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"I don't care," I said flatly. "He hurt Matty. He tried to kill him. Twice."
"And burned down our club," Cruise added from across the table. "Don't forget that."
"What we need," Bolt interjected, "is leverage. Something that makes him back off permanently."
A small notification bleep seemed loud in the still of the room, and Digger immediately changed screens. He whistled. “You all need to see this.”
“What is it?” I asked as we all stood and walked behind Digger.
“A police raid on Coombes’s estate.”
I watched in shock as SWAT officers poured from multiple cars and forced their way inside. Five minutes later a handcuffed Harold Coombes was led to a waiting car. “The fuck?” Jono asked.
“I’m working on it,” Digger said as his hands flew over the keys.
I leaned back against the wall, too afraid to believe we might be getting a break.
“The warrant is for embezzlement.” Digger looked up at me. “First-degree felony, which can carry thirty years if proven, but they wouldn’t be sending in SWAT if they didn’t have something else as well.”
“We didn’t have time to do anything but make sure the place was clean,” Cruise said. “I’d have loved to plant evidence, but we didn’t have any.”
Bolt stood up. “Let me make some calls.”
I glanced at Jono with a raised eyebrow but Jono just grinned. “Did you know Annabel’s older brother works with the district attorney?”
I was relieved but I had to get back to Matty.
Jogging back to the cabin, my mind raced. If Coombes was truly going down for embezzlement, it could solve our problems permanently. Matty would be safe. The trust would be protected. We could finally move forward without constantly looking over our shoulders. When I nodded to Gunner and opened the door, my heart sank because it didn’t look like Matty had moved. Annabel was sitting quietly coloring, and Matty had made no attempt to get involved.
Patches was laid on the floor, face down.
By unspoken agreement Annabel and Daisy left. Daisy squeezed my hand as she walked past. I closed the door behind them, my heart sinking as I turned to face Matty. He sat perfectly still on the couch, staring at nothing.
"Little one?" I said softly, approaching him. "Would you like some lunch? I could make dinosaur-shaped sandwiches."
His shoulders tensed. "I'm not hungry."
The flatness in his voice worried me more than his refusal. I sat beside him, careful to leave a little space between us. "The police arrested Harold this morning. Embezzlement charges. You're safe now."
Matty nodded, but there was no relief in his expression. Just...emptiness.
"Maybe we could watch a movie?" I suggested. "Or I could read to you?"
"Stop it," he whispered, his hands clenching into fists on his lap.
"Stop what, baby boy?"
"That." His voice cracked. "Stop treating me like I'm...like I'm..."
"Like you?" I asked gently.
He flinched as if I'd struck him. "I can't be that anymore."
A protest rose in me, but I bit it back. My heart ached. “Matty—”
“No.” He shot to his feet so fast he winced, back arching. The welts would still hurt. “I thought I could keep being…like that. But James was right. It’s weakness. It’s what got me in this mess.”
I rose slowly, raising my hands in surrender. “Degrassi is wrong about everything. Your Little side isn’t a weakness—it's beautiful, and part of who you are.”