Page 2 of Protective Phlox

“I want this photo,” I said, rolling out my shoulders.

“You may not in a minute. Go to the next picture.”

I swiped to the next photo, and my world came to a halt. She was standing outside of a large private school holding the hand of a young boy who looked to be about four. He had midnight black hair and Savannah’s bright blue eyes, but the shape of his face, nose, and lips…he looked exactly like me. Oh my fucking god. I had a son. I had a son, and she didn’t tell me.

“Is this….” I couldn’t get the words out and pointed at the phone. Goran nodded.

“She named him Cutter Nathaniel Freeborn, but I did some digging before I came to speak to you. I didn’t want to blow up your world on a rumor. My sources were able to dig up his birth certificate. It wasn’t easy, but your name is on it. Aldo is trying to hit you where it would hurt the most. He’s out for blood. He knows that coming directly for you is too dangerous here on American soil, so the hit is not just for Savannah…it’s also for your son in Italy.”

I’d never tasted rage before, but I did now as I stared at my son’s face. Aldo and his men weren’t getting anywhere near what was mine. I rose from the desk and glared at Savannah’s image.

“You thought you could keep my son from me? Big mistake Savannah, big fucking mistake.” My glare met Goran next, and he took a step back. “Goran, get me Ricardo and then assemble a team of our best. We’re flying to Italy tonight.”

Chapter

One

SAVANNAH

“Come on, Cutter, we’re going to be late for school,” I called up the stairs and then rushed into the kitchen to continue making his lunch. Rushing and running around were not things I excelled at, and I swore and dropped the knife on the counter as I cut myself. “Dammit.”

Turning on the water, I ran my bleeding index finger under the spray. The dishtowel—the only thing in reach—became my wrap as I shut off the water and dashed across the kitchen to the drawer that held all the first aid stuff. I didn’t need this today.

I glanced over my shoulder as I put the antiseptic and sticky bandage on, but Cutter’s seat and bowl of cereal were still not touched. What was going on with him today? The rest of his lunch was made in record time. I didn’t know why NASCAR didn’t have mothers as their pit crew because no one could multitask at lightning speed the way we could. Stuffing the lunch into Cutter’s bag, I tore out of the kitchen and up the stairs, grabbed my jacket, and stuffed my arms through the sleeves as I went.

“Cutter, what’s taking so long?” Not only was Cutter always on time, but he was genuinely the greatest kid on the planet. I was sure every mother said that about their children, but it was as if Cutter had been born wise beyond his years. He creeped me out with how smart he was. It was great, but the words he said and used correctly were words I didn’t know until I was much older. It didn’t help that when he said these things seriously and with a tiny smirk on his adorable face, it felt like I was staring at a miniature version of Nathan.

Stepping into Cutter’s room, I found him sitting on the bed, dressed and ready for school, but his head was down as he held onto his Wolverine action figure. I walked over and sat down beside him.

“Hey, are you not feeling well?” He shook his head. “Are you having trouble getting ready?” He shook his head again. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders. “Then what has you so upset?”

He let out an annoyed sigh that had me biting my lip to keep from laughing. “Mommy, is Daddy really not coming home anymore?” My smile fell. Oh shit. “Why does he have to leave us?” His big blue eyes turned up to mine, and there was so much sadness in them that I almost burst into tears.

I knew when I took this undercover job that it was a risk bringing him with me, but I couldn’t leave him behind. My mother and I weren’t on speaking terms, and Nathan didn’t know about him. I needed to keep it that way until Cutter was old enough to understand.

It was supposed to be three to six months—tops. It wouldn’t have been a big deal, but Marko, getting deeper into the organization, created extension after extension. We’d tried to explain to Cutter that Marko was only Mommy’s friend—we were never intimate and didn’t even sleep in the same room—but he was still the only father figure he’d ever known. Marko was from the local office and had been undercover for over a year. He’d gotten in deep enough that dinners with family were expected, so they shipped me over here to be his pretend wife.

I’d grown to love Italy and was fine with staying, but I’d always worried what kind of toll it would take on Cutter when the job ended and Marko went home to his family while we flew back to the United States. Now, here I was, staring into Cutter’s sad eyes as guilt wracked every fiber of my being.

“We talked about this last night. Marko’s job is done, and he no longer needs to rent a room from us.”

When his lip pushed out and his eyes filled with tears, I wanted to take the last three years back. How could someone so young understand so much?

“But he was my daddy,” he said.

“Cutter, he isn’t your daddy. He is a really, really good friend. I know he’s going to miss you though. He told me before he left.”

“He has a family?” I nodded. “Can we just be part of his family?” I gave him a sad smile.

“It doesn’t work like that, Bud.”

Marko finally had enough information that a team raided and arrested twelve prominent members of a smuggling ring, including the right-hand man to Aldo Mancini, who was the head of the snake we’d been after here in Italy. But that also meant our time here at this house, pretending to be a happily married couple outside these doors, was over.

I needed to figure out how to explain all of this in a way that Cutter would understand, and at the moment, I was at a loss for the right words.

“How about we get you to school? After I pick you up this afternoon, we’ll go anywhere you want for dinner, and I’ll answer all your questions.”

“Anywhere I want?”