Page 81 of Tru Blue
“Why not? I don’t understand.”
He took her hand in his and the air around them shifted, filling with unease.
“Gemma, they’ll never give the kids to me with a conviction of voluntary manslaughter on my record. Why would they?”
“Because you’re their brother and you’re good to them. You served your time, and it wasn’t like you randomly went out and committed a murder.” She hadn’t thought about his conviction with relation to his custody of the kids.
“That won’t matter. I’m sure they’ll go into the system. They’ll take them away from me. I can’t risk that.”
She pushed from the bed, arms crossed. “No. No, they can’t do that. You don’t know that they’ll do that.”
“I can’t chance that they will.”
“What do you mean? How will you get custody?”
“I mean I’ll do what I have to to keep them with me, where they belong.”
She shook her head, still confused.
He rose to his feet and went to her, speaking more soothingly. “Bullet knows a guy who can get fake birth certificates so I can enroll Kennedy in school next fall, and—”
“What? You can’t do that.” This couldn’t be happening. “Truman, you can’t start their lives off with a lie. They’ll have that hanging over their heads forever.”
“They’ll never know.” His eyes filled with regret.
She took a step away, confused and upset. “But we’ll know. I can’t be part of something illegal. And you can’t either.” She reached for him, hoping to change his mind. When he took her hand, familiar electricity traveled between them, too strong to be overshadowed even by a disagreement this powerful.
“Tru, you need to think this through. You just said you’re waiting to get through the rest of your parole period. But won’t this count as doing something illegal? Can’t they send you back to prison for breaking parole? And then what would happen to the kids?”
Tension brought out the veins in his neck. “What do you expect me to do?” He released her hand and paced. “They’re my family. I can’t let them go into the system to be raised by someone else.”
“I know you can’t.” She went to him, and he reluctantly stopped pacing, his mouth tight, eyes narrow. “But neither one of us can afford to break the law. There has to be another way.”
“I will not risk having them taken away,” he said with finality that came across loud and clear.
But Gemma wasn’t done with this conversation.
“I can’t be involved in any part of this, Truman. Do you understand that? I can’t be part of something illegal, no matter how much I love you or them.” She held his steady gaze, his jaw working overtime.
“Gemma,” he pleaded. “They’re my kids.”
“And you’re the man I love. They’re the kids I love.” She took his hands, softening her tone. “You’re my Tru Blue, and for all intents and purposes, you’re their father. Are you willing to risk going back to prison because you’re afraid of what might happen if you try to do things the right way? The legal way?”
“I’m doing this for them,” he insisted. “They’ve been through so much already.”
“I get that, Tru. But manipulating the law isn’t the right thing to do, no matter how you look at it. Can’t you ask someone who knows about these things? If Bullet knows those kinds of people, maybe he also knows an attorney who can help you figure this out. I just can’t see jumping into this with your eyes closed when there might be another way.”
“What if I lose the kids by trying to find out?”
They both fell silent.
“This is so fucked up,” he finally said with a pained expression. “All I want is to take care of them.”
“I know. But I can’t do something illegal. I can’t risk that, not even for the kids.” Tears welled in her eyes at the heartache billowing off of him and the choices before them.
“I don’t want to lose you, and I don’t want to lose them. Don’t ask me to make that choice.” He gathered her in his strong arms. His heart was beating as fast as hers.
