Page 11 of The Doctor

Bex nodded. “That’s good. At the very least, you bought yourself some time.”

“We left while it was still dark this morning. I got us breakfast on the train and lunch in San Diego. I bought us a burger at the diner here in Marina De Ferrier before getting another RideShare here.”

It was my turn to frown at the kid. “How’d you get into the building?”

“I told them my sister was sick and that Dr. Evans said I could call him whenever I needed him. When they said I could wait, I asked if I could get my sister out of the cold.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I think the guard figured he could overpower me if he needed to.”

I glared at Bex. “I’m glad he got in, but if we’re gonna keep him safe, they’re gonna need to do better checks.”

So, he came here from Bowzer’s. The diner had been operating on skeleton staff, since Harry Bauman and his family had been at the wedding. Which meant no one who was normally around had seen the teenager lugging around a baby and a toddler. That was a good thing.

“Wait.” Bex called from the kitchen. “You’re only fifteen. That means that account belongs to your mother. Why are you still allowed to use it?”

“No idea.” He shrugged. “That was the only time I’ve used it. I’ve never had an emergency before now.”

“I’ll look into that.” Bex looked good in my kitchen. She looked good lecturing Dom. Fuck the damn circumstances. “In the meantime, no more emergencies. Okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

That sounded good, too. She plated the sandwiches and brought them over. She handed one to Dom and put the other on the coffee table. She placed Landon on her lap and handed him one quarter of the sandwich. I took Victoria from Dom so he could eat comfortably. As I walked around the room with the tiny bundle who had stirred with the transfer, I was happy.

Not content. For one thing, I knew Dom was in more trouble than he realized. I also knew he was more traumatized than he let on. He was fifteen. I didn’t know what happened when he lost his dad, but I would find that out. Then he lost his mom andhis stepfather. Not only that but he’d heard what had happened. I wasn’t sure if that was worse or better. Yeah, it would’ve been brutal to watch and his memories would make it worse. But he only heard what was happening. Heaven only knew what his imagination was doing to him.

Whatever else happened, I would make this right for him. As soon as Brie returned from her honeymoon, I would get Dom onto her couch. She would make sure my boy would get through everything that had happened to him. She dealt with kids who had seen trauma. Hell, she had a group session for kids who had lost their mothers. I would see if Dom could attend that.

As the kids ate, I placed little Victoria in the gap between Bex and Dom. I fetched a spare blanket out of the hall cupboard and made sure to put an extra towel in the main bathroom.

“If you want to shower this evening, go ahead.” I said to Dom. “I think Landon has had a long day. He can go straight to bed. Do you have pajamas for him?”

“In the bag.” Dom pointed at the diaper bag he had lugged with him. “There’s a change of clothes for her, too. And a few more diapers and some formula. I figured I could buy what we needed when we got here.”

“Dom.” Bex put her hand on Dom’s thigh. “Just relax. Get some sleep. Whatever we need, I’ll sort it out. You did so well. And you came to the right place. But you are not alone. Logan and I have this. We’ll make it right for you.”

It had been less than three hours since Dom had arrived. And already, I knew. Our lives were changed forever. I just didn’t know how much.

7

LOGAN

Dominic must’ve been dead tired if he didn’t hear the little girl stirring awake next to him. It was also a testament to the fact he felt safe enough to relax that much. Was it any wonder after what he had been through? The baby had woken up once during the night and I had changed her diaper and fed her a bottle from the limited supplies Dominic had in the bag. When she let out a small cry about half an hour ago, I was already awake. I hadn't slept well.

Dominic was in danger. We gave him up to provide a better life for him, but he lost his dad at a young age and now he was in more danger than anyone should experience, let alone a fifteen-year-old kid. The only upside was that it was an open adoption and he found the one person who could keep him safe.

Landon had also woken up about ten minutes earlier. He was nearly three and I figured some cereal and fruit would be fine for him. One of us would need to go shopping at some point. The baby supplies Dominic had brought with him were not going to last past the next day at most.

When Bex finally emerged from the bedroom, I could tell she had been awake for a while already. We’d had another argument about me sleeping on the couch. She wanted to be closer tothe entrance of the apartment and I wasn’t going to let her sleep anywhere but in the bed. It didn’t matter that we weren't together yet, she was mine. Only knowing that her brothers had approved the security measures in the building had assured her I was safe on the couch by myself.

“You need help with them? I wasn’t sure if I would be more of a help than a hindrance, so I stayed out of the way.”

I smiled. It was something she had struggled with when she discovered she was pregnant. She didn’t think she would be a good mother. That the best thing she could do for her kid, was to let someone else raise him. I always knew better.

Besides, I was the caregiver in our dynamic. I took care of people. Bex, though, she was a warrior and she would do whatever it took to protect her cubs. I could see it in those pretty brown eyes of hers. She had no intention of losing Dominic again, and she would move mountains to make sure he didn’t lose his siblings.

“I’m going to put her in the sink for a quick bath.” She’d been traveling for hours the day before and probably needed a change of clothing. “Why don’t you get Landon some cereal, and see what the rest of us can have for breakfast.”

By the time a sleepy-looking Dominic had emerged from my guest bedroom, Landon was sitting on a propped-up couch cushion in front of the coffee table attempting to get as much cereal and milk across the table as he possibly could. Little Victoria was dressed and propped between pillows on the armchair, napping after her bottle.

I smiled over at the young man who looked so much like the one I saw in the mirror all those years ago. Maybe his skin tone was a little lighter. And I would never dream of growing out my afro that much. But it suited the kid. I was seventeen when he was born, and he was fifteen, had just started his sophomore year in high school. “We have eggs and toast. I took a chancewith cereal for Landon, since I don’t know if anyone has any allergies.”

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