Chapter Twenty-Four

After a long night of meetings and planning to make sure every single detail was considered, Akira didn’t resist when Oriana led her to the spare bedroom and insisted she get some sleep. But she woke up early, shaking with fear and excitement, eager to get home. Dressing quickly, she hurried downstairs, guilt tugging at her when she saw Max in the kitchen, serving up breakfast, an extra plate set for her.

He paused, smiling as he took off his oven mitts. “I know that look. And I won’t force you to stay, Akira, but you’ve got a long day ahead of you. Give yourself a minute. Have something to eat. Oriana will be down soon and Sloan is just changing Westy.”

“I had a feeling you were going to say that.” Akira eyed the plates, her stomach growling. They’d had pizza last night, but she’d barely finished a slice. Knowing she might have finally found a solution had her tense and relieved and so wound up the food tasted like cardboard. She’d somehow managed to sleep well, but she was still worried about the last step in her and Oriana’s plans.

Getting Ford to go along with them.

“I can tell you’re stressed, but you came to Oriana for a reason. I don’t know all the details, but I know enough to say you’ve got this.” Max pulled out a chair. “Come sit down and tell me what’s bothering you.”

Akira plunked down into the chair, raking her fingers through her hair and resting her elbows on the table in front of her plate. “This might solve everything with Ford’s son, but it solves nothing for the team. Oriana and I talked about that a lot last night too. The team will be relocated. And that changes everything for all of us. Ford might have been fighting for his son, but he was also fighting for our life here and it’s all tangled together.”

Max nodded slowly, dragging out the chair beside her and dropping into it. “I know. And things are changing for everyone. We all have a lot of decisions to make. But I have a feeling you already know what you want to do.”

“I’m staying in Dartmouth. So is Cort. And I think it will be the best thing for Jaxon. We can give him a great life here.” Akira lifted her head, rubbing one hand over her face. “But it’s going to be hard for Ford. He’s losing both of his sisters.”

“He isn’t losing them. This is their home too.” Max leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. “I… I wasn’t willing to consider the move. And when I did, I tried to find a way where it wouldn’t change anything for my family. I was ready to retire.”

Blinking fast, Akira struggled to school her features. She couldn’t imagine the team without Max. Not again. Things hadn’t gone well the last time he’d left them.

He gave her a stiff smile. “I only have a few years left. And I’m still learning how to be a father. I figured I could just be that. Just walk away from the game.”

“Can you?”

“No.” Max folded his hands on the table. “I was so angry, because back then neither Sloan nor Oriana would even entertain giving it up. I thought that meant our family was less important to them. But they did the one thing I haven’t been. They’ve been able to be parents, while still balancing their own needs. If they aren’t happy, aren’t fulfilled, what kind of life can they give our son?”

“Some people stay home with their kids. And are happy doing it. That’s not a bad choice either.” Akira wasn’t sure if Ford would want a life like that. He still had the bar. But the team had meant family to him for so long, she knew he’d have trouble letting that go. “But it’s not a choice I could make.”

“And there’s nothing wrong with that. I want to keep playing. I also want to raise my son. I’ll try to do both, for a little longer.” Max lifted his shoulders, then picked up the syrup, spreading it over his pancakes. He went still as someone walked into the room. Set the bottle down. “Life changes. Sometimes, you have to be willing to change with it. And I wasn’t.”

Easing into the chair at Max’s side, Westy cradled against his chest, Sloan met Max’s level gaze. “It might have been easier for you if I’d listened more. If I didn’t act like your opinion didn’t matter.”

Max inclined his head, reaching out for his son, inhaling slowly as Sloan settled the baby in his arms. “Maybe. But I wasn’t ready to talk, so that didn’t help.”

“No. But I want you to feel like you have a say. Not just with the team.” Sloan brushed his fingers over Westy’s soft puff of blond hair. “With him.”

“I’ll try, but…you and Oriana have everything figured out.”

Sloan’s lips slanted. “We’re good at pretending we do. But we’re still learning, Max. Just like you are. He’s your son as much as he is mine. I remember you telling me how much your grandmother was involved in your life after your mother died. How your father always let her take charge. He figured she knew better than he did. I had to step back and stop being frustrated about how closed down you’d become to see you were doing the same thing.”

“Damn.” Max shook his head, staring down at his son. “I reckon I was.”

“You were.” Sloan curved his hand around the back of Max’s neck. “But West needs you to give him the balance I can’t. He needs you to stand up to me when I’m seeing everything in black and white. To be the man he’ll need in his life as much as I need you in mine. As much as Oriana does. As much as a team full of messed up players with all kinds of issues always has. They’re not ready to let you go. Not yet.”

“And neither are you.”

Shaking his head, Sloan let out a rough laugh. “I never will be. Get used to it.”

Oriana joined them, a soft smile on her lips as she looked at her men and her baby. She met Akira’s eyes across the table and winked.

Her own way of saying things could work themselves out. Not always in the simplest way, but none of them had chosen simple lives.

They’d chosen love.

Love could be complicated, and the world didn’t pave an easy road for it. There was always a past, a present, and a future full of obstacles, but if love was worth fighting for, those obstacles could be overcome. The most important thing was to find a way to keep moving forward.

Akira had a feeling that was why Max had been so honest with her. He considered her part of his family and believed she had the strength to fight for the men she loved. Two men who’d never had it easy. Who might always take the more difficult road, because the past had taught them not to trust any other.

She wasn’t sure she could teach them to trust it. But she knew they trusted her.

And that was all that mattered.

Once she’d finished breakfast, she gave Oriana a hug, then leaned over to press a light kiss on Westy’s forehead as he slept in Max’s arms. She smiled at the men, then headed out, bracing herself for what, she had a feeling, would be a tough battle.

She had to convince Ford the path to bringing his son home didn’t have to be the dark, twisted one he’d gotten lost on.

When she finally got home, silence greeted her, but there was some peace to it. Neither Ford nor Cort was working today, so she knew they were home. Hopefully still in bed. If Cort had gotten Ford to relax enough to sleep in, that was good. He’d need his energy if everything went as planned. The first appointment she’d set up with Oriana was in a couple of hours.

It had taken a lot of work to make it happen on a weekend, but timing was everything.

This could lead to an end to what they’d been struggling with for way too long.

As she walked quietly down the hallway, she glanced into Jaxon’s room, biting her lip as she looked over the posters on the wall, and all the things they’d gotten for him to make it his. Just waiting for him.

“You won’t have to wait much longer, sweetie.” She inhaled slowly, all she’d learned making her want to scream, but she needed to keep her cool. “We’re gonna get you here. Where you belong.”

Across the hall the door to the room she shared with Ford and Cort was open, but the room was dark. Padding into it, her socks brushing the round carpet, she made her way to the side of the bed, her heart swelling as she looked them over. Cort took up a good half of the bed, the blanket kicked off one bare leg and draped across his waist on one side, then spread up to his chest to cover Ford, who rested his head on the other.

Curled up on his side, Ford had one arm and one leg over Cort, sleeping almost as tangled with the other man as she usually slept with him. He looked more at peace than he had in a long time, and she wished she didn’t have to wake him.

But if the day went as planned, he’d be having a lot more nights like this. And she’d be right there with both of them to enjoy it.

“Hey, Tiny.” Cort gave her a sleepy smile, reaching out to take her hand and draw her onto the bed at his side, careful not to disturb Ford. “I was hoping you’d be home early. I missed you.”

Akira leaned over to kiss him, needing a taste of his comfort and warmth, morning breath and all, before things got serious. “I missed you too. We both work too damn hard. I wish we got to spend more time together.”

“Will be hard with the season starting, but let me know when your next break is and I’ll take a few days off.” He combed his fingers through her hair, studying her for a moment. “Last night…was it about work?”

“No.” She sighed and laid her head on the pillow. “Can you wake Ford up? There’s something we need to discuss. Nothing bad, but he might not like it.”

Brow furrowing, Cort gave a hesitant nod, then turned his head and nudged Ford’s shoulder. “Wake up, my man. Akira’s home and she needs to talk.”

Pushing off Cort’s chest with a groan, Ford flopped onto the pile of pillows, rubbing his eyes. Sitting up a bit, he looked at her, a soft smile on his lips. “’Morning, beautiful.”

“Good morning.” Rising up on her knees, she leaned over Cort to give Ford a kiss. He latched onto her arms, dragging her to him as she giggled. Pressing her lips to his, she took note of the way he shifted under her with a slight wince. “I’m guessing you enjoyed your night. Did you behave?”

“Always do.” He winked at her and stroked her thighs through her jeans. “What’s up?”

Inhaling slowly, she slid off him, moving to the middle of the bed and facing both men. Cuddling with them would be awesome, but they had a schedule to keep.

If Ford agrees to any of this.

“I went to see Oriana the other day to discuss how to get you custody of your son. Please don’t be mad, I know you wanted to handle this your way, but…you haven’t been handling it at all, Ford. Bringing Luke isn’t working and—”

“Did he say something?” Ford pressed his eyes shut and tipped his head back. “Fuck, I didn’t want this mess to get to him.”

“He cares about you, of course it got to him. But he didn’t tell Jami, she had a bad feeling and called me.” She glanced over at Cort, who inclined his head as though he’d shared Jami’s suspicions. Bracing her hands on her thighs, Akira continued. “We agreed Oriana might be able to help if she knew. And she has. Ford, Kyle has blackmailed people before. He’s a manipulative bastard and he had no intention of giving up custody of your son. But we found a lot of dirt on him we can use if we have to. Within twenty-four hours a private investigator had this huge file put together. This could have been ended a month ago.”

Paling, Ford blinked at her as though she’d just slammed a cement block into his chest and he was still absorbing the pain. He shook his head slowly. “I never considered going that route. Maybe I should have—but that won’t stop my father from fighting for custody.”

“Oriana figured out how to deal with your father, but that’s not the priority right now. I’ve spoken to Andrea—Jaxon’s aunt. Kyle’s… He’s abusive, Ford.”

“What?” Ford sat forward, rage flashing in his eyes as he threw his legs over the side of the bed. “That’s it. I’m killing that fucking son-of-a-bitch.”

Cort grabbed Ford’s arm and hauled him back, holding him firmly when Ford tried to twist free. “Killing him won’t get you your son back. Jaxon doesn’t need you spending the rest of his childhood behind bars. Kyle managed to keep it hidden this long, which means Jaxon probably hasn’t told anyone.” He glanced over at Akira. “So how do we prove it? How did you find out?”

“His aunt. Andrea. From what she’s told me, he’s rough with Jaxon when no one’s around. She’s willing to testify against him. Oriana scheduled a meeting with her lawyer and he’s gotten in touch with yours to collaborate. There’s a judge that will oversee a hearing for emergency custody this afternoon. You could get Jaxon out of there today.” She chewed on her bottom lip as Ford raked his fingers through his hair, looking torn. “This will work. Your lawyer should be calling you in a bit. All you have to do is tell the judge you’re afraid for your son. Agree to let child services come by regularly to see how he’s being cared for here. You can do this.”

“I didn’t want Jaxon going through a court battle. That’s why I’ve been cooperating with those assholes.” His jaw ticked. “If I kill Kyle, he’ll never lay a hand on my son again.”

“And what kind of life will that leave Jaxon? Besides, Jaxon won’t be in court. He’ll have to speak to a counselor, but it’ll be good for him. He’ll see that he doesn’t have to be afraid anymore.” She reached out and took Ford’s hand. “That you’re willing to do whatever it takes to protect him.”

“And what if they decide I’m unfit? Jaxon’s spent most of his life in foster care. I don’t want him going back there.” He drew in a shaky breath. “There’s no guarantee he won’t be.”

“There is, Ford. They’ll do their best to place him with family if—and that’s a very big if—they doubt your competency. Oriana will be right there and she had to go through a lot of scrutiny to get the adoption finalized for Westy, so they’d consider her ideal.” Akira was happy she’d gotten Oriana to ask about that, knowing Ford would worry. They’d covered every possible angle they could think of.

With Asher’s help, a few things they hadn’t.

“Your lawyer has a copy of Jaxon’s birth certificate—she mentioned obtaining it to Asher when he suggested Oriana being a potential second choice, but how that would only work with the proof that you’re both family.” What else? Akira thought back over every detail Asher had brought up the night before. “Kyle could claim his sister lied on the birth certificate, but Jaxon will be out of his hands by that point. You can get a DNA test done while he’s dealing with the courts and shut down the issue of paternity within days. I don’t think he’ll keep pushing once the courts are involved though. He was counting on you avoiding doing things this way.”

“And he was right to.” Ford rubbed his lips with his fist. “The priority is getting Jaxon out of there as fast as possible.”

“Absolutely.”

“But that fucker should pay for what he’s done to my son.” Ford stilled, frighteningly calm, his expression unreadable. “He doesn’t get to walk away from this.”

“He won’t.” Cort rubbed Ford’s shoulders, as though completely on board with whatever Ford was thinking. He rose from the bed, completely naked, and strode across the room. “Get ready and wait for the call from your lawyer. Let me handle the rest.”

Oh hell no. Akira crossed the room, blocking Cort before he could reach the dresser. She poked him in the chest, pleased when he backed up a step and stared at her. “You are not killing him either. I’m not letting that pathetic man ruin our lives. I told you we have dirt on him. He’s going to bury himself and both of you will let him.”

“Akira—”

“Don’t you dare try to justify ‘handling this’ your way. It’s not your way anymore. Or Ford’s.” She glared at him when he avoided her gaze, jaw hard. Shoved her hands against his bare chest, her throat tightening as she considered what would happen if she couldn’t get through to him. “You’ve killed one man defending someone who was in danger and you had no choice. But if you do this? If you plan to hunt him down and kill him? You’d be a murderer. You’re better than that. Please tell me you’re better than that.” Her voice broke as she stared up at him. “I know you’re better than that.”

Drawing her into his arms, Cort pressed her head to his chest and his lips to her hair. “Yes.” He tipped her chin up with a finger. “I’m fucking pissed. It tears me apart to know what he put our boy through, but… Yes. You’re right, I am better. I have to be. I somehow became a good enough man to be loved by someone like you.”

“You’re damn right you did.” She sniffled, blinking back tears she didn’t have time for. Both her men might react to any threat like they were still surrounded by criminals, but Cort was rational once he calmed down a bit. And he never acted without careful planning.

Which might have meant Kyle’s body would never be found, but, tempting as that was they didn’t need his death haunting them. Removing him from their lives—and more importantly, Jaxon’s life—was enough. Kyle couldn’t keep running from his shady past. When it caught up with him, they’d be too involved with their own happy little family to care.

“So I guess we dress up all professional and try to convince the judge I’m an upstanding citizen?” Ford joined them by the dresser, already pulling on a pair of pants. “What about my record?”

“Anything you’ve been caught for was when you were a minor. It won’t be brought up.” Cort tucked Akira against his side, watching Ford as he grabbed a shirt out of the closet and pulled it on. “I won’t be coming with you.”

Ford stopped, his fingers on the buttons of his shirt, his shoulders stiff. “You’re part of this family.”

“I know that. And I always will be.” Cort squeezed Akira’s shoulder, then approached Ford, his voice low. Soothing. “But we need to keep this as simple as possible. The laws have changed. Once we get past all this, all three of us can become his legal guardians if that’s what you want. But when you speak to that judge you are Jaxon’s father and you want him removed from a toxic situation. You are willing and able to provide for him. Have no issues proving it. No more or less needs to be discussed.”

“He’s right.” Akira went to Ford and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Discuss Cort being involved with your lawyer, but from what Asher said, the judge won’t be interested in anything beyond the best interests of the child and the reasons for the request. It’s a lot of paperwork.”

The tension slowly eased from Ford’s body until his muscles were relaxed under her hands. “So nothing like going to court and trying to stay out of jail?”

“Not at all.”

“Okay.” Ford finished buttoning his shirt when she let him go, turning to face her and Cort, his eyes hard with determination. “I’ve got this. Let’s get Jaxon home.”