lunch. Beth’s fabulous feast had been served and cleaned up, and the kids were now in the gym, running off their energy until the bell rang and they could go home to wait for Santa.
And now, they’d have a Santa to wait for.
Shortly after I’d gotten to work this morning, Link called to tell me that the club wanted to buy toys for the families living in our townhouses and needed a list of the children’s first names and ages. Since I couldn’t give out the addresses, the teachers were sending flyers home with the children, asking their families to meet us at the covered picnic area at two p.m. Link said one of his brothers would even come dressed as Santa.
There was something so sweet and endearing about a motorcycle club full of military veterans sacrificing their Christmas Eve to give gifts to children they hadn’t even met yet, that it threatened to wreck me. If I thought too hard about it, I’d burst into tears and be a sniveling mess for the rest of the day, so I’d been staying busy by flitting from room to room, helping and keeping my mind preoccupied.
Finally, I slipped into the kitchen to check on Beth. We hadn’t spoken much since I’d left her house last night. I knew she was upset with me about what I’d said to Landon about volunteering, and I was giving her time to deal with her emotions, knowing she’d come around eventually.
Regardless of any remaining animosity she held toward me, Beth had a warm cookie and a warmer smile waiting as I entered. She’d been mopping the floor and took a moment to dip the mop in her bucket. “I knew you’d be around sooner or later,” she said.
“Sorry,” I said, ducking at her admonishment. “I thought it was best if I gave you some time after last night.”
She blew out a breath and started working the mop again. “I shouldn’t have pushed so hard, Mercy. I’m sorry. It’s just that this place changed my life, and I think it can change Landon’s, too. He needs a little of the joy and peace these kids tend to give us. I worry about him going back to God-only-knows-where after his month is over. He’s seen so much, first with his father’s death, and now in the service. This morning, on the walk here, he was so… wound up. It was like he thought we’d be attacked. I’ve never seen him like that before and it’s been worrying me all day.”
“You never talk about what happened to Landon’s dad.”
She leaned against the mop handle. “I was at the grocery store. The two of them were fighting, and I didn’t want to be around it, so I left. I usually made myself scarce when they went at it. I swear, those two could argue about anything, and it just got worse as Landon got older. This time, they were going at it about college. Phil wanted Landon to pick a school before he graduated, and Landon wanted to take a little time and figure out what he wanted to do.” She huffed out a breath. “Not a day goes by that I don’t wish I would have stuck around. Maybe I could have diffused the situation.”
The guilt in her voice was genuine and soul-crushing, and I understood why she hadn’t gotten angry with Landon for staying away. She carried part of the blame.
“Apparently, one thing led to another, and Phil got so worked up about it he had a heart attack, right there in my living room. Landon didn’t know what was going on. One minute, Phil was standing and yelling at him, and the next he was on the floor. Landon called nine-one-one and they tried to talk him through CPR, but Phil was gone before the ambulance arrived.”
Now that I’d finally dragged it out of her, so many things clicked into place. “That’s why Landon became a medic,” I said.
Beth nodded. “He blames himself for upsetting Phil and for not being able to help him. Thinks if he would have known the signs or known what to do, his dad would still be alive.”
Turned out I wasn’t the only one who wished I had a time machine, so I could help out a parent. Landon and I were completely different, but we had so much in common. He’d thrown himself into his work, trying to make a difference, just like I had. He hadn’t stayed away for seven years because he was selfish, but because it was the only way he knew how to cope.
Feeling like a judgmental asshole for the way I’d treated him, I nodded. “All this time, he’s paying penance for his father’s death.”
“I don’t think he was planning on coming home. Ever.”
As much as I didn’t want to agree with her, Beth’s words rang true in every fiber of my being. Thinking back, I could see all the signs that Landon was still punishing himself for something that wasn’t even his fault.
“That’s why I pushed so hard for him to volunteer,” Beth said. “I’m worried about him being alone in that house, with all the memories of Phil.”
The final bell rang, signaling the end of our short school day. As the pitter-patter of little feet filled the hallway, I nodded.
“I understand.” Volunteering would still have to be Landon’s choice, made because he wanted to help the children, but I could offer Beth some hope. “I think he’s softening up,” I assured her. When she looked at me in question, I told her about Randy and Sammy’s twinning and how I was certain Landon overheard it. He needed to care about the children in order to volunteer, and if hearing stuff like that didn’t do the trick, nothing would.
Beth smiled, a layer of tears brightening her eyes.
“Those boys are so sweet,” she said. “It’s nice when they remind us why we do what we do.”
I was just about to agree when Adina came barreling into the kitchen. “There you are,” she said, her eyes landing on me. “Sheila and her boyfriend are here looking for Toby.”
My mood plummeted. Janet and I had both left voicemails on Sheila’s cell, but neither of us had heard a word back. My last experience with Larry had been like a boxing match that I’d only won because Blade had tagged himself in. I wasn’t looking forward to going another round with Sheila’s flavor of the week. Hoping Larry wasn’t drunk this time, I told Adina, “Stay back and be prepared to call the police.”
On the way to the front doors, I dipped into my office and grabbed my purse, rifling through it until I found my pepper spray. Throwing my purse strap over my shoulder, I kept a hand buried inside and wrapped around the pepper spray just in case. I’d learned from our last encounter and wasn’t going in unprepared.
By the time I reemerged from my office Larry and Sheila had made it past the reception desk. “There she is,” Larry said, pointing at me. “You get off on separating families right before Christmas, bitch? Where the fuck is Toby.”
Larry’s jerky movements and the manic gleam in his eyes made it clear that he was high on something and there’d be no reasoning with him, so I turned my attention to Sheila. She looked rough. Her eyes were puffy and red, and she’d lost weight since I’d seen her last. Wondering what she’d gotten herself into, I tried to reassure her.
“Toby is safe, Sheila. He’s being cared for and if you come with me to my office, I’ll get you the information for his case worker. Her name’s Janet, and she’s great to work with. She’ll help Toby. She can help you, too, if you let her.”
“We don’t need your fuckin’ help,” Larry roared. “Just get us her son back.”
This conversation was going nowhere quick. I glanced over my shoulder and gave Adina the nod to call the cops before turning back to Larry. “I can’t do that. Toby is a ward of the state now, and you’ll need to—”
“I’m sick of your goddamn lies. Where the fuck is he?”
“I don’t know.”
Larry reached behind his back. Fearing the worst, I pulled out my pepper spray and lunged forward, giving him a face full of the mist.
“Fuck! What the fuck was that?” Larry shouted.
>
Something whacked me in the head, and then everything went black.
Chapter 9
Landon
After I dropped Mom and Mercy off at the school, I went for a run. Then I worked out, showered, and spent the rest of the time putting away last night’s dinner dishes and doing laundry. I kept telling myself I was doing it all to help Mom out, which was partially true, but I was really keeping myself busy. I avoided the living room and Dad’s chair like the plague, and after the laundry was folded and put away, I went through the old shit in my room and bagged up a lot of it for the garbage.
It felt like I’d killed a dozen hours just waiting for the clock to strike noon.
At eleven-thirty, I gave up on waiting and headed to the school. During my walk, I thought about the two little boys in the Spiderman hoodies who’d approached Mercy this morning. Honestly, I’d been thinking about them off and on all morning. I wondered if I’d ever been so innocent, so inclusive and optimistic, as to believe that a simple piece of clothing could wipe away the differences in people.
I wondered what it would be like if we could all see the world through the eyes of those little boys. Would we be quicker to accept people exactly as they were without trying to change them? Such blind acceptance would have completely changed my relationship with my dad. Hell, he might even be alive today if his disapproval of me hadn’t sent his blood pressure through the roof.
If I ever had a kid of my own, I hoped I’d be more like those kids, and less like my old man.
Before he’d sent me on leave, Sergeant Young had told me to remember what I was fighting for. At the time, it had been a bullshit request, because I wasn’t fighting for anything. I was running away from it all. But, now? Now I had a reason to don my uniform again. I’d fight to preserve the innocence and purity of those little boys. I’d fight hoping that while this country remained free from outside threats, they could grow up safe, creating a world where people accept one another unconditionally.
I was beginning to see why the preschool was so damned important to Mercy. The future she and I both fought for was being educated in that building.
A few parents were already waiting in the pick-up area by the time I arrived at the school. I hung back and watched them interact with one another, trying to get a read of the group. Mom said all the kids attending were from the neighborhood, so I expected it to be a rough group. I was wrong. They were a friendly bunch, making small talk about the holidays and sharing funny stories about their kids.
One mom watched me out of the corner of her eye. I couldn’t tell if she thought I was a threat or was checking me out, but I stayed far enough away that she wouldn’t call the cops or feel encouraged to ask for my number.
The bell rang and kids emerged, barely contained by teachers who looked frazzled and ready to be finished for the holiday. Flyers waved through the air as kids spoke excitedly to their parents about Christmas presents and a giveaway at some gazebo.
The last three children were being picked up when a Caucasian couple came around the corner and zeroed in on the group. The woman was thin and wearing skinny jeans, high heels, and a jacket. The man had a wiry build, and wore low-riding jeans, sneakers, and a puffy coat. With the woman beside him, he strutted up to one of the teachers like he was the shit, carrying way more attitude than his build justified. “Hey, where’s her kid?” he asked.
The woman put a hand on his shoulder like she was trying to dial him back a click or two. He tensed, and she winced. Not a good sign. If I had to guess, I’d say this asshole liked to lay his hands on his woman. I pushed off the street sign I’d been leaning against, ready to jump in if I was needed.
“Ms. Gena, where is Toby?” the woman asked, her voice shaky and her tone concerned.
“Hi Sheila,” the teacher said. She smiled, but there was fear and uncertainty in her eyes as she took a step back. “Let me go get Mercy. She can explain the situation better.” She turned and hurried to the building with the couple hot on her clicking heels.
As the man stormed up the stairs, his puffy coat slid across his back, raising high enough to give me a peek at the gun tucked into the back of his waistband. He was packing, and he was headed for the school. Swearing under my breath, I ran toward them.
The teacher was buzzed in. She tried to close the door behind her, but the man grabbed it and stopped her. “Think you’re just gonna go in there and disappear?” he asked. “Fuck that.”
She tried to push the door closed, but he easily overwhelmed her and shoved his way inside.
My feet hit the curb as Sheila entered the school behind him. I made it to the door the second it clicked shut. I figured it was locked, but tried the handle anyway. No luck. Desperate to get in there and make sure the asshole didn’t try anything stupid, I scanned the area. All the kids were gone, and one of the teachers stood at the bottom of the steps, watching me like I’d just hurdled a fucking building and was about to rip the door off the hinges.
“You can’t go in there,” she said.
Winning her over was my best option for getting in the school quickly, so I released some of the tension from my shoulders and tried to appear less threatening. “Hi.” I forced a smile. “My name’s Landon Welch. I’m Beth’s son, and I’m a trained soldier in the Army. That man has a gun and he’s a threat to everyone in this building. I can help keep them all safe if you can get me inside. Trust me, you want me in there.”
Eyes round, she looked from me to the glass door, obviously still uncertain. “He had a gun?”
“Yes. You need to get me inside and call the cops. Please. My mom is in there.” So was Mercy, but explaining how I knew her and why I was afraid for her would take far more time than we had. “Please,” I repeated, gesturing for the teacher to come to the door.
She finally decided to trust me and rushed up the stairs. She reached the door, and with shaky hands, she fumbled with the keys as I tried to see what was going on inside. The man and woman stood just beyond the reception desk with their backs toward me. The man was gesturing wildly, and I couldn’t see anything beyond him. He reached for the gun hiding in his waistband right as the door opened for me. Pushing past the teacher, I rushed in.
I heard a spray.
“Fuck! What the fuck was that?” The man was flailing his pistol around like he was blind, surrounded, and about to get jumped. The weapon must have made contact with something, because there was a loud thud. Then it sounded like someone hit the ground.
“What was that? I can’t see shit!” He stopped flailing to rub at his eyes. “That fuckin’ hurts! What the fuck did that bitch do to me?”
Slowing my steps, I crept toward him.
Sheila saw me. “Larry!” she shouted in warning.
I lunged, grabbing for the pistol. His grip was loose, and I easily disarmed him. Jabbing the hard steel into his temple, I said, “Hands out in front of you where I can see them.”
After he complied, I took in the scene in front of him. Mercy was lying on her side. The gun hadn’t been discharged, so I knew she wasn’t shot. There was no blood, and her chest was rising and falling. She was out cold, but she was alive.
Still, it took everything in me not to shoot the bastard for whatever he’d done to her. Sirens sounded in the distance, closing in on us. I wanted to go to Mercy and check her out, but I knew better than to take my eyes, or weapon, off the threat.
“Mercy!” I shouted.
She didn’t so much as stir.
“What did you do to her?” I asked the asshole.
“I don’t fuckin’ know. I can’t see shit.”
“It was an accident,” Sheila said, swiping at her eyes. “Damn. This shit is like hovering in the air.”
I couldn’t care less about her affliction. “What did he do to her?” I roared.
“Hit her. With the gun. He didn’t mean to.”
A teacher and my mom were rushing down the hall. Mom zeroed in on Mercy’s prone form and her hands went to her mouth. “Is s
he okay?” she asked, looking at me.
“She’s breathing,” I assured her. “I need you to check her out.”
“What are you going to do with Larry?” Sheila asked, watching me. “It was just an accident.”
I needed Sheila to stop talking so I could focus on making sure Mercy was okay. “He’s not my priority right now.”
Larry started to say something, but I refused to hear anything he had to say.
“I’m two seconds from knocking your ass out, Larry, so you might want to shut your mouth and wait for the police. Trust me, you’re gonna want them to take you into custody and get you away from me.”
Tears flooded Sheila’s eyes. “Can’t you let him go? He’s on parole and he didn’t mean anything by it. He was just trying to help me get my son back for Christmas.”
If she was looking for sympathy, she was barking up the wrong damn tree, because I had none to give her. Especially with Mercy lying unconscious in front of us. “He brought a gun into a preschool and assaulted the director. His ass is gonna do hard time for this. I suggest you find another boyfriend. Maybe one who doesn’t beat the shit out of you. You want your son back? You should probably start making better life choices, Sheila. Now shut the hell up and let me work.”
She paled and snapped her mouth closed.
Mom kneeled beside Mercy. Looking up at me, she asked, “What do I do?”
“Try to wake her. She probably has a concussion and we need her conscious.”
“Mercy,” Mom put her hand on Mercy’s face. “Wake up, dear.”
Nothing happened.
Mom grabbed a hold of Mercy’s shoulders and gently tugged her. “Mercy. Get up.”
Surprisingly enough, that did the trick. Mercy’s eyes opened, and she stared at Mom in shock before focusing on me. Her gaze went to the gun in my hand. “Landon. What are you doing?” She tried to jerk away from Mom.
“Easy,” I warned. “Sit up slowly. Mom, help her.”
I hated having my hands tied, but the sirens sounded like they were on top of us. Knowing the cops would take over soon, I directed Mom as she got Mercy to her feet. “What do you remember?” I asked.
Rescuing Mercy (Special Forces: Operation Alpha): A Dead Presidents MC Spinoff Page 9