"I think... I think I was so in love with the idea of saving myself that I didn't realize I was letting myself drown. "

"And now?"

"And now you're my lifeboat."


It was only meant to be a favour. Only meant to be for a few weeks. 

Yet when Stryker Odello finds himself a Daddy for a scarred little boy, he finds the darkness that swamped his life cracking and splits of light shining through.

High functioning alcoholic at best, meeting the needs of the little proved more challenging than he first anticipated. 

Broken and distrustful, getting through to Jamie Sinclair was a hard feat.

Both damaged from the past, hurt and cautious, could they learn to let go and figure out how to love again? 

Or was life's only joy to direct a tragedy?

His Little Boy

Blinking owlishly, he stuttered out a badly composed string of words that lacked sense before he chuckled, shook his head and tried to come up with an appropriate response.

By the time the interview was over, Stryker had loosened his tie, ditched his jacket and by the look they shared, both of them knew he wasn't getting the job. The handshake and the, 'somebody will be in touch' afterwards were mere formalities.

/"How did it go?/" Kernal asked when Stryker made it back to the car. He threw his jacket into the back seat, rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and yanked the tie from around his neck with violent force.

/"Badly,/" Stryker said cheerfully, cranking the window open, gulping in deep chugs of air.

/"Badly?/" Kernal repeated. /"And you're happy about that?/"

Chapter30