Page 30 of Loving Trent (Love in the Bootheel #5)

Eighteen

TRENT

For just a second, I’m confused when I wake up.

But then everything comes rushing back. The warm weight against me is Shawn, and he’s still clinging to me.

We haven’t moved an inch during the night, and I’ve still got a painful erection.

By the feel of it, so does Shawn. Watching him break down in my arms last night shouldn’t have left me feeling anything but anger and sadness.

Believe me, those emotions were there, but there was also something else.

I was happy that he felt comfortable enough with me, safe enough with me to be so open.

After telling me that no one takes care of him, Shawn grew quiet and fell asleep, but I remained awake for a long time afterward.

New plans formed in my head, erasing the old ones.

Yes, I will still find Tom and Sandy, no matter how long it takes me.

But I’m going to delegate more of that responsibility to Demon and Sonny.

I will still be available to go with them and do anything they need, but I’m going to spend my time helping the man basically lying on top of me.

I’m going to find out who broke into his gym and who the fuck is stealing from him.

Along the way, I’m going to get him back to the man he was before those bastards tried to break him.

I don’t care what I have to do. I’m going to take care of him, and he is going to let me.

Starting today, I won’t be stalking him anymore.

Nope, I’m going to keep him right where he belongs—by my side.

He needs more sleep, but unfortunately, Uncle Joey is supposed to be in this morning, and I’ve got to meet the people delivering the furniture to the house.

And you guessed it, he’s coming with me.

But there is one massive problem with all of this.

I need to have a conversation with his dad. Pronto.

Leaning down, I press my lips against his hair and let out a little sigh.

Shawn didn’t know it, but before he woke up yesterday, I took all the soap out of the bathroom, leaving only mine behind.

The fact that he smells like me isn’t helping my dick go down any quicker. In fact, it’s making the sheets damp.

“Shawn,” I whisper, and run my hand down his back. Thank God he sleeps in a shirt, or else I might not have been able to ignore the lust between us last night. I might be a virgin when it comes to consensual sex and definitely with a man, but I’m so up for learning with him. When the time is right.

“Huh,” he groans and snuggles closer to me.

“Hey, I’ve got to go into town early this morning, but I didn’t want you to wake up to an empty bed.”

“Okay,” he whispers, and then he presses a kiss to the middle of my chest before rolling over.

Heat spreads throughout my body from that tiny spot, the beast inside demands that I stay exactly where I am, but I still crawl out of bed and throw on the clothes I wore the day before.

While I’m stepping into my jeans, it hits me that not only did I allow someone to touch me, but I also didn’t hide the worst of my scars.

Even if the room had been lit up like a summer day, I would have removed my pants.

I don’t want any more secrets between Shawn and me.

I want him to see all of me. Could it end badly?

I mean… I guess so, but something deep in my chest says it won’t.

He came looking for me last night because he feels it too.

He feels the draw, the string pulling tight, the lust burning hot, and the unbearable need to just be around each other.

Before leaving the room, I search the desk for a piece of paper and a pen, which I find in the top drawer. I then leave a small note on the bedside table under Shawn’s phone.

Shawn,

I had to run into town, but I’ll be back, and I want to spend the rest of the day with you. Don’t make any plans. Here is my number. If you need anything, call me.

Trent.

It’s still early, so I’m expecting everyone to still be asleep, but of course, I can’t sneak out of his room for the second night in a row. Sitting at the table is none other than Maria, and she doesn’t look happy to see me standing in the hallway, if that deep V between her eyes means anything.

“Don’t start with me. It’s not what you think.” I hold up my hands but keep walking past her, through the kitchen, and into the back bedroom where my things are. She follows me, of course, and I knew she would.

“Trent, he’s been through a lot?—”

I whirl around and literally growl at her. “I fucking know that. Maria, I love you to death, but you don’t want to get into this with me. Like I said, nothing happened. I held him last night while he cried in my arms, and then we fell asleep.”

She steps forward and wraps her arms around me, laying her head over the spot Shawn kissed.

I itch to push her away and rub that spot to remove the feeling of her, but I can’t be an asshole.

My arms wrap around her and pull her closer.

“All I was going to say is that I’m glad he is letting someone in.

I know I put my foot in my mouth last night, but I’m just worried about you. ”

My muscles relax as my anger fades at her words. “You don’t need to be worried about me. I know what I’m doing. I promise.”

Maria lets me go and leans against the wall while I search for clean clothes. “Where are you heading?”

“I’ve got to meet someone this morning, but I’ll be back within the hour.

Uncle Joey will be here by then, and I’m finally going to talk to him.

” I turn my back on her and quickly change my clothes.

It’s not the first time she has seen my naked ass, but that is all she has seen on me.

“I’m coming back for Shawn and Harley. Can you make sure they both are awake and ready? ”

“You’re taking Shawn?”

“Yes,” I say, pulling my shirt over my head. I snatch up my phone and shove it in my pocket, then head past Maria, leaving her behind for the second time. As soon as my boots are on, I’m out the front door, setting my new plan in motion.

Me

Sonny, meet me in town.

Ten minutes later, I’m waiting for Sonny to show up at a local diner.

I’m going to talk to him first, and then I’m going to call Demon and fill him in.

I’m not worried about Demon not liking this plan because he will do whatever needs to be done.

It’s Sonny that I need to make sure is on board with the fact that I’m openly claiming his only son.

The bell above the door chimes, signaling that someone new is walking in.

I heard the roar of his bike, so I didn’t turn toward the door.

A hand comes down on my shoulder right before Sonny says, “Morning, what’s got you demanding me to meet you this morning?”

I push the second cup of hot coffee toward the other side of the table.

Sonny walks around, and I make sure to keep eye contact with him.

I’m glad Shawn got his green eyes from his birth mom, Sandra, not Sonny, because it makes it just a little easier on me.

“There is something I need to talk to you about.”

He sips his coffee before leaning back and crossing his arms. “Am I going to want to kill you after this?”

“Honestly, maybe, but it is what it is. Okay, so there is something I left out when telling you about my past. I was born and raised in Cape up to the age of thirteen.”

Sonny’s brows bunch together as he says, “Okay.”

“I only attended middle school there for three months before Josiah and Eve sent me away, but I met a boy there on the first day. I kind of became obsessed with him and started writing about him in my journal, which, you know, is what Josiah found that made him send me to camp. Five months ago, I saw the same boy for the first time again, and that old obsession came back, but a million times worse. I’ve been keeping tabs on him, but I thought I needed to put my past to bed before introducing myself to him.

” Keeping my hands still and lying in plain sight is tougher than I thought.

I’m not ashamed of what I did… You know, stalking his son, but maybe I’m a little nervous about his reaction.

“It sounds like this guy doesn’t remember you.” Sonny’s blue eyes bore into me as if trying to get to the end of the story faster.

I shrug my shoulders and take a drink to buy myself some time because here comes the part that Sonny isn’t going to like. “He doesn’t. Nor does he know that I’ve been watching him from afar.”

“Okay, and I need to know this because?—”

“He’s your son.” I blurt out, cutting him off.

Sonny’s face remains the exact same. No emotions flit across his eyes as he takes in what I just said. “You’re telling me that you,” he points at me, “have been stalking my son. You’ve been stalking Shawn?”

“Yes, and there’s more. As you know, my house has no furniture, but what you don’t know is that I’ve been staying at Nana’s. Last night, Shawn broke down in my arms, telling me how unsafe he has been feeling due to everything: the fire, the attack, and the abuse?—”

Now anger is burning in Sonny’s blue eyes, and he leans forward, bracing his arms on the table. “Abuse?”

“It’s not my story to tell, and I’m sure he will tell you, but yes, abuse.

His ex was verbally and physically abusive to him.

” I grab Sonny’s arm when he stands up quickly to stop him from running out the door.

“I took care of him,” I say quickly, and Sonny sits back down.

“He is still breathing, but I broke both of his wrists and told him to leave town. Which he listened to.”

“I want a name,” Sonny demands.

“That will have to come from Shawn, not me. I don’t want to betray him even more than I am right now. I just wanted to clear the air with you about my intentions.”

“What are your intentions?” Sonny is back to having his arms crossed.

“I want to take care of him. He takes care of everyone around him but doesn’t let anyone take care of him.

That’s changing right this second… Actually, it changed last night.

I’m done hiding in the shadows, biding my time until I think it’s the right time.

I want to get to know him on a personal level.

I want to know everything about him. Not just what I was able to find online or by watching him.

I don’t know what it is about him that has captivated me, but something has.

I not only want Shawn to be mine… I want to be his. ”

“And you want my permission?”

For the first time, I move and let my emotions show.

My jaw ticks, and I clench my hands into fists, which he can see because they are sitting on top of the table.

“No, I don’t want your permission because I’m going to do it anyway.

No one will ever have the chance to hurt Shawn again because from this point forward, he is mine.

I handled his ex, and I took care of those assholes who touched him the other night. No one is going to stop me.”

Sonny smiles for the first time since he walked in.

“You’re the one who beat up Jason and his friends?

” I nod and he laughs. “I knew I liked you. As for what I think, it doesn’t matter.

It doesn’t matter what anyone says. As long as Shawn is happy with you and is treated right, that’s all that matters to me. But I do have one question for you.”

I keep the anger-laced reply sitting on my tongue about treating Shawn right because I will treat him like a king. “Okay.”

“Did you save him? You said five months ago, and that’s right around the time his apartment building caught on fire, and while your eyes have a hint of green in them, they are mostly brown.”

“Yes, I did.”

Now it’s time for the muscle in Sonny’s jaw to twitch, but I don’t think it’s from anger, not from the way he is looking at me.

“Thank you. Fuck.” He scrubs his hands over his face a couple of times.

I don’t miss how he wipes his eyes multiple times before he drops his hands.

“If it wasn’t for you, he wouldn’t be here.

You saved my son. I owe you everything.”

“You owe me nothing, but I will take your help tracking down Tom while I work on winning Shawn’s heart and taking care of his problems.” I uncurl my fist and hold my hand out toward him.

Sonny wastes no time sliding his hand against mine.

“You got it.” We finish our coffee and part ways, with him telling me that he has emailed me everything they have found so far from the camp in Ohio.

I’ll get to that, but first, I have two people who are quickly starting to mean the world to me whom I'd like to introduce to my uncle.