Page 94 of Stone
He had my same build, my same facial features. He even had the exact same color of hair. But it was the defiant look on his face and the way he clenched his jaw that told me in no uncertain terms the boy had my blood running through his veins.
Kekoa had called, issuing a warning that the young man had insisted he talk with me, refusing to take no for an answer. There hadn’t been a weapon, yet he’d definitely been the person standing in the shadows at the party.
I lifted my gaze to my friend’s face, detecting the same emotions I had running through me.
An acknowledgment of the truth.
“I’m your son,” the young man repeated, once again shifting his gaze toward Dani. His mother.
She was suddenly at my side, her body shaking uncontrollably. “Oh, my God. I thought…” Unable to finish her sentence, she took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry, boss. I didn’t know what else to do,” Kekoa said quietly as he pushed his brother back from the open door.
“It’s fine. Everything is fine.”
Nothing was fine.
Nothing would ever be fine again.
I shoved the weapon behind my back, immediately raking my hand through my hair. “I’ve got it from here.”
“You’re sure?” Kekoa asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I motioned for the kid to walk inside, noticing his determined gait as he finally decided it was okay to walk through the door.
Dani remained silent, neither one of us able to look at the other.
What the hell was I supposed to say? This was the secret she’d kept from me. When had she been planning on telling me I had a goddamn son? When was she going to come clean that the last twenty years had been one lie after another?
Anger swept through me, but I tamped it down. Throwing a tantrum like some crazed idiot wasn’t going to provide any answers. Or calm me down.
Dani walked closer, lifting her arm tentatively then curling her fingers while dropping her arm. “What’s your name?” Her voice was no longer one I recognized.
“Tyler Warren.” Goddamn. Even his voice sounded like mine had when I was younger. Gruff and unforgiving.
I finally turned toward Dani, catching her misted gaze. Her expression was hollow, the haunted look in her eyes something I would never forget. Was I angry? Fucking yes, I was. How could any man who suddenly realized he had a child feel any differently? “You knew about this?” This. What the hell was this? That we’d had a child together? That he’d show up on my doorstep? That a secret had been kept from me for twenty. Fucking. Years?
My chest ached from my rapid pulse and the realization that I had a son.
A son.
“I…” She looked away, unable to answer. “It’s not what it seems.”
“It’s not what it seems? Then what the fuck is it?” Snarling, I turned away so I could try to collect my shit.
“I’m sorry,” she managed. “You don’t understand.”
The kid was in way over his head, his entire face pinched from our terse interaction.
“I shouldn’t have come,” he said, turning toward the door. Okay, so he had a name. Tyler.
“Stay right where you are.” My tone remained rigid. I moved closer to Dani, scrubbing my face as I peered down at her. When she couldn’t look me in the eye, I did my best to gently lift her chin with my fingers. “Talk to me. Is this possible or is this kid lying, trying to con us out of something?”
“I have proof,” the boy said.
She swallowed and I watched intently as she dragged the tip of her tongue over her trembling bottom lip. “It’s possible.”
“Fuck. Fuuuuck.” I snapped my head in Tyler’s direction. There were no words that came to mind other than the harsh exclamation and I could tell I’d ruffled the kid’s feathers.
