Unbound

I could not make sense of what my beta had just said. I was trying to fake interest too, so I asked,

"What do you mean I'm being charged?"

"This is a summon, Nick!" He held out the envelope in his hands.

The only thing disturbing about the bit of newsflash was the look on my beta’s face.

"Jake, sit down. Calm down. It's gonna be okay. It's a summon, you say?" I asked him.

“By a government agency, Nick! It says the judge must see you in two hours. Apparently, they're in a hurry to get to you before you leave town,” Jake replied, still frantic.

“What’s it about? What agency is this?” I asked.

“Women and Child Protective Services,” he said, eyes never leaving mine..

Now, my interest was piqued.

“What could that type of agency possibly want with me? I’m already protecting my woman AND child!”

The words fell out of my mouth absently.

My eyes had now reverted to Sara’s three-word text where her signature should've been.

I only realized what I had just said when no reply came from Jake. I