Protection is Best Served With Benefits: MM DDlb Romance

Chapter Thirteen

Not edited or proofread.

Griffin

Axel stepped into my office, not even bothering to knock. I rolled my eyes, looking up from my computer screen. "I could've had Max bent over my desk," I deadpanned.

Axel grunted and dropped into the chair across from my desk. "I knew you didn't because Max is currently typing up notes from this morning's meeting." He lifted one leg, resting his ankle on his knee, before he steepled his fingers together over his flat stomach, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair. "Harlan told me contact was made last night."

I nodded. "Hadn't had a chance to talk to you yet," I told him honestly. He nodded in understanding. "His mother called his phone last night. I didn't have Harlan trace it. Not yet. I want them to get cocky. Start making mistakes."

Axel shook his head in disagreement. "If you'd had Harlan track them last night, we could've made them... disappear."

"Nah," I told him. "I don't think so. If they have the Italians behind them, we need to rile them up first. They'll get angry enough and start making mistakes. Start moving outside the boundaries the Italians have put on them. Right now, they're protected."

Axel opened his mouth to respond, but my office door flew open, revealing Max. He was breathing hard, tears in his eyes, his entire body trembling. I was on my feet in an instant, and so was Axel.

"I'm so s-s-sorry," Max blurted, stumbling over his words, his teeth beginning to chatter. "I-I-I d-didn't kn-know—"

"Baby boy," I growled, grasping his face in my hands and forcing his eyes to lock on mine. "Breathe. You hear me? Breathe. Whatever is wrong, we'll fix it. But I need you to calm down."

Tears streamed down his cheeks, and he grasped my face, his blunt nails biting into my skin as he scrabbled for more purchase. I lifted him and sat him on my desk, stepping between his spread thighs. He quickly wound his legs around me, his chest heaving. His bottom lip trembled. "He emailed my work email, Papa," Max sobbed. "He went to my apartment, and my things were gone, and he's angry, and—"

I cut him off with a quick, hard kiss. "Breathe, baby. It's okay. He can't touch you. Papa's here, and you're part of my family now. You have your own security detail now, too. I'll never let your parents hurt you again, sweet boy." I clutched him to me, pressing his face into my chest. "Just breathe."

Axel was already on the phone and marching across the hall to Max's office. Harlan entered shortly after, and I watched as Harlan quickly began working on both Max's computer and his iPad to track the IP address. Max made a small whining sound, and I leaned back to look down at him.

"What is it, baby?" I gently asked.

"Head is starting to hurt," he mumbled.

I pressed a soft kiss to his lips before I carried him over to the couch. He kicked off his shoes and curled up on his side. I grabbed the throw blanket and tucked it in around him. "I'm going to get your meds," I told him. "Stay there. Do not move."

"Okay, Papa," he whispered.

I marched across the hall and flung open his desk drawer, snatching out his meds and grabbing his water off his desk. Axel winced. "Migraine?"

I nodded. "Once Harlan is done, I'm taking him home. He needs rest and his little space."

Axel nodded, not even seeming surprised to hear that Max regressed. "He's almost done here," Axel assured me. "Get him his medicine."

When I entered my office again, Max was considerably paler. I got the medicine down his throat and then sat beside his hip, gently running my fingers through his hair. Harlan poked his head into my office. "Ready?"

I nodded and lifted Max against my chest still wrapped in his blanket and followed Harlan to the elevators.

"Are we going home, Papa?" Max quietly mumbled, his voice muffled by my shoulder.

"Yes, baby. We're going home."

"Good," he mumbled, his fingers twisting into my shirt. "If I get sick, I'm sorry."

My heart clenched in my chest for him. When all this shit was over and I had his family and the Italians off his back, I was taking him to every fucking specialist I could until we found out what was causing his migraines and got a treatment plan.

"It'll be okay if you do," I promised him. I couldn't take his pain away, but I could hold him and do my best to soothe him. If that meant I got vomited on in the process... well, that was a tiny price to pay.