Save Me, Daddy: Rainbow Room Book 1

by L. Michael

  “I… I´m sorry that I got him in trouble.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Uhm… he got suspended, um, because of me?” Instead of looking at Andrew, I stared at my plate until I felt a hand on my arm. When I looked up, I saw a worried expression on Andrew’s face.

  “No. Just no, Samuel. He got suspended because it was the right thing to do for the police department. What Jakob did…” Andrew sighed and shook his head. “Look, I was just a rookie back in the early eighties. Those were different times. There weren't many officers of color, and most of them had a hard time. I got suspended once for the same thing Jakob did. I hit a fellow officer who never hid his opinion about black cops. One day, his racist comments were just enough. Everyone agreed with me, but they couldn't spare me a punishment. As cops, we need to stick together. We are one team, one unit, a blue wall against crime. If we start to fight each other, there is no blue wall anymore.”

  “Jakob told me the same. That it's not fair, but the right thing to do.” I said quietly. “I just… I feel guilty.”

  “Feel guilty if you cheat on him. Feel guilty if you lie to him. Feel guilty if you betray him. But never feel guilty because he stepped in to protect you.” Andrew gently patted my hand. “That's just what we Lannister's do. We protect the people who need our help and the people we love.”

  “Is that why he became a cop?” I couldn´t help myself, but I was curious.

  “Yeah. Well, that and I guess because I was one, too. Not to mention that Jake is a caretaker.” Andrew laughed. “Do you have any idea how many squirrels he brought home when he was a kid? He found them on the streets and…”

  “Seriously, Dad? It was only one!” Jakob came into the room with the meatloaf. He put it on the table and took the chair beside me. “Don´t believe anything my Dad tells you. It’s all lies.”

  “Yeah? What about when you were fourteen, and you almost beat up two kids who were only ten?”

  “They bullied Meredith, and she was only eight!”

  “Okay, what about when you were eleven? Your mum made you lunch every morning, yet you came home from school so hungry because you gave your lunch to some homeless guy on the corner?”

  “Dad!” Jakob groaned while he put meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans on my plate.

  “What about the twenty dollars you stole from my wallet, just because your classmate couldn't afford the trip to the Museum of Natural History? He was twelve when he did that.” Andrew winked at me, I giggled, and he laughed.

  All those stories sounded so much like Jakob, and I loved every one of them. Especially the way his Dad told them. His eyes twinkled, and it was apparent how much he loved his son. The worry of fitting in with Andrew melted away as I started to relax and enjoy the moment.

  Chapter 13

  Jakob

  “Do you want another one?” My dad asked as Sam polished off his second piece of cherry pie. Of course, my Peanut nodded.

  “No. That’s enough, Dad.” I rolled my eyes and pulled his plate away.

  “But…” Sam started to protest, but I gave him a stern look back. He already had a plate full of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Then two pieces of cherry pie.

  “You´re going to make yourself sick.”

  “Am not.”

  “I´m not discussing this with you, Sam. You’ve had enough.” It was tempting to let him have more pie as a reward for how well he had done tonight. But so much food was bound to make him sick. The whole drive here, Sam was tense and nervous. When Sam met my Dad, I honestly thought he was going to pass out. But then they discovered their love for chess.

  There was a moment of worry when I overheard them talking about my suspension. But my Dad had handled it probably better than I did. Sam didn’t believe me that it wasn't his fault that I got suspended. Thanks to my Dad, hopefully, now he understood. After that dinner was light and fun, I could tell Sam was enjoying himself. And I had to admit I was glad that my Dad liked him. He never really warmed up to my ex, but he immediately opened his heart for Sam.

  I was still giving Sam my stern look, but he seemed to have forgotten because he stuck his lower lip out. “Pouting will only give you a time out, not more cherry pie.”

  “But I'm sure your Daddy will allow you some hot chocolate. I'll be right back.” My Dad said in passing, but Sam caught it. He paled so quickly. Shit. That was something we hadn't talked about before.

  “I'm sorry, Sam. I should have told you that my Dad knows.”

  “Oh, God, please shoot me.” Sam went from pale to tomato red in two seconds. I turned my chair, so I could look at him directly and took his hands into mine. They were shaking, and he kept looking to the door to the kitchen like my Dad would come back in any second.

  “Look at me, Baby. You need to breathe.” Sam did as I told him and took a few deep breaths. “I'm so sorry. I should have warned you or told my Dad not to mention it.”

  “But… your dad knows about me, and you and that I’m Little.”

  “Yes. Dad called you a sweet, polite, and smart boy, remember?” Slowly, Sam nodded, but his hands were still shaking. “Okay, come here.” I tugged gently, and Sam complied. He wiggled around until he was comfortable on my lap, then he leaned his head on my shoulder and reached for my hand. He'd been terrified ten seconds ago by my Dad knowing, but now he was reaching out for me. I brought my hand up to his mouth and gently stroked his lower lip with my thumb.

  “There you go, Peanut. Daddy is here. And there is nothing you need to worry about.”

  “But your Dad…” Sam mumbled around my thumb.

  “Is in the kitchen making your hot chocolate. That should tell you all you need to know. Dad accepts you as my boyfriend and also as my Little, and that’s good, right?” Sam nodded and relaxed. “Do you feel better now?”

  “Yes. Thank you, Daddy.”

  “Anytime.” I placed a soft kiss on his lips after he released my thumb. “I'm so proud of you, Baby.”

  “Why? I just freaked out on you.”

  “You weren’t freaked out, Sam. You got scared because my Dad dropped the Daddy bomb on you. And after what had happened in Boston, you have every right to be scared if someone outs you.”

  “Yeah, but he's not like Rosek. Or Curtis.”

  “No, I´m not, and you better remember that, Samuel.” My dad said when he walked back into the room. He smiled at Sam and placed a cup in front of him, ignoring the fact that Sam was sitting on my Lap. Sam blushed but reached out for the hot chocolate.

  “Thank you.”

  “Dad, what is that?” I asked him after taking one look into the cup.

  “Hot chocolate.”

  “With marshmallows and a cookie on top?” This man was unbelievable. I told Sam that he couldn't have more to eat, but dad brought him a hot chocolate with marshmallows and a cookie. Lord have mercy. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  “I have no idea where they came from. Those must have fallen in when I poured myself a Scotch.” My Dad winked at Sam, who giggled. “See, it's not so bad that I know about your relationship. I can be the fun Grandpa who can spoil you with marshmallows or take you to the zoo. Or maybe you prefer the aquarium.”

  “There's an aquarium?” Of course, out of everything my Dad had said to reassure him, he caught that. “With real fish?”

  “Ah, someone loves sea animals.” My Dad shot me a knowing look. After, all he helped me renovate the playroom. So, he knew firsthand that Sam’s playroom was an oceanic theme.

  “The New England Aquarium is in Boston, but I never got to see it.” Sam sounded sad. He pushed his glasses up his nose and sighed. “I always wanted to, but…I also thought that this was something a Daddy would do with me.”

  “Or the fun Grandpa. You're still on leave, right?” When Sam nodded, my Dad smiled at him. “Then, how about this? We make good use of your free time, and I'll take you tomorrow.”

  “Really?” Sam whirled around so quickly tha
t he knocked his head against my chin. Damn, he’s got a hard skull. But he just flinched and looked at me with wide eyes. “Please? Can I go?”

  “Shopping with Des, Aquarium with my Dad… You´re going to be one spoiled brat.” Sam giggled, while my Dad laughed.

  “Littles are supposed to be spoiled rotten.” My dad’s statement surprised me. I looked at my Dad, but he only smiled and drank his Scotch. He was hiding something. When I first told my Dad about being interested in the Age play Lifestyle, he was understanding and supportive right from the start. I often wondered why he´d never questioned my interest, but now, with that statement, I could bet there was more to his support than just the love of a father. It was something Des always said, too, and Des was a real Daddy. Before I could overthink it, Sam turned on my lap and grabbed his cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows and cookies. “If he gets sick on our way back, you'll pay for the cleaning of my car, Dad.”

  “He won't, because if he does, there won't be popcorn at the Aquarium.”

  “There will be popcorn?” Sam nearly fell off my lap in his excitement, and I grabbed his hips to steady him.

  “Of course. Grandpas are supposed to buy popcorn at the Aquarium.”

  “And a balloon?”

  “The biggest one.”

  “A dolphin! I want a dolphin! Oh no, wait, do they have balloons that look like turtles? Can I have a turtle!”

  “Oh, my God!” I groaned but laughed when Sam jumped up and down on my lap. Sam’s fear about my dad knowing he is a Little is long gone. Still, he would be so spoiled if I let Des and my Dad have their way. “It's going to be one or the other. Turtle or Popcorn.”

  “What? No! That's like asking me to choose if I want to have ice cream or sprinkles!”

  “Popcorn or Turtle, or you won´t go to the Aquarium at all.” I looked at my Dad and knew that I had lost. There would be popcorn, a turtle, and whatever else Sam would want. We both knew it. I would give Sam everything, and so would my Dad. Sighing, I put my hand on his neck and pulled Sam towards me. “One balloon and popcorn. But that's it, Peanut.”

  “You’re the best Daddy ever!”

  ◆◆◆

  The next morning, I was not only the best Daddy ever but also the best-informed one. While we had breakfast, Sam told me everything about turtles and sharks. Instead of being tired, I was a little surprised that he was buzzing with excitement. We barely got to sleep last night, and Sam was up at dawn, jumping on the bed to wake me up. Since then, he had been babbling about fishes and what he would be going to see.

  When my phone rang, I expected it to be my dad. Instead, it was Captain Benson. With a frown, I got up from the table and kissed Sam on the head. “Eat your fruit, Peanut. I'll be right back.”

  “Okay, Daddy.”

  “Good boy.” I left the kitchen and walked into my bedroom before I answered the call. “Lannister.”

  “I need you to come to the precinct. Now.”

  “What?”

  “Internal Affairs and some other people need to speak to you about the fight with Curtis.”

  “Captain, it's Sunday morning. What the hell?” It was complete silence since my suspension, and now I was getting called to the precinct on a Sunday. It made no sense. “What's wrong?”

  “Just get here fast. You know I would not ask if it wasn't important, Lannister.”

  “I'm on my way.” Worried, I ended the call, grabbed my wallet and my jacket, and went back to the kitchen. Sam was still munching some grapes and humming softly. With a sigh, I went over and knelt beside his chair. I hated to ruin his special day, but I had no choice. “Hey Sam, I need to talk to you for a second.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No. No, Baby. But I need to go to the precinct. Internal Affairs wants to talk to me.” Sam paled but nodded slowly. “There’s no need to worry. They just want to talk to me. But that means that I can't come with you to the aquarium.”

  “Oh. We can't go?” His shoulders dropped, and tears gathered in his eyes.

  “No, Baby. It just means that I can't come with you. But you can still go with my Dad if you want.”

  “You wouldn't mind?”

  “Of course not. You're so excited to see all the fishes, sharks, and turtles. I'd hate to ruin that for you.” I raised myself and gently kissed him on his sweet lips. “I'm going to call my Dad and let him know that he can go all grandpa on you today.”

  “Maybe you can meet us there later?”

  “I'll try, Baby.” I got up from the floor and called my Dad. He immediately picked up after two rings.

  “I'm just getting off the bridge, tell me you're not canceling.”

  “No, Dad, but something came up at the precinct, and I need to go in. But Sam would love to go with you, is that okay?”

  “Are you kidding me?” My dad laughed. “Without his Daddy there hovering over him, I can buy him anything he wants.”

  “Yeah, I thought you'd like that idea.” Sam looked at me. There was so much hope in his eyes that I smiled and nodded. Sam raised his fist in the air and whopped. “Okay, thanks, Dad, I have to go now, but I’ll try to meet you at the aquarium later.”

  “Just give us a call when you are on your way. Tell the precious boy that I´ll be there in forty minutes.” My dad ended the call, and I walked back to Sam, who was all smiles and excitement again.

  “Dad is going to pick you up in forty minutes.” I opened my arms, and Sam jumped up and threw himself in my arms and hugged me. “And he's going to buy you anything you want because I'm not there to stop him. So please, don't overdo it, Baby.”

  “Promise Daddy. Just a balloon and popcorn and maybe a stuffie. Oh, we could get something for you, too, because you can't go with us.”

  “That's a nice thought, but not necessary.” I kissed his head and hugged him close. “I'm so sorry that I can´t come with you. But you have fun, okay? Don't worry about it too much. I’m sure it just normal follow up.”

  “I know. I just can't help it.”

  “You're my little worrywart.” Sam giggled, then sighed when I kissed him goodbye. “Be a good boy for me, Baby. Listen to Dad, don't run off and eat something proper for lunch. Sweets and popcorn don't count.”

  “I'll be the best boy.”

  “I know you will.” With a sigh, I kissed him again and untangled myself from his hug. “Okay, I have to go. I'll call when I finish, and then we can see where we can meet. Have fun with the turtles.”

  I left the kitchen, Sam following close behind. At the door, I put on my shoes and kissed him again. “Have a great time, Baby.”

  “Daddy?”

  “Huh?” My hand already on the doorknob, I turned around again.

  “It is going to be okay, right?”

  I grabbed him, hugged him tightly, and planted a kiss on his lips.

  “Yes, Baby. Everything is going to be just fine, you’ll see. I'll see you later.”

  ◆◆◆

  Something was off when I walked into the precinct. It was unusually quiet. The officers weren´t talking or joking around, and even the phones were quiet. Frowning, I nodded to Sergeant Abrahams, who worked the front desk and got a nod in return.

  “You okay, Lannister?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  Sergeant Abrahams stared at me for a second, then he nodded. “Of course. You don't know yet.”

  “No. Captain Benson just called me an hour ago and asked me to come in. What's going on?”

  “Not my place to tell you. Sorry.”

  “Jakob!” I turned when Matt called my name. He just stepped out of the elevator and rushed over to me. We’ve been partners for so long that I immediately recognized the worried look on his face.

  “Matt, what the hell is going on?”

  “Let´s get upstairs. They’re waiting for you.” I followed Matt into the elevator, and he turned towards me as soon as the doors closed. “Internal Affairs is here. Chief of the Detective Department and the First Deputy Commissioner from HR
are here too.”

  “They? What? Why?” Wow. That was a hell of a lot of people to talk about a fistfight. Internal Affairs, yes, of course, but the Commissioner's office?

  “I don't know. I just know that there was a hearing on Friday with Curtis. The next thing I know, the Captain is calling me this morning to come in.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  “I have no idea, but whatever it is, it's not good.”

  Without thinking more about it, I took out my phone and called my dad. “Dad, where are you?”

  “Maybe two blocks from your apartment. Why? What's going on?”

  “I don't know yet, but it's not good. Captain Benson called me in because Internal Affairs wants to talk to me. Just that there are people from the Commissioner's Office as well.”

  “What? You just beat a homophobic asshole. Why is the Commissioner’s Office getting involved?”

  “I don´t know. I just…” Sighing, I rubbed over my eyes and looked at Matt, who still looked worried. “I don't know what's going on, but I'll let you know. With all this, I’m pretty sure I won't be able to make it to the Aquarium.”

  “Don't worry about Sam. I'll take good care of him. We´ll go to the Aquarium and have fun. You let me know what´s happening. If you can´t meet us there, I'll make sure I take him somewhere for dinner or back to your apartment, okay?”

  “Yeah. Thanks, Dad.”

  “Just keep me in the loop.”

  “I will.” As soon as the doors opened and my colleagues saw me, everyone fell silent. “I have to go, Dad. I'll call you.”

  “I love you, Jake, and don't worry about Sam. I´ll take care of him.”

  “Love you, too, Dad.” I ended the call and looked at Matt, who swallowed visibly. “Sam woke me up this morning by bouncing on the mattress because he was so excited. It made me happy. Now I feel like I´m going to my execution.”

  “Hey, I got your back, partner. And it can't be that bad. You didn't do anything wrong.”

  “Yeah? Then why do I have the feeling that this is much bigger than a punch?”