Page 96 of His Boys to Protect

Ward closed the door, then walked around to the front of the truck and got in. He started the engine, checked his mirrors, and pulled out onto the road.

Charlie twisted around to watch his house disappear behind them. He felt a slight pang at the sudden disruption of his routine, but the feeling slowly faded when he looked down instead.

He put his arms around his Sky and held on tight.

Charlie had an important job to do, and he was going to be a good boy and make Ward proud.

Chapter 35

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SKYLAR

SKYLAR ZONED out to the gentle rhythm of the truck's tires on the road.

He couldn't sleep. As much as it was usually easy for him to simply drift off in the car, he was far too wound up to relax.

Oh fuck. What the hell have I done?He'd quit his job. Walked away from his apartment. From his life. Everything.Not everything, he realized. Not yet, anyway. Ward had seen to that.

Skylar carefully shifted closer to Charlie, sorely tempted to crawl right into the boy's lap. To never let go. He wished Ward could be holding him, too. A part of him still itched to run away—to have a clean break—but a bigger part of him felt sick at the thought of losing this. Of losing these two men.

“Charlie?” Ward murmured. “How's he doing?”

Skylar kept his eyes shut, pretending to be asleep, but that meant not being able to see Charlie's response.

“Okay,” Ward replied, sounding disappointed.

Shit. Could Charlie tell how tense he was?

“And how are you, buddy?” Ward asked. “You okay? Need anything? Bathroom? Food?” After a brief pause, Ward said,“Okay. You let me know if you do.” He paused again. “We should be home in about an hour.”

Home. Skylar clenched his jaw and swallowed hard.Fuck. What even was that? He didn't have a home. Despite having a place to lie down every night—every morning, rather—Skylar felt like he hadn't had a real home in over ten years.

He pictured Ward's apartment, trying to recall the glimpse he'd gotten back in December. Pictured himself coming home to that place after working a normal day job. Greeting Ward. And Charlie, of course. Sitting down to dinner together. Curling up in bed at night, just the three of them. Spending the weekends sprawled on the couch with a book. Making dinner together. Running errands together. A normal, safe, simple, happy life.

Skylar sucked in a breath and tried to stifle a sob. He'd never have that. Ward's place couldn't be his home. He couldn't stay there forever.

But the thought still teased him as the drive went on, bringing him closer and closer to a temporary dream. He tensed when he felt the truck slow down and turn off the freeway. Then again at every single stop the truck made. Skylar risked a peek out the front windshield, seeing traffic lights, the roofs of low buildings, and the leaves of all sorts of trees, the varied shades of green all dancing against a clear, blue sky.

The truck slowed again and turned into a driveway. It came to a stop, and Skylar heard the series of rapidclicks as Ward moved the gearshift intoPark.

“We're here,” Ward murmured. The engine went silent, and Skylar heard Ward take off his seatbelt. A door opened and shut, and then the door beside him opened a moment later. “Sky?” Ward asked, gently shaking him. “Wake up, kitten. We're home.”

“Hhnn,” Charlie added.

Skylar slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, both to pretend he was waking up and to help stop himself from crying.

“Geez,” Ward gasped, studying his face. “Charlie said you weren't actually asleep, but…”

Skylar winced.Damn it. He was usually a much better actor than this.

“Come on, sweetheart,” Ward said, slowly reaching in and undoing Skylar's seatbelt. “Let's get you inside.”

Skylar snatched up his bag and hugged it to his chest as he slid down out of the seat, Ward's hands steadying him. Charlie came around to join them, retrieving his own bag and then hooking his free hand around Skylar's arm when Ward told him to do so.

They followed Ward into his apartment. The three of them crowded together just inside the doorway while they all removed their shoes. Ward had to help Skylar with his. Skylar was unsteady on his feet, and he wasn't ready to let go of his bag, despite being inside Ward's apartment with both the main door and a security door locked.

Ward strode off and opened a cupboard between the bedroom and bathroom. He grabbed some towels and set them on the bathroom counter. While Ward was doing that, Charlie stood beside Skylar, glancing around. The boy rolled his head, his gaze sweeping the kitchen, the living room, and the open doorways into the bathroom and bedroom.

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