Page 9 of Unhinged Kallie

“I’ll think about that and come up with a plan, but Cain…at this point, he’s a terrified child, and we are the only family he has. Please, for me.”

“He already means that much to you? Does he mean as much as our baby?”

“It’s different and yet the same. I can’t explain it any better than that, but it doesn’t mean I’m suddenly not going to want or love our baby.” I stared out the front windshield at the people fighting over spots while others heaved heavy suitcases out of cars. “You wanted me to relax more. I will take leave from work early like you wanted, and knowing that you’ve made this promise will lift a lot of stress from my chest.” She was negotiating. I loved it when she did this. I lifted my brow at her, and she licked her lips. “And I will use the stress schedule you made.”

“Including the sleep schedule?”

“Yes, including the sleep schedule.”

“Fine, I will concede to not killing the child, but…if he grows into a man and does become a problem, I will slit his throat, and I don’t care who he is. Nothing and no one threatens me or my family,” I said, my voice soft, but goosebumps rose on Kirby’s skin.

“I will make sure that never happens.”

“Very well, I guess we have a….”

“Son?”

“Hmm, yes, I guess that’s what you call it,” I mumbled, getting out of the car.

Taking Kirby’s hand, we walked into the airport like a normal couple. I could feel her nervousness as if it were my own, and I rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb.

“Is the makeup holding,” I asked when we reached the arrival area.

Kirby looked at the side of my neck where I had my Joker tattoo and nodded. “I know what you’re trying to do.”

“Is it working?”

“Maybe a little. Thank you.” As we waited for the doors to open and hundreds of people to come stampeding out, I took the time to assess my surroundings. I’d never been in an airport before. When we traveled to see her dad over a year ago, we took a ship. Today I wore a baseball cap, my darkest sunglasses, makeup to hide my visible tattoos, and a few extras in the cosmetics department to ensure my face was slightly different.

We also agreed that I wouldn’t touch anything in here. I still counted all the guards and took in what they did and didn’t have for weapons. I spotted cameras, and of course, I evaluated every person standing around waiting.

The PA squawked moments before the doors opened to announce the plane’s arrival. Kirby held up the sign she’d made for the woman bringing the boy, and as soon as she came through the doors, Kirby walked over to greet them.

She smiled, but there was sadness as she squatted down. I understood the situation on an intellectual level, but emotionally I couldn’t grasp it. The blond boy let go of the woman’s hand he was holding, and he started to bawl, like just seeing Kirby made him cry.

But this was where my Sunshine was different from me. Instead of being confused, she cried and held open her arms for the boy to hug her. His chubby face turned up, and his green eyes found mine. I wanted to growl at him, but as Kirby stood and turned toward me, I knew that couldn’t happen. Her eyes were as wild as any animal. Like a lioness protecting a cub, I knew that she would tear my throat out. If I hurt this boy, Carter, we would be over, or we would be dead. In a blink, he’d stolen her from me, and panic seized my chest.

My heart pounded like a drum and filled my ears with the sound as Kirby marched toward me. I couldn’t lose her. She was the reason I saw the world in color.

As if sensing the turmoil spinning in my mind, Kirby slid her arm around my waist and squeezed.

“Carter, this is your uncle, Cain.”

What had we just agreed to?

* * *

TWO WEEKS LATER

“So, how’s it going,” Abel asked as he danced onto the porch and handed me a beer. Some shit never changed.

“I never cried that much.”

I took a swig of beer as Abel flopped down beside me. I didn’t know how every chair in his home wasn’t broken. It was like he was constantly testing to see if he’d smash through it or not.

“We didn’t cry unless it could get us something or to pretend that shit actually upset us.”

I looked at my brother’s profile, and it was rare that he would spit out something logical, but he was making sense now. “So what you’re saying is I need to figure out what the kid wants, and that will shut him up and give me my wife back?”