Page 11 of More than Need

“Then perhaps you should ask her again what happened.” To the average person, Riley had been harsh. What they might not know is that he’d been nicer than she deserved. Gideon had seen him make the most hardened cops tuck tail and run in the opposite direction. A metaphorical bomb had landed in his lap, and he’d done what he had to do to protect himself. Gideon would never think badly of him for that. He would have done it himself if Riley hadn’t gotten there first.

“Where is he?”

“I’m not telling you that.” His courtesy and polite demeanour only went so far, and this is where the line ended.

“I’m right here.”

Gideon glanced at Riley, who had come from around the back of the station. “I told you to stay inside. In fact, I told you to go home.”

“I toldyouto go home. Don’t forget that I’myourboss.”

“Don’t worry, you’re not letting me forget that.” If they weren’t in their positions, would Riley have given him what he’d asked for? Would he have been willing to go further than a kiss?

“Holy shit,” Dawson said, staring unblinkingly at Riley. He tilted to the side and shifted his feet to brace himself, putting a hand out as if there were a wall there that would hold him up. He might want to move a few metres to the left if he needed one.

Riley studied him like a scientist with a new species of bug under a microscope. “Who are you?”

“She said you have the same eyes, but yours are…” Dawson faltered as if looking for the right words. “You’re gorgeous—uh—no, they’re—they’regorgeous. Not you. I mean, you are, but that’s not… not what I meant to say.” He closed his eyes in mortification, red spreading across his cheeks.

Riley narrowed his eyes. “How drunk are you?”

“Not nearly enough.”

Drunk enough he’d thrown up in the bushes like a teenager drinking his first beer. “I doubt you’d want us to prove that with a breathalyser,” Gideon commented. “Or are you always so impulsive that you rock up to a police station off your face like it’s just another day ending in Y?”

“Yes. No?” Dawson paused. “What?”

“Go home and sleep it off,” Riley said coldly.

“Do you want us to call you a taxi?” Gideon asked. Did the guy even have a phone on him? His pants were pretty tight. Who left their house without their phone?

“I already called one,” Riley said.

Not surprising. Riley had a big heart for those willing to look close enough.

“I’m not leaving. I have something to say.” Dawson’s brows drew in, mouth turning down as he glanced at his feet. “I can’t repeat all that, I forgot what I said.” He sucked his bottom lipinto his mouth. “You can’t just—um—Sadie isn’t your parents and… Fuck.”

“They’re not my parents,” Riley said darkly.

That set Dawson off again. “I don’t give a fuck what you want to call them!” he burst out angrily. “She came to you because she wanted to learn more about you and—”

“That’s her problem, not mine. I have a family, and she isn’t part of it. Neither are you. The child she carries is not a relation of mine, and your claim on it doesn’t give you the right to come here and demand anything of me either.”

“What the fuck are you talking about? The kid isn’t mine.” Dawson looked genuinely confused and also like he was about to fall back into the same bush that he’d chucked his guts up in.

Gideon moved fast, sliding an arm around his waist to steady him before pulling him up against his chest to hold him secure. “Careful. We don’t want to have to call an ambulance because you split your head open.”

Dawson blinked, staring at Gideon like he’d never seen him before in his life. His moments of lucidity were deceiving, considering his drunken state.

“If you’re not the father, who are you?” Riley asked, eyes flitting between where Gideon held Dawson and Dawson’s face. “If you tell me you’re another sibling, I can guarantee you’ll like my response even less than my original one.”

Gideon tightened his hold on Dawson so he couldn’t jerk forward. That really wouldn’t end well for any of them.

“No, asshole,” Dawson spat out. “Like I’d want to be related to you! She’s my best friend, and I’m gay, not that it’s any of your fucking business. She deserves for you to at leastlistento her.”

“Why?” Riley asked, face passive and uncaring.

Dawson faltered. He looked at Riley’s lips and stayed riveted on them before shaking his head. “Because she’s your sister!”

---