Men in Charge: A Contemporary Romance Box Set

by Natasha L. Black

The sun was setting, casting a gorgeous orange glow over the area. It was truly postcard perfect. I pulled off my helmet and walked to the car, opening the back door for Joey.

  “What do you think, buddy?” I asked him.

  “We’re going to sleep here?”

  I grinned. “We are.”

  “Are there bears here?” he asked, looking into the trees.

  “I think they’re probably in the forest getting ready for their winter nap. You’re safe here, Joey,” I told him, meaning it in every way.

  “This is beautiful,” Michelle said, looking up at the two-story log cabin.

  “Thank you,” Trevor said, clearly proud. “Let’s go in and I’ll give you the grand tour.”

  He stepped onto the porch, turned over a fake rock, and pulled out a key.

  “Oh, that’s original,” I quipped.

  “We don’t get a lot of visitors out here. It isn’t like there’s anything of real value to steal.”

  He pushed open the door, stepping into the open living and dining room. The cabin was authentic with a beautiful log interior. The hardwood floors had throw rugs scattered about. A huge woodstove was in the center of the open living area and a small basket with split logs ready to burn was near the door.

  “This is so cozy,” Michelle said, turning around to take it all in. “Thank you for letting us stay here. It is truly beautiful.”

  I set my bag near the brown leather sofa that faced two matching chairs. There was no TV, which I hoped wouldn’t be an issue.

  “Can I go up the stairs?” Joey asked, looking at the steep, narrow steps.

  “Sure can,” Trevor said. “I think there’s a room up there you’ll like.”

  Joey went up the stairs, clearly excited about the new digs.

  “We brought some food along for the kitchen. I’ll grab it out of the Jeep. There’s a bedroom off to the left you can take.”

  Michelle nodded her head before turning to look at me.

  “Are you okay?” I asked her.

  She ran a hand over her face. “I can’t believe this is actually happening. I mean, I’ve dreamed about it for so long and here I am, with you. I never could have imagined.”

  “I’m sorry,” I told her, taking one of her hands.

  “Sorry? Don’t be sorry! You got me out of there!”

  I shook my head. “No. I’m sorry I left you there for so long. I never in a million years would have imagined it would be like that for you.”

  She smiled. “It hasn’t always been this bad. Things have only gotten bad in the past few months or so.”

  “Liar.”

  She shrugged a shoulder. “Well, maybe the last year. He’s trying to take his club to the next level. He’s been recruiting new guys and making his presence more known.”

  I nodded, understanding exactly what she was talking about.

  Trevor came back in, carrying a couple bags of groceries into the open kitchen. “We missed dinner but I think there is enough here that we can put together a relatively good meal.”

  Michelle giggled. It was a sweet sound I wanted to hear more often.

  “I am a master at putting together a meal with limited ingredients.”

  “Can I help?” I asked.

  She smiled a genuine smile. “I got this. You guys go sit.”

  I shook my head. “You don’t have to serve us. We’re capable of making ourselves dinner.”

  She sighed, her shoulders drooping. “I’m sorry. Old habits.”

  I put my hand on her shoulder. “Don’t apologize. You’ve been through a lot. I want to help make things right. That starts today.”

  When she looked at me again, there were tears in her eyes. “Thank you,” she said. “I feel like I’m falling apart at the seams. I’m scared to death and excited as hell.”

  I laughed. “I know the feeling.”

  “I can’t stop thinking he is going to burst through the door at any second.”

  “He isn’t. You’re safe. Joey is safe. Trevor and I are going to make damn sure of that.”

  “Thank you. Please, let me make you dinner as a thank you. Really, I prefer to be in the kitchen by myself. I can be a little dictator,” she said with a wink.

  “I’ll leave you to it, but I mean it; If there is anything I can do to help, ask.”

  Trevor and I went outside, did a walk around the property, and talked about our next move. For now we were going to lie low.

  “I’ll go into town tomorrow and pick up some clothes and stuff for them. I’ll grab more groceries as well,” Trevor said.

  “Thank you for all this. I know this was not what either of us had planned when I went to LA.”

  He stopped walking and turned to look at me. “I’m glad it’s this way. Truthfully, Elijah, I was preparing to plan your funeral. I honestly wasn’t expecting you to come out of this alive.”

  I was taken aback by his words before I realized I had thought the same thing. I had gone to LA expecting to go down in a blaze of glory.

  23

  Michelle

  I opened my eyes, staring at the low slanted ceiling of the upstairs bedroom I had slept in last night. Trevor had gracefully given me his bedroom, but I’d wanted to be with Joey. I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something terrible would happen if I wasn’t there to protect him. Joey hadn’t seemed to mind and had happily scooted over when I’d crawled into bed with him last night. My little boy was snoring softly next to me in the small twin bed. It was a little chillier than I was used to. I pulled up the quilt that was folded at the end of the bed, covering Joey.

  I couldn’t believe I was actually away from Liam and my life back in LA. It was surreal. I had a feeling it was going to take me some time to adjust to being free. That was exactly what I was—free. I was no longer trapped. I kept expecting to hear loud bikes or Liam and his friends bitching they wanted food. I heard nothing. The house was completely quiet. I felt like I should have pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

  “Mom?” Joey whispered, his little hand stretching out and touching my arm.

  “I’m here, sweetie.”

  “Are we at the cabin?” he asked, his voice sleepy.

  “Yes, we are.”

  “Am I going to school today?”

  I sighed. “No. Not today.”

  “M-o-o-m”—he dragged out the word— “I was supposed to eat lunch with Larson today.”

  “I’m sorry. You’ll eat lunch with him another time,” I lied, immediately feeling guilty for stealing him away from everything he knew. He loved school, and I hated to take him away from that. I would find him a new school. It was going to be tough to start over, but in the end, it would be better for him. Thankfully, he was young enough that this abrupt move wouldn’t have a long-lasting negative effect on him. It was for the best. I knew that. I would have to keep reminding myself of that when things got rough.

  He was quiet for a while. I thought he went back to sleep until he spoke up. “Mom, how come Nick hit you?”

  I cringed at the words. “What?”

  “I heard you talking to Trevor and Elijah,” he said, rolling over to face me.

  I took a deep breath. I had wanted to shield him from the violence but I knew he wasn’t a dumb kid. He’d seen the bruises, heard the insults.

  “He was mad,” I said.

  “What about Uncle Liam?”

  “What about him?”

  “Won’t he be mad that we didn’t go home last night?”

  The kid was far more observant than he let on. “Uncle Liam is going to be fine on his own. Right now, it’s better if we give him some time alone.”

  “When are we going to go home?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I was thinking we might get a new house,” I said, floating the idea to see how he would take it.

  “Is it because Nick hit you?”

  I thought about lying and quickly changed my mind. I didn’t want him to think I was weak or accepted the violence. I want
ed him to think I was a strong mother, even if it wasn’t true.

  “Yes. A man should never hit a woman,” I said.

  “Uncle Liam says sometimes a man has to.”

  I sat up. “No! Never! I’m sorry, but Uncle Liam is wrong. You never hit a woman. You will never, ever hit a lady. Do you understand me?”

  He nodded, a look of surprise on his face.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I want you to understand what Uncle Liam and Nick did is not okay. It’s very bad.”

  “Okay.” He seemed satisfied with my explanation and didn’t push the issue.

  “Are you hungry?” I asked him, hoping to change the subject.

  “Yes.”

  “I think Trevor bought a box of cereal. Let’s go eat breakfast.”

  I rolled out of bed, smoothing my hair down as much as I could. I had slept in the clothes I’d worn yesterday.

  Joey and I walked downstairs, trying not to make a sound. It was so quiet, I assumed Elijah and Trevor were still asleep but the soft murmur of their voices came from the living room. I smelled coffee and was immediately embarrassed to have slept in. Liam would have raged if he had woken before me and had to make his own coffee.

  “Hey!” Trevor said when Joey stepped onto the ground floor.

  “Hi,” Joey said in a shy voice.

  Elijah stood and came to greet us at the bottom of the stairs. “How’d you sleep?” he asked, concern in his voice.

  “Good actually,” I said, being honest with my answer.

  “Good to know. There’s coffee. I’ll pour you a cup,” he said, strolling to the kitchen in a pair of loose-fitting shorts and nothing else.

  It was odd to be in a house with him. Even stranger was the fact that he was nearly naked. I had to remind myself we weren’t alone. As much as I wanted to ogle his gorgeous body, I couldn’t.

  “I’m going to get Joey a bowl of cereal,” I said, opening a cupboard and then another in search of the bowls.

  “I got it,” Elijah said, taking the newfound bowl from my hand. “Go ahead and get what you want for your coffee.”

  “I can—”

  He shook his head. “You made dinner last night. I can get a bowl of cereal.”

  I smiled. “Okay. Thank you.”

  I was definitely not used to sharing the responsibility of caring for my son, even if it was something as minor as pouring a bowl of cereal. I watched as Elijah served Joey before taking my hand and leading me to the couch.

  Trevor was staring out the large picture window that faced out the back of the cabin and the forest.

  “We were talking about going into town today,” Elijah said. “We’ll pick up some groceries and a couple changes of clothes for you and Joey.”

  I cringed, hating feeling like a burden. “I have a little money I took from Liam.”

  “No. Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it,” Elijah said.

  I sighed, hating that I had to accept his generosity. I wanted to be independent. I wanted to be the kind of woman who stood on her own two feet and didn’t need a man.

  “Thank you. I’ll find a way to pay you back,” I whispered.

  “I want to do this,” he said.

  The three of us sat in silence, enjoying our coffee as we gazed out the window. It was odd how satisfying it was to simply stare out at nature. It was pristine and untouched by the ugly reach of civilization. I was thankful for the cabin. It was exactly the right place to unwind and relax after living with constant stress.

  “Can you write down what sizes of clothes you’ll need?” Elijah said after a while.

  I nodded. “Yes, I will.”

  Joey walked over, slowly making a circle around the room, taking in every little detail.

  “What about my blanket?” he asked.

  I cringed. “I’m working on it.”

  “What blanket?” Elijah asked, looking at me.

  “It’s my special blanket. I don’t carry it with me like a baby, but I need it to sleep with,” Joey said.

  Liam had made fun of him a lot for his attachment to the blanket. I hated that he was self-conscious about it.

  “Can I get you another blanket?” Elijah asked Joey.

  Joey shook his head. “No. My blanket is special.”

  “Why is it special?”

  Joey shrugged. “My dad gave it to me when I was a baby. I don’t remember him, but he gave me the blanket. I have to have my blanket, Mom.”

  Elijah’s head whipped around to stare at me, confusion in his eyes.

  Trevor suddenly stood. “I’m going to go get cleaned up.”

  I couldn’t look at Elijah. I knew what he suspected, and I knew I had to tell him the truth. I couldn’t do it right then, not with Joey hanging on my every word. For now, I hoped he would drop the subject. The blanket story had been something I had told Joey a long time ago when he had been asking questions about his daddy. I had wanted Joey to believe he had something from his father, and the baby blanket he had been so fond of just seemed like the right thing to say in the moment.

  “I should probably make that list,” I mumbled.

  “There’s paper, pens, and stuff on that bookshelf.” Elijah pointed out the shelf filled with books, board games, and puzzles.

  I jumped up, grabbed what I needed, and quickly scribbled down our clothing sizes. I dug the money out of my purse, hating to part with it but not wanting to be completely dependent on Trevor and Elijah.

  “Here,” I said, handing him the cash and the list. “I only need one outfit. I can wash what I have.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll take care of you.”

  I flinched. “No! I don’t want anyone to take care of me!”

  Joey, who’d been sitting on the floor staring at the puzzle boxes in front of him, looked up. I smiled, assuring him I was okay.

  “I don’t mean like that,” Elijah said, his expression guarded. “I only meant for the time being. I’m not going to insist you do anything you don’t want to do. I will take care of you until we can get you safe and on your feet. I owe you that much, and don’t try to tell me I don’t.”

  I took a deep breath and nodded my head. “Okay. Thank you. I’m sorry for being so difficult.”

  “You’re not difficult. Will you be okay here on your own?”

  “You’re going?” I asked, suddenly feeling a lot less independent than I claimed to be.

  “I don’t have to.”

  I closed my eyes, centering myself, reminding myself I was far away from Liam. He didn’t know where I was. He didn’t know Trevor, and the likelihood of him finding me was extremely low. We were safe.

  I smiled. “You know what, I am fine. Go.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  I smiled, embracing this new freedom. “I am. I’m kind of excited to be all alone up here.”

  He chuckled. “Okay. Is there anything specific I can get to help make Joey a little more comfortable?”

  I looked at my little boy staring at puzzles that were a little too advanced for him. I hated to ask, but if Joey got too bored, he would get antsy, and I didn’t want him to feel anxious.

  I shrugged a shoulder. “I don’t know, maybe a couple Hot Wheels or something?” I said hesitantly.

  Elijah smiled. “I can do that.”

  Trevor came into the room, looked at me, then Elijah. “All good?”

  “Yep. I’m ready,” Elijah answered.

  Joey and I watched them leave from the front covered porch. Elijah didn’t kiss me good-bye. I knew he was hurt by the blanket story but I would explain later.

  “Can we go for a walk?” Joey asked.

  I looked around and wondered what kind of wildlife was lurking. “Sure. We should probably stick close to the cabin, though. I don’t want to get lost.”

  He, on the other hand, seemed thrilled at the idea of surviving in the forest. Together we set off, and for the first time in a long time, I felt free. Being in the forest, surrounded by clean air an
d without the sound of people all around, me was exhilarating. I felt good, really good. Things were definitely looking up.

  24

  Elijah

  It was a nice Saturday afternoon in the mountains with a slight breeze and an abundance of fresh air. It felt good to be outside, relaxing and enjoying life in general. Last night, we had returned with a load of groceries that had boggled the minds of Joey and Michelle. We left Michelle to put things where she pleased, giving her free rein in the kitchen.

  That morning, Michelle had declared it was a great day for a barbecue and I had wholeheartedly agreed. Trevor had quickly jumped on board, ready to use his barbecue that he said had been sitting untouched for too long. I was booted out of the house and put in charge of keeping Joey entertained—a job I was more than happy to do. Michelle was in the kitchen making a salad to go with the burgers Trevor was grilling on the barbecue. It was a little strange to be living so peacefully, as if nothing had ever happened. We were insulated inside our little bubble and none of us wanted to acknowledge the danger lurking beyond our safe haven.

  “Ready?” I asked Joey, my arm cocked back, ready to throw the football at him.

  “Ready!” he cried.

  I launched the ball hard enough that it would reach him but not so hard it would knock him to the ground. He caught it and began to run toward me. I hunched down and scooped him up when he got close, carrying him as I ran toward what we had declared was our end zone.

  He was laughing and giggling, and the sound warmed my heart. “You’re quite the receiver,” I told him.

  “I don’t know what that is,” he said, looking at me with confusion.

  “What! Oh man, I am going to have to teach you all about football!”

  He grinned and nodded his head. The more time I spent with him, the more convinced I was that he was my son. I was anxious for the truth to come out and really wanted Joey to know I was his dad; that I was the man who was going to take care of him and keep him safe. I wanted to show him everything there was to see in the world. Looking at him and those wide blue eyes, I felt a connection I had never known was possible. I was looking at something that had come from me. Obviously, making a baby wasn’t rocket science, but to know there was a little piece of me in the world was pretty awesome.