Guardian (14 page)

A
lex pulled
his jeans on after the post-jog shower, and then fished a shirt out of the closet. Things were a bit tight in there, with both his and Ty’s clothes all squeezed in together, but it would have to do for now.

Ty emerged from the bathroom after him, a towel around his waist. “Hey. Can I ask you for a favor?”

“Anything.” Alex nodded. He couldn’t quite make out Ty’s details at this distance, but he was too fresh from the shower to put his glasses on yet. “What do you need?”

“It’s Phoebe’s birthday soon. Do you mind waiting for her at TKD while I run out and buy her presents?”

“Not one for Internet shopping?” Alex grinned.

“Yeah, when it’s something regular. But for things like this I like to get my hands on them, make sure they’re the kind of thing she’d like, make sure the quality’s there.”

“Oh, of course.” Alex pressed a finger to his own lips. “Not a word from me. You think you can get it all done in a couple of hours?

“Yeah. There’s a Toys “R” Us up at Triangle Plaza. I’ll be in and out in no time.”

Alex turned red and coughed. “Well then!”

“God, you’re filthy!” Ty unwrapped his towel and swatted Alex with it. “I’ll stop off in Party City if there’s time, too.”

“No problem. Let me know if you’re gonna be late.”

“Sure thing. Thanks, baby.”

T
hey waited
until Phoebe was in her class, then Ty left Alex with a kiss.

Alex sat and idly observed the screens. He didn’t know a thing about Tae Kwon Do, but Phoebe seemed pretty good at it. She appeared to spend about as much time throwing other kids around as she did getting thrown herself, and he was struck by the maturity of the children as each one rolled to their feet, dusted themselves off, and thanked their opponent.

The instructors’ body language was good, too. The two guys were professional yet passionate, the way the best teachers tended to be, and they each made sure that between them they had eyes on all their students throughout the class.

The hallway had been rowdy when all the kids filed into the building, but now they were in class it was neat and orderly. Everyone paid attention, everyone did as they were instructed, and everyone took well to an instructor coming in to correct their movements. Alex figured something like this was basically an extended playtime, but it was hard work, and it wasn’t hard to see where at least some of Phoebe’s good manners and even better confidence came from.

If a bunch of kids could do this, maybe he
could
take it up. Sure, he wasn’t a fighter, but you never knew when someone might throw a punch at you in the street, and at the very least the ability to dodge a blow might be worth his time. Better to have some self-defense training and never need it, then never have it when he needed it.

Alex pulled out his phone and began to Google what kind of training would be involved and whether those classes were available here for adults. He wasn’t at it long before a woman sat down beside him.

“Hey. I’m Cynthia.” Her voice rasped like she smoked forty a day, but she sounded friendly enough.

Alex looked up, then smiled. “Hey. Good to meet you. I’m Alex.”

He took in the dark circles under her eyes, the slight disarray of her hair, and the crumple in her clothing with barely a glance. Her skin was pale, but not ill-looking. There was a yellowish undertone to it which corroborated his theory that she was a smoker, and moments later the smell came, too. Otherwise she just looked like she could use a few good hours’ sleep.

“You’re with the big guy?” She leaned on his table.

“Ty?” Alex smiled as he nodded. “Yeah. Why’d you ask?”

“It’s nice to see him the way he is with you. Guy always looked so scary, you know?”

Alex cast his mind back to the first time he laid eyes on Ty. Those bulging muscles. That tight t-shirt. The hard, assessing eyes. He’d found them all arresting, but he could see how to others it might be a bit frightening, especially to a young woman who only looked to be around five-foot-five. “I know what you mean,” he admitted with a nod. “But he’s a pussycat.”

“I dunno. I once saw him chew out this guy. It was pretty terrifying.”

“Oh?” Alex raised his eyebrows. “What for?”

“I dunno. Something to do with his kid, I think. I had to go.” She said it awkwardly, and Alex inferred her real meaning:
I didn’t want to get caught up in it
.

That was reasonable enough. She looked like a strong wind might blow her over, so hanging around for a fight which wasn’t hers wasn’t going to be high on her to-do list. “Oh, yeah. I heard about that. At least it all got resolved without violence, though.” He smiled warmly. “You know, Ty’s a good guy. He won’t bite if you ever wanna say hi to him.”

She stifled a yawn, then chuckled. “Maybe. I don’t got a lotta time to hang around, though. I work nights. This is about as late as I can stay up on a Saturday. I wish they did morning classes, but those are for the adults.” She shrugged, then looked to the screens. “Oh, looks like they’re done! Maybe I’ll see you both next week?”

“Yeah, for sure. Take care of yourself, Cynthia.”

“You too!” She pushed herself to her feet and headed for the hallway.

Alex was so elated that people might begin to see Ty as something other than The Scary Guy that he almost didn’t realize that Ty hadn’t actually got here yet. He grabbed Phoebe’s backpack and hurried for the hallway, checking his cell as he went. He had a new message from Ty.

He pocketed his phone and smiled to Phoebe as she came out carrying her uniform in her arms. She had a couple of colored pieces of card on top, too.

“Hey, Phoebe!” He crouched and offered her bag to her. “Ty’s just had to run off on an errand. He won’t be long. Is it okay if we wait here, or will they throw us out?”

Phoebe eased her clothes into the bag, and looked thoughtful a moment. Then she cast a sly grin. “We could go get waffles…”

“Oh, you’re so bad!” He laughed and gestured to the cards. “What are these?”

She brightened with pride. “This one’s for my schoolwork, and this one’s for my conduct in class.”

“Wow! Can I see?” He looked them over as she handed them to him, and grinned. “These are awesome! Well done!”

“Thanks!” She took them and put them safely into her bag, then zipped it up. “They won’t kick us out if we wait,” she admitted as she shouldered it. “They’re open until late.”

“Great. Then how about we go sit in the waiting room, then we can get home and take Val out for a walk?

“Yeah!” She grinned, then her smile wiped itself from her face as she looked past him.

Alex frowned and turned as he stood. She had to have seen something, that much was obvious.

Montgomery.

Alex blinked rapidly. Christ, was Phoebe’s father really going to try this a second time? Where had the guy even
been
these past months? Alex had figured the guy had gone home. He couldn’t afford to hide out in NYC all this time, surely?

But then maybe he couldn’t afford to go home either. Not with crime syndicates baying for his blood.

“Mr. Montgomery,” he began.

“The hell are you even doing here?” Kyle Montgomery stared at Alex. His hair was slicked back and he was dressed in steel-toed boots, unbranded jeans and a baggy hoodie, and he looked almost relieved to see Alex.

“Just picking Phoebe up after class.” Alex kept himself between Montgomery and Phoebe. The restraining order had only been a temporary thing, but maybe they would need to apply for a permanent one if her dad was going to keep cropping up like this.

“Edwards not here?”

Alex sensed a trap. There was something nasty about Montgomery’s tone, the set of his features, the
glee
that hung in his question.

“Yeah, he’s just in the bathroom,” Alex said smoothly. “He’ll be out in a second.”

Montgomery eyed him, then smiled like a cat toying with a mouse. “You’re lying,” he sneered. “If he’s here, he doesn’t need you to collect her for him. So he’s
not
here.”

“I’m not a liar—” Alex began.

“Sure you are. You’re a fucking lawyer! Phoebe, baby, you’re coming with Daddy. Come on.”

Alex stepped forward. “You try and take her, and I’m calling the cops.”

“Yeah?” Montgomery laughed. “Is that before or after I break your pretty fucking face?”

Alex reached into his pocket, but by the time his fingers closed around his cellphone, Montgomery’s fist was rushing toward his face, and the thought that someone might assault him in a public space like this was so absurd that Alex barely had time to recognize what was happening before the fist collided with his cheekbone.

Alex staggered back, but Montgomery launched at him. A fist landed in his gut, and he doubled over, retching.

“Hey!” Phoebe darted in and kicked Montgomery’s leg out from under him. “Leave him alone!”

Montgomery fell to his knees, but pushed himself right back up again and managed to lash out at Alex with one booted foot.

Alex raised a hand to defend himself, and the next thing he knew was a snapping sound from his arm as Montgomery’s foot impacted against it.

The searing agony came a second later, and Alex fell to his knees, crying out in pain and, curling around the broken limb.

It was so weird. He’d never broken a bone before, but his first aid training told him everything he needed to know in a calm, clinical assessment that came through in spite of the horrendous, burning torment in his arm. Every breath he took made him move a little, and seemed to refresh the suffering just as it might think about abating a little.

The world came into focus again. He had no idea how long he’d been on the floor for. He looked up and found Phoebe still fighting Montgomery off, but she kept looking toward him in panic, and Montgomery finally managed to scoop her off her feet.

Alex heard footsteps echo abruptly around the hallway. Boots, hitting the ground rapidly. God, he hoped Montgomery didn’t have friends with him, but he didn’t dare try to turn his body to look.

A shape swept past him without any pause in those footsteps. A vast shape. He looked up and caught a glimpse of Ty’s tattooed arms, and for a surreal second it seemed as though a guardian angel had swooped down from the heavens to protect them.

Ty planted a fist so deep in Montgomery’s gut that the man folded around it. Without breaking his stride, his other arm came down and plucked Phoebe up onto his own shoulder before Montgomery had a chance to stop him.

Alex whimpered as he rested his broken arm across his thighs so that he could use the functioning limb to hunt for his cellphone. He swiped at the screen for the emergency dialer and hit 911.

Ty turned effortlessly and planted Phoebe on her feet next to Alex. His gaze passed across the attorney at last, calm and assessing. Then he gave a slight nod, and when he turned back to Montgomery again he hit the man with such force that it sent Montgomery sprawling across the polished floor.

“You don’t ever hurt my family,” Ty stated.

Alex sagged as the adrenaline began to leave him, replaced by exhaustion, and something else.

Safety. He felt
safe
.

Ty was here now.

T
y parked
his truck by the curb and checked behind his seat to make sure all the Toys “R” Us bags were out of sight. There was a blanket draped over them already, but it never hurt to triple-check his work.

He’d jogged home to get the vehicle. His intention had been to get the toys home and safely stowed, but with the mess on the expressway he’d make do with claiming he’d gone to get the truck so they could all go to the movies or something.

To back up this claim, he began to check with his phone to find out which movies were playing nearby and what time they’d start as he got out and locked his door. He wandered toward the building while scrolling down the listings.

“It’s Ty, isn’t it?”

He stopped and looked up. The woman in front of him was cowering slightly, and she didn’t meet his gaze. She looked like she needed a good night’s sleep, too. She held her son’s hand tightly, and he was grousing and wriggling to get free.

Both mother and child were familiar. She was one of the ones who would wait while reading things on her phone. The lad was, from what Ty recalled from the screens, a decent student.

“Yeah, it is.” He marveled that she even knew his name. “How can I help you, ma’am?”

“That guy who was here a few months ago. The one who said he was your niece’s dad?” She risked a sheepish look up at him. “I just saw him.” She turned and pointed toward the Tae Kwon Do studio. “He went in just as I came out.”

Ty’s heart thumped and his senses sharpened as his body kicked itself into readiness like a well-oiled machine. “How long ago?”

“Like literally just this second.” She fussed over her son’s hand. “Anyway. I thought you should know.”

“Thank you.” He nodded to her. “Would you excuse me?”

He swept past her and launched himself through the doors into the wide hallway so hard that he heard one of the panes of glass fracture in his wake. He assessed the situation in a flash.

Alex was down. Ty had seen that kind of posture before, the instinct to protect what’s been broken. Alex had been hurt.

Phoebe was in the air, kicking at Montgomery’s chest and thumping his back.

Situation evaluated, Ty plotted his course of action, and then undertook it with precision.

He surged forward and put Montgomery down as swiftly and efficiently as he could.

Nobody laid a finger on his family.
Nobody
.

A
lex’s arm
had been hit so hard that his ulna had snapped clean through. He’d done the right thing and immobilized the limb right away, but Ty couldn’t stop thinking how much worse it could have been if he hadn’t arrived in time. Especially not after hearing Alex tell the cops what had happened, with Phoebe backing up his story.

Alex had done everything he could to stop Montgomery from taking Phoebe, and Ty couldn’t have been more proud of him. He hadn’t rolled over like he was helpless. He’d stood up to Montgomery even though it earned him serious injury.

The sense swelled through Ty that this man was
the
man. The right guy. The one he’d spend the rest of his life with. Jesus, Alex had a broken arm, but he insisted on giving his statement
before
the paramedics took him to hospital, while every detail was still fresh in his mind.

He was an attorney. He knew that witness accuracy faded over time.

Ty didn’t have the words. Just this glowing appreciation for the man who had saved Phoebe.

Not that Phoebe hadn’t had a hand in it, of course. Oh, hell no. Once Alex’s arm was set in a cast, Ty made sure to take her for waffles. She damn well deserved them.

And with Montgomery behind bars it felt like there was a whole new life opening up ahead of the three of them.

Well, four. He couldn’t forget about Val, after all.

T
y sat
by and watched as the medical staff used a small saw to slice along the length of Alex’s cast. It looked ridiculously dangerous, but the nurse was attentive and precise, and she explained everything as she worked.

Alex didn’t look comfortable, so Ty held his left hand until the cast could be cut free. “You’re doing great, baby,” he murmured. “Fresh air’s gonna feel weird, believe me.”

Alex laughed. “You’ve done this before?”

“Oh yeah. Part of growing up, isn’t it?” Ty grinned and lifted the hand he held to kiss tenderly. “Doesn’t everyone break an arm or a leg as a kid?”

“Well, now I’m part of the club.” Alex flexed his fingers once the nurse had wiped his arm clean. “God, isn’t that amazing? Good as new!”

The nurse laughed as she tidied away the saw. “And all it took was six weeks and two x-rays. Not quite good as new, though. You’re going to want to be gentle with it a few more weeks just to make sure. It’s set, but it can still be fragile for a while longer, okay?”

Ty chuckled. “Don’t worry. He won’t be getting into any fist fights soon. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Great. Do you want to keep the cast, Mr. Wilson?”

Alex looked horrified. “People do that?”

“Sometimes.” She held it up to display the signatures, well-wishes, and pictures which filled every available inch of it. “To remind them that people care.”

Alex looked up at Ty, then grinned to the nurse. “Naw, it’s okay. I’ve got a better idea.”

“Well if that doesn’t sound like my cue to get him home,” Ty laughed, “I don’t know what does.”

H
e drove
Alex home from the hospital and laughed as his boyfriend kvetched the whole way about how cold his arm felt without the cast on it.

“How can you feel cold in weather like this?” Ty gestured at the glorious sunshine overhead.

Even though summer was turning to fall, the weather had been stunning the entire time, and it was shaping up for a mild winter. Ty’s head was filled with ideas for their first Christmas together, even though it was a way off just yet. If Alex’s arm was okay by the time the ice rinks started popping up, they could all head to Manhattan and visit the Rockefeller rink, then maybe catch a show and hit up a restaurant before they came home. Phoebe loved to visit the city, so it’d be a great day out for the three of them.

“I’m going to get a full-body cast to keep me snug through winter,” Alex muttered. “I mean, sure, it’ll limit movement, but it’ll be so cozy in there!”

“And when you get an itch?”

“I guess I’d need gaps in it so I can reach in and scratch…”

“And when you get a boner?”

Alex laughed. “Hey, speaking of boners, is Phoebe still going to be spending the weekend with Mrs. Rosenberg?”

“You,” Ty rumbled in amusement, “have read my mind.”

“I bet I haven’t.” Alex tapped his fingers against his knees. “I bet you’re not thinking what I’m thinking.”

“You’re a goddamn tease.” Ty grinned as he parked the truck and cut the ignition. He turned to face Alex.

His boyfriend’s bright blue eyes were alive with mischief, and it made Ty’s heart melt. Alex was still beautiful, still stunning in every way. The weeks and months with him had flown by, and everything just seemed to keep getting better, even if Ty’s bedroom was overflowing with space stuff now.

They were going to need a bigger apartment. Maybe in the New Year. There was something about the way two adults took up space in a way that one didn’t. Twice the clothes, twice the shoes, twice the laptops, the books, the assorted junk… Okay, maybe Alex had a
lot
more junk than Ty did, but still it all added up. And then it turned out that Alex’s inner nerd compelled him to buy the kinds of board games Ty had never seen in Toys “R” Us, and Phoebe had gotten totally addicted to some deeply tactical games which required collaboration between players.

“How about,” Alex said, cutting through Ty’s wandering thoughts, “now the cast is off, you and I…” His cheeks turned that easy shade of pink that made Ty want to do all kinds of things to him.

“Go on,” Ty prompted.

“I want you inside me,” Alex breathed. “I want you to fuck me, Ty. If you… If that’s the kind of thing you…”

He’d thought Alex just wasn’t into it. While Ty was more than eager to try new stuff, that one always seemed a step too far: the kind of thing you couldn’t just start doing to a guy without making sure he was into it. Alex had never mentioned it before, and with the broken arm it seemed inappropriate to broach the subject himself.

Now it seemed Alex might have had some of the same concerns.

Ty’s body had already begun to respond to the mere suggestion. The thought of being
inside
Alex was a mesmerizing one. What would it feel like, to actually enter his ass, to slide into him and fuck him? To penetrate him to his very core and make him beg?

His cock pulsed to life the more he thought about it. How would Alex look with Ty’s cock inside him? What sounds would he make?

“Ty?”

Ty blinked quickly, then leaned across. He slid his hand between Alex’s legs and cupped his boyfriend’s balls while he kissed him roughly. He drew Alex’s tongue out and sucked on it hard until they were both breathless and Alex’s dick had half-hardened against his thumb.

“Yeah,” Ty growled, his voice deep with lust. “I’d like that.”

Alex’s eyelids fluttered, and he groaned faintly.

Ty pulled himself back. “C’mon. Let’s get inside before we get arrested for public indecency!”