by Harley Stone
“You have a dad.”
“But what if I want Kaos to be my dad?”
Gah. That was a tough question. “That’s a conversation you need to have with him. I just need to know if you’re okay with me dating him.”
“Yeah. I like him, and he seemed really sad about us leaving. Can we go back to his house now?”
I chuckled. “You really want to?”
“Yes.” Hope widened Dylan’s eyes as he jumped up from the bed. “Can we? Please?”
How could I say no to such excitement? “Yes. But first, let me go talk to Aunt El. Have you seen her?”
He shook his head, grabbing the bags he’d left by the door. Before I left, he stopped me. When I turned around, his gaze met mine.
“You are a good mom,” he said. “You’re just tryin’ to do the best you can.”
God, I loved him so much. My sweet boy was back, the child he’d been before all this garbage with his father went down. Kaos had been great for me, but he’d been stellar for my child. Hugging Dylan as tightly as I could, I wiped away tears and pulled myself together.
“Thank you,” I whispered against his forehead before I released him to go tell my sister hello and goodbye.
Elenore wasn’t usually one to sleep in, even on the weekends, but since I’d seen her car in the parking garage, I knew she had to be here somewhere. Her schedule had been busy this past week, and I’d spoken to her very little since I’d moved out. I couldn’t wait to tell her my news about Kaos, so like any good sister would, I didn’t bother to knock when I reached her bedroom door. I just barged right in, calling out her name.
Elenore was there, but my sister wasn’t alone.
A wave of tattooed flesh crested over the bed and I realized… Oh my god, I realized it was a man. And she’d just shoved him out of the bed. His naked body hit the floor and he cried out a curse. Elenore grabbed the covers and pulled them up to her chin, but not before I realized she was naked, as well.
Covering my eyes with my hands, I turned away. “El?” I asked, shocked by what I’d seen and needing to know that she was okay. Had he been attacking her?
“It’s not what it looks like,” she hurried to say.
Then what the heck was it? “Are you… okay?”
“Yes.” She huffed out a laugh. “Just stupid.”
That didn’t make me feel any better. Pretty sure I’d recognized the man she’d just flung from her bed, I asked, “Is that… Rabbit?” I’d only met him once, when he showed up with Kaos and Tap to get me and Dylan out of here, but Rabbit was the kind of man who made an impression.
“Hey, Tina, how you doin’?” Rabbit asked, confirming my suspicions.
“She’d probably be doing better if you’d get dressed,” Elenore snapped.
Rabbit chuckled. “What’s wrong, babe? Don’t wanna share me with your sister?”
“You’re diabolical.”
“Why thank you.”
What in the heck was going on here? “I… I think I should come back later.” I took a step back, preparing to make my escape.
“No, don’t go. Rabbit was just leaving.” Elenore said.
“Like hell I was,” Rabbit said. “I won that bet, and I’m not goin’ anywhere until you pay up. Although, of course, I might be willin’ to go double or nuthin’.”
What the actual insanity…? “Okay. Well, um… call me… later. When you can talk.” And answer questions, because I had so many of those filtering through my head. Not to mention the images that kept promising to scar me for life. My God, had I seen a flash of metal coming from his…
No.
Refusing to think about that, I stepped out to a chorus of Elenore’s pleas for me to stay and Rabbit’s maniacal laughter. Closing the door behind me—because Dylan definitely did not need to see whatever was going down in my sister’s bedroom—I retrieved my son from his room and hastily shooed him down the hallway.
“I wanna say bye to Aunt El,” he said, dragging his feet as we passed her door.
“Yeah, no. That’s not gonna happen. Aunt El has…” clearly lost her mind, “company.”
Raised voices came from the other side of the door.
“Are they fighting?” Dylan asked, sounding concerned.
“They’re…” crazy. The whole situation was insane. My strait-laced, brilliant scientist sister was sleeping with… Rabbit? “Ironing out their differences.” And my sister was nothing like me. She’d told me she was okay, and I believed her. She was always honest, and she had a history of marching out of any situation she didn’t want to be in.
If Rabbit was here, I had no doubt Elenore had invited him.
I shuddered against the thought, practically shoving Dylan out the door and grabbing my suitcases along the way.
“You’re acting weird,” he said.
“I’m just anxious to get back to Kaos’s.” And I was pretty sure my sister was off her rocker, but Dylan had seen enough, and he didn’t need to bear witness to that insanity. I’d have to tell Kaos about it, and maybe he could send Tap to check out the situation.
But all thoughts of my sister’s predicament fled as we hurried out of the building and turned down the path that would lead to the parking garage, almost running smack into my worst nightmare.
Matt.
17
Tina
A NASTY, SCORNFUL smile played on Matt’s lips as his gaze took in me, Dylan, and our luggage. “Exactly where are you two off to in such a hurry?” he asked.
Icy fingers of dread threatened to cripple me even as my hand went to my pocket, searching for my phone. Matt zeroed in on what I was doing and opened his jacket just enough to give me a glimpse of the handle of a gun holstered at his side. I looked to Dylan, hoping he hadn’t seen it, but his eyes were wide as saucers and laser-focused on the weapon.
“Dad, why do you have a gun?” he asked.
Matt’s smile turned smug. “Because my wife has forgotten her place and needs a little reminder of who she is and what her duties are. You miss me, Tina?”
Miss him? His presence made my stomach curdle. I wanted to throw up.
Matt sidled up next to me, and something hard pressed into my side. The gun. Had to be. He was pressing it to my side in a silent threat. I met his gaze, and the hate that stared back at me turned my blood to ice. I had no doubt he’d use that gun in a hot minute. The look he was giving me… it was like he was begging for an excuse to fire. Desperate, I scanned the area for help, but the little walkway we stood on between the condo building and the parking garage was off the street and secluded by trees and bushes. Matt had found us in the most inconvenient place. The building only had about a dozen residents, and unless one of them happened by, I was screwed.
Panic threatened to squeeze the air out of my lungs, but one look at Dylan’s terrified face forced me to take a breath. I was Mom. Moms didn’t get the luxury of panic attacks or mental breakdowns, especially not while being held at the business end of a gun in front of their kid. I couldn’t freak out. I had to think and figure a way out of this nightmare.
My phone vibrated against my hip. Probably Elenore calling to explain whatever was happening in her bedroom. Maybe if I bought some time, she’d get dressed and come down here to see if she could catch us. Better yet, maybe she’d send Rabbit. Kaos was in the garage. The entrance was only a few yards away, but the distance separating us seemed like miles. Continents, even.
“How… how’ve you been?” I asked, trying to get Matt talking, hoping I could remind him that I was a good person.
The question only seemed to enrage him further. “How the fuck do you think I’ve been? My wife and son vanished off the face of the planet. I found your car parked beside some… some motorcycle gang hangout.”
I needed to deescalate the situation. Quickly. So, like always, I accepted all the blame. “I’m sorry. I… I messed up. I shouldn’t have left.”
He yanked on my arm, jerking me against him and digging the gun deeper into my side. I gasped at the
sharp pain.
“No, you damn well shouldn’t have.”
“But you found us.” I tried to give his bruised ego a little boost. “How’d you find us?”
“I’m resourceful.”
I didn’t ask him to elaborate, didn’t play his game, because I knew the chance to brag would eat him alive until he gave in to it. And Matt didn’t disappoint. Huffing out a breath, he finally admitted what he’d done. “Paid someone to install a hidden camera by the door. Figured you’d show back up and I’ve been monitoring the feed on my phone, and I just happened to catch you two walking into the building with…” His eyes narrowed. “Who the fuck was that guy? Pretty sure I’ve seen him before.”
While I was still trying to figure out an answer that wouldn’t result in my immediate death, Dylan piped up with, “My hockey coach.”
As far as answers went, that wasn’t a bad one. Far less damning than any I could think of. At least Matt hadn’t realized Kaos was the one who’d served him divorce papers. That probably wouldn’t go well for any of us. Relieved, I nodded enthusiastically.
“You’re letting Dylan play hockey?” Matt asked, his tone suspicious.
Due to my desire to keep my son from danger, I could fully understand Matt’s skepticism. “Yep. I did some research, and it turns out team sports are good for kids.”
He snorted. “No. You’re not playin’ hockey, Dylan. That’s not even an American sport. Basketball’s where it’s at. You wanna play a team sport? I’ll sign you up for basketball. You really should have asked me first, Kristina.”
My mother had named me Kristina after herself. I’d gone by Tina since the day I decided I didn’t want to be anything like her. Matt knew I hated the name, and he used it like a weapon… reminding me of where I came from. Of whose daughter I was. Usually, it served as an effective whip to keep me in line, but today, it just pissed me off. I was so tired of his games and manipulations. How dare he show up at my sister’s with a gun! In front of Dylan, no less! Gritting my teeth, I let the anger fuel me and burn away the panic that wanted to settle in as he tugged me forward, angling toward a trodden path that veered off the walkway.
My gut clenched, and I knew if he got us out of here, I’d never survive.
“Where are you taking us?” I asked.
“Home. Where you belong.”
Doubtful. He might take Dylan home, but my body would probably end up elsewhere. “That’s not our home. Not anymore. What are you gonna do? Hold me prisoner?”
He backhanded me.
I barely registered the movement of his hand before my face exploded in pain. Head whipping around, I would have lost my balance and ended up in the bushes if Dylan’s little hands hadn’t landed on my back to keep me vertical.
“Run,” I whispered, desperate to save him. Kaos said he’d be in the garage. If Dylan could get to him, he’d be safe. Kaos would never let anything happen to my boy.
Instead of obeying, Dylan’s eyes hardened. He stepped around me, squaring up with his dad. “Do not hit my mom,” he ground out.
Ignoring him, Matt glared at me. “What the fuck did you do? Turn my own son against me?’
“No,” Dylan said, refusing to be ignored. “You did that yourself.”
Rage flared in Matt’s eyes. Seeing the danger Dylan was in, I tried to push him behind me, but he resisted, widening his stance.
“You’re nuthin’ but a… a nar… narcissistic asshole!” he shouted at his dad.
Oh no.
Dread felt like a weight in my stomach as Matt whipped out his gun, sneering at our child. “I don’t know what the fuck kind of lies your mom has been feeding you, but you do not get to talk to me like that, boy. I’m your fucking father!”
“I don’t want you to be,” Dylan said, his voice barely a whisper as the truth of his words crashed into him. He used to idolize this man. He wanted to be just like him, and now, he acknowledged his dad for what he truly was, and my heart broke for my kid.
Matt leveled the gun at Dylan.
At my sweet boy. At my world.
Dylan had never talked back to him before, and now… Matt had clearly lost his mind.
I couldn’t let him hurt Dylan.
Fear and rage for my son drove me to act without thinking. Shoving Dylan into the bushes, I dove for Matt, tackling him as the gun went off.
Kaos
Pulling my iPad out of my bag, I settled into the driver’s seat of the Escalade, preparing to check my email and maybe play a game or two. I’d given Tina a lot to think about, and was hoping she’d have a nice little chat with her sister, realize she missed me as much as I missed her, and then call to let me know she was ready to go home.
Home.
It was strange how I’d never really considered my house home before. Home had always been the place I’d grown up, the house my parents now entertained their horde of grandchildren in. My house was where I slept and kept all my shit, but it had never felt like a home.
Not until Tina and Dylan came along and made it feel that way.
Then again, maybe the house wasn’t home. Maybe they were, because I couldn’t imagine going back there without them. It would go back to feeling like a house, all cold, lonely, and quiet. I didn’t want to live there without them.
My calf started cramping.
If I was going to start skating regularly with Dylan, I’d need to start taking potassium and get better about stretching. Getting old was some shit. I kicked out my leg, but the cramp only intensified. Setting my iPad down, I got out of the SUV and started pacing. The physical pain was a nice distraction from the ache inside my chest, and I moved slowly, in no hurry to work it out.
When the pain finally subsided, I climbed back into my rig and answered a few emails and checked stock prices, wondering how Tina and Dylan were doing. Would Elenore try to talk some sense into her? Or would she welcome her back with open arms, relieved that Tina refused to take a chance on me.
Fuck!
It was all I could do to keep my ass in that garage when I wanted nothing more than to march back up to Elenore’s and demand that Tina and Dylan come home.
My phone rang. Hope made me snatch it up before the first ring ended, but disappointment leveled me out when Morse’s name flashed across the screen.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hey Kaos. I see you’re in Elenore’s building’s garage,” Morse said into my ear. “Everything okay?”
Emily must not have gotten the chance to fill him in yet. Eyeing the camera that he no doubt watched me from, I nodded. “It will be.” I sounded a hell of a lot more confident than I felt, but I didn’t want to get into all the shit that had gone down.
“Are Tina and Dylan inside?” Morse asked.
I nodded, and then realized that even if he was watching me, he probably couldn’t make out what I was doing in my rig. “Yeah. You didn’t see us go in?”
“No. I had some errands to run this morning, and just got into the office. We’re checking the feeds now.”
“Morse!” Hound shouted in the background. “Camera C.”
I tensed, wondering what the hell Camera C was and why Hound sounded like he was about to shit himself.
“Fuck. Matt’s there,” Morse said, his words clipped. “By the front door. He’s got Tina and Dylan.”
“What?” His words refused to register, but my body reacted instantly. I was out the door before he could answer.
“Get there, Kaos. Fuckin’ get there now!”
Still confused, I sprinted for the exit, cursing how far away Tina’s parking spot was.
“That’s a… Shit. He has a gun. He’s aimin’ at the fuckin’ kid!”
Pushing myself harder than I ever had in my life, I darted around the corner. A blur caught my attention. Dylan. Flying through the air?
POW!
The loud, explosive pop of gunfire made my ears ring.
Dylan landed in the bushes.
I started to run for him, but beyond him,
Tina and Matt hit the ground. Landing on top of him with a bone-jarring thump, she was fighting. Swinging, her hands swiped at the gun, knocking it out of his hand. It slid just out of his reach.
“Bitch!” Matt shouted.
He balled up his fist, and I rushed them. I heard the fleshy thud of his fist finding purchase, and her head bobbed backwards. But she kept swinging.
A strange mix of pride and rage filled me as I reached them. Matt’s hand stretched for the gun, but I stomped on it. He screamed. The bastard must have been too busy to realize I was there, and it took him a moment to register what was causing the pain. His gaze met mine, and his eyes widened as I lifted Tina off of him. Flailing arms and legs wildly, she somehow managed to land a kick between his legs.
Matt doubled over, spitting out curses and threats as he cupped his crotch.
“I got you, angel,” I said, setting her down.
She stilled, and then turned to look at me. Then her eyes widened with terror as she looked toward the bushes. “Dylan!”
She dove for her boy while I kicked Matt’s gun well out of his reach.
The bastard’s gaze met mine, and he must have seen his death in my eyes, because he started scooting back and stammering about how his wife was responsible and if she’d only done what he told her to, this could have all been prevented.
At least, that’s what I imagined he said.
In reality, his lips moved, but I’d slipped into that space where sound was inconsequential. All that existed was red hot rage.
I roared.
Fucking roared.
It was the only response I could think of to get him to shut the fuck up. And he really needed to stop talking, because my restraint was in threads, and if he said one more derogatory thing about Tina, I was going to rip his motherfucking vocal cords out through his asshole.
Matt clamped his mouth closed. Eyes wide as saucers, he watched me.
Morse was screaming my name.
It snapped me out of whatever trance I’d been in. Realizing the phone was still in my hand, I held it to my ear. “I’m busy. I’ll have to get back to you.”