“Daddy, why do you have a gun?”
Reese still had his eyes on Vega, not wanting to surrender his position, but his son was more important than the situation at hand. Lowering his gun, he replaced the safety and tucked it into his pants.
His actions prompted Vega to do the same. So while Reese moved past them to get to Nick, Vega secured his weapon and placed it on his body as well.
“Why you up, chief? It’s late.” Reese spoke softly to his son and attempted to lift him into his arms, but Nick bypassed him and went right for his mother, standing in front of her protectively. His anger was on a thousand, but he would never take that out on Nick.
“I heard you yelling at Mommy.” Nick looked up at his mother with his tiny face hard. His alpha was already kicking inat his young age because his instinct was to make sure she was good.
“I wasn’t yelling, chief. We were just?—"
“Yes, you were. I heard you and you had a gun. He did too.” Nick’s little feet shuffled in Vega’s direction but Nyelle pulled her son back against her legs, draping her arm around his tiny body. “Mommy, who is he?”
Nick’s little face was still hard, and under any other circumstances Nyelle would have been amused, but her heart was shattered by the fact that her son felt the need to protect her because he witnessed his father and Vega in a standoff with guns drawn. At this moment she could have murdered both of them.
“He’s my friend,” Nyelle explained, offering Vega sympathetic eyes. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking with Reese showing up unannounced since she had presented to Vega that she and her ex were done. Hell, they were, but that was not the picture Reese was currently painting. Unfortunately, she didn’t care. Nick was her priority, so she wanted them both out.
“I don’t know him,” Nick was quick to throw out right after her.
Nyelle addressed Vega first. “I apologize for all of this, but can we talk tomorrow? I need to get Nick back to bed.” His line of sight went right to Reese who strongly considered removing his gun again. Had it not been for his son, it would have been a no brainer.
“Yeah we can do that but before I go, you sure you’re good?” Vega kept his eyes on Reese, which only further infuriated him.
“She’s more than good. You don’t have any input here.”
Vega released a cocky laugh before he looked at Nyelle, waiting for her to speak. He didn’t give a damn about Reese’s bruised ego. His only concern was that Nyelle was straight.
“I’m fine. He’s leaving,now!”
“Man, hell nah, we need to talk about that shit.”
“You’re right, we do, but not for the reasons you’re thinking. I told you already, I’m done. You don’t have any business here. Not like this.”
“And he does?” Reese’s voice raised more than he intended.
“Yes, actually he does. He’s here because I invited him here. You just showed up.”
“Oh, so you just got other men all up in the shit I pay for around my son and I’m supposed to be cool with that?”
Vega laughed again, amused by Reese’s reaction. He had no reason to doubt Nyelle and she said they were over. That’s what he was going with until she proved anything different.
“Something funny, muthafucker?”
“Yeah but that’s a story for another day.”
“Ny, I’m gon’ head out. Hit me up tomorrow and we can talk,” Vega moved closer to Nyelle, pressing a kiss to her cheek before he kneeled down to Nick. “My name is Vega. I’m pleased to meet you. I see you’re a real one, looking out for your mom. I respect that. I apologize for my gun, but a real man protects the woman he cares about. He doesn’t cause problems for her. It won’t happen again, aight?” Vega lifted a hand to Nick who looked up at his mother for approval which she sent by way of a nod. Nick accepted Vega’s hand with his tiny one, and after they shook, Vega was up on his way to the door. When he reached it, he offered Reese a warning.
“Next time I see you, if you don’t find some respect, I’m gonna show you just how much of a mistake that can be to your health.” Without waiting for a response, Vega walked out the door and closed it behind him.
“This the type of shit you’re on!” Reese yelled, moving with angry, long strides toward Nyelle. He only stopped when he noticed Nick’s body flinch before he grabbed his mother’s leg.
“You are not about to do this right now. You can go.” Nyelle gave him a warning look so deadly Reese wasn’t sure he’d ever seen that side of her before.
“Nah, we can?—"
“I said no. I’m about to put my son to bed then I’m going to bed. We can talk when I feel like it, but I promise it won’t be anytime soon.”
“Nah, we can do that now. I can’t wait. In fact, come on chief, let Daddy get you back in bed.”
