Marc met his gaze the moment he settled behind the wheel. He had Hawaiian-blue eyes. They were nearly impossible to look away from sometimes. “I know you don’t think you act differently when you smoke, but you do. While I’m unbothered by that, you’re Ledger’s kid. You can spend a couple of hours being the person he remembers.” Marc held up his hand, stopping Valon before he even began. “I know you’re sick of pretending to be what everyone else expects. This is different. Your dad loves you for real. Don’t ruin that.”
Valon’s throat swelled. He kind of wanted to lash out. But Marc had said he knew Valon was sick of playacting. Valon had never admitted that to anyone. Not even Marc. He couldn’t argue. No one saw him the way Marc did.
When Valon didn’t argue, Marc gave him a sharp nod and backed from the driveway. They rode in silence. That was actually rare for them. Normally, they kept the radio turned down so they didn’t have to talk over the noise. Now, the lack of sound was heavy on Valon’s chest. He opened his phone and clicked around, hoping to distract himself. He had messages.
Unknown number:Hey baby boy. I’ve been thinking about you. Please respond. You’re all I have.
Valon didn’t even read the next message. He trashed everything and blocked the latest number. Valon doubly hated having his cigar taken away now. He pasted on his most charming smile.
“Ry just sent me a bunch of texts. May I please have my cigar back? Two puffs and I’ll put it out.”
The look Marc shot him said it all. He shouldn’t have asked. “You’re not messing up a day with a real father because of the shittiness of another.”
Now Valon was pissed. “I’ve been doing that my whole fucking life. Turn around. I’ll call Dad and let him know we’re not coming.”
Marc growled. “Stop it, Valon. Your addiction is showing.”
It was the wrong thing to say. They sat at a red light. Valon got out and started walking. He knew the way. Valon wasn’t a fucking child. Marc had sworn he wouldn’t be this way. He had promised he knew Valon was the boss.
It didn’t take long for Marc to pull over and reach him. “God fucking damn it, Valon. Here.” He pulled Valon to a stop and shoved the cigar his way. He crowded Valon so no one could see him. “Take your goddamn drugs. What do I care? Just get in the fucking car before you start a riot or cause a wreck. You know you can’t just burst into public like this.”
Valon’s throat swelled. He let Marc shuffle him back inside the vehicle. Valon didn’t even notice they were back on their way. He stared down at his hand. Valon couldn’t bring himself to light the stick he held. He fought back tears all the way to their destination. When the SUV stopped, Valon couldn’t move. His gaze wouldn’t budge from his lap and open hand. Valon hated himself the way he always did. He never did anything right.
Marc opened his door.
Valon couldn’t unfreeze.
Marc’s hand smoothed down Valon’s arm—like stroking a cat. He took the cigar from Valon and tucked it into Valon’s shirt pocket. “I’m sorry.”
The lump in Valon’s throat was too big for Valon to respond.
Marc stroked the palm of Valon’s still-open hand. “It’s okay.” He sounded soothing as hell. “Breathe, beautiful. No one is angry with you. You’ll always be safe with me.”
A tear hit Valon’s lap, making him realize how far he had spiraled. He took a breath and then another. The fear ebbed. His vision cleared. The humiliation set in.
Valon wiped his face and squared his shoulders. He grabbed the sunglasses from the visor and stepped out, forcing Marc to take a step back. He put on the glasses and left Marc to close the door. As always, he forced a smile to his lips. Life had been killing him for a long time. What did one more day matter?
Chapter Two
Valonspentthedaypunishing him. From the moment Marc got him back in the SUV after his tantrum, he only spoke to Marc to give him instructions for the day. All the genuine smiles were gone. Marc knew exactly where he had gone wrong. People forcing Valon to live life their way was one of the many things that had broken Valon, and Valon was a shattered mess beneath a flawless package.
He always knew the signs of a total crash out. Valon had smiled and talked, doing all the right things with Ledger and Kash. Marc felt sick the entire time. He saw beneath the mask. He recognized the need to run in Valon’s eyes. Marc held his breath with a lead weight in his stomach. He would like to say it was almost a relief when Valon left, but it wasn’t. This was the part where Marc always expected to be found out. He followed Valon at a safe distance, staying invisible. Marc waited until Valon was inside and then waited fifteen minutes longer. Marc was aboutseventy-five percent certain Valon was safe inside the private members-only club. Still, he couldn’t stomach the thought of the other twenty-five percent. As he climbed out of the car, he bit back a tired sigh. The membership fees at Club Affinity were outrageous. While Marc made damn good money, he didn’t like emptying his bank account just to get inside the exclusive kink club.
He nodded at the security at the door as he scanned his card. The club was actually underground. Once through the door, he had to make an immediate left to get downstairs. It was pretty rare for things to be underground in California. He understood why this place had been built the way it had. Ultimate security and privacy. No one was looking through windows here.
After a quick jog down the stairs, Marc passed the private reservation-only rooms. At the end of the hall, double doors waited, hiding the crowd of kinksters partying inside. As he pushed his way through the door, loud music washed over him. Marc used his training to stick to the shadows. That meant skirting blatant sexual acts. But Marc had his sights set on Valon and wouldn’t be distracted. When he reached a spot where he had a clear view to keep watch, Marc leaned against the wall and crossed his arms, settling in.
“Guard duty again?”
Marc glanced the club owner’s way. “That’s what I get paid to do.”
Zeus settled in beside him, helping him prop up the wall.
Marc scowled with aggravation. Zeus looked like a god. All eyes followed him every second. Marc was trying to stay hidden. Thankfully, Valon didn’t seem to be interested in Zeus. He danced like no one was watching while looking completely unrecognizable.
“You know I’ve got him, right? Nothing will happen to him here.”
Marc snorted. “I’ve seen the way your husband distracts you. That’s not a risk I’m willing to take.”
