by Deanna Chase
“That’s a mess,” Luna said. She was sitting in the middle between Chad and Levi. But her full attention was on the boy. Silent tears were streaming down his face. There were fresh bruises on his neck and faded ones on his upper arms that looked like fingers where someone had grabbed him. She gently took his hand in hers and ran her fingers lightly over his arm, sending a bit of her healing magic over his skin. “Just try to relax. We’re going to get you to a hospital to get your head checked out.”
“No hospitals!” he cried, jerking his hand out of hers and grappling for the door handle.
“Whoa, Levi.” She reached across and took both of his hands in hers and twisted so she could make eye contact. “You’re going to be okay. I promise. We won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. We just want to make sure your injuries aren’t serious.”
“I’ll be fine,” he said, even as he pulled one of his hands away and pressed his palm to his head. He winced and then grimaced as his hand came away sticky with blood.
“You’re not fine. I think you hit your head. You might need stitches, and there’s a possibility of a concussion. You need medical attention. What is it about hospitals that freak you out?”
“Hospitals aren’t safe,” he whispered.
Luna glanced at Chad. Their eyes met, both of them worried.
“How about a healer?” Luna tried. “There’s a couple in Keating Hollow. A husband and wife team. They are very well respected.”
“I don’t know,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut again. “I don’t want to go back into the system.”
Luna’s heart nearly broke in half. She knew what it was like to trust no one in her life. “Head to Keating Hollow,” she said to Chad. “We’ll figure out what to do after he sees the Whipples.”
“Already pointed in that direction.” Chad dropped his hand onto her thigh in a reassuring gesture.
Luna pressed her hand to the back of his just for the connection. Then she sent a text to the Whipples letting them know they were bringing someone in. A return text said they’d meet them at the clinic.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Luna turned her attention back to Levi. “Don’t worry about anything, Levi. You’re safe with us. No one is sending you anywhere, understand?”
“Okay,” he mumbled.
She wasn’t sure he’d actually heard what she’d said, but he was no longer freaking out, and that was good enough for her.
“Luna?” Levi asked, his eyes fluttering open for just a moment.
“Yes?”
“Can you do that thing you did with your fingers again? It… felt nice.”
“Of course.” She reached over and trailed her fingers over his arm, letting a faint trace of her magic dance over his skin.
A tiny shudder shook him, but then his shoulders relaxed and the tension around his mouth eased.
“That’s it,” she soothed. “Feeling a little better?”
He nodded.
“Good. I’m glad.”
Everyone was quiet while Chad navigated the highway that led back to Keating Hollow. Luna stared out the window at the moonlight reflecting on the roadside river and continued to hold Levi’s hand, wishing she could take all of his pain away. But he needed a professional to take a look at his head. After he got a clean bill of health, she’d see if she could help with what must’ve been a massive headache.
“I don’t do drugs or potions,” Levi said into the silence.
Taken a little aback by his sudden announcement, she just patted his hand. “That’s a good choice.”
“My uncle wanted me to work for him. When I refused, we got into a physical fight and I bolted. He doesn’t usually follow me, but this time he did, and he found me leaning against the Pies, Pies, and More Pies building while I waited for Chad.”
“What happened when he found you?” Luna asked just to keep him talking. She could guess at the evening’s events.
“He punched me and dragged me around the building and into that storage room. He’s been letting me crash on his couch, but he told me if I wanted to stay, I needed to earn my keep by helping him with his business. When I said no, he got angry and tried to force me into the life. That’s his way, you know. Get kids hooked on that crap and then enlist them to move his product.”
“That’s horrible,” Luna said, her chest heavy with both sadness and disgust. “Is he your real uncle?”
“Yes. My dad’s brother. They don’t speak.” Levi leaned his head against Luna’s shoulder and crossed his arms over his chest.
She wanted to ask where his father was and why Levi wasn’t with him, but she kept her questions to herself. Now wasn’t the time. If he was forced to live with an abusive uncle, he hadn’t ended up there by choice. So instead of questioning him further, she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and held on as if she were keeping him from breaking apart.
As promised, Gerry Whipple was already at the clinic when they arrived. Gerry was a tall woman with short gray hair and kind eyes. She met them at the door and ushered the three of them back to her office, indicating that Luna and Chad should wait there while she checked on Levi’s injuries.
“No!” Levi cried, panic in his eyes. “I’m saying with Luna.”
Gerry turned to glance at Luna with her eyebrows raised.
She mouthed back, Trust issues.
“How about we take Luna with us?” Gerry asked.
He stared at the ground. “All right.”
“Chad, will you be okay here while we get Levi patched up?” Gerry asked.
“Yep.” He sat back in a chair and closed his eyes.
Luna pressed a hand to his shoulder and then got up to follow Levi and Gerry.
“Okay, Levi,” Gerry said as she opened the door to the exam room. “We’ll be in there. I need you to get undressed and put one of these on.” She handed him a paper gown. “Luna and I will wait outside to give you some privacy.”
He swallowed thickly and averted his gaze, but he nodded.
“Take as much time as you need,” Gerry said kindly. Then she ushered Luna out of the room and the pair of them sat in a couple of plastic chairs at the end of the hallway. “What can you tell me about what happened to him?”
“Not a lot. He was beaten by his uncle and almost shot up with some sort of drug or potion. He says we got there in time before he was drugged, though.”
“Are you certain he isn’t a user?” she asked.
Luna shook her head. “He says he doesn’t do drugs, but honestly, Chad and I barely know him. We met him the other day when Chad was helping me move. It’s obvious he’s not in a great situation, so Chad gave him a business card and told him to call if he needed anything. We got the call tonight and went and picked him up in Eureka.”
Gerry tapped her pen on her clipboard. “Do we need to call Child Protective Services?”
Luna grimaced. “I don’t want to get you into any sort of trouble legally, but if there is any way we can hold off on that, I’d appreciate it. The kid is terrified. And honestly, Gerry, he has reason to be. I don’t know his particular circumstances, but often the system isn’t kind to teenagers. I’d like to just give him a safe place to sleep for the night and then try to decide what to do.”
“You sound like you’ve had experience with this before,” she said, eyeing Luna quizzically.
“You could say that.” Luna didn’t want to talk about her past, though she would if she had to in order to convince Gerry not to call anyone. “Listen. Just put down on his paperwork that I’m his aunt or something. If there’s a problem later, I’ll take the heat for it.”
Gerry tapped the pen some more, thinking. “All right. But if I hear of any criminal activity from his legal guardian, I’ll be obligated to call someone. Understood?”
Luna’s gut churned. She didn’t know if Levi’s uncle was his legal guardian or not. But the chances of Levi telling Gerry anything seemed slim at best. He’d been right to be terrified to go to the hospital. They’d take o
ne look at his injuries and call in everyone. Gerry, as a healer, didn’t have as many regulations, but she still had standards and ethics. Luna admired that about her even if she did wish the woman would turn a blind eye just this once.
“I understand,” Luna said. “I just ask that you consider the fact that even though everyone always has the best of intentions sometimes that call actually puts a kid back in a dangerous situation. All Chad and I want for him is a warm safe place to sleep and a chance to move on from his current hell.”
Gerry gave her a sad smile. “I do understand, dear. Now come on. Let’s see if we can’t patch up that young man.”
Chapter Twelve
Memories of Chad’s childhood came roaring back with a vengeance. The yelling. The bruises. The terror he’d felt when his stepfather was drinking. The cast he’d worn for six weeks the summer before he turned thirteen. And the shame that he’d let it happen.
Chad had loved his mother with everything he had. She was his biggest supporter, his best friend, and the person he admired most. His stepfather, on the other hand… He’d been terrified of the man. He was a master manipulator who had everyone fooled. Everyone except Chad.
Hugh Russell had been the kind of guy who could charm the pants off anyone. He was clean-cut, friendly, and funny when he wanted to be. But when he had too many drinks, he was mean, jealous, and downright cruel. Since Chad’s mother Frannie didn’t approve of Hugh’s drinking, he never indulged when she was home, which meant he waited until she worked her rotating night shifts to get really wasted. And mean.
The man hated Chad’s relationship with his mother. Jealous bastard. Frannie was always happiest on the days when she and Chad got to spend some one-on-one time together. They watched trashy television together, texted multiple times a day, and laughed a lot. All of Hugh’s laughing was usually at his mother’s expense, and Chad made no secret of how much he disapproved of that. In return, Hugh had gifted him with a black eye and told him if he breathed a word of where the bruise came from, he’d make sure Frannie had a collection of her own as well.
At thirteen years old, Chad had believed him.
Every time Hugh hurt Chad, he threatened to do the same to Frannie, and it had been an effective way to keep Chad under control. In fact, nothing changed until Chad was accepted into an elite music program in the city and left home to live on campus. He’d tried to tell his mother once, but Hugh had arrived unexpectedly and put the fear of the gods in him. He’d never spoken of it again.
Chad could still feel the incredible sense of helplessness he’d had as a kid, unable to do anything about his circumstances. He imagined Levi felt similar. All Chad wanted to do was protect the kid in a way that no one had been able to protect him.
The door creaked open, and Luna walked in. Her eyes were tired, and her shoulders were slightly hunched with fatigue.
“Hey,” Chad said, patting the chair next to him. “Take a seat.”
Luna did as he said and let out a heavy sigh. “Gerry’s stitching up his head now. She said he’d need ten to twelve stitches, and we need to watch for concussion symptoms.”
“Ouch.” Chad rubbed his own head in sympathy.
Her voice cracked as she added, “There’s also a sprained wrist, a bruised rib, and a cut on his cheek. Gerry says those should heal fairly quickly, but he’s going to be in some pain for a few days.”
“Did she prescribe a potion for the pain?” Chad asked, grateful it appeared Levi would be okay. His injuries were bad enough, but considering what they’d walked in on, things could’ve been way worse.
“Not yet. She said she wanted to run a tox screen just to make absolutely sure there isn’t anything in his system.” She rubbed at her temples. “I know she has to before offering any pain relievers, but I hate that he’ll see it as a lack of trust.”
Chad placed his palm over her open one and laced his fingers between hers. “I’m sure he understands on an intellectual level.”
“It’s his heart I’m worried about,” she said, glancing over at him, weariness in her expression.
Gods. He knew exactly what she meant, and in that moment, all he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and make both of their pasts fade into the background. Create a safe place within each other that had room for one scared teen. But he was getting ahead of himself, and the only one he should be worried about was Levi. “Me, too, Luna. But we can work on protecting him together, right?”
“I really hope so,” she said, staring at their connected hands.
He squeezed her fingers. She glanced up, a hint of smile curving her lips, and she squeezed back. His heart fluttered, and he ached to lean in and kiss her. But now was not the time or the place.
The door started to creak open, and to Chad’s disappointment, Luna quickly pulled her hand away and stood.
Gerry led Levi into the room. The blood had been cleaned off his head and face, and he was left with a butterfly bandage on his cheek and a patch of hair that had been shaved for his stitches.
“Levi is all ready to go,” Gerry said. She handed Luna a white paper bag. “There’s an energy potion, as well as one for pain, in there. If he needs more pain potion tomorrow, I’ve left a prescription in the bag. You can get it from Charming Herbals.”
“I assume that means…” Luna cleared her throat. “All the tests were clear?”
Levi let out a small sigh and glanced away.
Luna winced. “Sorry.”
He shrugged as if to say it didn’t matter, but they all knew it did.
“Levi’s bloodwork is completely normal,” Gerry said. “Wake him up every couple of hours tonight. If the headache persists through tomorrow night, give me a call. Otherwise, come back in two weeks to get the stitches out.”
“Two weeks?” Levi said.
Gerry patted his arm. “Don’t worry. Taking them out is no big deal. Painless even.”
Levi met Luna’s gaze and then Chad’s. It was obvious he was worried about where he was going to be in two weeks and not what he’d be doing.
“We’ll make sure he’s here,” Luna said. “Thanks. We really appreciate you coming in so late to fix Levi up.”
“Any time, Luna. You know that.” She walked over to the door and held it open for them. “Go home and get some rest. I’ll check in sometime tomorrow.”
Luna ushered Levi out, and Chad paused to shake Healer Whipple’s hand. “Thank you again. Can you send the bill to me at my stepmom’s house? Barb Garber. I’ll be taking care of it.”
“Sure, Chad. I’ll get admin to take care of it. Now get out of here. It’s past my bedtime.”
He grinned at her. “Mine, too.”
Once Chad made it back out to the truck, they all climbed in and he drove to Luna’s new place. He killed the engine, and for the first time since he’d gotten the call from Levi, he started to wonder what happened next. He was living in a one-bedroom apartment over his stepmom’s garage. It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford to rent or buy a place in town. He just hadn’t needed anything more… until now.
“I think Levi should stay here,” Luna said abruptly.
“What?” Chad asked, surprised.
Luna nudged the teenager and whispered, “Why don’t you go wait for me on my porch. I’ll be right there.”
Levi didn’t hesitate. He pushed the door open, shuffled up to her front door, and leaned against the porch railing with his arms crossed over his chest.
“I know he called you tonight,” Luna said softly as she turned to meet Chad’s gaze. “But I get the feeling he could use a little mothering. Do you mind if he stays here?”
“What about when you go into work?” Chad asked, not wanting the kid to run the minute he was alone.
“I can take him with me, and you can take over after I work on your hand.” She glanced over at him and let out a breath. “Wow. This feels like co-parenting or something.”
Chad chuckled. “It does. But you’re right. If I were him, I’d want to stay with you
, too.” The truth was he wanted to follow them both into her house right then and there. It had been a long day, and the idea of curling up next to her, holding her while they both slept, made him want to beg her to let him stay. “I’ll meet you at the spa like you said and then take him to get some new clothes afterward. How’s that sound?”
“Perfect. As long as he’s on the same page.” Luna pressed her hand to his cheek and leaned in, kissing the other one. “You’re a good man, Chad. Thank you.”
His skin tingled where her lips had brushed his skin. It took everything he had inside of him to not press his lips to hers and kiss her like he meant it. Instead, he squeezed her hand one last time and said, “There’s nothing to thank me for. You were right there with me the entire time. Now go on. Levi’s waiting. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
“Eight thirty. I’ll bring the coffee and croissants.” She grinned at him and hopped out. Chad waited until both of them disappeared into her house. Then he backed out of her driveway and went home to his lonely apartment.
Chapter Thirteen
“Make yourself at home,” Luna said to Levi as she waved him into her newly rented house.
“This is your new place?” he asked, glancing at the lonely couch in the living room.
“Yep. It’s a lot nicer than that apartment, isn’t it?” She moved into the kitchen and went straight for the refrigerator. “Are you hungry? Want something to drink?” When he didn’t answer, she glanced back and spotted him standing in the middle of the room, frozen like a deer in the headlights.
“Levi?” she called and walked over to him. “Are you all right?”
He turned to her with glassy eyes. “Why am I here?”
“Because you needed someone to care for you,” she said softly and took him by the hand to lead him into the kitchen.
“But why would you do that?” He seemed genuinely perplexed and started glancing around. There was a nervousness to his darting eyes, and she wondered if he was planning his escape already.