“I belong to you, Master.”
“Say my name.”
“Jason Cedric Wilson.”
“And what’s your name?”
“Thomas Peter Dorsey Wilson.”
When he glares at me it takes me a moment, but I get it. “Pet. My name is Master’spet.”
His brilliant smile painfully hardens my cock. Painfully, because it presses against the spiky nubs of the cock cage jailing it.
“Good boy,” he coos, his grip on my chin gentling as he nuzzles his nose against mine.
Carter pours us shots, but this time, he’s holding four glasses. The fourth he fills and sets on the base of the gravestone.
Jace holds up his glass. “To loved ones lost.”
Carter slowly nods. “To those we couldn’t save.”
They look at me and I think long and hard about this before adding my toast. “To happy new beginnings. May we never take them for granted.”
“Amen,” the brothers echo before we clink glasses and drink.
I reach over and take the fourth shot glass and pour it over Mom’s grave. “I wish I could remember more about you, Mom. I think I got your tenacity. I hope you’d be proud of me for being a survivor and making it this long.”
I lean back against Jace and tightly pull his arms around me. “Mom, this is Jason, and he’s my husband, and I love him.” I tip my head back to look up into his eyes. “He’s the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life loving.”
Jace smiles and tenderly nuzzles my nose again. “Amen, baby,” he says.
I look over at Carter. “Mom, this is Carter. He’s my brother-in-law, but a long time ago, he was the man who saved my life and who loved me even when I didn’t and couldn’t love myself.”
I hold my hand out to him and he smiles as he takes it, giving me a squeeze.
“You weren’t hard to love, buddy,” he says. “You were just hard to hold on to.” He releases my hand and punches Jace in the shoulder hard enough it rocks both of us.
“Ow, motherfucker,” Jace complains, but from his tone I can tell he’s not mad. “What the hell wasthatfor?”
Carter smiles. “Proactive punch. Just in case you do something and I’m not around to protect him.”
I laugh, and it feels light and airy. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” With a pained grunt, Carter hauls himself to his feet, picks up the glasses and bottle, and then reaches down and ruffles my hair. “Take your time, guys. I’m going to call home and check on my pets.”
Once we’re alone again, Jace rests his chin on my shoulder. “I’m sorry I couldn’t meet her, baby.”
“Me, too.”
“If you ever want to meet your sisters, Carter gave me the info.”
I think about that. “Let’s survive me meeting your family first, huh?”
“Deal.” He nips the shell of my right ear. “Love you, baby.”
In the beginning, I had a hard time reconciling him using that word for me. I didn’t feel I deserved it. I didn’t feel like it belonged to me.
Now? It’s as natural as breathing. All of this is.
