Jon's Harley, as detailed in this chapter, is from the season 2 episode "Wrong Side of the Tracks". This is the only time we see his motorcycle, oddly enough. Although the Harley-Davidson logo is covered up during the episode, the bike is clearly a Heritage Softail Classic Custom, either from 1990 or 1991.
Other than BMW episodes, referenced in this chapter are my short stories, A Boy and His (Teacher's) Motorcycle and Birthday Wishes and Valentine Kisses.
Thunder rumbled in the distance as spring storms rolled into the area. The little natural light that came through the small hospital window was now completely gone. Only the fuzzy illumination from the television mounted near the ceiling brightened the few feet in front of it.
Audrey sat at the end of Jon's bed, rubbing his feet as she tried to help him fall asleep. As exhausted as he was, he found it difficult to rest in a place he hated. He couldn't escape the feeling of walls closing in on him. Julia's way of helping him relax was to sit at his side and read aloud Fahrenheit 451, which her mother assigned to her for class. Maya sat in a chair on the other side of the bed with her pinkie linked with his.
Shawn stood just inside the door watching them. Maya, in particular, caught his attention. The young teen sat at an angle that only a fourteen-year-old could find comfortable. She leaned against the bed on one elbow with one leg tucked under her and the other askew over the narrow metal arm of the chair. In her lap was her phone playing a video. Long blonde curls nearly touched the screen as she bowed her head over the device. One arm crossed over in front of her. Absently, she tightened and loosened her grip on Jon's finger.
Shawn inhaled a deep breath at the sight.
She was one of them now.
Fully and completely.
Fear leaped up in him. He wasn't expecting this to happen now. His relationship with her mother, whatever it was, had stagnated, and he still had no idea if it could progress. But he knew somehow this was the way things would be from now on: Jon, Audrey, Julia, Grayson, Jamie, Bella, the new baby, and Maya.
She was forever a part of his world.
The thought rattled him. It wasn't that he didn't want her to be a part of his life. He just wasn't sure how to navigate things in a way that ensured she knew she was important and loved if he and Katy ended up creating families with other people.
Loved.
When did love come into the equation?He sighed to himself as he ran his hands over his face and through his hair.
As he leaned against the door frame, a strange sensation emanated from his right. When he looked in that direction, it didn't surprise him to see Audrey watching him. As always, she knew he needed to talk to her. Without a word, she gently put Jon's sock on his foot and gave him a loving squeeze before she tucked the blanket snuggly around him.
"What is it, honey?" she asked as they stepped into the hall.
Shawn pressed his lips together as he thought about how to phrase his response. He couldn't come out and tell her about the email because he couldn't tell her about the app just yet. "Have you checked Dad's emails at all?"
Audrey shook her head. "No. Why?"
He hesitated. "Just in case there are any loose ends with this stuff goin' on in the schools."
She looked over at her husband as she reached into the back pocket of her jeans. "Would you look through it?" she asked, handing him her phone. "I can't deal with it right now."
"Okay," he said in surprise. He didn't expect her to hand over her phone. There was a look in her eyes that he couldn't describe, but it left him with the uneasy feeling she knew he knew something about the emails.
Shawn took her phone and turned towards the door. Because Audrey had acted as Jon's secretary in the past, he had put the District email app on her phone for easy access. He scrolled the emails slowly, as though he didn't already know what was there. There was a new email from the DOE that looked like it could be important, and he flagged it for her to look at. There were no other pressing emails, so he pulled up the important one and walked over to her.
"Anything?" she asked quietly. Jon looked as though he might drift off at any moment.
"There's one from the DOE I think you should look at."
She rolled her eyes and nodded.
"And this one." He handed the phone back to her.
Audrey's eyes went wide when she saw the name, then narrowed as she read the message. She pursed her lips together into a tight line, then looked up at him with a dark look in her eyes. "I'll take care of it."
Shawn nodded, relieved that Katherine's email was taken care of. He walked over to the couch and settled into it, laying his head back against the windowsill, suddenly tired. So tired he was afraid of falling asleep when there was still so much of the day left.
Time passed by and he woke abruptly. Julia was now sitting next to him, with Maya leaning against her. Audrey was at Jon's side, quietly talking to him. Shawn glanced at his watch and then whispered to the girls, "It's time to go."
They nodded and stood up with him.
Audrey went over the to-do list with him one last time, and he jotted notes as she talked. The girls hugged and kissed them both. Maya almost burst into tears when her "granddad", after she kissed his cheek, told her he loved her.
The blonde nurse headed towards them as they stepped out into the hall. She was towing a cart that held a large bowl of water, soap, sponges, and a towel. She gave them a cheery smile and waved as though happy to see them finally leave.
The cart caught Julia's attention. The contents looked like something she'd find in the nursery at home. "What's that about?" she asked Shawn. "Looks like she's gonna bathe a baby."
Maya's eyes went wide with panic. "Isn't it too early for the baby? Shawn, is there something wrong with Aunt Audrey?"
"No, no," he reassured her. Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, he said, "It's for Dad."
Maya made a face. "Why?"
He shrugged. "Hospitals like to keep their patients clean."
"Well, that's a stupid way to do it," Julia pointed out. "There's a shower right in his room."
"I guess Dad hasn't been cleared to shower on his own."
Before either girl could respond, a low rumble of upset voices came through the space where the door had not been fully closed. The noise rose until the words became clear- Audrey was not approving of the bath for Jon and the nurse wanted her out of the room.
"Oh, man," Shawn grinned as he realized what was going on. Jon was apparently getting the fight he wanted. "I hope Dad's filmin' this."
The girls gave him curious looks.
The door to Jon's room suddenly slid open so hard Shawn worried the glass would shatter. The nurse stormed out of the room in a rage, demanding that the attending physician be put on the phone. Her anger blew out in a storm so colorful that Shawn instinctively put a hand over each girls' ear and pressed the other ear into his shoulders so they couldn't hear.
The nurse in her fury was so intimidating, he decided to stay put for the moment. He didn't want to walk the girls by her, and she was blocking the only exit. The attending physician came into the ward a few minutes later and followed the nurse into Jon's room. Curiosity kept Shawn at the door with the girls' hearing still muffled.
About five minutes after they went in, they came out. The doctor closed the door firmly behind him while the nurse complained to him that, LPN or not, someone not employed by the hospital should not oversee a patient's care in any way. The doctor chastised her saying a bath was unnecessary for a patient who was admitted for less than 24 hours and was being discharged the next morning under the care of that nurse who didn't work for the hospital.
"So, where's the cart?" Maya asked, having missed the significance of the nurse's removal from the room.
Julia shrugged as she pulled away from her brother's grip.
Shawn leaned his head against the glass door, thoroughly enjoying the situation. He could hear Jon's laughter and Audrey's unhappy grumbling. "I just hope we don't have to bail Mom outta jail before we leave tomorrow."
The girls exchanged amused looks as they grabbed Shawn's hands and followed him out of the ward.
When they made it home, Julia unconsciously did what she always did when she got home from a stressful day- she made a beeline to her room to get away from everyone.
She didn't make it far when she became aware of the strange stillness of the house. Living in a home with so many people was chaotic, and it was often very hard to find privacy when younger siblings thought the word meant "attach yourself to me forever". In these times, Julia often longed to be home alone so she could do whatever she wanted without interruption. However, she did not realize that alone had a feeling attached to it and that feeling was an unpleasant one.
She wasn't aware of where Shawn and Maya were as she dragged herself through the house. The stillness was troubling. She passed by the kitchen, where the lack of warmth and food cooking triggered a deep longing for her mother. As she made her way up the stairs to the bedroom hallway, she caught herself straining to hear the familiar comforting sounds of her brothers fighting.
Only silence greeted her. The house was cold and unfamiliar.
She opened the door to her bedroom and inhaled a shaky breath, realizing that although Maya would sleep in her room with her and Shawn would be just down the hall, she would be otherwise alone. Her brothers would not try to sneak into her room after she went to bed and write on her face with permanent markers or put slime in her hair. Bella would not be waking her up to get into bed with her. Worst of all, her parents' bedroom would be empty for the first time in her life.
For all her complaining about wanting to get away and move out, Julia realized she never wanted to be alone again, and that chaos was better than this. Suddenly, she wished she were at her aunt and uncle's house with her siblings. She missed them and their craziness in a way she couldn't explain.
Maya joined her in her room at some point, but Julia, lost in her thoughts, didn't hear her come in. When she did notice her, Maya was lying on the bed her father set up for her, playing a game on her phone. Julia sighed and walked over to join her, giving her a push to move over so she had room to sit down.
Before Maya came to stay with them, Julia didn't know her well since she never saw her apart from Riley and she didn't enjoy hanging out with the younger girl. While she loved her cousin, she didn't always like her. Riley was often domineering in her overly saccharine approach to life, and it was very annoying. Since Maya did whatever Riley did, Julia thought she was the same way.
After she was with them for a while, it surprised Julia that Maya was very different away from Riley. Her attitude was more serious and mature. She saw life for what it was, although at times she went too far to the dark side, particularly when it came to things like fathers, family, and self-esteem.
Julia found it easy to talk to Maya, and they had quite a few things in common. Riley always struck Julia as much younger than her years, but with Maya, the distance between fourteen and fifteen wasn't so big.
With Shawn frequently engaged in other things lately, Julia was thankful to have Maya around and having her with her now made the pain of missing her family a little easier to bear.
With the house almost empty, it surprised Maya that Julia didn't mind her hanging around. She thought the older girl might want her room to herself. She was happy that she didn't because she didn't want to be alone.
Uncle Jon's hospitalization scared her much more than she would admit to anyone. She knew Julia and Shawn were stressed out over the situation and she didn't want them to feel like they had to worry about her too. Truthfully, however, she was afraid. Up until that morning, she believed that nothing bad could happen to him- he was Shawn's father. He and Shawn had a lot of things left to do together. Then there was the new baby and…
Her.
It was on the drive home that Maya realized she was once again living in the world Riley created for her and not the real one. Riley was the one who said happily ever after had to happen to her because it happened to Shawn. When Maya questioned her about how things actually turned out for Shawn, Riley was unbothered by facts. According to her best friend, Maya's life would differ from Shawn's just because. That was her reasoning- just because. Riley told her she was destined to have happily married parents, siblings, and grandparents in a loving marriage. Life would be beautiful because Riley willed it so.
It was a beautiful lie.
A lie so beautiful, sparkly, and wonderful that Maya willingly sank her teeth deep into it and let it consume her.
But life wasn't so beautiful.
She nearly lost her grandfather before she had the chance to get to know him. If that had happened, Shawn would disappear; there was no way her life could turn out right if his fell apart.
Maya's thoughts drifted to Riley's family. Uncle Jon wasn't the only one not doing well. Mr. Matthews was on a crash course to the same place if something didn't change for him. She couldn't understand why Riley didn't see what was happening to her father. Farkle did. Zay did. Lucas, who could be as naïve as Riley, saw it. Even Smackle, who attended a different school, saw it.
Riley truly believed nothing bad could happen to her father. Unlike Maya, Riley liked to believe beautiful lies. One day, Maya knew, something was going to happen and shatter Riley's world.
She sighed heavily as she scrolled through the files on her phone, determined to be there for her best friend when the pebble cracked the glass around her world. She wouldn't let Riley fall alone.
Tears blurred her sight as she scrolled, irritating her immensely. She didn't want Julia to see and worry. As she reached to wipe the tears away, her thumb hit a file on her phone and a video popped up.
"This is what you call a history lesson, Mr. Matthews? You're supposed to be teaching 8th grade, not pre-school. This is incoherent nonsense. Your worst student could teach better than you! I have never seen such an incompetent idiot allowed to teach!"
Julia looked at her sharply. "What is that?"
Maya jumped slightly and dropped her phone on the bed. Julia grabbed it and watched the video. "This is Uncle Cory's class?"
"Yeah, a couple of weeks ago."
Julia pushed her lips together in an anxious line. "This all you got?"
The younger teen shook her head. "I've got more, but I lost some footage and haven't been able to record more."
"Why not?"
"Cheap Amazon cable blew out," she explained, huffing her bangs out of her eyes. "I've been charging my phone at Riley's and can't run the battery down during the day in case I don't get to her place. Haven't had a regular charger 'til I got here."
Julia, still watching Maya's video, took out her phone, scrolled through it, and handed it to Maya. "Check this out."
Maya watched in shock at the abuse Julia endured from one of the new teachers. "Whoa, Jules," she breathed. "I'm surprised you were able to get any video. She's circling you like a vulture circling roadkill."
Julia made a face at the analogy. "I didn't take it. Dre got this and a lot more."
Maya gave her a curious look. "After my charging cable went out, Farkle came up with a way to stream footage during class."
Julia stared at her. She looked impressed. "Seriously?"
Maya nodded.
"Where's it streamin' to?"
"Cloud storage."
Julia was silent for a moment, then said. "You tell Shawn yet?"
Maya shot her a guilty look. "No. You?"
Julia shook her head.
"Is he gonna be mad at us for not showing him this stuff?"
She shrugged. "He can't be too mad. He's got an illegal app on Daddy's phone."
The girls exchanged concerned looks as they got off the bed and headed downstairs to see Shawn.
"So, you've had these how long?"
Shawn stood next to the kitchen island with the girls' phones in front of him. He leaned against the counter with a grim look on his face.
The girls looked at each other. Julia gave Maya a slight nod and stepped forward. Being the oldest, it was her responsibility to take whatever came their way as a result of not giving Shawn the videos sooner. "Since the first day these people took over."
"Uh-huh." Shawn placed the phones side by side and let the videos play simultaneously. "It never occurred to either of you to tell me about these?"
"Not when it was convenient to tell you," Julia said.
Shawn gave her an exasperated look that reminded her very much of their father.
"We're sorry," she said. She elbowed Maya in the ribs and the younger girl echoed her contrition.
Shawn waved off the apology. "Can't worry about that now. Maya, you said Farkle was streamin' this to a cloud?"
"Yeah."
"Where's the camera?"
"I don't know. I just know he uses his phone to start recording."
"I need to talk to this kid," he mumbled, running a hand over his beard.
"He's with his parents in the Poconos for break."
"Of course," Shawn muttered under his breath. He and Farkle's father hadn't spoken since high school so it wasn't like he could text him for a meeting with his kid.
Julia rocked back on her heels, looking concerned. "Are you gonna tell Daddy?"
He sighed and shook his head. "Not right now. He can't handle it." He looked up and gave her a severe look. "But I've got to, eventually."
Before Topanga does, he reminded himself.
"Right now, I wanna make as many copies of these videos as possible." Shawn pulled out his phone and started working on something the girls couldn't see. After a while, he looked up and told them, "Julia, I need the videos Dre has."
"Dre's uploadin' to the cloud, too. I'll share the link with you." She grabbed her phone from the counter and pulled up her email.
"Farkle gave me access to his cloud, too," Maya offered, taking her phone as well.
"I'll need the link."
While waiting for the emails to arrive, Shawn turned and trotted upstairs with the girls on his heels. In his room, he turned on his laptop and opened several windows. Julia and Maya sat on Cory's bed and waited.
When he was set up, he motioned for them to come to his desk. The girls got up and stood behind him.
"I don't trust that these people won't figure out they're being recorded. So, this is what we're gonna do," he told them, pointing to the screen. "I'm downloadin' all these videos, and I'm puttin' them on an external hard drive.
"Maya, get a hold of Farkle and tell him to get rid of the camera as soon as he can. Julia, text Dre. Tell him what's goin' on and that I want him to do the same.
"I'm also gonna buy you both two external hard drives and I want copies of the videos on them. Then hide them somewhere. One here and one in Philly. I'm gonna hide mine, too."
"Isn't this a little extreme?" Maya asked worriedly. Somehow, the subterfuge that seemed so enticing in movies was much less romantic in real life. And just a little bit scary.
"I hope it is," he said, watching the progress bar of the downloads.
This remark caused Julia to pause. "Shawn, do you know somethin' that you aren't tellin' us?" she asked.
He gave her a sidelong glance. She knew he did, so he nodded.
"What is it?"
"It's not somethin' you need to worry about, okay? I'm gonna tell Mom and Dad as soon as I can."
Julia didn't like being kept in the dark, but with everything falling apart around her, she didn't argue.
Shawn swiveled in the chair. "You guys have your own cloud account, right?"
They nodded.
"Copy the files there, too."
"That's gonna take a long time." Maya leaned over his desk, resting her elbows near the laptop. She shot him a worried look. "What if we don't get this done before tomorrow?"
Shawn considered this. "We'll do what we can. I'm gonna get everythin' on the laptop tonight. We can always do the hard drives in Philly."
Pulling up his browser to go to an online store to order hard drives, he ran his hand over his beard anxiously.
It's probably a good idea to get this into the hands of a lawyer, he thought.
He made a note on his phone to make Topanga copies.
With the evidence against the educators downloading, Shawn went downstairs with the girls to start dinner.
When he lived on his own, he rarely ever turned on a stove or kept anything in the house other than non-perishable snacks. This was largely due to his transient lifestyle. However, there was a part of him that avoided cooking, not because he couldn't, but because it reminded him too much of what he so desperately missed: Audrey and Jon.
Because of Audrey he could not only cook and bake, but he was also very good at it. However, those skills stagnated in the past just like so much of his life had. It was only when he returned to Jon's apartment in Philadelphia that he ever put those skills to work. If he was back at the apartment, then he was in the right headspace to remember Audrey and what she taught him. In those moments, he could let himself go back to the past and have one more meal with his beloved teachers.
Opening the refrigerator door, he saw his mother's neatly arranged glass containers of food: sloppy joes made from scratch, corn on the cob, and potatoes salad with brownies for dessert.
Shawn took the food out of the refrigerator and set it on the counter. Without being asked, the girls set the table as he reheated the food. There wasn't much to fixing dinner as Audrey had accounted for everything.
They sat down to eat together, and he was pretty pleased they had made it this far without anything happening. It was only as they went to divide up the brownies that Shawn realized they spent the entire meal in the dark. He shook his head and chuckled, as he could imagine that Audrey would have had a thing or two to say about that. Jon probably wouldn't have noticed or cared.
The girls were quiet as they cleaned up the kitchen together. He asked them to check each room and see if there was anything that needed to be straightened up before the morning. Julia and Maya did as they were asked, holding onto each other as they inspected each room.
Shawn sighed. He needed to do something to get their mind off Jon and the hospital.
"Let's play a game," he said when they reentered the kitchen.
Maya and Julia exchanged looks and shrugged.
In the family room, Shawn chose Uno, a game he loved to play despite its ability to ruin relationships. It was a game he often played with Jon and Audrey as a teen and a game he played with his friends when they planned his 15th birthday party at Audrey's place. That might actually have been the last time he played the card game.
Uno lived up to its reputation and before long the girls and Shawn were at each other's throats arguing about the rules of the game and who was breaking them. Just as things were about to get serious, Shawn's phone went off.
It was Audrey.
Leaving the girls to fight it out, Shawn moved to a quieter place.
"Mama? What's up?"
"I wanted to check in," she said quietly. "How're things going?"
Shawn walked back to the door of the family room and held the phone out.
"Uno?" she asked when he put the phone back to his ear.
"I thought we could use the distraction."
"Just make sure no one gets injured."
Shawn laughed. "How's Dad?"
"Exhausted. I finally got him to sleep, but he isn't resting. Those nurses keep waking him up. I blocked the door so they can't get in. I'm hoping to buy him a few uninterrupted hours."
Shawn couldn't tell if she was serious or not. He was afraid she was.
At his lack of response, Audrey started to laugh softly. "I'm kidding, Shawn. I actually spoke to the attending physician and asked if Jon could get some sleep since we're traveling tomorrow. I'm keeping the records for the next few hours."
"You're puttin' that license to work already, huh?" he teased her gently.
"After all the money I've spent to keep it current, you better believe it. How are the girls?"
"Worried." An indignant shriek came from the family room, but Shawn couldn't tell who it was. "Or they were."
"I'm glad they're distracted," she sighed wearily. "Listen, Shawn, Angelo is going to come by the house tonight."
Shawn froze, uncertain he heard her correctly. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, I know he helped Dad and everythin' but comin' to the house?"
"I'm sure, Shawn," she said undoubtedly. "I know Angelo's history, but with everything that's been going on, I do not want you and the girls to be alone. He's going to stay the night."
Stay the night?
He started to protest that he was capable of taking care of them when Audrey continued, "You need to sleep as much as possible for tomorrow. You have to rest, Shawn. Especially if you're taking the bike to Philly."
Shawn could tell by the tone of her voice that she was still unhappy with this plan.
"If you're sure," he said hesitantly.
"I am," she said firmly. "Jon's waking up again-I need to go. I promise I'll explain about Angelo when we get to Philly."
"Okay."
"I'll call the girls later to say good night. Love you, hun."
"Love you, too, Mama."
The idea of Angelo staying the night in the same house with the girls filled him with trepidation. From all the information he had on the man, Angelo was dangerous. Even his sister said so.
Why is Mom so willin' to let him stay?
She would never put her children in harm's way. What was Angelo protecting them from? Or whom?
Apparently, he was either going to have to wait for Audrey to tell him or he was going to have to confront Angelo tonight.
Around 9 pm, Shawn shut the Uno game down. He instructed the girls to get ready for bed. Not surprisingly, they protested such an early bedtime, but he told them there was a long day ahead of them and they needed sleep.
He did not tell them about Angelo.
While Maya and Julia got ready, Shawn stood in the hallway outside of their bathroom, worrying about sleeping arrangements. He didn't like the idea of the girls sleeping in a separate bedroom where he couldn't see them with Angelo in the house. He preferred that they all be together, but the bedrooms were too small to accommodate another person and sleeping on the floor wasn't doable. They all had to sleep comfortably.
Where do Cory and his family sleep when they stay over? he wondered. Then he remembered, in the family room on the air mattresses.
That was the solution. With everyone in the family room, there would be plenty of room and he could lock them in. And hopefully, no one would need to use the bathroom during the night.
Julia changed into her pajamas before Maya did and joined him in the family room. She sat on the arm of the couch and regarded him curiously.
"What are you doin'?"
Shawn spread a sheet over one of the mattresses. "I thought we'd all sleep in here tonight."
She twitched her nose. "You afraid of the dark or somethin'?"
Abrupt laughter burst out of him. How many times had he said something similar to Jon when he was a teen?
"Yeah, sure," he shook his head with a smile. "Or somethin'."
Julia grabbed hold of the sheet and helped him tuck it under the bed. "I'm kinda glad we're stayin' together," she admitted.
"Yeah?"
She nodded and moved onto the next bed with him.
As much as he didn't want the girls to know about Angelo, he figured it would be worse to have the man in the house and them be unaware of it. "Listen, Jules. Mom is sendin' a friend over to watch the house tonight."
Julia let go of the comforter and studied him with wide gray eyes. "Is it Angelo?"
It surprised Shawn she knew the name. "You know him?"
"Mom and Daddy have mentioned him. He was a friend of Daddy's when he was my age."
"You ever meet him?"
She shook her head. "Daddy says he does drugs, and he isn't supposed to be around us."
Well, that's encouragin', he thought dismally.
"Well, Mom says he's stayin' tonight."
Julia didn't seem upset by this. "It's probably because of the break-in. Angelo knows a lot of people on the street. Daddy says if Angelo was a hockey player, he'd be an old school enforcer. We'll be safe."
Somehow that idea left Shawn even more troubled than before.
Maya joined them and promptly jumped on the bed they were in the middle of making up. Shawn shook his head, pretended to be annoyed, and tossed the blanket over her. Maya responded by launching a pillow at him. He let the ensuing fight go on for a while, then quieted the girls down. He informed Maya of their overnight guest with strict instructions that the girls were not to go near Angelo for any reason.
Then he picked a random DVD, put it in the player, and turned off the lights. In a short time, the girls grew drowsy. With the movie still playing, Shawn left the room, shut the door behind him, and went downstairs to wait for the Boogeyman.
10:15 pm.
If Angelo was going to show up, Shawn wished he would hurry. The stress of the day was rapidly catching up to him and he didn't want to meet the man at his weakest point.
10:25 pm.
A crack of thunder shook the house and lightning illuminated the room he was in. Shawn rubbed his face with his hands and sighed. Of course, a spring storm would pop up tonight.
Another flash of lightning cracked through the sky. As the thunder subsided, the doorbell rang. Cautiously, Shawn approached the front door. He pushed the curtain of the narrow window to the right of the door to the side just enough so he could see out. It was dark. The porch lamps were no match against the stormy night; darkness swallowed any light they cast.
Lightning tore through the sky once again. In its radiance, he could see the shadow of the Boogeyman at his door.
Everything within him screamed to leave the man out in the night. He could not understand why Audrey wanted Angelo here with everything she knew about him. And he knew she knew much more than he did. With all the stress and fear she was under, he worried that her judgement might not be the best.
But still she told him to let him in. No matter how he felt, he couldn't go against her. Shawn took a deep breath, turned on the hall lights, and, against his better judgement, opened the door.
The Boogeyman, Angelo, stared at him with unblinking eyes and an expressionless face. Although he wore a thin plastic raincoat with a hood pulled over his hat, rain drops still managed to reach his face, dripping just below his eyes, making it look like he'd been crying. His broad shoulders slumped over slightly as he protected himself from the weather by putting his hands in his pockets.
Shawn remembered him being a hulk of a man when he was a kid and was dismayed to realize that nothing had changed. A feeling of caution wrapped around him as he struggled with what to do. Angelo sensed his uncertainty and pushed the hood and hat off his head.
"How's everythin', Shawn?" he asked.
"Okay," he responded warily. Every nerve was on edge as he studied the man in front of him.
"Audrey sent me."
"I know."
"I don't blame yous fer not bein' happy to see me, Shawn."
Shawn squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. "C'mon. It's cold out."
Angelo nodded, bowed his head, and walked into the house.
The feeling of uneasiness increased as Shawn shut and locked the door. He made sure not to turn his back on the man.
Angelo took off his raincoat, folded it up, and shoved it into his back pocket. Then he took his shoes off and left them by the door. He stood in the hallway and surveyed the surrounding area. "You check the windows?" he asked Shawn without looking at him.
"Huh?" Shawn regarded him with confusion.
"The windows," Angelo said. "Have you checked to make sure they're locked?"
"They haven't been unlocked."
"Best to check."
Shawn wasn't comfortable letting the man roam the house unattended. As he watched Angelo check the downstairs windows, he texted Julia to see if she was still awake.
There was no response.
Angelo's check of the windows and doors was not limited to making sure they were locked. He meticulously went over the frames and how everything opened and closed. To Shawn it looked like he was checking to see if an entryway was propped opened somehow. When he finished, he turned to the younger man and said gruffly, "Set the alarm."
Angelo's deep smoker's voice startled Shawn from his observations. He nodded curtly and went to the panel by the garage door. After Angelo was satisfied the door was secured, Shawn set the alarm, keeping one eye on the man.
When he was done with the lower levels of the house, Angelo wanted to move upstairs. Instinctively, Shawn blocked him from the staircase leading to the bedrooms.
Angelo didn't seem surprised by this move. He stared at Shawn with cold eyes, a hard gaze he'd used before on many on the streets to make them cower. The younger man raised his chin and did not flinch. Angelo looked him over, then gave him a slight approving nod.
"The girls are upstairs, ain't they?" He stated flatly.
Shawn didn't say anything.
Angelo hid a smile. "A long time ago I stayed here. Back before Audrey was born. I don't remembah the layout of the house anymore, except I think the bedrooms are upstairs."
Shawn crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't want you here," he said bluntly.
The older man held his gaze, then dropped his eyes and released the tough stance. "I don't blame yous, kid."
The younger man was unmoved.
"Do you remembah the first time we met?"
"Do you?"
Angelo gave a brusque laugh, then answered honestly, "No. But Audrey and Jon have both told me 'bout it. Told me I thought Aud was your mom. Couldn't figure out how a 20-year-old had a 14-year-old kid."
Shawn remembered the meeting. He remembered he couldn't believe that Angelo was anywhere close to Jon's age then, and he couldn't believe it now. He shifted his stance and squared his jaw as he remembered something else from that first meeting. "You said you were four years clean then."
"Did I?" Angelo shrugged. "I was probably lyin'."
"You clean now?"
He's Jon's kid all right, Angelo thought in admiration.
"Two weeks out."
Shawn folded his arms over his chest and gave the man a hard stare. Two weeks wasn't enough, as far as he was concerned. Thirty days was the minimum.
"You have questions," Angelo told him.
The younger man was taken aback. "What makes you say that?"
A ghost of a smile tugged at the man's lips. "You're Audrey's kid. You must have 'em. She always does."
Shawn dismissed the flattery. He didn't want to get distracted. "Why have you been followin' my family?"
Angelo sucked in his breath sharply. "And there's the Jon side of you- startin' with the heavy hitter." He saw the look on Shawn's face and relaxed his stance again. "I've been followin' yous to keep yous safe."
"From what?" There was a sharp skepticism in Shawn's voice.
Angelo shook his head, refusing to answer.
"Not good enough." Without thinking, Shawn stepped toward the man as though he was going to move him away from the stairs. He checked up when he realized what he was doing. There was no way he could move Angelo, but Angelo could certainly move him.
The man ignored his advance and tipped his head to the side. "What do yous know about Jonny's past?"
Shawn shook his head. "I asked you a question first."
"How you answer mine tells me if I can answer yours."
He hesitated, uncertain of how to respond. "I don't," he admitted. "I just have bits and pieces of things that don't make sense."
"Yeah, I figured he wouldn't tell yous." Angelo glanced at Shawn and gave him a tight smile. "Doesn't want yous disappointed with him."
"What happened?" Shawn blurted out, curiosity getting the better of him. "I know Mom knows. It can't be that bad."
Angelo regarded him with a sad expression. "Are yous an open book, Shawn?" he asked quietly. "Have yous told that little blonde who adores you everythin' about your past?"
Shawn stared at him and didn't answer.
"Would you?" he challenged. "Or are there things you'd rather she not know?"
Shawn looked away from him, unintentionally answering by doing so. Angelo took a deep breath and said, "I promised Jonny I wouldn't tell yous."
"Fine," he grumbled. He frowned, then said, "I appreciate you bein' around and helpin' Dad and me. I needed you there."
Angelo nodded his acceptance of the gratitude. "Even so, yous still like me tah go. If I ain't told Audrey I'd stick around, I'd go, Shawn. I know yous don't like me."
"I don't like what I've heard about you."
"Care to hear my side?"
Shawn shrugged. "No offense, but I have a hard time believin' what an addict says. Grew up with one."
"Your bio dad."
His eyes narrowed. "How'd you know?"
"Doesn't matter."
"Tell me."
Angelo sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Can we sits somewhere? I'm runnin' on just a couple hours of sleep 'ere and I gots a house to watch tonight."
Shawn nodded and followed behind the man, making sure he didn't try to sneak upstairs. Angelo dropped heavily onto the couch. Shawn sat on the coffee table in front of him and put his hands on his knees. Deciding to go for questions the man might actually answer, he asked, "How do you know my parents? When we met at John's you said your mom and sister used to babysit my mom. Is that how you met Dad? Through Pops?"
Angelo nodded. "More or less."
"So how'd you meet Dad?"
"My old man took off when I was twelve. Things got real hard on my mom takin' care of four kids with no work experience. She didn't have much education eithah. Women stayed at home in those days, ya know? I was the man of the house, had to take care of 'em." Angelo looked at him with a blank expression. "Jonny ever talk about New York in the 70s?"
Shawn nodded. "Some."
"It was a different time, kid. Real different. All the trouble in the world at your fingertips and all yous had to do was walk outta the door and turn the cornah," he rubbed his calloused hands together brusquely. "My older sistah was datin' a thirty-four-year-old when she was sixteen. No one thought much about it."
Angelo shifted uncomfortably before continuing, "How's a twelve-year-old gonna make dough? Drugs are everywhere and easy tah sell."
"You sold drugs at twelve?" Shawn was beginning to think he was making things up. Chet always did.
"Thirteen," he sighed. "Made good dough. Lied to mom about where it came from, ya know? Couldn't tell her the truth. She was so desperate she didn't start askin' questions 'til it was too late. When cops started crackin' down on the dealahs, we had to get creative. Bein' a kid helped to push the drugs and avoid the law, but ya gotta grows up, right?"
He shifted uncomfortably. Shawn could tell he was having a hard time getting his words out.
"You heard of Dustin Crowley?"
Shawn nodded.
"When Dustin came along, I was no longah a cute kid but a sixteen-year-old addicted to my own product. This cocky, rich kid from Connecticut wanted tah experience gang life. I knew my way around the streets, had my reputation, so I set him up to take over a dyin' gang. I made it safe for Dustin and his rich cronies to drift in and out as they pleased in exchange for money and drugs. Dustin found the drug business intoxicatin'. From there, things grew out of control.
"I wasn't in school much- I was a terrible student and a bad kid who was high all the time. Audrey's mom was my English teachah and my mom met her at a conference about my behavior in her class. That's how my family became friends with yours."
"How'd you meet my dad?"
"Through Richie. He was tryin' to get me clean. Jonny followed Richie around like he was Supahman or somethin'." Angelo looked up at him and smirked. "A lot like how the little blonde follows you around. He was lost and lonely. Didn't take much to convince him to hang out with me. I liked Jonny and want to protect him from the streets. But as much as I liked him I also hated him."
Shawn's surprise registered as a physical sitting up straight and pulling back from the man.
Angelo dropped his eyes. "I was jealous of Jonny. Everythin' came easy to him. He had the looks, the personality, that smile. And he was Richie's favorite."
He put a hand against his chest as though he was reaching for something. Holding his hand like he was holding something, tapped it against the other hand.
Shawn recognized the gesture. "You don't smoke anymore?"
Angelo gave him a morose smile. "Only addiction I've evah been able to kick."
Shawn nodded. "What happened to you and my dad?"
"I introduced him to Dustin. Richie about killed me for that."
"And?"
"Jonny got out," he said simply. "Richie made sure of it. He made sure Jonny got free of us, free of his past, and pushed him into his future."
I wouldn't say he's free of his past, Shawn thought darkly.
"I went the opposite way, obviously. Got deepah in the drugs. Bounced back and forth between the streets, rehab, and jail. Did prison a few times too."
Shawn considered he was telling the truth. "What's the longest you've been clean?"
"Almost had four years until nine months ago."
Nine months? Shawn frowned. Somethin' else happened nine months ago… What was it?
He couldn't remember, but he did recall something else. "You've been followin' us."
"Yeah."
"Then you were the one who took the newspaper from me."
Angelo glanced at him, then looked away. He said nothing.
"Why?"
"There are some things you aren't ready to know."
"Not exactly your decision to make,' Shawn snapped.
"I didn't do it for yous." Angelo stood up abruptly and looked towards the front door. "How's your back, by the way?"
"Still healin'," he said, standing with him. "But okay."
"Sorry about that, kid," Angelo said sincerely. "I didn't realize yous was so close behind me."
Shawn nodded and shrugged.
"I need to check the upstairs."
He let the man go but stayed as close as a shadow. Angelo meticulously checked the upstairs like he did the lower level. The last room to check was the family room.
"Just a minute," Shawn said, indicating that he wanted him to stay in the hallway.
Angelo held his hands up in compliance.
Shawn stepped into the room. Julia and Maya were asleep. Their beds were near the television cabinet opposite the wall with the windows. The man in the hall would have no reason to go near them. He turned back to the hall and let him into the room.
Angelo stepped inside, glanced at the girls, and went about his business, using the light from his phone to check the windows. Once he was done, Shawn quickly ushered him out and shut the door behind them.
He studied the younger man's face for a moment. The kid didn't trust him. Instead of being offended, Angelo was proud of Shawn for being so cautious about who he let around his family. If he didn't know better, he would have thought Shawn was Jon's biological son. It was incredible how much like him he was with all the years they had been separated.
"I'll sleep in the garage," he offered to alleviate some of the stress his presence caused the younger man.
Shawn pursed his lips, then shook his head. Audrey wouldn't like that. "No. It's cold, and the garage isn't heated. There's a room in the basement near the heater. I've got another mattress I can set up."
"Thanks, kid." Angelo followed Shawn, careful to defer to his head of household status.
As Shawn set up in the basement bedroom, he resisted giving Jon's friend the bare minimum. Audrey wouldn't do that. She would make the room comfortable and offer him something to eat. So, he did what she would do.
He let Angelo settle into the room while he quickly went into the kitchen to reheat the leftovers from earlier. Leaving the man unattended for just a few minutes made him so uneasy he found himself dancing around the kitchen as though that would somehow hurry time.
Angelo was sitting on the edge of the air mattress when Shawn returned. "I appreciate this," he said as he accepted the plate of dinner from him. "I haven't had Aud's cookin' in years."
Shawn nodded, stifling a yawn.
"Why don't you go tah bed? You've got a long day ahead of you tomorrow."
"Yeah, guess I should." Shawn hesitated, then left the room with a curt goodnight. He still wasn't comfortable with a drug addict having access to the house. He thought about locking the door, but he didn't think Audrey would like him leaving the man without access to a bathroom. He turned on his heel and jogged upstairs to the family room.
The door at the top of the stairs was a double door that could be locked. Shawn secured the doors but, having once been adept at picking locks, he knew the basic latch would do little against someone who really wanted to get in. In Jon and Audrey's bedroom, he knew there was a cedar hope chest at the foot of their bed. He went to retrieve it and found the chest was heavier than he expected, which was good for what he wanted it for. He pushed the chest down the hall and positioned it against the locked doors. If nothing else, it would slow down anyone trying to get through and wake him up.
Once back in the family room, Shawn locked the doors and pulled his bed over to the door. If either of the girls left to use the bathroom, they would have to step over him. He was a light enough sleeper that it would wake him. Having done as much as he could, he settled into bed, not sure he'd be able to sleep at all. As his head hit the pillow, a heavy drowsiness consumed him.
He didn't wake up until Julia shook him awake the next morning, saying he slept through the alarm.
Shawn was more than a little dismayed to find Angelo was gone by the time he made it downstairs. He'd vanished at some point in the early hours of the day, leaving the basement room looking as though no one had even been there. Even the dishes were spotless. Although Angelo's whereabouts concerned him, he had a feeling that he was close by and watching.
Shawn didn't have time to worry about it, though. In less than an hour, Audrey's aunt and uncle would be over, and he had several things left to do. When the girls made it down to breakfast, Shawn had cereal and fruit ready for them to fix as they wanted. As they ate, he went over the list that needed to be done before the younger kids showed up.
After breakfast, Shawn sent the girls to finish getting ready with instructions to make sure they had all their toiletries packed for the trip and to put them in their bags by the backdoor. He took care of the kitchen and double-checked that everything was in place. As he worked, he had trouble shaking the apprehensive feeling that having Angelo in the house overnight gave him. He double checked every door and window throughout the house to make sure things were secure. He just couldn't trust an addict not to come back to a house loaded with things that could easily be sold to feed his habit.
Maya met him at the back door first, as Julia was still doing her hair.
"Help me load things?" he asked, handing her Jamie's bag.
Maya gave him a smile but didn't move. She stared at him, eyes wide with adoration. It made him incredibly uncomfortable.
"I really like you being like dad for us," she said, slinging the bag over her shoulder and taking his hand. "You're really good at it."
He gave her a small smile. "I have no idea what I'm doin', but thanks."
"You're doin' what Uncle Jon would do," she told him. "Even if you don't know it."
"That so?"
She nodded assuredly as they headed to the garage. Julia joined them and the trio managed to get the Yukon loaded just as the rest of the family pulled into the driveway. The moment the garage door went up, Grayson and Jamie scrambled to get out of the van. Grayson made it to Shawn first and jumped on him in a hug.
"Is Dad okay?"
It didn't surprise him that Grayson knew Jon was at the hospital for something more than a checkup. Out of all the kids, Grayson was the most sensitive to other people and likely picked up on Audrey's distress, no matter how well she hid it.
"Somethin's wrong with Daddy?" Jamie ran up just in time to hear his brother's question. He hugged Shawn's legs and looked up at him with concern.
Shawn glanced up at Julia, unsure of what to say. He knelt to Jamie's level, with Grayson wrapped tightly around him. "Dad hasn't been feelin' well," he said truthfully. "He was at the hospital overnight so the doctors could keep an eye on him. But he's okay and we're gonna go right now to get him and Mom."
The boys nodded, and Jamie let go of Shawn to run to Julia. Grayson, however, was not so eager to leave the comfort of his big brother. Shawn stood up and took Grayson by the hand. As he did, they heard a wail from inside the vehicle.
"SHAW!"
At the sound of his name, Shawn dropped Grayson's hand and jogged over to the van. Bella sat in her car seat with her face red from crying and screaming. She was very unhappy that her brothers had left her alone. Shawn reached for her but quickly realized he didn't know how to unbuckle a car seat.
"Let me give you a crash course on this impossible thing." Audrey's aunt climbed into the van from the opposite side and leaned over to show him the tricks of unlocking the seat buckles.
This was the first time Shawn had met anyone from Audrey's side of the family, other than Richie. Annette had the same red hair as Audrey, although it was dimmed with age and streaked with blonde. Her face, like the rest of her, was plump in an old-fashion grandmotherly way. Strangely, though, very few wrinkles creased her mouth or eyes, which surprised Shawn as Audrey had told him her aunt was only a few years younger than her mother. This meant the woman next to him had to be in her mid-sixties. She reminded him of pictures of Lizzy he'd seen in the family albums. He imagined Lizzy would look very much like her sister had she lived.
With the adeptness that only someone with years of car seat experience had, Annette unlocked Bella in no more than a minute. Once free, the toddler reached up and grabbed Shawn's neck, clinging to him with such intensity he struggled to breathe. With some coaxing, he got her to relax her grip.
"Shaw."
Shawn realized with a sense of wonder this was the first time he'd ever heard her attempt his name. Sudden emotion surged over him. He kissed his little sister's cheek and held her close.
"How do you want to do this, Shawn?" Tom walked between the van and the car his wife drove to greet the younger man. His blue eyes twinkled when he saw how Bella snuggled up against him.
Shawn turned to look at the kids gathered behind him. "Does anyone need to go to the bathroom?"
Everyone shook their head no.
Tom chuckled, and Shawn looked at him with a raised brow. "They're all gonna have to go as soon as everyone is in the car, aren't they?"
The older man nodded. "Happened twice before we could leave our house to come over and we're only three blocks away."
As predicted, a sudden surge for the bathroom emptied the garage, and Shawn found himself changing a diaper on the floor of the Yukon. Bella calmly watched him as he took care of her. It was a very different experience from the first time he tried to change her.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone was back in the SUV and ready to go. Maneuvering the vehicles to get them where they needed to be was a challenge. Tom had to back the van out of the driveway while Annette moved the car to the street. Then Shawn backed the Yukon into the street. Eventually, the van was in the garage with the Yukon and the car in front of the house ready to leave for the hospital.
Shawn armed the security system and locked the door to the garage. Then he headed to Jon's Harley and took the tarp off the motorcycle. Even in the artificial light of the garage, the bike gleamed and shimmered just as it had the first time he saw it. Jon had always been so proud of the bike. Shawn knew every detail and, at one time, even had the specs memorized. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall those details.
Jon's bike was a 1991 Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Classic Custom that was now a collector's piece. It had an air-cooled, four-stroke, 1337cc, 45° V-Twin power plant engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission that could produce 58 horsepower at 5000 rpm.
This Harley came standard with studded-leather saddlebags to match the studded-leather driver and passenger seats and backrest. When Shawn was a teen, Jon rarely used the saddlebags unless he had a lot to carry, as he didn't like the aesthetics of the bags. He only carried a briefcase with him to school that was on a leather strap he wore like a crossbody bag. The saddlebags were missing from the bike now, but it didn't matter as he had no use for them either. He put his hand on the seat. The leather was still supple after all these years. Jon may not ride anymore, but he still cared for the vehicle on a regular basis.
He moved to the front of the Harley and lightly ran his hand over the front fender. He let his fingers caress the Heritage Classic name proudly displayed in chrome script. As a teen, he had more interest in learning to ride the bike than drive a car.
Shawn's eyes drifted over the rest of the bike to the small windscreen and the laced wheels. The most noticeable feature of the Harley was the chrome. The fenders had chrome accents. The engine accents and covers were all chrome, as was the staggered, shorty dual exhaust.
It had been so long since Shawn had seen the Harley, he'd forgotten what a beast it was up close. A wave of nostalgia hit him as he thought about the first time he sat on the back seat of the motorcycle. It was the first summer he spent with Jon when they traveled the East Coast on the bike. Feeling the power of the engine beneath him and the open-air speeds was unlike anything he'd experienced before or since. From the first time the bike roared to life beneath him, he understood why Jon loved it so much. There was a freedom and adrenaline rush that no other vehicle could offer. Even a convertible luxury sports car was boring in comparison.
Shawn forced his attention away from the bike; they had to leave for the hospital now. He stood and pulled the key out of his pocket that Audrey had left him. The key was still on the same Pentagon keyring Jon had way back then. He checked the bike over once more to make sure everything was ready to run. That's when he noticed something was missing.
He smiled as he recalled the time he tried to take the bike to Audrey's but couldn't get it started because he overlooked a small but important detail-the key.
It wasn't the key that was missing this time. It was Jon's helmet.
Shawn frowned as he looked around for it. It didn't make sense that it was gone. He took it from Jon's closet and put it beneath the cover the day he was told he could take it to Philadelphia. Other than the helmet, only Angelo was missing.
Why would Angelo want an old bike helmet?
Shawn walked over to the driver's side of the Yukon. Tom rolled down the window and gave him a quizzical look. "Is everything okay?"
"Dad's helmet is gone. It was here last night and now I can't find it."
A stern look overcame the older man's face. "You can't ride without it."
Julia, who was sitting next to her uncle, abruptly shifted away from the men to face the window. Shawn saw this and left Tom to go to the other side of the van. As soon as she saw him, she ducked her head and turned slightly away, pretending to be interested in her phone. Shawn glanced at the device. The screen was dark.
She knew something.
"Jules."
She turned her head just enough to glance at him. "What?"
"Do you know where Dad's helmet is?"
"Why should I?"
"Because I can't find it, and last night it was sittin' on the bike."
"Maybe Angelo took it." She squirmed under his gaze and slumped down in her seat.
"Why would he take it and not the bike?"
She had no response to this.
Now he knew she was responsible for its disappearance. "Where is it, Jules?"
"I don't know."
"Julia!"
"What's the big deal about the bike?" she snapped, suddenly angry. "Just ride in the Yukon like the rest of us!"
"There isn't enough room!" He fired back.
Julia folded her arms over her stomach and glared at the windshield. Shawn sighed heavily. He could guess why she hid it, but it frustrated him none the less as it put them behind schedule by several minutes.
"Julia," Tom said severely. "Where's the helmet?"
With an unhappy snort, Julia slammed open the door, forcing Shawn to jump out of the way. She stomped into the garage, went to a storage cabinet, and pulled the helmet out of a plastic grocery bag.
"Here," she said brusquely, shoving it at him.
Shawn managed to catch the helmet before it hit the ground. "Hey," he said, catching her arm. "What's with you?"
Julia crossed her arms over herself. She said nothing, just glared at something behind him. Shawn glanced over his shoulder and saw the Harley. Instantly, the attitude made sense.
"Hey," he said again in a much softer tone. "It's gonna be okay. I'll be careful."
Julia shook her head, stuck her thumbnail in her mouth, and turned away.
Shawn put the helmet on the seat of the motorcycle, then pulled her into a hug. "I'll be right behind the Yukon, okay? You'll be able to see me in the rearview mirror."
She sighed into his shoulder and hugged him back tightly. "I don't like this."
"I know," he said, uncertain of how to reassure her. "We need to go, Jules. Mom and Dad are waitin'."
Julia nodded and unhappily left him to rejoin her family in the SUV.
Tom backed the Yukon out of the driveway to give Shawn plenty of room to get out. Zipping up his old faithful jacket, Shawn put on Jon's motorcycle gloves Audrey left for him. He picked up the helmet and ran his gloved fingers over the headgear. This helmet was an exact replica of the one Jon wore when Shawn was a teen. The original was battle scarred from the accident and no longer safe to wear. Jon had it tucked away on the top shelf on his side of the closet.
He found it ironic that while Jon had no issues getting rid of the jacket that meant so much to Audrey, he couldn't part with the helmet.
As he put the headgear on, memories of the helmet came rushing back: the first time he ever saw Jon; the time he came to lecture him and Cory at the Matthews over their strike; all the times he walked into class with it holding it against his hip.
Returning his mind to the present, Shawn stood next to the Harley and leaned into the tank as he put the key in the ignition. He found the balance point of the heavy machine and put it in neutral, then took hold of the handlebars. He pushed it forward, putting his hip into the seat to gain momentum to move it out of the garage.
Once in the driveway, Shawn got on the bike, and started the engine. As the Harley roared to life, the vibration of power surged through him, waking all his senses. Shawn felt like he was coming to life after sleeping through a long, cold winter.
As he released the clutch, he was 15 again and back in the parking lot of the apartment in Philadelphia, where Jon taught him how to ride the Harley. He could hear Jon's voice directing him to hold the clutch in and work the gear lever with his left foot until the transmission was in neutral. Everything his mentor ever taught him about the machine and how to operate it safely ran through his mind like a movie. Confident he'd done everything to his father's satisfaction, Shawn hit the gas and took off after the Yukon.
As the family headed to the hospital, Angelo stepped out of the shadows and watched the street until the Harley was out of sight, then he turned toward the brownstone home. There was a vulnerability in the house that he knew Shawn was unaware of. Stepping around to the backyard, Angelo went to the basement door, took the small paint stick wedged in the frame out, and opened the door. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then he let himself into the house.
Angelo tiptoed through the hallway to the garage door, staying close to the wall. He stopped when he reached the security panel. He studied the buttons for several minutes. Not having a passcode didn't bother him.
The security system in the home had been breached before and could be breached again.
Thank you so very much for reading. Leave a comment if you'd like. I always love hearing from you.
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