Chapter 9

Both men were standing by this time. “You’re taking him, or I beat the crap out of him every time he puts his face in this room.”

Peter was chilled. He knew the truth when he heard it. He narrowed his eyes and looked directly at Dudley, who apparently was still the bully he had always been, and walked down the hall to the bathroom.

Marcia was washing her face at the sink. He took her in his arms and murmured, “I’ll take him to Mom’s for now. But we need to talk, or our lawyers will have to talk. If you don’t want me to do this, you only have to say. I—I don’t know how to help you any other way. I wish you had told me sooner, but then, I never asked, did I? Please don’t blame yourself.”

“Dudley’s fine with the other children. Really, he’s not like you think.”