Chapter 24
CURTIS
My fingers drummed against the steering wheel, trying to clamp down the anxiety that had risen from my call with Stella.
The night had started off well. We had a boys’ night with junk food, gaming and movies. It didn’t take long for the sugar rush to pass and the kids to crash hard. They were sprawled and snoring on the mattress thrown on the living room floor as I strategically fell asleep on Dylan’s couch.
As soon as I had seen Stella leave for her girls’ night, wrapped in that sexy black dress, I knew I wasn’t moving until she waltzed that pert little ass back through the door. It was a noxious need I could not resist.
I had to see her safe, have her comfortable, be available for anything she needed. Anything.
I don’t know how many hours of sleep I had gotten when I was jolted awake by a scream. With a quick glance at my phone, I saw it was one in the morning. Is that Stella?
“STELLA! COME OUT HERE NOW! TALK TO ME!”
Nope. Definitely not Stella.
I jumped to my feet, ready to bolt outside and drag that idiot back down the driveway so he didn’t wake the entire neighbourhood.
But as I raced to the door, Dylan popped out from the dark corridor, blocking the entry. The sneaky fucker nearly gave me a cardiac arrest.
“Stay inside,” he said, the order clear.
“No way. Let me get rid of him,” I hissed.
“This is my house, boy. Look after the kids.”
Boy? Before I could reply, Dylan slipped out the door and shut it behind him. Damn it.
Right on cue, Phoenix startled awake, immediately crying from the sudden change.
“It’s alright, baby boy, it’s alright,” I cooed, picking him up and swaying from side to side. He laid his head on my shoulder, sniffling into my neck.
Rage had me seeing red. What the fuck did Felix think he was doing? Rocking up at early hours in the morning, disturbing and upsetting the house.
That was when I heard pained grunts and the unmistakable sounds of impact and collision, coming from the front lawn.
Let’s hope Dylan doesn’t kill his ex-son-in-law before I get there.
But as I went to put Phoenix down and storm outside, Eli had already jumped upright from bed and bolted for the exit.
“Eli! Don’t!”
Slam.
Too late. Fucking Felix.
I lay next to Eli on top of his bed covers as he huddled beneath, attempting to hide from the world.
It seemed Felix had done something right for once and left when confronted with his child. But it never should’ve come to that.
My boy slept through the whole thing. However, Phoenix had awoken so abruptly that it was hard to get him back down, his raucous screams only settling when held close to Grandpa’s chest.
Which meant I had to look out for Eli and make sure he was okay. My heart strained for the kid; he was way too young to be dealing with that drama.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Son, I know you were just trying to protect your grandpa, but he’s old enough and ugly enough to look after himself.”
He sniffled. “But Dad—”
“Is not your responsibility, Eli. Your dad… He’s going through a lot at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you have to step in against him. He’s an adult, okay, bud? And this stuff should be left for the adults.”
Eli ruffled the blanket, the edge rising to cover the lower half of his face. I could see his bright brain working behind his eyes, soaking everything in.
He was so different from my own preteen. Where Logan was boisterous, loud and energetic, Eli was the opposite—quiet, studious and contemplative. Shit, I hope I’m not stuffing this up.
“All anyone wants,” I said. “Me, Grandpa, Mum and even your dad, is for you to be safe and happy, Eli. That’s all we want. Everything will work out, I promise.”
Silence filled the space as minutes ticked by. It wasn’t uncomfortable. Just the settling of dust that had been rudely disrupted before.
And just when I thought he had fallen asleep, Eli whispered, “Will you always be there for us, Curt?”
“How long have I known you?”
“Since I was a baby?”
“That’s right. Your whole life. I’m not going anywhere.”
Then, that insightful eleven-year-old nearly had me completely undone when he murmured, “I wish you were my dad.”
Way to break my heart, kid. Despite my revulsion for Felix, in that moment, I had no intention of stealing his kids from him.
Having experienced my own ugly custody battle with my ex, I would never subject another to that.
However, I also didn’t want to shut Eli down if I had become a source of safety and comfort for him.
He had been through a lot and was vulnerable at that moment.
He required reassurance, not semantics about who played what role.
So, I gave him the only promise I could. “I’ll be whatever you need me to be, bud. A friend, a coach, a dad. Just say the word, and I’ll be there.”
We didn’t converse after that, Eli content with my answer enough to fall back asleep. Once he was snoring, I left his room and found my phone flashing on the coffee table pushed against the living room wall. And what I found had me trembling so much that I couldn’t keep the device steady.
“I miss you when you’re not with me.”
“I dream about you.”
“These bikers might be hot. But they have nothing on you.”
A few more texts and a phone call later, and I was practically a vibrating ball of energy.
My foot pushed down harder on the accelerator. Time to get my girl.