Page 62 of Reckless Love

Lights spring to life, and I can chart Gage’s path through the house. When the door swings back, he’s shirtless and clearly irritated.

“What the fuck, Ava? Ember’s up with all the kids now. It’ll take us forever to get them back to sleep.”

“I’m—” I try to apologize.

“That must mean my son is awake,” Raul says, trying to step around Gage.

“This was your idea?” Gage’s tone is scornful. “You ask us to take him for the night, and then you think coming at”—he checks his watch—“12:22 a.m. to get him is the right call?”

“We’re taking him home,” Raul says.

“You’ve been drinking,” Gage says, still not budging from the door.

“I have a driver.” Raul tosses his hand back toward the waiting vehicle. “I want my son.”

“He’s awake,” Ember calls from inside the house. “I’ll get his things together.”

“No need,” Raul says when Gage finally steps back to let him in. “I can do that.”

As soon as Raul disappears inside the house, Gage turns on me. “What the hell is this?”

My throat is clogged with tears, and when I meet Gage’s frustrated expression through my blurry, tear-filled gaze, his shoulders sink.

“Ava, what the fuck is going on? Do you need to stay here too? The vibe is all wrong.”

I shake my head. “He’s just drunk.” I manage to push the words out. The alternative—telling Gage everything I’m thinking and feeling—is way too much for a doorway conversation when my husband and son could reappear at any moment.

Raul comes storming back to the front of the house with Landon hitched on his hip and our son’s overnight bag clutched in his other hand. Given how much Raul’s had to drink, I’d rather he wasn’t carrying Landon, but saying anything will just cause more conflict. The last thing I need is to scare Landon.

“Mom?” Landon says to me in a sleepy voice as the two of them pass me.

“Let’s go, Ava,” Raul calls back.

“Hey,” Gage says, looping his fingers loosely around my wrist when I turn to follow. “I got a bad feeling. Why don’t you all stay here? Sleep it off.”

“Ava!” Raul says, already depositing Landon in the back of the waiting car. “If you want to be forgiven for tonight’s indiscretions, you get your ass in this car now.”

Gage’s spine straightens, and he lets go of my wrist to walk out of his house in his bare feet. “What did you say to her?”

“No,” I say, pressing my palm to his bare chest. “It’s fine. It’ll be fine.”

“Ava,” Ember says from behind Gage in the entranceway. “This doesn’t feel good.”

“It’ll be fine. It’s going to be fine.” I choke on the last word. “He’s drunk. But it’ll be fine.”

“Last warning, Ava, and then I leave without you. Perhaps I should do that anyway. Take it all. Leave you with nothing.”

“She’d never have nothing,” Gage says, indignant for me. “What is your fucking problem?”

Which is true, but I’d have lost two of the most important things. Raul knows the cards he holds.

“Ava?” Raul prompts.

“I’m coming,” I say, keeping my head down as I try to pass Gage. God, this is so humiliating.

“This is not okay,” Gage says to me in a harsh whisper. “We’re getting you out of this mess.”

“Tomorrow’s a new day,” I say, trying to inject false brightness into my tone. “Today wasn’t a good one, but tomorrow will be.” I meet his gaze as I take a couple steps backward, away from him, toward the wrath of my husband. “You’ll see.”