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Irritation flares to life in my veins, and I grab onto it, thankful to have something else to occupy my mind other than my father. “He is the guy Phil brought.”
“He got a name?”
“Rhys.” I don’t give him anything more. First, Cam would probably flip if he learned I was technically soliciting even though we haven’t done anything together. That probably wouldn’t matter to the courts. Second, I think it would embarrass Rhys if I told my brother the truth.
Cam keeps looking at me, waiting for me to elaborate. When I don’t, he simply says, “Be careful, Parker. Okay?”
“I always am.”
He gives me a look before opening the bedroom door and stepping back out into the living room. Rhys is still on the couch where we left him. It looks like he hasn’t moved an inch. Like he hasn’t even breathed.
“It was nice to meet you, Rhys,” Cameron says before looking back at me. “Call me if you need anything. Got it?”
“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” I usher him out the door but wait until he’s in the elevator to close it after him. When I turn back to Rhys, I find him watching me.
“He loves you a lot,” Rhys says softly.
My chest warms. “Yeah. We’re pretty close.”
He gives me a sad smile, and I think about our conversation earlier, before Cam got here. Before Rhys gave me the best orgasm of my life. The most I’ve ever gone without talking to Cam is a couple days. I couldn’t imagine going five years without seeing him.
“Maybe you should try getting in touch with Jack,” I suggest.
Rhys looks away from me immediately. “Oh, no. I-I don’t think so. Maybe someday but not right now.”
I want to push it, but I don’t try. I don’t know anything about his situation. Barely know anything about him. I don’t want to scare him away.
When he meets my eyes again, he looks different. Closed off. “You want to go back to the bedroom?”
“Not really. What my brother came by to tell me kind of killed the mood.” I move closer and sit on the opposite end of the couch but turn so I’m facing him. “My father was released from prison a lot earlier than we expected.”
“Yeah, I-I heard. Your walls aren’t incredibly thick.” He chews on his lower lip. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine if Tony were locked away just for a handful of years and then released because he hadn’t committed another crime while he was in prison.”
It’s the first time I’ve ever heard him say that name. And it seems like he realized it at the same time because his eyes widen.
“Who’s Tony?” I ask.
“Just…Just some guy I used to know.” He swallows and looks around the room, his gaze flitting everywhere but at me. “He got me into this life.”
“Was he—”
“What are you going to do about your father?” Rhys asks, cutting me off. It’s the first time he’s interrupted me, and I can tell from the flash of worry in his eyes that he thinks I’m pissed about it. So I keep my tone neutral when I reply.
“I can’t do anything about him,” I say. “I just have to hope he’ll stay away from me. If he doesn’t, I guess I’ll look into a restraining order.”
“You don’t sound really certain about that,” Rhys says quietly.
“Well, guys like my father would walk right through one of those. He served time for an armed robbery; he’s not going to care about a piece of paper that tells him to stay away from me.”
I don’t even realize how upset I am, how much it must be showing, until Rhys scoots a little closer so he can lay his hand on mine. His skin is so soft. So warm.
“I’m sorry,” he says. “It’s terrible that the statute of limitations is so short on so many horrible things.”
I nod silently. A part of me knows I’ll always regret not going after him when I had the chance. But what would that have really done? He probably would’ve served even less time for knocking me around.
Rhys is quiet for a few minutes before asking tentatively, “Was it just physical? Because the statute of limitations on sex abuse in California is twenty years.”
I jerk my head up to look at him, trying to read his face. His expression is impassive, but his eyes have this kind of knowing in them that freaks me out. Is it just because he’s been around that kind of thing?
