Page 35 of F Is for Honey Bee

“What type should I be when my mother told me that raising me, being around me, was the reason she could never move on and heal from her trauma?” Jonah’s throat burned, wondering what kind of mother would say such a thing to her own child.

“The undeserving type. She was dead wrong to place the blame on you for something you had no control over.” Kijani’s strong, warm hand enveloped his. “You don’t deserve toxic men any more than you deserve her misplaced blame.”

“Kijani…”

“Don’t.” His jaw flexed as he stared at Jonah. “Don’t you dare sit there and tell me you deserve any of that. The guy I met, the one I’ve gotten to know, hits me right in my heart and knocks me out cold. It doesn’t matter how you were conceived. It only matters how you live.”

Tears burned Jonah’s eyes at his mate’s unwavering conviction. He also had no idea he affected Kijani that way.

But that was exactly how Jonah felt about him.

* * * *

They both had the day off, so Kijani drove them to his house after a pitstop at Deep Dish for breakfast. He wasn’t sure if he’d fully convinced Jonah none of that was his fault, but his mate appeared to be in a better mood after their heart-to-heart in the truck.

Although Kijani had already made it clear that Jonah’s happiness was his top concern, only time would prove it. Luckily, they had plenty of time. Centuries of it.

Kijani wasn’t giving up. He didn’t have it in him to allow Jonah to wallow in shame about something that wasn’t his damn fault. And his mom? When his mate revealed what she’d said, how she’d blamed him for her inability to get on with her life, Kijani was beyond livid.

What happened hadn’t been her fault, no matter the circumstances. No one should have to suffer at the hands of another.

However, what she did not have the right to do was put the blame on an innocent child. That was seven levels of wrong. Sadly, Kijani had seen this twisted logic play out too many times before.

It was a pattern he’d seen far too often in his line of work. People often shifted blame to cope with their own trauma, but painting an innocent as a villain instead of holding the actual culprit accountable was plain wrong.

Now, he had to work to untangle the headfuck this woman had caused when she’d made her own son an accomplice to her traumatic experience.

He also hadn’t forgotten how his mate seemed uneasy around his coworker when Kijani had shown up to talk to him about Flint’s escape.

“Are you going to give me another gun lesson?” Jonah asked when they entered the house. “I remember the basics you taught me, so we don’t have to go over them again.”

Kijani chuckled. “Only if you promise not to hold the gun sideways again, honey gangster.”

A burst of red ignited over Jonah’s face, causing his teal-green eyes to sparkle. Kijani’s chest had its own detonation of heat at just how beautiful the flush and sparkle were.

“Unless you want your brownie points to drop a few levels, stop teasing me about my first time holding a gun.”

Kijani resisted the urge to close the gap between them, reminding himself he needed a shower. “Would I get another do-over to win back my epic status?”

Jonah narrowed his eyes. “That cocky grin of yours isn’t swaying me to give you one.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “Try not to bust my level down to zero while I’m in the shower.”

“I’ll consider your request.”

“Your kindness is appreciated, honey gangster.” He yelped with laughter and sprinted to his bedroom when Jonah took a few steps toward him with a mock scowl. He was still smiling when he hopped into the shower, glad to get out of the uniform he’d had on since yesterday.

If he was going to spend some nights at Jonah’s, he had to either leave some clothes there or remember to put a go-bag in whatever cruiser he had while on duty.

There was one in his truck and in one of the panniers on his motorcycle, but since he always seemed to show up at Jonah’s in his patrol car, it hadn’t done him any good.

Steam billowed from the bathroom when Kijani opened the door and walked into the hallway, stopping short when he saw Jonah standing there.

“I came to see if you needed your back washed, but I guess I’m too late.” Jonah bit his bottom lip as his gaze swept downward.

The hungry glance caused Kijani’s towel to rise like a tent being lifted by steel poles. “If I’d known you wanted to join me, I’d have taken a longer shower.”

Heat having nothing to do with the steam filled the air between them, charged electricity building along his skin.

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