Chapter 28
Twenty-Eight
When Carver stepped into Trix's office, he froze.
Gideon was seated next to the other man; his gaze locked on the computer screen as Trix typed quickly.
From this angle, Carver couldn't see what exactly was going on, but given the way most of the computer screens around were working, it's not as if he’d have been able to decipher the chaos anyway.
Slash turned to look at Carver, then raised his brows as if to question what he would do. Carver shook his head and stepped further into the room after closing the door behind him.
Only Slash, Slayer, Trix, Gideon, Fury, and himself were there. Slayer still looked angry from the call with Sapphire, but he held it together while waiting for whatever came next.
Slash being there made sense too because he was Carver’s second. Fury was the wild card. Though Carver had a feeling he knew why Fury was there.
Whatever the outcome about Gideon's mother, Fury would be there to support Gideon and the reaction that came. While Carver hoped the news was good, he also wondered what good meant.
Did that mean she was alive and could be reunited with her son? Or would it be that her being gone was in their best interest?
He hadn't been able to talk to Gideon to know which would be better. His boy was there but not. Always close but never close enough.
As they sat in the empty chairs around Trix's space, Gideon turned to face him. He didn't startle at the sight of Carver, though his eyes did soften a bit and his cheeks tinted pink.
Carver felt a surge of warmth at the reaction. He wanted to think that it meant his boy was happy to see him. "Tell us what you have," Carver said to Trix, gaining his attention.
The man whipped around, smiling at the group. "Oh hey, I didn't hear you guys come in. I was too busy giving another lesson to little boss here."
Gideon dipped his head towards Trix, who nudged him with his shoulder. The carefree touch had Carver paying more attention to the group. While Gideon had been friendlier and more comfortable in larger settings, Carver didn't realize how close he had grown to everyone.
His men seemed relaxed around him instead of on guard.
Fury, most of all, looked as if he was casually hanging out with friends.
The thought of Gideon being a full-blown Angel was a relief.
If his boy could find peace here with the others and truly become one of his crew, then it meant he'd never leave.
Carver still worried it would happen. He couldn't deny that maybe life would be better for Gideon away from it all. Maybe he would choose to move on and explore the world outside these walls.
Trix cleared his throat and then dove in. Carver hadn't realized he'd been staring at Gideon until the noise. He switched over to look at the other man.
Trix started saying, "I have an update and while I've already informed Gideon, I know it's important to tell you guys as well."
Carver's brow dipped at the news. "You told him before you told us."
Trix nodded, his smile not dropping one bit. “Technically, he was here when I found out the news, so it was kind of hard not to tell him. It was during one of our lessons, as I said before.”
Carver's face must have expressed curiosity over these supposed lessons because Trix pointed at Gideon and said, "This one right here has been getting lessons from everyone.
Computer stuff with me. He's been doing his psychiatric work with Fury, of course, as you knew.
And Hex has been teaching him about motorcycles.
Silver has been trying to teach him about flirting, though I think that's more just entertainment for Gideon.”
His boy smiled, nodding quickly at Trix’s words.
Slayer crossed his arms and joined in saying, "I have been teaching him about weapons. He's pretty good with a knife.”
"I've been going over club business with him, teaching him the ins and outs. I figured it's what you would have wanted.” Slash added the last bit; his gaze locked on Carver.
Carver nodded, agreeing with all of them. "That's good."
Fury added, "We've been doing more than just therapy sessions, to be honest. I've also been working with him on some schooling. Apparently, she who shall not be named was at least good about teaching him the basics. He watched videos and listened to books while there. That helped him pick up new words and phrases past what he’d learned in his elementary level classes.
What I've been showing him is more at a higher level.
Once he's up to date on where he should be, I told him we could look into a degree option for him if he wanted to do traditional schooling. "
Carver smiled at the thought of his boy going to school.
He wondered what Gideon would be like. What he wanted to study.
Carver didn't dare ask because he didn't want his men answering for Gideon.
He wanted to hear his boy say it himself, and that would only come with more time. He had to be patient.
"That's all good to hear. I’m glad you've all been able to help. I'm proud of you, Gideon,” Carver said to the group, looking at the boy before turning back to Trix. If he stared any longer, he would get up and do something stupid, something like wrap his arms around Gideon and hold him close. Maybe tell him all the things he thought of in the ten weeks they’d been apart.
“Keep going, Trix. I have a feeling that whatever this is, is important.”
Trix’s expression went solemn. “It is. The truth of the matter is that she's long gone. Whenever she was sold, she got sick during transport. The logs were barely kept of who was who, which is why it took me this long to figure it all out. I had to sift through conversations and text message chains that were decades old.”
"Wow," Carver said, leaning back in his seat. "Was there anyone else? Any other family we need to work on reuniting Gideon with?"
Trix shook his head. "None. I went back through the whole family tree. I triple-checked it just to be sure. Straube’s line is not worth looking into after how he treated Stephanie. Gideon is an Angel. That's who he is. His past doesn't define him and there isn't anyone to connect him to."
Carver sat up at the news and clapped his hands together.
"Then an Angel he will be. I'll get with Tank and call in one of my favors.
I'll get him some new identification set up.
I don't want anyone to trace this back to us having created it," he added before Trix could intervene to say he would handle it.
And while Royce could take care of it, Carver didn't need to ask any more of his friend. They had already said they were thinking about coming to visit. Since they hadn't responded or popped up yet, Carver knew there was other stuff on their mind.
Trix nodded, then turned to Gideon. "Do you want me to tell him what we talked about?"
Gideon nodded to the other man. Before Carver could question anything, his boy’s gaze met his, as if waiting to watch his reaction.
Carver's eyes bounced between Trix and Gideon. He wanted to tell Trix to hurry up and share what needed to be said. He already felt like he was behind. Like there was information he hadn't been given.
This meeting was to make sure all the high-ranking Angels were updated, but at the same time, he was the one with the least amount of knowledge. He was the one who didn't know all the pieces of Gideon anymore. His boy had grown and changed, yet Carver was still in the dark.
The notion sent a pang of longing through him.
Trix started speaking, and his next words shocked Carver.
“Gideon has expressed wanting to have your last name. He said that he hoped to inevitably gain it a different way, but if he could claim anyone as family it would be you. We thought I’d be the one to create it, so we didn’t mention it yet.
Now that it’s being outsourced, you need to know. ”
Unable to help himself any longer, Carver stood and moved slowly towards Gideon. His boy kept his eyes trained on Carver, never once looking away. He wasn't scared. He wasn't shocked. He was patient. Something Carver hadn't been, at least not with this new development.
When he reached Gideon, Carver sank to his knees. It was a pose of submission. The men around him knew it too, as he could tell by the silence that had engulfed the room.
From his peripheral, he could see Trix's jaw hanging open. He ignored the amusing expression to focus on his boy.
"You can have anything you want from me," Carver told Gideon. “My name, my heart, it's yours."
Each word rang true. Carver meant it with all his being. He had been patient, and he would continue to do so, but in this moment, he needed Gideon to know how serious he was. That meant being in this pose and offering those words.
Gideon reached out slowly, his hand moving to Carver's cheek. At the touch, Carver sighed, his body drooping as the weight he had carried for weeks slipped away.
"Thank you," Gideon whispered softly.
Two barely audible words and yet they changed everything.
Carver felt his heart beating erratically. His body warmed. His mind went a million miles an hour.
There were things he needed to do, things he had to take care of. The vision he had of building a house behind the club came back to him, and he knew as soon as he left this room, he would be contacting everyone he had thought of before. All the contractors, all the design plans he had.
He would get Gideon to make the final decisions on everything though, because his boy choosing to have his last name, choosing to be his, was monumental. It was everything he had wanted in these ten weeks.
The distance had not changed how Carver felt. It had only strengthened his resolve.
Now he would build the home that his boy would come to when he was ready. It would be another thing Carver could provide, another place for his boy to focus on. To use that which he'd learned.
Carver looked up at Gideon who had tears in his eyes and a soft smile on his face.
"All will be well, sweet boy," he told him. "I will wait as long as you need me to."
Gideon's thumb gently stroked Carver's skin for a moment before he pulled back. Carver sat there another second before standing and turning to face the rest of his men.
“Thank you for taking care of him in my stead. I have other work that needs to be handled, but I trust you will continue as you have been."
The men nodded to him chanting, "Yes, Boss."
Carver looked over his shoulder at Gideon who was still watching him.
"Until next time, sweet boy,” he said.
His gaze dipped to the scarf at Gideon's neck. He'd noticed it earlier and from the angle he was at now, he realized there was no collar beneath it.
Carver's heart surged, and he smiled widely. His boy was growing in every way. He was more than happy to see what other changes were on the horizon.