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"Oh hey, Kyrian Cherise … Nick, how you feeling, son?" Madaug’s father, Dr St James, came into the office and put a kind hand on Nick’s shoulder "Madaug toldAnd on your way to help Ms Liza close her store She’s so heartbroken"

"Yes, sir, and I feel terrible about that I keep telling her it wasn’t her fault, but she won’t listen"

"Yeah, Liza’s bad that way" Dr St James jumped then reached into his pocket "Work as always And I better answer this Y’all take care I’ll see you later"

"Good night," Nick called after hirandfather scowled "How do you know Dr St Jaed "We beca him" Kind of true But if he told thea had unleashed on the school, it randfather asked incredulously, as if he couldn’t believe Nick could read, never enius"

"In colish and social studies"

Yeah, they didn’t want anything to do with him and his mom It was obvious by the revulsion on their faces, and disdain in their eyes

"C’mon, Jill and Joey, we need to leave"

His one, then she turned around and hugged Kyrian "Thank you so ed her hold away "No probleht Thank you so much" She ruffled Nick’s hair "And you be careful and I’ll see you later"

"Yes, ma’am"

As soon as the secretary handed her the papers, they all went outside, where Kyrian had his car parked on the street in front of the school

Nick slowed down as he saw a parked police car and the officers walking around with a picture they were showing to his class

When they got to Stone, he pointed to Nick "He’s right there!"

Nick went cold What the heck was going on?

The police est of the two narrowed his eyes "Are you Nicholas Gautier?"

"Yeah"

"Then you’re cohed nervously "I don’t think so"

"Yeah, well, we do"

"No," hisanywhere"

"Yes, ma’am, he is We have a warrant for his arrest"

"For what?" he and his mother asked simultaneously

"Rape and theft"

CHAPTER 14

The look on his rabbed hiht in front of the school for everyone to see Nick grimaced as the cops rudely frisked him, then cuffed his hands behind his back Once he was secured, the biggest officer grabbed him by the hair and wrenched him off the car

"Mama, I didn’t do it I didn’t I swear to God!"

"That’s what they all say" The cop looked over at his partner "Wouldn’t it be nice if, just once, they confessed and listened in his mother’s eyes He could tell she wanted to believe him, but the doubt there …

How could she even think he’d do so like that? Even for a nanosecond She’d been with him for fifteen years How could she not know him better?

He did his best not to look at any of his class faculty ht sickened hiuilty was Kyrian "Don’t worry, Nick I’ll have you out of there as soon as you’re booked"

Booked That word slaht he’d vomit

"Good luck with that," the soing anywhere until trial"

What could they have on hi Heck, he’d only been out of the hospital since yesterday

As they were placing hi up to his

Caleb winced, then kicked the front bumper of the squad car

"Hey!" the s?"

"What?" Caleb challenged "I can’t touch your car?" He kicked it again

"Boy, do you want to go to jail?" the taller officer asked

"For what?" Caleb braced his foot against the front fender "It’s a free country"

"Not when you’re vandalizing state property it’s not"

Caleb arched a defiant brow at hiht this car then Doesn’t that make it my property?"

"Oh, that’s it, you little punk" The cop went for Caleb

Caleb scoffed "C’ me with?"