Page 63 of Daddy Issues

“No, buddy, because he’s a good man. Like a superhero.”

Another punch and the guy stumbled into a car, then turned, and ran off.

“Hulk smash!” He squealed, laughing without a trace of fear.

“You ain’t lying.”

Puck tossed two or three jabs at the guy’s face and it was over. He spun to the ground on his hands and knees. When he grabbed Puck’s ankle, Crash was there, kicking him in the midsection and sending him tumbling around on the pavement.

Puck turned toward the truck, breathing a little heavy, and blowing hair from his face. His gaze caught mine and he grinned. It was such a sexy little twist of his lips I damn near crawled from the truck and climbed him like a tree right there in the fucking parking lot.

Eli was with me, so I restrained myself.

“You can take the blanket off now.” He did, cuddling the giant, cartoon stuffed alien.

Puck stepped over JoJo, rapped his knuckles against Crash’s, and opened the door. His kiss was quick, warm, and came with a gentle nudge toward the passenger seat. I obeyed, climbing over.

“Fasten your seatbelt,” he told me.

When I gave him a weird look, he flicked his glanced to the backseat where Eli watched me.

I put it on as Puck reversed from the spot, narrowly missing where JoJo rolled up onto his hands and knees clutching his bloody nose.

I shot him the bird as we drove away.

Puck

We’d been on the road a solid ten minutes before I relaxed. I fought the slow trembles that followed the adrenaline dump and turned on the heat. As tucked into herself as she was, I figured Kenna wouldn’t complain about the extra warmth.

Halloween was just around the corner. It didn’t get cold and stay cold in the desert, but the nights could be chilly this time of year.

The excitement of the day must have been too much for my little man because he was cashed out in his car seat—cotton candy colored drool at the corner of his mouth. Every few minutes, I flicked a gaze to the rearview mirror to make sure he was still there, sound asleep.

I’d never wanted him to experience anything like that, not until he was older. The fighting, the bullshit, was a way of life out here. The guilt over that ran deep. Deeper when I thought of how much worse it would be with Jessica in his life.

“He freak out too bad?” The idea that he’d seen me get that violent made bile roll in my stomach.

“No. I covered his head with a blanket and told him a story.” Kenna glanced back at him, smiling softly. “He was very brave.”

“So were you.” I would forever see her standing defiantly on that side rail, hurling angry insults at the peckerwoods. Brave, bold, beautiful. Jesus, she was everything I could have ever wanted in a woman.

And she’d protected my son. From them and from me.

I didn’t deserve her, I never would.

She blushed and ducked her head, but leaned on the console. She was close enough that her scent made me want to kiss her. If I pulled over and laid one on her right then, I’d probably crush her.

At the first stoplight, I checked my phone. It had been blowing up since we left the fairgrounds. I replied to AP that we needed a meet with Ghost. Little bastard was playing both sides, and I was going to beat his fucking ass for sending those douche bags after her.

“What sort of story?” I asked, to distract myself as I turned onto the highway and toward The Black Cat to drop her off at her truck.

“About a hero slaying demons.”

There was something in the way she said it that had me glancing at her from the corner of my eye. Her expression was both thoughtful and sad. I took one hand off the wheel and wrapped it around hers.

We hadn’t really talked about the frat party—not like she needed to. What those fuckers had done to her, or almost done, was more than any one person should tackle alone. I’d done my part, and I’d be right here until hers was finished.

Maybe that’s why David and his girlfriend’s shit pissed me off so bad. Kenna wasn’t innocent, she wasn’t perfect, but she wasthe sort of person who’d cram herself in a tiny roller coaster just to make a little boy smile. She deserved better than she got at every turn.

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