Page 71 of Alec’s Dream

“I’m pulling up.”

Alec disconnected and I leashed my need to run to the door to see him.

“Mom!” Rory shouted. “Alec’s here and he has Jocelyn.”

My daughter’s happiness made me smile. It had nothing to do with a handsome man or his adorable daughter coming over. Nope. Not one bit.

It took Alec five minutes after he’d walked in before he could get me alone. Rory needed to tell him some new random fact she’d learned. Caleb wanted to tell Alec that he’d found a toolbox in the garage and wanted to show it to him before he left. Jocelyn needed hugs and cuddles before Rory got out the stuffed animals and the girls got down to the very important task of playing zoo.

Now we were alone. I wasn’t all that sure about taking Alec back to my room but we needed privacy and my house was small. With Caleb sitting at the dining room table, the kitchen was too close and the girls were in the living room. So my only options were my room or the back patio, and truthfully, it was too cold to stand outside. What could I say? I was a cold-weather wimp even if I’d grown up in Maryland and should’ve been used to the freezing temperatures.

It was then I dumped everything Caleb told me on him. And I mean everything, even the parts about him not wanting to see his dad. What Caleb had heard before we moved out.

Everything.

The more I talked, the angrier Alec got, until his eyes blazed and he teetered on the fire-breathing part. That was coming though, I could feel it.

“Serious as fuck, babe, just when I think I have a lock on how big of a dick your ex is, I’m proved wrong.”

My lips twitched and no matter how hard I tried to pinch them together I couldn’t stop the grin. There was nothing funny about our conversation but Alec looked totally perplexed. It was cute. That was something I never thought I’d say about the man. He was not cute—he was hot. Big, brawny, and tough, that was Alec. But right now with a look of total bewilderment on his face, he was cute.

Alec took in my face, his gaze dropped to my lips and his eyes turned soft. God, I loved it when he looked at me that way. Just him staring at my mouth reminded me of the two best kisses I’d ever had, both of which he’d given me.

“Babe.” Alec took a step closer but said no more. His hand cupped my jaw and he was tilting my face up, leaning forward, when suddenly he stopped.

I didn’t get a chance to ask him what was wrong. Gunfire pierced the silence and more followed.

Alec took off like a shot, and with the singular thought to get to my kids, I followed. I hit the mouth of the hall and saw Alec’s big body thrown over Rory and Jocelyn. I could barely hear both girls’ screams over the barrage of bullets sweeping across my living room, shattering glass, splintering wood, and piecing drywall.

“Get down!” Alec shouted.

His voice barely registered through my shock. I’d never experienced automatic gunfire this close before. Never saw the devastation firsthand.

I caught sight of Caleb in the kitchen. He was on his knees, elbows to the floor, hands cupping his ears. Without thinking, I ran—full-out uncaring bullets whizzed by me. The sound so deafening, my ears rang. I got to the kitchen, fell to my knees, and pain from the hard tile floor made me wince. I covered Caleb the best I could while scooting us behind the island.

And that was where we stayed for what seemed like forever.

Finally, the sound stopped but I still didn’t move. I clutched my boy so tight I didn’t think I’d ever get my arms to release him.

What just happened?

Seriously? What in the actual fuck just happened?

“Caleb, baby?” I whispered.

Or maybe I yelled. I couldn’t tell over the high-pitched ringing in my ears.

My son didn’t answer, but seconds later his body started trembling. Not a little, a whole lot. He quaked under me so hard, he shook my body with it.

“Up!” Alec barked. Not waiting for me to answer, his hand curled around my bicep and pulled me to my feet. “Where are your keys?”

“Car.”

“You get Rory.”

Without argument, I scooped up Rory as Alec bent down, Jocelyn still in his arms, and picked Caleb up.

“Wrap your arms around me, bud.”