Page 133 of Contract of a Billionaire
I lowered down to my knees. “Okay, cookie. But first we eat lunch. Okay?”
He grinned, nodding eagerly. I worried maybe he didn’t hear a single word after okay.
“He has you wrapped around his little finger.” Byron’s amused voice came from behind me. Kol and I shifted our eyes to him. Just like me, my brother wore his suit.
My son’s hands came around my neck. I rose up, lifting him up with me and the whole time Kol’s eyes never wavered from Byron.
“It’s okay, buddy,” I assured him. “This is Uncle Byron.”
Surprise flickered in Byron’s eyes. Truthfully, it surprised me too. The words came out without a second thought and considering what he and Royce had done for me, I owed him that much.
“Hello, Kol,” Byron greeted him. “You look like your daddy.”
Kol grinned. “My daddy.”
A chuckle escaped me. “You got that right.”
“Maman?” I knew he’d bring her up. He missed her. We both did.
“Maman is yours too,” I rasped. “We’ll get her back.”
“We will,” Byron agreed, smiling at his nephew. “We Ashfords might not always agree but we always bring family home.”
Kol nodded seriously and it had me choking up. It turned out having a kid did that to a man. Years of beatings and misery didn’t choke me up, but hearing my son calling me daddy was enough to have me choking on emotions.
Jesus Christ, I had to toughen up before I brought Autumn home and we had more babies.
“Can you find us a table please? I’ll get Kol lunch and a cookie,” I told Byron.
He nodded. “Get me a cookie too,” he retorted, winking at Kol.
Five minutes later, we were seated at the window table, the busy city life passing us by. Kol dug into his food, intent on eating his lunch so he could get his cookie. Byron and I nursed black cups of coffee.
“What do you have for me?” I asked him, getting straight to business.
“I got you a way into Afghanistan,” he replied.
My heart stilled for a second then started thundering with hope. “When?”
“You might not be happy when you hear what it cost,” Byron remarked dryly.
“I don’t give a f–” I stopped myself from cursing. I didn’t want Kol to pick it up. “I’ll pay any price. Give everything I have.”
Byron’s face darkened slightly. “That’s the problem,” he grumbled. “This is something you don’t have. Not yet. I tried to bribe him but the little pricks are stubborn.”
“Little pricks?” I had a feeling who he was talking about.
“My cousins, the little prick kingpins. Their unhinged ways will bring on the next world war.”
“That might be an understatement,” I snickered. It didn’t matter though, whatever they wanted, I’d give it. If I didn’t have it, I’d get it. For Autumn, I’d crawl on my knees, lie, cheat and kill. “Now tell me what they want and I don’t have.”
“Once you marry Autumn and the Corsican organization is turned over to her, hence you, they want you to get them out of Philly.”
“Done.” It was a no brainer. I was getting out anyhow.
“Just like that?” Byron eyed me suspiciously.
“Just like that,” I confirmed. “I’m getting out of that kind of life. Autumn was raised differently. She wants to save the world. For Kol to have a normal and safe childhood, like hers. And so do I.”
