Seeking Salvation: A Shadow Elite Novel

Chapter 4

The driveback to Longtown where she’d left Tyrique was made in silence with Ti giving her the occasional wary look. She had no idea why she’d agreed to come, just that it had felt like the right thing to do at the time. As she got closer to their destination, she felt her arms ache to hold Tyrique again. Leaving him had been a huge mistake but she was just so out of her depth with this and now she was dragging his father into it.

God, why had Rose gotten involved with these people?Her head ached and she massaged the bridge of her nose.

“There are some painkillers in the glove box if you need them.”

Maya glanced across to find Ti watching her as he waited for a light to turn green.

“Thanks, I have a doozy of a headache coming on.”

“Stress, most likely.”

“Yeah, I guess, and crying always gives me a headache.”

Her cheeks felt hot at the thought of crying all over him the way she had. But his big warm body had felt so safe, so much like home and she hadn’t been able to control it.

“You obviously needed it.”

“I guess. I still don’t like it.”

“Independent or stubborn?”

“A little of both if you were to ask my parents.”

Ti looked over at her. “What do they think of all this or haven’t you told them?”

Sadness washed over her like a wave, almost drowning what little energy she had left. “They’re dead too. A few years now. Everyone is gone except me and Tyrique.”

“And me. We’re family now, Maya.”

The soft sincerity in his voice had her body tightening on an ache. Her heart wanted something impossible, even as he offered it, but she wouldn’t throw his kindness back in his face. “Thanks.”

Sitting up straighter when she recognised the town where she’d left Tyrique, she marvelled at how pretty it was. A mix of old and new homes, farms with land, and trees as far as the eye could see and then, as they got closer to the main part, a quaint pub, with a bakery, butcher and old-fashioned paper shop on the main street.

Rounding the corner, he pulled up in front of a small cottage on the outskirts of the village and switched off the engine. “This is us.”

Not in a million years would she have suspected this was his home. He was big and brawny and this house was small and delicate, belonging to a Jane Eyre novel.

“Not what I expected.”

“I don’t stay here often. I live at work mostly. I bought it as a project and renovated it for fun, and then, when it came time to sell it, I just couldn’t.”

“I can see why. It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you. Want to go see Tyrique?”

“Yes, please.”

Ti rounded the car before she could exit and opened her door like this was a date or something. “Wow, your mum taught you well.”

A shadow of pain flashed over his face before it was gone in the next instant but it was enough to tell her she’d hit a nerve and remind her that she really didn’t know anything about this man she was putting so much trust in.

As the door opened into the lounge, she heard the sound of laughter and children chattering, and instantly took a step back, feeling out of place. Ti could have a wife or girlfriend for all she knew and she’d thrown herself into his life, believing him to be an absent father when in fact he was none the wiser.

A tiny platinum blonde stepped through from the kitchen with Tyrique in her arms. Maya launched herself at her, taking Tyrique and holding him close to her chest as she buried her face in his neck and inhaled his sweet scent.

“I’m so sorry I left you, baby. I won’t ever do something so stupid again.”Tyrique snuffled against her ear and she laughed as his lips found her neck. She pulled away to look at him and assess him for any injury and found nothing but the happy child she adored. “You hungry, big guy?”

“I was just about to warm his bottle.”

Maya glanced at the woman who was now standing beside Ti as he threw his arm lazily over her shoulder. The woman was watching her with a wary look on her face, but no hostility. Just a watchful gaze that made her feel exposed. A frisson of jealousy ran through her at the thought that she might know him intimately. Was she his girlfriend? His lover? The ease between them showed a deep level of trust and closeness, more than that of colleagues.

“Thank you, but I can do it myself if you just show me where.” Even to her own ears, her retort sounded sharp and she bit her tongue to keep from apologising. She was already at a disadvantage here, she didn’t need to show even more weakness.

Ti looked at her with a crinkle in his eyes that proved her attitude hadn’t gone unnoticed. Embarrassment crept in because she wasn’t usually so confrontational but this entire day, no, this entire month, had been one shit show after another and she was feeling defensive and out of sorts. Her flight or fight response was definitely turned more towards fight at this point.

“Maya, I’d like you to meet my good friend, Snow. Snow, this is Maya, Tyrique’s aunt.”

“Nice to meet you.” Snow offered her a smile that held nothing but genuine pleasure, yet Maya still felt her hackles rise. Manners had made her say the words even though what she really wanted to do was demand she move away from the man she’d just met and had zero rights to. Maybe she was having an early midlife crisis.

“Liar.”

Maya snapped her head back, so shocked to be called out by this confident smiling beauty.“Excuse me?”

Snow cocked her head and grinned. “I like you. You’ll do.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Snow, are you scaring her off already? I told you to stay out of this.”

Maya’s gaze swung to the door where a gorgeous man, in a clearly custom three-piece suit, stood with a small baby in his arms and a little girl at his side.Warmth crossed his features as he addressed Snow, his body moving so he was standing beside her and gazing down at her with complete adoration on his face, but what surprised her was the way the cool beauty, so full of the ice of her name, melted a little at his gaze on her.

“And I told you, I don’t take orders.”

The man snorted. “You barely take suggestions, babe.” She watched as the man lifted his gaze to Ti and glared. “Care to unhand my wife, Titan?”

His words weren’t threatening but his tone certainly was, and she wondered if this was some kind of weird love triangle like she used to read about in her mum’s weekly magazines.

Titan grinned and lifted his arm as the woman moved into her husband and snuggled against his side before he wound his fist around her ponytail, tipped her head back and gave her a kiss that made every hair on Maya’s body stand on end.

Jesus, was it hot in here?

“Come on, man. Can you not do that here?” Titan grumbled.

“Sebby says it’s good to show people you loves them.”

Maya looked at the little girl with blonde pigtails and an angelic, knowing look on her face as she spoke to Titan with all the authority of an eight-year-old.

“Sebby is right, sweetie. Uncle Titan is just jealous ’cos nobody loves him.”

“I loves you, Uncle Ti.”

“Aww, love you too, Fleury.”

Maya watched as Titan crouched down and accepted the hug the little girl gave him with patience and care and she knew he’d be a great father to his son. The son who chose that moment to remind everyone he was there and hungry with an ear-splitting cry.

“Sorry, buddy. Let’s get you fed and down for a nap.”

“Why don’t I show you where everything is, while Seb and Snow show themselves out?”

Ti gave Snow and the man they called Seb a look that was a clear sign he wanted them to leave.

Snow smirked. “Can’t. Bás is on his way with the others.”

Titan groaned. “Goddamn it, Snow. I said I could handle this.”

“Tough. That’s not how this team does things. If one of us is in trouble, then we’re all in trouble.”

Titan rubbed his hand over his short hair and sighed. “I’m not in trouble, but Maya is.”

“Wow, just threw me right under that bus, didn’t ya? And for the record, you have an infant son, you’re in so much trouble.”

Snow cackled. “She’s right. You’re screwed six ways from Sunday and not in a good way.”

“How about I take the kids home and you stay and talk with the team?”

Snow looked up at Seb, her features going soft. “Thanks, babe. I love you.”

“I’ll put dinner on. Is beef ragu okay?”

“God, I love you so much.”

Titan stepped in front of her and lifted Tyrique out of her arms as he continued to cry like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Let’s leave them to it, they could be a while.” His lips quirked in a smirk and she smiled in return.

Maya followed him into the kitchen, which had been completely modernised into an airy space with two roof lights letting in natural light, and pale grey walls lending a contemporary feel. Looking around, she saw pale grey shaker-style cabinets with cream marble countertops and antique brass handles. All around the space were little touches that gave her more of an insight into the man who was now filling a kettle with water while balancing Tyrique in his thick, muscled arm as if he’d been doing this all his life.

Walking to the breakfast nook where a round table sat in what was a bay window, she made herself comfortable. For the first time in weeks, she relished the feeling of not being so alone. Even if she didn’t know this man, or trust him, she instinctively knew she had been right to leave Tyrique with him.

“So, Snow is interesting.”

Ti cast her a look over his shoulder, a smirk playing on his lips. “You have no idea.”

“So, you work together?”

“Yeah.”

“And these other people? Your teammates from the Rescue Centre?”

“Uh yeah. Kind of, yeah.”

Tyrique started to fuss so she stood and took over warming the bottle, letting him soothe his son as he talked to him in a low, deep voice that made her belly squirm with a latent desire she hadn’t felt in a long time. Guilt assailed her at the thought of how attracted she was to her nephew’s father.

Focusing on the task in front of her allowed her to not think about how hot Ti looked cradling his tiny son against his wide chest. There was just something about a big strong man and a tiny baby that made her ovaries explode.

Walking towards him, she tested the temperature of the bottle on her wrist and handed it over. Ti sat at the table and positioned Tyrique in the crook of his arm before offering him the teat. Her beautiful nephew watched his father with wide, intelligent eyes as he sucked down his milk like he’d never been fed and Ti looked equally as smitten.

“He looks like you.”

Titan looked up, a smile playing on his full lips. “You think so?”

“Uh-huh. He has your eyes.”

“He seems small. Is that normal?”

Maya laughed. “He’s not small. He’s on the ninety-ninth percentile. Which I’m pretty sure is also down to you.”

Ti cocked his head. “I don’t know what that means.”

“It means that out of all the babies of his age, he’s bigger than ninety-nine percent of them.”

“Oh, I see.”

Maya continued to observe as Tyrique finished his bottle and Ti gently placed him over his shoulder before rubbing a big slow circle on his son’s back.

“You’re a quick study.”

Ti shrugged but looked pleased with the compliment. “I did this for my friends’ kids. Never had to deal with the business end before today though.” He shivered with disgust and she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. He wasn’t what she’d expected, although she hadn’t been entirely sure who Rose might have gotten mixed up with. Her sister hadn’t had the best taste in men. A knot of pain twisted in her gut as she thought of how her sister had died, and it was swiftly followed by anger at her for all the stupid, selfish decisions she’d made, which cost others, and ultimately herself, her life.

“You get used to it.”

Ti shook his head vehemently. “Nope. Not ever getting used to that. When do they get potty trained?”

“Around two to three years old, depending on the child.”

“Shiiiz,” he said, changing the swear word at the last second.

“Yeah, something else you need to learn is that they pick up every word, but you have a little time yet.”

“You talk like I’ll be having custody of Tyrique. Don’t you want him?”

Maya swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked at the child who meant the world to her. “I’d very much like to be involved in his life if you’ll allow it, but I need to make it safe for him first.”

Maya jumped as Ti took her hand in his much larger one. Her gaze clashed with his deep browns and she had the sudden desire to sink into their depths and stay there.

“Maya, you don’t know me, but I can assure you, if it comes back that Tyrique is mine, I’ll want him with me, but that in no way means shutting you out. If there’s one thing I have learned, it’s that the more people who love him in his life the better. I want you involved as much as you want and you won’t be making him safe. We will.”

“It’s dangerous. I don’t want to drag you into this.” Her attempt to dissuade him was half-hearted and was met with the steely look she’d been expecting.

“You didn’t drag me. I’m walking in with my eyes wide open.”

Maya cocked her head as she met his gaze and saw the truth in them. She wasn’t sure anyone could force this man to do anything he didn’t want and she was so exhausted carrying this fear alone, that the temptation was too much. “Okay.”

“Good girl.”

Ti gave her a smile that would end wars, it was so stunningly beautiful that her belly somersaulted, a cascade of butterflies taking flight as she almost purred with pleasure. Yet her natural defensiveness wouldn’t let her take the compliment, so she rolled her eyes at him.

Ti stood abruptly, with a smoothness a man his size shouldn’t possess, and she fought the instinct to step back, instead standing her ground as he moved into her space, stealing the air from her lungs.

The air thickened around them, making it impossible to draw breath. His head moved closer as he bent until his jaw skimmed her cheek and his breath feathered against her ear.

“The next time you roll your eyes at me, it had better be in ecstasy, Maya.”

She thought she felt his lips skim her ear but it was so light it was hard to decipher, but then he was gone, moving back towards the living room door and leaving her holding on to the back of a chair to stop her limp legs from going out from under her.

Jesus fucking hell, that man was lethal seductive hotness and she’d better get her shit together and remember why she was here or she’d be a puddle at his huge feet.