Page 33 of Hawk's Cry

But he doesn’t even look at me.

I try again, and then again, but Eli just keeps rocking. When I take his arm, it’s like trying to move a rock, and all the time, he’s wailing.

“I still think he needs an ambulance,” someone says.

“Fuckin’ druggie,” someone else says.

I glance around. “Could someone help me get him to my car?”

“Whoa, no.” The man closest to me holds up his hands and steps back. “He could get violent. Who the fuck knows what he’s capable of?”

I go back to trying to talk to him, but I’m not getting through.

My situation is pitiful. I’m sitting on the edge of the pavement, my husband rocking and wailing and refusing to move. I’m getting more and more distressed as I’m helpless to know what to do, when the most wonderful sound comes up the road, that of motorcycle engines.

As is Drummer’s deep voice commanding everyone to, “Stand the fuck back and give him some space.”

Chapter Twelve

Drummer…

If Ollie’s to be believed and there’s no reason why I should doubt her, that’s my son lying on the ground with nosy fuckers staring down.

“Stand the fuck back and give him some space.” I might have stepped down from my role as prez, but my voice hasn’t lost any of the snap to it. Within seconds, the crowd’s moved a few steps back, eyeing the group of us with suspicion.

As Wraith cuts his engine and Wizard dismounts his bike, some of the crowd even start to lose interest, as citizens often do with Satan’s Devils around.

Wraith immediately goes to his daughter, pulling her into his arms, but after a quick hug she pulls away from him, her concern all for the man lying on the ground.

“Eli, Son.” I sink to my knees next to him hearing the creak like a pistol shot as my joints protest. “Eli, what is it, Son?”

It’s as if I hadn’t spoken. Gently I use my hand to turn his head toward me. Eli’s eyes are red rimmed and swollen as I search in vain for some flicker of recognition there.

There’s a man hovering. “I thought he might need an ambulance, but his wife said no.” He sounds relieved as though there’s a male to take charge of everything.

“She’s right,” I reply shortly. “We’ve got it from here.” Ignoring him, I look at Olivia. “That your car, there?” It’s hard to tell with people who continue to mill around, fewer than there were, but still enough to block my line of sight. When she nods, I instruct her, “Go drive it closer.”

Wizard tells the people in her way to step back. When Olivia’s brought the car alongside him, I stand, then bend and get my hands under one of Eli’s shoulders. Wraith takes the other side, and we somehow manoeuvre him into the car. He makes no protest, but doesn’t stop crying.

Christ, I feel so totally lost. This is my son, and he’s hurting. For the moment all the differences between us are forgotten, and I just want him smiling again, much like when he was a toddler and had fallen off his bike. I felt as helpless at comforting him then as I do now.

“How do you want to do this, VP?” Wizard asks.

I glance at Wraith then come to myself with a start as I realise he’s addressing me. “Someone needs to go with her in case he starts trying to get out or something.”

“I’ll go,” Wraith says tightly. He sends a cautious look toward Eli, and I know he wants to accompany them to make sure Eli doesn’t start thrashing around and cause them to crash.

“Got the prospects coming. They’ll pick up both bikes. I’ll wait until they get here.”

I thank Wizard, then watch as Wraith slides in beside my son, making sure he’s correctly belted in. To be honest, Eli’s no problem, he’s allowing his arms and legs to be moved without objection, so lost in his head he seems unaware of what’s happening. Has he taken something? It’s the first thing I’ll ask when we’re back at the house, but for now the important thing is getting him off the street and to a place of safety.

The man who’d been hanging around passes a bag that he’d been holding onto and gives it to Wraith.

“Er, these were his purchases,” he tells him.

As Wraith thanks him, I decide he either works in the store or owns it. Whichever way, he’s a good man. I doubt Eli would remember if he’d simply gone back inside and put the stock back on the shelves. In my son’s current state, I dread to think what he might have chosen out of a sex store.

Wraith closes his door. Wizard taps on the roof as a signal for Olivia to pull away and start driving. The car moves off slowly and carefully, as though she’s got a precious burden inside.

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