by Aliyah Burke
“I thought I saw him come in with his son. Perhaps I could get a picture of the three of you, to add to your interview?”
“There will be no interview. And you leave the boy alone.” Hands at her sides, she tried to control her breathing.
“You sound personally involved. Why are you protecting him?”
“He’s a young boy who doesn’t need to be dragged into the spotlight. Get out.” She clenched her hands into fists, mentally begging Enzo and Liev to stay out of sight.
“What if I’m here to shop?”
“As store owner, I have the right to ask anyone whom I feel may endanger my clientele to leave. You fall into that category. Get out, before I call the cops.”
The man gazed past her and made a move to head farther into the store. Halyn moved like lightning and blocked him. Ernest towered over her by a good six inches, and outweighed her by at least hundred pounds. His shaggy hair made her think grunge—however, his cold eyes made her suspicious. She’d never much cared for reporters.
“I asked you to leave.”
“Is he here?”
“You said you wanted to interview me. I’ve declined, and since asked you to depart my store. I won’t ask again.”
Blue eyes met hers and she refused to show how he intimidated her. “Don’t get in my way, little girl. I want an interview and I want to know about his child.”
Little girl. That was almost laughable. She’d not been called that in years.
“Everything okay up here, Ms Jennings?”
Stacy. Bless her, she had showed up.
“Call the cops.” Halyn never looked away from the man she continued to block.
“Right away.” Charged silence before Stacy connected with someone on the other end. “I’d like the cops to come to Pointer’s Toys. There’s a man who refuses to leave and is threatening my boss.”
Ernest glared as if he’d not thought she would actually do it. Halyn didn’t take her gaze off him—she still shook with the extent of her anger. How dare he?
“This isn’t over.”
“I think it is. You’re never welcome in my store again.” She arched an eyebrow. “You wanted a comment from me. There, you have it.”
“I’ll be back.”
“And I’ll have you arrested.”
He muttered something very unflattering under his breath before pivoting on his heel and slipping out the door.
“Are you okay?” Stacy asked rushing to her side.
“Yes.”
“Stacy,” Enzo said in a deep voice. “I need to talk to Halyn in the back.”
“Not a problem, Mr Cassano.”
Before Halyn could say a word, Enzo had propelled her in the direction of the back room. He closed the door and kissed her.
So not what she’d expected. Melting against his hard frame, she sighed into his mouth. His tongue delved deep, stroking the roof and sides of her mouth. She gripped his shirt and held on.
“Don’t ever, ever do that again,” he growled against her lips.
“Do what?” Seriously, am I supposed to think after a kiss like that?
“Put yourself in danger.”
She drew back, released his shirt and frowned. “I wasn’t in danger. He was a reporter. Besides, it’s my store.” Okay, so there had been that threat towards the end, but she wasn’t about to mention it to Enzo.
He grabbed her shoulders, holding tight. “Some reporters will do whatever it takes to get a story.”
“I know. And I’ll be careful.”
“What did he want?” There was a menacing quality to the question.
She swallowed. “He wanted to know how I felt about you suddenly having a son. And stuff about Liev.”
“I’ll kill him. I’ll fucking kill him.”
She placed her palms on his chest. His eyes were stormy when they met hers, but she refused to move.
“Don’t give them any more reasons to seek you out. It’s none of their business. They can ask me all the questions they want. I’m not talking to them. Keeping Liev out of the public eye is most important.”
He lowered his head until their foreheads touched. “You’re an amazing woman, Halyn. And we’re taking you home tonight.”
She opened her mouth to dispute him when the thunder boomed, shaking the store. “Okay.”
Enzo stepped away and went to the door. Opening it, he turned and gazed solemnly at her. “Thank you for protecting my son.” He winked, blew her a kiss and walked out.
She sighed and used the wall to hold her up. Her legs still shook—from the kiss or interaction with Ernest Macklin, she wasn’t entirely sure. All she knew was that they wobbled. The moment she could use them without looking a bit intoxicated, she made her way back up front.
Enzo stood protectively near his son, watching him read. He gazed at her and took a heated perusal of her form as she moved past. Stacy manned the counter and sent her a soft smile when she saw her.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. He was just trying to be pushy. Thanks for calling the cops.”
“No problem, I called them back and said he’d left. They’re still sending an officer to talk to you.”
“Not a problem.”
Lightning split the sky and thunder rolled soon after. The storm was almost overhead. As they stood there, the first few drops began to fall.
“You can leave if you wish, Stacy. I can’t imagine we’ll get many more people.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. I’ll be fine, the cop is on his way and Enzo is staying to drive me home.”
“So long as you’re sure. I could use the extra time to study a bit more.”
“Go then. Study. Knock the test out of the park.”
Stacy left as the officer walked in, tucking his hat under his arm. “Ms Jennings?”
“That’s me,” she said as he moved to the counter.
“I’m Officer Stalworth.” He placed his hat beside the register. She ran her gaze over him. Tall, fit, cocoa-hued skin and brown eyes. “Let’s see what we can do about this guy for you.”
Chapter Thirteen
Flashes of lightning illuminated the night sky. Enzo sat out on the balcony of his apartment and watched. The rain continued to stream down in torrents. Liev lay in his bed, completely out. The weather system had stalled over them and it had been like this for three days now.
He needed the time to think. His mind replayed the conversation he’d overheard when Halyn had talked to Officer Stalworth. The reporter, Ernest Macklin, had threatened her. Actually threatened her.
With a deep breath, he relaxed his fists. She’d told him not to worry. How could he not? She had come to mean so much to him. It scared the shit out of him to imagine someone threatening her. It also bothered him that she’d talked to the cop about the incident, as opposed to him.
Some of it was jealousy, but he wanted to be the one to slay her dragons. Liev was spending some time with Jaydee tomorrow, and Enzo would go to the paper and have a chat with the reporter. He was going to protect what was his. And that included Halyn.
The clap of thunder was so close this time he jumped. Shaking his head at himself, he made his way inside. Pausing on the way to his room, he checked on his son. Liev lay curled up amongst his blankets, pillows and his bear.
The hallway light shone on his face. When he was sleeping, Liev didn’t look brooding, his long lashes graced the tops of his cheeks and he seemed peaceful. Enzo wanted to go in and just hold him, but he refrained.
Goodnight, son. Continuing down the hall, he made his way to his bedroom and entered. He flicked the light switch for the hall off behind him. He got ready for bed, and he slipped between the sheets with a sigh.
* * * *
Eight hours later he strode into the newspaper’s building. He knew many people recognised him, but he didn’t slow until he got to the cubicle of the man he sought. A very nice woman at the front had given him directions—he’d lied and said he had an appointment t
o talk to him. A good thing about being in a smaller town was that there wasn’t much difficulty to get to the reporters.
He paused and stared down at the man typing on the computer keyboard. Swallowing his urge to punch him just on principle, Enzo cleared his throat.
“Mr Macklin?”
“Just a minute,” the reporter barked.
“I’m Enzo Cassano. I hear you’ve been asking questions about my son.”
That got the reaction he expected. The man spun around, eyes wide with a mixture of shock and amazement. “Enzo Cassano.” He shot to his feet and held out a hand. “Ernest Macklin. Are you here for an interview?”
Enzo ignored the hand and peered at the man in the face. “Nope. I’m here to warn you—all of you—to stay away from my family. You want to know about me, come ask, but my family is off limits. And Halyn, as well.” He glared around the bullpen, noticing how several wouldn’t meet his gaze.
“So Halyn does know your son,” Ernest said. “How well? Are you two an item?”
“Is something wrong with your hearing? Because I know I just said to leave them out of this. My personal life is off limits. My family is off limits. And Halyn is off limits.” His voice had dropped to a low growl. “Are we clear on this?”
“I’m sorry, people want to know. Either you talk to me or I’ll keep after her. And I’ll find a way to get to your son. Like it or not, you’re in the public eye. I have a job to do. It’s either me or someone else.”
Leaning close, he bit off, “You keep after them and I’ll kick your ass so you can’t ever report a damn thing again. I see you around my son and I’ll not only sue you, but I’ll come after this paper.”
Furious, he spun around and walked off, memorising the faces of the few in there. News hadn’t ever bothered him before. Granted he’d not had a son—well, that he’d known about—or a girlfriend he wanted to protect. It didn’t help that every time he shut his eyes he saw that man trying to intimidate her, towering over her. Stacy had told him to stay there, she would go up. That it would be better that way.
He wasn’t so sure. He should have beaten the shit out of him then. Outside, he squinted up at the rain which continued to fall. Needing to move, he struck off down the sidewalk. He stopped for coffee and a Danish at a bakery, signing an autograph for a waitress who said her son was a huge fan. Then he was back out and continuing.
When he passed the Ye Olde Candy Shoppe, he backed up and entered. The smells tempted him.
“Good morning,” a woman said from behind the counter. “Can I help you find anything specific?”
“Saltwater taffy, please.”
“Behind you, along the wall.”
“Thank you.”
He shook his head over the different flavours. Halyn had let it slip that this was a weakness of hers, and he wanted to get her something. After she put together a large bag, he paid and left.
His phone rang and he answered without looking at the screen. “Hello?”
“What the fuck is going on up there that has you threatening reporters?”
“Hi, Ben.”
“Don’t ‘Hi, Ben’ me, Enzo. What the hell, man?”
He dashed through the rain to his vehicle and slipped behind the wheel. The rain hammered on the roof. “Who told you?”
“Your attorney called me and asked if she’d heard right. I didn’t want to give her an affirmative but damn it! What are you thinking?”
He shrugged. “I’m protecting what’s mine.”
“Are you trying to get a bad rap?”
“No. I’m trying to get this bastard to leave my kid alone and stop bothering Halyn as well.”
“Can you do me a favour?”
“What’s that?”
“Stay out of trouble, just for a few more months. We’re working something out to get a tutor so your son can go with you, we’ll have a nanny for him as well as a tutor, so he won’t fall behind on school work, but you won’t have to have him around you all the time.” A deep breath. “So, keep your head down and out of confrontations. Be the good dad and we’ll have this figured out soon.”
Before he could say anything else, Ben was gone. He tossed his smart phone on the passenger seat. A nanny for Liev. Someone to watch him so he didn’t have to have the boy trailing behind him. He could be racing again. The real question was, why didn’t that fill him with more joy than it did?
Perhaps it was best he hadn’t purchased a house yet. It would be much easier to get another apartment than to have someone to look after a house and take care of things while he was gone.
Which left one other thing to contemplate. Halyn. He started the engine, knowing she wouldn’t be pleased with his decision to have a nanny for his own son. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed to his brother’s with a grumble. Walking in the house, he saw Jaydee seated on her couch.
“Hey, beautiful. How was he?”
She tipped her head to the side, indicating the floor, and he moved closer to see his son, sprawled out on his belly, reading a book.
“Hi, Liev. What are you reading?”
His son rattled something off without looking away from the work before him. Enzo couldn’t understand, so he looked to Jaydee for help.
“Astrological Phenomena and Theories by Dr Čedomir Alkaev.”
“And it’s in Russian?”
Jaydee nodded. “He wanted to read it and I don’t have a translated copy. You know he reads Russian.”
Christ, she spoke as if his nine-year-old son wasn’t reading something he wouldn’t touch at his age. Really? Phenomena and theories?
“Interesting.” What else could he say? Logically, he knew his son read in Russian, it was just a bit of a shock to find out what he was reading, something Enzo couldn’t even begin to understand, and to do it in a language he hadn’t a clue about either.
She seemed to know he was blowing smoke from his ass, but one of the wonderful things about Jaydee was that she would never make him feel worse—at least not intentionally—about not being as smart as her. He blew out his breath, realising his son had already surpassed his own intellectual level.
He sat across from his sister-in-law and dropped his head back to rest against the top of the sofa. Eyes closed, he listened to the rain pelt the windows. It was strangely hypnotic.
That spell was broken when Liev spoke. “Am I supposed to call you Babbo or Papà?”
His lids flew up and he stared at his son. Babbo, Italian for papa. Liev continued looking at the book until he turned the page, then he glanced up at Enzo.
“No, you don’t have to call me either of them.” A slight pause. “Unless you’d like to.”
“Perhaps.” He returned to reading.
“He read an Italian dictionary today.” Jaydee’s explanation didn’t make him feel much better.
“Nothing like video games or just you know, mindless stuff boys sometimes do?”
“Nope.” She paused for a moment. “He did read to the triplets as they were going down for a nap.”
“Something other than that Astro-phenom stuff, right?”
Her smile was gentle. “Yes.” She turned the page of her book and his gaze drifted to the title. He made out one word, ‘electrogravitics’, then stopped reading. It was over his head.
“Gio wished me to extend an invitation to dinner for you and your son.”
He noticed Liev seemed to strain towards them, almost anticipating his answer. “That would be great, thank you. Where is my brother anyway?”
“Out back in the garage.”
He rose partly, then hesitated. Jaydee gave him a nod so he went on his way, content his son would be fine, reading there with a woman who made him comfortable.
He dashed through the rain and entered the shed. Gio worked on a table. A new hobby of his brother’s was woodworking.
“Hey,” he called out.
Gio looked up at him and smiled. “What’s up?” Titling his head to the side, he indicated some beer. “Help you
rself.”
Enzo wasn’t about to turn that down. “Thanks.”
“You look stressed. Everything okay?”
“Fine.” He took a long drink. “My son reads books in foreign languages that I wouldn’t even pick up in English. He’s apparently read the Italian-English dictionary as well, and is learning to speak it. I threatened a reporter today, which didn’t please my manager or my attorney and—”
“Whoa! Hold up, you did what? Who the hell did you threaten?”
“A reporter. I told you about the one who messed with Halyn trying to find out stuff about Liev.” He ran a hand through his hair then replaced his ball cap. “What am I going to do?”
“I would suggest not threatening any more reporters.”
“Not about that. About Liev?”
“What about him? Russian is his first language, so it makes sense he could read a book in it. You know he’s brilliant, what, you now want him to stifle his smarts to make you feel better?”
“Everything’s so easy for you isn’t it?”
“Not in the least. What is really bothering you?”
“Ben is looking into a nanny and a tutor for Liev. So he can travel with us as we race but will be kept out of the way. By someone other than me.”
His brother worked the plane on the edge of the table. “Isn’t that what you wanted? Someone to take him off your hands so you could continue to race?”
He took another drink. “Honestly, Gio. I’m not so sure anymore.”
“Love and kids have a strange way of changing your priorities.”
Enzo listened to his brother and thought about it. He was right. His priorities had begun to change.
* * * *
Halyn screamed and ducked as the paintball bullet whizzed past her. She dropped, rolled and came up running as she returned fire. Seeking shelter behind a metal wall, she fought for her breath as she reloaded.
It had been far too long since she’d come here. Mila had talked her into it, even though it was raining out. Hell, they lived in the PacNorWest. If we let a bit of rain mess up our days, we’d never get anything done.
She wiped the rain from her goggles and checked her Alpha Black Tactical. Loaded and ready to go again. Blowing out several deep breaths, she stood and peered around the corner. Clear.
