Page 63 of Baiting Kong

“Am about to get back to it before we cause yet another incident in this hospital,” Ms. Kat said, making a shooing motion with her hands.

Red-faced and sputtering, Kong backed off before Mark or Creature could say or do anything more.

“Thank you,” Scout muttered, running a hand over the back of his neck.

It meant something that he’d come here, but once burned, Scout’s trust was as hard to gain back as the protection Kong promised and then snatched away the moment Scout had taken the steps to earn it. Scout didn’t know if he could forgive that. Maybe the answers would come on the waves, which he was now looking forward to facing, knowing he wouldn’t have to face them alone. He’d seen photos of Mark on the clubhouse walls, along with several other club members who loved surfing those high waves. He knew he could trust Mark to keep him from getting into trouble out there. Along the way, Scout hoped he’d clue him in about who the real Kong was, because after seeing the devastated look in his eyes as he withdrew from the doorway, Scout wasn’t sure that he’d met that man yet.

Chapter 19

(Axel)

“It’s a little cramped, with two beds in it, but we can make it work,” Axel assured Scout as he led him into their room at Creature’s apartment.

“And it’s only temporary,” Creature explained. “I’ll start looking for another apartment for us this weekend, and before either of you tries to protest, let me cut you off right now. It isn’t an issue; it isn’t me going out of my way or disrupting my life; it’s me wanting a place where we can all be comfortable, so zip it.”

“Yes, sir,” Scout replied while Axel stood there blinking at Creature’s declaration.

The way he’d swooped in, not once, but twice now, left him feeling all kinds of things about the man, including naughty ones he wasn’t sure how to proceed with.

Or if.

After the way Scout had been treated by Kong, Axel was feeling a bit gun-shy despite all that Creature had already done for him. Between learning about Teddy and the way he’d been literally cut loose and cast adrift and then seeing the pain in Scout’s eyes when Kong had turned his back on him, he was scared of trusting too soon.

A heavy hand rested on the back of his neck and gently squeezed before Creature’s thumb stroked along the side of his neck until the tension in it and his shoulders eased.

“If you think any harder, smoke will start rolling out of your ears,” Creature muttered.

“It’s okay if you don’t wanna share a room with me,” Scout said. “Like I told you before you guys shoved an extra bed in there, I’m good with the couch until we can move somewhere with a third room. It’s cool, really.”

“It’s not that,” Axel explained, reaching out to catch Scout’s sleeve and gently tug him closer. “I swear, it isn’t that. It’s gonna be cool sharing a room with you. We can have our own private slumber party.”

Scout’s eyes sparkled as the corner of his lip lifted into a small smile. “My brother and I used to have sleepovers all the time when we were little. Dad would let us set up a pillow fort if the weather was shit, but when it wasn’t, we’d pitch a tent in the yard, and he’d light a fire in the fire pit and let us cook our hotdogs and marshmallows over it. Sawyer used to smear melted marshmallows on his hotdogs and say it was the best thing ever. I tried it once, and it was okay, but definitely not the best thing ever.”

“Whatwasthe best thing ever?” Axel asked.

“Cheese-filled hot dogs with just a little char on the outside, dipped in a mix of barbeque sauce and ketchup,” Scout admitted with a dreamy little look on his face.

Axel smiled fondly at the memory that popped up then, of him and his folks in front of the trailer, Mom laughing at something Dad said as he was tending the grill, while Axel popped a wheelie on his BMX as he rode past.

“I always loved hotdogs with a little bit of char too,” Axel admitted. “The ones Dad made were awesome, but he never got the ones with cheese in them. I bet those are amazing.”

“They are,” Scout insisted. “We should get them sometime so you can try them.”

“Why don’t we pick some up on the way to the compound and head down to the beach, light a fire, and pig out?” Creature offered.

“Hell yeah,” Scout blurted, while Axel stood, for a moment, stunned before enthusiastically nodding.

“I’d like that,” Axel admitted. “Would be an awesome way to spend the day off.”

“Why so shocked?” Scout asked, cocking his head as he studied Axel, who squirmed, not like he was going anywhere with Creature still stroking the back of his neck.

“Guess it’s been a while since anyone wanted to do something cool with me just cause they thought I’d like it,” Axel admitted.

“We’re gonna have to change that,” Scout said.

“He’s right, we do,” Creature murmured, pressed so close Axel could feel Creature’s rumbling words roll over him.

“I’ve missed having a family,” Axel admitted. “Never expected to gain one by pitching in to even the odds in a fight.”

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