Stolen Innocents (The Shadow Series Book 2) by Addison Kline Page B
Authors: Addison Kline
Ads: Link
her a drink, man. I was being friendly,” explained Hunter reasonably.
“I know all about you, McCord. Drug runner…” accused Tommy with a silver tongue.
Tommy had hit a nerve. Courtney grabbed Tommy’s hand and said, “C’mon, it’s not worth it!”
Tommy yanked his hand from her grasp and prepared for whatever Hunter was about to dish out. Hunter punched Tommy not once, not twice, but three times. Blood gushed from Tommy’s nose and mouth and ran down onto his shirt. Tommy kicked Hunter in retaliation, sending him flying back into the crowd. Cole had finally reached the center of the circle.
“C’mon Tommy, time to go!” yelled Cole as he grabbed hold of Tommy’s shirt collar.
***
“I don’t know how you do it, Jack,” said Joe Piedmonte as he got out of Jack’s truck. “I can barely handle two kids, let alone six.”
“You used to have your step-kids to take care of…”
“Maria’s eldest kids visit every now and then… After she passed, they went to live with Maria’s mother. They are grown now though.”
“How old are they now?”
“Joanna is 23 now… She’s living in New York with her boyfriend. Joey is 22, he’s in law school up in Boston.”
Joe, Jr. who was actually named after his birth father, Joseph Boone, not Joe Piedmonte, was now 22 and entering law school in Boston. Joe married Maria in 1980, and had taken on shared responsibility of her children, since their father was not alive. When Maria passed in ’81, the kids decided to live with Maria’s mother instead of with Joe, because their grandmother gave them greater comfort after the loss of their mother.
“You’ve had your share of bumps with your family, too. You don’t need six kids to be stressed out at home.”
Joe shrugged, “I guess so… But I will say two is much easier than six.”
Jack shrugged, “I’ve definitely earned my gray hair, that’s for sure.”
Jack and Joe looked up. It became immediately apparent that the party had turned ugly. Beer cans and bottles were strewn everywhere. A crowd of rowdy people gathered in the yard as they hooted and hollered. Trash littered the entire front yard. Joe gritted his teeth at the scene.
“I’m so glad that I don’t have neighbors!” remarked Jack.
That would be the last joke that Jack would tell that night as he recognized one of the men that was fighting in the back yard. Tommy and Hunter McCord were circling each other with their fists bared, ready to fight.
“I’ll kill him. What is wrong with that boy?!” Jack said explosively.
“What is he thinking going up against McCord?!” yelled Joe.
Jack rampaged across the road and jumped the fence in much the same fashion as Cole had just done. He pushed people out of his way as he gripped Tommy by the back of his shirt. Hunter looked as if he was going to pummel Jack instead. Jack looked Hunter dead in his eyes.
“I fucking dare you.”
Jack stared Hunter down until he backed away, with his face beat red and a vein bulging out of his forehead. Hunter gave Jack a fearful glare as he grabbed another beer from the cooler. Even at the age of fourty-nine, Jack was not a guy that you wanted to cross.
***
Angie watched the whole scene with disgust as she gulped down the last of her beer.
“Rehabilitated, huh?! Yeah right!”
She chucked her beer can into the trash can as she made a beeline for the backdoor. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and slammed her bedroom door behind her. With an agitated click, the door locked as Angie sunk her weary bones onto her bed.
***
Jack was in a fit of rage as he pushed Tommy to Cole’s Jeep. Tristan, Blake and Shane were waiting inside. They turned wide-eyed with alarm when they saw Tommy’s face. There was blood everywhere. Jack pushed Tommy down into the back of the Jeep.
“You and I have a major problem,”
“I know all about you, McCord. Drug runner…” accused Tommy with a silver tongue.
Tommy had hit a nerve. Courtney grabbed Tommy’s hand and said, “C’mon, it’s not worth it!”
Tommy yanked his hand from her grasp and prepared for whatever Hunter was about to dish out. Hunter punched Tommy not once, not twice, but three times. Blood gushed from Tommy’s nose and mouth and ran down onto his shirt. Tommy kicked Hunter in retaliation, sending him flying back into the crowd. Cole had finally reached the center of the circle.
“C’mon Tommy, time to go!” yelled Cole as he grabbed hold of Tommy’s shirt collar.
***
“I don’t know how you do it, Jack,” said Joe Piedmonte as he got out of Jack’s truck. “I can barely handle two kids, let alone six.”
“You used to have your step-kids to take care of…”
“Maria’s eldest kids visit every now and then… After she passed, they went to live with Maria’s mother. They are grown now though.”
“How old are they now?”
“Joanna is 23 now… She’s living in New York with her boyfriend. Joey is 22, he’s in law school up in Boston.”
Joe, Jr. who was actually named after his birth father, Joseph Boone, not Joe Piedmonte, was now 22 and entering law school in Boston. Joe married Maria in 1980, and had taken on shared responsibility of her children, since their father was not alive. When Maria passed in ’81, the kids decided to live with Maria’s mother instead of with Joe, because their grandmother gave them greater comfort after the loss of their mother.
“You’ve had your share of bumps with your family, too. You don’t need six kids to be stressed out at home.”
Joe shrugged, “I guess so… But I will say two is much easier than six.”
Jack shrugged, “I’ve definitely earned my gray hair, that’s for sure.”
Jack and Joe looked up. It became immediately apparent that the party had turned ugly. Beer cans and bottles were strewn everywhere. A crowd of rowdy people gathered in the yard as they hooted and hollered. Trash littered the entire front yard. Joe gritted his teeth at the scene.
“I’m so glad that I don’t have neighbors!” remarked Jack.
That would be the last joke that Jack would tell that night as he recognized one of the men that was fighting in the back yard. Tommy and Hunter McCord were circling each other with their fists bared, ready to fight.
“I’ll kill him. What is wrong with that boy?!” Jack said explosively.
“What is he thinking going up against McCord?!” yelled Joe.
Jack rampaged across the road and jumped the fence in much the same fashion as Cole had just done. He pushed people out of his way as he gripped Tommy by the back of his shirt. Hunter looked as if he was going to pummel Jack instead. Jack looked Hunter dead in his eyes.
“I fucking dare you.”
Jack stared Hunter down until he backed away, with his face beat red and a vein bulging out of his forehead. Hunter gave Jack a fearful glare as he grabbed another beer from the cooler. Even at the age of fourty-nine, Jack was not a guy that you wanted to cross.
***
Angie watched the whole scene with disgust as she gulped down the last of her beer.
“Rehabilitated, huh?! Yeah right!”
She chucked her beer can into the trash can as she made a beeline for the backdoor. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and slammed her bedroom door behind her. With an agitated click, the door locked as Angie sunk her weary bones onto her bed.
***
Jack was in a fit of rage as he pushed Tommy to Cole’s Jeep. Tristan, Blake and Shane were waiting inside. They turned wide-eyed with alarm when they saw Tommy’s face. There was blood everywhere. Jack pushed Tommy down into the back of the Jeep.
“You and I have a major problem,”
Similar Books
