Page 62 of Ravaged By the Dark

Trev sat quietly as the two of them sized one another up, but it was the kid that broke the silence first.

“I asked Arek to be my daddy. I don’t have a daddy. Sooo he could be mine. He got me a new tiger!” The kid’s eyes were filled with so much hope that Trev swallowed hard. Normally he’d tell the kid to get his head out of his ass—that life was not a fucking fairy tale and to go cry elsewhere that he didn’t have a daddy.

But Trev couldn’t form the words as he stared into eyes that were not the eyes of a child and yet should’ve been.

Besides, what was he supposed to say? That Arek was a man whore, and his mother wouldn’t last the week, let alone a lifetime? So Trev settled on a softer approach.

“I guess he could be, but I like the brother idea. He is my brother, you know?”

“Well, duh.”

Trev bit his lip, trying not to laugh again. “Are you hungry?”

The kid nodded, and Trev found himself searching the cupboards for something kid-friendly.

“Why do you wear that?” The kid pointed to his long robe and slippers, and Trev shrugged.

“Why not? They’re comfortable.” He found a box of fruity cereal that Trev hadn’t even known they had and walked back to the island. “You want this?”

“Can I have coffee and toast?” The kid pointed to Trev’s half-eaten breakfast. “I don’t like sugary cereal. Nae Nae says it’s bad for my teeth.” He grinned wide, showing off his bright white teeth. “See, no cavities,” he mumbled.

Trev laughed and placed the box down. “Toast I can do, but no to the coffee. We have juice. How about apple or orange?”

The kid rubbed his chin as he contemplated the major decision, forget the Marine Biologist. This one would make a good politician. “Alright, apple juice. But, straight up, no straw. I’m not a baby.”

Trev held up his hands in defeat. “Of course, I wouldn’t dream of giving you a straw.”

A few minutes later, Trev wandered back to the island with the fresh food offering and sat it down.

“Thanks, Uncle Trev.” The kid dug into the simple meal, all calm like, while Trev’s heart constricted in his chest.

Uncle Trev?

“There you are,” Renee said as she walked into the room, Arek following closely behind.

“I hope he wasn’t bothering you?” Renee asked, her voice wavering a little. Trev realized she was scared he might hurt the child. He was a great many things, but a child killer was not one of them.

Trev looked down at the kid, and a small smile lifted at the corner of his crumb-covered mouth. “No, young J.J. and I were having a grand time.”

“He talks funny,” J.J. said around a mouthful of toast.

“J.J., you apologize this moment.”

“Why? It’s true,” J.J. said.

“Because it’s rude to say something like that,” Renee gently scolded.

Trev laughed at the continued debate between brother and sister. Arek was watching Renee and J.J., and his eyes looked different. The more Trev stared at him, the more his concern rose. They held a warmth that had been lost after their first tour. Arek broke his watchful stare over Renee and locked eyes with him. Trev sucked in a sharp breath at the emotion laid bare on his twin’s face—his brother was in love.

His eyes flicked back to J.J. and then up to his brother, and a hard resolution settled in his chest. He would protect them as he promised, but if this woman broke his brother’s heart, he’d kill her and keep the kid.

Over the last five days of staying with Arek and Trevor, Renee had slept the best she’d slept in her entire life. J.J. was adapting a little too easily to all the amenities: an indoor and outdoor pool, a movie room, and a basketball net outside. She had no idea how they were going to go back to the life they’d been living, but damn, it was unbelievably amazing simply to breathe easily for a while. It also went without saying that she’d fallen into the trap of staying in Arek’s bed every night, and he was a big part of her relaxed state of mind and aching muscles.

Renee watched the beautiful scenery passing by as they drove but had to work to keep the smirk off her face as she played over what they’d done together the night before. She spotted a young boy holding onto his mother’s hand and suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

“I don’t think this is a good idea. I’ve never left J.J. with anyone other than Francine,” Renee said.

She looked over at Arek, and her heart skipped a beat. It had been beating hard ever since she first met him, but now it fluttered wildly in her chest. Their time together had certainly done a lot to convince her to stay, and the way he was with J.J. made her melt. The affection was real, and it was easy to see how much J.J. already adored him and, strangely Trevor.