slight nod. Kurt's helmeted head peeked out from
behind Raul and Kurt's searching eyes were the best thing he'd seen all day.
The motorcycle stopped, and Slade hauled his oldest son off the motorcycle, set
him on his feet, and then crushed him to his stomach. Words wouldn't come.
"I'm okay, Dad."
Kurt hugged him back before pushing away, struggling with the D strap under his
chin. "Uncle Raul punched Ray. You should've seen it. Knocked that asshole
out like a light—He fisted his hand and smacked his open palm—I bet he's got a
busted nose."
Slade's gaze
whipped to Raul. "What?"
"Later, amigo ."
Raul smacked his gloved hand on top of Kurt's helmet. "Watch your mouth,
kid. There's a lady present."
Kurt glanced at
Taylor and mumbled, "Sorry, Aunt Taylor."
She dashed away the
tears on her face and held out her arms. Kurt stepped into the hug, and while
his woman and son were busy reassuring each other they were both okay, he
stepped a few feet away to talk privately with Raul.
"How did Ray
get his hands on Kurt?" His fingers itched to kill the bastard.
"Kurt saw Ray
through the window at the bar, snuck out through the side door in the kitchen,
and thought to confront his step daddy himself. Seems he wanted to keep Ray
from his little brother and instead of telling an adult, Kurt thought he could
make Ray leave himself without anyone knowing." Raul shrugged. "Damn
tough kid you got there, amigo . He has bigger balls than some of the
prospects with Bantorus."
Anger heated him at
the same time pride for his boy kicked his ass. What the hell? Hadn't he always
taken care of his family? All because he'd done the right thing and let the
courts decide the fate of his family, he'd failed. Of course, Kurt thought he
could do better by taking Ray on himself. He probably didn't want his dad to
fuck up again.
"Check
yourself." Raul laid his hand on Slade's shoulder. "Your boy's fine.
You have a gorgeous woman at your back, and your family is safe. Another day,
you can fight the devil inside of you."
"Right."
Slade concentrated on where to go and what to do now. "I'll take Kurt back
to the bar. The walk will do us both good."
Raul nodded, and returned
to his motorcycle. He winked at Kurt and smiled at Taylor, then rode back in
the direction of Cactus Cove.
Slade stood, unsure
what to do or say. Kurt's actions could've got him hurt or worse, killed. Growing
up wasn't the same as when he was a kid. His dad drove long hauls in the truck
and was never home. His mom drank herself to death. He'd raised himself, and
did what he wanted. Today, he had to protect, shelter, and raise his son in not
only a broken home, but in a world that was selfish and cruel.
Taylor held out her
hand. "Let's get back. Lee's probably wondering where we
disappeared."
He walked over,
took her hand, threw his arm around Kurt's shoulder, and for once was glad when
his son let him keep it there. Each step grew lighter. He mussed Kurt's hair,
glad to have him back.
Taylor walked
silently with them, squeezing his hand every few steps and he was thankful for
the reminder that she wasn't going anywhere. He gazed ahead and broke the
silence. "A man's judged by his actions, son. Occasionally, you'll screw
up big time and it seems all is lost and no one's ever going to trust you
again. But, by changing the way you react, you prove again and again that
you're a man to be trusted. I've messed up a lot of times at your age and even
as an adult, more times than I can count. Probably didn't handle your mom right
and that got me in trouble, but I'll prove to you that you can trust me."
"Dad, I—"
"Not
done." He glanced at Kurt. "You've stepped up and became a man when
you should be a kid. You've watched your brother and put your own needs to the
side, and that grates on me. It puts scars on my back. I understand you wanting
to shoulder the responsibility of this family, but it's not your job. That's my
job, and one way I'll respect your choices, your actions, is if you
behind Raul and Kurt's searching eyes were the best thing he'd seen all day.
The motorcycle stopped, and Slade hauled his oldest son off the motorcycle, set
him on his feet, and then crushed him to his stomach. Words wouldn't come.
"I'm okay, Dad."
Kurt hugged him back before pushing away, struggling with the D strap under his
chin. "Uncle Raul punched Ray. You should've seen it. Knocked that asshole
out like a light—He fisted his hand and smacked his open palm—I bet he's got a
busted nose."
Slade's gaze
whipped to Raul. "What?"
"Later, amigo ."
Raul smacked his gloved hand on top of Kurt's helmet. "Watch your mouth,
kid. There's a lady present."
Kurt glanced at
Taylor and mumbled, "Sorry, Aunt Taylor."
She dashed away the
tears on her face and held out her arms. Kurt stepped into the hug, and while
his woman and son were busy reassuring each other they were both okay, he
stepped a few feet away to talk privately with Raul.
"How did Ray
get his hands on Kurt?" His fingers itched to kill the bastard.
"Kurt saw Ray
through the window at the bar, snuck out through the side door in the kitchen,
and thought to confront his step daddy himself. Seems he wanted to keep Ray
from his little brother and instead of telling an adult, Kurt thought he could
make Ray leave himself without anyone knowing." Raul shrugged. "Damn
tough kid you got there, amigo . He has bigger balls than some of the
prospects with Bantorus."
Anger heated him at
the same time pride for his boy kicked his ass. What the hell? Hadn't he always
taken care of his family? All because he'd done the right thing and let the
courts decide the fate of his family, he'd failed. Of course, Kurt thought he
could do better by taking Ray on himself. He probably didn't want his dad to
fuck up again.
"Check
yourself." Raul laid his hand on Slade's shoulder. "Your boy's fine.
You have a gorgeous woman at your back, and your family is safe. Another day,
you can fight the devil inside of you."
"Right."
Slade concentrated on where to go and what to do now. "I'll take Kurt back
to the bar. The walk will do us both good."
Raul nodded, and returned
to his motorcycle. He winked at Kurt and smiled at Taylor, then rode back in
the direction of Cactus Cove.
Slade stood, unsure
what to do or say. Kurt's actions could've got him hurt or worse, killed. Growing
up wasn't the same as when he was a kid. His dad drove long hauls in the truck
and was never home. His mom drank herself to death. He'd raised himself, and
did what he wanted. Today, he had to protect, shelter, and raise his son in not
only a broken home, but in a world that was selfish and cruel.
Taylor held out her
hand. "Let's get back. Lee's probably wondering where we
disappeared."
He walked over,
took her hand, threw his arm around Kurt's shoulder, and for once was glad when
his son let him keep it there. Each step grew lighter. He mussed Kurt's hair,
glad to have him back.
Taylor walked
silently with them, squeezing his hand every few steps and he was thankful for
the reminder that she wasn't going anywhere. He gazed ahead and broke the
silence. "A man's judged by his actions, son. Occasionally, you'll screw
up big time and it seems all is lost and no one's ever going to trust you
again. But, by changing the way you react, you prove again and again that
you're a man to be trusted. I've messed up a lot of times at your age and even
as an adult, more times than I can count. Probably didn't handle your mom right
and that got me in trouble, but I'll prove to you that you can trust me."
"Dad, I—"
"Not
done." He glanced at Kurt. "You've stepped up and became a man when
you should be a kid. You've watched your brother and put your own needs to the
side, and that grates on me. It puts scars on my back. I understand you wanting
to shoulder the responsibility of this family, but it's not your job. That's my
job, and one way I'll respect your choices, your actions, is if you
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