He nodded. “Yes. My son is not only a Vallin, but he has the blood of one of this organization’s royal family’s flowing through his veins. If something happens to him while he’s with me, they will not hesitate to kill the entire Vallin bloodline. The security is also for my father. He’s sort of a big shot in the organization as well. He handles the money for a big portion of the organization, which kind of makes him one of the untouchables. His status and Arjen’s have kept us from getting a firing squad for breaking syndicate rules many times.”
“Holy shit. So, it’s like having diplomatic immunity in a way.” This was the most unbelievable story I’d ever heard. “How do you keep yourself from hurting her? I don’t know if I’d be able to restrain myself.”
He shrugged. “Honestly, for a long time, I was obsessed with finding and killing her. I also wanted to find my son. Although he would never admit to it, I think my father initially contacted her to get her to at least see reason. We finally met Arlo right before his second birthday. Once I saw him, I didn’t care how he’d been conceived. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he was the best thing to have ever happened to me.”
He paused to smile, adding more truth to words I already knew were sincere. “He’s an amazing little boy. He even has the power to make her exhibit human tendencies. It’s because of my son that I haven’t found a way to kill her. It’s because he says he loves her that I don’t find a way to crush every bone in her neck. I’ll admit that I’ve had a few weak moments when I’ve conducted searches for her, but she’s so well hidden that none of my efforts have worked.”
“What about asking your son?” I questioned.
“She’s convinced him not to say a word. She has told him, and he quoted back to me, “You’re going to kill her if I tell you where we live.” Who tells a kid something like that? It’s true, but it disturbs my soul that he’s being raised by that…that…” He chewed into his bottom lip to bite back his words. His fist were clenched so tight, I was afraid his knuckles would rip through his skin.
“That fucking bitch…” I finished his sentence for him, and it pleased me to see him smile.
“The kid is smart. He’s never given me or his grandfather a clue of where he flies from or takes off to. Not even Rhi has been able to get flight info or details on a location, which points to the level of power they have and the level of security they pour into staying hidden. All we’ve gotten from Arlo is that they live on the beach. He talks about the water sports he plays, his friends, and the projects he does at school. He also has a slight accent, but we have never been able to trace it back to an actual location.”
“This is the kind of situation that would have me talking to my shrink daily.”
“Not daily, but on occasion. Sometimes, I think I should be taking Arlo with me until he reminds me of how well-rounded he is. He’s adapted to this situation better than any of us adults.”
Seeing the pride flashing in his eyes and shining through his smile for Arlo set my heart at ease. “I have a lot or respect for you and what you’ve gone through. I’m glad you get to see your son and pray that things will align so you’ll get to spend more time with him.”
He nodded, but his gaze was fixed. Our conversation grew quiet after that, and I didn’t press him for more.
Tywin was a strong-willed man to deal with all that was piled on his plate. Would my baby daddy be dead or alive if I were in a situation similar to Tywin’s?
Tywin
Her eyelids fluttered like there were a million little delicate wings flapping against the backs of them. A smile came before she opened them, realizing I was there with my arms wrapped securely around her. I kissed the top of her big fluffy curls, disheveled and tossed about her head, but still pretty enough to draw my fingers to them.
“Have you always worn your hair short?” I asked, loving the soft texture of her curls.
“No. I change up my look often. I go from one extreme to the next.”
“This style fits you. It shows off your pretty face,” I complimented her, running my fingers through her hair until the tips teased her scalp.
“Thank you.” She leaned up to place a kiss on my lips. “Why does it feel like I know you?”
“Because you do. We’ve only had a few days and moments together, but we’ve managed to cover a lot of ground,” I stated, squeezing her to my chest tight enough to make her squeal in laughter. A tender kiss followed and we spent an eternal moment staring at each other until she drew me back into our embrace.
“After we get cleaned up, I’m going to go and spend some time with my little guy,” I stated, loving the big smile she was gifting me with.
“He looks at you the same way you look at your father,” she pointed out.
“And how’s that?”
“With love, admiration, and respect. I can tell that you are all very close. It’s refreshing to see men who aren’t afraid to show their love for each other.”
“The way my son was conceived is not something I ever want him to know. He only needs to know that he is the best part of my life.”
She placed a soft peck on my cheek, her lips leaving a warm impression behind. “He knows. Now, let’s go and get cleaned up so I can sit and have my heart get all warm and fuzzy observing three generations of Vallins.”
I chuckled good-naturedly, knowing that Arlo wasn’t the only best thing that had happened in my life. It took us another ten minutes to let go of each other long enough to make it to the shower.
Was it even possible to get Patrena out of my system? What would she think if I told her I was never letting her go?