That’s probably why Kieran’s the way he is now.
Pete ignored me and patted sticky hands on my face while singing me a song we learned last week. Of course, he’d gotten the words jumbled up and missed a few, but that wasn’t enough to keep me from passing out.
Thaddeus
I stood unsteadily on my feet, swaying slightly when the jet hit minor turbulence. I swallowed down the remainder of the whiskey in my tumbler while trying to convince myself not to drag her out of bed and put her in her fucking place.
Who the fuck does she think she’s talking to, demanding that I don’t pick up her phone again? And what about that passive-aggressive “only when I’m tired” bullshit?
Anna used to get out of turn and speak to me like that, but she learned her lesson quickly when I was forced to punish her.
It’s fine. Get yourself together, Todd. You’re just going through an adjustment period. Kiyah will soon learn that insolent behavior of any kind will not be tolerated.
I stared down at her and my son, trying to remind myself to stay focused because there was still a lot of work to be done. Isolating Kiyah from her family wouldn’t be easy. For one, there were too many of them, and too many of them gave a fuck about her—especially Grant.
I nearly lost my composure when I read his name on her caller ID and answered her cell phone without realizing it. I almost ground my teeth down to the gum line when he threatened to kill me. I could have him arrested and thrown in jail for making a threat against a government official, but there was no fun in that. Instead, I told him that would be difficult considering his internment at the rehab facility.
I should visit him. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to receive an update about his wife from me. Maybe if I feed him a few lies, he’ll spiral and die from alcohol poisoning from rehab toilet wine.
I snorted and froze when she rolled onto her back. I waited for her eyes to open, and I was forced to explain why I was hovering above her like some creep. However, fortuitously enough, she didn’t wake.
“I need to get your family to hate you,” I muttered.
I was drawn away from Kiyah when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“Sir, please be seated. The plane is making its final descent.”
“Thank you, Desi. Also, thank you for disconnecting the Wi-Fi.”
“You’re welcome, sir.”
“Also, when you accompany her to the cell phone carrier, purchase an identical one and deliver it to me.”
“Yes, sir. Anything else?”
“Not at the moment. It’s business as usual for you. I’ll let you know if my plans change.”
Kiyah
I’m dreaming. That’s it. Because there’s no way in Hell that Reality Todd thought we’d share a room!
“I’m sorry, but I’m uncomfortable with this,” I said. He inhaled deeply before slowly exhaling, and it irked me that he felt I was being unreasonable.
“Kiyah, I understand that sharing close quarters isn’t ideal, but there was a snafu with our booking, and our original rooms were canceled. The only room left in the hotel is a two-bedroom suite—you’ll have your own room, and I’ll have mine. If you think about it, it’s no different than our current living arrangements at home.”
I massaged my temples and tried to reel in my temper. Logically, he was making sense, but our interaction on the plane left a bad taste in my mouth. I was annoyed by his forwardness and didn’t want to hear, see, or breathe the same air as him for the next several hours.
I must be PMSing.
“Listen, why don’t you take the day off? You seem… not like yourself, and caring for a rambunctious child may not improve your mood. I have some meetings later in the afternoon, and I’m sure Pete would love tagging along with me.”
“I—”
“It’s for the best. We haven’t had much father-son time since you became his nanny.”
“No, I’m fine with Pete,” I responded. The corner of his mouth ticked up in a brief smile.
“I know, Kiyah. You’re amazing with Pete, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he already looked up to you as a mother figure, but you need a break. If you’re not at your best, then Pete suffers, and we don’t want that, do we?”