Nightingale: A Reed Security Romance

by Giulia Lagomarsino

  “You know, I care a lot about you, kid.” He seemed to be struggling to get the words out, so I gave him the time he needed. “I mean, I more than care about you. I love you like you were my own. I hope you know that.”

  I didn’t know that, but relief filled me, knowing that someone loved me. I wasn’t sure what I felt for Alec and Florrie. I knew that I really liked being here with them, and I didn’t want to leave. But I wasn’t sure I knew what love felt like.

  “You know, I grew up in foster care. My parents were dead and I moved around a lot,” he said, clearing his throat. “The hardest part was not knowing if there was someone out there that wanted me. I want you to know that Florrie and I want you more than anything, but these people, the Fullers want you too. I’ve checked them out and they’re good people, so I don’t want you to be scared about meeting them. I would never let you be around someone that was going to hurt you. Okay?”

  I nodded, and I believed Alec. He was a good guy. But I also knew that Florrie didn’t want me to go with these people. She was upset with Alec, because I guess he had something to do with helping them or something. I didn’t want them to fight though. I knew that Alec and Florrie were going to get married, but now they just seemed angry with each other all the time, and I knew it was all because of me. I didn’t know what I could do to make this easier on them, but it seemed like no matter what I did, one of them would be upset.

  “Alright, kid. Let’s go meet them.”

  I followed him out the door into the main part of the suite. Florrie was scowling at Alec as he walked out, but as soon as she saw me, she smiled big, like she didn’t want me to be upset.

  “Hey,” she said with too much cheer. “Are you ready to meet your aunt and uncle?”

  I nodded again. I was too nervous to answer. I followed them out of the suite and out of the panic room toward the main building. I tried my best not to fidget as we approached the conference room, where Cap had agreed we could all meet. From where I stood outside the room, I could see that they were older than my mom. They looked kind as they stood there, watching me and waiting for me to go in. I took a deep breath and walked through the door.

  “Reid,” the woman smiled. “My name is Linda. I was your father’s older sister, and this is my husband, Charles. It’s so nice to meet you.”

  I nodded, but didn’t say anything. I glanced behind me, looking for Alec and Florrie, but they stood just outside the door, like they wanted me to do this on my own. I didn’t know what to say or do. Was I supposed to just sit and talk with them? Was I supposed to go somewhere with them?

  “Do you want to sit down and talk for a little bit?”

  “Sure.”

  I walked forward and sat at the table, making sure not to sit too close to them. Alec peeked his head through the doorway, giving me a reassuring smile. “Hey, bud, we’ll be down the hallway. Just come find us when you’re done.”

  They walked away, leaving me alone with the Fullers. I knew that I didn’t have a choice in this. Florrie had told me that this was court-ordered.

  “So, Reid, I’m sure you don’t know anything about us. The last time we saw you was when you were a baby. I’m sorry we weren’t there for you when your mother died. We were going through a bit of a crisis at the time and we didn’t actually know that she died until a couple of months ago. It took us some time to find out where you were.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, shrugging it off.

  “So, is there anything you want to know about us?”

  “Where do you live?”

  “We live in Utah, near Salt Lake City. You have a few cousins in the area, a few around your age, and I know they’re excited to meet you. And your grandfather is still alive, but he’s got Alzheimer’s, so he doesn’t really remember us anymore.”

  “So, I have more family than just you two?”

  “Yes, when we told them about you, they were all very excited to get to meet you.”

  “If you’re my dad’s sister, why haven’t I seen you since I was a baby?”

  My aunt looked away and smiled tightly. “Your stepfather thought it would be best to have a clean slate in your new life. So, when he married your mother, he forbade her from seeing anyone from your father’s side of the family. It wasn’t our choice not to see you.”

  I wanted to believe her. It was kind of cool to think that I had family out there, and that they wanted to get to know me. But then I thought of Florrie and Alec, and wondered how I could just leave them. They had done everything for me. But sitting here with these people, I couldn’t help but want to know more.

  “Will you tell me about them?”

  Linda smiled and relaxed back in her chair. For the next hour, she told me all about this family that lived out in Utah. And before I knew it, Alec and Florrie were standing back in that doorway, looking at me expectantly.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Florrie

  I paced the small office down the hallway from the conference room. Alec was sitting on the couch, leaning forward on his knees and watching me pace. I knew he was nervous, but he hid it so much better than I could. I didn’t like leaving Reid alone in that room with those people. He didn’t know them. Hell, none of us knew them. Alec swore that they were good people, but how could he really know that? Did we ever really know people? I thought I knew Alec, but I was finding out that there were many things that he was hiding from me.

  I glanced at my watch again and sighed. Time was dragging, and I needed to get back to Reid. I was scared for him, wondering if he was comfortable around them, or if he wanted to leave them. Not that I had a choice. The court ordered this time with them, and I had to obey the law. For now.

  “Time is almost up,” Alec said, like I hadn’t been counting down the minutes until this was over.

  “I know,” I snapped, running my hand over my forehead. God, I was so frustrated right now. Part of me wanted to go to Alec for comfort, and the other part of me wanted to kick his ass.

  “Florrie, if you talked to them, I think you’d like them.”

  “Really?” I asked angrily. “You think I’d like them? You think I’d like the people that are taking him from me? Is that your way of trying to make me feel better about what you’re doing?”

  He sighed and leaned back on the couch. I could tell that he was tired of arguing about this. So was I. I just wished that we could be on the same side of things. I didn’t know how to make him understand. Reid meant everything to me. From the moment that we found him, I just knew that he was meant to be ours. I had a connection with him. I loved him like my own. Now he was asking me to give that up, and for who? We didn’t know for sure that these were good people. We knew who they were on paper, but that didn’t tell us jack shit about who they really were. And them showing up when they were desperate for money was just a little too convenient for me.

  “Come on,” I said, “Time’s up. Let’s go get him.”

  I threw the door open and practically ran down the hall to the conference room to grab Reid. He didn’t look scared anymore, but the wariness in his eyes told me all I needed to know. He didn’t trust them, and that was good enough for me.

  “Hey, Reid,” I said with a smile on my face. It was all for show. “Time’s up, bud.”

  He hurried out of his seat and walked toward the door, only glancing back once he was by my side. “Uh, I guess I’ll see you later.”

  He walked past me and met Alec in the hallway. I wanted to follow, but there was something I had to get straight with these people before I left. I shut the door as I stepped inside and put on my bitch face, because this was my kid they were messing with.

  “Whatever it is you’re doing here, you need to stop it and go home. He doesn’t need you. Reid has a family and people that love him here.”

  “We love him too,” Linda said. “We want him with us.”

  “Yeah, and that’s just a little too convenient for me. Tell me, how is it that you suddenly realized that Reid was stayin
g here?”

  Linda straightened and her face turned angry. “We didn’t know that his mother had died. She cut off ties with us after her husband died.”

  “Her husband? You mean, your brother.”

  “Yes, my brother. After he died, she just stopped taking our calls. We heard that she married the senator through the news. She wouldn’t allow us to see Reid.”

  “And now all the sudden you want him. Now that he has all the senator’s money,” I snapped. “Now that you’re broke and looking for a payday.”

  “We would never touch his money,” she insisted. Her husband was holding her back, like he was afraid she was going to attack me. “We didn’t care about the money when we found out he’d inherited it. All we care about is him.”

  I scoffed. I couldn’t believe the woman in front of me. There was nothing about her that I found sincere. “If you really loved Reid, you wouldn’t have walked away from him. He was the last living piece of your brother and you didn’t fight for him. Why should I believe that you’re going to fight for him now?”

  “Because we love him,” she shouted.

  “Right. You love a kid that you haven’t seen since he was a baby. Let me tell you something, I’ve only known that kid for eight months, but from the moment I met him, I knew that he belonged with me. I’ve known from the very beginning that he would change my life for the best, and there was nothing I wouldn’t do for him. I would never walk away from him just to let someone else take care of him. Can you say the same?”

  I didn’t give them time to answer. I turned around and walked out the door. I couldn’t stand to be around them anymore.

  ✯✯✯✯✯

  Alec was waiting for me in our suite like he did every night. It had been a week since Alec betrayed me. A week since I started wondering if I could ever trust Alec again. I still just couldn’t wrap my head around all he was doing for these other people. It was like he was taking more consideration with what they wanted and needed than me. I didn’t want to be selfish, but he was taking away Reid. He knew that I couldn’t have kids, and he was taking him away from me. Reid wasn’t just some kid off the street to me. He was someone that I knew was supposed to be in my life. I could feel it deep down inside.

  “Are you talking to me yet?” Alec asked from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

  “I wasn’t ignoring you. I was trying to figure out a way not to be pissed at you.”

  “And how’s that coming?”

  “Well, I still pretty much hate you right now.”

  “Really,” he said, his eyes boring into mine. “Hate is a strong word.”

  “Well, you pull it out of me.”

  He sighed and walked over to me, boxing me into the wall like he liked to do. It was his way of getting me to stay and hear him out. And as much as I didn’t want to hear him out, it was Alec, and I was in love with him, even if I hated him at the moment.

  “Florrie, you have to believe me, I want that kid with us. I’m just trying to do what’s best for him.”

  “I know that, but Alec, you totally blindsided me. How am I supposed to trust you if you do stuff like that to me?”

  “It wasn’t intentional. We only had so much time to make a decision, and I knew that if Reid had to leave twice a month, it would be fucking torture for you. I was trying to find a solution that worked for all of us. I know how you see it, and I’m sorry that I put you in that position, but I love you and I will do whatever I have to so that we can fight this together.”

  “Except keep Reid away from those people,” I reminded him.

  He sighed and took a step back. “We have to do what the court wants. We knew this was coming.”

  “There’s a difference between knowing what’s coming and walking right into it. You made it so they would have full access to Reid.”

  “I know, but-”

  “Look, I get it. You did what you thought you had to, but I want to know when I come first. When do my needs come first? Are you always going to do what you think is best for everyone?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You split up the team. You didn’t make that decision with Craig and I.”

  “Florrie, I talked to you about it. We both know that was the right move.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You made that decision and didn’t include me. There was no way I could talk you out of that. Right or wrong, you made the decision and Craig and I had to deal with the fallout. That’s the same fucking thing you’re doing now.”

  He nodded and took another step back. “I broke your trust. But we’re not going to win custody of Reid if we’re fighting. We need to be together and be strong.”

  “And what if the judge sides against us? What are you going to do?”

  “I won’t break the law, Florrie.”

  “You mean, you won’t fight for him.”

  “Is that really what you want for Reid? You want to take him on the run and ruin his life? How the fuck is he supposed to have a normal life if he’s away from anything normal?”

  “At least he would be with us.”

  “You know I can’t do that. I’ve told you-”

  “Fine,” I snapped. “I hear you. You won’t do what I need you to do.”

  “Florrie,” he said, rushing up against me and pushing me up against the wall. His nose ran down my throat and his hands gripped my hips. I felt the intense heat pouring off him and my anger fled. “I want you-no, I fucking need you. I’ve always needed you, but don’t ask me to do something that goes against everything I believe in. I need you on my side. I need you to fucking understand.”

  It felt like cold water splashed over my body. I pushed him back, shaking my head. “So do I, Alec. I need you on my side too. Don’t ask me to walk away from him. I can’t do it.”

  I slipped under his arm and walked out of the room. It was like we would never see eye to eye on this, and I didn’t know how to make him see my side of things. I walked out of our suite and headed down to the kitchen to grab something to eat. I was just grabbing a sandwich out of the fridge when Craig walked in.

  “Are things any better with Alec?”

  “We just keep going around in circles. I don’t think we’ll ever agree on this.”

  “What exactly are you disagreeing on?”

  I sat down at the counter and unwrapped my sandwich. “I want to make sure that if things don’t go our way in court, Reid stays with us.”

  “You want to run with him,” he said.

  I stared at him, daring him to challenge me on this. He didn’t know what it was like, to be so close to having everything you wanted, only to have it ripped out of your arms. “It’s the only way to keep him, Craig. He belongs with us.”

  “And Alec doesn’t want to run.”

  “He says he can’t,” I scoffed. “He thinks that if the court rules in the Fullers’ favor, then we need to let it play out.”

  “Why?” Craig asked in confusion. “I mean, I get that what you’re suggesting is illegal, but we all know how you feel about Reid. I know that everyone here would do whatever they could to make sure that he stayed with you.”

  “Are you sure about that? I’m not so sure that everyone would side with me. I know Alec doesn’t feel the same way. He loves Reid, but he thinks that he’s helping Reid by reuniting him with family.”

  “You are his family,” Craig said fiercely. “Florrie, no matter what Alec says, that kid is yours. I’ve known it since you picked him up off the streets and brought him home. That kid belongs here. Hell, it’s in his name.”

  “Try telling Alec that.”

  “Fuck that. Florrie, you make the decision and I’ll back you. If you feel you need to get out of here, just say the word and I’ll make sure it happens. I know you love that kid. I can’t even imagine someone trying to take my kid from me and it’s not even born yet.”

  “It’s not going to be easy,” I warned him. “Alec won’t let me just walk out of here with Reid.”r />
  “Then we’ll have to make sure that enough people are available to help. I swear to God, Florrie. I won’t let him be taken from you.”

  I clasped his hand in mine, relief pouring through me. I was so grateful to have Craig on my side, but then, he was still on my team when Alec had walked away. I was beginning to wonder if Alec and I were just drifting apart and heading in different directions with our lives.

  ✯✯✯✯✯

  “So, how’s it going with the Fullers?” I asked Reid after two weeks of visits. I didn’t want to bug him all the time and make him feel like he had to have it all figured out, but I needed to know how he was handling this.

  He shrugged, not looking at me. “I don’t know. They seem okay, but…” I held my breath, waiting for him to answer. “The last time I went to a new home, it didn’t turn out so good.”

  “Well, that’s why I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you stay with us.”

  He sat quietly for a minute. I knew he was thinking about what he wanted to say. He was usually very thoughtful with everything he said, like he was making sure that whatever he said wouldn’t get him into trouble. He’d come a long way in the time he’d been with us, but since this whole process started up again, I could see a little of that scared kid peeking out more and more every day, and I hated it.

  “Alec said that they’re nice people. He said that he checked them out and he would never let me go stay with them if they weren’t good people.”

  Of course Alec would say something like that. He was a good guy, but he was dead wrong on this subject. Reid had been moved around enough as it was already. He didn’t need another change. He needed to stay where he was comfortable, and that was right here with us.

  “You know, Alec is always looking out for you. He loves you too, but if you don’t want to go with those people, you just say the word and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen.”