AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hiya Uncle Seb!”
“Hey there, little man,” he laughed, ruffling the boy’s dark hair. “Who let you out of your cage?”
“My dad,” Aiden said with more than a hint of pride.
“Hmm. Last I heard, they didn’t allow heathens here.”
Aiden scoffed. “I’m not a heathen, Uncle Seb! I’m a kid.”
“Same thing,” he teased with a wink.
Grinning, the little boy rounded his attention elsewhere. “Hi, Taylor.”
“Hi,” she repeated with a husky laugh.
“Alright, devil spawn. That’s enough. Take a seat and let them breathe.” Josh tried to mask his smile, but his amusement shone in his eyes. “Sorry about the third wheel,” he said, hitching a thumb at his kid. “I wanted to leave him behind, but your sister here insisted there was some law in place demanding kids eat.”
The corners of Sebastian’s mouth quirked as he slid into the booth beside Taylor. “I believe she’s right.”
“Well, that’s a first,” Josh quipped. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t go to her head.”
“It won’t if you don’t let it,” Sebastian said pointedly.
Monique cleared her throat and gave an exasperated shake of her head. “You two do realize I’m sitting right here?”
His partner flashed a shameless grin. “Yep, sure do, gorgeous. That’s what makes it so much fun.”
Taylor’s shoulders shook silently beside him and, settling against the back of the padded booth, Sebastian pulled her closer with a knowing smile. It was nice to see her happy and enjoying herself for a change. The last few months had put her through so much both physically and emotionally. The thought sobered him, and his face tightened on a frown. They still had no leads on who was responsible for sabotaging her car. No leads and no revenge.
“Earth to Baas.”
He glanced up at the mention of his name. Josh raised an eyebrow and ceased his experimental wave from the other side of the table. Any smart-ass comments the man might have made fell silent as the waiter stopped by to take their drink orders. Not missing the way the portly gentleman’s attention lingered on Taylor and his sister, he pinned the server with a blistering glare. Fleshy jowls blanched white and, noticing Josh’s heated glower was just as unforgiving, the man muttered a promise to hurry and scuttled for the relative safety of the bar.
Josh grunted in amusement before turning his attention back to them. “There you are. Everything okay, buddy? You seemed a little lost in thought earlier.”
“I’m fine,” Sebastian stated softly. “I was just trying to enjoy the evening.”
His partner grimaced, his face contorting with a skepticism and reproach. “Right. Since when do you enjoy anything?”
“Have you ever considered it is your company that makes me so irritable?”
Josh shrugged and leaned back, draping his arms across the top of the booth in a relaxed sprawl. “Nope. Can’t say that I have. I figured this wonderful disposition just came natural for you.”
He snorted beneath his breath. “I should have hit you when I had the chance. Perhaps then you wouldn’t be so eager to run your mouth.”
Monique shifted in her seat, her startled gaze darting between the two men in an effort to assess the situation. Beside him, Taylor hung her head and traced the rim of her napkin. Sebastian sighed. Just like that, all traces of happiness fled her beautiful features and the dark shadows of worry had returned.
“Hey. Chin up, girls,” Josh ordered, giving Monique a playful jostle with his elbow. “It might be a bit hard for you soft and sensitive womanly types to understand, but this is how Sebastian and I play. It’s how we bond. Isn’t that right, buddy?”
He mulled the question over until he became all too aware of Taylor’s uneasiness as she studied him. “Sadly, I suppose it is,” he conceded with a rueful smirk. “Josh needles me incessantly and, somehow, I refrain from killing him.”
“Seb…” Monique pleaded, her voice taking on a quiet desperation as she glanced Aiden’s way.
His cheeks heated at the gentle admonishment. He’d forgotten there were innocent ears at the table. Filtering words and actions were something he was going to have to get used to and soon. Flushing, he aimed a lopsided smile the kid’s way. “I’m sorry, little man. I would never hurt your dad. I know how much you love him. Besides, he is a very important man to me. Your father and his talents would be…impossible to replace.”
Aiden’s face lit with pride and his bright grin deepened. “S’okay, Uncle Seb.”
The look the boy aimed toward his father afterward was nothing short of absolute admiration. Josh’s face became pensive in the aftermath.
Turning his attention to the table, he cleared his throat and slumped a little in his seat. “Thanks, Baas. That was really nice of you.”
Uncomfortable with the sudden shift in atmosphere, he shrugged. Seeking distraction, he rubbed the soft silk of Taylor’s thigh beneath the table. This was much more familiar territory for him. This was safe. He was grateful when the waiter stopped by to drop off their drinks and take their orders. This time, the man made quick work of things and left in a hurry.
“When are we gonna tell them, dad?” Aiden asked, all but squirming with impatience in his seat.
Sebastian’s head snapped up at the question. Tension crept into his shoulders as he glanced between his partner and sister in search of an explanation. So there it was. The real reason they’d wanted to go out tonight. Frowning, he watched as Josh chuckled and scrubbed the top of his kid’s head in a gruff noogie.
“Tell me what?”
“Nice going, sport. I was going to wait until after we ate, but I guess the cat’s out of the bag.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed. “Which cat would that be, Joshua?”
“Monique is going to adopt me,” Aiden blurted with another blinding smile. “Isn’t that cool?”
Stunned, he stared at his sister. Tonight was the first he’d heard of any of this, and he couldn’t help but wonder why. While the news wasn’t bad, it certainly caught him off guard, as did the secrecy surrounding the entire situation. His gaze narrowed again, this time in suspicion, as he studied Monique. Lowering her head, she squirmed beneath the scrutiny. When she finally found the courage to meet his eyes, hers were miserable and full of pleading.
He released a low exhale. His stare never left his sister’s as he cocked his head to the side and a smile he didn’t quite feel crawled across his face. “Congratulations,” he stated, spreading his hands in question.
“Thanks!” Aiden exclaimed, not missing a beat. Oblivious to the confusion and tension hanging over the table his grin widened even more. “We’re making it official next week.”
Scrubbing a hand across the stubble spanning his upper lip and chin, Sebastian nodded. “Congratulations are definitely in order then. You are a very lucky young man,” he said, finally pulling himself together. “You happen to be getting one of the very best mothers on the face of the planet.”
“I know.”
Tears welled in Monique’s eyes as she glanced his way. The slender column of her throat bobbed with her swallow as she mouthed a silent ‘thank you.’
“Sorry we kinda just sprung this on you, Baas, but it needed done. Like you said, your sister is one hell of a mom. The kid adores her, and I can’t think of anyone else I would rather raise my boy if something were to happen.”
“You don’t have to explain your reasons to me, Josh. They, along with your feelings for my sister, have always been quite clear. Just answer one thing. Is there anything else? Any other reason why there is a sudden rush to make sure everything is tied together and secure?”
Josh shook his head, a slight frown crossing his angular features. “Other than the fact that I love them and want what’s best here? No.”
The words hung between them for a long moment. There was no missing the defensive edge in his partner’s voice. It cut deep, reminding him of his own struggles with M
arx. Wresting his focus from the glossy tabletop, he considered the situation with Taylor and his own child—how there was nothing he wouldn’t say or do to keep them safe and out of harm’s way. The truth was, blood or not, Marx had succeeded some in pushing Monique away. As much as the distance between them hurt, as much as it stung his pride to see, Josh was the center of her world now, the sole anchor keeping her in place. He had that with Taylor. It was time to trust them both and let it go.
Blowing out a heavy exhale, he shook his head in an attempt to lose the conflicting emotions crashing through him. His hooded gaze settled on Monique once again. Some things were easier said than done. Lifting his chin, he regarded his partner with a curious tilt of his head.
“Let me get this straight. You expect my sister to take on the responsibility of being a fulltime mother to your child and raise him as her own should something happen to you.”
“Seb, please. I want to.” Monique’s voice shook as she fidgeted with her silverware.
“I wasn’t finished,” he stated coldly. His attention swung back to Josh. “My sister takes care of you. She tends to your home and warms your bed. She does all of this, and yet you offer her nothing in return?”
“Baas…I…”
“You what? I put a ring on Taylor’s finger months ago. Is there a reason why my sister isn’t deserving of the same? She’s not a toy for you, Josh. She’s not your maid or your built-in babysitter.”
