Page 35 of Shotgun Daddy
To Reece’s surprise, his anger flared, hot and sharp, fueled by fear and the chaos that kept crashing into his life since Faustino had entered it. He shoved his Daddy away, standing on shaky legs.
“Fix it? This is all your fault, Faustino!” Reece said, stomping his feet. “I was fine. My career was fine. Everything was. Until you and your stupid dangerous Fendi world dragged me in! I almost got shot because of you!”
Faustino’s face darkened, a flicker of hurt crossing his eyes before they hardened. “Reece, I’m trying to protect you,” Faustino said, holding out his hands in front of him.
“Protect me?” Reece snapped, his voice rising, echoing off the lobby’s high walls. “I’m not safe with you! I can’t keep doing this. It’s ruining everything I’ve worked for!”
Reece swiped at his tears, his chest heaving.
“As soon as this mess is resolved, I’m done,” Reece said. “I’m leaving, and I never want to see you again.”
Faustino flinched, the words clearly hitting like a slap, but he masked it fast, his expression turning steely. As Faustino towered over Reece, he turned to Owen.
“Take him back to the apartment,” Faustino said, his voice flat, controlled. “Keep him there, then come find me. I’ve got shit to handle.”
Owen nodded, stepping forward with a gentle hand on Reece’s arm.
“Come on, kid” Owen said. “Let’s get you outta here.”
Reece yanked his arm free, glaring at Faustino through teary eyes.
“Don’t act like you care now,” Reece spat, grabbing his bag from the floor where it’d fallen in his scramble. He stormed toward the exit, Owen trailing him, his anger a shield against the fear that was in danger of bubbling up and boiling over.
Faustino stayed rooted, watching the boy go, his fists clenched at his sides.
The lobby’s fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, cold and indifferent, as Reece stepped into the evening air, the distant siren growing louder.
Sitting in the car with Owen, Reece quietly cried. Faustino had brought him safety and chaos in equal measure, and now his dream audition that had felt like a triumph hung in the balance.
Reece hugged himself, staring out the window, and wondered if he’d meant it. Could he really leave Faustino and never see him again?
Owen stayed quiet, driving steady, and Reece let the silence swallow him, unsure about what would come next.
I thought Faustino was my Forever…
Maybe I was wrong.
Maybe this whole thing was one giant mistake…
Chapter 16
Faustino
“What have I just let happen…” Faustino muttered, shaking his head.
As Faustino stood in the fading light of the office building’s entrance, the air heavy and ready for rain as Owen’s car pulled away with Reece slumped in the back seat, he knew that something had changed between him and Reece. His darling boy’s words echoed in Faustino’s mind, painful and raw.
I fucked up.
I moved things too quickly.
I brought him into my world when he has no place in it…
Faustino felt the hurt in his chest, raw and aching, a sadness he hadn’t let himself feel in years. Justin. It always came back to Justin. But this time it was different. As much as Reece and Justin had things in common, Faustino’s heart was only for Reece now. And his boy’s tear-streaked face, the fury in his eyes, the way he’d shoved him away… it all burned.
But beneath the pain, a colder thought crept in. Maybe this was for the best. If Reece walked away, he’d be out of harm’s way,safe from the violence that shadowed his every step and would continue to do so for the rest of his life as a Fendi man.
This way, Reece would be safe from ending up like Justin. The idea twisted Faustino’s gut, equal parts relief and loss, and he stood there, rooted, as the taillights of Owen’s SUV vanished into the dusk.
