Page 16 of Shotgun Daddy
Reece’s eyes sparkled, a mix of relief and gratitude washing over his pretty face.
“Thank you, Daddy,” Reece said, clutching his stuffie with pride. “I just want to act. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, ever since I was a kid tripping over my lines in the Christmas play. Well, I didn’t actually trip over them. I kinda nailed them!”
“I don’t doubt that for one second, young man,” Faustino chuckled. “And you’ll be back on the stage or screen before long again. Trust me. But in the meantime, you’re staying here at the share house. I might be your Daddy while we sort this out, but this keeps things simple for you. Truthfully, I don’t have a fixed address myself anyway. I just bounce between hotels. That’s my style. And it’s been that way for years. But you’ve got to keep me posted. Anything suspicious… strange calls, weird vibes,some creep lurking around… you report it to me right away. No hesitation. Got it?”
Faustino knew that he had to lay it on the line. There was no point in trying to hide anything from Reece – he was observant, nosey, and unafraid to stick his beak in to find out the truth.
Reece nodded eagerly.
“Got it. I’ll tell you everything, I swear,” Reece replied, conviction in his voice.
“Good boy,” Faustino said, smiling.
Faustino liked how quick Reece was to agree, how he looked at him like he could fix anything. That was his Little side coming to the fore in a big way, and Faustino was all there for it. It stirred something deep in him, a Daddy instinct he’d buried long ago.
“And to make sure you’re ready to blow those auditions out of the water, I’m setting you up with some one-on-one acting lessons,” Faustino continued, his mind suddenly popping and fizzing with plans for this sweet, charming boy. “An elite coach, best in the city. Someone who’ll take that raw talent of yours and turn it into gold. You’d be surprised, my contacts book isn’t just filled with killers, dealers, and mob bosses.”
“Seriously? Faustino, that’s… that’s incredible!” Reece exclaimed, his voice dripping with emotion. “I can’t believe you’d do that for me!”
“Only the best for my boy,” Faustino said, pleased at his excitement.
Reece’s joy was infectious, lighting up the room like a burst of sunshine. Faustino could see how well he’d do if he had the chance to showcase himself on the big screen. Seeing him likethis, so hopeful and full of life, did something to Faustino – it cracked open a part of his heart he’d locked away after Justin. He pushed that memory down though. It wasn’t the time to be thinking of the past. Instead, Faustino simply focused on Reece’s beaming smile.
“You’ve got the spark, Reece,” Faustino laughed. “I’ve seen it. This coach will just help you shine at your brightest.”
Reece practically bounced into his lap, his juice sloshing a little as he threw his arms around his neck.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the best Daddy ever!” Reece exclaimed. “Even if you do give out corner time!”
Faustino laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that felt good in his chest.
“Easy, boy. Don’t spill that juice all over me,” Faustino laughed. “And don’t knock corner time either. Or you’ll be experiencing a lot more of it sooner than you want…”
Faustino laughed once more and hugged Reece back, savoring the feel of his small frame against his. For a moment, the chaos of his life faded and it was just him and the boy who trusted him to keep his world right.
No family bullshit.
No death or bloodshed.
Just me and Reece…
Faustino was quickly brought back to earth as his phone buzzed on the desk, shattering the moment. Faustino’s jaw tightened as he glanced at it, seeing Matteo’s name flash across the screen. Another message. Another damn meeting, probably packedwith more pain in the ass rules and lectures about how he needed to fall in line with whatever bullshit was going down.
Faustino didn’t bother opening the message. Not yet anyway. He’d deal with Matteo and Michael when he had to. Right now, Reece was his priority…
“Everything okay?” Reece asked, tilting his head, his brow furrowing with concern.
“Yeah, just family,” Faustino muttered, brushing it off. “Nothing you need to worry your pretty face about. You just focus on being your amazing self, okay?”
Reece giggled, sipping his juice through the straw.
“Okay, Daddy,” Reece said, smiling.
Faustino leaned back against the crate bed’s headboard, watching Reece with a rare sense of calm. For once, the storm of his life felt manageable. And it was all because he had Reece to ground him.
But his phone buzzed again.
And then again.
