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He did cry then, because Rick was going to be in jail while he was free and living with good people.
“Don’t,” Rick pleaded. “Please. I can’t handle it.”
Jace tried to get hold of himself. And then he felt Val’s fingers in his hair, soothing him. For another minute he cried even harder, but then sucked in a breath and wiped his eyes. Val’s hand rested on the back of his neck and he took strength from that. “Val says you can keep up with school.”
Rick nodded. “I know. I’m working on that.”
Jace sat a little straighter. “I’m going to learn to read.”
Rick’s eyes widened once again. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I’m dyslexic. The letters...” He waved his hand. “They move around. But Kaj and Val found me a teacher and she’s going to tutor me.”
Rick exhaled, his eyes once again filling with tears. “I’m glad. Really glad.”
Jace pointed a finger at him. “Do not cry or I’ll start again.”
Rick’s laugh was watery. “Deal.” He sobered. “Have you seen Aaron?”
Jace shook his head. “I don’t know if I can.”
“I know.” Rick shook his head. “I might change my name once I get out.”
“Me too.” Val had, after all. Not for the same reasons, but she’d already told him that she’d help him do it if he really wanted to. “Hey, I got a job.”
Rick blinked. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. One of our friends got hurt when Corey... Well, she got hurt and they need help in her bakery. I’m going to do deliveries on a bicycle and keep their delivery van tuned up.”
“When the doctor clears you,” Val said with raised eyebrows.
“Soon,” Jace said, and Val just shook her head. They’d been having discussions about him pulling his weight. “At least when I’m sixteen. Maybe. But I do have a dog now. Val’s dog, Czar. I’d show you a picture, but I couldn’t bring my phone.”
Val pulled a stack of photos from her pocket. “I printed these out for you.”
Jace grinned his thanks and started taking Rick through each one. “This is Elijah. Well, I guess you know about him.” He quickly moved to the next photo. “This is Czar.”
Rick’s mouth fell open. “Holy shit.”
“He bit Corey.”
Rick grinned. “Fuckin’ A.”
“Right? And this is Kaj. And Burke. And Molly. And Phin. He builds things. Says I can help him soon. And this is Val at the track.” She’d taken him and Elijah to a QuarterMasters game and they’d had an amazing time. “This is Patty. She’s a chef. And MaryBeth and her wife, Jessica. They own the bakery where I’m going to work. And another of Czar.”
It’ll be okay, Jace thought as he talked about his new friends. Maybe, in time, Rick could get to know them, too. Except Kaj and Elijah. He wasn’t sure their hearts were that big. Although maybe if Rick proved himself...
Maybe.
The Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 4:30 P.M.
Kaj waited in the doorway of Burke’s big old house in the Quarter, watching Val and Jace sitting in her car at the curb. He’d been worried the whole time they’d been gone. They were safe now, he knew that, but it was hard to shake the feeling that danger still lurked.
Detective Drysdale was in jail, having taken a plea bargain. He’d still serve life in prison, but they’d house him in a prison out of state so that he wouldn’t be in the same population as the criminals he’d put away. Kaj wished they’d left the man local and wasn’t sorry for it.
Sandra Springfield had bargained her way down from conspiracy to commit murder to accessory after the fact. That, along with the drug possession charge, had earned her ten years in prison. She might be out in as little as five, but they’d worry about that in five years. The names of the city’s wealthy buyers of Aaron’s drugs that she’d provided had gone a long way toward reducing her sentence and would keep Kaj and the rest of the DA’s office busy for a long, long time.
