Charming But Reckless (NightShade Security #5)

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

ORION

Night came quickly on the ranch. It was as if one minute the sun was up and shining brightly, and the next everything had shut down.

Granted, there were no big city lights or buildings illuminating the darkness.

What should have been troubling was actually relaxing. I wanted to soak it up for as long as I could. I stayed out on the porch for a little bit after Sol went to bed.

Jackson came out right as I had made the decision to finally go to the bunkhouse. He stood beside me and shot me a grin. “Life is different when you've got a kid, huh?”

I shook my head. “He's not mine, but yeah, I get what you mean. It definitely feels that way right now. He doesn't have anyone else.”

Jackson bumped his shoulder against mine. “Don't tell me you really think that. I would hope by now you've seen that he's surrounded by plenty of others who care about him who might not be blood related or anything. Not that it matters. Beau loves Dakota as if he were his own. You couldn't tell him that's not his son. He would fight you tooth and nail about it.”

I grinned.

That's a very Beau type of reaction.

Jackson turned to face the land, and I followed his gaze. It was truly beautiful. Even in the darkness you could sense that there was more to this place.

The Coleman Ranch had been through their own set of trials. I’d heard the stories earlier while Sol went through a bedtime routine with Dakota and Beau. The men here had earned their right to happily ever after, and I couldn't help but wonder if I would get my chance one day.

I didn't really have anyone in mind. It wasn't like I was out trying to date anyone. My work kept me busy most of the time. We were out on missions, or I was in meetings trying to decipher what came next.

The few times I had taken someone to bed had been in the heat of the moment. Usually they were fueled by adrenaline from whatever the latest big thing happened.

As I thought about it, I realized it had been a really long time since I had been with anyone. I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. My focus was too centered around helping the young boy asleep upstairs. It was focused on finding my old friend, the man I suspected to be his father and who no longer seemed to exist in any system.

"You should get some sleep," Jackson told me after a few more minutes of silence between us. "Morning comes early here on the ranch."

I thanked him and took off to the bunkhouse. It wasn't that I was tired, but I knew he was right. I needed to force myself to sleep.

Sometime later, I awoke to hands shaking my shoulders. "Orion," they shouted.

I woke up in an instant. Whoever it was needed me, and they needed me now.

I looked into Sean's eyes. They were terrified and wide.

"We need you at the main house. Sol is having a nightmare, and we can’t calm him down this time."

I didn't hesitate to jump from bed and take off to the house. Sean ran behind me, his footsteps in cadence with my own. I was shocked since he was such a tiny thing.

The thought was fleeting because all my focus, all my determination, went into getting into the house. I could see lights on and since Sean had run to me, I didn't stop to knock on the door. I just burst through and ran up the stairs to where I knew the boys’ bedrooms were.

When I made it to the doorway, it was open. I could see Sol curled up in a ball shaking and sobbing. He was muttering something under his breath, his voice garbled.

Jackson and Beau were hovering over him, their hands not quite touching him but making it obvious they were eager to calm him. They would be there as a form of support if he needed it.

At the sound of my approach, they turned towards me.

"Oh thank God you're here," Beau said. "We need you."

I rushed over as he moved out of the way. For reasons unknown, I didn't hesitate. I felt like it was my duty to help Sol.

He was very clearly having nightmares. His eyes weren't open, and he wasn't responding to anyone calling his name. So I did what I would do for anyone else if I thought they needed my support.

I laid down beside him and wrapped my arms around him in a hug, cocooning him safely in my arms.

"You're safe Sol. I've got you. It's Orion. I've got you." I repeated the words on a loop as I squeezed him tightly, anchoring him back into reality.

It wasn't an instant change. He still shook and tears poured from his eyes.

However, slowly but surely, the shaking stopped. The tears slowed a couple of minutes after that.

When his eyes eventually blinked open, he turned to face me. His little hand came up to touch my cheek. When he pulled back, I saw his fingers were wet.

I mimicked the movement to show him he'd been crying as well. He gave me a nod saying much more than words ever could.

This wasn't the first time he had had a nightmare. It wasn't the first time that he'd woken up to find himself crying this way.

"You're safe." I told him.

It was a reminder to him and to me that no one was going to take him away from here. The promise was one that I could keep.

I knew the others in the room might have thought it foolish especially given his past. I couldn't not say it though. He needed reassurance, and my job as a protector was to provide that for him. I would tell him every single day just how safe he was with me by his side.

One day when we found his father, I might not get to be as involved. His situation would change again.

But he had me for the time being. As the primary person ensuring his care, I did what I thought best.

“Can I tell you a story about one time when I had nightmares?” I asked.

His little head moved up and down slowly.

I dove into the tale. “When I was around your age, I had a best friend who lived pretty close by. He and I would roam our small town together because we didn't have any other friends. The kids in our grade would tease me for not having a dad. My mom and he had split up when I was a baby, so they used that to their advantage since most of the other families were cookie cutter — you know with a mom and dad.”

Sol frowned. I suspected he understood what that life was like since he told me his mother passed away.

I continued my story. “My friend was like me in some ways, but instead of not having a dad, he didn't have a mom. That and his dad wasn't the nicest man around. He had some issues and would take his anger out on my friend. I tried to protect him from it, but it was hard when I was just a kid, and no one wanted to listen to me. It also sucked because his dad knew people who were supposed to protect him and made it to where they didn't.”

Jackson and Beau were still in the room. I suspected Sean was close by listening to the story too. It's why I didn't share that this was about Arick, Sol's possible father.

I figured they knew anyway. Or at least they knew that it was someone really really close to me who was no longer in my life.

My voice held a note of sorrow in it, not just for what I was saying but for how life had panned out since.

“One night, my friend showed up on our doorstep. He was beat up pretty badly, and his dad had passed out, so he came into my room and my mom made sure he had a comfy place to lay while he slept. He went to sleep pretty quickly after taking some medicine, but I stayed away for hours. I watched him, and I worried about what would happen if we weren't around next time. What would happen if his dad took it a step too far?

“See, I was just a kid, but I understood enough to know that what was happening wasn't right. I knew that parents were meant to protect their children and love them and take care of them like my mom had done for me. I wanted nothing more than to pull my friend out of that house and bring him to live with me. Then he would never have to worry about his father again. All my worry meant that by the time I did fall asleep, my dreams were fitful. I woke up choking on a scream with arms wrapped around me kind of like this.”

I squeezed him tighter showing just how I was holding him.

“My friend woke me up by reminding me that I wasn't alone. He said all the bad things I had thought about hadn't happened and that he was still with me. He stayed in my bed with me the rest of that night. Any time he got hurt, he’d come over, moving straight into my room so we could sleep side by side. My mom didn't even pretend to make a spot for him on the floor anymore because she just knew how close we were. He was my best friend.”

Sol tapped my nose to get my attention. I hadn't realized that I had gone into a daydream-like state as I talked.

My eyes were unfocused. Once they cleared, I could see the frown in his expression.

"You want to know what happens to that friend, don't you?" I asked him.

He nodded again.

"Well, we were close up until the day I was taken. When those men picked me up and threw me in the back of their car, I lost contact with him. I lost contact with everyone. I vanished according to the authorities… the police,” I clarified when he frowned. “And by the time I was able to escape and get safe, my mom had passed away and my friend was nowhere to be found. I've looked for him on and off for years, but I've never been as close as I have recently. I'm still holding out hope that I'll find him. I need to tell him what happened that day wasn't his fault. Need to remind him that I'm still here for him even if others aren't. And I need to make sure that if his father is still alive, that he can never get close to him again. I want to protect him, Sol, just like I want to protect you.”

I hadn't meant to get so deep into my past with him. It was just a natural thing to do. He reminded me so much of Arick and how he would listen to me ramble for hours on end.

I was about to suggest he go back to sleep when his arms wrapped around my neck, and he tucked his little face into my shoulder. He hugged me tighter than I thought his little body was capable of.

I squeezed him back gently, letting him feel the fierceness of my affection for him while also remembering that I could hurt him if I squeezed too hard.

When he pulled back, I looked him in the eye and said, “I can stay right outside your room if you want. You'll be safe, I promise.”

He didn't answer. Instead, he curled up and tucked his head under my chin. He was only halfway laying on me, but the intention was clear.

He didn't want me going anywhere.

It was odd having his trust. Knowing that he believed in me to take care of him was the greatest gift.

Beau walked over behind Sol and squatted down.

He mouthed to me, "You okay?"

I gave him a little thumbs up.

He smiled and the trio left the room, closing the door gently. A dim light remained on, keeping the space in that realm between awake and asleep. I appreciated it because I didn't think I wanted to be in the dark anymore either.

Sleep came at some point during the night. It wasn't until I heard the sound of engines outside that I realized I’d passed out. Though, I couldn’t have been asleep for too long. It was still dark out.

Realizing what time it likely was, I remembered the sound that woke me. It was early, far too early for that type of noise. The ranch hands wouldn't be up for another hour according to what I knew.

I eased away from Sol and went to the window. There were cars, three of them, pulling down the long dirt road. I recognized them instantly.

It was my team.

Godric’s vehicle was first, followed by Takeshi’s sleek ride. And was that Tank’s truck? My jaw dropped as I scrambled to move outside.

I made sure Sol was tucked in before leaving. He didn't need to wake up in the midst of whatever was going down.

I closed the door gently and crept down the stairs before jogging out of the door. As the cold wind whipped across my chest, I cursed myself for not throwing on a hoodie. My t-shirt would not protect me from the elements.

On the back porch, I found Jackson, Beau, Atticus, and Sean, all standing, their shotguns raised at the group.

"Wait!" I shouted. "I know them!"

None of them lowered their weapons. Their gazes locked on the cars as they parked and shut off their engines. When they climbed out, the men held their hands up in surrender.

"Tank!" Atticus called out.

"Present and accounted for. You ready to put those guns down?"

The men lowered their weapons. Though I could see it would only take a second for them to raise them back up and take out anyone they deemed a threat.

I knew I'd come to the right place to keep Sol safe.

"What are you all doing here?" I asked them.

Cohen chuckled. I smiled at the sound. It had been too long since I had seen my friends. Or maybe it had just been that I was in the wrong headspace for so long.

"What do you mean what are we doing here? We had to come find you, asshole. You dropped off the grid, and we had something really important to discuss with you,” he replied.

"What the hell? You couldn't have just called? What kind of thing deserves meeting in person?"

Ronan turned to Tank's car and nodded at someone. When the back door opened, I saw a face that ripped away every last ounce of calm I had left.

"Arick?" I said as I looked into the eyes of the friend I thought I'd lost long ago; of the friend I had just been telling a story about mere hours ago.