Page 94 of Born Daddy

Tate’s cell buzzed and he tugged it from his pocket. His eyes widened. He’d completely forgotten about his check-in.

“Hi, Daddy.” In that moment, Rogan was all Daddy to him. “I’m sorry, I got distracted.”

Jace barked out a laugh. “Are you for real? I can’t believe you’re still doing that Daddy shit after what happened with Cam!”

“Who the fuck is that?”

Daddy’s voice startled Tate, the anger mixed with fear not something he’d ever heard from him before.

“It’s Jace.”

“What? Where are you? I’m coming right now.”

“Daddy, it’s okay. I swear. I was careful. We’re in the park by the apartment and he’s not dangerous.”

“The fuck he isn’t! Call 911, right now. Never mind. I’ll call 911 and I’m on my way.”

“Daddy…” Tate sighed. “Please don’t rush home, I’m not in any danger.”

“Yeah, Daddy,” Jace sing-songed. “Precious Tate isn’t in any danger.” Jace laughed then muttered, “oh brother.”

Tate brushed his irritation at Jace aside to reassure Rogan again, but the call had ended.

Oh shit.

He debated whether to warn Jace the cops would be there any minute.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Rogan hadn’t let go of Tate from the moment he’d arrived at the park. Whether holding his hand or keeping an arm around his shoulders, he didn’t want to lose contact with him for a second. As they stood off to the side watching Dan and his partner question a sobbing Jace, Rogan tugged Tate closer. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t gotten a ticket after the way he’d raced home.

When had he gotten so possessive? He rubbed his forehead. No, that wasn’t right. Protective. The mere thought that Tate might be in danger had ignited something so fierce inside him he’d known in an instant he’d do whatever it took to keep Tate safe. Not only now, but for the rest of their lives. Noone would ever hurt Tate again.

Tate leaned into Rogan and placed his palm on his chest. “I’m really sorry, Daddy. I mean it.”

Rogan wrapped his other arm around him and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. This was the first time Tate had ever referred to him as Daddy in front of other people. Rogan wasn’t even sure he realized he’d been doing it. However, the look Dan gave Rogan had been priceless. At this point, Rogan couldn’t care less. All that mattered was Tate.

“I know you are, sweetheart. But be prepared for some sort of punishment.” Rogan gave him a squeeze. “First, you didn’t call when you were supposed to. Then, the man the investigators are hunting for is close enough to you I can hear him talking. I about crapped my pants.”

Tate snorted against his shirt.

“Don’t you laugh at me, you bad boy.”

His words held no heat, had been more joking than angry. That was fine, though. He couldn’t picture being stern and serious the way he’d seen Master Zane get with his boys one of the times he’d been at his place.

Dan approached them, his gaze flitting to Tate then back to Rogan. “We’re taking him downtown for more questioning.”

Tate gasped. “He’s not in trouble is he?”

Detective Dan Sullivan frowned at Tate. “I thought you didn’t know this guy? What do you care?”

“I don’t know him. But I do know how it feels to be wrongly accused.”

Rogan arched his eyebrows at the man he’d known as a friend for years, but who probably didn’t want much to do with him again.

“Tate’s a good person, Dan. I’ve been trying to tell you that all along.”

Dan let out a long sigh, glancing back and forth between them as he spoke. “Try to see things from our point of view. We needed all the answers, had to be sure there was no one left who could cause more harm, that Cam had been the only threat. At the time of his death, you were the person who was the closest to him, and—” Dan gestured in the direction of Jace, who was being led to a squad car— “Until we discovered the diary, we had no idea Jace existed.”

---