Cove felt his face growing hot as he looked down at his Leon… The blood pounded in his ears, red hot fury coursing through his veins. He didn’t even realize he was crying until he felt the warm drops running down his cheeks, dripping onto Leon below him.
He reached down, quickly redressing his love. It took all the restraint he possessed to be as gentle as he was, while he was so angry. His blood was boiling. When Leon was dressed, he grabbed the boy, carrying him out to his truck and sitting him in the backseat, tossing Misery in after him.
“Cove, what are we doing?” Misery asked gently, leaning up to put his hand on Cove’s shoulder.
Cove didn’t respond, his eyes narrowed, concentrating on the road in front of him as he drove out of the parking lot. He was WAY over the speed limit, going as fast as the truck would let him. He turned out of the driveway in a screech of rolling tires and flying dirt.
He’d caught a glimpse of the car. He could find it, he swore he could…
He thought of nothing except for that picture of the car in his mind. He’d find it if it was the last thing he did. And it very well might be with the way he was driving so recklessly.
“Misereh!” He snapped.
“Yeah, Cove?” Misery sighed, looking at the traumatized Leon beside him.
“Call dad. Put et on speaker.” Cove didn’t take his eyes off the road for a second as he rummaged in his pocket, tossing his cellphone back at his father’s pet.
Misery didn’t protest, dialing the number before putting it on speaker and holding it up to Cove.
“Hella?” Rhett answered gruffly. “Coveh?”
“Dad.” Cove replied, the tears in his voice making Rhett pay close attention.
“Are ya alright? Wha happened?”
“Ah can’t explain right now. Are ya still en tha car weth momma?”
“Yeah, baby. Why?”
“Ah need ya ta look far someone.”
“Who?”
Cove explained exactly what tha car looked like before continuing.
“And tha man driving… ah didn’t get a close look… but heh’s fat… bald…”
“Alright, ah got et.”
“And when ya find hem… kill hem.” Cove snarled the last two words, his eyes blazing. “Noh… keep hem far me.”
“Alright, sweetheart.” Rhett nodded, his brows furrowed. “Ah’ll let ya know ef ah find hem.”
“Thank ya.”
“Bye.”
“Wait! One more theng.”
“Yeah?”
“Ah love ya.”
A small smile graced Rhett’s lips.
“Ah love ya too, Coveh.”
They hung up, Cove’s focus back on the chase. He swerved around car after car.
“Cove, honey… what if he’s already... gone.” Misery spoke tentatively, knowing to not be his normal self when Cove was this upset.
“Shut up!” Cove roared, shaking his head, slinging tears. Deep down he knew that this was a very realistic possibility….
Misery simply sighed, leaning his head on the boy’s shoulder.
Minutes passed, the minutes turned into hours….
Hours later and neither Rhett nor Cove had spotted the man or his car for that matter.
They’d met up at a small gas station, far away from their home.
Rhett got out of his car when he saw his son pull up next to him. The second he was out of the truck, he was met with an armful of Cove, the boy nearly knocking him off his feet as he clung onto his father, sobbing into his chest.
“Dad. Heh HURT hem… heh touched hem…” Cove shook his head, squeezing his father as tight as possible.
“Coveh… it’ll beh alright.” Rhett frowned deeply as he held his son close, stroking his hair. The guy should consider himself lucky it wasn’t his short stack he decided to hurt... “Ah promise. Et’ll all be okay…”
“Et won’t. Never.” Cove cried, soaking Rhett’s shirt with his tears. “Heh’s MINE…”
“Ah know Coveh, ah know…” Rhett sighed, nearly in tears his self. He didn’t know what to do and it killed him. Never had he let his baby cry like this and had been unable to fix it…
Rhett let his son cry as Kyndal came over and hugged Cove from behind on one side, Misery taking the other. Misery had never seen Cove so torn up over anything… he’d never cared so much about anything as he did Leon. And inside, that burned him… but he said nothing, comforting the boy he loved more than just about anything.
“Shh, it’s okay sweetheart.” Kyndal cooed, pressing a kiss to the boy’s temple.
“Let’s goh home darlin.” Rhett nodded.
They rearranged the driving situation. Kyndal drove Cove’s truck home, with Misery while Rhett drove home in his truck with Cove and Leon.
They drove home in silence. When they were almost there, Leon spoke his first words all day.
“Can I see daddy?” He whispered, his voice trembling.
“Sure, love.” Cove nodded, his own voice sounding just as weak as Leon’s. Rhett drove them to Angel and Gabriel’s house, dropping them off with one last kiss to Cove’s cheek.
Cove refused to let go of Leon, holding him to his chest as he knocked on the door.
Cade answered, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of Leon’s bruised face, AGAIN.
“COVE.” He began but stopped once Leon dove into his chest, hugging him.
“Baby?”
“I love you daddy.” Leon murmured.
“Are you okay?”
“No…”
Cade led them inside and Leon recounted the story, Cove covering his ears because honestly, he didn’t think he could handle it.
When he finished, Cade was almost in tears himself. Ever since Cove… ever since Cove, nothing but bad things had happened to his baby. He’d kill that boy.
“I need to talk to you, Cove.” Cade sighed, standing.
“Ah’m not leavin’ hem alone en here.”
Cove wouldn’t move until Gabriel came in to watch the boy. When he did, he and Cade moved into the kitchen.
“I can’t believe you let this happen!” Cade snarled. “YOU were supposed to be watching him. When I send him with YOU it is YOUR job to protect him!” Every word you was punctuated with a hard jab to the chest. “This is YOUR fault!”
“How was I supposed ta know that’d happen!” Cove exclaimed. “Ah left far two seconds!”
“Why?! Why would you ever leave him alone!”
“Ah was upset, ah was flustered, ah wasn’t thenking!” He growled at his lover’s father. “Et’s nawt mah fault!”
“Yes it is damnit! This NEVER would have happened if he was with ME like he should be! I’m his daddy! All you do is get him hurt!”
“Shut up! Ah’d never hurt him!”
“Because of you my baby lost his innocence today! I hope you’re fucking happy!” Cade shook his head, as it truly sank in. His baby was no longer a baby… Leon had been hurt… by some strange man… he’d been touched… and the man had promised to return… Large tears welled up in Cade’s eyes.
“Et’s nawt my fault!” But was it? Was this his sick punishment for hurting Leon in the first place. Was this what he got? It wasn’t fair… It just wasn’t fair. Leon hadn’t done anything… Cove did… it WAS his fault. He broke down again, sobbing softly. It was all his fault...
He began crying at about the same time Cade did, both of the large men crying pitifully.
“Your fault.” Cade shook his head, his heart constricting painfully.
“Ah know, alright?!” Cove’s voice came out in a loud wail. He HATED himself for this…
Leon’s innocence was gone and it was all his fault. Leon wouldn’t blame him but deep down, he would always be guilty for this, at least in his own mind…
