Rescued Alpha (Billionaire Alphas #6) - Skye R. Richmond Page 0,34

to Damon. "Let’s see what cool designs you can draw.”

"Yayyyy!" Damon hurried over to where the supplies for him were kept.

He went back to work and felt Jace come and stand beside him. Eli huffed and looked his way.

"Damon is amazing, and I’m sure everyone will see that…everyone."

Eli shot him a look that should have had him shut it. But it was Jace, so… "Real subtle." He snorted. "I’ve got this under control. Trust me."

"Daddy, look," Damon excitedly called out. Eli walked over and looked down at the icing and smiled.

"That looks great, baby. You just might be taking over for daddy one day.”

Jace laughed. “Yes, he will.”

His phone rang once more and when he looked, sure enough, every call that was missed was from Jack. He had three voicemails and five missed calls. Clearly, Jack wasn’t giving up.

Eli sighed and slipped his phone back into his pocket and pressed on with work. He’d call Jack once he was home and try to explain everything. That was the best he could do. And while doing that, he would hope for the best.

13

Jack

By the time Jack got off work, he had called Eli seven times and left almost as many voicemails. The last voicemail was the final one because Eli’s voicemail was full and he couldn’t leave anymore.

Also, he couldn’t keep calling. But he was almost at the desperate stalker level.

There was also the added fact that none of it made any sense to Jack. Maybe he was clinging to the belief that everything was fine, but ignoring someone was a pretty good indication that Eli was blowing him off.

Eli had fallen off the face of the Earth. They’d spent almost every day for a week just hanging out. He’d gone to the cafe for lunch almost every day, and then suddenly the omega was ignoring calls and messages.

Perhaps he left his phone at home? Maybe it was just a really busy day. Those thoughts kept him going through the day and convinced him he was worrying over nothing. Beyond that, the more negative thoughts tried to drown him any time they crept in.

They were thoughts that told him that Eli was running away from him and pulling back. Or that maybe Jack was smothering him.

At the end of the workday, Jack sat in his car trying to talk himself out of doing what he really wanted to. There was only one place he wanted to be and that was at the bakery trying to get through to Eli.

But if Eli was pulling back, then Jack showing up wouldn’t be a good look. Fuck, he didn’t want to push Eli away.

But then he enjoyed every single day they’d spent together.

So, fifteen minutes later, he pulled up to the bakery. There were cars parked in front of the shop, so he had to drive further down for a parking spot. He spotted Eli’s car, so he was at least here.

Jack was relieved. He could at least get some answers, provided Eli would actually talk to him. Jack sat in his car for a couple of minutes, giving himself a pep talk until he laughed at himself. It’s Eli, go talk to him.

He got out of the car and headed up to the front door, but stopped to draw in a deep breath before opening it. Of course the bell rang, signaling his entrance. Looking around, there was one employee to be seen behind the counter but no Eli.

“I’m here to see Eli,” Jack said.

“I’m sorry, we’re about to close.”

“Oh,” Jack sighed. “Is Eli here—”

Before he finished his sentence, Eli walked out from behind the double doors.

“After bath time, we can watch Bubble Guppies twenty minutes before bed—”

Jack simply stared and Eli and the little boy who was close against his leg who couldn’t be older than three, maybe four. Jack cleared his throat, causing Eli to look up and stiffen.

"Jack! You’re here. Now." His eyes looked like they were about to fall out of his face.

"I’m sorry to interrupt," he said. He looked at the little boy, then back at Eli. Then at the boy again. It was like looking at Eli in miniature. Jack looked over to Eli. "I called you, but no one answered."

"Uh. Uhm…. It was busy. Busy today," Eli stuttered out.

Jack nodded and caught himself looking down at the boy again. "I can see that. Um… I tried calling a lot."

Was he Eli’s brother?

"I was very—"

“Busy,” Jack finished for Eli. “Yeah, I heard you before.”

Maybe it was his