by Shandi Boyes
“Here, you dropped it,” he says to a little girl with raven hair and big blue eyes. When he thrusts the grubby toy toward the girl, she doubles the clutch on her mother’s thigh before cowering away from him. “It’s okay,” he tells her with a stutter. “I won’t hurt you.”
My eyes drift to Melody when Bobby’s simple reassurance causes the girl to slowly move out of her hiding spot. Her hand rattles when she accepts her beloved rabbit from Bobby’s clutch before she signs the quickest, “Thank you.”
Melody’s smile is as large as Bobby’s when he replies, “You are welcome.”
He waits for the girl I’d guess to be around five or six to continue walking down the sidewalk with her mother before he returns to my side. I’m so shocked by his naturally engrained protective instincts, I’m lost for words, so instead of prompting him about it, I guide him to our car parked a few spots down, smiling.
Bobby’s exchange with the unnamed girl is still in the forefront of my mind a few weeks later when he joins me in the derelict gym in the back shed of the Greggs’ family ranch. With my position at the Bureau being more of a consultant role than an agent, I don’t need to keep my fitness at the peak physical condition I once did, but for some reason, I do.
Melody likes the bumps in my midsection, so who am I to take them away from her? Furthermore, her insatiable needs grew tenfold when we found out she was pregnant. I’ve got to keep my energy up.
I’m not surprised we can’t keep our hands off each other. We had eight years of lost time to make up. If Grayson’s teases are close to being true, we fixed the injustice within the first six months. Doesn’t mean we need to slow down, though. Our daughter is due in two months, so we’ll lose more time then, not that Melody will ever agree with that. She’s adamant nothing will stop her from having her way with me. I love that about her. She’s always been so determined and headstrong.
When I spot a confused crinkle pop between Bobby’s brows, my curiosity gets the better of me. “Hey, buddy, what’s up? Do you want to go a few rounds with me in the ring?”
My brow cocks when he nods. He’s more a video-game-console type of kid than the outdoorsy type.
After suiting him up with my old gear, I pull apart the ropes of the frayed ring Mr. Gregg taught me how to fight in before gesturing for Bobby to enter before me.
I teach him the basics before we go a couple of rounds. All fathers say their kids have natural talent, but I’m not lying when I say Bobby does. He’s only seven, but he has enough power behind his swings for me to consider adding extra cushioning to the pads on my hands before our next session.
As sweat dribbles from Bobby’s temples to his chin, he lifts his big eyes from his gloves to me. “Can I ask you something?”
While smiling at the cute way he stumbles over his words, I jerk up my chin. His stutter is why Melody taught him how to sign. Now he can express himself any way he likes without being worried he’ll be picked on for having a speech impediment. You can talk in many ways—vocalized words are just one of them.
“You can ask me anything, buddy. You know that.”
He swishes his tongue around his mouth to loosen up his words before asking, “Can you teach me how to fight?”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing?” I keep my tone playful, hoping it will ease the tension riddling his adorable face. He didn’t look this worried when I told him his mother wouldn’t be able to visit him for a very long time. Ophelia was sentenced to fifteen years earlier this year.
Bobby nods, then shrugs. “Kinda, but I want to know how to fight properly.” I stop prancing around the ring when he mumbles, “Then I can punch Jye Langer in the face.”
After stooping down to his level as Melody always does any time they talk, I ask, “Is Jye bullying you?”
“No,” he answers immediately with a shake of his head. “But he’s mean to Cassidy all the time.”
“Who’s Cassidy?” When a protective flare darts through his eyes, the truth smacks into me. “She was the little girl with the bunny.”
Although I’m not asking a question, Bobby nods as if I am.
“Do you want to protect her, B?”
He nods again. “Yeah. I don’t like it when she cries. It makes me sad.”
I rustle his sweat-slicked hair, loving the empathy in his eyes. It proves what I’ve always known—your DNA has nothing to do with your ability to have a caring, loving soul.
After removing a pad from my hand, I quickly clear away a tear sitting high on Bobby’s cheek, then ask, “Do you know what’s making her upset?”
He fights with all his might to hold in his tears when he answers, “No, but I think I can help her if I know how to fight.”
Since there’s some truth in his reply, I say, “Okay. I’ll teach you how to fight…” His bright smile sags a little when I add, “… but I can’t teach you how to properly protect Cassidy if I don’t also show you how to take care of yourself. If you’re willing to fight for her, B, you’ve also got to be willing to fight for yourself. Do you think you can handle that?”
He nods his head extremely quick.
“All right, then let’s get started.” After removing the second protective pad from my hand, I tug off Bobby’s gloves before pulling him into my chest. My hug breaks his little heart, but I know better than anyone that it’s for the best. “It’s okay to cry if you’re sad. Just like it’s okay to get mad. Don’t hold them in, B, or one day you’ll crack.” He laughs through the tiny sobs breaking free from his throat. “Even when you are protecting, honoring, obeying, and serving, you’re still you. Don’t ever forget that.”
“I won’t, Daddy,” he replies, hugging me tighter. “I won’t ever forget.”
As the wetness of his tears soaks my shirt, I remember the words Mr. Gregg spoke to my father many moons ago.
Don't wait until your son is a man to make him great.
Make him great as a boy.
Mr. Gregg had to take up the challenge for me. Mercifully, Bobby will never face that burden. He’s my son, and I’ll protect, honor, obey, and serve him as well as I will his mother, his baby sister, and his grandmother. I will love him until the end of time, even on the days it hurts because that’s precisely what I’ve done the past twenty-four years.
The End!
If you want to hear updates on the next books in this crazy world I’ve created, be sure to join my readers group: Shandi’s Book Babes
Or my Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/authorshandi
Rico, Asher, Isaac, Hugo, Hawke, Ryan, Cormack, Enrique & Brax stories have already been released, but Grayson, Julian, Phillipa, and all the other great characters of Ravenshoe will be getting their own stories at some point during 2019/2020.
Join my READER’s group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1740600836169853/
Subscribe to my newsletter to remain informed:
http://eepurl.com/cyEzNv
If you enjoyed this book please leave a review.
Message from the Author
Jesus, that was book twenty in the Enigma Series. TWENTY! Like, WTF. I’m so sad this series is now done. We still have many great side characters to explore, but because they’re not essentially attached to Isaac and Isabelle, they will not be part of the Enigma Series. That makes me sad, but in a way, I’m also proud.
If you made it this far, you read all twenty of the books in this series. That makes me damn proud of myself. To have people read that many books and not grow bored feels phenomenal. And let’s not get me started on if you’ve read all 42 of my titles or my head might not fit through the door anymore.
I am so humbled by your support. It has been an awesomely crazy four years.
I can’t see what the next four years brings.
Talk soon,
Shandi xx
Acknowledgments
To all the peeps who make this happen, a huge thank you.
To my editor, Nicki @ Swish Design and Editing, my mom, the alpha reader
s, beta readers, and the people who download my books without even reading the blurb. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I truly appreciate you from the bottom of my heart.
You rock!
I can’t do an acknowledgement page without mentioning the man who makes this all possible. To my husband, Chris. Thank you for being you, and for being my number one fan before I had written a single word. I love you, boo. Today, tomorrow, and forever.
Shandi xx
About the Author
Shandi Boyes is a USA Today Bestselling Author who was an avid reader for many years before she discovered the love of writing in February 2016. Her first penned novel 'Saving Noah' is a new adult rockstar romance that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat until the very last word.
In September 2016, her focus shifted to hot alpha men in steamy contemporary reads that sizzle off the pages. Shandi's novel 'Enigma' is an award-winning story about an FBI agent and the subject she was assigned to investigate. Her men are swoon-worthy, devoted, and alpha; and her heroines are strong-willed, determined, and loveable. You should start her stories first thing in the morning, or you may not sleep.
You will laugh and you will cry, but Shandi's characters will stay with you for a lifetime!
Facebook: facebook.com/authorshandi
Instagram: instagram.com/authorshandi
Email: [email protected]
Reader’s Group: bit.ly/ShandiBookBabes
Website: authorshandi.com
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cyEzNv
Also by Shandi Boyes
Perception Series:
Saving Noah
Fighting Jacob
Taming Nick
Redeeming Slater
Saving Emily (Novella)
Wrapped up with Rise Up (Novella - should be read after Bound)
Enigma:
Enigma of Life
Unraveling an Enigma
Enigma: The Mystery Unmasked
Enigma: The Final Chapter
Beneath the Secrets
Beneath the Sheets
Spy Thy Neighbor
The Opposite Effect
I Married a Mob Boss
Second Shot
The Way We Are
The Way We Were
Sugar and Spice
Lady in Waiting
Man in Queue
Couple on Hold
Enigma: The Wedding
Silent Vigilante
Hushed Guardian
Quiet Protector
Bound Series:
Chains
Links
Bound
Restrained
Psycho
Russian Mob Chronicles:
Nikolai: A Mafia Prince Romance
Nikolai: Taking Back What's Mine
Nikolai: What's Left of Me
Nikolai: Mine to Protect
Asher: My Russian Revenge
Nikolai: Through the Devil's Eyes
Trey: European Redemption
RomCom Standalones:
Just Playin'
The Drop Zone
Ain't Happenin'
Christmas Trio
Falling for a Stranger
Coming Soon:
Skitzo
Trey
