Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
Marco stood at the edge of the ball pit, watching his sweetie and her friends for about fifteen minutes before he finally moved.
He couldn’t stand there the whole time. It would look strange. But he felt equally as weird and out of place about joining John and Breaker where they sat.
He wasn’t part of their group. They didn’t understand his world and he didn’t understand theirs. But they were doing him a solid by not immediately reporting him to the cops. And it was important to Kelsey that he got along well with everyone then.
After all, when this brief period was over and he was in jail, the Daddy Guard might be the ones looking out for her.
He was glad she had them too. She needed a support group.
With that in mind, he meandered to where they sat and eased himself down on the bench that was bolted into the floor next to theirs. None of them said anything for a full three minutes.
Marco thought about breaking the ice several times, but only cleared his throat.
Back about two years ago—well before he’d met his sweet Kelsey—a rival Family had dispatched a team of shooters to take him out.
Three guys, all armed to the teeth, ready to blow him full of holes.
He hadn’t even had a gun on him. The moment had found him virtually defenseless.
Just when he was seconds away from death, an FBI team swooped in, having pursued the hit team for months for unrelated crimes.
Another minute—maybe even half that time—and Marco would have been dead.
Still, that stressful time hadn’t frayed his nerves nearly as bad as they were right now, in the stoney silence with John and Breaker.
Ouch.
“Pretty hot outside,” he finally managed to croak out.
He felt Breaker’s eyes on him. Marco turned his head to the side to see the man staring at him from the other bench.
Awkward.
John was still looking straight ahead at the women as they played, but at least he was willing to try and engage in polite conversation. “Yeah. I saw a forecast that said it’s going to be hotter than normal this summer. And that’s saying something for Vegas.”
Marco shifted on the bench so he could see the guys better. “You know, it would be cool if there was a waterpark just for Littles. The girls would love it.”
John looked his way and smiled. “That’s a great idea. Man, I bet it would be expensive though. And with such a limited clientele, I’m not sure it could turn a profit.”
“Yeah. You’re probably right,” Marco said.
“Good idea though,” John told him.
Marco angled his body straight ahead again, watching Kelsey and the others as they had a blast in the ball pit.
A full minute passed before Breaker said, “They have one in Mountainville.”
John turned slightly again. “Really?”
It took a few seconds, but Breaker finally looked at him. “Yeah. I haven’t been. But I’ve heard it’s pretty cool. Seen the pics online. I figure I’ll take Little Steph there soon.”
“Yeah, I want to take Trixie there, too. You know, some of the Mountainville Crew hangs out on the West Coast sometimes. Make it over to Vegas every now and then. A couple of ‘em, at least. They even bankroll this operation,” John said, his tone a lot more friendly than Breaker’s.
Marco’s eyes narrowed. “Really?”
“Uh-huh. Good guys. But seriously, you should come out to Mountainville with us. I think we’d all have a lot of fun.”
They all three watched the ladies some more.
A minute later, Breaker said, “He’ll be in prison.”
Marco nearly groaned. He’d been so close, he thought, to getting on better terms with Breaker.
Maybe that would take time. Not that he really had any of that…
“We don’t know that,” John said. “Anyway, let’s just keep that sort of talk to ourselves. No reason to upset Kelsey. Today and tomorrow are all about her.”
Breaker grunted, but he didn’t argue.
“I appreciate that, man,” Marco said.
“Don’t mention it,” John replied. “We’ll make this time special for her. And while we don’t have any Littles-only waterparks, I bet we can find a?—”
“Daddy! I think I need changed,” Trixie interrupted loudly from the ball pit.
John stood. “Let me hold that thought. Duty calls.”
Breaker stood, too. “I might as well check Little Steph while you’re at it. Chances are that pull-up of hers is soaked, too.”
Marco nodded. “Yeah. I was just thinking the same thing. I mean, about Kelsey, of course. Not Stephanie.”
Breaker shot him a dirty look.
Dude, are you just trying to piss that guy off?
“Come on, girls. Changing time,” John called.
The three beauties swam loudly through the clacking plastic balls as they came toward their Daddies. Once again, Marco found himself growing nervous.
He wasn’t weak, by any means. Danger wasn’t something he recoiled from. But this? Well…
He’d take a mafia hit squad on his ass over this, any damn day of the week.