Chapter 20
Killian
“Come in!”
I looked up from my computer to see Erica stepping into my office with a solemn look. As someone who was usually smiling, I knew that meant she wasn’t coming to tell me good news. I turned away from the computer as she closed the door and took a seat in front of my desk.
“Bad news?” I asked.
“If bad news could be good, that’s what this is.”
My brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“So, the wellness check was completed.”
“And? What did they find?”
She sighed. “Well, when Malcolm got there this morning, a neighbor was outside—you know, one of those nosy old ladies that sees a lot but says nothing. This time, she had a lot to say. My husband asked her if she’d seen or heard anything out of the ordinary lately.
She said the same day Kennedy pulled up to the Easton home, she came home in a fit.
She could hear her yelling at the girls, and they were arguing.
She said she didn’t think anything of it because she was always arguing with Adrienne. ”
I nodded. “Alayah told me her aunt says she’s the defiant one.”
“Well, apparently, this wasn’t just an argument or her not listening. When Malcolm knocked on the door, he found the girls were home by themselves. Nothing wrong with that. They are old enough to be home alone. The unsettling thing were the bruises.”
“Bruises?”
“Particularly on Adrienne. They were all over her arms, legs, and face.
He said it looked like the poor child had been to battle.
When he asked her what happened, she said she got jumped at school.
He said she was still visibly shaken up by it, and he had to coax the truth out of her.
She and Kennedy fought that day—not argued, fought, Killian.
When Amiyah tried to break it up, she got hit in the process.
“They haven’t been to school in a week because they’re waiting on the bruises on their faces to heal.
Kennedy told the school they both had COVID.
That’s why Malcolm went to the house. He went to the school first. She took the battery out of Adrienne’s car and removed everything from their room.
They are sleeping on a blow-up mattress, Killian.
Right now, she’s of town with her boyfriend because she needed to get away from them.
She left them with no phones, and there is barely any food in the house.
Adrienne says she’s hit them before, but it’s never been this bad. She’s punishing them.”
I was disgusted, and it only got worse when she showed me the pictures of the bruises, their rooms, and the nearly bare cabinets, fridge, and freezer.
“CPS is involved,” Erica told me. “Right now, they’ve been taken to the hospital to be checked out. After that, CPS will take over.”
“Has anybody told Alayah or the Eastons?”
“Alayah and Mr. Easton are at work, but I called Mrs. Easton. She was so upset, Killian. She kept saying they should have never let the girls leave with her. I’ve filed a petition for an emergency removal on the Eastons’ behalf.
Of course, the girls want to go with them, but Kennedy is going to fight that tooth and nail with Alayah being there. ”
I nodded as I stood from my chair. “I need to go see her. She’s going to be a mess when she finds out.”
“They should be home now. Mrs. Easton said she would call.”
I started gathering my things, but I realized Erica was still sitting there watching me.
“Was there something else?”
“Killian, are you and Alayah a thing?”
I sighed. “I don’t know what we are right now. What I do know is that I care for her as much as I did all those years ago. I don’t want to rush her into anything.”
She smiled softly. “Well, I know you will take good care of her. You’re a good man, Killian.”
She left me to my packing. Once I gathered everything, I had to sit down for a moment.
This shit was crazy. I would have been willing to bet money that this wasn’t the first instance of Kennedy putting her hands on her kids.
She probably never hit them in the face where it would be visible.
To know that she was right was going to relieve yet devastate Alayah.
I made it to my car in record time and left the office, headed for the Easton home. As I turned onto their road, I could see Alayah walking bristly toward the bus stop with angry tears streaming down her face. Pulling over to the curb, I got out and jogged behind her.
“Alayah!” I managed to get in front of her, slowing her strides. “Where are you going?”
“To find my sisters. My aunt and uncle said I need to wait, but I can’t, Killian. She beat them, then took a fucking vacation with her boyfriend! That’s why I didn’t want them to go with her. This is why I wanted them out of that house!”
Her hands went to the sides of her head, and she began pacing. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she attempted to get control of her breathing.
“This is my fault. It’s all my fault. If I had left them alone, none of this would have happened!”
She dropped to the ground, crying profusely. I took a seat beside her and pulled her into my arms. I was sure we looked crazy sitting on the concrete, but it didn’t matter. Gently, I rocked her from side to side.
“You can’t blame yourself, Layah,” I said softly. “This isn’t the first time it’s happened. It just hasn’t been this bad. She’s going to be arrested for sure. If we can’t get justice for you, we can get justice for your sisters.”
She sniffled as her tears began to subside. “She has to be held accountable, Killian. She can’t get away with this.”
“She won’t. Right now, I need you to get in the car and let me take you home. There’s nothing you can do until the emergency hearing. Just pray that the judge will grant your aunt and uncle temporary custody.”
“What if they don’t?”
“Then, unfortunately, the girls would go into the system until they can find proper placement.”
She shook her head. “No. We can’t let them do that. What if they split them up?”
“Erica is gonna do everything in her power to make sure they stay together and come home with family. You can’t stress yourself with this. I know that’s easier said than done.”
I climbed to my feet, then pulled her upright. She allowed me to lead her to the car and put her in the front seat. I climbed in, and we took the short drive back to the Easton residence. Mrs. Penny met us at the front door.
“Thank you for bringing her back,” she said as I guided Alayah inside.
“No problem.”
She embraced her tightly and kissed her cheek. “Why don’t you go lay down for a bit? I know this is a lot on your mental right now.”
Alayah nodded. “I might do that.” She looked back at me. “Do you have to go back to work right now?” she asked faintly.
“Not right away.”
“Can you stay with me a little while?”
I looked to Mrs. Penny for permission. I didn’t want to be disrespectful.
She smiled softly. “It’s okay, baby. I’ve already peeped what’s brewing here. Go on.”
She waved us toward the hall. Alayah grabbed my hand and led me to her bedroom. The moment we walked in, I said to myself that the space fit her. She kicked off her shoes and climbed on her bed to lay down. For a moment, she just looked at me before speaking.
“Can you lay with me?” she asked faintly.
I nodded slowly. After kicking off my shoes, I laid on the bed facing her. There was an ample amount of space between us. For the longest time, she stared at me, and I stared at her. She looked to be having a mental battle with herself. I reached out and grabbed her hand.
“Can I ask you for something?” she whispered.
“Anything?”
“Can I cuddle with you? I just…I feel safe in your arms.”
I didn’t say anything. Instead, I inched closer to her and opened my arms. Even though it was her request, she hesitated for a moment before sliding into my space.
She curled into me, then rested her head on my chest and threw her arm around me.
I closed my arms around her, pulling her in close. She expelled a relaxed sigh.
“Better?” I asked.
She nodded. A brief silence fell upon the room. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of breath leaving our bodies.
“What if I’ve ruined their lives?” she asked.
“You haven’t. You’ve brought light to an ongoing situation.
Something had to be done or it probably would have kept happening until they were old enough to leave and never come back.
You trusted your gut, and you went through the proper channels to get help.
That’s all you could have done. Right now, you just have to trust that the law will do the right thing. ”
She scoffed. “How do you trust a system that failed you?”
I didn’t have an answer for that. She had every right to be concerned, and I couldn’t tell her otherwise.
The system could be finicky. There were people who cared more about lining their pockets than serving justice.
It wasn’t unfounded to learn about officials who purposely pad sentences or corrupt officers to terrorize the people they were supposed to protect.
It was a broken system, but there were so many people trying to fix it and be better.
I prayed this wasn’t one of those things that got swept under the rug.