Page 30 of Shotgun Daddy
Breathless and grinning, they finally collapsed back onto the blanket, the game winding down as the sun climbed higher.
“Time for some real food,” Faustino said, firm but kind.
Faustino handed Reece a sandwich, the bread soft and crusty, and they ate in a comfortable quiet, the city’s hum a gentle backdrop to the crunch of their meal. Reece nibbled a cookie once he was done with the sandwich, chocolate melting on his fingers, and watched Faustino sip his lemonade.
But Faustino’s silence was heavier now, and Reece couldn’t ignore it any longer…
“Daddy, what’s wrong?” Reece asked, tilting his head. “You’re all frowny, even with the sunshine and cookies and me being a super brave princess.”
Faustino sighed, setting his thermos down with a soft clink and running a hand through his hair. He looked at Reece and the weight in his eyes made his tummy twist and turn. This was real.
“Trouble’s coming, sweet boy,” Faustino said, his voice low, steady, but laced with something dark. “Big stuff I’ve gotta deal with soon. I don’t know when it’s gonna hit, but it’s close. So we should enjoy this… our time together… while it’s still ours.”
Reece’s cookie paused halfway to his mouth, crumbs dusting his lap.
“Trouble? Like… real bad trouble?” Reece’s voice wobbled, a flicker of fear creeping in.
“Yeah,” Faustino admitted, reaching over to tuck a stray strand of hair behind his ear, his fingers lingering on his cheek. “Bad trouble. But I’ll keep you safe, always. Let’s just have fun today, okay? No worrying.”
Reece nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat, and scooted closer, snuggling into his side. Faustino’s arm wrapped around him, a solid wall of warmth, and Reece let himself slip into LittleSpace, the world softening and everything feeling all warm and fuzzy.
As Faustino’s steady heartbeat thumped against Reece’s ear it melted his fears into a distant blur. Faustino reached into the basket, pulling out a milk bottle he’d warmed downstairs, and handed it to him with a gentle smile. Reece wasted no time and latched on, the sweet warmth soothing him from the inside out, and nestled deeper into his chest. As Faustino’s hand stroked his back, slowly and rhythmically, Reece’s eyes fluttered shut and the rooftop fading as sleep pulled him under like a soft tide.
There might have been danger on the horizon, but right now Reece had never felt more safe and secure in his whole life…
Reece stirred awake in the suite’s bedroom, the cool hum of the air conditioning coaxing him from a hazy dream of dragons soaring over a golden city.
“Daddy?” Reece mumbled, still half-asleep and frolicking in his dreamworld.
The king-sized bed swallowed him, its crisp white sheets tangled around his legs, and the faint glow of streetlights seeped through the blackout curtains he’d left cracked open. Squirt rested beside Reece… but Faustino was gone.
Reece’s heart jolted, a flicker of worry sparking as he sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes with a yawn. The room was too still. Suddenly, the hotel suite felt too big, too solitary – and a million miles away from the hubbub of his chaotic share house.
“Daddy? Are you here?” Reece asked once more, more in hope than anything else.
Reece blinked, scanning the dim space, and then spotted it, a note on the nightstand, scrawled in Faustino’s jagged handwriting…
Sweet boy, don’t worry. I got called out for a job with Matteo and Michael. I didn’t want to wake you, you looked too peaceful and too damned cute to disturb. Back soon. And remember… you do not leave the apartment without my say so until further notice. That’s Daddy’s Orders. Got it? Love, Daddy.
“Hmmm,” Reece said, now wide awake. “I guess I remember him saying that?”
Reece flopped back onto the bed, clutching the note to his chest, when his phone buzzed on the nightstand, cutting through the quiet.
“More messages! I guess I’m more popular than I thought,” Reece giggled as he sprung up from the bed and went over to look at his cell phone.
CK (AGENT): Last minute audition TODAY, 2 PM. TV pilot, big opportunity. Script attached. Don’t miss it – I moved heaven and earth to get this for you, Reece! Break a leg!
Reece’s breath caught, a jolt of excitement surging through him like lightning. He opened the attachment. The script was a grittydrama about a young detective, sharp-witted and fearless, the kind of role he’d dreamed of sinking his teeth into.
Reece’s heart raced. This was huge, a lifeline back to his acting dreams after the mess with Timo.
But Faustino’s warning echoed in his head… Daddy’s Orders.
Reece chewed his lip, glancing at the clock. It was only 11:15. There was plenty of time to prep and get across town. The audition was a quick Uber ride away, maybe twenty minutes, and he could be back before Faustino returned.Right?
Reece’s mind spun, torn between his Daddy’s strict orders and the pull of his career. This wasn’t just any audition, that much was obvious. This was a shot at the career he’d fought for, a chance to prove he was more than a Little hiding in a hotel suite.
And anyway… Faustino had pushed him to be his best, hadn’t he?
