Protection is Best Served With Benefits: MM DDlb Romance

Chapter Fourteen

Not edited or proofread.

Griffin

Max's migraine had only worsened by the time I got him home. His face was too pale for my liking, and he was nauseous. He tried walking, but it only took about three steps for him to realize he couldn't manage it without gagging. So, I carried him into the elevator, down the hall, and into our apartment.

He clutched the trashcan for our bedroom while I hurriedly changed him into a pair of footie pajamas, and a couple of times, I was damn sure he was going to throw up. I hated that he suffered from migraines. Hated that there wasn't a damn thing I could do but cuddle him and be the Papa he needed as we waited for them to pass.

His migraines left me feeling fucking helpless. Because when my boy was in pain and I couldn't do anything for him, I felt completely fucking useless.

And being useless wasn't something I was familiar with.

I'd always been able to make a plan. To fix things. But until this shit with his parents and the Italians were taken care of, there was nothing I could truly do. I couldn't get him to a doctor or to see a specialist. Not yet. It was already risky enough taking him back and forth to work, and the only reason I allowed that was because I knew it was secure. Axel kept that building on fucking lockdown.

Hospitals and doctor's offices were nowhere near safe enough for my boy right now.

"Come on, baby," I gently urged. He let go of the trashcan, and I set it aside. When he draped his arms around my neck, I gripped his beneath his thighs and lifted him, allowing him to wrap his legs around me. Harlan was sitting in the living room when I emerged. He held up his tablet, and I nodded at him before heading into Max's playroom. When I set him in the midst of his stuffies, he immediately laid down and curled into a ball, closing his eyes.

I ran my hand over his hair. "Do you want a blanket, baby? How about some tea for your upset stomach?"

"Mhm," he mumbled, not opening his eyes. I grabbed one of his many blankets and draped it over him before heading out of the room. Harlan met me in the kitchen as I began working on Max's tea.

"What do you got?" I asked him as I grabbed a ginger tea bag and set it on the counter.

"It took a little digging, but I found a general location for Max's mother. Axel is sending men out now to search the area. If she or his father is found, Axel will let me know so I can inform you. Said he didn't want to bother you while you were tending to Max."

I nodded once. "If he's found, I want to be the one to take care of him," I told him. "Make sure Axel is informed of that. Max is my boy, and I will be the one to eliminate all threats against him. Clear?"

"Understood," Harlan told me. He grabbed his phone and typed out a quick message to Axel. "Done." He glanced toward Max's playroom. "Is he okay?"

I shook my head, gritting my teeth. "You know how migraines are." Harlan nodded. He always got them during a stressful job, but he always pushed through them. Once the job was completed, then he holed up in his room at Axel's place for a few days until the pain passed. "They're really bad for him. I'm hoping this tea will settle his stomach so he's at least not nauseated."

Harlan grimaced. "He gets nauseous?" When I nodded, he sighed. "Poor kid. The nausea is always the worst part for me. I can deal with the pain in my head, but my stomach?" He shook his head. "I always end up shoving my finger down my throat so I can make the sick feeling go away."

I grimaced. "Yeah, I won't be doing that. I'll try normal shit first."

Harlan chuckled and left the kitchen, heading back to the living room. Once Max's tea was finished, I poured it into a tumbler and put the lid on before dropping a straw through the lid opening. When I walked into the room, Max hadn't even budged. I set the tea on the floor before curling up behind him, tugging him into my arms.

He sighed. "You came back," he mumbled.

I pressed a kiss to the back of his head. "I'll always come back, baby boy." I rested my chin on the top of his head. "Try to get some rest while we wait for your tea to cool, okay?"

He nodded, then winced. I held him a little tighter, my heart clenching in my chest.

God, I fucking hated this.

It didn't take long for Max to fall asleep. About an hour later, I woke him up long enough to drink his tea, which he thankfully kept down. He fell asleep not long after that and had remained asleep for about two hours now. I was just beginning to doze off when Harlan popped his head into the room, a smirk tilting his lips.

"Got him."