Dark Guardian (Black Hoods MC #3) - Avelyn Paige Page 0,1

“No.” Getting to his feet, he spins on one foot and storms out of my office.

I count to ten before I allow myself to sigh in relief. Days like today are never easy. Every person who walks through the doors of our office thinks that if they press hard enough, we’ll cave, giving them all the answers to cheat the system. That’s not how it works. I’m bound by the governance of the State of Texas, and I won’t bypass the laws in place to protect my clients’ information.

Hearing a knock at the door, I peer up to find Cindy, one of the other social workers in my branch, dressed in a pink tailored business suit, her gray curls springing off the side of her head in multiple directions.

“How’d court go?” I inquire. The case she’d been assigned to has been particularly difficult these past few weeks, with four young souls separated into different foster homes while their grandmother fought for custody.

“Judge ruled against the grandmother.” Cindy’s eyes soften as a single tear glides down her cheek, her reaction mirroring my own. No one in our line of work is impervious to the painful things we so often see.

“That’s too bad.”

The children’s elderly grandmother stepped up the second her wayward son had been arrested for a drug charge, but she lives in an assisted living community that doesn’t allow children. I had a feeling the court would rule against her, being that she had no means of finding alternative housing, as well as her medical ailments. It’s one of the few parts of this job that still bothers me after all these years, seeing the heartbreak of families being torn apart under circumstances such as this. As hard as they try, it’s just not enough in the eyes of the court of law.

“So, how was your meeting with Mr. Jackson? I saw him as I was coming back from the court. He looked… pleasant,” she asks with a smirk. Pleasant. Not the exact term I would use to describe him. A thorn in my side would be more apt.

“He’s not happy that I couldn’t push through his request prior to the court date.”

“I wish they would realize our power is limited. We’re caseworkers, not magicians. We can’t just wave a magic wand and poof! The judge makes a ruling in their favor.”

The image makes me laugh. No wand on Earth would make a judge work any faster. And with some of the judges in our county, I’d rather use the wand to dismiss them than summon them like the devils they are, especially the one assigned to Mr. Jackson’s case. Judge McAdams is a stubborn man when it comes to child service cases. His track record is far from great. I can count on one hand the number of times he’s ruled in the loving parent’s favor.

“Me too, Cindy, but it’s easier to berate the messenger, it seems.”

Looking at her watch, she smiles. “Almost quitting time. Got any big plans this weekend?”

Plans? Me? You’d think after six years of working together, Cindy would know me better than that. My work comes first. I can’t just switch it off when I walk out the door like everyone else. The children stay with me every waking moment of the day, and even when I close my eyes. These kids need me. I can’t let my hair down, so to speak, because the second I do, something will happen, and I won’t be there in time to protect them.

“The usual. You?”

“My husband and I are heading to the Gulf for a weekend getaway.”

“Must be nice,” I mutter under my breath, but she thankfully doesn’t catch it, or doesn’t acknowledge it. It’s been at least ten years since my last vacation. Maybe even longer than that. I’ve lost more paid vacation time for not using it than I’ve probably used, but there’s no point in taking a trip if it’s just me. I can be alone in my own house for far cheaper.

“I hope you both enjoy your time away. Do you need me to cover anything for you?”

“No, but I appreciate you asking. I worked late the last few nights so everything was caught up before I left. My court date today was the last thing on my to-do list.”

“Well, if anything comes up—.”

“I know, you’ll cover it,” she interjects. “But I wish you’d take some time off for yourself. Between this and all your volunteer work, you deserve it.”

“I appreciate that, but