Page 48 of Island Daddy

Kragen’s head jostles, followed by his eyes suddenly jarring open from the noise. “Huh?” He asks, almost unintelligibly while rubbing the exhaustion from both lids.

“Shhhh my boy,” I whisper over a slight roar of the car’s engine turning over. “You can go back to sleep.”

He paints his fingertips down my chest, attempting to unfasten the top button of my matching black Armani silk shirt. “I’d rather have another taste of my Island Daddy’s volcanic cock,” he murmurs with a wink.

I shake my head, disappointed that I must wait to grant such a wish. “We can’t, little boy,” I whisper in his ear, gently nibbling its tender lobe. “Not in front of Gordy, and I won’t make you come into this club with me,” I add, pinching his chin. “But I promised to make a brief—ten minute appearance—fifteen tops.”

“I’ll come with you,” he replies assuredly. “Where you go, I go.”

The fifteen minute commute to Kahanamoku Beach felt almost like an entire hour resulting from the bedlam of a late night rush hour. Not usual to Oahu, but half the stretch of Kalakaua Avenue has been gridlocked from the arrival of someone more famous than even myself. Gordon pulls into the lot at Groovy Palms Lounge, quickly hurrying back to let the boy and I out before parking.

“Are you sure you’re up for spending a few minutes here?” I ask him square in the eye. “I’m sure Gordy would keep you entertained while I make my rounds.”

His head wavers. “Nope,” he says, taking hold of my left hand.

After high-fiving Niko, the bouncer, he ushers us both around through the back privacy gate. I insist on keeping Kragen out of the main dance floor area, away from all of the flashing lights and loud music.

“Okay,” I speak softly into his ear. “I’ll only be a few minutes inside and I’ll meet you right back here.”

Kragen nods. “I have my new watch and phone to play around with,” he says. “You could take an hour and I probably wouldn’t notice.”

He winces as my fingers flick the tip of his nose, gentler than before. “That’s for your apparent snark coming back to the surface, little boy.”

“Okay Daddy, I’ll be your good little Banana Boy and wait here,” he replies, batting his lashes.

Music inside the club is far louder than the volume outside. And thank God for that. My friend Tamryn emerges from a short column of booths with a usual pep in his step.

“Where’s the boy?” He asks, seeming disappointed that I didn’t bring Kragen with me.

“He’s just outside,” I reply, pointing behind me in that direction. “I’m here as promised, but I can’t linger tonight.”

“When you’re done circulating, grab me and introduce me to the lucky little bastard,” he laughs as if it’s funny referring to my boy as an illegitimate child.

It takes every ounce of dignity to keep from smacking Tam in the jowls. “Not if you refer to him like that, I won’t,” I bite back, pressing my forefinger deep into his chest.

He backs away with both hands surrendered. “Christ, man,” he replies. “I’m sorry.”

The temperature of my blood returns to a tepid degree, affording me my usually fake disposition as I round the V.I.P. area. Ten flashes from cellphone cameras all around have temporarily blinded me, surely to swarm Facebook, Instagram, and fucking TikTok before the boy and I return to my Kuhio Beach penthouse. But I can’t make it as far as the platform steps, when I’m accosted by another annoyance. Janelle Houston, an actress infamous for her massive love affair with Cherry Truman’s now ex-husband, pushes me straight up against the lounge wall.

“I have party favors,” she yells into my ear, shaking a vial of cocaine. “Come have a bump with me for old time’s sake.”

I shake my head with a curt expression. “No,” I reply, forcing her to relent from my shoulder. “You must forget I hate homewreckers just as much as the cheaters themselves,” I add, whisking past the V.I.P. velvet rope.

If Tamryn behaves himself, I’ll allow him to come outside so he can meet Kragen. But I’m hellbent on leaving after the near assault from Cherry’s nemesis. He locates me rounding the bar, when I wave him on the trail outside. As I reach a door leading out to the lanai fashioned into a dance floor, I’m quick to notice the boy most assuredly isn’t in the spot where I left him.

“Theres you aresh,” he yells from behind me and Tamryn. “That took forrreeevvvverrrrr,” he adds, extending his hand.

He’s acting strangely from just a few minutes ago. If I didn’t know any better, I’d almost suspect he downed two alcoholic beverages in the time I was inside.I wasn’t but fifteen minutes. Surely not more than twenty. Fuck, kiddo!

I shoot Kragen a concerning look. “Please tell me you didn’t drink or take anything while I was inside,” I blurt, raising his chin with the curl of my finger. “Not that I’d be mad, but you shouldn’t drink for another day or so.”

Tamryn clicks off his phone with a loud chuckle. “The kid looks trashed to me.”

Kragen shakes his head in disagreement. “No, there’d wash a nice local guy passhing around theshhse ssugar coasteds pineappleuh spearsh,” he claims. “I had like thirsteen or fifthteen of them.”

What the ever loving fuck did you get into, kiddo?I shoot a curious look back in Tamryn’s direction. “What the fuck did you feed my boy?” I ask, feeling my blood roiling for a second time tonight.

Tam shrugs. “I didn’t give him shit, man,” he claims, his lackadaisical demeanor driving me to yank him by the shirt collar.

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