Theodore (Xavier's Hatchlings #2) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,18

his noodle if you ask me and doesn’t deserve anyone being nice to him. I’m sorry to say that, but it’s true.” MaryBeth had told her that was all right. She knew it as well. “Good. He’s going to be getting out the day after tomorrow. There are a few things I can tell you that I know for sure, but they can wait until later. We’re going to be leaving as soon as we can in the morning to get back home. You two take care of yourself. Please?”

Now here they were, waiting for Patrick to be brought into the room with them. She looked over at her grandsons. The two of them hadn’t acknowledged her at all, not a hug or even a look in her directions when she’d said hello to them. Stanley came to stand in front of her, almost as if he realized she was thinking of him.

“I want some money. Dad said you’d have some.” MaryBeth told him that wasn’t the way to ask for something. “Like I care. Give me some money so I can get me a pop to drink. Now.”

“I will not.” He jerked her purse from her, and she took it back. “What do you think you’re doing? You do not take my purse.”

Before she could put her purse behind her on the seat so he couldn’t get to it, he jerked it from her once again. This time he not only broke the strap, but he emptied the contents on the table where it had been. All she could think about was that had she had her gun with her, he might well have found it.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Pem jerked the purse from Stanley, put the things back in it, and did put it behind her. “Go back over there and—”

The slap to Pem’s face startled MaryBeth as much as it looked like it had Pem. Pem slapped the boy back, not only hard enough to leave a mark on his face, but he was knocked to the floor as well. The look he gave his aunt was enough to make her glad she’d not hit him as she’d wanted to. The child was evil. A terrible thing to say, but he was.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing hitting my child?” Caroline snatched up Stanley while he still glared at them. When she looked at Stanley, the red mark on his face was turning purplish even as his mother continued. “I’ll have your butt for this, Pem. See if I don’t. We don’t hit our children. We talk calmly to them and discuss what sort of behavior we condone or not.”

“That little fucker needs his ass beat. I don’t care for talking like that’s going to solve something when he takes things that don’t belong to him.” Pem looked at her. “Are you all right, Grandma? Did he hurt you?”

“Just scared me.” She looked at Theo as he stood behind them. “Honey, something is wrong with your husband. Look at him.”

All she did was reach out and touch her hand to his. The calmness that came over Theo was immediate and profound. Shaking himself, as if he were shaking off bad memories, he said he was all right now. Pem asked Theo if he was sure.

“Yes, I’m sure.” He leaned closer to her. “You have more strength than you did before, love. You might well have hit him with that. Not that I’m complaining, but just letting you know that the next time it comes to slapping the piss out of him, you should put more of your new powers behind it. That kid is going to be trouble.”

Patrick was brought in about then. He looked around the room as if he was looking for someone, then sat down. He looked over at her and nodded but didn’t speak to her, his own mother. MaryBeth didn’t bother asking him how he was either. The sooner they were able to get out of this place, the better she’d feel.

“Mrs. Black, I’m going to have to ask you to take your children out of here. There isn’t any reason for them to be witness to this, and I think they’ve caused enough trouble for one day.” The attorney for them, William Kasen, looked at her and smiled. “I’m sure you all wish to get this over with.”

“My children go where we are. If she’d not hit him, then things would have been just fine. I’m