Page 29 of Falcon

Two days later, Penny exchanged a worried glance with me. Jayes had become my shadow while his mom was in a coma. Jayes was beyond shy; however, he always replied politely but never started a conversation. He watched the other children currently running riot with a confused expression. Every time one of them was noisy or shrieked, Jayes flinched. Finally, leaning away from Penny, Jayes tugged my cut.

“What’s up, buddy?” I asked.

“Why aren’t their daddies smacking them?”

Penny hissed in a breath.

“What for?” I kept calm.

“For being loud, making noises, and running about,” Jayes replied.

“Because that’s what kids do.”

“No. We’re meant to be small and quiet, and not upset our daddy.”

I barely stopped myself from grinding my teeth. Struggling to stay relaxed, I faced Jayes. “I don’t know how your dad did shit, but here, children are allowed to play, shriek, and have fun. Sometimes we tell them to shut up, especially if we’re trying to talk and they scream over us, but other than that, they’re being normal children.”

“What does that mean?” Jayes demanded.

I caught Penny’s gaze as I searched for an answer.

“It means that if you want to play with them, you can,” Penny said.

“But I don’t know how. Mommy and I have fun,” Jayes replied.

“What do you do with your mom?” I asked.

“Cars and tanks. We do counting and spelling, and Mommy makes animal noises, and I have to name them. Mommy and I guess the colours, and we play army too and hide-and-seek. I don’t like that game,” Jayes said sadly.

“Why not?” I pressed gently.

“Because it means Mommy will get hurt looking for me. Daddy doesn’t, and Daddy is angry that Mommy fell when she was playing with me. He tells me not to hide anymore and to stay with him. But Mommy always makes me hide before Daddy knows.” Jayes wiped a tear from his cheek.

I heaved in a couple of breaths. Myka had protected Jayes while Dawson had wanted to expose his son to him abusing Myka. What the fuck was wrong with that asshole? Who the hell taught a kid how to beat his mother?

Penny reddened, struggling to contain her anger.

“Jayes, your Mommy didn’t get hurt because of you,” I finally had enough control to say.

“But…”

“No. Put that thought out of your head. Mommy tripped and fell, but it wasn’t your fault.” No, Dawson was to blame.

“I don’t want to go home. Daddy is always angry. And he’s mean, meaner than the Grinch. He forces Mommy to take my dinner away if I’ve been bad, and then Mommy sneaks me her bread to eat, and Daddy starts shouting. Then Mommy makes me play hide-and-seek. When is Mommy coming back? I kept her secret,” Jayes said.

“What secret?” I asked, and Jayes shook his head, but he looked at the bag he’d brought with him. Jayes was hiding something in that backpack. I believed they were toys, but it was more. Penny caught my glance, and I nodded. She’d seen that too.

“How about we go get some fresh air, and you can play in the sandpit?” I suggested.

“Falcon, his cast! If sand gets in that, the poor kid will know about it!” Penny exclaimed. Shit, I hadn’t thought of that, although it could be removed.

“How about I take him, and he can do some finger painting with Malachi, Trick, and Erin?” Penny offered as an alternative.

“Yeah, would you like to, Jayes?”

Jayes burrowed into my side and sent Penny a suspicious glare. “You’re a stranger; I shouldn’t go with you.”

Hold on for one moment. He’d not known me, but Jayes had come with me. “Jayes, I wasn’t a friend, but you let me carry you home.”