Page 112 of Unfettered

I watch his face carefully, making sure not to push him too far. Gnashing my teeth, I speed up, and he takes it so beautifully, even as I start to come undone. The bindings holding me together… I suddenly see them for what they are.

They’re a falsehood. A punishment. A lie. And when my orgasm takes over, when the pleasure crests, they break.

I sob, the tears flowing down my cheeks. Relief. Grief. All of it mixed together. Tinged with the sexual satisfaction that my dominant needs. Even if I lied about it for so long…

Hollis swirls his tongue around me, cleaning me before he pulls off. He then kisses my softened dick before helping to pull up my underwear and pants. I battle to keep the tears back, and my knees are weak from what just happened. Still, I help him up, refusing to let him spend one more second on his knees for me.

I guide us over to my bed, where we both sit down, though I more collapse against it. I see the bulge in his pants and make a silent offer, but he shakes his head. “No, Caro. That was for you.”

I shudder, but let it go. While I want to give him pleasure, I respect his boundaries. And it proves something to me. Because I didn’t even hesitate on that.

His soft hand caresses my face before grabbing my chin roughly. His submission flees, and yet it feels so fucking right. When he stares at me, it’s like he can see everything, and he demands I speak the truth. That I won’t fail him, because he won’t let me.

I take a shuddering breath, letting peace fill me for the first time in a while. Slowly, his grip loosens, and I find the words imprinted on my heart, seared onto my soul. Words I never thought I’d say—or feel.

“You are my twin soul. Both of us have gone through the fire. I thought it had left me in ashes, but I watched you. It didn’t. I thought I was forged in coldness, but the fire? It strengthened me. It tempered me.”

Hollis’s eyes close briefly, and I wait, refusing to say anything else. When they open, his stare is steady, but no less demanding. When he speaks, each word shakes me, yet soothes me at the same time.

“Remember, when you—when we—falter, and we will, we have each other now. I’ll stand with you, if you’ll stand with me. Partners. Equals. Submit to each other when needed, lead each other, guide each other as we can.”

“Yes, Anima Gemella Mia,” I whisper, before kissing him gently, pouring my love into it. The sweetness of the kiss…it’s one I rarely share with anyone. Yet, the softness and hardness of both submission and dominance…the duality lives in us both, in ways I never expected.

When he pulls back on a sigh, I almost melt. But then those eyes capture mine, and the intensity leaves me quaking, as he demands, “Who are you?”

It's the same question I’ve been asked—again and again. By others. By myself. The one I had no answer for since I crossed the line, since I lost control. For once, my father’s voice is silent, as if Hollis’s mere presence is able to shield me from him.

“I am Sandro. But I am also Allesandro.” I shudder at the words, as the cracks in my soul heal, and the missing pieces click together.

“And what else?” He refuses to give me any mercy, commanding me flawlessly.

Tilting my head up, I don’t look away. I don’t waiver as I embrace this final part… The piece I thought was gone forever.

“I am Il Padrone. I may not lead the Martelli Family anymore, but my legacy lives on in the Boys. I may not be their Master anymore, but they will always be my cherished family of the heart—whether they accept me or not.”

The savage grin that graces Hollis’s face is tinged with pride, with approval, and I soar in ways I didn’t think was possible. Thanks to the twin soul, who sits opposite me.

Whatever comes next, I know we’ll face it together. We have our loves that surround us, but this time, I have a true partner, and fuck if that isn’t a gift I’ll always treasure…and protect. As I know he’ll protect me as well.

Pulling on my suit jacket, I check myself thoroughly in the floor-length mirror. Every article of clothing lays just so, my hair is neatly combed, and my accessories highlight my wealth and position. There is no question as to which side of the line I belong on, even if it’s all smoke and mirrors.

Checking my watch, I adjust my cuffs and turn from the mirror, the time counting down steadily as I exit my bathroom and then my bedroom. Soon. The thought has a smile teasing the corners of my mouth.

Soon, the next phase will start, and the dominos will fall as they may. The Council thinks they have me beat? That I’ve been in hiding because I’m afraid? No. I’m playing the long game, much as I have been since the very beginning…

The car ride to my destination gives me enough time to finalize my plan, and anticipation thrums through me in a way I’ve never felt before. Normally, the façade I put on is stifling. The masks forced onto people like me—those who live dual lives—are suffocating. But now? Tonight? I get to reconcile with all the pieces of myself.

The car comes to a stop, and I wait impatiently for my driver to open the door.

“Have a good night, Senator,” he says as I exit the vehicle.

I grin as I do up the button on my suit jacket. “Oh, I will.”

Striding up the expansive front porch, my feet have barely hit the top step before the door is pulled open.

“Welcome to the Wescott home, Senator. Mr. and Mrs. Wescott are in the drawing room.”

“Thank you.”