Breezy knew immediately he’d said the offending words on purpose in order to give the child more money for her bank. Not a single club member of the Swords would have given a child money, especially for swearing. She probably would have been slapped for getting the bacon before the men.
Zoe’s giggle turned to full-blown laughter. Maestro swept her up and whirled her around. When he set her down, his hand enveloped the child’s as they danced around the kitchen and through the door. It was so different from anything she’d ever seen in the Swords club that she was almost jealous of Zoe’s relationship with the members. She’d grown up around the Swords and not a single one had ever treated her with compassion, let alone affection.
“That’s beautiful,” she whispered and looked up at Steele.
His eyes met hers and her stomach did a slow somersault. His smile was brief, but genuine. “You good now, sweetheart? Even Zoe knows we’re going to get our boy back.” He lifted one hand and wiped gently at the trail of tears down her face. “As soon as we all finish eating and the kids go off to school, we’ll come up with a plan. They’re homeschooled. They go just down the road to one of their aunts’ homes.”
She swallowed down every fear and forced herself to nod. She had faith in Steele. She did, otherwise she never would have informed him they had a son. She had to keep believing. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t his old lady anymore. Or that he preferred to have several women, not one. She wasn’t buying into him needing saving. He looked . . . invincible. She doubted anyone could take him down. She just had to believe he would go get Zane and get him to safety.
The pad of his finger stroked her chin. “Bridges has no imagination, Breezy, you know that. He’s not going to have some intricate scheme we can’t unravel. It will be something convenient for him. He won’t think it’s convenient, but he’s all about his own comfort.”
It was a good observation. Her father was all about his own comfort. Everything had to be done his way because he refused to be inconvenienced. She took a breath and nodded again, trying not to lean into him. Steele was just so solid. A wall of pure strength. Her legs felt rubbery and she couldn’t stop shaking, as if she were very cold. Her teeth wanted to chatter.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I held it together until I got here.” She needed him to understand she was capable of being strong. She had been strong the entire time she was alone.
Steele lifted his gaze across the aisle to Blythe, as if she might have all the answers. Breezy followed his example. Blythe smiled at her.
“I’d be a little in shock too if someone stole one of my children. I think you’re handling it very well. It’s natural to fall apart when you have someone strong standing by, ready to pick up the pieces. Before, there was only you to handle everything, so you did. Now you have all of us to help, and especially Steele, a man you know won’t stop until Zane’s back with you both. Of course your body is going to react to that.”
Breezy took a step away from Steele and back to the aisle. She picked up the knife to finish peeling the potatoes. Steele stepped up behind her, trapping her between the aisle and his hard body. His arms wrapped around her middle, just under her breasts, and he dropped his chin on top of her head.
“What are you doing?” She tilted her head to look up at him.
“Seeking solace.”
She blinked. That was such a Steele thing to say. It meant everything and nothing. “Well, you can’t have it, go away. I’m working here.”
“You have to give me solace. That’s your job as a woman, Bree.”
Alena, Anya and Blythe both laughed. Alena rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him, Bree. He’s playing the sympathy card on you, which means he’s up to no good.”
Blythe nodded. “Be on the lookout for treachery of some sort.”
“Blythe. Not you too,” Steele said. “That’s betrayal, plain and simple. I’ll be having a word with Czar about this.”
Breezy noticed that even with the easy teasing all around her, Steele’s hold on her didn’t loosen at all. She turned back to peeling potatoes, a small smile on her face. She couldn’t help it, Steele made her want to laugh. He had a way of making her feel as if she were part of everyone else, and very important to him. She didn’t want to let her mind go there. It was too easy to reach for that fantasy, even when he’d torn out her heart.
“I feel that not sticking up for you is fair payment for the fact that, knowing I have four children, you’re in heavy negotiations to bring back a fifth.”
“That was all Alena and Lana,” Steele denied.
“We voted,” Alena explained hastily. “It was put to a vote. Only Czar didn’t get a vote, the rest of us all agreed we’d spend every penny we had to get him and bring him to you.”
“How many more children do you think I’ll be able to handle?” Blythe asked, her voice infused with a mixture of laughter, genuine puzzlement and a touch of exasperation.
Alena and Steele looked at each other. They looked at Darby. Then Lana. All of them shrugged at the same time. It was Steele who answered.
“Any number, Blythe. However many need you.”
They all nodded. Blythe met Breezy’s eyes and she looked a little lost, as if to say, See how they are?
Breezy sent her a faint smile. “That could be a lot. Of course Steele’s good with children. He could take on a few.”
She expected him to laugh and when he didn’t, she turned her head to catch the thoughtful expression on his face.
He nodded solemnly. “Bree’s right, Blythe. It shouldn’t be all you. Bree’s good with kids. She spent her life taking care of them, and they all loved her. She has a big heart, and if you share your counselors with us, we could do it. We could help out by taking a few.”
“Wait. Wait.” She couldn’t turn around and face him because his arms were solid bands holding her prisoner as surely as if he’d chained her to one spot. There was no getting away from him, even with a major struggle. “What are you saying? Why am I included?”
“You’re my old lady, silly,” Steele said, as if he hadn’t crawled out from under three naked women. He was matter-of-fact. “If I’m taking on a child who has been abused in any way, that means you are as well. It’s the two of us.”
“That’s wonderful,” Darby said. “I knew you were going to be awesome, Bree, the moment I heard Steele had someone. It would be so great if there were two homes providing for children who had nowhere to go and needed us desperately.”
“Honey,” Breezy started cautiously. She was only a few years older than Darby. Did the teen really think she was capable of ta
king on a child with such an abused background? It was nice that Darby had said “us,” meaning Torpedo Ink and all of them, but ultimately, she would be the one responsible for any child they took on.
“Not this child,” Steele qualified. “It’s too soon. Zane has to get to know me. And I can see by Blythe’s face that she isn’t about to give this new boy up.”
Blythe burst out laughing, but then it slowly faded, and she was looking at them all with a sober face. “No, I won’t give him up. Czar showed me the video of him in that horrible little room. I really can’t get him out of my mind. Darby feels the same way, don’t you?”
Darby nodded. “We have to find him and bring him home with us.”
“We will,” Lana said. “These things take time and you just have to wait for the right tiny bit of information. That’s what we’re doing for both Zane and this little boy.”
“It feels like it takes forever,” Darby complained. “I guess I just want them safe.”
Breezy sent her a faint, knowing smile. “I understand exactly what that feels like.” Steele wasn’t going anywhere, and she wasn’t going to make a fuss in Blythe’s kitchen, so she leaned her head back against his chest while she worked. She should have protested his “old lady” reference, but what difference did it make how much she protested? It wasn’t helping get her son home.
“We all do, honey,” Alena said.
Anya stuck her head into the kitchen. She’d gone out to make certain everything was ready for the meal. “Tables are set and ready. The boys want to know what else you need done. Well, with the exception of Kenny. He says he’s on strike and no matter what you say, he won’t help.”
Darby snickered when Blythe looked to her for an explanation. “He’s mad because I told him he had to set the table and he thinks that’s a girl’s job. Women’s work. You know what a chauvinist he is.”
“All the boys set the table,” Blythe pointed out.
“Doesn’t matter, Blythe,” Darby said. “He just wants out of work.”