Chapter Nine

The sound of the door unlocking brought his head around.

Finding Kellum in the doorway wasn’t a surprise, but finding them all standing there dressed and ready to leave was.

“Where are you going?” The second the words left his mouth, he wanted to bite them back.

Kellum’s face turned to stone, if that was possible, and he locked the door before clutching the hand of the boy next to him tightly. Hitching the child in his arms higher, he marched forward.

Creed took a step from the wall and effectively blocked Kellum’s escape. The slender man came to a stop and glared up at him. The little one in Kellum’s arms wasn’t fazed and laughed before holding out his arms. Kellum tried to rein the little boy in, but the toddler launched at Creed.

It was the same with his own nephews and nieces. It was as if they knew instinctively that the big man would catch them and never let them fall. Creed scooped up the boy and lifted him high.

“Dylan!” Kellum cried out, before biting his lip.

“I got you, little dude.” Creed smiled when the boy giggled, and then he settled Dylan’s small frame in one arm before he quirked one eyebrow at Kellum.

“Shall we?”

“What?” Those big cornflower blue eyes surrounded by light tan lashes blinked at him.

“Go?” Creed chuckled and looked at the boy Kellum had called Aaron last night, and he smiled.

“Shopping,” Aaron said, smiling back at him.

“No,” Kellum whispered at the irritating mountain of a man. “Come here, Dylan.”

Dylan wrapped his arms around his neck and refused Kellum’s outstretched arms. Creed widened his smirk until Kellum gave an exasperated sounding groan and marched down the hall with Aaron in tow.

Catching Kellum at the elevator, Creed stopped the younger man from pushing the button.

“Let’s take the stairs.”

“Why?” Aaron asked.

Kellum held Creed’s gaze for a long moment and then nodded before walking toward the top of the stairs that would lead them down to the street. Creed saw the moment Kellum realized they couldn’t see who was at the bottom until the elevator doors opened. It was safer all the way around on the stairs.

“Just in case the elevator breaks down,” Creed told the boy.

“But why would it break?”

“Because I’m a big guy.” Creed waggled his eyebrows, making Aaron laugh. A snicker brought his gaze to Kellum, but the man had turned away. Still, though, he hadn’t heard that sound from Kellum before and his step was a bit lighter as a result.

Until they reached the bottom floor. Creed stepped up and handed Dylan to Kellum. When the toddler started to protest, he cupped the boy’s cheek.

“I’ll be right back,” Creed said and caught Kellum’s eyes. “Wait here.”

Kellum froze and pulled Aaron closer while he clutched at Dylan. With his heart in his throat, he watched as Creed walked outside, surveyed his surroundings, and then jogged out of sight.

Creed wouldn’t leave him.

He knew it as well as he knew it was five minutes after nine in the morning, but still, when the big, comforting, and protective man left his sight, all his fears came rushing back. Aaron’s own whimper added to his sudden terror.

The dark closed in and he lost sight of the small entrance; cigarette smoke and the stench of alcohol filled his nostrils.

He didn’t notice when Creed’s truck pulled up out front or when the big man got out and came back inside. It wasn’t until Creed was standing in front of him with those large, blunt fingers beneath his chin that Kellum came back from his self-imposed nightmare to find Aaron clinging to him and Dylan whimpering.

Creed took Dylan in one arm and Aaron launched at and gripped the big man’s open jacket as if to hang onto Creed for dear life. When Creed’s arm wrapped around his shoulder, Kellum almost wept from the sudden surge of warmth. He was ushered outside and he and Aaron tucked inside Creed’s truck. Dylan was strapped in a car seat before Creed strode around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel.

“I suggest the mall in Los Angeles. It’s a good hour away, but it’s a great place for disappearing and for prices,” Creed said.

When the man pulled onto the street without another word, Kellum darted a quick glance over and locked his eyes on Creed’s profile. Damn, he’d forgotten how nice the drop-dead gorgeous man was. The Pegasus operative was one of the kindest people he’d ever met and if he were to trust anyone, which he wouldn’t, he would have picked Creed.

“Can I look at this?” Aaron’s voice from the back seat had Kellum turning to find his brother holding up a Spiderman comic book.

“Go ahead, buddy,” Creed said before Kellum could answer. He made a mental note to thank his cousin the next time they met up. “That’s for you.”

“And this must be for Dylan,” Aaron said, holding up a plastic book with buttons that lit up when pushed. Each button matched with the animal on the page. It was perfect for a toddler, if a little on the young side.

“Thank you.”

Kellum’s whisper brought Creed’s eyes from the road for a moment. “You’ll need to thank Stone. The car seat was my idea, but the toys and books were probably Stone’s.”

“He was here?” Fear thickened Kellum’s words, Creed heard it as clear as day.

“You can trust him with your life.”

“It’s not my life I care about.”

The words caused something to tightly squeeze in Creed’s chest and instead of chastising Kellum, he clenched his jaw.

Two hours later found Kellum exhausted and cranky. Creed had taken them to a young boys’ store, a toddler store, and a men’s department store, found them all way too much stuff, and insisted on paying for everything. They’d made several trips to the truck, tucking everything inside before Creed insisted they make a stop at the toy store.

While he and Creed looked on, Aaron and Dylan had an excitement-filled hour inside.

Kellum risked a glance over and found Creed’s eyes on the boys. The man was so diligent with their care and protection. He could see it a mile away, Creed was in full-on bodyguard mode.

“Can you tell me anything?”

Creed’s low, rumbling words snapped his eyes up from where they’d wandered over the man’s bulging biceps and corded arms to find those blue-gray eyes on him for a moment, before going back to the boys.

“It’s better if I don’t,” he whispered.

“I need to be prepared. Don’t you think?” Creed countered without looking at him.

Kellum opened his mouth, closed it, opened it, and drew in a breath before he closed it again. Knowing the words Creed spoke were true didn’t make it any easier to trust or tell him what was going on.

“Kell…”

The way Creed murmured his name sent goosebumps over his skin and heat straining his cock inside his pants, but he still couldn’t say a word.

“I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

“How do you know that?” he finally whispered when he found his voice.

“Because,” Creed said and turned those glittering eyes back on him for a second. “I’m not going anywhere.”

They’d ended up making another trip and tucking the toys in the truck with the exception of the handheld gaming device Aaron was glued to. Dylan clutched a red car in one hand and a blue one in the other. They were designed with toddlers in mind and his brother had squealed at the sight of them.

Tears threatened to come to the surface, but Kellum fought them back as they reentered the mall for the third time. He wouldn’t make a scene about the money Creed had spent until they were alone.

“Come on, let’s eat,” Creed murmured, snapping Kellum out of his thoughts.

“Yes!” Aaron shouted with a grin. The boy looked so happy in his new jeans, shirt, and sneakers. The brand-new jacket on his brother’s smaller frame looked warm. Dylan was dressed similarly and underneath were the newly purchased bigger-sized pull-ups.

“Pizza?” Aaron asked hopefully.

“Let’s eat something healthier,” Creed countered and pointed to an eatery that boasted everything from burgers to steak and eggs.

“Oh yeah!” Aaron rushed out, grabbing his brother’s hand as they walked with Creed bringing up the rear holding Dylan. Aaron hoped Creed stayed with them and that his brother didn’t send him away. “I want a burger,” Aaron added and pulled at the door.

“That’s not healthy,” Kellum said with a smile, snapping out of his grouchiness because neither his brothers nor Creed were responsible for their current state. Kellum caught the door before it could bounce back and hit Aaron. It wasn’t necessary because Creed had taken ahold of the door in one hand with Dylan in the other. The man’s muscles corded and Kellum silently admitted that he could never get tired of watching Creed all day long.

Holding the door open, Creed nodded at him and Kellum stepped inside. They ended up at a booth with the boys between them and Dylan on a booster seat.

To onlookers, they appeared as a family. The thought made a lump grow in his throat.

Of all that was holy and sweet, Kellum never wanted this to end.