Chapter 3

Tentatively sitting next to him as I stare at the man and woman in front of me, what were their names again? Good for me I don't have to remember because Riley introduces me to them; "Liam this is Jeffrey Ames and Karyn Anderson; they're here to help us with everything."

"A-alright s-sir," I whisper tearfully with wide frightened eyes.

"Hello Liam, is it alright if we ask you a few questions?" Karyn kindly asks with a bright white smile.

"S-s-sure m-m-ma'am," I quickly breath as I start to fidget uncomfortably until Black Jack wraps an arm around my shoulders almost instantly calming me down.

"Well, I'm going to start this off with the information I've found on you; then we will go from there on what is correct and incorrect and we will add any information through our questions," Jeffrey starts off with.

Nodding carefully, curious as to what he has found on me; "Your parents are Patrick and Kelley Quinn from Provo, Utah?"

Nodding carefully at him; "Y-yes s-sir."

"You have two younger brothers, Kyle and Michael?" With another nod from me he continues; "Did you know both of your brothers have been removed from your parents custody a year ago due to abuse and neglect from your parents?"

Gasping in shock and horror at this information, I knew my parents hated me but not my younger sweet and innocent brothers; "N-no I-I d-didn't; w-where a-are t-they n-now?"

"They arecurrently living with your grandparents, your mom's parents," Jeffrey informs me with a sad smile.

"W-when I s-still l-lived w-with my p-parents, we h-hadn't seen my g-grandparents f-from e-either s-side in l-like f-four y-years," I admit sadly.

"That is what Mr. and Mrs. O'Mally said when I called them," Karyn says with sadness in her bright green eyes.

"Liam, how old are your brothers?" Riley asks me curiously.

"U-um,l-let's s-see, K-kyle is 14 y-years o-old and M-michael is 11 y-years o-old; if I-I r-remberr-right." Jeffrey nods in confirmation at my brothers ages.

"So, we need to know if you want to stay here with Black Jack and become his ward or if you want to move to Phoenix, Arizona to live with your grandparents and brothers?" Karyn seriously asks.

I'm surprised that I'm allowed to have a choice in this matter; "I w-want to s-stay h-here if B-black J-Jack and e-everyone w-w-want m-m-me too. Y-y-yes I-I m-m-miss my b-b-brothers and g-g-grandparents but I-I l-l-like it h-h-here m-m-more."

"Liam, your grandparents did make one request though if you chose to stay here; they want to be able to have contact with you as well as you having contact with your brothers," Jeffrey states after he has made a few notes on his pad of paper.

"S-s-sure, I-I w-would l-like t-that," I smile honestly at them both.

"Now we need to know what your parents did to you while you were living with them?" Karyn asks never breaking eye contact with me as I swallow harshly.

"U-um, w-when I-I a-admitted I-I w-was g-gay, my p-parents s-started to b-beat m-me; y-yelled and s-screamed at m-me. T-they m-made my l-life a l-living h-hell w-with b-broken b-bones, b-bruises, c-cuts a-and s-self h-harm i-issues w-with m-me."

By the time I'm done I'm sobbing into my hands as my entire body shakes violently as Black Jack pulls me into a tight hug yet again today. Some might think or say about me or even to me that boy's don't and shouldn't cry; and to those people are 'fuck off'. Men are allowed to hurt and show their emotions too.

"Hey, you're fine kid, you don't have to say anymore right now," Black Jack soothes into my ear as he gently rocks us from side to side. 

Sniffling quiet loudly as I clean my face of my tears with the sleeves of my shirt as I nod slightly in response; "T-thank y-you."

"One last question before we depart though I'm afraid," Jeffrey says gently. "Have you always stuttered or did this develop when the abuse was happening?"

"I-I've a-always s-s-stuttered; it b-became w-worse w-w-with t-the a-a-abuse," I admit with a tiny voice, barely above a whisper.

"Alright, I think we have everything we need; thank you for speaking with us Liam," Karyn says as she and Jeffrey stand with their belongings.

Riley and Julia walk Karyn and Jeffrey to the door, the four of them quietly talking; sighing softly as they walk away, I'm less afraid of the outcome of this but still worried about my future and what I'm going to do with my life.

"So Riley and I were talking with Jeffrey and Karyn briefly before you came in," Black Jack quietly informs me pulling me from my thoughts.

Remaining as I am, leaning against his body, humming quietly in response he continues with; "You have to be enrolled in school once I have legal guardianship as well as testing to see where you are to be placed in whatever grade. Now if it comes down to it, a tutor will be hired to help you catch up so you graduate either this year or next."

"O-okay, I l-like s-school," I admit shyly with a bright smile. I really do love school and I know it is odd for a teenager to like school but I adore learning new things, being able to think and try my hand at new subjects.

"That's great kid," he praises with a warm voice. "What are your favorite subject or subjects?"

"English, history, music and art," I admit with a happy sigh.

We'll be looking into the local schools on Tuesday or Wednesday since Jeffrey cannot do much more until Monday since the courthouse isn't open on Saturday."

Nodding at him as I curl into his side, resting my head on his shoulder as we watch the telly; "H-how o-old are y-you and w-what's y-your r-real n-name?"

He chuckles while saying; "I'm 39 years old and my real name is Parker." 

The rest of the weekend flew by quicker than I would have liked; one of the things I can say about this time is that Riley still makes me horny as fucking hell and I kept catching him and Julia starring at me and Riley would go as far as winking at me or smirking at me. I'm so confused as to why a couple would be that way toward me; I'm nothing special, just a messed up kid who is in their way as well as a burden.

I have a check-up with a doctor that Parker is taking me too and I don't want to go; "P-parker, I-I w-wana g-go."

Pouting at him as he turns away from the stove where he is preparing breakfast and I am setting the table for three; Parker, me and Axel since Axel lives here as well.

Parker smirks at my pout making me pout even harder; "Tough kid; you're going and that's final. Is there a reason you don't want to go?"

Crossing my arms over my chest with my pout in place still; "I d-d-don't l-l-like d-d-doctor's or n-n-needles."

"Sorry kid, you're still going," he apologizes with a smirk as he serves the food up on plates as Axel enters the kitchen from the shower.

"Jerk," I mutter as I grab my plate from the counter.

Axel and Parker both laugh at my grumblings as we sit at the table to eat before Parker and I head to my appointment and Axel heads to his job as a tattoo artist.

"Stop pouting Liam and eat your food," Axel playfully scolds with a smirk.

"Y-yeah, y-yeah, w-w-whatever A-axel," I mutter stuffing a piece of bacon into my mouth; chewing harshly as I mock scowl at them both.

Both men chuckle lowly at me as they eat as well; "Y-you t-t-two a-are m-m-mean."

"Not mean just honest with you kid," Parker fondly laughs.

Pouting still as I finish my food as I silently listen to the two of them continue to talk as they finish their food; chuckling at my pouting silent treatment toward them.

Finally finishing our food and cleaning up the three of us leave the house despite my continued protests at them both that I don't need to have a check-up.

Entering the doctor's office grudgingly as Parker has a gently yet firm hand on my lower back; checking in at the front desk, where a man in his mid-thirties smiles sympathetically as Parker steers me over to a chair in the waiting area.

Huffing as I plop down on the cushioned seat with my arms crossed and with a frown; "Lighten up kid, everything will be fine and over with before you know it."

"S-s-sure it w-w-will P-p-parker," I mutter with a small growl at his low laugh.

"Liam Quinn?" a male voice asks from a doorway about ten feet in front of us.

Standing reluctantly as Parker does the same, we make our way to the man, who leads us to the scale where I am weighed and then my height is measured; I am 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing in at ninety pounds and making me roughly thirty-one pounds underweight according to the doctor.

By the time we leave the doctor's office an hour later, I am irritated from being poked and prodded. My blood has been removed from my body through an evil needle and the doctor did a thorough examination and I am leaving with a filled antibiotic prescription for a sinus infection I didn't even realize I had and paperwork on a diet plan that I need to follow in order to gain weight.

"See it wasn't that bad now was it kid?" Parker asks as we climb into his black Dodge Ram pickup truck.

"Y-y-yes it w-w-was," I grump as he smiles quickly at me as he drives toward his home.

"Liam, I need to talk to you," Riley states as Parker and I walk through the door. Instantly paling at his words and expressionless face; what doesn't help is Julia is fidgeting behind Riley as she tries to give me a reassuring smile.

"S-s-s-rue s-s-s-sir," I manage as Parker pats me on the back before walking into the kitchen.

"Join me in the living room," Riley states as he walks away from me.

Swallowing harshly against the large lump that has suddenly formed in my throat as I follow closely behind him; silent since I don't want to anger Riley if I have done so already; Riley sits on the edge of a couch and gestures toward the opposite end for me to sit; which I do carefully and quietly; fidgeting with my fingers that are on my lap while waiting for Riley to speak.

"You're paperwork has been pushed through and has been approved for Black Jack to become your legal guardian but there is one more stipulation that the judge has inserted or else he is revoking this and he will send you to live with your grandparents."

"W-w-what's t-that s-s-sir?" I murmur studying his eyes in hopes that it isn't what I fear it is; having to see my parents one last time.

"You have to see your parents one last time," he bluntly responds.

Blanching at his words as my body shakes and becomes sweaty; "I-I-I'm g-g-going to be s-s-sick."

Sprinting to the bathroom quickly, skidding onto my knees in front of the toilet as I vomit harshly; everything in my stomach is spewed violently into the bowl as a set of warm large hands rub gentle and soothing circles over my back.

Riley's British voice whispers soothing words into my ear as one of his hands continues to rub my back as his other hand cards through my sweaty hair; "Let everything out. You will be fine I promise you're not doing this alone; Axel, Parker, Phillip, Wyatt and I are coming with you. You won't be alone when we travel to Utah; your grandparents and brothers will be there too."