I watch as her face goes from annoyed to wan, and she clasps one hand on her arm across her chest, as if to ward herself from whatever comes at her. “Chad, what is it, honey? What’s going on? Where’s your father?”

Her voice is laced with concern. Though I can’t deny I feel chagrined that our plans are thwarted, I know her son comes first. I can feel the tension from where I sit, so I wait quietly. Patience and fortitude during intense times is something I’ve learned. First as an older brother, having to step into the role of man of the house at a young age, then later as a dominant.

“Chad, relax,” Diana instructs in an even tone, her jaw tight, knuckles white from grasping the phone so hard. “Okay, honey. Remember how we talked about deep breathing? Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Good. Just like that. No, Chad, don’t—” She sighs, and then she speaks again. “I can’t get you right now, honey. It’s your weekend with your dad, and he is supposed to be watching you.” She swings her head around and her eyes meet mine, saddened, pleading even. I get to my feet, prepared to give her whatever she needs.

Her eyes briefly close before they flutter open again. “Put your father on the phone.” Her lips thin, and when she opens her eyes again she’s focused somewhere behind me as she listens. Her tone changes. “What did you show him?” she asks through gritted teeth, then listens. “What? Are you out of your mind? He’ll have nightmares for weeks, thanks to you!” The voice on the other end of the phone grows louder, and my hands clench into fists as I watch her look change from horror-stricken, to angry, before she pales. “Come get him? Now? You what?”

I reach her and put a hand on her elbow. She jumps as if she just remembered that I’m in the room. “Just a minute,” she says into the phone, taking it off her ear and tapping the mute button. When she looks at me, her eyes are filled with tears.

“What is it?”

“Billy, Chad’s father, showed Chad a rated R horror film,” she says, swiping her hand over her eyes. Her voice shakes when she speaks. Fuck, what I wouldn’t give to make those eyes warm again, to calm the tremble in her voice. “He can handle some stuff, but horror… freaks him out. Badly.”

“Jesus.”

“Might seem like nothing, and a lot of eight-year-olds could handle it, I guess, I don’t know, but Chad has nightmares and this particular one sent him over the edge.” She waves the phone. “He called me in hysterics, wants me to pick him up. Billy says he needs to grow up and that I pamper him.”

“Sounds like Billy’s the one who needs to grow the fuck up.”

Her eyes softened and she whispers, “Yeah. Chad wants to come home, but he asks me every week.” She swallows, takes a deep breath, and carries on. “And Billy doesn’t let him. Says it’s time to cut the apron strings. But Billy just told me he wants him home, is dropping him off now.” Her face falls. “Says he doesn’t want his pussy for a son around him, and yeah, he said that in front of Chad. I’m so sorry. I need to go.”

Christ.

I nod. “End the call, honey. I’ll take you home.”

She bites her lip, then put the phone back to her ear. “Hello? I’ll be home in ten minutes. Put Chad on the phone.” A pause, and then her voice softens. “Baby, you’re coming home. It’s going to be okay. It was just a movie, Chad.” She nods. “See you soon. I love you.”

She hangs up the phone. “He never says ‘I love you’ back,” she says, and as soon as she’s spoken, her cheeks flush. “I’m sorry. That just slipped out. It just—sometimes I need to hear it is all. I—I can’t believe we were just about to—and then this happened.” Her chin wavers, as she turns and faces the loveseat, clumsily lifting her shoes and sliding them on her feet.

I cross the room to her, needing to reassure her. What I wouldn’t give to take this off her shoulders. In one swift motion, I pull her onto my lap. “C’mere,” I say in a husky whisper. I pull her body into mine, and my arms encircle her. “I wanna tell you something. Not goin’ anywhere, babe. Tonight was special, and you gave that to me. Your debt’s wiped clean, and you and I, we move on from this. Tonight isn’t our only chance. Okay?”

She nods. “Okay,” she whispers. “Thank you for understanding.”

“You’re a brave girl, you know,” I whisper back. “Now let’s get you home and see to Chad, okay?”

She nods, but as I gently push her to her feet, she turns back to me, leans in, and brushes her lips across my cheek. I smile at her tender touch. No matter what it takes, I’ll make her mine. If I have to wait. Fight for it. Slay her dragons. Whatever it takes, I’ll make it happen. Something in me says she’s worth it.

I lift her coat for her, helping her slide into it, then I pull it tight and zip it up.

“I can zip my own coat,” she says, but when I lift a brow to her she smiles. “But thank you.”

“Sounds to me like you take care of a lot of people in your life,” I say. “Is that true?” I walk her to the door and open it for her.

“Yeah,” she says. “Always been the way. I didn’t have any brothers or sisters, but mom worked her fingers off. You know. So I did dinner after homework, stuff like that. My mom’s older now, but independent. Chad’s my only kid, but clearly, he needs me a little more than the average child. Hell, even the guys I’ve dated have always needed me.” She laughs mirthlessly as we walk down the hall that leads to the back entrance, and the parking lot. The alternate exit allows us to skip walking past the crowded rooms in the main area of the club.

“Where are we going? And why does it smell like tobacco down here? You know, I really can help you with your décor.”

“Different exit.” I open the back door to Verge, revealing the well-lit back parking lot that all guests can access, though only employees usually do. “Smells like tobacco here because the club shares space with a smoke shop.” I smile. “And we’ll talk about décor.”

“Ah, ok. You smoke?”

“Not anymore. Had a wild hair out of college, but I’ve tamed things down.”

“Suuuure.”

I give her a playful smack on the ass before I lead her to the street. “So you’re an interior decorator. Did I tell you what I do for work?”

Rubbing her ass, her cheeks are pink and eyes wide, she slides into the passenger seat. “No. I thought you owned this club?”

“Yep. I spank asses for a living.”

She grins. “Hope it pays well.”

I smirk and shut the passenger door, turning to the back lot and giving it a quick scan as I always do. Nothing out of place, nothing concerning. I glance at my phone, no messages.

“To your place, right?”

“Yes, please.” We drive in comfortable silence for a few minutes before she speaks up. “What did you do before you owned Verge?”

“Lots of things. I mostly tended bar through college, then afterward made a good living as a bouncer.”

“Really. Like one of those burly men at the door. That was you?”

I smirk. “Yeah, babe. I got offered a position as a personal bodyguard to a few semi-famous celebrities. Made good money doing that but the travel was killer. So I came back to bouncing here in NYC, and it made good money. I found a job as a bouncer for a BDSM club about ten years ago and things started to unfold then.”

“Interesting. And that’s how you met Seth?”

“Yep. Seth’s wife, Rochelle, relocated here, got a job, the two of them were club regulars back in the day. Seth and I got tight, realized that we wanted more than a playground on someone else’s turf. Launched Verge, and the rest is history.”

“That’s really cool.”

“Glad you think so. I still keep it from my mama. I could be bodyguard to Prince for all she knows.”

“Prince died like years ago.”

My lips twitch. “We’ve tried telling her that maybe a dozen times. I don’t lie to her. I just don’t try to talk her out of what she knows.”

Pretty, musical laughter fills the car, making me smile.

I easily navigate my car through the congested streets.

Her laughter dies, and her voice is softer now. I gently grasp her knee.

“Gonna be okay, Diana.”

She puts her hand atop mine. “Thank you.”

When we pull up to the curb, I hear a crashing sound, and it takes me a moment to realize it’s the door slamming to a nondescript black car that Chad gets out of. I move quickly to open Diana’s door, give Chad a quick wave, then step to the side as the boy practically tackles his mom. His little shoulders shake, and I realize he’s crying. “Dad says if I’m too much of a wuss to handle a movie, he doesn’t want me over anymore.”

What a douchebag.

Diana holds her son, her eyes flashing toward the car Chad emerged from, and I feel my body go still.

I watch as a tall, very good-looking guy with longish light brown hair like Chad’s comes over. He wears no coat in the frigid temps, just a hooded black sweatshirt and a pair of faded, dingy jeans. He stalks over to us, flicking his gaze to me, raking his eyes over me with undisguised scorn.

“Diana,” he greets. “See you’ve got yourself another man of the hour.”

My fists clench, but I hold my ground and stand back. This is her deal. If she needs me, I’ll wade in. Hell, I’m already yearning to bust this guy’s jaw, but I won’t do anyone favors by escalating shit. Instead, I look to Chad and shoot him a smile.

“Chad, what’s up, man?” I reach to Chad to greet him with a fist bump. At first Chad just stares, then tentatively makes a fist of his own and gently smacks my knuckles.

“Hi,” Chad says. “You’re the guy from the bakery.”

I nod. “Yup.”

“Talked me into eating the other donut.”

“That I did.”

“Billy, meet Tobias,” Diana says. “Tobias, Billy, Chad’s father.”

Billy looks at my outstretched hand and shoves his own in his pocket. “I’m more than Chad’s father,” Billy says, his lip curled. “I’m Diana’s husband.”

Diana exhales angrily and my body goes still. Her husband? Have I been played?

“My ex-husband,” she hisses. “You have no right to call yourself that anymore. But I’m not wasting any more time on that conversation. Why’d you take him to that movie?”

I narrow my eyes back on Billy. Fucking jerk, pretending he has a claim to her he’d already wasted.

Billy purses his lips and rolls his eyes. “That matters?”

“Yes,” Diana says, while I mentally recite the alphabet in German. I don’t wanna lose my temper.

“Apocalypse Dawn is the tamest horror film in a decade and he lost it.”

“He’s eight,” Diana says through gritted teeth.

“Yeah? He would be if you let him grow the fuck up. Acts like he’s six. Not sure why you get your rocks off keeping him young, but whatever works for you, babe.”

The boy buries his head on his mother’s shoulder.

A gust of wind blows hard, making both Diana and Chad shiver. I’ve had enough.

“Pleased to meet you,” I lie, facing Billy. “Diana, why don’t you take Chad out of the cold now.”

Diana looks at me and nods. “We’ll talk tomorrow, Billy,” she says, turning her back on him.

“So that’s how it goes now?” Billy says. “You put out for some big, burly guy and he comes and bosses everyone, including you, around?”

“Ignore him, Diana, and go in the house,” I instruct quietly. “Chad’s freezing, and this guy’s only baiting you.” I turn my full attention on her, making sure she listens, but more importantly, making sure she stays safe. She nods, ushering Chad toward her front door. When they’re gone, I turn to Billy. I imagine the satisfying crunch of the asshole’s jaw snapping back as I deck him, those arrogant eyes no longer focused on Diana, his words no longer injuring the boy who shakes in his mother’s arms.

The guy has to be either drunk or off his nut, since he merely glares back. “And you, time for you to get your ass in your car, and get the hell out of here,” I tell him, my voice brooking no argument. I’m so done with this asshole. Billy only glares. “Unless,” I say patiently, “You need a little help in that department? Need an escort?” I loosen my shoulders and crack my neck, then take a step toward him. Please, asshole, give me a reason to hurt you.

“You put your hands on me, I call the police,” Billy threatens.

I laugh out loud. “Please do. Ask for officer Zack Williams. He’s one of my closest friends, and he’d be happy to come here and help avoid a domestic disturbance this fine evening.”

Billy’s eyes narrow. “Fuck you,” he hisses, but he moves toward his car despite his apparent bravery, and when he slams the door shut, I hear the click of a lock.

Motherfucker. I can feel the adrenaline heating my gut, the surge of power that shoots through me. The nerve of the asshole treating not only Diana but her son like shit. He needs a goddamned lesson, and I want to be the one to give it to him. I won’t stoop to his level, though.

I stand, arms crossed on my chest, oblivious to the biting wind that nips at me. I watch until Billy pulls away from the curb and his taillights are no longer visible, before I turn and go to Diana.

* * *

“I’ve never seen him do that before,” Diana whispers over the sleeping head of her son.

“What’s that?”

“Hold someone’s hand other than mine before he goes to sleep, and do it so… relaxed.” She reaches over and tucks a stray strand of hair behind Chad’s ear, frowning.

As an older brother to three younger siblings, when my dad took off I took on a role that veered into paternal. I’d done it all, taking on the fatherly role they all needed—baseball practice, putting kids to bed, setting rules and discipline in place. My youngest sister had only been two when my dad left, and my mom worked the overnight shift because it brought in extra income. I’d scared the boogey monster out of my baby sister’s closet, read her bedtime stories, and given her the reassurance she needed to rest well. Even though she’s a busy college student now, she calls me once a week, and we’re still tight. I still remember her as the little girl who called me Toby, the only one who ever had.

“Billy’s an asshole,” she continues. “And if I didn’t have to honor the court-ordered visitation rights, I wouldn’t do it. I know kids need moms and dads. I mean, I guess it’s best for them. I know Billy’s his father, and Billy has the right to see him.” She bites her lip. “I’ve seen families torn apart by divorce, and I fought it, Tobias. I wanted it to work. I didn’t want to be one of those families that split holidays. Billy just never understood Chad.”

“Lots of people don’t,” I say gently, taking the hand that rests on her sleeping child in mine. “Not saying it’s right, and you didn’t need to tell me Billy’s an asshole. Knew it from the minute he opened his mouth. And yeah, I agree with you that kids should see their dads, and that dads have the right to see their kids.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s easy,” she whispers.

“No.”

She swallows before speaking again. “Every time he sees him, we regress a little. For a long time, I thought it was because visiting Billy reminded him of what we once had, and I blamed myself for the regression.”

“Baby…”

“But it isn’t that,” she interrupts. “No. I know now, it’s not me. It’s Billy. He does this to him. He wants Chad to be that strong, macho boy he was. And Chad isn’t that kid.”

I know she needs me to listen, but it’s more than that. I want to know who she is. What makes her tick. Listening to her clues me in.

“He… he would crumple in a football game. He doesn’t even like high fives, never has. They startle him and he says it hurts.” She smiles sadly, but her eyes are bright. “That’s why he liked the fist bump thing you did. It doesn’t scare him. He talked about it all day long.”

My gut clenches at that, but I only nod and give her an encouraging smile.

“He doesn’t like when the seams on his socks cross his foot.” She seems embarrassed after she states the seemingly random fact.

I shrug. “I don’t like that either.”

She laughs softly, then stops when Chad stirs. “Billy made him wear the seams crooked for days, said getting used to discomfort was part of learning to be a man.”

“Jesus.”

“And yeah, I get it. Chad does need to learn things, and maybe I’m too lenient on him. But he’s sensitive, and I have a whole team of people I work with. He’s made huge progress. The very fact he let you touch him…” her voice wavers a bit and she ends with a whisper. “You have no idea.”

She smoothes down her son’s hair and smiles. “You’ve done enough, Tobias. Why don’t you go home? I’m so sorry our night ended so abruptly.”

I shake my head. “I’m gonna stay as long as you need me. Got no plans. Checked in at Verge, no one needs me, and all’s quiet with Zack.”

She nods, biting her lip and looks out the window before she asks, “So what’s the deal with the attacks? Any more word?”

I shake my head. “First victim said she met him outside of Verge, NYPD assumed he’d come from there. Evidence seemed to point to him being a member, but the investigation got us nowhere.” I pause. “Second victim didn’t survive, so we’ve got nothing, except that her body was found not too far away.”

“My God.”

“Yeah. We haven’t had a serial rapist around here in a good long time. Random acts of violence, crime, hell yeah. But a serial attacker? Not that I remember. But no. No more news tonight and we don’t need to talk about that before you go to bed.” I sober. I don’t want to give her anything to fear, but I also need her to be safe. “I want you to listen. This guy is still at large. You have to be careful, Diana. You understand? I wanna see you again, and I want you listening to every instruction I give you without question.”

She swallows and nods, her eyes bright. “You want to see me again?”

My grip on her hand tightens. See her again? Hell, I don’t want to leave. “Absolutely.”

She bites her lip and looks at me coyly. “You know what sucks? I’ve been absolutely dying to have a good spanking followed by hot as Hades sex, and we got cut short.”

I quietly laugh. “That we did. How’s that ass?”

She squirms. “Sore as hell.”

Fuck. I need her alone.

“Can you put Chad to bed now?”

She grins. “Hell yeah.”