Page 23 of Unfettered

Turning back to Javi as he slides his phone into his pocket, he sighs. “You need to go to bed. Where’s your Daddy?”

I huff a laugh. “He’s working, but he knows the plan, and will come check on me later.”

He raises a brow. “You already told Murry to start the paperwork, didn’t you?”

“Of course, I did. Carter knew it too. I was trying not to step on Sarah's toes, though—not any more than I already have. She thinks I have the same outdated views that some of the other old bastards do. She either hasn’t realized I’m always this delightful, or she doesn’t actually want to be my friend. Either way, I was too tired to get into it with her today. Anyway, come on, you also need a nap.”

He shakes his head. “I need to check on Lio⁠—”

“Didn’t you just talk to his therapist?”

“Yes, but…”

I reach out and grab his wrist. “But nothing. You haven’t slept, and you need to if you’re going to help take the fucking Senator down. Daddy’s busy, and James is working out in the field today—Joel is my guard, but he won’t snuggle me. So tag, you’re it.”

Javi lets me lead him through the house to my bedroom. He doesn’t argue or try to pull away, which says a lot about how much he trusts me, as I know he doesn’t normally like touch.

He doesn’t hide his interest as he watches me strip down to my boxers. Throwing the covers back, I slide into bed and open my arms. He bites his lip, looking unsure, and I pout, which works better on him than it does on Daddy, as he sighs and undresses.

He climbs into bed with me, stiff as a board, but I plaster myself to him, wrapping an arm around his waist. He’s even smaller than Daddy, but feels so fucking right in my arms, in a way I didn’t expect.

“Goodnight,” I whisper, already well on my way to sleep.

It may be wishful thinking on my part, but I swear lips press against my forehead, and the sweetest “Sleep well, Dear” follows me into my dreams.

Icrowd in next to Tennant as we wait for Emilio to wake up. At his soft chuckle, I glance over at the man who is rapidly becoming central to my happiness. When I raise an eyebrow in question, he wraps his arm around me, pulling me onto his lap. I let out what I’m considering a manly squeak at the quick movement, but fuck if it didn’t surprise me.

“You Boys are being too damn cute,” Daddy whispers in my ear, and I shudder from the sensual promise behind it. There are no words for it.

I never really understood why Emilio was drawn to Daddy kink, but the more I learn from Tennant, the more comfortable I become. And it’s not just with him being my Daddy, but being myself. Knowing I can leave myself vulnerable with another person? It’s something I don’t take lightly. Yet, I know he’ll never betray that trust.

Clearing my throat, I damn well snuggle into him and simply say, “We want to be there for you.”

He sighs, but hugs me anyway. “Out of everyone, I don’t need protection.”

I move myself until I’m sitting sideways, so I can look into his eyes. With every bit of emotion possible, I murmur roughly, “You’re our Daddy. And there is nothing we wouldn’t do for you. Everyone needs protection at some point. Please, let us do this for you, because we recognize what you do for us.”

He leans forward and brushes a kiss against my forehead. I shiver from the impact it has on my heart and my soul. It’s like a drowning man suddenly being offered an oasis. For once, I don’t have to be the one in control. I can simply trust Daddy to handle what needs to be done. And as we wait for the other half of my soul to wake, I soak in that feeling, the fact that I’m not alone and never need to be again, with a sense of amazement.

Is this what it’s like? To form true bonds with more than one person? To be loved?

I know my Emilio loves me. Our connection was formed in the fire of adversity, branded on our souls by necessity—he’s the reason I breathe and every heartbeat I take. But this comfort, this openness, where nothing is being asked of me… Fuck, I’m not sure how to handle it.

It’s almost impossible, but I fight to silence the voices in my head that whisper demonically that I don’t deserve this. Because that’s true, it always will be, but I’ll believe Daddy. He chose me. No matter the sins of my past, the blood on my hands, the devastation I’ve caused, he still chose me. And that’s a gift I’ll treasure, even if I don’t understand it.

I ponder if this is what it would have been like as a child to wake up on Christmas morning and have a present from Santa, that purely magical feeling. That wasn’t my life, but damn if this doesn’t give me the same sense of wonder that I see in the movies that Emilio forced us all to watch on the holidays.

“Did you hear anything from the Board of Directors?”

There’s a surge inside me, one I struggle valiantly to push down. The feeling of being Il Padrone… Fuck. I breathe through it, hating it. I don’t want to be that person anymore. I can’t risk it. Yet sometimes, it teases me, mocks me, reminds me of a time when I could use that power to crush any threat to my loved ones…

Forcing myself to remain torn apart, I tightly say, “No. None of them answered their phone. I would like the opportunity to see Robert in person. And hell, perhaps visit with the board afterward.”

Meeting Tennant’s eyes is a struggle. The feeling from before is ripped away from me, and yet there’s a comfort, because while the bloodlust is riding me hard, Tennant merely adjusts his grip on me. Breathing through the twisted pain inside, I rely on the grounding steps Brannigan gave me. Hoping desperately not to backslide as I let go of the past…

When I’m more in control of myself, when I’ve put Il Padrone back in a small box, tucked away where he can’t hurt anyone, I give Tennant my attention. Only it’s clear he never looked away from me. His brow is furrowed, a scowl prominent on his handsome lips. I flush, unsure whether to be turned on, nervous, or fucking worried about disappointing him.

“I—”