Read Online His Secret Child (Slade Security Team Series Book 2) by Leslie North - Free Book Online
Authors: Leslie North
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You mumble like that, folks will think you can’t talk.”
Jason looked up. “Did you know my mom?”
Slade nodded. “I did. Your mom and I…well, I knew her a long time ago. Before you were born.”
Jason thought about that for a minute. He scrubbed at his face with his hand “Why didn’t you ever come to see her?”
“I don’t think she wanted to share you with me. I think your mom was scared about a lot of things. I think one of them was maybe losing you. She probably figured I’d meet you, like you, and want to hang on to you.”
Jason’s face screwed up. His room, Slade noticed, smelled like dirty socks and bubble gum. Glancing at Slade, Jason said, “Mom didn’t like to be scared. She didn’t even like to watch any kind of action films. She didn’t want me to watch ’em, either.”
“But you did?” Slade could already guess the answer.
Jason dug one tennis shoe under the rug beside his bed. He glanced at the door and lowered his voice. “Don’t tell Bethany, but Mike—he gets homeschooled like me—but his folks let him watch war movies. They say it’s like learning history.”
“Jason, did your mom ever tell you anything about your daddy?”
Jason shrugged. “She said he was nice. That he couldn’t be with us because what he did was too dangerous.”
Slade nodded. His job could be dangerous at times. He’d been shot at more than once, but luck had kept him safe.
Jason banged the back of his heels against the bed. “Slade, how come you never came to see my mom when she was sick?”
“I didn’t know that she was sick until a few days ago. Your Aunt Bethany called me, but I was in a place called Jawhara making sure some very important people were safe. Now, how about that lunch? And don’t tell me you aren’t hungry because I can hear your stomach growling like a tiger.” Slade reached over and poked Jason’s stomach.
Jason gave a laugh, but he got up and headed for the kitchen. He wolfed down his sandwich, asked if he could have juice. Bethany started to tell him they didn’t have any, but Slade got up and produced a can of grape juice. “Why don’t you go out and shoot a few hoops,” Slade said.
Face scrunched up again, Jason shook his head. “I’m not very good at it.”
“Go on.” Slade put a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “I’ll be out in a few minutes to give you a few tips.”
Feet dragging, Jason headed out. Slade turned to Bethany. “I want you and Jason to come to San Diego with me for a few weeks. I’ve set it up so that we can leave tomorrow.”
Chapter 11
Bethany stared at him. “Are you insane? I can’t just pull up and go.”
“Why not? Your work goes with you. Jason is homeschooled. What’s stopping you?”
She blinked. What was stopping her? Eyes narrowing, she said, “I think the biggest stop is that I just met you. I know next to nothing about you, and—”
“Okay, hold it right there. “What do you need to know, other than that Jason’s my son and I’m willing to let you adopt him?”
The air lodged in Bethany’s chest. “You are?”
Slade nodded. “Before we get there, I’d like to find out just how Jason might fit into my life. I’d like to see him on my own turf and I can help him. Not just because he very well could be my son, but also because he is Tayra’s son. She became part of my family when she married Brock, and that’s never changed. But I also—Bethany, I’m here to help you, too. I don’t walk away from someone who could use a hand.”
She tipped her head. She wasn’t sure what to do with this macho guy. He was like a force of nature. She could protest all she wanted that she could look after herself, and she knew he’d listen, and then he’d fill her fridge and cook her food to eat. He’d shown that. Voice dry, she told him, “Your armor’s showing again.”
He touched the front of his shirt. “Damn, I thought I had that buttoned up. Come on. It’s bull that you don’t know me. Tayra knew
Jason looked up. “Did you know my mom?”
Slade nodded. “I did. Your mom and I…well, I knew her a long time ago. Before you were born.”
Jason thought about that for a minute. He scrubbed at his face with his hand “Why didn’t you ever come to see her?”
“I don’t think she wanted to share you with me. I think your mom was scared about a lot of things. I think one of them was maybe losing you. She probably figured I’d meet you, like you, and want to hang on to you.”
Jason’s face screwed up. His room, Slade noticed, smelled like dirty socks and bubble gum. Glancing at Slade, Jason said, “Mom didn’t like to be scared. She didn’t even like to watch any kind of action films. She didn’t want me to watch ’em, either.”
“But you did?” Slade could already guess the answer.
Jason dug one tennis shoe under the rug beside his bed. He glanced at the door and lowered his voice. “Don’t tell Bethany, but Mike—he gets homeschooled like me—but his folks let him watch war movies. They say it’s like learning history.”
“Jason, did your mom ever tell you anything about your daddy?”
Jason shrugged. “She said he was nice. That he couldn’t be with us because what he did was too dangerous.”
Slade nodded. His job could be dangerous at times. He’d been shot at more than once, but luck had kept him safe.
Jason banged the back of his heels against the bed. “Slade, how come you never came to see my mom when she was sick?”
“I didn’t know that she was sick until a few days ago. Your Aunt Bethany called me, but I was in a place called Jawhara making sure some very important people were safe. Now, how about that lunch? And don’t tell me you aren’t hungry because I can hear your stomach growling like a tiger.” Slade reached over and poked Jason’s stomach.
Jason gave a laugh, but he got up and headed for the kitchen. He wolfed down his sandwich, asked if he could have juice. Bethany started to tell him they didn’t have any, but Slade got up and produced a can of grape juice. “Why don’t you go out and shoot a few hoops,” Slade said.
Face scrunched up again, Jason shook his head. “I’m not very good at it.”
“Go on.” Slade put a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “I’ll be out in a few minutes to give you a few tips.”
Feet dragging, Jason headed out. Slade turned to Bethany. “I want you and Jason to come to San Diego with me for a few weeks. I’ve set it up so that we can leave tomorrow.”
Chapter 11
Bethany stared at him. “Are you insane? I can’t just pull up and go.”
“Why not? Your work goes with you. Jason is homeschooled. What’s stopping you?”
She blinked. What was stopping her? Eyes narrowing, she said, “I think the biggest stop is that I just met you. I know next to nothing about you, and—”
“Okay, hold it right there. “What do you need to know, other than that Jason’s my son and I’m willing to let you adopt him?”
The air lodged in Bethany’s chest. “You are?”
Slade nodded. “Before we get there, I’d like to find out just how Jason might fit into my life. I’d like to see him on my own turf and I can help him. Not just because he very well could be my son, but also because he is Tayra’s son. She became part of my family when she married Brock, and that’s never changed. But I also—Bethany, I’m here to help you, too. I don’t walk away from someone who could use a hand.”
She tipped her head. She wasn’t sure what to do with this macho guy. He was like a force of nature. She could protest all she wanted that she could look after herself, and she knew he’d listen, and then he’d fill her fridge and cook her food to eat. He’d shown that. Voice dry, she told him, “Your armor’s showing again.”
He touched the front of his shirt. “Damn, I thought I had that buttoned up. Come on. It’s bull that you don’t know me. Tayra knew
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