Read Online LEIF (Blake Security Book 3) by Celina McKane - Free Book Online Page B

picked up the ball, and started to toss it to me. “Can I show you something?”
                  “Okay.”
    I went over and stood behind him. “Lift your arm like you’re going to throw it.” He raised his arm up, and I took hold of it gently and pulled it back over his shoulder more. His little arms were so skinny. “Okay, hold that pose for a minute.” I went back around and stood a few feet in front of him and held out my hands. “Okay, with all your strength, launch it into my hands.” He put his little tongue out to one side and with a big “oomph” he let the ball go. I had to take a step back because he’d thrown it so hard, and it landed right in my hands. I think I was more tickled than he was. We whooped and hollered and high fived. It was a good feeling that doing such a little thing for someone could make them so happy. I hadn’t made anyone happy in a long time.
                  “What’s wrong with your arm?” I looked down and realized my sleeve had pulled up and Hunter was staring at the scars on my arms.
                  “There’s nothing wrong with it now, buddy. Those are scars. I got burned a while back.”
                  “Can I touch it?”
                  “Sure.” I watched his little face as he took one of his fingers and slid it slowly along one of the longest scars.
                  “It’s smooth.”
                  I smiled. “Yeah, the scars are smoother than the rest of it.”
                  “How come?”
                  “I’m not sure, buddy. I think because it’s newer skin maybe.”
                  “How’d you burn them?”
                  I wasn’t sure what you were supposed to tell a kid about war so I said, “I was at work and there was an explosion. It burned my gloves and the sleeves of my jacket caught on fire, too.”
                  He made a face. “Did it hurt?”
                  “Yeah, it did, buddy. I’ll bet your mom has told you to never play with fire, right?”
                  “Yeah, she says it all the time.”
                  “Well, she probably wants to make sure you remember. She doesn’t want to see you get hurt. It hurt awfully bad, worse than anything I ever felt.”
                  “Did you think you were gonna die?” I thought about Gonzo, and while I watched him melt away, I did indeed think that I was going to die.
                  “Yeah, buddy, I did.”
                  “Were you scared?”
                  “Yeah, I was really scared.”
                  “My dad died. He was a soldier.” My chest suddenly hurt.
                  “I’m sorry to hear that, buddy.”
                  He shrugged. “I just wish I could have met him. I have a picture of him. Do you wanna see it?”
                  I didn’t. I didn’t want to look at Leif Thompson’s face ever again. Just thinking about what he’d done to his family…both of them, made my stomach turn. But there was no way I could tell this little boy no. “Sure, buddy, I’d like to see it.”
                  “I’ll be right back.” He ran into the house. I stood there and tossed the ball up and down while I waited for him to come back. I wondered how Karli would feel about me playing ball with her son. I didn’t have to wonder long. I heard the sound of her voice, and it cut through every raw nerve in my body.
                  “Hunter what are you doing with that?”
                  “I’m showing the guy.”
                  “What guy?” Hunter raced back through the door, and Karli appeared almost instantly behind him.
                  “This guy.” I caught the ball I’d just thrown up and gave her a little smile.