Page 4 of Shadow's Surrender
He tore his gaze away from the screen and glanced at his mother. “We’re in a good neighborhood now.”
“I know.” She approached him and the scent of coconut swirled around him. “I just worry about you being out when I’m not home. You’re not sixteen yet.”
“Is that the age of freedom around here?” He rolled his eyes then switched his attention back to the screen.
“I know I’m being overprotective, but a young boy can get into a lot of trouble—even end up in jail.”
“I’m not Dad, and I’m not gonna do anything stupid. You gotta trust me sometime, Ma.”
She crossed over to him, then bent and kissed the top of his head. “I do trust you—it’s all the others out there who I don’t.” She threaded her fingers through his hair. “I was so wild when I was your age and I made so many mistakes. I just don’t want you to screw up your life. Learn from my experiences.”
Shadow knew what she was talking about—falling in love with his dad and getting pregnant by him at seventeen. Her parents had thrown her out of the house, so she’d married his dad and spent fourteen years in hell. He grasped his mother’s hand and squeezed it. “I don’t plan on screwin’ up my life, and I’ll never be like Dad …ever.”
“You never could be—you’re a good person and he wasn’t. It’s just that I couldn’t live if something happened to you.”
He let go of her hand. “Nothing’s gonna happen to me, Ma. Now go and have a good time with your rich boyfriend. I’m good with watching TV.”
“Someday when you have your own kids, you’ll understand,” she said, walking toward the front door.
Shadow pushed up from the couch and followed her to the foyer, then he opened the door. “Don’t worry about me, Ma.”
“I can’t help it.” She walked down the hall toward the elevator.
He stood just outside the door watching her. When the metal doors opened, she stepped inside, smiled, then waved. He returned her smile, then went back inside and crossed over to the window facing the street. Shadow looked down and saw a chauffeur open the door to a black limousine and his mom disappeared inside it. The man then walked around to the driver’s side and slid in, and in a few seconds, the car pulled away from the curb.
Shadow stood staring at the street long after the limo vanished from sight. The cellphone in his pocket vibrated, jarring him back to the present. He fished it out and smiled when he saw the text was from Maggie—the cute blonde he’d met the week before at the pool hall. She was twenty-two years old, stacked, and had a reputation of being fast, at least that was what Dirk had told him. Upon learning that piece of information, Shadow set up a date with her, and she was texting him at that moment to find out when he was going to come by her place.
A stab of guilt pulsed at the back of his skull, but he ignored it. Maggie was most definitely not the type of girl his mother would approve of for him, but what his mom didn’t know wouldn’t hurt.
After texting Maggie back he walked to his bedroom to change his clothes and then rushed out and strode briskly toward Main Street to hail a cab; he didn’t want to keep Maggie waiting.
It was late and he knew his mother would be angry and disappointed when he arrived home. The anger he could deal with, but the disappointed look on his mom’s face crushed Shadow each and every time. He swore under his breath as he crossed the street—only six more blocks to go. He should’ve left Maggie’s place two hours before, but the chick was such a wildcat that Shadow just couldn’t tear himself away from her. She was nothing like the high school girls he’d fucked. Yeah … he’d be hooking up with her again real soon.
He glanced at his phone again, surprised his mother hadn’t called to ball him out. The glowing numbers read 2:08 a.m. He shoved the phone back into the rear pocket of his jeans and walked past big houses with manicured lawns.
All of a sudden the scream of a police siren ripped through the night, shattering the quiet. Flashes of red and blue lights penetrated the darkness, and Shadow jumped back into the bushes and waited for them to stop in front of him. Curfew was 11:00 p.m., and he grimaced when he pictured his mother’s face as she came down to the police station to take him home. But the cars sped past him, and he watched as they disappeared over the hill.
As Shadow approached he saw cop cars with flashing lights and an ambulance up ahead; they were stationed in front of his apartment building. His steps faltered, and then he began to run toward the chaos.
When he reached his building, he saw the yellow crime scene tape cordoning off the area. Several people gathered in front, and he recognized the man with the black and tan Pekingese, who lived on the second floor of the building.
“What’s going on?” Shadow asked, his heart pounding.
The man shrugged his thin shoulders. “The cops aren’t telling us anything.” He looked at Shadow. The reflection of the flashing lights made the neighbor’s eyes glow a weird reddish color.
“Somebody’s been murdered,” a woman whispered.
Shadow spun around and saw the old lady from next door standing behind him, her hair in curlers, her white robe held closed by one bony hand.
“Who is it?” he asked, panic tugging at the pit of his stomach.
“I don’t know.”
Shadow searched the small crowd for his mother, but she wasn’t there. A bitter bile rose up the back of his throat.Stop being a fuckin’ wimp! Ma’s just fine. She wouldn’t come down with all these people. She’s not a damn looky-loo. I just gotta get inside—get to her.
He glanced around again and noticed that a lot of the residents hadn’t come down. This fact should’ve reassured him, but he couldn’t stop the dark fear creeping inside him, threatening to smother him. Shadow ducked under the police tape and bounced up the front steps.
“Whoa, kid. What the hell do you think you’re doing?” a tall cop asked as he approached Shadow.
