Steel Protection: You can’t hide from your past forever (Steel Ventures Book 2) by CC Gedling

Author:CC Gedling [Gedling, CC]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-09-21T16:00:00+00:00

I woke feeling chilly. The room was dark, and Oscar was sprawled out next to me like a starfish. His hair fell over his forehead messily. The air conditioning unit whirred, blasting cold air into the room, and the digital clock on the bedside read three o’clock. I blew out a breath and waited for the regrets. I ached deliciously, but I didn’t regret it. However, as much as I wanted to bask in that feeling, this was supposed to be a hook-up. Not that I’d had many, but I was reasonably sure I should be leaving. Especially as the guy in question had an inquisitive six-year-old, who would be awake in the morning.

I slipped from the bed and gathered my clothes, tempted to steal Oscar’s shirt to cover the top of my dress. But I decided that would make this look like a walk of shame.

I unlocked the door and glanced at Oscar’s sleeping form before darting out. A small body collided with me as I entered the corridor.

James stared up at me with wide eyes, clutching his stuffed toy.

“Oomph, sorry, James.” I steadied his shoulders.

“Eve?”

My heart clenched at being caught sneaking out of his dad’s room.

“Are you okay?” I whispered.

“Ye-yes. No.” His lip trembled.

I dropped to my knees next to him. “Did you have a bad dream? Shall I get your dad?”

“Not a dream… but, but…” He trailed off, clutching his toy, and I noticed the big dark stain on his pyjamas.

“Did you have an accident?”

“I didn’t mean to.”

“Of course you didn’t. It just happens sometimes,” I soothed.

“Do you do it?”

“Not anymore, but I used to do it until I was about ten.”

I remembered the crushing shame I felt on waking.

“Really? That’s older than me. I’m only six.”

“Shall we get your dad?”

“No!”

I searched his face in the light from the main room. Surely, he didn’t think Oscar would be mad at him.

“I don’t think your dad would mind. Has he been upset about it before?”

James shook his head. “But…”

“But what?”

“But he might send me away,” he whispered in a broken voice that made my breathing hitch.

“He wouldn’t do that ever. He loves you very much.”

“My mum sent me away.”

Oh shit. My stomach clenched. What the hell was I supposed to say? I promised not to bring it up, but I couldn’t ignore that statement.

“Your mum died, James. She wouldn’t have wanted to send you away,” I said gently.

“What if Daddy doesn’t want me anymore, though?”

“That would never happen.” I opened my arms, and he stepped into them, still clutching his soft toy. “Even those who die never truly leave us. My mum died when I was young, too, but I still feel like she is here with me sometimes.”

“You do?”

“Sure. Sometimes I look at pictures too. Or I tell her about my day.”

“But she’s not here.”

“I pretend. Can you pretend?”

“Like when you pretended to look in Sir Henry’s mouth even though he’s a toy?”

My heart clenched – this boy.

“Sure, just like that.”

“I haven’t got any pictures.”

“We’ll talk to your dad and see what we can do.

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