Page 32 of A Little Bit Reckless

All the dads were with him.

“You guys are looking intense,” Ramses said, squeezing Bru’s shoulder. Ramses was Bru’s adoptive dad. He looked nothing like him, but Wolf was like the man’s clone. Ramses towered over both Bru and me, just like Wolf did. Ramses glanced between Bru and me. “Everything all right?”

I wasn’t sure.

Bru avoided my eyes suddenly, with his dad there. Mine narrowed, but I let up when my dad made eye contact with me. I might look more like him if I didn’t dye my hair platinum blond and grow it out. He and my mom were both brunettes, which was my natural hair color.

“I’m sure Bru isn’t happy he’s being punished because of my son,” Dad said, eyeing me. I averted my attention to the ground. Dad may have shot laser eyes at me, but it wasn’t his focus that hit me right in the gut.

Knight was beside him.

Knight was Thatcher’s dad, which made himBow’sdad. He was also huge as fuck like Thatcher and could easily pummel my ass. It didn’t matter if he had twenty years on me.

Knight, aka Mr. Reed, had nothing but a grunt for me once he entered the circle of dads. All the dads were here now, except for Dorian’s dad, Royal, and my god-dad, LJ. LJ didn’t have any kids, but he was good friends with the other dads. Anyway, in the group text with my friends, Dorian let us all know his dad and LJ were out of town on business.

“Where’s my son?” Mr. Reed growled lowly, borderline sneering at me.

Shit.

Answer fast.

“Inside with the other guys,” I said and did try to smile a little at him.

The sentiment didn’t work.

The sneer became deadly, and I shot my sight to the ground again. I’d be a submissive little bitch if I had to. Thatcher’s dad didn’t play.

I was only glad he wasn’tmydad in that moment. My dad was already close to cutting me off, and I think the only reason he hadn’t was because he hadn’t gotten to it yet.

I wasn’t about to remind him of that shit though.

I started to stay behind so I could talk with Bru. He definitely was about to say something to me, but my dad got my arm.

He tipped his chin toward Mr. Reed. “You’re sitting with Knight this evening.”

Fucking brilliant.

Dad’s eyes narrowed. “And he’s also taking you to the restaurant after the show.”

My mouth parted. We always went to one of my dad’s fast-food chains, Jax’s Burgers, after the ballet. It was one of the only highlights actually. Not the conversation, of course, but the food. “Dad?—”

He started to walk off. That signaled the end of the conversation.

And so my nightmare was just beginning.

I didn’t have a chance to talk with Bru. I was mashed between my dadand Mr. Reed. Mr. Reed simmered beside me the entire show and the only thing worse than that was theactualballet. I didn’t know what this one was called. I didn’t fucking care, but it would have at least been tolerable with my cellphone.

My dad took it.

Mine was the only one he took, so I just had to sit there between two pissed fathers. The only break I got was intermission, and Mr. Reed followed me to the bathroom. Ofcoursehe had to go to the bathroom too.

I was barely able to pee once I got there. Even breathing around Thatcher’s dad took effort. I screwed over his daughter.

And he definitely knew it.

I wrapped up my intermission quickly, then it was back to the show. I caught a glance from Bru during the second half at one point. He had that look in his eyes, telling me again that he wanted to say something to me.

What’s this about, kid?