Page 70 of Under His Embrace

“This is so cool!” Caleb was in awe of everything I showed him. The gym, the huge yard, the outdoor pool that wasn’t open yet, the tennis courts no one really used. Even though this wasn’t my main residence, I wouldn’t be opposed to living here for good.

I had a hunch that Chloe would like staying by Nina and the other women. Based on how Nina leaned on Chloe just now, it seemed that their friendship was mutual.

If staying in the big house made it easier for Caleb to adjust, fine by me. I wanted to spoil them both. I intended to let them tell me what they wanted or needed and I would make it happen.

How could I not?

I was over the moon, so grateful that I had them in my life. It seemed natural to bend over backward and treat them like the treasures they were.

By the time we got to the basketball court, he seemed at ease with me showing him around.

“Can I play with Nicky?” he asked.

“Now?” Damn, I was hoping to talk with him a bit.

“Whenever.” He shrugged before grabbing a basketball from the rack and bouncing it. “When Mom and I visit here.”

I smiled. “What if you lived here?”

His jaw dropped. “Seriously?”

I clapped for him to pass me the ball. Dante was the swimmer. Romeo liked to run. But I enjoyed all sports and forms of fitness. Caleb passed the ball to me, and we started a little back and forth.

“What would you think about living here?” I asked.

“As long as Mom is safe, cool.”

This boy. He loved his mother, and I was so damn proud of him for putting her first. She put him first, though. And I would too.

“This house is extremely safe,” I said. It was. Since the bikers tried to break in and take Olivia for leverage, we ramped up the home security. Dante was already on it, requesting the tightest patrolling efforts with Nina here and expecting their baby.

“I saw the guards when we came.”

I nodded.

“And the fences. And the gates. And the guys who looked like SWAT men.”

I smiled. “Yep. All of them secure this home.”

“How come?”

“We run an organization that specializes in many things, and we’ve been successful.”

“You mean you’re rich,” he clarified.

“Very wealthy,” I replied carefully, without a note of bragging. “And sometimes, other people want to take our success and power?—”

“And money?” he guessed.

“Yes, and that’s where the security measures come into play.”

For the next fifteen minutes, he peppered me with tons of questions. Could he pick his room. Would he be able to go to school with Nicky. Was the pool inside always open. How would he be able to go to the library.

On and on, he asked me countless questions. I remained patient, answering all of them. It couldn’t be easy for him to adjust to a new home when Chloe had just relocated them from Philadelphia to run from Wes.

With every question, he showed me a little more about what he was interested in or curious about. He sought stability and the freedom to do things as he pleased, and that was justified.

All throughout his interrogation, we played some light ball. Mostly passing the ball back and forth, but also seeing if we could drive the ball past each other. I gave him the tip that if he ever played out here against Dante or Romeo, they’d understand a tug on his left ear meant he intended to feint to the right.

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