Not All Sunshine and Rainbows - Bouncing Back, Book III

7

Waking a few hours later, Markus tried to flex the fingers of his hand. The arm Jaxon had fallen asleep on was, well, asleep. He winced as tingles erupted when a few of his fingers bent at the first knuckle. The pain was nothing to him but trying to get his blood to circulate through his numb appendage hurt like hell.

Trying not to wake the teen next to him, he slowly pried his arm out from under Jaxon’s neck. His boyfriend moved, sighing heavily in his sleep.

His mind screamed at him: Abort mission! Abort mission!

Stopping his attempt, he winced as his boyfriend moved off his arm and tightened his hold on the pillow he was cuddling into. Painful tingles ripped through his arm as the blood started flowing again. He hissed, clamping his jaw shut to avoid making any noise that would cause Jaxon to wake. Out of all the training he’d received over the years, the pain of having an extremity fall asleep hurt the most in his mind.

Getting out of bed, he leaned over to place a light kiss on the teen’s head. Smiling softly, he pulled the duvet up, making sure Jaxon was covered up. Moving to the window, he ensured it was locked before he tidied up the room. Once he was done, he turned back to the bed. “Sleep well, Jax. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

He tread quietly, going from the bed to the door before slipping out of the room. Carefully shutting the door behind himself, he breathed a sigh of relief. Though Jaxon’s Sweet Sixteenth birthday hadn’t gone as smoothly as he’d hoped, he was glad that his boyfriend liked the promise ring. He was also eternally grateful that he was able to calm Jaxon as easily as he had.

Just as he reached the four-by-four room that served as the front porch, Markus heard someone call his name. Groaning, he dropped his shoes and went to look for the source. He prayed that his adorable boyfriend was still sleeping soundly. Following the sound, he frowned as he spotted David sitting in the dimly lit living room. His legs were crossed, and his fingers steepled as he glowered at the young man in front of him.

Reaching over to pick up the glass of amber liquid on the small side table, David watched the young man’s reaction to seeing the alcohol. As expected, he noted the tremor that ran through Markus's body before he expertly disguised the silent response. “Did you have fun today?”

“It was a fun dinner. Thanks for inviting me over for it,” Markus answered as he leaned against the doorframe.

Nodding, David said, “That’s good. Where’s my boy?”

“Jax was overwhelmed, and his mind just hit a brick wall at some point during dinner. I have no idea how he did it, but he managed to hold out until his sister’s family left. I talked him down, though.”

David adjusted his legs, putting both feet on the floor as he relaxed a little. “I see. Thank you for that. Where is he now?”

“Sleeping,” Markus said as he cast a glance at the door just down the hall. He bit his lip, trying hard not to show just how scared he was of David. Well, not really the man himself, but the drink that was dangling precariously from the long, thin fingers that belied the hardcore damage the guy was capable of.

Noticing the look that crossed the young man’s face, David sighed. “You don’t like it when your dad drinks, do you?”

Markus scowled. “Did Lukie say something to you? It’s a family issue, not a mafia problem. My brother should have kept his mouth shut.”

Cocking a brow, David sneered a little. He knew the man could drink like a fish out of water, but he had no idea how he treated his boys behind closed doors until Jaxon pointed it out to him. “Are you serious?”

He slammed his drink on the table next to him. “Trace works for us. Any of his problems could potentially drag the team down if he’s not on his A-game. Don’t even get me started on your brother and my son fighting in school a while ago. I am not going to put up with my friend being an ass if I can help it, so fess the f**k up or get the hell out of my house.”

Markus’s mind stopped for a moment. He thought over what David was saying, thought about telling him everything, but it just didn’t sit right with him. He shrugged. “There’s nothing to talk about. He doesn’t abuse us physically, so I don’t see the issue.”

Exasperated, David dragged a hand over his face. “Markus, he’s a drunk! If he doesn’t stop now and get his s**t together, the higher-ups will find out. What do you think will happen when they do? What do you think Amber's going to do to him? What do you think Callum and Declan are going to do if they find out about it? One was abused by a drunk, and the other was sired by the same prick. Think about it, Markus.”

David grimaced at the pained look that flashed in Markus’s eyes. He took a deep breath. “Look, I’m not trying to scare you. As an ex-social worker, I just want to know that I can trust him with you and your brother, and not have to worry about his drinking getting in the way. I’m acting as a concerned friend and, eventually, your father-in-law. He needs to be present in all ways, not drowning his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle.”

Shaking his head, Markus said, “No, I don’t think so. I’m not spilling my family secrets so easily, David.”

“It’s not about family secrets. This is about you and your brother being safe. Trace is slipping, and I can only cover his ass so much before others start to take notice that he’s getting sloppy. He’s on the fast track to losing more than just his job, Mark. At this point, he’s going to lose his life, damn it!” David’s patience was running thin.

With Markus set in his ways, there was nothing he could do except stand by and wait for the fireworks. It wasn’t going to take long. Trace didn’t need an actual reason to drink. One only needed to mention his ex-wife to kick-start the flow of drinks. Once he started, it was hard to get him to stop.

Looking the young man over, David set his jaw and nodded. There wasn’t much he could do at that point. “I can see that perhaps we trained you a little too well, Mark. No matter where you run, no matter what you do, if you ever hurt my son…” Pausing, David downed the rest of his whiskey. Pointing at the young man, he shook his head with a sneer. “You don't want to know what will happen. Trust me.”

Markus’s heart was pounding so loud and hard he felt like it was going to explode. He swallowed. “No, Sir. I would never hurt Jaxon. I love him.”

“If I so much as hear him cry over something stupid that you said or did to him, I’ll f*****g gut you,” David warned darkly.

Again, Markus swallowed. There was no humor in David’s voice. The man had mastered the ability to shut off his emotions, so there was no way to tell if he was joking. His resolve hardening, Markus glanced back at David’s expectant face. “Look, I love Jaxon, okay? No, I’m not worshipping the ground he walks on because he hates that s**t. I just… It’s hard to watch him be around guys I don’t know.”

David nodded. “Take a warning from someone who knows the kid like no one else. Do not push him too far. He will walk away. I guarantee it. He's smart, but he has a limit to the bullshit he's willing to put up with, got me?”

Markus’s blood ran cold as chills moved up and down his body. Would Jaxon really walk away? Markus raised his eyes to David's expectant face. "I understand, Sir."

"Good, now go home and get some rest." As the door clicked shut behind the teen, David rolled his eyes. "I know you were listening, Jaxon. Come here."

His son rounded the corner, his face void of emotion. "I told you, Dad. He doesn't talk about anything."

"He's going to have to get out of that habit. I just got your sister back where she should have been from the start. I am not going to just sit here and watch while my son gets pushed around because he's making friends."

Jaxon smiled sadly. Ever since he came out to his father, David had been nothing but accepting. He'd gone above and beyond to make sure his son knew that he was loved no matter what.

"You love him, I get it, but that does not mean he can bully you because you're talking to a friend. He's gotta loosen up or lose you, kiddo." David got to his feet. As he passed Jaxon, he dropped his hand on the teen's shoulder, "You need to apologize to Caroline, too. She noticed the change in you during dinner and thought you were mad at her."

His head hanging, Jaxon swallowed. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad, but the gift had shattered the already stretched control he had over his anxiety. He really didn’t feel like he deserved the title of World’s Greatest Uncle, but she apparently thought otherwise. "Shoot. Okay. Thanks for letting me know. I'll go see her now."