Page 100 of Ramsey & Emerson

While I didn’t want to tell them, there was still a chance that I might have to recruit Mad for a deeper background check on Cossacks, so against my better judgement, I decided to tell them the truth, though wise enough to leave out the details.

“Your mother’s new supervisor at work is interested in her,” I finally told them.

Ramsey’s entire body froze in place while Maddox’s head reared back in surprise. If the situation wasn’t so serious, I’d laugh. However, the situation was serious enough that now wasn’t the time. I knew both of my sons well enough to know that once they processed this information, they were not going to be happy.

Five…four…three…two…

“What the fuck?

“Are you kidding us?”

I looked over at Mad. “I assure you that I am not kidding, son.”

“Why haven’t you killed the sonofabitch yet?” R.J. bit out.

“Because I don’t relish your mother trying to divorce me for something that she thinks is irrelevant,” I informed him as calmly as I could.

“Irrelevant? Another dude is after her,” R.J. stated incredulously. “How can she think that’s irrelevant?”

“She claims that he’s irrelevant because she has no interest in him,” I explained.

“That’s bullshit,” Maddox snapped. “He might not matter to her, but he’s a cockroach that needs to be exterminated if he thinks that it’s okay to hit on married women.”

“He hasn’t hit on her,” I informed him.

“Okay, now I’m all confused,” Mad muttered.

“It’s a vibe that I got when I first met him,” I told them. “Then he said some things at the charity event Friday that confirmed my hunch. Not wanting to embarrass your mother or get arrested at a children’s charity event, I warned him off her, but that’s it.”

“What’s his name?”

“Maddox, if your mother-”

“She’ll never have to know,” he said, already knowing how Emerson felt about his hacking hobbies. Once upon a time, it hadn’t bothered her much. However, now that Maddox had a family, she didn’t like him taking unnecessary risks. “I won’t say a word.”

“Omittance is the same thing as lying, Mad. You know this.”

“Then go ahead and tell Mom,” he countered. “Besides, it’s not like I can’t find out, Dad. You’ve already given me enough by telling me that he’s her new supervisor.”

I lifted my hands to start rubbing my temples. “Jesus Christ, Maddox.”

“Dad, even if he’s not a threat to Mom, Maddox is right,” R.J. said. “Guys like that need to be taught a lesson, and who better to teach it to him than us?”

“Your mother won’t see it that way,” I pointed out.

“Maybe not,” R.J. conceded. “However, you act like Mom’s never met us. Is she really going to be all that surprised?”

“Plus, it’s not anything that she’s going to divorce you over,” Maddox chimed in. “Mom would never divorce you.”

This time, it was my eyes that narrowed at my sons. “How can you possibly know that?”

Maddox and Ramsey exchanged a weird look before Maddox looked back over at me. “Are you blind or something?”

“Watch your mouth, Maddox,” I warned.

He just rolled his eyes as R.J. said, “Dad, Mom looks at you like you hold the sun, the moon, and the stars in your hand. How can you not see it?”

Yeah, I really was a fucking idiot.

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