by Faith Gibson
“Well of course I did. You’re a funny boy. Now, I bet the pizza’s just about ready. Let’s go check.”
“Okay. I need my shoes.” When he started to slip his feet into his loafers, Sadie tugged him by the arm.
“Why don’t you go barefoot like me?” Sadie wiggled her foot. Mateo reached down and removed his dark socks. Sadie took them from him and placed them atop his old clothes that needed washing. “Ready?”
“Yes. Do you think I’ll like pizza?”
“I do. I used to eat pizza all the time when I was younger. I can’t wait to have it again.”
“Do you think Papá likes pizza?” Mateo stopped at the end of the hallway. Hayden and the other men were standing around the living room.
Hayden squatted so he was on Mateo’s eye level. “Hey, Buddy. Wow, I like your shirt. The Avengers are so cool.”
“Who’s Buddy?” Mateo asked, looking up at Sadie. “And what’s Avengers?”
“Buddy means friend. It’s a nickname, kind of the way I call you Mijo, so Hayden’s calling you his friend. The Avengers are a group of superheroes in movies. That’s who is on your shirt.”
“Oh. Hola, Buddy.”
Hayden laughed and ruffled Mateo’s hair. “I hear you helped Miss Nora make pizza. Are you ready to try it out?”
“Si.Tengo hambre.” When Hayden looked up at Sadie for translation, she smiled down at him.
“He said he’s hungry.”
Hayden stood and patted his flat stomach. “That makes two of us. After you.” Hayden gestured for her and Mateo to go ahead of him. Sadie placed her hand on Mateo’s neck and rubbed her thumb under his hair as they walked to the kitchen. She knew she couldn’t touch him constantly, but the need was there. She didn’t know what she would do if she ever lost him the way she’d been lost to her mother. Sadie wanted to call her mom, but she wouldn’t until she knew the threat from Juan and Antonia was gone.
Nora had already removed the pies from the oven. One was cheese only, and the other had several types of meat but no veggies. Sadie had loved pepperoni as a teen, so she placed one of each on her plate and cheese on a plate for Mateo. Several drinks were lined up on the counter including soda, tea, and what looked like another juice. Sadie opted for soda and poured juice for her son. Nora, Devon, and Hayden sat with them at the table. She was glad Spyder didn’t join them. He had tried to talk to Sadie when Hayden left the day before, but she got the feeling he didn’t like her much.
Mateo stared as everyone picked up their slices. Sadie wanted to cry over the fact that her son didn’t know how to eat pizza. “Just pick it up and take a bite. It’s a little messy, but that’s what napkins are for.” Sadie made a show of taking a bite, and when the flavorful sauce hit her tastebuds, she couldn’t hold back a moan. “Oh, God, this is so good.” She took another bite before she’d finished chewing the first. It was then she noticed Hayden staring at her. She swallowed and wiped her mouth. “Sorry.”
His eyes were heated, but she didn’t understand… Oh. Now she got what an article she’d read referred to as food porn. Sadie felt her face heat up, and she looked away from Hayden. Mateo had taken his first bite, and he was nodding as he chewed. He didn’t slow down until his first slice was devoured.
“I like pizza. Can I try yours? It’s chunky.”
Sadie grinned and held out her piece with meat on it. Mateo chewed the bite, and after he swallowed, he said, “I like mine better. Is that okay?”
“That’s perfectly fine. Here, try this.” Sadie held her glass filled with Coke up to his lips. He took a sip, and his eyes widened.
“What is that? It’s yummy.”
“That is called soda. It comes in all sorts of flavors, but this one is Coke. It has caffeine in it, so you can’t have too much, or you’ll be buzzing around like a little bee.”
“I like Coke. And I like pizza. Why don’t we eat pizza at home?” Mateo picked his second slice up and took a bite.
Sadie realized everyone was watching them. Nora’s eyes were wet. Devon looked sad, and Hayden… He looked angry. She didn’t understand why, though. It wasn’t like Mateo had been starved. They ate well, they just didn’t eat anything other than the Mexican dishes Elena cooked every meal.
“Maybe Elena didn’t know how to make pizza. There are all kinds of food you’ll get to try now that we’re staying with Miss Nora. I’m going to introduce you to all the things I liked when I was your age. Spaghetti. Hamburgers. Hot dogs. French fries.” Sadie hadn’t thought about all the foods she’d missed over the years, and now she couldn’t wait to eat them all.
Mateo dropped his pizza onto the plate. “Mamá! I don’t want to eat a dog. That’s mean.”
Everyone laughed, and Sadie brushed her son’s hair off his forehead. “It’s not a real dog, Mijo. It’s like a sausage served in a long bun. I’m not sure why it’s called a hot dog, but they’re really good.”
The rest of the meal was done with Mateo asking questions about the foods Sadie had mentioned. Nora promised to make whatever Sadie desired and even offered to let her help in the kitchen when Sadie mentioned cooking with her mother. That brought another round of questions from Mateo.
“You have a Mamá too?”
“I do. Her name is Gloria. I haven’t seen her in a long time, but I’m hoping you and I will be able to visit with her soon.” Sadie looked at Hayden when she made the comment to gauge his reaction. He had told her she needed to wait, and when he shook his head, she knew he hadn’t changed his mind. Sadie sighed, but if he thought it was too dangerous to contact her mom, it probably was. She hadn’t seen her in eight years, so what was a few more days or weeks?
“Come on, Mijo. Let’s wash your hands, then there’s something I want to show you.” Nora had already insisted Sadie make herself at home while they were waiting on Mateo’s return, and she couldn’t wait to show him all the cartoons and animated shows available.
Hayden
The phone call with Ryker went as Hayden expected. He was ready to get on a plane and fly down to Texas to help out. Hayden convinced his older brother to stay home with Rhiannon, but he didn’t argue when Ryker said he was sending Judge down to help. With all the moving pieces, Hayden was glad to have the backup. Before stating he would send Judge, Ryker called Quinn to update her on the situation. Being a handler, she wasn’t at liberty to tell who took out the contract if she knew who it was. As far as Hayden knew, most were taken out anonymously. Quinn then did initial research on the mark before offering the job to the Hounds. The Lazlos weren’t the only mercenaries in the world. Nexus, the group they had worked with before, had several handlers and even more assassins on call. When one of their operatives turned out to be a psycho bitch who used Ryker, the Hounds had severed ties with the group. Quinn’s father, Trenton Shepherd, was a friend of Sutton’s. They went way back, having served in the Army together. Shepherd also knew the truth of what the Hounds were. Sutton trusted the father-daughter team, therefore Ryker did as well.
Considering Sadie was an innocent party, Quinn promised to do some digging into the identity of the person who contracted the hit. She admitted to Ryker this wasn’t the first time someone was targeted who shouldn’t be. But, like the Hounds, she would rather be out the fee than to take an innocent life.
Another issue they discussed while in Devon’s office was whether or not to move Sadie and Mateo to a different city. They weren’t far enough away from Alvarez’s house for Hayden’s comfort. They didn’t have safehouses in Texas. What they did have was a boatload of family willing to take in the mother and son, but Hayden wasn’t sure about risking his family, Gryphons or not.
Devon finally convinced him to let them stay where they were. He and Nora didn’t have small kids at home, and they were willing to watch over the pair while Hayden and the others did their job. Their home was situated on five acres, so it was fairly secluded. As long as Sadie and Mateo didn’t leave, nobody should be able to find them there. With that decided, Hayden and Spyde
r made their plan to meet Judge in Cali.
They left Devon’s office and were in the living room when Sadie and Mateo returned from their bedroom. Mateo looked cute in his Avenger’s T-shirt. He looked more like a five-year-old should now he wasn’t wearing a button-up and khakis. Hayden wanted to know all about the boy. He was so different than Major and Marshall. Mateo had none of the devil-may-care personality of Major. He was quiet like Marshall, but there was something missing behind those big, brown eyes. Something Hayden couldn’t quite put his finger on.
While they were sitting around the large pine table eating pizza, Hayden figured out a small part of what was missing. Mateo and Sadie had strict rules at home. They ate at certain times and only what was laid out before them. Not only had Mateo missed out on things like pizza and burgers, Sadie had as well. She explained to Nora how she hadn’t had what she deemed American food for the last eight years. Sadie’s moan around her first taste of pizza was sinful. She chugged her soda like a man in the desert dying of thirst. Sadie had been denied all the things she’d enjoyed in her earlier years. The way she and Mateo kept tugging at their clothes indicated they weren’t used to wearing shorts and T-shirts.
Hayden’s first glimpse at Sadie had been of a woman who looked like a million dollars in her fitted black dress, high-heel shoes, smoky makeup, and diamond jewelry that Hayden doubted came from a department store. Sitting in Devon and Nora’s kitchen, the woman was just as stunning with no makeup, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, and her feet bare except for the bright red polish on her toes. Hayden did his best to focus on the pizza, but his Gryphon was sure Sadie was their mate, and it wouldn’t let him take his eyes off her for too long.
The one thing that bothered Hayden about Mateo more than anything was the way he mentioned his father constantly. Even though Alvarez wasn’t there, his presence was. Mateo worried about what he wore. What he ate. More than once, the child looked over his shoulder as though his father would appear out of nowhere and chastise him for the things he was doing. Had Mateo been allowed to be a kid at all? He got the answer to that question when Sadie took Mateo into the living room to watch TV.
“This television is magic, Mamá.”
“It sure is, Mijo. There are so many shows I think you’ll like.” Sadie had to get Hayden to help her with the remote, but once he explained how to scroll through the channels, she lit up as much as her son did. After Mateo was situated on the floor in front of a show featuring a talking dog, Sadie took a seat on the sofa next to Hayden and explained how they weren’t allowed to watch television. They were only allowed certain movies, and then only on special occasions.
“I’m interested in learning more about your life. But if you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll understand.” Hayden thought she was going to refuse, but Sadie turned and bent her leg so she was facing Hayden.
“When I first got to Juan’s house, I was schooled in etiquette. I was taught how to dress. How to apply my makeup. The only outside source I was allowed were fashion magazines so I could emulate the looks of the models. The jeans and T-shirt I had on when I was taken were tossed, and the next day, dresses filled the closet along with heels to match. I went from a teenage girl who spent time in the kitchen with her mother learning to bake to a teenage girl who was groomed to be a trophy wife. Juan didn’t touch me until I turned eighteen, but the day of my birthday, everything changed.” Sadie glanced down at Mateo when the boy laughed, and her eyes filled with tears. Roughly brushing them away, she turned back to Hayden.
“Juan came to my room that morning saying he had a surprise for me. I stupidly thought it would be cake and presents. Instead, he laid out a long, white dress and announced we were getting married. I grabbed the dress and threw it at him, saying I would never marry him. I got in his face, shouting how I hated him for taking me. For keeping me prisoner and ruining my life. Up until that point, I had kept my head down and did what was expected. I always thought Dominic would come for me. Every day for almost three years, I waited for my big brother. For someone to come rescue me. But that day… I lost every bit of hope I’d clung to. Juan picked up the dress and laid it out on the bed. When he turned toward me, I saw something in his eyes I’d never been subjected to, at least not from him – cold eyes and a colder voice. He told me if I didn’t marry him, he would kill my family.
“I had no choice. He’d already had my father killed. At least I’m pretty sure he did. When we were driving away after my father gave me over to Juan, I heard a gunshot. In that moment, I prayed it was my dad being killed. If that makes me a bad person, so be it. He was never a good dad. Sure, we had a decent house, and I never had to worry about going hungry. I had a normal life up until that point. When he was home, he wasn’t kind to me, but he never beat me. Never laid a hand on me in an inappropriate way. He wasn’t kind to my mother, but he didn’t hit her either. He was gone a lot, and those times were the best. My mom would teach me to cook. We would watch TV together at night. Before Dominic moved out and joined the motorcycle club, he was the best big brother. He would take me out to the movies or for ice cream.” Sadie stopped talking and began rubbing her temples.
Hayden reached out and touched her arm. “Do you need something for your head?”
“Yes, please.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Hayden stood and went into the kitchen where Nora and Devon were drinking coffee at the table. “Just getting Sadie something for her head.” He opened the cap and tapped out two pills before filling a glass with water. He returned to the living room where she was scrolling through the channels again.
“I changed my mind. I want a dog like that instead of Lina.” Mateo was on his knees with his hands resting on Sadie’s thigh. “I’ll be good; I promise.”
Hayden held the pills out, and Sadie took them, popping them in her mouth. She took a few sips of water, then placed the glass on the coffee table. Hayden sat down, leaving plenty of room between them.
“I know you’ll be good, but I’m not sure how long it will be before we can go home. Let’s wait and talk about getting a dog then. Now, do you want to watch another episode of ‘Sprocket,’ or do you want to see what else is on?”
“Something else. Are there talking cats too?”
“I’m not sure. Let’s look.” Hayden pulled out his phone and searched the internet for talking cat shows. He didn’t find one, but he did find an animated show with a porcupine. “No cats, but there’s one called ‘Mr. Prickles.’ It’s about a porcupine and his friends.”
“What’s a porcupine?” Mateo asked Hayden.
“It’s like a big ol’ rat with spiky hair.”
Sadie handed over the remote. Hayden reached out to take it, and their fingers brushed. Sadie looked away quickly, but Hayden didn’t miss the way her cheeks blushed. Nor did he miss the way his Gryphon preened inside when his dick jumped at the barest of skin touching.
Get it together. It was just a touch.
And it was electric. Can you imagine—
No. I can’t.
Hayden searched for the show, and when he found it, he handed the remote back to Sadie. “Here you go. In case he doesn’t like it, you can switch over to something else. I need to go make a call.” Hayden lunged off the sofa and didn’t look back.
Chapter Fifteen
Hayden
“Hey, Lucy. How’s it going?” Hayden hated bothering his niece. She always called immediately if she found anything useful, but he told Sadie he had to make a call, and he didn’t want to look like a liar if she saw him wandering around outside without his phone to his ear.
“There’s been no movement from Alvarez, but I just received an alert. Antonia has checked herself out of the hospital. I’m going to do my best to keep track of where she’s going, but if I had to guess, I’d say she will return to Nuevo Laredo. With the house in Texas being watched, I don’t see her going back there.”
“Who’s watching the one here?”
“The s
ame guard who was helping Tomás and Elena. He and Tomás are still rotating shifts, even without having Mateo.”
“That’s Jose, Elena’s brother. I don’t get why they would continue watching the house now.”
“Maybe they’re waiting on Alvarez to return.”
“Zeus, this is a clusterfuck.” Hayden ran his free hand through his hair.
“And you still don’t think they’re the ones who took out the contract?”
“At this point, anything is possible. Ryker called Quinn. She said the contract was done anonymously, and she feels really bad that Sadie was listed as a target. Luce, are you certain Alvarez is still in California?”
“Yes. Henry has a facial recognition program running. Unless he somehow changes his appearance, we’ll get a notification if he leaves.”
“Fuck. Okay. I think our best bet is to go after the man there. Once we take him out, we’ll move on to the next part of our problem.”
“And that is?”
“Keeping Sadie and her son safe. Someone wants her out of the picture.” Hayden had a feeling that person was Antonia, but if Alvarez was no longer alive, would she back off? Or would she come after Sadie?
“Whatever you decide, stay safe.”
Hayden’s phone vibrated, indicating another call. He ignored it for the moment. “I will. How are you and Jonas coming along with the journals?” Lucy had traveled to New Atlanta when she found some of Lucius’s journals with notes about prolonging life. Lucy, being Gryphon, didn’t have to worry about longevity, but the Gryphons who had human mates would benefit from such a discovery.
“It’s slow going. Even once we get the formula perfected, we can’t just test it on a human. We’ll have to try it on a lower lifeform. If that works, then we’ll have to find someone willing to be a guinea pig. Pardon the pun.”
