Read Online Obsidian Faith by Bev Elle - Free Book Online

work at home gig Uncle Phil got me. Nothing special, just a lot of busy work.”
    “Well, don’t let it overwhelm you. We miss you, and we’d love to see you whenever you have time.”
    “I know, and I’ll try to make it over sometime.” Even as he said it, he knew he wouldn’t. He wanted to steer Phil and his goons away from the Baileys as much as possible. Eventually, they stopped calling, but Shanice was another matter.
    When Trevor refused Shanice’s calls or wouldn’t return them, she would just show up. One Saturday, she got on her bike and rode the seven miles to Philip’s condo. Thankfully, she wasn’t hurt on any of the several major streets she crossed to get there, and Philip was off to one of the casinos he frequented. Trevor answered the door expecting it to be either Frick or Frack checking up on him, which they did sometimes when Phil was out of town.
    “What do you want ass—?” Trevor said, before he saw it was Shanice. He was going to say, “asswipe,” But Shanice would’ve freaked out, so he was glad he was able to change what he was about to say, since it wasn’t intended for her anyway. “—as I’m about to head out?”
    Her face crumpled anyway, and it made him backpedal. “‘Nice, I’m sorry. I don’t have to leave right away.” He opened the door a little wider and pulled her into the room so the neighbors wouldn’t see a little girl crying on the doorstep.
    He couldn’t bear to see her cry, so he hugged her. “Shh, don’t cry.”
    “Why don’t you pick up the phone when I call, or come over to the house anymore?” she said through her sniffles.
    Trevor took a deep breath. “Like I told you. It’s just not a good idea for us to hang out anymore.”
    “But why?”
    “Because, it’s just not.”
    She stepped back, as her stubbornness emerged. “You can’t even give me a good reason.”
    “I would if I could, Shanice. I promise. You don’t understand what kind of pressure I’m in over here.”
    “Then you should at least tell my Dad so he can help you.”
    “And get taken from Phil and sent God knows where? No thanks.” Although, that wasn’t the truth either. If he made waves with the DCFS, or with Isaiah Bailey, he would be putting the Baileys at risk, especially Shanice. And if anything happened to her, it’d be lights out for him, too. He’d make sure of it.
    “Is he out of town this weekend?” she said, looking around, as if she were almost fearful his Uncle Phil would come out any minute.
    “Yeah.”
    “Then, why can’t we hang out a while?”
    Shanice looked so sad, and he didn’t want to be the cause of her sadness. He caved. “Just for a little while, but I’m driving you back home.”
    “Mom and Dad say you haven’t had your license long enough for me to ride with you.”
    “I think they’d rather I drove you than have you ride your bike back.”
    “Then I’ll be busted.”
    “We’ll figure it out,” he said. “You had lunch yet?”
    “No, I’m supposed to be at Carly’s birthday party.”
    Trevor grinned. “What do you say, we order some pizza?”
    “Okay!” Shanice said, then strode over and plopped down on the sofa in front of the TV. “I haven’t had pizza in so long. Brenda cooks every day.”
    “And that’s a problem, how?”
    “It’s not. I love Mom’s cooking, I just want a Wendy’s burger, or Papa John’s pizza sometimes.”
    Trevor pulled out his cell phone. “I’m about to grant your wish, princess.”
    They scarfed down pizza and caught up. Shanice’s twelfth birthday was rapidly approaching and Trevor’s seventeenth, so a lot was going on with them both in school. He was gearing up for prom, and she was taking advanced math and science classes already. Trevor was impressed.
    “How’d you land in pre-algebra anyhow? I didn’t get any of that until 8th grade.” Although he could’ve been in the more advanced classes earlier, it was David’s desire to protect him that kept him back.
    “They have