Page 46 of Brick
Sadness welled up in her throat, but she forced it down.“I get it’s overwhelming.But you’ve done amazing so far.”She took a step closer, wishing she could just hug him and take away the despairing, second-guessing look from his face.
“Do you have any idea how many times I cried over the last three years?”God, she hated how the question wobbled from her lips.How vulnerable she was.
Brick’s expression softened.“About me?”
“No.I mean, yes.Of course.But also about so much more than that.”She dropped her voice to a whisper.“I knew I’d failed him by not letting him know you.
“But all those days and nights as a single mother, I was scared.Keetan was no help.The only person I had for support was Ellie, and she didn’t know any more about raising a child than I did.”She placed her palm on his chest.“I still have moments like that.When he’s sick or hurts himself.When he throws a temper tantrum and I question my parenting.I still don’t know what I’m doing.”She shook her head.“And as soon as we think we’ve got it figured out, he’ll hit a new phase and we’ll be stumped again.But bedtime?You can handle that.”
He glanced down at her hand, still on his pec.Daringly, she kept it in place.Not just because she reveled in the gentle thumping of his heart and the heat pulsing through his shirt, but also because she wanted him to feel every word she spoke.
“I like the sound of that.We.”
Warmth spread through her.“Good.Because he needs you.”She let her fingers fall away and picked up their plates.
“Ready for bedtime, champ?”
Bray let out a cackling laugh.“No bed!”He hopped down from the chair and ran from the room.
Brick grimaced playfully and hooked his eyebrow.“I think you’ve set me up,” he said to her, before chasing Bray down the hallway.
She giggled, and a sense of completion fell over her as she lowered the dirty plates into the sink.Her heart was so full it could burst.But that was stupid.They weren’t a happy little family.They had issues bigger than life.Brick was a stand-up guy who wanted a relationship with Bray.At the end of the day, though, that had nothing to do with her.
But god help her, she wanted something other than a co-parent.She wanted more for Bray.
And maybe for herself, too.
CHAPTER 13
Brick propped hisfeet on the coffee table and pulled out his phone.He’d finally wrangled Bray, gotten his teeth brushed, and read him a story in the rocking chair in his room.Once the boy started getting sleepy, he began to fuss and ask for Natalie.
She’d taken him to the main bedroom, explaining that they’d both be more at ease sleeping together tonight.He didn’t expect her to come back downstairs after such a mentally exhausting day, but they’d soon have to discuss how they’d make shared custody work.
He’d move to Detroit if he had to, but that’d mean he’d be out of work.Backcountry could give him travel jobs, as they often obtained contracts outside Washington state, but jobs might be limited.Besides, the whole point was to be close to Bray and create a consistent schedule, not work away.
Looking at his phone, he saw he had a message from Zain asking him to call when he got the chance.
Zain answered after two rings.“Hey, man.How’s the little guy?”
Brick sighed.“Wild, but good.Happy.”
“I bet.”Zain’s tone was grave.“Do you have a minute?”
“Yup, he’s in bed.What happened with the gang?”He hadn’t asked in the vehicle, not wanting to upset Natalie and Bray.
Zain guffawed.“Had a chat.Might’ve roughed ’em up a bit.Justin didn’t want to talk, but his friend, Clyde, sure did.”
“What’d he say?”
“Apparently, Keetan’s working with them.They’re paying him to give names whenever a Club East snitch goes to the police department.”
Brick whistled.“That’s pretty bad.”
“I’m sure it’s just the tip of the iceberg.Keetan must be pretty chummy with them to ask them to hide Bray.”
Rage made his blood simmer.This was far from over.Keetan would pay for every minute Bray had been scared and for every mark on Natalie’s face.“I want to know what he planned on doing with my kid.”
Zain blew out a breath.“That’s where things get murky.I asked Clyde, and he said Keetan just asked them to keep the kid out of sight for a few weeks.I can’t say for sure, but I bet they figured Natalie would be in jail by then and they could just hand the kid over to the system, possibly separating them permanently.”
