AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“But that’s me,” Cain said. “You’re not worried about yourself, are you? Because you’re going to make a great fucking father.”
“Why?” I looked away, wondering why I’d asked in the first place. But I didn’t take it back because I needed to know. I was still reeling from what my mom had said about Eden and obligations and the fact that Esposito had tried to do the right thing—and failed spectacularly.
Cain’s knee stopped jiggling. “A lot of reasons, starting with you asking why, which means you’re thinking about how to be a good father. You care, and that’s gotta count for something.”
“Does it? Because from where I’m standing, it means I’m scared I have no idea what I’m do—.”
“Let me finish, damn it,” Cain interrupted. “Let’s start with the fact that you’re taking good care of the kid’s mom, and add in how you immediately stepped up to take responsibility—you didn’t even have to think about it. You just did it. On top of that, you’re already working to make things better for the dhampirs in the syndicate. And I’ve seen you with the soldiers—you’re tough when you have to be, but you’re always fair. You’re a leader—people look up to you. And the kid’s going to look up to you, too. You just have to be yourself.”
“What if that’s not enough?”
“Hell, what I know about being a father would fit on the head of a pin,” Cain said. “But if I could’ve had you as a father, I would’ve thought I won the lottery. And bro? I’m going to be here for you. Brien will be, too.”
The hollowness eased. “Thanks,” I said gratefully. “I’m going to hold you to that.”
“Hey, so we had shitty father figures. Doesn’t mean we can’t learn from them anyway. You can always think of what my uncle would’ve done and do the exact opposite.” He gave me a crooked smile.
“Yeah,” I said, so that his comment wouldn’t hang there.
Esposito might be more like a big kid than a parent, but Cain’s uncle was so much worse.
“So we good?”
When I nodded, Cain finished his whiskey, clearly done with our hearts-and-flowers moment. “Let’s go get a couple of thralls. You don’t have to fuck them,” he added before I could object. “But you do need to feed.”
I thought of Eden, expecting me. But Cain was right, I did need fresh blood.
Plus, I didn’t want her getting the wrong idea about what this was. Not because I was a prick but because I was trying not to be.
“Okay, already. I’ll go.” I gulped the rest of the whiskey and put the glass on the bar. “Anything to stop your bitching. Just give me a minute to change.”
I headed into my bedroom, pulling off my T-shirt as I went, and to put on a short-sleeve dress shirt and a clean pair of dark wash jeans.
Cain was waiting by my front door. He slammed a shoulder into me, knocking me a step sideways. “It’s not bitching, asshole. It’s called concern—and shove a stake into me if I’m ever concerned about you again.”
I shoved him back and opened the door, making a show of holding it for him. “After you, Grandma.”
His snarl made me grin.
17
Eden
I snipped at Rio’s hair. “Shorter?”
I stopped clipping as he examined himself in my bathroom mirror. I was cutting his hair because he was meeting a guy for a drink in Bluebeard’s Cove. Earlier, he’d redyed his hair a mix of pink, purple and blue, then decided he wanted a trim, too.
“Just along the sides,” he said. “So you can see my ears.”
“You got it.” I started snipping again.
At least Rio was happy. In the two weeks since Talon had found me, Rio had settled into castle life like he’d been born on the island.
As for me, I was marking time until my restrictions were lifted so I could get back to normal. Things with Talon had reached a shaky equilibrium, with neither of us doing anything to tip the balance. Each night Talon either got me himself or sent for me to come to his suite. We had sex and then he walked me back to my suite.
I suppressed a sigh. Yeah, we talked, but only about the baby and whether I was eating and sleeping enough. The distance between us was as large as it had ever been.
But what about that “mine” stuff?
