Page 51 of Protective Phlox

Twenty

NATHANIEL

Ihad no idea where Cutter got his temperament. Savannah and I both ran hot, sometimes too hot, but Cutter was as cool as a cucumber about everything. After his fall yesterday, the doctor had to reset his dislocated wrist, and even though he cried some, he didn’t put up a fuss or scream. Once it was set, Cutter was excited to choose the color of his cast and had the doctor sign it. He wanted bright red, of course. Which made total sense, considering Savannah was going to attack me like a bull when she saw it. Part of me was looking forward to it.

Cutter looked adorable wearing a replica jersey and a Kings baseball cap. He stared out the window as we pulled closer to the front doors of the arena. I found joy in his enthusiasm, something that I’d lost—for almost everything—years ago. It felt as though I was seeing the world for the first time.

Cutter’s eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open as we pulled up in front of the Staples Center. I guess it was the Crypto.com Arena now, but I couldn’t get into calling it that. Those standing on the sidewalk stared at the massive vehicle, probably hoping it was Taylor Swift. They were going to be extremely disappointed.

“Wow,” Cutter said, and nothing was wiping the smile off my face. “This is sooo cool.” I had to hand it to Aaron. Now and then, he came up with a great idea. “I wish Hailey and Holly could’ve come,” Cutter said to Titus, who was sitting at the far end of the limo.

“Trust me, they wanted to come too,” he said, smiling.

Ivan knocked on the window and then opened the door. “All clear, Sir.”

Unbuckling Cutter, I let Ivan pull him out of the car, but I picked him up as soon as I stepped out. There was no way that I was letting him out of my sight here. My balls would be ripped off my body and fed to me in tiny pieces if I had to tell Savannah that I lost our son at a hockey game.

We made our way to the VIP entrance door, and the entire time Cutter was pointing and talking non-stop. I caught my reflection in the glass doors, and we looked like any other family. I’d decided to wear jeans and a matching jersey to the one I’d gotten for Cutter. All my rings were off, except for my wedding band, and I even had the guards dress down for the occasion. For just a moment, it didn’t feel like I was Nathaniel Mikhailov, son of a mafia don and a don in my own right as heir to an empire. I was just a guy out with his son. I was a dad and nothing more.

Had my father found not a single drop of joy in bringing me to my games when I was little? I remembered him there, but he was always on his phone and never remembered what I’d accomplished. I would never do that to Cutter. If he wanted to play hockey, win a spelling bee, or be a damn ballerina, I would be there for every moment. He was never going to question if he was loved.

I hadn’t stepped foot in a hockey arena since I gave it up. Part of me had never left the rink and the dream of what could’ve been if I’d been just a little bit more talented. I had once lived for the smell of the ice, the sound of my blades scraping in rhythm as I tore down the rink, and the feel of a hard hit before the siren and excitement when the puck found the back of the net.

Aaron had somehow managed to book us the premium suite for a playoff game. I wasn’t complaining, but I figured it would’ve already been occupied. We walked as a group toward the escalator, looking like a guy’s night out. A small party of girls dressed up in glittery dresses looked our way and smiled as they flirted with their eyes and wiggled their fingers at Cutter. Cutter happily waved back. I smiled, thinking about how Savannah would rip their eyes out if she were here.

“Oh man, you’re in so much trouble when he gets a little older,” Aaron leaned in and said.

“Yeah, thank god I didn’t have a daughter. I’d kill anyone that thought they could touch my little girl.”

“Dude, you just jinxed yourself. I’ll bet you a cool grand on it.”

“Shut your mouth,” I growled at him, making him laugh. “Keep laughing, and I’ll wish triplet girls on you.” That snapped his mouth shut.

It might look like we were out for a casual night, but I knew my guards were on high alert for any sign of a threat.

“Dad, can I have nachos, pizza, a hot dog, and soda,” Cutter asked as we rode the escalator up, and the smell of food hit us.

“You can have all that and more if you want once we get to the box,” I said, and Cutter tapped his chin, which I’d quickly figured out was his ‘I’m thinking hard’ look.

“Why are we going to a box? Can we see out of it?”

Aaron laughed beside me as Ivan smirked. “It’s not a cardboard box. It’s a season ticket holder box.” Cutter’s brow furrowed, his lips pressing together. “You’ll see when we get there.”

As we stepped into the room, all decked out in black leather, I put Cutter down, but he didn’t run off like I thought he would. Instead, he held up his good hand for me to take, and some irrational part of me wanted to grab his hand and never let go. When Savannah got back, I was keeping her under lock and key until I knocked her sexy ass up. In what felt like a few short years, Cutter would be looking to party, date, drive, have sex, and then get married and have his own kids.

I blinked as Cutter tugged on my hand. “Dad, are you okay?”

Clearing my throat, I smiled. “Yeah, I…got lost in thought. Come on, let’s get something to eat. The game is going to start soon.”

The table housing everything from steak to the coveted hotdog was on display, and once we overfilled Cutter’s plate, I took him to a seat where we could watch the game.

“Do you ever miss playing,” Titus asked, nodding toward the ice.

“Less now, but I did,” I said, and Cutter gasped and grabbed my arm. I immediately went for my gun and looked around before I realized he was just excited.

“Dad, you played hockey for the Kings?”

I chuckled and smiled at him. “No, but I wish I had. I wasn’t quite that good.”