Before opening the door, Chris turns back to Caton. He may only be in his mid-thirties but suddenly he appears older, almost as though the day has aged him ten or so years. Pain settles into his expression. "Seriously, kid?" he says. "You were going somewhere with your life. You were going to get out of here one day. And what? You go and screw it up over some nonsense? What were you thinking?" Chris looks down, unable to hold Caton's gaze. "You could have made something out of yourself." He rubs his forehead. "Shit, Caton. I don't know how you're getting out of this one. Why the hell did you have to go and get yourself involved with those guys? I thought..."
"You have it all wrong," Caton says, his tone on the edge of desperation.
"What?" Chris snaps.
Caton shakes his head. "Never mind," he says.
Chris turns and opens the door.
The warmth of the station and the reality of the situation smacks Caton in the face. Chris was right. He was getting out of here one day, but now everything has changed. Now he's faced with a mess he never wanted to be involved with in the first place. He believes, no he knows, he's been wronged.
From Wronged. Available now at amazon.com
Wronged
Caton Hernandez has never felt so alone, and he’s used to being alone. His single mother is never around, and when she is, she is either passed-out or strung-out. He also keeps to himself in his neighborhood south of the high school where kids hang in groups just to survive and violence runs high. He does his best to stay out of trouble, and one day, he’ll get out and make something of himself.
Yet, somehow Caton’s managed to get caught up in a major mess and finds himself in the middle of a conflict between the South Boys and the Westies. Two people have been shot, one of them his girlfriend, and he and a couple of boys from his neighborhood have been arrested for the crime. He’s in deep, he’s alone, and he needs someone to believe in him.
But when the state sends him to the Denver Youth Correctional Center and the DA wants to push for a transfer to adult court, Caton quickly learns how fast others are to judge him solely on his home life, his mother, and the neighborhood he’s grown up in. He knows he can’t do this on his own, but will he be able to get someone to listen in time? Or will Caton have to give up before having the chance to fight for his freedom?
He believes. No, he knows he’s been wronged, but will anyone else believe him? Or is he in this alone?
