Protection is Best Served With Benefits: MM DDlb Romance

Chapter Fifteen

Not edited or proofread.

Griffin

"Where is he?" I demanded as I eased my arms from around Max and stood to my feet.

"West side of Chicago," Harlan told me. I slipped out of the Max's playroom and headed for our bedroom. Harlan followed, and he leaned against the door frame as I unbuttoned the shirt I'd worn for work and shrugged it off, heading to my closet to grab a long-sleeve shirt. "Axel already has someone on the way to get him."

I tugged on a black long-sleeve shirt before peeling my slacks down my legs to tug on a pair of jeans. "Bring me my phone," I told Harlan. "I need to talk to Axel—see if I can bring Max over there while you and I go to the warehouse to deal with Max's father."

Harlan slipped from the room. I tugged on my boots before striding from the bedroom. Harlan met me in the hall, giving me my phone. I pulled up Axel's contact and pressed the green call button. Axel answered on the second ring.

"Thought I might be hearing from you soon," he said. I heard his office chair squeak. "I'm assuming you want to be part of the torture?"

"Yeah," I told him. "I need to bring Max by your place first though. He's got a migraine, so he needs a dark, cool room."

"I'll make sure he has what he needs," Axel promised me. Relief flooded me. I didn't want to leave Max alone while he didn't feel well, but I needed to be part of taking out his parents. Eliminating them from my boy's life. I should've known Axel would come through for me. He always did.

It was what family we did. We might not have been blood, but we were family nonetheless. Chosen family.

"Thanks, brother. We'll be there soon."

I ended the call, then headed into Max's playroom. Crouching in front of him, I gently shook my boy awake. He moaned in distress before looking up at me. "Papa?" he croaked, his face pale.

I ran my hand over his hair. "Come on, baby boy," I murmured. "I need to take you to Axel's. I have to take care of something, and I don't want you left alone, no matter if my apartment is locked up like Fort Knox or not."

He whined but pushed himself up with my help. He clutched one of his stuffies to his chest as I lifted him. He wrapped his legs and arms around me. Resting his head on my shoulder, he buried his face in the curve of my neck. "Why do you have to leave me?" he pouted.

I stroked a hand down his back, wishing I didn't need to. "It's just for a little while," I told him, keeping my voice low—just above a whisper. Harlan opened the front door of my apartment, and I followed him to the elevators after he locked up my apartment behind us. "Harlan found your dad, and I need to... take care of him."

"I can forgive that," he said softly. "You'll come get me right after you're done, right?" I hated how small his voice was. Like he really thought I'd fucking abandon him.

He was so deep beneath my skin, I could barely breathe without feeling him like a living, pulsing organ inside my heart.

"I will always come for you," I swore. Harlan opened the passenger door of my car, and I settled into the seat, keeping Max wrapped around me. Harlan helped me strap us in, and then he shut the door, rounding to the driver's side. Max fell back asleep pretty quickly, and he barely stirred when I carried him to my old room at Axel's place.

Once he was tucked into bed, his stuffie clutched to his chest and a fan blowing on his face, I pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

"Papa will be back soon, baby," I promised. "Get some rest. And if you need anything, just call Axel, okay? He'll make sure you have what you need."

"M'kay, Papa," he mumbled, his words heavily slurred with sleep and pain. My heart clenched in my chest. Pressing one more kiss to his forehead, I reluctantly stood to my full height and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind me.

Axel pushed off the wall across from the door, arching a brow at me. "He good?"

I nodded. "I told him to call you if he needs anything, but I think he's going to just be sleeping. Migraines are... hard for him. He prefers to just sleep. If this takes a while though, will you make sure he drinks something? And if he gets nauseous, ginger tea will help."

Axel nodded, annoyance flickering in his eyes, though he didn't say anything. I knew he wouldn't. I was sure he already knew all of this since Max had been his personal assistant for so long, but I knew he also understood my need to repeat all of this to him.

He was the same way when it came to Novella. He and Kyle often clashed heads because of Axel's overbearingness. We all knew Kyle was more than capable of taking care of and protecting Novella, but Axel still pushed and reiterated like a broken record.

I used to get annoyed by it, but now, I understood.

"We'll be back," I told him. "If he truly needs me, just call me. I'll come immediately."

Axel nodded before disappearing into his office. I met Harlan in the living room. Tearing his eyes from the TV show Kyle and Novella were watching, he stood from the couch. "Ready?" he asked.

I nodded. "Let's get this over with."

Kyle stood as well, making Novella frown. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head. "Axel wants me with you two." Harlan rolled his eyes, making me snicker. Kyle looked at Novella. "Just pause and we'll finish watching tomorrow."

She huffed. "You're my bodyguard," she brattily grumbled.

Kyle snorted. "Now I'm your bodyguard?" he retorted. "Earlier, you were telling me I was an overbearing jackass that didn't know the meaning of personal space."

She stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest before sticking her tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes at her dramatics. "Go find your husband and pout to him that he's ripping your bodyguard from you."

"You're an asshole," she muttered, glowering at him.

He shrugged before turning and heading for the door. "Never claimed not to be one, little sis."

She huffed and stood from the couch and left the room, no doubt heading for Axel's office. Kyle's mask dropped as soon as we were outside, the front door shut behind us. Every bit of his humanity fell away.

"Let's go," he muttered.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" I asked, taking the keys from Harlan and rounding the hood of my car.

Harlan scowled at me but slid into the passenger seat. Kyle made a disgusted look before sliding into the backseat.

"Just get us to the warehouse," Kyle said, his tone bored. "The longer I'm away, the more annoyed Novella will be with me, and I don't like upsetting my little sister."

"Wow, so you do have a heart," I mocked as I headed down the driveway.

"Go fuck yourself, Griffin," Kyle sneered.

I held up two fingers and wiggled them together. "Sure. You just gotta slick them up for me first."

Harlan barked out a laugh. And if looks could kill, Kyle would've been digging me a shallow grave.