“Wouldn’t it be awkward to have Ignacio and I in the same room?” Benjamin asks hesitantly, looking at Tennant.
“No,” Ten reassures him. “You’re mine, Topolino. We all know that. You could have a hundred exes sleep in the same bed with us, and that will never change. Maybe it’ll be good to see not only you and I that way, but for Roman and Ignacio, too. I can’t promise to ever be his best friend, but he earned my respect by being strong enough to survive Cristian. Do I think about stabbing him every once in a while? Yes, but I think about killing Roman often as well. We’ll make it work, Baby Mouse, you don’t need to worry.”
Benjamin seems to relax against Tennant again, but I highly doubt he’s as comfortable as he pretends to be. If he thinks he’s fooling Ten…he’s in for a rude awakening. Tennant may be allowing him to get away with it now, not wanting to put him on the spot, but whatever alone time they get next won’t be as enjoyable as Benjamin is hoping for.
“Anyway,” Roman says. “Big house, central to all the territory we hold. Enough room for an orgy bed, a wing for all three Bosses, and common space where we can all be comfortable and mingle as one large family.”
“It sounds idealistic,” Jude says softly.
“A bit,” I agree. “But I think it’s the only way this will work. I don’t want to split the Families up. From a logistical standpoint, it will probably be safer if we do, but we tried that once, and it ended up with us not performing at our best because we were worried about those who weren’t with us. We’ve proven we can do this, three Families under one umbrella. It has merit.”
“We can definitely have a meeting with Carter about it,” Lio throws in. “Because I have enjoyed having everyone around. It’ll be good for Cole, and any other children we have, too. I knowKeegan isn’t a big fan of being in the same house all the time, but maybe we can build them one on the same property?”
Roman nods. “I like that. Dad can’t be far, because he’s a Council member, but when they need a break, they’ll have their own space in both the main house and something just for the four of them to be a family. Doc and his family will need a house as well.”
“That’s what you two can do then,” Tennant tells them. “Take the issue to Carter, and when all of this is over, we’ll figure out how to make it work. The strategist in me says it’s a dangerous idea, but…united as we are, we can build a stronghold that only those with a death wish would willingly go up against.”
Shifting up the bed, I lean over Lio and kiss Tennant hard. “You’re right, Love. Other Families may think us weak for relying on one another as we are, but we’ll show them. Much as we’ve shown Allesandro and Cristian, we can show the rest of the world, too. Once this is all over, they’ll see we are far stronger together than they ever hope to be.”
Tennant’s tired ice blue eyes seem to twinkle with the chaos he’s looking forward to causing as he nods. “Yes, yes they will. For now, we enjoy each other’s company and recuperate. Tomorrow…we make our enemies pay.”
Yawning, I snuggle into the bed, only to hear a quiet “oomph.” I freeze, swallowing as I realize it’s not the bed underneath me.Shit. I fell asleep on Tennant…
I peek at him, trying not to move. His amused stare bolsters me and I raise my head, blinking at him. My mind doesn’t feel like the frantic mess it’s been recently with his arms around me. I whisper a quiet, “Good morning?”
His chuckle reverberates against me, and I go to slide off him, but he tightens his hold on me. “It is. I’m glad you got some sleep, Little Monster.”
I raise my head up, glancing around. Disappointment sinks into me when I notice everyone else has left, aside from Tennant and Hollis. I had hoped Benjamin would at least still be here. Sighing, I rub a hand against my chest, guilt welling up.
“What’s the matter?” Tennant asks gently, stroking my hair. I close my eyes, enjoying the pampering. “Little Monster?”
Biting my bottom lip, I shake my head, not wanting to add my worries to his. We were supposed to be cheering him up with cuddles, not stressing him out more.
“Puppy…you were asked a question. I expect you to answer.” I shiver at Hollis’s commanding voice, my cock thickening at it. From Tennant’s wicked stare, I’m far too obvious with my response, even if he didn’t feel it against him.
“Uh…” I search my mind for something that will satisfy them, but I’m not quick enough. Rough hands yank my hair, forcing my head back further. I whimper as my head is forcibly turned, and I’m looking into Hollis’s firm gaze. He lifts one eyebrow and I breathe out. “Well, I kinda talked to Benjamin about me having feelings for Tennant…”
“Yes?” Hollis prods me when I stop, and I inhale deeply, hoping Benjamin forgives me for telling our secrets.
“Once I told him that I thought of Tennant as a Daddy, he was much more okay with it! He didn’t really want to stab me anymore.”
Hollis lets go if my hair, and I swivel toward Tennant, his eyes showing a swirl of emotions that I can’t follow, from sorrow to amazement. I panic, unsure how to understand them. When the veil of cold logic falls over them, I wordlessly object, hating the space between us.
“A Daddy, hmm?”
Tilting my chin up, I meet Tennant head on, and sounding much calmer than my erratic heart is beating, I say, “Yes. A Daddy. You’re always there for everyone. You check in on us. And you don’t hesitate to do the hard jobs, so we don’t have to. You protect us. You…make me feel safe. The nightmares aren’t as bad when I’m in your arms, because I know I can trust you.”
Tennant’s eyes soften as he resumes stroking me and I melt into it, humming in pleasure. I’m lost in the sensation and barely make out when Hollis murmurs, “It’s about time others saw it.”
I don’t catch whatever Tennant says as I float off in the feeling of warmth and security. They don’t let me stay in my cocoon for long though. It comes crashing down when Hollis addresses me again. His tone of voice may sound innocent, but the words…I worry.
“Cucciolo, what exactly did Benjamin say?”
“We just talked boundaries. Really. He mentioned stabbing me if I interfered, which is understandable. But he felt much better when I explained I see Tennant as a Daddy. He can see how that’s different than what Tennant gets from him, just like what you have with Tennant is different than what Benjamin gives.”
I hold my breath, hoping they’ll let that pass, but, of course, my Owner is too smart for that. “I see. And did Benjamin mention anything else?”
“You really can’t blame him. I promise. He’s trying. They should have encouraged him to take theoretical mathematics, and not applied. He keeps trying to make this a division problem, without understanding it’s not! It’s just…he doesn’t see how Tennant can want him when he has Roman and Jude as well. He’d never hurt anyone, he just… It’s not what we’re used to. Sharing is one thing, but a relationship? That’s harder for him.”
