Moon’s Promise (The Last Riders #11)

Prologue

PROLOGUE

“ I t’s time to go, Riley, Eric. Say bye to Devon. You won’t see him until we get settled.”

The three children sat huddled on the couch, hugging each other. Devon held his tiny three-year-old sister on his lap as she sobbed into his chest while he hugged his young five-year-old brother closer to his side.

“Why can’t Devon come with us?” His brother raised his tear-stained face from his shoulder to ask.

His stepfather glowered down at them at the question he had answered repeatedly since Vance told his mother he was moving away to live with another woman. “Because he doesn’t belong to me. I can’t make his mother let me take him. I’d go to jail if I tried to take him. Do you want me to go to jail?”

Vance’s harsh question had both his brother and sister trembling in his arms.

“No,” both Riley and Eric sobbed out their answer.

Devon remained silent instead of yelling out yes like he wanted to. If he did, Vance wouldn’t keep his promise to bring Eric and Riley to see him once a month.

He might not have said anything, but his stepfather easily read his hate-filled expression.

“Come on; grab your shit,” Vance ordered the clinging children. “I want to be out of here before Kiko comes back.”

Devon watched as his brother and sister reluctantly left his arms to go to their bedrooms to grab the two backpacks they had worn in from school. Vance had already packed their belongings while Riley was in daycare, and Eric was at school.

Walking to the door as Vance pushed his sister and brother to the doorway, Devon picked up his little sister.

“Don’t cry,” he tried to soothe Riley. “Vance will bring you to see me.”

Riley gave him a tearful nod.

Carefully, he handed her over to Vance and hugged Eric.

“Make sure you keep practicing your timetables. I have something special for you if you can tell me the sevens.”

Eric’s somber expression switched to excitement. “What is it?”

Devon gave him a gentle smile. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

“Okay”

“Bye …” Devon told them miserably.

Before he could say anything else, Vance grabbed Eric’s hand and led him out the door. Devon wasn’t surprised that Vance hadn’t bothered to say goodbye. As he held the doorknob in his hand, he had never felt so much hatred for anyone in his life as he did for Vance.

Devon waited to close the door until Vance’s red truck pulled away from the curb before he returned to the living room and sat down on the couch. He was still staring blankly at the television screen when his mother came home.

Placing her purse on the end table, she sat down next to him.

“You okay?” she asked hesitantly.

“No.”

His mother released a sad sigh as she laid a comforting hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. I wish you had stayed at school the way I wanted you to until I could get off work.”

Devon shrugged away from her touch. “I wanted to say goodbye to them.”

“Are you blaming me for them leaving? It’s not my fault Vance wants to be with another woman.”

“You could have been here to tell them goodbye. They cried when you weren’t here.”

His mother’s eyes brimmed with tears. “I know my weaknesses. If I had been here when they started crying, I would have broken. I am not strong like you, Devon. They are my babies, yet I have no legal right to them—I am not their mother. I didn’t trust myself not to beg him on my knees to stay. I couldn’t do that, Devon, not even for Riley and Eric.”

Devon saw the anguish on his mother’s beautiful face. No, his mother would never lower her pride to bring herself to her knees. Vance had tried many times to accomplish that humiliation but had never succeeded.

“Do you think he will keep his promise to bring them to see me?”

His mother smoothed her tears away. “I wouldn’t count on it. Vance promised to marry me when he talked me into leaving Hawaii. He didn’t. He promised to let me adopt Eric and Riley. He didn’t. He promised to treat you and me well. He didn’t. Vance hasn’t kept any promises he’s made to me. Maybe you will have better luck.”

Devon didn’t hold out hope.

Seeing his mother’s proud face break into tears made him feel bad. She was hurting as badly as he was but had been hiding it to appear strong in front of him.

He hugged his mother, manfully holding back his own tears.

“Don’t cry. It’ll be all right.”

“He took my babies from me …” She sobbed into his shoulder. “No one ever keeps their promises to me. Your dad promised me he wouldn’t reenlist again. Vance promised never to leave me. Why can’t they keep their promises?”

“I will. I’ll keep any promise I make.”

“Swear to me, Devon. Don’t be like other men. When you make a promise, keep it.”

“I swear.”

Two Years Later…

D evon sat in his mother’s car, waiting for Vance’s truck to pull into the garage he managed. It had taken him two months to find the bastard after he stopped by to take Eric and Riley out to a movie and lunch. The hatred between them had only grown over the last two years.

He had applied for his driver’s license the day he turned sixteen. As soon as he earned it, he drove to see Eric and Riley and take the option out of Vance’s hands to bring them to see him.

He had only seen them six times during the last two years. Vance had tried to prevent him from seeing them, but one benefit of him getting older was his size. Vance was a small man, barely five-four, and if Devon was to guess, he weighed less than one-twenty. He, on the other hand, was six-three, and working out with the football team had developed his body into a muscular build which Vance noticed gradually becoming more aggressive each time they saw each other. The bastard couldn’t bear someone he still considered a boy not being afraid of him.

Devon gave a sarcastic snort in the silence of the car. He hadn’t been afraid of Vance since he was fourteen and caught his swinging fist before it could land on his back. Vance had a bad habit of waiting until his back was turned to drill a fist into him when his mother hadn’t been home. When he swung around and caught Vance’s fist then pinned him against the refrigerator, Devon had seen the fear in his eyes.

“You’re not going to touch me again,” Devon told him as he placed a restraining forearm against his neck to hold Vance in place. “Got it?”

Vance glared back at him. “Got it.”

“Good.” Devon released him, and neither of them had mentioned it to his mother.

Two weeks later, Vance had come home and told her he was leaving her. The son of bitch was a coward, and they both knew it. If Vance had stayed, it would have only been a matter of time before the arguments between them became more physical.

Seeing Vance pull to the side of the garage, he got out of the car to intercept him before he could reach the garage bay.

Vance noticed his approach. “What do you want?”

“Where are Eric and Riley?”

“None of your fucking business. Get out of here before I call the cops on you for trespassing.”

Devon didn’t move. “Call them. Neither of them are answering the cell phone I bought them. I checked with the bitch you were living with. She doesn’t know where they are since she kicked your sorry ass out. They’re not in school and too young to be left alone, so unless you found another woman to keep your ass up between jobs and she’s watching them, which I doubt”—watching Vance’s expression as he talked, Devon carefully scrutinized his features for any telltale sign to indicate his brother or sister had been hurt—“I might be able to convince them to check it out to make sure they are being taken care of.”

Vance gave him a gloating look.

Devon’s heart sank. Whatever Vance had done to Eric and Riley, he knew it was going to hurt.

“I’d tell them they’re with their mother.” A cruel smile played on the bastard’s lips. “When Carole threw me out, I didn’t have any choice but to call Marie. She came and got them. They’re in Georgia. I threw the phone away. You’re not a blood relative of theirs. You keep bugging them, I’ll press charges on you for stalking.” Vance laughed at the expression he wasn’t hiding. “You’re a little too interested in children much younger than you. It’s in Eric’s and Riley’s best interest to live with their mother. You’re not a blood relative; it’s none of your fucking business where they are.” Vance gave him a curt lift of his chin. “Get your ass out of here before I call the cops and have you arrested.”

Devon stared at Vance, unmoved by the threat. “I’m going to check on them and make sure they’re okay.”

“What you going to do if they aren’t? You’re a kid; you can’t do a fucking thing …”

His mocking laughter didn’t have the desired effect Vance wanted.

“If you hurt them, I’ll kill you.” Devon returned his threat with one of his own. “That’s a promise.”

“Oh … I’m so scared. Get your punk ass out of here.”

More mocking laughter followed him back to the car.

At home, he convinced his mother to accompany him to the police station. Luckily, they were assigned to a female officer who didn’t brush off their concern.

“You two go home. I’m going to send a couple officers to Mr. Laughlin’s place of work. Then I’m going to call the school and find out if Riley and Eric have been there before I’ll drive to the address you gave me of where they’ve been living.” Officer Campbell gave him a comforting smile. “I’ll also do what I can to find out their mother’s address and send officers to check on their welfare. I’m sure the children are fine,” she assured them.

Devon and his mother left. He dropped her off, then went to his part-time job at the grocery store. He was stocking canned corn when the manager told him his mother had called and it was important he called her back.

He dialed the number and held the receiver with a sweaty hand. Devon heard her crying on the other end the moment she answered.

“Mom?”

“Devon … it’s Riley and Eric … they’ve been found.”

Devon couldn’t understand the words coming from his mother because she was crying so hard.

Dropping the phone, he ran out of the manager’s office. His chest was heaving by the time he was able to get behind the wheel. He squealed out of the parking lot and was driving home when he changed his mind. Doing a U-turn in the middle of the road, he drove to the house his brother and sister had been living in.

He jerked to a stop when he came upon a police car blocking entry into the neighborhood, quickly got out of the car, and tried to run past the yellow tape, but a police officer caught his arm.

“Stay back. You can’t go this way. You’ll have to move your car.”

“My brother and sister live down there!” he yelled, trying to break away.

“Let him go.” The officer he had spoken with at the station got out of a car sitting at the curb.

The officer released him, and Devon walked over to Officer Campbell. “Where are Riley and Eric?” Looking away from policewoman’s grim visage, Devon glanced toward the house that had police cars sitting out front while officers came and went from the backyard.

“Devon, I’m going to call your mother and have her come here.”

He shook his head. “Don’t. She’s too upset to drive. Just tell me. If they’re hurt, I want to be with them,” he started to beg.

She stared at him sympathetically. “There isn’t anything you can do for them, Devon. There isn’t anything any of us can do for them anymore. I’m so sorry.”

Devon felt as if a switch had been flicked inside of him. A darkness encased him in such a deep coldness that he was surprised his body didn’t break into a thousand pieces when the policewoman laid a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll have one of the officers drive you home.”

“Are they in the ambulance?”

Frowning at him, she stared where he was looking. “Yes, they are about to be taken to the coroner’s office.”

Devon stared at the ambulance containing his little brother and sister with deadly calm. “I want to ride with them.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t possible.”

He nodded. “I understand. I’ll follow behind them in my car, then.”

“Go home, Devon. There is nothing you can do.”

Without arguing, he got back in his car, moved it to face the other way then pulled up to the curb to wait. When the ambulance drove past, he pulled out to follow.

As they drove through town, he fixedly stared at the ambulance door and stopped a few feet from the vehicle when it arrived at a large building. Watching as the driver went into a garage until the automatic door closed behind them, he still felt eerily emotionless.

While he hadn’t seen them more than six times over the last two years, he had taken the part-time job at the grocery store to pay for their cell phone so he could talk to them every night before going to bed. He remembered the last time he talked to them. He had promised to be at all of Eric’s baseball games when they started in a month and read a bedtime story to Riley despite having an English paper due the next morning. After he finished, he’d ended the call the same way he always did.

“Love you. I miss you.”

“Love you back,” they had told him sleepily.

Hearing their voices in his head, Devon felt as if the switch inside of him had been turned back on, bringing with it a rush of emotions that had his shoulders shaking as the painful sense of loss struck him. He didn’t know how long he sat there, crying, his head on the steering wheel, before he could gather himself and drive home, leaving the tender part of him behind that had been ripped from him.

At home, his mother hugged him, crying out her grief into his arms. He made no attempt to hug her back, making an excuse to go to his room, where he sat on the side of the bed and stared out the window, the moon shining down on him.

Envying the moon being untouchable from the cruelty people could commit on each other, he promised himself never to let anyone take anyone he loved from him again.

A Year and Two Months Later…

D evon took another glance around his bedroom, making sure he hadn’t missed anything. Then he picked up his duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder before heading into the living room, where his mother was sitting on the couch.

As she lifted her composed face, Devon saw she was fighting back tears.

“Did you forget anything?” she asked.

“No, I double-checked.” Dropping the duffle bag onto the ground, he went to the couch to pull his mother to her feet.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“I’m sure, Mom. I’ve always told you I was going into the military when I graduated high school, just like Dad.”

“Yeah … and how great did that turn out for him?” Tearfully, she stared up at him, her eyes pleading for him to reconsider.

Devon gave her a cheeky smile. “He met you, didn’t he?” Laughing at her glare, he gave her a tight hug before releasing her to pick up the duffle bag. “I have to go. I called for a taxi.”

“I was going to drive you,” she protested.

“No, I don’t want you driving back home upset. It’s better this way.”

The sound of a horn honking from outside had him going to the door.

“I’ll call when I can.”

“You better,” she threatened tenderly, and then her expression grew serious. “I’ll write to you about what’s going on with Vance’s trial.”

“Do that,” he said offhandedly. “Love you, Mom.”

“Love you back.”

Hearing the familiar words, and the sound of the horn again, he walked away from her.

He got into the taxi and rolled the window down to wave at his mother as the car moved away.

“You heading to the airport?”

Devon glanced at his watch. “I need to make a quick stop first.” He gave him the address of the grocery store where he had worked until graduation, then reached for the money he had tucked into his jacket pocket. He leaned forward when the taxi came to a stop in front of the store and handed it to the driver. “I’ll be about fifteen minutes. Wait for me.”

“I can’t wait. Call the dispatch when …” When Devon started peeling apart the bills, his eyes widened. “I’ll wait.”

Leaving his duffle bag behind, Devon stepped out of the taxi.

He waved at the cashier who had replaced him on his way to the manager’s office. After knocking on the door, he went in and closed it behind him.

Joel rose from his desk, went to the window, and opened it. Sticking his head out, he then quickly pulled his head back inside before giving him a nod.

Devon carefully maneuvered himself out the window without shaking the shelf containing several trophies. Dropping down to the ground below, he felt the switch move inside of him, leaving him cold and emotionless as he traversed the dark back streets. He ran at a loose jog until he came to the house he wanted, then stopped behind a fence. Glancing around, he made sure no one was close before he lithely climbed the fence. Then, sticking to the shadows, he snuck toward the back door, where he silently jimmied the lock and slid inside the house.

As he quietly moving around the place, he heard the sound of a television playing from somewhere. Carefully maneuvering himself closer, he pressed against a wall. When he heard the click of the television channel being switched, Devon came out of hiding to stand at the door.

It took the man lying on the bed several minutes before he realized Devon was standing there. Rising upward into a sitting position, Vance glared at him angrily as he reached for the phone sitting on the nightstand. “What in the fuck are you doing here—”

Devon rushed forward, snatching the phone with his gloved hand and gently placing the receiver back down on its cradle. He stood, outlined in the moonlight coming in from the window. “Keeping my promise.”

Four minutes later, Devon slid out the back door then over the fence. Jogging unhurriedly, he made it back to the grocery store with time to spare.

Joel reached a hand out to help him.

Devon dropped down next to him, then reached out to straighten a picture that had been knocked down. As he gazed at the picture, he felt the switch turn back on as emotions rushed back in.

Swallowing down the heartache at seeing his brother’s image, he turned back to his manager. “Thanks. I don’t want to leave the taxi waiting any longer,” he forced out croakily.

Joel reached out his hand, and Devon shook it. “Stay safe.”

“For sure. I have another favor to ask.” Releasing his hand, Devon removed an envelope from his pocket and gave it to the manager. “Pay the entrance fees for the kids who can’t afford theirs. I bagged up my bats and gloves; told Mom you would stop by to get them.”

Joel’s compassionate gaze caught his. “I can’t take those; you bought them to practice with Eric.”

Devon clenched his jaw, the pain easing in his chest. “Take them. They aren’t doing any good sitting in a closet.”

Joel nodded. “I’ll stop by tomorrow.”

“I put extra in there for you to buy the kids snow cones when they win their first game. Eric loved snow cones.”

“Devon, you already did so much for the kids last season. I don’t expect you to keep doing it every year. You need to get on with your life.”

“From the moment I handed Eric his first baseball, that’s all he wanted to do. He would throw that plastic ball until I got tired of throwing it back. It isn’t possible for Eric to play anymore, but I think he would like it if I spent the money I would have given him to provide the same opportunity to another kid.”

Joel nodded. “I think so, too.”

Devon left the office and made it back to the waiting cab.

“I was about to leave.” After giving him a harassed look, the driver turned around and put the car in motion.

“Saying goodbye was harder than I thought it would be,” Devon explained, taking off his gloves.

The rest of the ride to the airport was accomplished in silence.

Handing over the rest of his cash to the driver and taking his duffle bag, Devon got out. He passed a trash can at the entrance and threw the gloves away before walking through the electric doors. He had barely enough time to make it through security and reach the gate before his plane called for final boarding.

Getting in line, he noticed two women in front of him turn around and do a double-take before turning forward again. When two ticket agents split the line apart to make it move faster, Devon maneuvered himself around the women as they searched for their tickets. Wistful expressions followed him.

Finding his seat with the help of a flight attendant who had left greeting other passengers to latch on to his heels, he put his bag in the overhead before sitting down.

“Can I be of any other assistance to you?” Suggestively leaning forward, she moved his hands away to latch his seat belt for him.

Uninterested in the overture, Devon turned his head to stare out at the dark sky. “No, thanks. I’m good.”

Not moving his eyes away from the window as the other passengers boarded, he felt someone take the seat next to him.

“Hi!”

A breathy voice had his head turning. It was one of the women who had been in front of him in line.

“So, you’re going to Chicago, too?”

“Unless I got on the wrong plane,” he answered wryly.

Red flooded her cheeks but, undeterred, she kept trying to make conversation. “Were you visiting Carsen City?” Devon felt her eyes travel down from his face to his chest.

“No, I lived there,” he replied shortly.

“That must have been cool.” She sent a glance toward her friend, then looked back at him. “Castlena and I are on vacation.” She nodded her head toward the woman sitting across the aisle from them. “Thought we would visit Chicago before heading to the Great Lakes.”

“Great minds think alike.”

“How long are you staying in Chicago?”

“A couple of days,” Devon answered.

She let the tip of her tongue wet her bottom lip. “We should hook up for dinner tomorrow night. Then see what trouble we can get up to.”

“Maybe. We’ll see,” he answered noncommittedly.

The women were gorgeous, but he was not in the mood to provide the entertainment they wanted.

“I’ll give you my cell number before we get off the plane,” she said as if their hooking up was a done deal. “I am Amanda, by the way. What’s your name?”

His eyes shifted away from the moon he had been staring at and toward her. Reading the sexual interest left him just as cold and alone as the satellite he had been looking at.

Forcing a smile to his lips, he stopped thinking of leaving his mother, knowing he would never step foot in Carsen City again, that he wouldn’t be there to visit Eric’s and Riley’s graves every Saturday, and he would have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life for the crime he had just committed. Joel had told him to move on with his life, and he was going to do that from now on.

“Moon. Everyone calls me Moon.”