Мама, я демона люблю!. Даха Тараторина

tearing her gaze away from her son. “What do you mean by that?”

      “Even if we can prove that Mr. Wilson is your biological child, then there’s that whole matter of your completing a voluntary release of parental rights. You don’t have any—”

      “I was fifteen years old!”

      “Why do you talk about me as if I’m not sitting right here?” Blake shouted.

      He came out of his seat, and although the trooper stood as well and stepped between them to stop the boy if he approached, Mark made no attempt to restrain him. Even he had to realize that Blake had every right to be angry.

      Blake pinned the state worker with his stare. “You talk about me like I’m a piece of property.”

      He pointed at Shannon.

      “And you.” He paused, his jaw flexing as he gritted his teeth. “You didn’t want me then, and you don’t really want me now. You just feel guilty because you sent me to live with...them.”

      Her tears came instantly, and Shannon didn’t bother trying to stop them. “No. You’re wrong. I always wanted you. They just wouldn’t let—”

      “I don’t want your excuses.”

      “They’re not excuses. Please. Just let me explain.”

      “I don’t want to live with you. I don’t want anything to do with you!”

      A sob broke loose before Shannon could stop it. The world was crushing her with its unforgiving weight. She’d waited a lifetime to be reunited with Blake. She’d dreamed of it. Prayed for it. Now her chance to even get to know him was slipping away, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Worse than even the prospect that he would be placed far away from her, if he was sent to the children’s center, he might spiral further into delinquency. Would he be lost to her forever?

      Miss Lafferty slowly stood. “Many details will have to be taken care of in the coming weeks. For now, I will put in another call to Community Children’s Center.”

      Mark turned to her. “There’s another option.”

      The woman pressed her lips together, losing her patience. “Trooper Shoffner, you called me in to assist here. It’s kind of you to be concerned, but this is a complicated situation, and you aren’t aware of all of the legalities in it. Now, please allow me to do my job.”

      “I said, there’s another option.”

      With a long-suffering sigh, the woman met his gaze. “And what might that be?”

      “The boy can stay with me.”