Beloved: A Henry Dawncraft Novel |boyxboy| Sequel to Lover for Pay

Prelude

Travis James Dawncraft was home alone with his two sons after a long day at work. His back ached and the sound of power tools seemed to rattle in his brain even though he was no longer at the workshop. In the living room, he was lounged back in his recliner, engrossed in the television show on the screen, a cold beer in one hand while the remote sat in the other. His wife Elaine was still out at the groceries picking up the dinner she'd make for their anniversary, his oldest son at ten years old, London, sat on the couch nearby doing some kind of homework, and his youngest at five years old, Henry, was quietly looking at some kind of trading cards with pictures of odd creatures on them.

When he took the final swig from his beer can, he crushed it in his fist and tossed it onto the low table before the couch. London looked up from his History homework after hearing the clang and stood from where he was. Without needing the utterance of a command, he went into the kitchen to grab another beer and came back to hand it to his father.

A smirk adorned Travis' face when his son handed him the beverage, clipping it open with his finger, and then he said, "London, you want to try some?"

The ten-year-old glanced from the blue can to his father, "Not really."

Travis brought the beer to his lips then, "Smart."

When London got back to his homework, Travis relaxed in the comfort of his own home. He worked full time at a truck repair shop, and while he was a married man, he hadn't much wanted children, but was willing to give Elaine the kids she wanted so she'd stay put and quit asking him for them. So he had two boys with Elaine, London and Henry, and although he knew they weren't as happy a family as the ones portrayed on television...he didn't really care either.

"Henry," he called to the five-year-old when his show went to commercial, "What are you doing?"

Glancing up at his father with his new trading cards in hand, Henry smiled sweetly and stood quickly to show them off. "They're Magic!" he said excitedly.

Travis leaned forward, holding his beer at the armrest. He looked over the cards with images of warriors and angels, landscapes and monsters of all kinds. "Do you know how to play this crap?"

"Not yet," Henry shook his head and then began to jump up and down eagerly. "But I'll learn. It's cool, huh? Mommy said she'd buy me more if I'm good in daycare!" When Henry accidently bumped into his father's knees, Travis lost grip of the beer and it fell to the carpet.

London looked up upon hearing the drink hit the floor, immediately worrying for his brother when the accident caused a spill.

"Goddammit," Travis cursed, his inquisitive, fatherly visage vanishing the instant the can tumbled from his grasp. He then grabbed Henry's tiny arm, turned him forcefully around, and smacked his hand on the five-year-old's backside.

"Wait," London shot up from the couch, "I'll clean it!"

"Shut your fucking mouth," Travis pointed a deadly finger in his oldest son's face, and then he turned and shoved Henry towards the kitchen. "Go get a towel now to clean this shit up."

Watching as his brother tearfully hurried to the kitchen to abide by their father's orders, London huffed, annoyed and frustrated by the unnecessary anger shown to Henry. "He's only five, cut him some slack!"

"You mouthing off to me?" Travis grumbled in his deep tone, and when he went to grab London by the hair, he stopped suddenly when the doorbell rang. He looked towards the door and headed for it instead, giving London a warning glare.

Travis then opened the front door to the house, thinking it was Elaine returning from the store, but he couldn't have been more wrong. Standing on the porch of his home was a black-haired young woman. She was busty and voluptuous, dressed in a long dark red skirt and a floral-patterned blouse that covered her shoulders and collar. She was a woman he knew well, and when he switched his gaze to what she carried in her arms, he immediately distinguished the presence of a baby wrapped in a white blanket. Looking back up to her from the child, Travis said, "What do you think you're doing?"

The woman who went by Becca fixed the cradled infant in her arms, unable to keep eye contact with the man she once shared a bed with. "I – I had him last week."

"So what...?"

"T–Travis, I can't do this on my own," Becca almost sounded like she was ready to cry. "I just turned twenty, I'm a student."

"Maybe you should have thought about that first before crawling into bed with me."

"But he's your son, too."

"Listen," Travis stepped out of the house, shutting the door behind him to distance the argument from inside. "I know damn well he's my kid. After all, you were a virgin, but I ain't taking him in. I already have two fucking headaches inside, and I don't need another. Either you get your wealthy little parents to take care of both of you, or drop him off at a fire department."

"My parents will kill me if I keep him!"

"Lower your fucking voice," Travis raised his instead, causing the infant in Becca's arms to fidget. "Now get out of here before my wife comes back."

"You're seriously going to do this to us? Your son?"

Ignoring her, Travis went back inside and slammed the door in her face. So he managed to get Becca pregnant during their affair? Then again, he wasn't much for condoms and knew it was her first time being on birth control, so it shouldn't be that much of a surprise to find out those damn things hadn't worked the way they thought.

Dropping back into his chair while Henry finished soaking up the spilled beer, Travis glared at his oldest when London said, "Who was that, your girlfriend?"

"Shut up, take your brother and get in your fucking room. I don't want either of you coming out until I say so."

Fighting the roll of his eyes, London tucked his hands under Henry's arms and picked him off the floor. "Let's go, buddy. Dad's feeling moody again."

Watching the two boys leave the living room, Travis lazed back in his chair again. He couldn't believe he had another son.