Chapter 11
“Explain it to me like I’m five,” Eli told Damon, handing him a tumbler of whiskey before taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch.
Damon ran both hands through his hair and tried to figure out how to begin this story about his sister and niece, and how the hell to explain Cain without implicating him in his father’s sins.
“Huh. That fucked up? Okay, then. How about I ask questions and you answer,” Eli offered after a minute of silence.
Damon nodded. “Yeah, that’s probably better,” he agreed, taking a sip of his drink.
“You’re fucking him.”
Damon nearly choked. “What?”
“Come on, Damon. Don’t bullshit me. I can tell just by the way you look at him. And I can sure as hell tell from the wayhelooks atyou.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t notice? Boy was flaying me with his eyes every time I said your name.” Eli arranged himself on the sofa more comfortably and chuckled in a satisfied way. “It was fun messing with him.”
Damon stared at him blankly. “I don’t get it. Messing with him how?”
“He thinks you and I hooked up,” Eli said. Smiling mischievously, he added, “Which is funny as hell.”
“Since you’restraightas hell.”
“And ain’t that a sad loss for the gay men of America?” Eli teased, patting Damon’s good leg. “But the boy looked like he was gonna have kittens every time I laid a finger on you. Seriously, how’d you end up with him? He’s young enough to…”
“Be my kid? I’m aware.” In fact, there was roughly the same age difference between the two of them as there was between Chelsea and Molly.Big Daddy and kid, indeed.Damon chuckled ruefully as he stared at the drink in his hand. “But apparently that doesn’t matter to my dick.” He looked back at Eli. “And I like him.”
Eli shrugged noncommittally. “Seems a little bratty to me, but okay.”
“Nah, he’s not. I mean, he is.” Damon laughed again, thinking of the way Cain had acted in the dressing room at the fundraiser, and the little temper tantrum later in his apartment. “Sometimes. But in a good way. He’s… good for me.”
Eli’s brows went up. “You think?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.” He stole a glance up to the loft area, wondered whether Cain would be able to sleep or whether, despite the long day, he was as keyed up as Damon. “He saved me,” Damon said, thinking back to yesterday morning… and then further back to the fundraiser. “Actually, twice.”
“Huh. Wouldn’t’ve pegged him that way. Kid seems a little… entitled.”
“Well, he’s not,” Damon said sharply. “And he’s not a kid, either. There were bullets flying yesterday morning, and thatkidjumped on top of me and Molly. Then he drove us here over two days, with zero complaints.”
Somehow it was fine when he called Cain a kid, but that was different… or something. In any case, he’d be damned if he’d let Eli do it.
“Bullets?” Eli leaned forward and slammed his empty glass on the coffee table, his eyes sharp. “You’re kinda burying the lede here, chief.”
“Yeah. I guess I am.” He took a deep breath and told Eli everything that had happened over the past few months - Jack Peabody and his confession, the fundraiser with Senator Shaw, the threats against Chelsea, and the incident the previous morning. By the time he was done, he was rubbing his stiff leg and wishing he’d taken one of the pain pills Cain had grabbed off the kitchen counterbecause Damon might need them.
It was a tiny thing, but Damon couldn’t remember the last time someone had thought of his comfort that way.
“Fuck, Damon,” Eli whispered, pushing to his feet and running a hand over his thick black hair. “You’ve got some asshole, power-crazed senator after you, and you brought those girlshere?”
“I’m sorry, Eli. I really didn’t know where else to go,” Damon told him. “I didn’t know who else would keep them safe while I figured out how to stop this.”
Eli grunted. “And the kid? Jesus.” He blew out a breath, obvious disgust on his face. “The senator is hisfather.”
“Yeah, andmyfather is an asshole who threw me and Chelsea to the wolves at every opportunity,” Damon reminded him.
It was funny how Eli’s thoughts so closely matched Damon’s own doubts, but when Eli voiced them, Damon felt compelled to defend Cain.
