Zane flipped the safety on his gun, his big shoulders relaxing. “And after the whole serial killer thing, we can’t be too careful. Besides, Rafe and I had a bet as to the time when Doc there would slink away. I think I lose. I had him running before two, and it’s five ’til.”
Rafe laughed. “That’s fifty bucks, Hollister.”
Alexei shook his head. “No. Zane is winner. He was doing the bail. If son does not show up, he would have been gone.”
Nate and Zane exchanged a high five. Caleb frowned at all of them.
“Hey, I gotta buy diapers. Do you know how much a small-town sheriff makes?” Nate asked.
Probably just about what a small-town doctor made. He didn’t get paid to have everyone make bets on just what time during the night he would fuck up, but that was small-town living. “You all suck.”
Now that he seemed fairly certain he wasn’t in danger, Nick relaxed. “So, I’m sensing that no one is going to horrifically murder me. Tell me something, are you all couples or is this a free-for-all swinging singles kind of thing?”
Caleb felt himself flush. Nick was under a serious misconception. “They’re not couples. Not the way you think.”
Alexei turned to the boy. A huge grin came over his face. “No, no. No couples. Only trios and only about the girls.”
Nick frowned, his whole face turning down in an exaggerated pout. “That is just typical.”
“Nicky? Oh my god!” Holly ran out of the cabin, Laura following hard behind. “What are you doing here, baby?”
She had thrown on a robe and it was obvious that while Cam and Rafe had been taking care of the intruder, Laura had been checking on Holly. Holly put her hands on her son’s face and looked him up and down as though checking for injuries. Holly was a good foot shorter than her baby boy.
Nate and Zane stepped away.
“I can see you three have this under control,” Nate said, nodding at Caleb. “Good night. And Rafe, we’ll expect that in cash tomorrow.”
Rafe grumbled, but they, too left, Laura promising to talk to Holly in the morning.
And he was alone with Alexei, Holly, and Holly’s son. Holly’s son. It had been an easy thing to forget that she had a kid. Holly had responsibilities that he didn’t begin to understand.
Holly fretted over the teen boy, her hands fluttering. “What’s going on, baby? Why are you here? Did you drive all the way from Denver? Is something wrong?”
Nick smiled down at his mom. “Slow down, Mom. I’m here because I wanted to see you. I needed to see you. Yes, I drove from Denver. And everything is fine. It’s great. But I might have told Dad I’m gay, and he might have kicked me out of my palatial homeland. So, yeah, it looks like I live with you now. Surprise.”
Nick Lang stood in the yard, his sarcasm belying the vulnerable set of her shoulders. He might be seventeen, but he wasn’t close to being a man yet. He needed his mother.
Holly hugged him fiercely. “Yes, you do, baby. Of course you can live with me. You might not have been here, but this was always your home. Oh, sweetheart, come inside. So do you have luggage, or did your father kick you out with nothing?”
Caleb saw the way her fists clenched. He understood. It was a good thing Scott Lang wasn’t anywhere close. What kind of man tossed out his child?
“Oh, no, I managed to get a couple of things.” He gestured toward his car. The little red sports car gleamed in the moonlight. And it was stuffed with suitcases.
Holly smiled. “Good. The boys can get them. You don’t mind, boys, do you?”
“Not at all, dushka,” Alexei said with a gracious little bow. “I hope that son will forgive me for tackling him.”
He didn’t mention the gun, and it had conveniently disappeared. In fact all of them had disappeared. The men had quickly hidden the weapons the minute they’d heard Holly coming. Alexei’s gun had gone in the pocket of his slacks. Caleb kept his mouth shut.
And so did the kid. He merely nodded Alexei’s way. “No problem. It was a dumb idea to try to sneak in. I haven’t been very smart lately. I appreciate the fact that you were looking out for my mom. I really appreciate it. And I was joking about the whole gay thing. Not the me part, that’s real. But I knew you weren’t of my persuasion. My gaydar is nearly perfect, and it doesn’t go off around you. It’s a loss to my kind. Are you my mom’s boyfriend?”
“Nicky.” Holly sounded horrified.
Alexei merely put an arm around the kid. If he was embarrassed to get caught sleeping with the boy’s mom, it didn’t show. “I am, indeed. I care very much for her. I am so glad to meet you. Your mother is so proud. She tell me all about you in her letters. You are good boy.”
“That whole accent thing is so hot. And what about Red over there?” Nick asked, his eyes narrowing on Caleb.
Caleb felt pinned by those eyes. “I, uhm, care about your mom, too.”
Nick grinned. “Everything I heard about this place is true, isn’t it? I think my grandma calls it a ‘den of inequity.’ I always thought it sounded like fun. I can’t wait.”
Nick walked into the cabin with his mom, chattering away about all the things he wanted to do now that he was in Bliss. Caleb stood in the yard feeling like his whole world had just changed.
Alexei slapped him on the back. “Come. Let’s to help out the kid. You cannot leave now. You have to see this. Holly needs us.”
It would probably look pretty bad to run out. And after everything the kid had heard, he wouldn’t think much of a man who used his mother and walked away. Fuck. He had to stay. It was going to be a really long night.
Alexei hefted a trunk and passed it to him. Caleb groaned under the weight. It felt like the kid had managed to sneak the kitchen sink out of his dad’s house. There was a ton of stuff.
Alexei’s wide grin mocked him. “It is good to have family, no?”
Family. He’d run from his, and somehow, someway he’d found another one.
Chapter Eleven
Holly stared out of the tiny window of her kitchen into the yard and wondered if she wasn’t already fucking up her second chance. Her son had been home for less than twelve hours, and she’d already exposed him to her suddenly kinky sex life. And to a bunch of men with guns. Yeah, she wasn’t an idiot. They had all looked so innocent after she’d rushed out, but she’d caught sight of the bulge in Zane’s jeans, and despite rumors, she seriously doubted his thingy wrapped all the way around to the small of his back. She doubted any of them had been unarmed. Not a single one of those men would run around in the dark of night without some form of weapon.
“Good morning, dushka.” Alexei’s arms came around her waist, lifting her slightly as his face nuzzled her neck.
She’d woken up wrapped around him, utterly safe in his arms. She wouldn’t be cold as long as Alexei was in her bed. And she’d missed Caleb. She was perverse.
“Good morning.” Doubt crept back in with the morning light. He was so beautiful.
“Your son, he is all right?”
Her son was still asleep. She’d tucked him in last night after making him a cup of tea and trying to get him to talk. He’d said very little past the fact that Scott had kicked him out after discovering his sexual orientation, and his stepmother had done nothing to help him. That hadn’t been a big surprise. Connie was a cipher. She’d been handpicked by Maureen Lang to be the perfect political wife. She’d immediately spat out two kids and never disagreed with Scott. She wore what she was told to wear. She had a life filled with teas and events. Holly didn’t envy her.
“I think he’s fine. Well, he’s as fine as a kid who just had his whole life ripped away can be.” Rage still threatened to choke her. Asshole. How could he have done that to their son?