Page 41 of Step Daddy

“Thanks again, Daddy.” Kit sucked in a breath. “I can do this.”

“Yes, you can, baby.”

Gareth gave Kit’s ass another strong squeeze before making his way back to the kitchen. Ironically, right as he finished his own shake, the buzzer sounded. Of all the times for the security system to decide to work was when a pair of cops were showing up.

Gareth answered and verified that not only were the detectives downstairs, but Evanston had also arrived. Good. The sooner they got this nonsense over with the better. He expected that after today, everything would be straightened out and he and Kit could move on with their lives. Already he was feeling lighter.

A strong knock sounded, and Gareth darted his eyes toward the hallway leading to the bedroom. Whether Kit was ready yet, or whether he was too afraid to come out, weighed on Gareth’s mind. The knocking returned, and Gareth jogged to the entryway. He’d let everyone in then go check on his boy.

He swung open the door and was met with three men of varying ages and sizes. They all wore suits, but the suit belonging to the oldest of the three was of a much higher quality, and the gray-haired man carried a briefcase. The attorney, no doubt. Gareth stood to the side and gestured for them all to come in.

Once the perfunctory introductions were made, he became anxious about Kit.

“Everyone go ahead and have a seat.” Gareth rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll go get Kit.”

Now his own nerves were fraying. He needed to remain calm so that Kit didn’t pick up on his worry.

“Hey, babe.” Gareth almost ran into Kit as he rounded the corner. “I’m sure you heard that everyone’s here.”

Kit appeared unnaturally pale, and Gareth drew him into his arms. He rubbed soothing circles on his back and kissed his neck.

Kit nuzzled into him. “Do they look mad? Like they think I’m a thief or something?”

The way Kit was talking bordered on nonsensical, but Gareth recognized it for what it was. So many fears must be rattling around in Kit’s head he didn’t know how to process them. Gareth laced their fingers together.

“No one thinks you’re a thief of anything else. Remember what I said? Mr. Evanston already spoke with the detectives at length. I advised them that you wouldn’t have anything to say to them directly unless that fact was understood, and the attorney assures me they’re already on to Ted.” Gareth brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed Kit’s knuckles. “Trust me?”

“Of course I trust you.” Kit regarded him with an anxious expression. “It’s them I don’t believe.”

“You can do this, remember?” Gareth arched his eyebrows.

Kit’s dilemma was similar to what Gareth went through when he was about to do a trick. There would be that moment where he’d start to second guess himself. Kit simply needed to push through it and he’d come out fine on the other side. Sure, there was the possibility that something could go wrong, but regardless of what it was, life made no guarantees.

After a few beats, Kit squeezed Gareth’s hand back. “Yeah. I can.” He let out a loud sigh. “Let’s get this over with.”

Gareth bumped shoulders with him. “And as soon as they leave, we’ll go out for ice cream.”

Kit laughed, which was the reaction Gareth had been going for.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Kit’s grip grew punishing by the time they strolled into the living room. All three men glanced up as they came into view, the varying degrees of startled expressions reminding Gareth of one important fact. Both the detectives and attorney Oliver Evanston knew that he and Kit were stepbrothers.

In the brief amount of time the dynamic of their relationship had shifted, Gareth had already stopped thinking of them as relatives. No one else was aware of the true nature of their relationship.

Until now, at least. Gareth sucked in a deep breath. This should be interesting.

“Here’s Kit.” Gareth realized he was being Captain Obvious, but he needed a buffer between the awkward moment and diving into the illegal travails of the rat bastard who’d been his sperm donor. “Kit, this is Detective Perez and Detective Lang. And of course, your attorney, Oliver Evanston.”

Kit shook each man’s hand while still clutching Gareth’s, nodding but not saying a word other than a quick ‘hi’ to his attorney. Gareth encouraged Kit to sit next to him on the love seat that faced the other men who perched on the edge of the L-shaped couch. For a moment, Gareth had experienced a flash that Kit was going to land in his lap, but instead Kit merely sat huddled to his side with their fingers still entwined.

Yeah. There’d be no hiding what was going on. But hell, if this is what his boy needed, then Gareth was all in.

Oliver spoke up. “Gareth, as I explained to you yesterday, Detectives Perez and Lang have been investigating your father for a while. They’re well aware that he’s behind the embezzlement of the funds at the property management company. However, I did warn them that if I feel as though they’re trying to implicate Kit in any way, that this interview will cease immediately.”

The detectives’ expressions remained bland and Gareth wasn’t sure how to read them.

“Kit?” Oliver regarded him. “Has your broth—” He coughed into his fist. “Has Gareth filled you in on everything?”

---