Forcing his mind back to the task at hand, he closed the door and headed out to dispose of the bodies.
Chapter Forty-One
It was after nine when Alek got back from helping Drew, and he was exhausted. He was pretty sure Trish was already up for the day when he walked in the front door. Dealing with the bodies hadn’t been the hardest part; it had been getting Drew back to Sofia’s house. What Drew had wanted to do was drive all the way back up to Seattle to tell Andrei what he’d done. Pain in the ass or not, Alek couldn’t let Drew do that. Andrei wasn’t likely to handle the news well. Alek had always believed his youngest brother was a little off. Then again, you’d have to be to stay with a woman who tried to kill you on a regular basis. Alek would decide how to deal with Andrei later. For now, Drew was with Sofia. If it were anyone else, Alek would pity them, but Sofia adored Drew and would take care of him. Thankfully, Drew hadn’t mentioned Hunter to Sofia, because Alek didn’t want to get stuck explaining why Hunter was with Trish. Sofia had never been the maternal type, but there was no telling how she’d react to her favorite grandson becoming a father.
After what he’d just dealt with, Alek wanted nothing more than to see Trish. Now that the danger with Phoebe was over, it was time to talk about their future. Despite what they’d agreed upon, there was no way what they had could be just a casual fling. He loved her, and somehow, they’d make things work.
Trish had reluctantly agreed to let Justin examine Hunter. For his part, Justin had reluctantly agreed to let her stay in the room for the examination. That is, until the big jerk kicked her out for accusing him of being mean to Hunter.
Now, she sat in the kitchen with Caitlin, impatiently awaiting Hunter’s return.
“I don’t know how you put up with that bossy man,” Trish muttered.
“In Justin’s defense, you were making it somewhat difficult for him to do his job,” Caitlin said.
“Traitor,” Trish said under her breath.
“I’m curious about what’s going to happen now that Phoebe’s no longer a threat,” Caitlin said, sounding only mildly curious.
Trish shrugged. “I’m not really sure what the family’s going to do. I suppose someone will have to tell Drew’s father.”
Caitlin let out a frustrated puff of air. “I meant, I’m curious about what’s going to happen with you and Alek.”
Trish shrugged, refusing to look at Caitlin because Caitlin could easily read her true feelings, and they were something she wasn’t ready to deal with. “Obviously, I no longer need to stay at this house, so I suppose I’ll head home. I still need to talk to Alek about Hunter, but I’m really hoping Hunter can go home with me.”
“Really?” Caitlin asked, sounding genuinely shocked. That made Trish smile because it took quite a bit to shock Caitlin.
“I know he’s only been with me for a few hours, but we bonded. Who else is he going to live with? Hannah and Noah have their hands full at the moment. The same is true for Aiden and Tempest. Lydia and Roman wouldn’t be good guardians.”
“That’s an understatement,” Caitlin said. “They actually make me and Justin look like a good choice, and we all know I’m not ready to play mommy.”
“Hunter seems comfortable with me, so I was thinking he should stay with me for the time being.”
“Are you planning to stay at the condo? Or will you and Alek be getting a bigger place?” Caitlin asked. “How do you think Alek will feel about having Hunter?”
Trish swallowed her pain before responding, doing her best to keep her voice as light as possible. “You know as well as I do that what I have with Alek is just sex. We aren’t setting up house together.”
“Alek cares a lot about you,” Caitlin argued.
Trish shrugged, refusing to meet her friend’s eyes. “I know he cares, but that doesn’t mean we’re meant to be together. You said it many times— Alek is the ultimate man-whore. He’s not the type of man I’m going to plan a future with.”
She was really proud of herself for holding it together as long as she did. Honestly, saying the words caused something inside of her to crack.
“Ah fuck,” Caitlin said when the tears started. While Caitlin might not like being in this situation, she reacted right away and wrapped an arm around Trish’s shoulders as Trish sobbed quietly for several minutes.
“Trish, you need to talk to the man,” Caitlin insisted. “Tell him how you feel.”
“Absolutely not,” Trish said, pulling away with a sniffle. “I won’t make Alek feel bad about any of this. We agreed up front that this was just a fling, and he hasn’t changed his mind in such a short time. Man-whore or not, he’s a good man and wouldn’t willingly hurt anyone.”
“I’ve been trying really hard to block out everyone’s emotions and thoughts,” Caitlin said. “Even so, I catch glimpses of things. Please, talk to Alek about your feelings.”
Trish was fully prepared to argue when it hit her that Caitlin had likely picked up on Alek’s feelings with her empath abilities. Of course, that might be wishful thinking on her part.
“If you don’t at least try to make things work, you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering if you made a huge mistake,” Caitlin said, surprising Trish with her insightful words.
“I’ll talk to him,” Trish relented.
“Why are you crying?” Hunter asked as he tugged at Trish’s shirt.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Trish smiled down at the little boy who had so quickly stolen her heart. “I was just thinking about something sad. How was your checkup?”
Hunter looked over his shoulder, shooting a glare at Justin. “I want a different doctor. He’s not fun at all.”
Trish laughed and hugged Hunter. “He may be grumpy, but Justin is a very good doctor.”
Hunter mumbled something against her shirt that she couldn’t make out. It was probably just as well since it sounded like an insult aimed at Justin.
“In my defense, I wasn’t expecting to see any little boys today,” Justin said.
“And you’re naturally grumpy,” Trish added.
“She’s got you on that one,” Caitlin said. “I think you should make Hunter an ice cream sundae to make up for being so mean to him.”
“I like ice cream,” Hunter said enthusiastically.
“Fine,” Justin said, looking more than a little put out by the whole thing.
If Hunter’s laughter was any indication, he found Justin’s moodiness amusing.
“Why don’t you go see if Alek’s back yet?” Caitlin suggested.
Trish nodded. “Okay. I guess you’re right about me talking to him.”
Caitlin raised an eyebrow and gave her a haughty stare. “I am always right.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Getting his emotions under control wasn’t easy after overhearing Trish’s conversation with Caitlin. When Trish had said he wasn’t the type of man she could build a future with, it had nearly broken him. It was a miracle that he’d managed to make it back to his room without putting his fist through a wall. He’d been a fool for believing things were going to work with Trish. Hadn’t he heard Trish and her friends refer to him as the ultimate man-whore enough times to know she wasn’t serious about him? Like an idiot, he’d allowed himself to fall for yet another woman who was looking for a better man. Apparently, he’d never learn his lesson.
The best solution was to get some distance from Trish. He couldn’t see himself staying out of her life long, but he needed a break before he did something stupid like profess his undying love. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable like one of the idiots who pursued her at clubs. She seemed to like him, so maybe he could at least have her friendship.
“Hey!” Trish said nervously. “I didn’t know you were back.”
“I just got back a few minutes ago,” Alek said without meeting her eyes. “Actually, I still need to change and take a shower.”
“Can I talk to you first?” Trish asked.
“Sure
,” he said, forcing himself to look at her.
“I was thinking that the danger is gone, and my head injury is doing well enough that I don’t need a caretaker.” Her cheeks flushed, and she looked down at her feet. “Okay, that wasn’t how I meant to start this.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Alek said because he knew how hard this sort of thing was for Trish and didn’t want to put her through the stress of telling him she wanted to end things.
“I really do,” she insisted.
“Listen,” he said, looking over his shoulder at the bathroom door. “I’m dying to grab a shower and get some sleep. I’m sure you’re looking forward to some time alone as much as I am.”
“Oh,” Trish said, sounding confused.
Alek refused to look at her again. If he looked at Trish, he was sure he’d say something stupid. “Did you want me to take you home before I nap?”
“I’d like Hunter to stay with me,” she said after a pause.
Alek swallowed hard, wishing she’d say she wanted him to stay with her. Pulling his mind away from that thought, he focused on Hunter. “That’s a good idea,” he said, because it really was a good idea. Hunter liked her, and she would treat the boy well.
“I’ll need a car seat before I take him home with me,” she said. “I looked it up, and he’ll need one for at least a couple more years.”
Alek nodded. “All right. I’ll get someone to pick one up and get him some clothes and stuff for your place. After I get some sleep, I’ll take you home.”
“Alek?” she asked. “Are you angry with me about something?”
The lost quality in her voice broke his resolve. Alek gathered her in his arms and stroked her hair. “I could never be mad at you, honey. No matter what, you can always count on me. We’re friends, right?”
“Right,” Trish said with a too bright smile as she pulled away from him. “I’ll arrange for Hunter’s things. You shower and rest.”
Alek watched helplessly as the woman he loved walked away. Doing the right thing sucked.
Chapter Forty-Three
Trish felt somewhat numb as she made her way to the kitchen. There was this crazy part of her that wanted to be angry with Alek. That part of her wanted to scream at him, maybe even hit him. Emotions didn’t always lead to the most logical impulses. She’d been the one to suggest no-strings sex, something Alek had wanted to avoid because he didn’t want to hurt her.
Swallowing hard, she did her best to force a smile. At the moment, she couldn’t think about Alek because she needed to focus on Hunter. Later, when Hunter was sleeping, she’d fall apart. Funny how she’d thought having Noah end up with Hannah had hurt. It was nothing compared to her pain now.
Walking into the kitchen, she knew she must be projecting some serious grief because Caitlin was glaring at her.
To avoid bringing up the subject of her lack of a future with Alek, Trish got right to the point. “Alek is exhausted after being out all night. I would appreciate it if the two of you could help me get things together so I can take Hunter home with me today. Maybe Hannah and Noah can help pick out a car seat for him.” With a frown, she realized she had another problem to worry about. “My car isn’t even here.”
Justin shook his head. “Doesn’t matter where your car is,” he said. “You can’t drive until you get new glasses.”
“That’s right,” she said. “I keep forgetting about my bad vision. I guess that’s a good thing, since it means I’m getting used to it.”
“Here’s the deal,” Justin said, all business. “I already talked to Roman, and he said to make sure you have whatever you need. We’ll work on getting a nanny to watch Hunter while you work or go to school. Ursula would normally help out, but she’s already over-committed. Your car is too old, so we’ll get you something newer, and the nanny can drive on days you can’t. Roman also wants you to have a home with a backyard for Hunter.”
“Hold on a minute,” Trish said with a hand up. “I am not about to have all of you use this as an excuse to boss me around. We can work out details later. For now, I need to go home.”
Justin nodded, and soon, he was on the phone making arrangements to get supplies for Hunter.
While Justin was distracted, Trish went into the sitting room off the kitchen with Hunter right behind her. He looked exhausted, and she wasn’t at all surprised when he settled onto the sofa beside her and fell asleep. He’d only slept a few hours the night before, and she was guessing his schedule had been anything but normal lately.
She had Drew’s number on her phone from when she’d read his book. Luckily, she was one of those people who never deleted phone numbers.
“What?” Drew answered in a monotone voice.
“Hey,” Trish said tentatively. “You doing okay?”
Drew let out a humorless bark of laughter. “Not really, but crazy as this may sound, it’s nice knowing someone gives a fuck.”
“I’m not the only one,” she assured him.
“No shit. Auntie Lydia’s already told me to get my ass ready for a spa day,” he said. “I tried telling her men don’t do spa days, but she called me a liar.”
“You strike me as the spa day type,” Trish said thoughtfully.
“How’s the kid doing?” Drew asked.
“Better than I would have expected,” she told him. “He’s napping right next to me. Hunter’s the reason I called.”
“Is there a problem?” Drew asked.
“No, but I figured someone should talk to you about what we’re thinking about doing with him,” Trish said, hoping Drew would agree with her plan. The rest of the family seemed to forget Hunter was Drew’s son.
“Is he gonna stay with you and Alek?” he asked.
“Just me,” Trish said. “I promise I’ll take good care of him.”
There was a long pause before Drew spoke. “Have you talked to Alek about this?”
“Yes, and he thinks it’s a good idea,” she said.
“Huh,” Drew said, sounding perplexed. “I didn’t see that coming. Not you and Hunter, just Alek not being there.” Before she got a chance to answer, he changed the subject. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do to help you with the kid, but you let me know if you need anything.” There was a hesitation before he spoke again. “Thank you for doing this.”
“You’re welcome,” Trish said. This was the most normal conversation she’d ever had with Drew. Not once had he said anything about sex or killing. That was proof he really was having a hard time with everything, but before she could say anything else, he hung up on her.
Cuddled up with Hunter, Trish dozed off and dreamt of Alek telling her he loved her. When she woke up, she was still in the grips of that happy dream, and it was hard to pull herself back to reality, but she did.
Forcing herself to focus on the present, Trish got Hunter moved to the condo, along with more stuff than she thought any little boy needed. The Draksels had cleared out Caitlin’s room and set it up for Hunter, even though Trish suspected he’d sleep in her room at first.
Finally home alone with Hunter, she settled onto the sofa with a book. Cuddling the little boy made her heart swell with love. At the same time, it felt like her heart might shatter from the pain of losing Alek.
Chapter Forty-Four
Alek had been wallowing in his own self-pity all day. When he’d woken up the previous evening, he’d expected to find Trish and Hunter waiting for him to drive them to the condo. Instead, he’d learned that Caitlin had driven them there already. Even knowing that was probably a good thing because it meant he couldn’t do something stupid like beg Trish to give him a chance, he was still a little hurt and angry.
Caitlin was obviously pissed at him, though he had no clue why since he wasn’t the one who’d left Trish. Rather than deal with Caitlin’s attitude, he’d headed back to the apartment he’d been renting while looking for Phoebe.
He’d broken down around seven last night and sent Trish a text message. What he’
d wanted to do was call her. No, what he’d wanted to do was drive over to her place, but he wasn’t ready for either yet.
Staring at his phone, he read the text string again.
I wanted to see if you need anything. I can always bring dinner by.
Her reply had come quickly.
Thanks, but I’m getting Hunter ready for bed. Maybe another time.
He hadn’t bothered responding to that message because it was an obvious attempt to get him to leave her alone. Any response would just be pressuring her.
Letting Trish leave was the smart thing to do, and he knew he had no damn business being a part of her life. Looking around the quaint one bedroom apartment he had on a short-term lease, Alek was lonely. This was his life— traveling and short-term leases. Trish was right about him being poor relationship material. He was a stranger to his own family, and he had no real friends. All of that was his fault. No one had ostracized him or made him feel unwelcome. Until recently, he’d never been lonely. He had women when he wanted them, attended the best parties, and lived life to its fullest— or so he’d thought. Now, his life felt empty and hollow. Too bad the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with didn’t think he was good enough.
The pounding on his door likely meant one of his family members was here to bitch at him about walking away from Trish. Damn people liked her more than they liked him.
Nathaniel’s fist connected with Alek’s jaw as soon as he opened the door, and Alek stumbled back. Before he had time to recover, Nathaniel stalked into the house, slamming the door behind him. Nathaniel caught him with a right cross to the eye, and this time, Alek went down. Damn! His nephew really packed a punch.
“You fucking bastard!” Nathaniel bellowed. “One woman! There was one woman who was off-limits, and you just had to screw her. You couldn’t keep your dick in your pants.”
Alek stood but didn’t make eye contact with his nephew because what the hell could he say? He knew he deserved to have his ass kicked for sleeping with Trish. She wasn’t that type of woman. Yes, it had been her idea, but he could have said no.
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