Page 114 of Lesson In Honesty

Why the hell were people such assholes towards their kids? Sure, the boy had trouble with emotional cues sometimes, and he needed to be asked to do things in a very specific manner. Often, his temper flared when he was frustrated, but he rarely took his exasperation out on others; he just berated himself until it passed.

Compliments made him both uncomfortable and so freaking happy.

He struggled to offer himself as a person because he’d been rejected too many times to count.

“Thank you. You know I love your pizzas, right?” Liam winked at him, knowing damn well probably only half of each pie was going to be edible. “Are you settling in with the others in the cabin okay?”

Another tiny smile. “Yes, sir.”

“They’re not giving you any trouble?”

“No, sir. They’re not mean.”

“That’s what I like to hear. You know where you have to come if that changes, yes? No exceptions, no excuses.”

Petey nodded slowly. “Yes, sir. I have to tell you or Allan if anyone is mean to me, sir.”

“Any time,” Liam added. Patting the stack, he glanced at Allan to make sure he was still on board with the incognito protection detail.

Petey had moved into the staff bunkhouse with a dozen other younger employees who weren’t interested in the club itself, but the money they earned. Allan had persuaded his own son to take a job on the maintenance crew and move into the bunkhouse to cover Petey’s ass.

Allan and Liam were paying him out of their own paychecks to provide a celebrity-level bodyguard service.

“Have a good shift, guys. I’m going to go spoil my princess.”

Allan laughed. “Behave yourself, Liam.”

“Do I ever?”

It took five minutes to walk back to the cabin. He found his steps were quickening the closer he got, he was so eager to get home and be with the people he loved after a long day.

When he opened the door, he heard Mack talking in the kitchen while a faint voice responded from the speakers. There was no sign of Sierra, however. He waved at Mack from the doorway, holding up the pizzas, and got a grin and a thumbs-up in reply.

The sound of water running told him their girl was taking a shower.

Stepping into the living room, he flipped on the lights and jolted at the sight of an oversized teddy bear propped lifelessly beside the hearth. Big, floppy limbs in caramel brown fur, dark glass eyes, a lighter round patch of fur on the collapsed belly.

Christ, had someone sentthatto Sierra for fixing or had she unearthed it from one of those huge bins supplied by Eli and Van? Unless the sender requested they wanted it back, his guess was she’d work her magic on the poor thing and probably try and sneak it into bed with her.

It looked clean enough, he supposed, setting the pizzas down. The usual dumpster smell was thankfully absent—he swore his minx possessed the ability to shut off her sense of smell when dealing with some of the stuffie carcasses.

If anything, it just wanted some more stuffing to round it out and make it cuddly again.

Groaning, he sank down on the couch and belatedly unlaced his boots, toeing them off. Setting them under the coffee table, he maneuvered himself out of his jacket, tossing it over the back cushions, then let his tired body sink into the softness.

Every muscle ached from hefting crate after crate from the delivery truck into the basement at the ass crack of dawn. The task was made easier by Jonah’s surprise arrival and subsequent help, but by God, he ached like a bitch.

Before he could fall asleep and ruin the evening, he stretched his arm out to snag the TV remote and flipped through the channels to find something mentally invigorating.

Just as he settled on the current season ofHell’s Kitchen, Mack came in with two bottles of beer and a soda.

Barefoot, he settled himself beside Liam, handing him a beer before leaning forward to put Sierra’s soda on the table. “Did one of the casks get loose and run over you? Because I hate to tell you this, but you kinda look like you’ve been steamrollered.”

Stifling a yawn, Liam shook his head. “Feel like it, but no. Just a long day and a lot of physical exertion. Did you and Sierra have a good day? Did she get some rest?”

Mack snorted and wrenched the top off his beer. “She’s been cuffed to the bed all afternoon.”

Liam paused with his hand in mid-twist, the beer forgotten. “She what?”

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