Dark Guardian (Black Hoods MC #3) - Avelyn Paige Page 0,6
them so badly. Greg is one of the luckier ones since our chance meeting, but a part of me wants to advocate more for those like him. Between my own work, and volunteering at Greg’s shelter throughout the week to help support the attached soup kitchens serving line, my plate is already full. Yet, there has to be some way I can help them. I just have to find it.
My older apartment complex comes into view within ten minutes of leaving the shelter. The old brick contrasts against the new luxury apartments that continue to pop up in the historical district of Austin. Where families used to live in beautiful historic homes, younger couples and singles now dot the sidewalks, dressed in fancy clothes, carrying their coffee in one hand and their phones in the other.
As I park my car in my designated spot next to the entrance of my building, two younger women in skirts that leave zero to the imagination, and heels high enough to reach Heaven’s gates, trot by me toward a waiting Prius with a ride share logo in the back window a block away, their giggles echoing off the surrounding buildings.
“I miss the old neighborhood,” I murmur under my breath, walking up the stairs to the front entrance. My apartment is on the first floor of the building near the back. With most of my neighbors nearing Greg’s age, it’s quiet at night, which I love. Work is far from quiet, and the silence at home in the evenings is almost therapeutic.
Unlocking my door, I step inside and flick on the light switch to my left, flooding the apartment in a soft, warm glow. The small space I call home, with such historic charm, has exposed brick walls and original hardwood floors. They were the biggest draw when this apartment came up for sale in this building. And the close commute to work was a bonus.
Setting my keys and purse down on the entryway table, I utter, “Home sweet home.” Home sweet, lonely home is more like it. I’d considered over the years getting a pet, but it wouldn’t be fair to them with the hours I keep.
I head toward the kitchen when I catch my reflection in the mirror above the table. My dark hair lays in loose waves on either side of my round face, with little wisps of gray baby hairs dotting my hairline near my ears. My gray eyes behind my wire-frame glasses showcase my extreme exhaustion.
Sighing, I jump when my cell phone rings from inside my purse.
Retrieving it quickly, I answer, “Grace Halfpenny.”
“Hey, Grace,” the voice of my supervisor, Eric, comes through the line. “I’m sorry to call so late.”
“It’s okay. Is something wrong?” Please say no. I just got home and haven’t even taken off my shoes.
“Austin PD requested crisis prevention for a removal. Parent OD’d in the car outside of a Denny’s. I wouldn’t normally ask, but with Cindy out of the office…” he trails off.
“It’s fine. What’s the address?”
Rattling it off, he apologizes again before hanging up. Without even a second thought, I gather my things, take a deep breath, and step back out into the night’s air. No rest for the weary, right?
Judge
“I don’t have that,” I repeat, walking away from the others to gain a little privacy. I’ve been on the phone with the school’s secretary for almost ten minutes now, having this same conversation over and over again. The same one I’d had when I went to register them a few days before school started.
“Sir, we need to have the children’s birth certificates, transcriptions from their previous school, and vaccination records for their files. Surely you have them somewhere.”
Feeling my eye twitch, I clench the phone in my hand. I know she’s just doing her job, but how many ways can I say it? “Look, I don’t have them. I’ll work on getting replacements for your files, but those kids need to stay in school.”
“Of course.” From the sounds of it, she’s just as pissed off as I am. “I can let it go for now, as legally, we can’t keep them from enrolling in school,” she snaps, emphasizing the last word to reinforce the idea that this isn’t the end of it. “But please, keep me informed on where you’re at with attaining those documents.”
“Will do,” I growl, but the phone disconnects before I finish, making it painfully obvious I’ve been dismissed. Stupid bitch.
Before I have time to stew over being hung up