Page 61 of Protective Phlox

Pulling the gun away from his face, he noticeably relaxed. Snapping my fingers, my soldier, who had been silently waiting in the corner, came over to stand beside me.

“Cut the tip off of his baby finger on his left hand,” I ordered.

“What? No, no, no, I swear I’ll be a good dad, I will.” Mr. Greer’s panic was evident, but I didn’t care.

“I’m sure you will, but now, every time you feel the urge to slack, you’ll have a reminder of what will happen if you fail. Next time, I’ll make sure that you’re cut up into tiny pieces.” The door closed on his screams. Turning to Robert, I handed back the glasses. “When they’re done in there, take him a few miles outside of the city and drop his sorry ass off.”

“Yes, Sir,” Robert and Chad said together.

I quickly scrubbed my hands to remove all traces of Mr. Greer and then glanced at the time on the way out. An hour had already passed since the club.

“Where to, Boss,” Ivan asked, getting in beside me.

“Home.”

I’d played a good part back in that room, but what did I really know about being a father? Mine certainly wasn’t winning any awards. In fact, mine had done everything in his power to try and corrupt me into a mirror image of himself for as long as I could remember. Sitting at the bar not much older than Cutter had been the norm. The distinct scent of cigarette smoke and vodka would always remind me of my childhood.

Pulling up to the house, I grabbed my jacket and walked for the front door, where Goran was standing outside with a dozen guards.

“Is something wrong,” I asked, joining the group.

“One of the guys thought he saw a truck circle the block a couple of times. It’s probably nothing, but I’m adding extra security for the night shifts to be safe,” Goran said, waving the guys off. The moment we were alone, he crossed his arms. “I hope you’re not planning on going in there and fighting with Savannah about Cutter.”

Glaring at my best friend, I wanted to punch him in the face. “Whose fucking side are you on?” He lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “Fuck, one week, and she has you wrapped around her finger.”

He chuckled and then smirked at me. “It only took you one night, and you were hooked for life. I’m not doing so bad at one week and no sex.”

I glared at him, my teeth getting a workout as they ground together. “Fucking better not have had sex with her.”

He screwed up his face and crossed his arms. “You fucking know me better than that. Hell, you know Savannah better than that.”

Goran was right. I did. I took a deep breath and ran my hand through my hair. “No, I wasn’t planning on fighting, but I’m not sure she’s going to give me much choice.”

“Look, all I’m going to say is this. That trip was hard on Savannah, not just being there, which she downplayed. Honestly, it was a nightmare, but also leaving Cutter with you. Before you go biting my fucking head off. She’s never left him alone with anyone, let alone for an entire week. That showed how much she trusted you, and….”

“I failed,” I grumbled.

“That’s a bit harsh, shit happens, but I’m just saying relax on the attitude. Savannah is a momma bear looking out for her cub, and you dropped Cutter, a brilliant, impressionable child, into the middle of everything she was protecting him from. She needs to learn who she is in your world, but she was a Fed until a month ago.”

“She wasn’t supposed to find out. I thought it would be a quick trip, in and out. Plus, she wasn’t supposed to be back til tomorrow.” Goran rolled his eyes at me. “What?”

“Have you met your son? He would’ve told her in painful, glittery detail where he got to go.”

“Good point. I’m going inside unless you have more wisdom you plan to impart on me tonight?” Goran snorted in disgust and walked away, making me smirk.

Heading in, I jogged up the stairs and poked my head into our room, but I wasn’t surprised to find it empty. I tossed my suit jacket inside and headed to Cutter’s room.

I’d never seen anything that made my heart sing the way it did when I looked at Savannah curled up in bed with our son as they slept. It was a portrait of perfection. No gallery in all the world could show me a painting that would touch me more than my view right now.

Walking over to the bed, I drew my knuckle softly down Savannah’s cheek. Her eyes fluttered open before she turned her head to look at me.

“I don’t want to go to bed with us fighting,” I said, keeping my voice low.

“Neither do I,” she said and kissed Cutter’s head before slipping out from the covers. She looked fucking sexy with her hair loose and the silky, red pajama shorts and tank showing off her curves. “Stop looking at me like that,” Savannah scolded as she walked by, but nothing was stopping me from staring at her ass. I would take whatever she wanted to dish out, but before this conversation was over, I was fucking her until she never wanted to leave, not even for a night.

Chapter

Twenty-Four