Alex waved goodbye to Damon’s foster parents, and the two of them headed down the walkway to Alex’s car. He glanced over at the kid who was a solid five inches taller than him and every bit as muscular as his father, who they were about to visit at the prison infirmary.
Damon kept his gaze down and his hands in his pockets.
“Everything okay?” Alex remote unlocked his sedan.
“Yeah.” Damon dragged his feet to the other side of the car.
After pulling away from the curb, Alex glanced over at Damon. “Anything you want to talk about? I’m on your side.”
Damon sighed. “It’s just some kids from school. I’m fine.”
Alex turned on some music Ariana liked, hoping to put Damon at ease. Even though things had started off with each other on the wrong foot, Alex wanted to help the boy. His mom was dead and his abusive dad was in jail. Not only that, but he had proven himself to have Ari’s best interests in mind. “What’s up with the kids at school?”
“Nothing.”
Alex turned onto the main road. “You can’t kid a kidder. I got into fights all the time when I was your age.”
Damon turned to him. “You did?”
Alex laughed. “I wasn’t always an officer. In fact, most of the guys still think of me as the newbie even though I’m not anymore.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I messed up my life big time. I’m surprised Ariana hasn’t told you any stories.”
He shrugged.
Alex debated how much to share. He wanted Damon to open up—he needed a good male influence, and life had put Alex in his path. “I have plenty of demons. Dealt with drugs, alcohol, partying, and everything that went along with it. Pushed everyone I cared about away. But if I’d have let anyone in, things could’ve turned out differently.”
“Seems like everything worked out. You have your family and job. Everybody who knows you likes you.”
“Like I said, wasn’t always that way. I got in trouble for fighting all the time—not that I’m advocating it. I just felt like the world was against me, and didn’t know how to handle it.” Alex stopped at a light and met Damon’s gaze.
He frowned. “Not sure you’d understand. There’s a group of jocks that hate me for having good grades. It was made worse when I had to tutor them. That’s why I’d rather tutor the middle schoolers. They don’t act like that.”
Alex nodded. “Actually, I understand more than you’d think. Most of my fights were with the jocks.”
“Really?” Damon’s eyes widened.
“Yep.” Alex glanced at the green light and hit the gas. “A group of wrestlers decided I made an easy target. I proved them wrong, but that only added fuel to the fire.”
Alex told him more stories for the rest of the drive. Damon didn’t open up, but he did relax. It was progress. Maybe he’d feel like talking on the way back. His mind was probably on having to see his dad, which they both knew he didn’t want to do. Not that Alex could blame him.
Damon opened his bag and did homework.
As Alex approached the prison, he turned down the radio.
Damon muttered something.
“What’s that?” Alex asked.
“Nothing.” Damon sighed and shoved his things back into his backpack.
After Alex showed his badge at the gate, he parked in the visitors’ lot. “We might not even be able to talk with him for very long since he’s in the infirmary.”
“Why bother visiting at all?” Damon asked.
“I have some questions for him, and it’s good for you to see your dad.”
Damon scowled, pain flashing in his eyes. “How can it be good for me to see someone who’s destroyed my life?”
Alex’s heart went out to the kid. In that moment, he looked more like a little boy than the muscular teenager he was.
“See? You don’t even have a good answer.”
Alex sighed. “He’s your only living relative.”
“I’d rather it be my mom. I wish—” Damon shook his head. “Never mind.”
“What?”
“Nothing.” He shut the car door. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Alex nodded. It seemed like he was almost making progress. “I’m not going to judge you.”
Damon sized him up, his eyes filling with doubt.
“Like you said, let’s get this over with.” Alex marched toward the entrance, just as eager to leave as his young companion. He had no desire to spend time with the man who tried to rip apart his family.
His mind was far away as they checked in. They were led to a room in the infirmary where they could speak with Cal.
“We’re not going to visit him in bed?” Damon asked once they were seated at the table with the glass partition and the phone to speak with the criminal.
Alex shook his head. “It’s not a hospital, but he is sick, so we won’t be in the same room.”
Damon looked around and his posture relaxed.
A few minutes later, Cal appeared. Two officers led him. One shoved him in the seat and said something to him as he cuffed him to the table. The inmate had puffy red eyes, a red nose, and splotchy skin.
Cal glared at Alex then picked up the phone.
Alex grabbed the one on their side, trying to ignore the strong odor of cigarettes and heavy clashing perfumes.
“Why are you bugging me?” Cal demanded. “Didn’t anyone tell you I’m sick? This flu’s gonna be the death of me.”
“You wish.”
“Let me talk to my kid.”
“He has a name.”
Cal narrowed his eyes.
“You can talk to him after you answer my questions.” Alex stared him down.
“Or I’ll answer your questions after I talk to my kid.”
“Doesn’t work that way.”
Cal’s eyebrows furrowed. “It does if you want me to talk to you.”
“What do you know about the woman in the red dress?”
The prisoner didn’t so much as flinch. Didn’t respond, either.
“Has anyone mentioned her?” Alex asked.
“I’ll talk to you after I speak to my son.”
Alex kept the phone to his ear and his attention fixed on Cal. It was a battle of the wills, and he wasn’t going to lose. He hadn’t driven all this way to play games.
Cal placed his phone on the receiver. He motioned for the guards who’d escorted him over.
One guard lifted a brow toward Alex, still in his uniform.
Alex shook his head, keeping the receiver to his ear, and the guards went back to their places.
Cal’s nostrils flared. He crossed his arms and leaned back.
Damon turned to Alex. “What now?”
Alex nodded toward the door. “Pretend to leave.”
“Gladly.” He pushed the chair back and marched away.
Cal picked up the phone.
Alex held back a smile and gave the inmate a stoic look. “Yes?”
“Bring back my son and I’ll talk.”
“Sure thing.” Alex covered the phone and waved Damon over.
Disappointment washed over his face and he shuffled back to his seat.
Alex turned back to Cal. “What do you know about the lady in red?”
“You mean the song? Or maybe the movie?” The prisoner smirked. “Or are you too young to know about either of those, kid?”
Anger churned in Alex’s gut, but he wasn’t about to let Cal get the best of him. “I’m no old man, but I know both of those. I happen to be talking about a kidnapper.”
Cal tilted his head. “Some chick is abducting kids?”
“Do you know anything?” Alex repeated.
“Can’t say that I do.” Cal grinned.
Alex wanted to punch something, as he always did around that man, but he didn’t let his expression betray his emotions. “So, they’re keeping you out of the loop these days?”
“It’s probably another kidnapping ring. The dark web is a big place, you know. And aren’t the feds in charge of that now?” He arched a brow.
Alex leaned forward, staring Cal down. “Not when it keeps happening in my backyard. To people I know.”
Cal laughed. “They went after your family?”
Alex shook his head and kept his gaze fixed on the criminal. “You tell your people that I kept my end of the bargain—I took my blog down—but I can just as easily put it back up if the abductions don’t stop. Do you understand?”
Cal yawned.
It was a good thing a glass partition stood between them.
“I told you all I know, kid, and that’s nothing.” Cal glanced over at Damon. “Let me talk to my son.”
Alex gritted his teeth. “Pass along my message.”
“Sure.” Cal shrugged.
Alex glowered at him before pulling the phone away and turning to Damon. “You don’t have to listen to him. The moment you start to get uncomfortable, hang up.”
“Okay.” He took the receiver and put it up to his ear.
On the other side of the glass, Cal’s mouth moved. Damon didn’t show any emotion in response.
More than anything, Alex wanted to go around to the other side and beat the answer out of him. Then to throw in some extra punches for what he did to Zoey. Granted, it wasn’t as bad as what Dave had done to her—not by a long shot. But he’d still assaulted her, tried to ruin their marriage by making Alex think his wife had stepped out on him.
That picture Cal had sent him was permanently burned into his mind. It haunted his dreams. Dug itself into his hidden insecurities, popping up at the worst possible moments.
Cal smirked at him as he spoke to Damon. It was as if the man knew what Alex was thinking. But that was ridiculous.
Alex had to get him out of his head. It wasn’t healthy.
Damon’s hand shook, and he nearly dropped the phone.
Behind the glass, Cal laughed.
Alex grabbed the phone from Damon and brought it to his ear. Stared down the heartless prisoner. “Unless you have something to tell me about the woman in the red dress, we’re done here!”
“Suits me.” Cal waggled his brows.
Alex would not let Cal see how much he was getting to him. “Remember to pass my message along. All I have to do is push one button, and my blog goes back up.”
Cal smirked.
Alex returned the phone to its place and turned back to Damon. “Let’s go.”