Page 54 of Unfettered

I rub his back, trying to soothe him. Dropping my voice, I gently ask, “Was it that hard?”

“Eh… It certainly wasn’t easy. Tennant really took us to task, but Lio? Lio finished us off.” He cringes, and I brush his hair back as he leans away from me, not wanting him to hide. “But we made good progress.”

“That’s what is important. All of you need to remember is that you’re doing something nobody else has even attempted, and you’ve been successful. There are going to be growing pains. Leadership is never easy. There’s a reason I went in and destroyed mafia Families and didn’t stick around. I didn’t want the responsibility for damn good reason. What you three are doing is a lot, but I don’t want you feeling guilty.”

“It’s hard not to feel guilty when people have suffered because we were blind,” he whispers, his voice cracking from the pain, and I know he’s thinking mainly of Cristian.

I guide him over to the bed, nudging him to sit as I take a spot beside him. I hold onto his hand so he can’t go far, but I know he’ll need to process the words I have to say. Hell, the realization has rocked me. But first, I need to get him over this misplaced guilt.

“Love, how could you see it? We’ve run from one emergency to another. Roman was kidnapped. And then he was in recovery—which he’s still going through. And then we almost lost Cole, and he’s still having bad days. You can’t take everything on yourself.

“As Bosses, you can’t be everywhere at once. That’s why you have the Voices, and we in turn have the captains who report to us. This doesn’t land squarely on any of your shoulders.”

He chews his bottom lip before begrudgingly nodding. “I know you’re right, but…”

“But this is something to take seriously,” I finish for him. “This affects someone you care about. The father of your child. And while he may be your ex-husband, he is still someone you love. Ten years don’t disappear in the blink of an eye. Nor should they. Marcus and I love you because of your heart, because you care deeply, and because you’re loyal.

“And while I’ll admit I’m not always the most charitable toward Cristian, he provided you safe harbor. And he gave you a chance to grow. He shared his life with you, and in turn, you shared yours with him. Those feelings don’t just dissipate. And I don’t want you feeling guilty over that.

“No matter what, us three—you, me, and Marcus—are solid. We are in this forever. But, Sweetheart, your heart is large enough for more, and Marcus and I recognize that. Not only do we accept that, we cherish it about you. After all, we wouldn’t have entrusted Cole to you if you weren’t capable of opening your heart.”

His eyes fill, and I use my other hand to turn his face toward mine, kissing him gently. I taste the saltiness of tears that have overfilled his eyes, but I don’t stop. Not when I can communicate everything possible with a kiss. A reminder that our love is infinite, that it can’t be beat, and that he’ll never lose it. I want to sear that knowledge into him, a vow so weighty, but one that sets him free.

As I end the kiss, I look deep into his eyes and whisper, “Our love is unconditional. And it’s not meant to hold you back, but to set you free. To be yourself. Accept all the parts inside you, because we do—and I promise you, we cherish them, Love.”

His breath catches and more tears flow over. “Even Marcus?”

“Yes, Love. Both of us. We’re here for you, and I promise you, whatever type of future you want, we’ll build it—together.”

He lapses into silence, melting into me as the stress and guilt finally falls away. Quietly, he adds the most beautiful words in the world. “Thank you, Daddy.”

I never knew my heart could be so full. Tease brought me back to life, but Carter? He completed me—and us—on a level I didn’t think was possible. The joy I feel should be damn near illegal. Thank fuck I’m not a good guy, because I’ll never let my men go, and if somehow Cristian slots himself into our life… Tease is right. There is room. I’ll protect them all until my dying breath, because my Sub and my Boy need me. And what they sometimes fail to realize… I need them just as much.

Daddy holds me tight, and I let the feeling of safety and love that he provides give the boost and confidence I need.

Eventually, I pull away, and his fog gray eyes look at me with so much love that it takes my breath away. It’s easy to believe him, to trust that he and Marcus mean what they say, and they’ll always be there for me. There hasn’t been a time in our relationship—even while we were just friends—when I didn’t feel their acceptance of me.

“I love you so much. I…thank you.”

He cups my face, gently rubbing his thumb against my scar. The move is so reminiscent of the man who put it there that it has fresh tears pricking the back of my eyes. “You don’t have to thank me for loving you. Accepting you, mind, body, and soul, is the least we’d do for you, Love.”

I grab his wrist, needing the connection. “You’re the best Daddy.”

He huffs a laugh. “I’m your only Daddy.”

“Yeah, because you’re the best. I trust you to take care of me.”

“Always.” He leans in and kisses me, and I feel so…cherished.

I meant what I said, though. It’s Keegan and Marcus’s care and attention of me that gave me the confidence to explore, and let out the word that wormed its way into my heart. The title, and place, feels so much more right than “Sir” ever did. I don’t know what I did to deserve this, to deserve him, but I’ll cherish it, always.

Pulling back, I sigh as I meet his eyes again. “I need to go see if Cristian is awake. I need to talk to him. Lio brought up a good point about therapy for Roman and Cristian, and…it’ll be good for me too. Because no matter what, we’re still a family. Roman needs us, and not only that, what you said is true. Our time together…it’s not easily thrown away. I am finding it harder and harder to deal with the guilt and heartbreak, so this will be good for us. But I promised Roman I’d tell Cristian.”

“Have you considered therapy for yourself?” he asks gently. “I’m not saying this to hurt you, but…you’ve gone through a lot of grief and pain, Love. Not just recently, but over the years. I can’t imagine dealing with everything you have and coming out half as strong as you are. So, it might be a good idea to have a few solo sessions with whoever Javi pairs you with. We’re here to support you, in whatever you want to do.”

Taking a slow breath, I nod. “I’ll think about it. Let me get through this with Cris first.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”