Road to Absolution Read Online Free PDF Page A

too.”
    “Thanks.” I
relaxed a bit, not realizing until then that I’d been nervous. “It’s been a
really long time, you know?”
    “Well, it’s time
to get back on the horse then.”
    “Ha!” I
retorted.
    “I’ll see you in
a few hours.”
    I smiled.
“Sounds good. ’Bye.”
    “’Bye,” Dani
said, and hung up.
    I glanced around
my little apartment and shook my head. How different my life was compared to
how I had envisioned once upon a time. I had a really good job with a large
insurance company, which afforded Maverick and me the ability to rent a clean
but small two-bedroom apartment in Vancouver, Washington. We were finally
starting to break through the years of struggle when I wouldn’t have made it
without my parents’ help.
    Once my dad had
come to terms with my pregnancy, he became the best grandfather on the planet.
Carter had left the day after I’d told him and I never heard from him again. If
my parents heard any updates, they kept them from me, knowing I would have been
unable to deal.
    An unexpected
friendship with Carter’s older brother, Jaxon, had been a surprise, and he was
actually the one who helped me get settled in Vancouver. He was an FBI agent
and lived in Portland, so was close if I needed him. I rarely did and he kept
his distance, but he’d check in every now and then.
    I had lost all
contact with Aidan around the same time as Carter left and I have no idea if
either of them knew where I was or if they even cared. I guess for now, my
sadness was replaced most days with a sort of fog that at least meant I wasn’t
overwhelmed with thoughts of what could have been.
    “Mav, baby,
we’re going to a party tonight, so let’s get you showered.”
    “Aw, Mom, do I
have to?” he whined.
    “Yeah, buddy,
you have to. I don’t want people thinking I don’t know how to keep you clean
and fed.”
    “Can I just tell
them I’m a homeless kid you found on the street?”
    I nearly choked
on my intake of breath. Sometimes, he’d come out with these one-liners that
were far too funny and mature for a five-year-old. “Holy moly, kiddo, you need
to warn Mom when you’re going to make me laugh like that.”
    He smiled. “Does
that mean I can skip the shower?”
    “Nice try, but
no.”
    He grumbled
again.
    “Miss Harris, I mean,
Mrs. Carver will be there, so you want to look your best, right?”
    His face
brightened. “Yeah! She’s awesome.”
    “I know. I’ll
shower first, then you can while I put on my face.”
    Maverick
wrinkled his nose. “Your face is already on.”
    I giggled. “It’s
a figure of speech.”
    He shrugged and
went back to his drawing. He loved art. He always had. I suppose I shouldn’t
have been surprised, considering I’m technically artistic, but I was never able
to draw like that… I didn’t have the patience to sit in one place for long
enough.
    We arrived at
the Dogs of Fire compound just after seven. I was very lucky to have a
kid who was go-with-the-flow, considering I had more of a need for structure,
but he was just happy all the time. I couldn’t imagine my life without him, I
just wished sometimes he could have been Carter’s rather than Pierre’s.
    Dani met us at
the front door and scooped Maverick into a big hug. “How’s my favorite student?
I’m gonna miss you next year.”
    “I’ll visit,
Mrs. Carver,” he said.
    “I can’t wait.
Do you want to come see what they’re doing in the kids area? I think there’s a
video game battle happening.”
    “Can I, Mom?” he
asked, his face bright with hope.
    “Of course, bud.
Let’s go.”
    We made our way
through the kitchen and to an area at the back with a huge kids’ area and a
couple of older teenage girls who were on babysitting duty. They seemed pretty
solid and they were interacting with the kids, so I relaxed knowing Mav was in
good hands.
    “Ever since
Payton and I forced our way in, there’s always plenty of wine,” Dani said as
she pulled a bottle from the wine rack on