Page 151 of Undisputed Player
I pressed a kiss to her forehead, breathing in the scent of her. "Leo and I are heading out," I whispered, though I knew she was too deeply asleep to hear. "Rest, princess. You're safe."
Ten minutes later, Leo sat in the Bentley, booster seat locked in,dino backpack clutched tight. We headed toward Seaside Academy—a place he wouldn’t be attending for much longer.
I caught his gaze in the rearview. "You know," I said casually, "if anyone gives you trouble at school, you tell me."
I was dying to play the dad role, theEastondad role. I wanted to waltz in there, all golden pride, and make Leo shine in front of his peers.
He tilted his head, considering. "Like Aiden, who took my crayon yesterday?"
My jaw clenched, voice low. "Aiden took your crayon?"
"The green one. But I got it back." He shrugged, unconcerned. "Avery bit his arm."
I choked back a startled laugh. That was Avery, all sugar and violence, just like her uncle.
“Yeah, uh, Avery’s not supposed to bite. But if anyone bothers you, come to me. Or Estelle. Or Avery, I guess, though tell her to use her words first."
Leo nodded firmly. “Elle says violence isn't the answer."
Damon's blood flashed through my mind, pooling on Adrian's warehouse floor, and the satisfaction I'd felt pulling the trigger.
Then Owen flashed by, and the lesson I taught him that my princess seemed intent on drilling out of Leo’s mind.
“She’s right,” I told him lightly. "But especially not for crayons."
The rest of the drive passed with the little guy giving me a detailed outline of his evening and how he wanted to check the tide pools again.
The kid was smart, scary smart. I was actually interested, asking questions that made his eyes light up with enthusiasm.
“Ready?" I asked once we arrived, helping him out of the car.
He nodded, adjusting his backpack straps. "Jax?"
“Yeah, buddy?”
"Will you be here when school's over? Or Elle?”
I bent down to look at him properly. "We will always be here to pick you up. Always. You don't have to worry about that."
The relief in his small face was heartbreaking. He'd been abandoned by his father and by his mother's death. What else had he worried about that no five-year-old should?
I had a good childhood growing up, treated like royalty and fawned over by everyone. I couldn’t understand Leo’s fear, but I’d ensure he never felt it again.
"Okay," he said with a nod, then surprised me by wrapping his arms around my legs before darting toward the entrance where Avery was already waving frantically.
I watched until he disappeared inside, that unfamiliar tightness back in my chest. This was new territory for me, responsibility for someone so small. I'd protected people before, my brothers, Jovie, and the girls.
But this was different. This was a child who needed more than just physical safety. He needed stability, a family, just like his aunt.
And somehow, that role had fallen to me, Jax Easton, notoriousreformedplayboy, Easton heir, and occasional murderer.
I slid back behind the wheel and studied the school with new eyes. Seaside Academy was the best in the state. Exclusive, expensive, with a student-teacher ratio that ensured individual attention.
College tuitions on wheels glinted beside me, driven by harried-looking fathers who probably thought it made up for missing breakfast. I fit right in, another wealthy parent at an elite school.
The only difference was, this would all be changing.
Seaside was a far cry from the neighborhood where Estelle had grown up, where kids like Leo might never get the chance to learn about dinosaurs in state-of-the-art classrooms with 3D printers and interactive labs.
