Read Online The Family Man by Trish Millburn - Free Book Online Page B

decided to give it a little more time and clickedon a baseball game. The Marlins were already down three runs in the second inning. They watched in silence. Adam ate another slice of pizza, but David didn’t move. The second inning flowed into the third and then the fourth.
    When the Marlins batter popped one into right field and a teammate stole two bases to score, Adam whooped. “That’s more like it.”
    He glanced over at David, who sat staring at the TV but offering no reaction to the play. Adam returned his attention to the TV.
    “My dad makes me steal,” David said.
    Adam didn’t turn off the TV, didn’t even turn toward David. He sensed that doing so would cause the boy to clam up again. “What did you steal?”
    “Tools, bikes, anything he could sell. Shoplifted for food sometimes.”
    “And you got tired of it?”
    “I almost got caught by one of our neighbors.” He made a disgusted sound. “She’s a nice lady, friendly. I hated myself for stealing from her, so I put the stuff back.”
    “Your dad got mad at you for that?”
    “I didn’t go back home. That’s when I left.”
    That explained why he had nothing but the clothes on his back. Though Adam suspected he’d had precious little at home to pack anyway.
    “I knew if I went back, he’d beat me again,” David said, so matter-of-fact that Adam had to force himself not to curl his hands into fists. The guy deserved a dose of what he dished out, and Adam was willing to do the dishing.
    “He beat you a lot?”
    David shrugged. “When he thought I didn’t bring home enough stuff.”
    Adam shifted slightly so he could see the expression on David’s face. It reflected one part hatred, one part scared little boy.
    “Didn’t anyone notice?” Why hadn’t anyone done anything?
    “He knows where to hit so it doesn’t show.” David took a deep, shaky breath, then let it out in a slow exhale. “He said if I ever showed anyone the bruises, I’d wish I hadn’t.”
    Adam tried to fill his next question with concern, not the boiling anger he was really feeling. “What about your mom?”
    David leaned forward and picked at the edge of a piece of pizza. “She died when I was three, killed herself by driving off a bridge on I-10.”
    Adam couldn’t help the curse he uttered. “I’m sorry.”
    Again with the “that’s just the way it is” shrug. David pulled his hand back a second time. “Thank you for letting me crash here last night. I probably need to be going now.”
    “Not gonna happen,” Adam said, surprising himself with the conviction behind his words.
    “If you call the cops, they’ll send me back. I’m not going back.”
    “No, you’re not.” Adam looked down at his fisted hand and forced himself to relax. “Listen, I know the detective who is working your case. She’s a good cop, loves kids. She wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
    David’s body tensed, on the verge of fleeing. Adam stayed him by placing his hand atop the boy’s forearm. “You can’t keep running. It’s too dangerous. Maybe if you were close to eighteen already it’d be different, but you’re not. How are you going to live for the next four years?”
    “I’ll manage.”
    “By stealing?”
    David froze then slumped forward with his head in his hands. “Can’t I just stay here? I promise I won’t be any trouble. I’ll work to pay for my food.”
    “Kid, trust me, I’m the last person you want to live with.” Adam fought the urge to agree to David’s suggestion despite the impossibility of that situation and how much being responsible for a kid freaked him out. “Plus, you need to be in school, live with a real family.”
    Adam sat back and watched some more of the game, letting David have time to think about what he’d said.
    When the game broke for a commercial, David sighed. “Okay.”
    Adam’s heart squeezed at the weary acceptance in that single word. Still, he nodded and headed for thephone. As he looked up and dialed