Page 263 of As The Shifter World Turns

“This may be your family, but it’s nothis.” Pete jerked his head at Neil. He was aware Neil wasn’t Toby’s biological father and I might have let slip that he wasn't Charlie’s either. Our little boy wasn’t my biological son but it made no difference. They were our children. Neil’s and mine. We were their dads. Pete needed to learn to shut up.

“I heard about him.” Again he was talking about Neil. My mate. “He’s the guy latching onto a model and playing dad.”

I sucked in a breath. I needed to let it go, to just make them all go away.

Tyler tried to talk some sense into him, when Neil said, his voice quaking, “Is that what you think of me?”

And my heart shattered into a thousand pieces and Toby, dear sweet Toby ran to his side to reassure him.

Before I could formulate an answer, Pete decided it was a good time to answer for me. “That’s what everyone knows.”

And my fist took the opportunity to answer for Neil, punching Pete square in the jaw, blood already pooling in the corner of his lips by the time he straightened himself up.

Yep. I was getting fired. I just ruined the agency’s fresh new face and at that moment I couldn’t give a shit.

In the next moment I gave a lot of shits as the police came and decided to escort me home by way of handcuffs and the police station.

I had officially ruined everything.

“Sure you don’t want to use your phone call,” the officer asked for the fifth time after I was arraigned and given bail.

“There’s no one to come get me.” I sat on the bench wondering how things managed to go so wrong so quickly.

Fifteen minutes later I was proved wrong when Daire and Archer showed up to bail my sorry ass out after Neil asked them to.

Maybe he didn’t hate me after all.

119

AFTERMATH

Neil

I’d been standing at the window watching for the car, so I had the door open when Archer and Daire arrived at the apartment with Martin. “I can’t thank you enough.” I’d transfer the bail money into one of their accounts tomorrow but didn’t want to say that in front of my mate. I suspected he was angry and humiliated at being arrested and while I’d never advocate violence, I got great satisfaction at seeing—and hearing—Martin smack that guy in the face. What an asshat!

While Charlie was too young to understand what happened, he heard the heated voices, the shouts and his dad’s fist hitting the other guy’s chin. And I’d had to sooth him. Toby’s instinct was to shield me from Martin’s so-called friend’s hurtful words.

When I finally got the kids home, I sat Toby down and we had a talk about using words not fists. “Even though your dad was trying to protect me, fighting is never the answer.”

“I get it, TD, but I understand why he did it. He loves you and us.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

And now I was welcoming the wounded warrior into our home. The other guy’s face must have been pretty banged up, but my mate was just filthy, unshaven and with bags under his eyes.

“We’ll sort things out in the morning. Thanks, guys.”

I sniffed my mate and ordered him into our ensuite. After getting him a towel and clothes that he’d left in our closet, I told him, “Shower and I’ll get yousomething to eat.” I’d made chili earlier and a pot of rice so I heated up a portion and put together a quick salad.

When Martin appeared in the doorway, bare chested as he clutched a shirt in his hand and water dripping from his hair, I had to look away. Not because I couldn’t stand the sight of him. The opposite. He was hot as fuck. The sexy scruff on his jaw was made for running my fingers through. And I was tempted to say, “Stop!” when he buttoned up the shirt.

Instead, I told him to sit while I got his meal.

“You’re not eating?” he asked as I sat opposite him with a mug of tea.

“Had my dinner with the kids.” Toby had wanted to stay up once Daire confirmed they’d paid Martin’s bail, but bureaucracy worked slowly and it was hours before they got home. Both my boys were sound asleep.

My mate nodded and I concentrated on my drink rather than the hot guy tucking into the food I’d made. But I kept peeking at him through my fringe of lashes and my cock responded. Glad there was a table between him and me and that I was wearing an oversized shirt, I gulped a mouthful of tea.

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