Page 16 of Safe (King’s Heart #1)

Landon

Danny and Gwen look depressed as they shove all of their possessions into their bags, which honestly isn’t much. Only enough to fill a backpack.

I wander away to stuff my own belongings into a bag when there’s a rattling knock against the trailer door.

“Hello? Anyone home?” Simmons calls as he steps inside with a smile on his face. It instantly pulls into a frown when he sees the three of us lined up to meet him with our measly bags in tow.

Dean Nelson pulled me into his office to tell me about our mom’s arrest. She’d been arrested once before, so although I hated it, that wasn’t the part that sent me into a panic. He also informed me of the emergency hearing that I needed to attend for my brother and sister’s foster placement.

I immediately called Simmons, practically hyperventilating, asking him what I was supposed to do.

I could ask for temporary custody, but what were the chances they would grant it to me?

I had only just turned eighteen not too long ago.

I had no job and was still in high school. My odds seemed pretty slim.

He assured me to not worry—that he would take care of it. Shortly thereafter, he picked me up, and when we went to the hearing he petitioned the court for temporary custody.

It was granted.

I thanked him over and over again, but he just waved me off, saying that he was happy to help us out.

We can’t afford her bail, so she has to stay in jail until her sentencing hearing, and because this is her second time being arrested for… this , that will likely mean a harsher sentence.

“I’m sorry, guys,” Simmons says. “I’ll try to make this the easiest transition possible.”

Gwen gives him a weak smile, but Danny just stares blankly.

I shuffle over to Simmons and keep my voice low. “Maybe I should just stay with you all.”

After Mom’s arrest, news spread pretty quickly in the trailer park, and once it reached Bob, our landlord, he told us we had to vacate. He said he agreed to rent to my mom, not me, that it didn’t matter that I was eighteen.

I’m not even sure if what he’s doing is legal, but who am I kidding? I can’t do anything about it.

Simmons sighs and grabs onto my shoulder. “Listen, you can stay with us if you want to, but it would just be a couch—your brother and sister are taking up the spare rooms. But honestly, I think staying in the dorm will be really good for you. Some independence. Space of your own.”

“Don’t I have to share my room with someone?”

“Well, yes, technically. But still, you’ll have space to be a normal eighteen-year-old.”

“I guess. I just… I don’t know. I worry about them.”

A small pair of arms wraps around my stomach. “I’m excited,” Gwen’s little voice squeaks. “Simmons said we can have pancakes every day.”

He widens his eyes. “I mean, maybe most days. I don’t know about every morning. Do kids eat cereal anymore? Sometimes I like to sleep in a bit…”

Danny walks up to our little circle and rolls his eyes. “We’ll be fine, Landon. Go be a cool, rich kid.” The tiniest smirk appears on his grumpy face.

“My man!” Simmons exclaims, clapping Danny on the back. “So you’ll be cool with the cereal, right?”

Danny grunts and spins away, a hint of red on his cheeks as he does.

“Okay,” I mutter, still feeling unsure. I know they’ll be well taken care of with him, but I feel guilty leaving them.

Simmons claps his hands. “Alright, let’s go. I’ll take everyone to school, and we can leave your bags in the car until I pick you up.”

We all take our stuff and trudge out to the car. I zone out during the ride but make sure to give a big hug and kiss to Gwen and Danny as they’re dropped off at school. Gwen loves it. Danny wants to kill me.

“I’ll drop your bag off after practice is over so you don’t have to carry it around all day,” Simmons says as we pull up to the front of King’s Heart.

“Thanks. Maybe I’ll come visit you guys this weekend?”

He nods. “Yeah, of course, and hey—I’m sorry this happened to you and your family, but I’m here for you guys.”

I smile at him. “Thanks. I know you are.”

“Alright, enough of this. Go. Have a good day.”

I chuckle and exit the car, walking slowly to the front doors.

When I go through the entrance, I feel an immediate shift. Everyone’s eyes are on me. I mean, they always look, but this is different. There’s a sense of anticipation in their gazes.

I try to ignore it, but it feels like every set of eyes is a weight, and it’s all trying to crush me.

I hear Declan’s irritated voice. “You’re all a bunch of assholes.” Then he grunts.

I turn and find him and the secretary, Mrs. Peters, both jumping—trying and failing to pull down a huge banner I’ve never noticed before.

My gaze travels slowly upward and then, it’s like time slows down as it all comes into focus.

Name: Cassie Moore

Age: 36

Charge(s): Solicitation to Commit Prostitution

And right above it, her mugshot.

I didn’t look it up, so this is my first time seeing it. She looks so tired. Eyes listless and shadowed with circles. Hair wild and knotted. Nose rubbed raw and bleeding.

I can’t hear anything but my heart beating loudly in my ears. Sweat breaks out across all my pores, and I can’t seem to stop my breath from heaving out of me.

With the slightest movement, my eyes find Grant. Like they already knew where he was going to be.

He has that stupid fucking sad look on his face while all his little friends, except for Javi, laugh their asses off.

Fine.

He wants me to hurt him. He wants me to make him bleed.

He’s fucking got it.

I throw my backpack to the ground and book it over to where he stands, then haul my fist back as far as I can and punch him in that sad fucking face.

He falls to the ground while everyone erupts in chaos around us. Boos. Cheers. Gasps. It all fades to white noise as I jump on top of him. I swing blindly, my knuckles connecting with random parts of his face.

It feels good and terrible all at the same time. Cathartic and miserable.

He doesn’t fight me back, only letting his face whip in the direction of my punches. Blood trickles out of his nose, leaving little red dots on the floor when I stop hitting him.

I wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze—just like I did when we were ten. But now, I’m bigger and stronger, and a little more unhinged.

“I fucking hate you,” I whisper hoarsely as angry tears run down my cheeks.

He just lays there, his face turning red. Not an ounce of fight in him. “Just leave already,” he manages to choke out.

“No,” I growl between my gritted teeth, my hands tightening. “I have plans.”

“Please,” he whispers.

That word surprises me so much that my hands ease up on their own. He gasps in a breath of air as I search his face, but he gives nothing away besides that same sad look.

“Landon.” I jump when a pair of hands gently tries to pry me off of him. I look behind me to see Javi’s face. “Landon, let go, man.”

He’s pulling me but I won’t budge, until I hear another, softer voice. Declan. “Landon, you have to let go. He won’t get in trouble—you will.”

That snaps me out of it. I let go, scrambling back and off of him until I stand in line with the crowd around us.

That’s when Dean Nelson decides to show up, looking around and completely oblivious to how I just tried to commit murder.

He looks down at Grant, still on the ground trying to catch his breath. “Mr. Caldwell, why are you on the floor? Are you alright? Wait, are you bleeding?”

Grant flicks his eyes up at me. “I’m fine,” he says evenly, getting up and disappearing without another word.

Dean Nelson tries to call after him, but Grant keeps moving, then he looks over at Mrs. Peters as she waddles into the crowd. “Mrs. Peters, please go find Mr. Caldwell. That boy needs to be seen by the nurse.”

She nods and follows after the direction he points her in.

Dean Nelson starts waving everyone away to their first class of the day. I look over at where my mother’s mugshot used to hang and see it now being rolled up on the ground and put in the trash.

“Mr. Moore, come with me please,” he sighs.

“What I want to know is, how in the hell it was left up long enough for everyone to see?! Do you have no supervision at this school?! What the hell do you spend all the tuition on?!”

Simmons has lost his mind, pacing in front of Dean Nelson’s desk. As my emergency contact, he was called and immediately came down to the school for answers.

He’s livid.

I’m letting him take it all out on Dean Nelson, but I’d really like this to be wrapped up because I’m so exhausted from this shit.

“Mr. Simmons, I understand your frustration, but?—”

“No. No, you do not understand. You haven’t had to come in as the new kid and have your business blasted for everyone to see.”

Dean Nelson nods and tries again. “I’m sorry.

The banner wasn’t there when the staff came in this morning.

The student or students must have put it up at some point after.

” Simmons huffs but doesn’t say anything else.

Dean Nelson turns his attention to me. “Mr. Moore, you’re more than welcome to take the rest of the day off—excused, of course. ”

I shake my head. “I can’t miss any more practice.”

“Well, then perhaps just for your classes. You can go to your new dorm and unpack, then join your teammates for practice.”

I nod. “Okay.”

“Are you going to punish whoever did this?” Simmons angrily asks.

Dean Nelson nods again, clasping his hands on top of his desk. “Of course. We will be conducting a thorough investigation and make sure that the culprits are dealt with.”

Simmons glares but doesn’t add anything else, so I pick up my bag and stand. “Thank you, Dean Nelson. I’ll just go to my dorm now.”

Simmons says an irritated goodbye as we head out the door.

Once we reach his car, he stops me with a serious look on his face. “Landon… are you okay?”

I have my answer all ready. A quick “fine” before noping out of this conversation. But it doesn’t come. Instead, I start fucking crying.

He pulls me into a hug, squeezing me tight. “I”m sorry. You don’t—” He cuts himself off and sighs. “If you don’t want to live here or go here at all, Landon, I’ll completely understand. Seriously, you don’t deserve this. You don’t have to go here.”

I shake my head, pulling out of his embrace and hastily trying to wipe my face. “No. I want to be here. It’s just… sometimes I’m so tired, ya know?”

He nods. “Yes, all of life is tiring, but especially for all the shit you’ve dealt with.” He stares off a moment before grabbing my bag out of his car and handing it to me. “I care about you, kid.” He lightly punches me on the shoulder. “You’re brave and you’re gonna do great stuff. I can feel it.”

I smile. “Thanks. I’m just gonna unpack in my dorm. Say ‘hi’ to Gwen and Danny for me.”

“Of course. You’ll tell me if you can’t handle it here, right?”

His face is so unsure as he asks. And truthfully, I don’t know if I can take it. But… I have to try. I’m the ticket for my family. I can’t give up.

“I’ll let you know. But I’m fine.”

He nods. “Okay. Hey, good luck with the roommate. Hopefully he’s not a dickhead.”

I chuckle. It’s forced and fake as fuck. But honestly, that would be the cherry on top of this terrible sundae that is my life. “Yeah. Hopefully.”