Chapter Sixteen #2
“Good. Now lemme tell you how this is going to work,” he continued, his voice deadly calm.
“You’re going to stay in this room and think about the choices you made tonight, decide if they were worth the consequences.
And tomorrow, when Seth wakes up, we’re all going to have a nice, long conversation about boundaries and expectations. ”
“Ugh. Jesus…”
Beck flashed him an acidic smile and moved toward the door. “Oh, and one more thing. If you think I don’t have the balls to enforce the rules in this house, you’re mistaken. Don’t test me.”
He left Hudson standing there, mouth agape, and headed upstairs to set the house alarm. Seth was paranoid about security. Tonight, that paranoia would not only keep them safe, but if Hudson tried to sneak out, Beck would know immediately. And there’d be hell to pay.
Once he’d armed the system, he pulled out his phone, sighed, and texted Seth.
Need to talk when you get a chance. We have a problem.
He stared at the screen for a moment, then added:
Hudson’s fine, but there’s something you need to know.
Beck pocketed his phone, headed to the kitchen, and poured himself a whiskey. He didn’t expect to hear back from Seth during his stakeout. But as he settled into his chair and lifted the glass to his lips, his phone buzzed with an incoming message.
As Seth read Beck’s text, dread settled like a stone in his gut. What the hell had happened with Hudson?
He responded immediately.
My targets haven't shown up yet, and it's getting late. I'm pretty sure they're no-shows, so I'll be home in ten. Anything you want to tell me now?
Beck’s reply came quickly.
Better to talk in person.
“Fuck,” Seth muttered under his breath, his dread expanding as he quickly broke down his surveillance equipment and packed it away. Whatever Hudson had done, it was bad enough that Beck didn’t want to discuss it over text.
During the drive home, Seth’s mind raced with possibilities, none of them good.
Clearly, Hudson had pulled some shit the minute his back was turned.
He’d dealt with BS, sneakiness, and crappy behavior when he’d been a father figure to his younger brothers, so discipline was nothing new.
But he hadn’t expected to have to open a can of whoop-ass on his son this soon.
Seth pulled into the garage and eased inside the house. He found Beck waiting for him in the foyer with a whiskey in hand and a deep frown creasing his features.
That wasn’t a good omen.
“I hurried. What happened?” Seth asked, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
Beck didn’t sugarcoat it. “I caught Hudson and Casen sharing Casen’s girlfriend, Brielle. Walked in on them just after the deed was done. Hudson had to pull out of the girl’s ass to have a conversation with me.”
Seth closed his eyes, feeling as if he’d been sucker punched. Anger flooded him, followed immediately by a wave of guilt that made his stomach churn. Would Hudson have tried a threesome if he hadn’t come here? If he hadn’t known that his dad and Beck shared Heavenly?
Probably not.
“Fuck.”
“Casen and Brielle left. Hudson’s in his room, probably shitting his pants because I refused to keep his antics to myself. He’s not expecting you until tomorrow, but…” Beck shrugged. “My philosophy is, when you need to come down like a ton of bricks, there’s no time like the present.”
Seth ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Thanks for breaking that shit up.”
“You’re welcome.” Beck drained his glass and turned toward the stairs.
“Wait.” Seth stopped him. “Come with me? I think we should do this together.”
Beck paused, one foot on the bottom step. “Because?”
“As far as I’m concerned, if Hudson’s staying here, we’re all going to be responsible for him. I don’t want him getting the idea that all he has to do to get away with shit is wait for me to leave the house.”
Beck nodded. “I didn’t want to step on your toes, but you’re right. We have to deal with Hudson as a cohesive unit. If Heavenly wasn’t in pain and already asleep, I’d suggest she come, too.”
“I’ll loop her in tomorrow,” Seth decided. “For now, we need to deal with my son.”
Beck fell in beside him as they headed down to Hudson’s room. Seth knocked once, then opened the door without waiting for permission. Hudson sat on his bed in sweats and a T-shirt, phone in hand. He looked up with the expression of a kid who’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“We need to talk.” Seth stepped into the room, Beck close behind.
Hudson set his phone aside. “What’s the big fucking deal? So I had sex. It’s hardly the first time. I don’t need you two on my dick.”
“After the shit you pulled tonight, you’re lucky you still have a dick,” Beck said dryly.
Seth nodded. “As long as you’re legally a child and you’re living under my roof, I’ll do whatever I need to keep you safe and on the straight and narrow. Beck and I have some questions, and you’re going to answer them. Honestly.”
Hudson glanced between them, clearly weighing his options. Finally, he sighed. “Whatever.”
“Was this your first threesome?” Beck asked without preamble.
“Holy shit. You said questions, not an interrogation. Don’t I get any privacy around here?” Hudson protested.
“You’re sixteen,” Beck said flatly. “Living in our house. Privacy is earned.”
Hudson glared at both of them. “This is bullshit.”
“Answer his question,” Seth snapped.
Hudson’s cheeks flushed, but he lifted his chin. “Yeah. It was. Okay?”
“It needs to be the last time for a long while. First time having anal sex?” Seth continued.
“No.”
Jesus. How sexually active had Hudson been? And for how long? Was there anything else he hadn’t tried?
“How old were you when you first had sex?”
“Fourteen. But I got my first blow job the year before.”
Seth felt his stomach clench. Hudson had been getting blow jobs at thirteen, younger even than Seth himself. Where the hell was his guidance? His supervision?
Seth raked a hand through his hair. His son’s answer wasn’t shocking…but a potential problem. They fucking didn’t need consequences. “Since you said you have sex regularly, do you always carry condoms with you?”
“Always. Yeah.”
At least the kid was being safe. That was something, but that didn’t make Hudson’s behavior okay.
Seth studied his son’s face, seeing echoes of his own teenage recklessness staring back at him. “What you did tonight was incredibly stupid. You’re sixteen. You don’t have the emotional maturity to handle sharing someone, especially not someone else’s girlfriend.”
“Beck already gave me this lecture—”
“And now you’re getting it from me,” Seth cut him off. “Your choices tonight showed poor judgment, disrespect for Brielle’s relationship with Casen, and a complete lack of understanding about the possible repercussions of your actions.”
Beck stepped forward. “Sharing a woman isn’t a game. It’s complicated, emotionally demanding, and requires a level of maturity you don’t possess.”
“You and Seth do it—”
“We’re adults,” Seth said sharply.
“Beck gave me that part of the lecture.”
“Then I’ll give you the rest. We’ve both been through hell and back, learned how to communicate, how to handle jealousy and insecurity and all the other shit that comes with a relationship like ours.
We know how to listen, compromise, and put each other first. What we have with Heavenly is a lifelong commitment based on love.
You’re a kid who thinks a three-way is just for shits and giggles.
You’re not prepared for the difficulties of keeping a relationship like ours together. ”
“He’s right,” Beck added. “And trust me, kid. You have a lot to learn before you’re ready for anything serious with another person, much less two.”
Hudson shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not looking for forever with Casen and Brielle.”
“Good. You’re grounded for the next two weeks.
No video games, no TV, no movies, no going out with friends.
You can have your phone for school and football, in case there’s an emergency.
You’ll hand it over as soon as you get home, and you’ll get it back before you go to school the next morning.
You can swim laps, work out, read, or help around the house. That’s it.”
“That’s bullshit!” Hudson exploded, jumping to his feet. “You can’t just—”
“I can. If you don’t like it, I’ll put you on a plane back to Connecticut—after I tell your mother what happened tonight.”
After the ultimatum left his mouth, Seth felt a moment of pure panic. Letting Hudson feel the consequences of his actions was the right thing to do, but…what if the kid called his bluff? What if he actually chose to leave?
That possibility wrecked Seth.
He’d found his son a week ago. They were just starting to build a relationship. And now he might lose Hudson? The kid clearly needed structure, needed a father figure who would hold him accountable. If Hudson went back to Connecticut...
God, please don’t let him choose to leave.
Hudson paled, his bravado crumbling. “What if I stay?”
Relief flooded Seth. The kid would only ask that if he wanted to remain.
“I won’t tell your mother about this incident unless you give me a reason to. And once you turn eighteen, I can’t control what you do. But for the next eighteen months, you either follow our rules or you go back to your mom and Ted. Those are your two choices.”
Hudson fell quiet, his gaze darting between Seth and Beck. Finally, he nodded. “All right. Fine. Just...don’t send me back there. This school is better. I like my new friends. And I…” He swallowed hard. “Living with you three is better.”
Seth had to work to keep the relief off his face. He wanted to be Hudson’s father, wanted to help shape him into a good man.
That realization hit him with unexpected force.
“Good choice,” Seth said simply. “But understand this: in the future, Casen is welcome to come over, but if he’s here, Brielle better not be.
And any girls you date will meet the family before you’re allowed to take them out.
Your curfew is midnight. And if you get anyone pregnant, there will be hell to pay. ”
Hudson scowled. “You got Mom pregnant at fifteen. Pot, meet kettle.”
Those words hit hard, but Seth didn’t flinch. “How did not having a father your first sixteen years work out for you, Hudson? You want to repeat that pattern? Want your kid to grow up not knowing his dad? Thinking he’s unwanted?”
Hudson’s face crumpled. “No. It sucked. I wouldn’t want that for my kid. And I’m not ready to be a father.”
“That’s exactly my point. You need to consider the consequences before you act. Think about what could happen, not just what feels good in the moment.”
Hudson nodded miserably. “Okay.”
“We’ll get through this, okay?” Seth clapped a hand on his son’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “I’ll see you for tomorrow morning’s workout. Goodnight, son.”
“’Night,” the kid muttered.
The moment Seth closed the door behind them with a sigh and headed upstairs, the tension left his shoulders. “Thanks for helping.”
Beck clapped him on the back. “You handled that really well, Daddy.”
Seth snorted, but there was warmth in his chest at the words. “Apparently I’m Daddy whether I’m ready for it or not.”
“You got this,” Beck insisted.
With Beck and Heavenly’s help? “Yeah.”
As he reached their bedroom, Seth felt something shift inside him.
Tonight had been a wake-up call—not just about Hudson, but about himself.
He’d almost lost his son before he’d really had a chance to be his father.
He knew what it felt like to lose a child forever.
Tristan’s death had nearly destroyed him.
This would have been different, sure. Hudson would still be alive, but it would have been another failure as a father.
Thank fuck Hudson had chosen to stay. Chosen them and this family they were building. If Seth could be the father his son needed, despite all the risks and potential for heartbreak…then maybe he could handle being a father to the children he and Beck would have with Heavenly.
Maybe.