Chapter 21
Zachariah
I hated the idea, but it had to be done. Not only did I need answers, but so did Melio and Violet who were taking care of the boy for the time being. Melio had asked to speak to me in my office upon his arrival. We had barely gotten the door closed and sat down before he had a meltdown.
“He’s just so fucking scared of everything, man,” Melio stated with a sad shake of his head as he sat in the chair across the desk from me. He had taken the seat roughly, too. I could see he truly did care for the boy in such a short amount of time.
“What am I to do about it?” I asked lazily. I wasn’t concerned about Toby. He’d get over his fears, whatever they may be. He only needed a bit of time to adjust.
I was still pissed that Violet thought she knew how to make things easier for my wife by medicating her. I was pissed that there wasn’t anything I could do to calm her fears. This boy was one of my least concerns.
“He won’t even look at me,” Melio answered. “There’s no way in Hell I’d ask about what he’s been through. But to help him cope, to learn to trust at least me and Vee, we need to know what happened. I can’t just assume.”
“What do you assume?” I asked, bored.
“Pretty fucking sure he was raped. Have you seen how he cowers anytime any male enters a room?” he answered.
“You know it probably happened. No idea who he was with before Miquel came across him since he didn’t give me much detail as it was,” I stated.
“He’s ten,” Melio said, begging with unasked questions. “If that happened…”
“What?” I asked, leaning forward. “You’ll kill who did it? Good luck with that. Shemoli is dead, and who knows if that was the only man. It looks like we won’t get the answers anyway. Not right now.”
“But I need to know, damn it!” Melio nearly shouted.
Catching himself, he took a deep breath and ran a hand down his face. I took a moment to see that he really was affected by this. I could understand because I knew that if Avidya had been touched in anyway like that, whoever had touched her would be begging for death after I cut his dick off.
“Why?” I asked, setting my own thoughts away.
“Because I want Toby to have a place he can feel safe. I don’t want to have to tiptoe around him constantly. He won’t even talk to my wife if I’m in the same room or in hearing distance,” Melio ranted. “He’s opening up to her, but it’s slow.”
“Okay,” I sighed. I let my eyes slide closed for a moment before opening them once more. “I’ll ask. But it’s not likely he’ll answer me.”
“He’ll talk to your wife,” Melio said, sure of that.
Yeah, so was I.
“Just, ya know, don’t go all mafia style on him, okay,” Melio said. “He was okay when I took him with me the other day, but once we were in the car, he curled up in a ball and wouldn’t move. Vee had to coax him out of the car when we got home.
“Then when we got home, he wouldn’t come out of his room at all, not even to pee. Toby wouldn’t talk, or respond at all. Not until I went to touch his shoulder, like a really light touch, man. He freaked out. Now I don’t know what to do. I’ve been so careful to not touch him, or be in his personal space or anything,” he continued on.
“He’s going to be scared for quite some time,” I stated, my voice quiet but all knowing. Surprisingly, Avidya wasn’t as frightened as anyone else in her shoes. Maybe it was because she wasn’t raped and molested. Nor was she in the hands of two men that would have done just that for any longer than she had been. “It’ll take time.”
“I know. Then today, when you called, Toby was listening in to the call. I think he listens in all the time. Anyway, when he heard Vee say your girl’s name, he demanded to go with her,” he went on, almost like he didn’t hear me. “It was the first time he’d willingly said want he wanted. There was no way I could deny that. Not when the week he’s been in my care has he said he wanted anything. Not even food.”
“I’ll try, alright!” I said, hoping to get my brother to stop his ranting. “But don’t hold your breath if you don’t get your answers. Not like it will solve much of anything,” I muttered the last part to myself more than to him.
“Thanks,” he sighed out. “Just, be soft about it.”
“Soft?” I nearly laughed. “Does anything look soft about me?”
“Exactly,” Melio deadpanned.
I shook my head, not sure how I was to ask a ten-year-old boy if he was raped. Most likely, the boy didn’t even know that term. He probably didn’t even know how to say no as it was.
“Let’s do this, then,” I said, standing up and stretching out my arms up above my head.
I followed my brother out of my office, and couldn’t help but overhear how he spoke to Toby. I saw how the boy reacted. It was a total one-eighty from what I had ever seen before. Melio attempted to make himself smaller, less threatening but Toby was still beyond frightened of him.
Normally, kids adored my brother, almost as much as they did my wife. Maybe I should have given the boy more thought than I originally had.
When Melio stepped back, I took my chance to stand in front of the boy, kneeling down to eye level with him. He knew I was powerful, deadly even, as he hid against my wife. I hated to bring him to tears. Hated bringing my wife to tears, but I asked. I asked about the one thing I hated even thinking about happening to any child.
I could only guess about what had happened, but his reaction to the question was enough of an answer. I didn’t need a verbal response, although I did ask for one. Accepting what can’t be changed by saying it out loud would maybe do him some good.
Or maybe not.
Only time would tell.
I gave my wife a smile before standing up, hoping that she wasn’t mad at me. She had to know what the boy had gone through. I refused to think about how perfect she’d be as a mother before I nodded my head towards Melio in a silent yes, you were right. I had hoped that it wasn’t so. I hoped that the boy had never had to go through such pain. It was bad enough he was touched inappropriately. Then, I headed to the kitchen to get some food and wait until I had time to spend with my girl on my own.