Page 38 of Risk (Gods #3)

“ I think we bought everything that baby store had to offer,” Kaden teases as he takes the many bags of things we bought for the babies from the trunk of the cab that we took to get them all back home.

We decided not to take Kaden’s truck, as it’s a pain, driving around the city in the daytime, and the day was so nice, so we walked the short distance to the diner and then took a cab to the biggest and best baby store in the city.

Kaden wouldn’t let me pay for anything, and I didn’t fight him on it. They are his children, too, and I’m doing all the hard work, growing and carrying them. Also, I didn’t have the money to cover what we spent today.

“Babies require a lot of things, and we have two of them coming, so we need double of everything. And you were picking out just as much as I was, if not more,” I say on a laugh.

“True,” he agrees with a grin.

His hands are full of bags, as he won’t let me carry anything. I shut the trunk of the cab, and we cross the street, walking toward our apartment building.

We’ve just stepped up onto the curb when Kaden’s whole body stiffens.

“You okay?” I ask him, but he doesn’t respond.

So, I follow his line of sight to see a man standing in front of our building. He looks exactly like Kaden, but an older version.

My mind instantly thinks it’s his dad, but I know he’s in prison in Canada.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Kaden growls.

The man smiles, but there is nothing nice about it. He looks like a rabid dog that’s baring its teeth. “That any way to greet your father after all this time?”

This is his dad? He’s out of prison? Did Kaden know this?

By the look of utter shock and fury on his face, I’d say he had no clue, and I know he would have told me if he’d known.

“You’re no father of mine.” Kaden drops the bags of baby stuff on the ground and stalks toward him, stopping inches away. “How the fuck did you get out of prison, Gary?”

“I was a good boy, served my time, so they let me out.” He spreads his arms wide, that awful smile still on his face.

“How the fuck did you get in the country?”

His arms rest at his sides, like he’s no threat, but we know different.

“Like I said, I was a good boy,” is all he responds with.

“What do you want?” Kaden’s jaw is like granite, clenched so tightly that it could shatter at any moment.

“Maybe I just wanted to see my son.” Gary’s eyes move past Kaden to me. “This your girl?”

“Don’t fucking look at her.”

Gary’s eyes move down to my bump, and my arms instinctively cover it.

“Seems I’m gonna be a granddaddy.”

“I told you not to fucking look at her.” Kaden steps closer to him. “Babe, go on up to the apartment,” he says to me, not taking his eyes off Gary.

I try to move, but my feet don’t seem to be complying, and I really don’t want to leave Kaden here alone with his father.

“She’s a real beauty, son. You’ve done well for yourself.”

Kaden grabs the front of Gary’s shirt, bunching it up, pulling him toward him. “Why the fuck are you here?”

Kaden stands just slightly taller, more built and more physically intimidating than him, but Gary seems unbothered. He just sighs, like this is somehow an inconvenience to him.

“Money, son. I need some.”

Kaden shoves him away, disgusted. “Shocker.”

“I know you’re loaded. Heard all about your big payday from when your head got beat in during that fight. I saw it on the TV when I was inside. You took a hell of a beating, but bet the money was worth it.”

I already knew this man was disgusting and that I despised him without ever meeting him. Now, I’m sure I hate him. For him thinking the money was worth what Kaden went through with his brain injury. The months and months of rehabilitation. The migraines that he has to live with.

“You’re not getting a fucking dime of my money.”

“You have more than enough, son. I’m only asking for a small amount to set me up.”

“I would rather burn every dollar of my money than let you get a cent of it. You murdered my mother. You stole my childhood from me.”

This time, Gary steps up to Kaden. “Your kid won’t even see a childhood if you don’t give me the money I deserve.” His voice is low, deadly, and it scares the shit out of me.

“Don’t threaten me, old man. You’d be fucking stupid to try anything.”

Kaden’s father’s jaw works, and it’s the first time I’ve seen anything other than that horrible fucking smile on his face. Then, Gary steps back, the smile back in place, and he takes a cigarette from his pocket and lights it up. He steps back and looks at me one more time and then back at Kaden.

“I’ll be seeing you,” he says, then turns and walks down the street, away from us.