Deadly Daddy (Little Lost #3)

Chapter Seven

Shane took Soren home in Banks’ car. Axton took Shane’s keys to the SUV and drove everyone to Beau’s place. It was completely silent in the car. Banks imagined Axton was uncomfortable as fuck, but he didn’t show it. He had to focus on anything at all except reality. Axton pulled into the circular drive. As his headlights swept the porch, Banks spotted Adan. On the front steps, in a pair of bunny pajamas, he sat with his head down and a suitcase at his feet.

They silently piled out of the SUV. Adan’s head didn’t lift until they neared. His eyes and nose were red. He looked a mess.

“Daddy put me out.” He twisted his fingers. “I don’t have anywhere to go. I don’t have anything. Nothing. I don’t even know how to call an Uber and I don’t have any money even if I did.” He sounded so distraught, even Banks didn’t have the heart to kick him. The guy had been a kept pet his entire adult life. He didn’t know how to be anything else.

Boone and Jupiter walked past him like he wasn’t even there. They didn’t even stick around for the entire speech.

Kyson looked at Banks.

Axton cleared his throat. “I’ve got this. You go see your dad. I’ll take the SUV back to Shane so he can come back for you.”

Banks nodded. “Thanks. I really appreciate everything.”

Axton gave him a one-arm hug and then motioned for Adan to follow. “Come on.”

Adan grabbed his bag and scrambled to his feet. He didn’t question Axton at all. Banks had no idea what Axton planned to do with the guy. Honestly, Banks wasn’t sure if he cared. He was just numb.

Kyson linked fingers with him, and they headed inside. They paused at the entryway. The place was completely trashed. Antiques were smashed on the floor. Paintings were ripped from the walls. The armed guards, who always looked stoic and invisible, were very visibly skittish and ready to bolt. A few were obviously upset. Banks stepped his way through the mess while keeping Kyson safe from the glass. They finally found everyone inside the family sitting room. Everything was destroyed there too. His dad sat in the middle of the couch with an open bottle of whiskey on his knee. It was almost empty. He looked worse than Banks had ever seen him.

Banks stared at him.

Beau didn’t acknowledge them at all. He simply stared at nothing. Blood dripped from his busted knuckles.

Each breath Banks took came harder than the last. His father had done this. He had killed their mother. Maybe he never laid a hand on her, but he still murdered her every bit as much as pulling the trigger.

“I just wanted her to choose me. I just wanted her to put down the bottle and choose us.”

At Beau’s dead-sounding words, the truth washed over him. Adan. Every terrible thing his father had done right in his mother’s face. All of it had been an angry, bitter man’s desperate and fury-filled struggle to get their mom to fight.

The demon burst from Banks. “You mother—” He launched himself at Beau with all the fury he possessed. Boone snatched him from his feet before he landed a single blow. All Banks saw was red. He struggled with everything he had had as Boone strong-armed him from the room. Boone spoke, but Banks couldn’t hear a thing. His only goal was murder. Unfortunately, even at the height of his rage, Boone was bigger and stronger than him.

“Stop, baby.” Kyson’s words were the only thing that penetrated the pounding in his ears.

Boone half walked, half carried Banks into the conversation room. It was where the family always sat with guests, while the dining room table was set, so everyone could have a drink beforehand. It was also where everyone gathered afterward to eat their dessert and have another drink. Their mom’s life did revolve around alcohol.

Banks blinked, and Kyson was in front of him.

He held Banks’ face between his hands. “Just breathe. Focus on me. Breathe.”

Banks held his stare. Kyson’s beautiful green eyes had him going still in Boone’s hold.

“That’s it, baby.” He inhaled. “Inhale.”

Banks followed his lead and inhaled.

“Good. Keep breathing.”

With Kyson as his sole focus, his heart rate slowly dropped.

Boone’s hold on him relaxed. “Are you good?”

Kyson nodded. “Go. We’ll be fine.”

Boone released Banks and left them alone.

Kyson never looked away from him. “I know you’re hurting. Let me take care of you. Tearing someone to shreds won’t help. Fall on me instead. I have you.”

Banks nodded. He had no idea what he agreed to, but he needed something to take away the pain. Banks knew Kyson would do his damnedest.

“Okay.” Kyson took his hand and headed for the stairs. He didn’t stop until they were inside Banks’ childhood bedroom. Kyson closed the door behind them. He locked the door. “Come on.” Kyson led him to bed before working on stripping away his clothes. Once he had Banks down to his underwear, he pulled back the covers. “Get in.”

Banks did as told. He swore his mind had snapped or fled. Banks no longer knew anything except that he loved Kyson and he hurt. All he could do was trust Kyson to fix it.

Kyson’s heart was completely shattered. He had loved Tabitha. She had warned him, and he hadn’t truly heard her. Not that he could have stopped her. Kyson couldn’t stop anything bad from happening. He never had. Oddly, Kyson still felt calmer than he had in ages. In control. He loved Banks. Banks needed him. This was something he could do. Maybe he wasn’t good for much. But when it came to loving Banks, he was an expert.

After stripping down to his underwear, Kyson climbed into bed next to Banks and held him as tightly as he could. It was late. There was nothing they could do tonight. Banks needed to be held and comforted. He needed sleep. Kyson would ensure he had everything it required to survive this.

“Would you like me to find you a drink or one of your cigars? I’m sure there’s something like that around here. Whatever you need, I’m on it. However I can help, in any way, I will.”

“I chose you.” Banks’ voice broke.

It took Kyson a second, but the truth dawned. Unlike his mom, Banks chose love. His throat swelled. Then he made the mistake of meeting Banks’ stare. A tear slipped from Banks’ eye. Like that, Kyson broke. His body jerked as the first cry hit. Kyson cried so hard, he thought he might puke. Even though Banks had tears spilling from his eyes, he still held Kyson and comforted him. They were each other’s rock. It was the first real, gut-wrenching cry Kyson had let himself fall into since Jack. He had been scared if he fell apart, he would never be whole again. But Banks and he had each other. They would face tomorrow together.

Banks kissed his cheek. “ Shhh , baby. I’m here. She loved you so much.”

It broke his heart even more that Banks felt like he needed to comfort him. He didn’t know how to explain how the floodgates had simply opened. Tabitha’s death was just the final straw.

Banks sat up and stacked the pillows against the headboard before leaning against them. “Okay. Come here, baby.”

Kyson dutifully straddled Banks’ lap and buried his face in the crook of his neck.

Banks pulled the covers up and tucked them around Kyson. He rubbed Kyson’s back. “I don’t think I can handle setting eyes on Dad for a while. Sometimes, I scare myself with how far I’ll go. I think we should go away for a little while.” He kissed Kyson’s forehead. “Not forever. I know you have a family and Soren is here. Obviously, I have my brother. But I think we need a break from—I don’t know—the vibes, I guess.”

Kyson lightly sucked Banks’ neck to soothe himself. He understood what Banks meant. So much bad had happened, and even though they had found each other amongst the rubble, the bad still lingered like a cloud.

“When we were kids, Mom used to take us to Colorado to go skiing. We stayed at this ritzy-ass resort, of course. By no means did Mom ever rough it. But we would ski the bunny slope and then sit by the fire and drink hot chocolate. Those are some of the few times I remember feeling like this was a normal family. It took me a long time to realize Mom sliced those normal moments out of life for us. She made sure we understood peace and happiness. If there is any good in me, it came from her.”

Kyson thought Banks was ninety percent his mother. He had the best heart.

“I’d love to do that again. It’s not the same, obviously. But I want to slice some normal moments out of life for us. I want to marry you and always have a peaceful place to fall.” He took a shaky-sounding breath. “I swear I’d never fail you the way my family failed me. The way we’ve failed each other.”

Kyson sniffed. “You’re incapable of failing me. I want all those things too.”

Banks’ arms tightened around him. “I love you.”

Kyson kissed Banks’ neck. “I love you too.”

“Let’s get some sleep.”

Kyson nodded. Tomorrow would likely be a long and horrible day. If Kyson knew nothing else, he knew they needed their strength. There was no telling what hell awaited them with the sun, and grief was never ending.