Harbour of Refuge (22 page)

“No way. I’m not subjecting Liev to that. It’s bad enough we see them occasionally when we come or go to school. He’s nine. This is my life, not his.”

“What about that reporter you went after? It could make things better with him, too.”

“Ernest Macklin? I don’t give a damn about him,” he said, voice rising. “I’m not looking to
smooth
anything over with the press. I’m actually allowed to have some privacy in my life. And I’m using that to include my son.”

Ben looked like he’d swallowed something nasty. Enzo narrowed his gaze and fought the urge to reach across the table and punch him in the face.

“What the fuck did you do?”

“I told them you’d do the interview.”

“Not happening.”

“The hell it’s not. You
will
do this, Enzo. You will also apologise to the man you threatened.”

“Or what?”

“We lose sponsors, that’s what.”

Anger burned in his gut. Ben had placed him in an awkward position. He thought about Luke and the other members of the team. They were paid because they had sponsors, and good ones. Through narrowed eyes, he stared at the man who’d known about Liev from the get-go. He’d been the one who had told him to embrace the child, now Enzo wondered if Ben wasn’t behind this himself, just to get more publicity for the team.

“I will talk, but my son stays out of it.”

Ben shook his head and opened his mouth. Enzo cut him off before he could speak. “This is not up for negation. I’ll let you continue to meddle in my life but I’ll not expose my son to this. And heaven help you should I find out you have been pushing this.”

His blue eyes widened. “Me? Why would I do that? I’m doing what’s best for the team.”

“Because stuff had been dying down here until you called three days ago demanding we meet”—he gestured with his hand—“to discuss this bullshit.”

Something odd burned in Ben’s gaze before he contained it. “Think what you will, Enzo, but my priority has always been the team.”

Yes, he knew that, yet sometimes what was best for the team wasn’t best for him. Or his son.

“I don’t like this, Ben. I hate being manipulated.”

“I’m sorry. It’s a done deal. You
and
your son.”

“You can say that all you want. It won’t happen.”

“Damn it, Enzo! I’m trying here.”

Bullshit
. “What does my son being there have to do with anything about the team? He doesn’t race. I’m the driver.”

“They want to know. How many times do we have to go over this?”

“No more, as far as I’m concerned. They can want to know, but it won’t happen. They can come after me with their stupid, annoying and entirely too personal questions, but I’ll be damned and off the team before they get Liev up there.”

Ben checked his watch and stood up. “Too late.”

Dread filled his gut. “For what?”

“I already sent someone to pick him up.”

“You bastard!” he seethed. Drawing out his phone, he called the school and got the receptionist. “Let me speak to Principal Reynolds.”

“Who’s calling, please?”

“Cindy, it’s me, Enzo Cassano. I need to speak to him right away.”

“Hang on, please.”

“Principal Reynolds here, what can I do for you, Mr Cassano?”

“Some men are going to be asking to take my son from school. Don’t let them. I will come get him myself.”

A hesitation. “I’m sorry, Mr Cassano, but they’ve already left.”

“You let him go with them?”

“They had a note signed by you, sir, okaying that the child be released to their custody.”

Enzo stood slowly. “Thank you, sir.” Staring down at the smug man before him, he ended the call and put the phone away. “Let’s go.”

“You’ll see, Enzo. It’ll be fine.”

It took all of his willpower not to break every bone in Ben’s body. Once outside and by the car, he slammed his manager against the side, forearm across his windpipe, restricting air.

“You do this to me again and I’ll kill you. You look sideways at my boy and I’ll kill you. Don’t talk to him, forget he exists. I will never forgive this, Ben. Were it up to me, I’d fire your ass. You have something to say to me, it damn well better be about racing because other than that, we have nothing to discuss. You bastard!”

He shoved him and walked off, trying not to completely lose it. He climbed in the passenger side and waited for Ben to slide behind the wheel. The silence in the interior was thick and ugly. Ben dropped him off at his vehicle, and Enzo followed from there.

He got out and entered the building where the media waited. A good-sized crowd had gathered when he pushed through the doors. Cameras flashed as he walked down the aisle and up to the table, where he sat.

“You apparently have some questions for me,” he said. “Let’s get this over with, then you can leave me alone.”

Macklin stood. “Mr Cassano, tell us about your son.” A brief pause. “Where is your son? We were told he would be here.”

Leaning back in his chair, he fought the urge to cross his arms, aware it would make him look defensive. Then he gave in. Hell, he was defensive.

“I don’t know where he is, you’d have to ask my manager that. He’s the one who had him taken out of school without my permission just so you people could get your rocks off.”

“I find it hard to believe the school would release your child without your permission.”

“So did I, Macklin, so I called the school to tell them not to, but was informed they’d arrived with a signed letter. So apparently, one of them, or Ben, forged my signature.”

Ben hastened up to his side and leaned towards a microphone. “What Enzo means to say is—”

“Oh, I’m saying exactly what I mean,” he interrupted. “You used forged documents to kidnap my child because this group”—he waved his hand—“can’t let us be. It’s disgusting. You asked about my son. Let me ask you something. Would you toss your son up on the podium in front of all of you? Of course not. You’d want to protect him. Why is it when I do that, I’m branded as someone who is hiding something?”

“You’re a sports star, Mr Cassano.”

“I’m a father first, Macklin. My son has been moved to a new country, new customs, school and life. It’s not easy for him, I’m not letting you grill him. So, listen well, for I’m only saying this once.”

His phone sounded, along with Ben’s. He read the text on his screen.

Liev is with me. H.

He’d wondered how long before Liev managed to get to Halyn. So he replied.

Keep him safe. Be there when I can. In an interview. E.

“Sorry. As I was saying, I didn’t know about him until his mother told me. That’s why he was ‘dropped’ onto the scene. She is a Russian model and I would guess she’s now back in her country. I don’t know.”

“He went missing,” Ben hissed in his ear.

Enzo stiffened. “Tell them, Ben. Tell them how you first kidnapped my son and now lost him.”

The entire group leaned closer, recorders extended.

Ben flushed red. Enzo shook his head. “I will never apologise for protecting my son, don’t expect one.”

“What about Halyn Jennings? Are you two an item?” Macklin again.

“Yes. We’re dating. Boyfriend and girlfriend. Whatever you want to call it. No, Liev is not staying with her when I go back to racing. Is that all? Or do you have more questions which will keep me from finding my son?” Derision dripped from his words.

No one said anything until one woman piped up, “Go. Let us know if we can help.”

“No, thanks. This is because of you and him,” he said, pointing at Ben. He hurried down the row to the door.

“I’m sorry about this,” Ben said from behind him.

Whirling around, he backed the man up to the wall. “You fuck. You’ve risked my son for the last time. Once I get to him, I’m calling the team owner. Either you go, or I do. You and your dumbass men who went along with your plan.” He slammed a fist into the wall next to Ben’s head. “You put
my
son in danger. And I will never forgive you for it.”

Enzo dashed outside, then sped out of the lot, wheels screeching and headed to where he knew his son was safe. Lord help that man if he’d not received the text from Halyn. After parking, he jogged up to the door, only to pause before entering. Just now he realised how sweaty his palms were, and noticed his erratic breathing.

He entered and immediately spotted them down the main aisle. “Liev.”

His son turned his head and watched him with that brooding expression. Halyn’s wasn’t all that much more welcoming.

* * * *

Halyn reclined on the couch as she stared at Enzo. They’d managed to avoid the elephant in the room while Liev had been awake, but he’d just been put to bed. Enzo lay on her floor, propped up on one arm so he could watch her. She allowed her gaze to move over his strong, jean-clad legs, up his flat and muscled torso to his chiselled features. Liquid heat pooled between her legs. Yes, she had it bad.

“So, he kidnapped him just to get an interview out of you?”

“He doesn’t see it as kidnapping. He views it as doing what’s best for the racing team.” Enzo shrugged. “But yes, essentially, that’s exactly what he did. I put a call into the owner and told him what happened and it was either Ben or myself. Which then turned into a me and Luke or him.”

“Nice of him to be on your side.”

“Luke’s a father. He understands how I’m feeling about the whole thing.”

She wasn’t a parent and she could only imagine what that must have been like. She barely knew the guy and wanted to punch him for doing what he did.

“Thank you for letting me know he was with you.”

“I was pissed when I first saw him enter the store. I thought you’d forgotten about him and he’d, like, hitched a ride there. Then I saw the time and knew that couldn’t have been it.”

“You were still pissed when I got there.”

“Yes.” She wasn’t going to lie about that. “Liev is precious. He shouldn’t be running off like that. It’s your job to keep him safe.”

“Do you really think I wasn’t trying to do that?”

“Not by what you texted me back. Told me to keep him safe and that you were in an interview. To me, that was you taking something else as a priority over him.”

He contemplated her for a moment before rolling over and crawling on his hands and knees to the edge of the couch. Bracing his arms on the cushion, he put himself nose to nose with Halyn. His masculine scent washed over her and she had the most powerful urge to sink her hands into his hair and kiss him. Hold him still while she plundered the depths of his mouth.

“You’re such a protector of children. My son is lucky to have you in his corner.”

His voice, so deep, rumbled along her skin, setting it afire. She licked her lips and did her best to hold still.

“He’s a good kid.”

His gaze went from her eyes to her mouth and back up again. “Uh huh.”

Her heart pounded like she’d ridden to work and home in record time. “He’s young, shouldn’t be out by himself.”

“Right.” Focusing back on her lips.

She swallowed, but it felt as if a cotton field had burst up in her mouth. There was no moisture. His five o’clock shadow added a harder look to him and made her long to feel it scraping between her thighs. His patrician nose had a bump in it, making her think it had been broken at some time in his past. His thick eyebrows helped hide the eyes that assessed her so intently.

“I was thinking,” he muttered, not taking his gaze from her mouth.

“A-about what?”

She focused on the chain around his neck. A silver, cable chain. Very simple, yet it added so much to him. No flash, pomp or circumstance. Plain and masculine. Tonight he also had rings on his thumbs. Solid bands. Silver as well, unless he wore platinum. She’d continue to think of it as silver, so she didn’t feel so out of her league.

“This and that.”

“Nothing more specific than that?”

He reached out and dragged two fingers along the neckline of her shirt. He started at one shoulder and moved down, following it to the dip between her breasts, only to continue back up the other side.

“Much more specific. I’m just debating if I should tell you.”

“You need to focus, we’re talking about your son.”

“Hmm, yes, we are.” He leant down and kissed the top of her exposed breast.

She squeezed her eyes together and clamped down on the moan that threatened to escape.
How is this fair?
He’d barely touched her and she was ready to explode in flames. He hardly seemed affected at all. His breathing was cool and calm, the pulse in his throat not jumping like hers, or that was how it felt beneath her fingers.

“So…so maybe you should go sit back over there and we can continue the discussion.”

Lazily, he dragged his gaze up to hers. “I can carry on a conversation while being here. You want to talk about Liev, so talk.”

“Wh…what are you going to do about him running off like that?”

“I’ve already talked to him about it. Told him how scared I was and how I never wanted him to do it again.”

He reconnected his lips with her skin and nibbled along the path his fingers had just traversed. She reached out and sank her fingers into his hair, holding him closer to the breast he tormented.

“Any other questions for me?” he asked, seconds before he took her nipple in his mouth, shirt and all.

It was all she could do not to cry out loud in pleasure. She bit her lower lip and clenched her hand in his hair.

“We have to stop,” she panted.

She wasn’t sure whether to curse or bless him for listening immediately to her. He positioned himself so they were staring into one another’s eyes.

“You want me to stop?”

Decadent temptation to sin. The only way she could describe his voice.

No
. But the word wouldn’t slip past her lips. Unfortunately, neither did the affirmative. She tried to nod, it came out all jerky and hesitant.

“Are you sure?” He rubbed his cheek along hers, electrifying her synapses.

Of course not! I want you to strip me and fuck me until I can’t move a single muscle in my body.