Page 42 of Beck

Ice-cold fingers raked down his spine. “I am. I have to be. I will not let him hurt anyone else.”

“Okay. Let’s get some information down,” Conrad said.

Beck frowned. “Are you not going to record it?”

Conrad tilted their head. “We thought that might be too much for you.”

Beck shook his head. “No. Please record it. I want to get it all down.”

Haynes reached inside their pocket and produced a recorder, and Beck told his story. Every sad, demeaning, painful word of his past. Every threat, every encounter, every…touch. Not once did he break down because he was doing it for Kole, and he needed to be strong.

He wasn’t sure how long he had been there before the detectives called a stop to the interview.

“Go home and get some rest. We’ll start investigating, but it’ll take a while. Reporters will get wind of it sooner rather than later, so prepare yourself and those around you. It won’t be pretty.”

Beck huffed a laugh, the first tendril of amusement working its way through him since that brief burst of laughter in Joey’s car. “None of this has been pretty.”

Haynes stood and held out a card. “We suggest you talk to a counsellor. Not only to help yourself through the process but also to help us with more information if you’re willing to allow them to discuss your sessions with us. It’s not mandatory, but we recommend it.”

Beck stared at the card. “Will it help the case?”

“It certainly won’t hurt the case.”

That hadn’t been an answer, but he’d do anything to protect his family. “Okay.”

“Drake Price won’t be leaving jail right now. With this new information you’ve given us, we can hold him for longer. I can’t guarantee it will be indefinite, but we’ll do what we can.”

Beck stood, fingering the edge of the card. “Can I ask one favour?” Haynes nodded. “Will you let me know if he’s released?”

“Absolutely.”

Beck nodded slowly, his body beginning to feel the emotional upheaval of the last few hours.

“Get some rest, Mr Cavanaugh. We’ll be in touch soon.”

The winter sun had him squinting as he exited the station, but he breathed deeply of the frigid air. He didn’t feel any lighter for sharing his story, but he had to hope it would be enough to protect them. Beck wasn’t powerful enough to do it alone, even though he wasn’t an eleven-year-old anymore. If it took everypenny he had, every item he owned and the clothes off his back, he would stop Drake from hurting anyone ever again.

He just wished he’d done it sooner because then Kole wouldn’t have been hurt, and Beck might’ve been able to look himself in the mirror. He also wished the world wouldn’t find out, but it was what it was. One day, he would look Drake in the eye and smile as he got sent to prison. One day, he could put it all behind him. One day, he might even be able to love someone.

Maybe.

****

Chapter 14

Kole

As Kole had expected, Beck wasn’t there when he woke, but he still hadn’t shown up when Kole was released the next afternoon. What he wanted to do was storm around to his house and demand Beck see him, but that wasn’t the way to go. Knowing Beck as Kole did, the man would freeze him out—if he hadn’t already. No, what he needed to do was get advice. The question was, who did he ask? Joey might’ve been the best person, but he wasn’t sure he should break Beck’s confidence in case he hadn’t told him about their relationship.

Well, whatever type of relationship they had. Or would’ve had.

He needed to figure out how to approach Beck and make him understand it wasn’t his fault. The fault lay in Drake’s hands and always would.

Kole sighed in the back seat of the car as Joey drove him home. Ethan was chattering away as he usually did, and Kole tried to ignore how Joey kept flicking his gaze towards him. Ethan had been there for him after his first attack had happened, but Joey hadn’t. Neither of them was hiding how unnerved they were. It wasn’t like Drake was going to come back for him. He was in jail at the moment, and when he got out, it was highly unlikely he would be stupid enough to try something again, not with how much security was now in place.

When they stopped at Life in Ink instead of Kole’s apartment, he frowned. “What are we doing here?”

Joey cleared his throat in an unusual show of uneasiness which instantly had goosebumps rising on his arms and neck.

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