Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 152931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 765(@200wpm)___ 612(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 765(@200wpm)___ 612(@250wpm)___ 510(@300wpm)
Levi looked as uncertain as he’d ever seen him as they walked toward the reception desk. “Hi, Thane, Jason’s expecting you. Let me tell him you’re here.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you think he’ll really scare her?” Levi asked for maybe the hundredth time today.
“I do,” he said, running his hand down Levi’s arm, hoping to give him reassurance.
“I’m underdressed.” Levi looked around at the grandeur of the attorney’s office then down the length of Thane’s body. He had worn a suit and tie, his standard dress, except Levi didn’t really know that. Since he’d been in Coronado, he’d kept it casual. “You look like you did when I first met you.”
“I don’t know if that’s a compliment,” Thane teased, drawing Levi’s eyes straight to him. “Now, listen, I brought you here today so you can read the terms we’ve put together, see what we may have missed, and so you’ll know exactly what’s going on, but please don’t start that fighting thing you do with me. Not in there. We’re united.”
“We are united, but I don’t want you giving her money.” Levi immediately started to argue, and Thane laughed, never taking his eyes from Levi.
“Exactly that. Don’t do that,” Thane teased. Jason came through from the back, his grin splitting his face from ear to ear. He was a large man in every way, at least six feet, six inches tall and a combination of brawn and good looks. His loud booming voice sent a chill down the spine even when he was jovial, like right now.
“Well, I see you got your guy,” Jason said, laughing as he stuck out his hand first to Thane, then to Levi. “I’ve been to the club a few times. I was there the night you shot him down. It was very enjoyable to see Thane getting some of what the rest of us get regularly.”
“Hey, hey, hey,” Thane said, grinning back at Jason. “We don’t need to remind Levi of my shortcomings.”
“I don’t know, I’m kind of enjoying this, but since we have thirty or so minutes before she arrives, we can continue when you buy me drinks tonight.”
“I’ll buy you drinks if you get this settled for us,” Thane countered, following Jason through the door. Levi had suddenly become quiet, not uttering one single word. He was unsure. Thane did nothing to relieve Levi’s uncertainty. Instead he hoped Levi remained quiet like this for the next couple of hours because it made his boyfriend appear agreeable. Thane gripped his hand, threading their fingers together, tugging him along.
~~~
Levi tried. Lord knew he did. He stayed silent through the terms of the agreement Thane’s attorney had quickly drawn up. Hell, it hadn’t been seven hours since his mother had been at their house. How Thane had gotten Jason to stop everything and draft this agreement was beyond him. That was the first most impressive feat. The second came when Jason outlined all the requirements his mother would have to live by. The most important one to Thane was zero contact with Logan or Luke. If either boy wanted to know her, Thane or Levi would readily give her information to them, but she was to stay away from both boys for the rest of their lives. She also had to stay away from social services. That was said very carefully, but still stated clearly. If she broke any of the terms, future payments would end, and she’d be expected to pay every dime back. That was where things got tricky for Levi.
Levi zeroed in on the payment portion of the agreement, and he immediately started shaking his head, looking up at Thane, whispering as if Jason didn’t sit just feet away, “I can’t afford this, Thane.”
Thane’s hand came out, taking the agreement from Levi, while the other clasped his hand. “Don’t worry about that, babe. I’m guaranteeing that payment.”
Levi’s head might have actually exploded right then. Heat flooded his cheeks as he spoke much louder this time. “You can’t pay for her.”
Thane rolled his eyes, and Jason busted out with a booming laugh. “I wasn’t sure about him. I wondered if that was an act.”
Thane answered, “It’s frustratingly not at all an act.”
Levi sighed dejectedly, staring between both men that had just blown him off. He wasn’t certain what he had expected by coming there today, but the small amount of hope he’d hung on to all morning slowly began to slip away. An anxious desperation took hold. It would take everything and then some to keep his mother away from Luke.
Jason’s office door opened, interrupting the steady build of fear growing inside Levi. “She’s here, but she’s refusing to give me her full name.”
“Levi, do you know her full legal name?”
Still stuck on the three tier payment schedule, coming to a total of forty thousand dollars his mother would get over the next two years, he completely missed the question directed to him. That was more than double what Luke would be paid through social security.