Page 83 of Prodigal

He squirmed in his seat beside Gideon and the other man cupped his knee, squeezing him gently. André hadn’t said much once he’d gotten dressed in the perfectly tailored suit Gideon had provided for him. He looked good in the oxblood and black combo, he couldn’t lie. And Gideon just wore black, all black, but he did look mouthwatering.

If André had a preference, it would’ve been for them to stay home in bed and never come out until they were both dehydrated from coming too much. He definitely didn’t want to have to deal with Ennis and his begging to be a part of André’s life or the anger on his face whenever he looked at Gideon.

André could do without that.

But he’d agreed to come because this was important to Gideon. Ennis had information about who killed Gideon’s mother, and André would do anything—even break bread with the man who’d denied him—in order to get Gideon the answers he craved.

His eyes widened and he turned, staring out the window to his right. They were over water, in the middle of the ocean somewhere, the setting sun making the blue water glow and shimmer. But it was the massive yacht that they were clearly headed toward that made him turn to Gideon with his mouth agape.

Gideon glanced at him and grinned. “Close your mouth, baby,” he said, speaking through the headsets they both wore.

“We’re having dinner on a fucking yacht? Whose— Never mind.” He was involved withThe Gideon Winters. It was easy to forget sometimes about the wealth Gideon possessed.

A yacht.

He shook his head as the helicopter landed. He didn’t know if he would ever get used to this. One of the members of Gideon’s security team—the only woman, named Will—approached the chopper, and André spotted Ennis standing off to the side.

“He’s here already?”

“Yeah,” Gideon answered. “I had Will bring him earlier.”

André stared at Gideon, eyes narrowed. “You made him wait for us? For how long?”

“For as long as it took. He’s not the one in charge here and he needs to know it.” Gideon grabbed his hand. “Ready?”

André shrugged. “As I’ll ever be.”

Gideon paused, searching his face. “Listen, as much as I would like to know what information Ennis has, this dinner isn’t all about that. I believe he wants to know you, wants to build a relationship with you, and I think deep down inside you want the same. This could be your chance.” He mimicked André’s shrug.“But, if the way he looks at you, or the way he chews, or the way he fucking breaths offends you, then I will have his ass tossed overboard in a minute.”

André scoffed. “Something tells me you would have done that regardless.”

“I might, depends on how this dinner goes.” Gideon brushed a chaste kiss to his lips. “Come on.” He released André and got out, then turned, offering André his hand.

He put his hand in Gideon’s, allowing his lover to help him out of the helicopter. Together they made their way over to where Ennis stood with his arms folded.

“How is he?” Gideon asked Will, jerking his chin in Ennis’s direction.

She chuckled. “Pissed that he couldn’t bring any of his own security.”

André’s brow lifted at that. Ennis had agreed to come out into the middle of the ocean, to have dinner with Gideon Winters on his mega yacht, without any kind of protection?

Was his father brave or just foolish?

When they stood in front of Ennis, the older man scowled. “I’ve been here for two fucking hours!”

“Be grateful,” Gideon told him, all nonchalant. “Could’ve been more.” He linked his fingers with André’s. “You hungry, babe?”

“I could eat.”

“Let’s do that then.”

Night had fallen by the time the three of them were seated at a table outside, under the stars, the water all around them. Gideon’s people were present, but out of sight.

André sipped his wine, feeling Ennis’s eyes on him. In his favor, the older man hadn’t done much talking since they’d sat down to partake in the five-course meal the award-winning chef Gideon hired for the evening had prepared for them.Bits of stilted conversation about shit that didn’t matter had punctuated the entirety of their dinner.

“What was the reason I wasn’t allowed to bring my bodyguards with me?” Ennis asked Gideon after the servers had placed their dessert in front of them and walked away.

“I don’t trust you.” Gideon shrugged. “Besides, why would you need security while sharing a meal with your long-lost son?”

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