Henny's expression went soft in that way that still surprised me, like he couldn't quite believe I wanted this. Wanted him.
"I never knew how much I needed someone who'd let me take care of them," he admitted. "Who'd trust my choices instead of fighting them."
"Perfect match."
He pulled me closer. "The most perfect one."
We sat there in a cozy sort of silence, me tucked against his side, his fingers tracing patterns on my shoulder. Outside, there was a hum of activity from the neighborhood. Inside, everything was exactly how it should be: calm and quiet.
After a few minutes, Henny stood and held out his hand. "Come on. Let's get ready for bed."
I took it without hesitation, letting him pull me up. We brushed our teeth side by side at the bathroom sink. Henny washed his face with the expensive cleanser he swore made a difference. I stole some because if it made him happy that I wanted to try.
When we climbed into bed, I curled into my usual position against Henny's chest, his arms coming around me to keep me close.
“I’m so happy we stopped being stupid, Daddy.”
Henny chuckled, pulling me in even tighter. “We were being stupid?”
“Yup. That whole not telling each other how we felt business was lame. I’m much happier here with you. My Henny-Daddy is the best.”
"That’s because I have the best boy. I promise to take good care of you. For as long as you’ll let me."
"I know you will." And I did. Completely. "That's why I'm staying forever. They’re going to have to bury us beside each other ‘cause I’m going with you in the afterlife too."
"Sounds good to me," he murmured, already half asleep.
I smiled against his skin. For someone who'd spent his whole life avoiding being still, the idea of forever with Henny wasn’t ideal.
In reality, it felt like the missing piece I'd been blindly searching for.
CHAPTER 17
Pip
My heart slammedagainst my ribs as I jerked awake. The nightmares were back, this time with the added twist of my Daddy being the one who got hurt.
We’d been back at The Restaurant. Instead of the Bratva leaving peacefully, they’d decided to open fire at Pharrell’s back. It turned into a bloodbath almost identical to the massacre I caused years ago after a certain group of men thought they could trade women and children for money while having me as their security.
I made those fuckers bleed.
In this nightmare, there’d been no time to get to Henny. No time to save him from the destruction. And all I could hear when I held his lifeless body in mine were the words others had told me before.
You’re wrong. Broken. Unlovable.
There was a time I’d believed every word. I felt thrown back to those days. How was I meant to find happiness if I couldn’t protect the one person who mattered most in this world?
Of course I didn’t deserve happiness.
Blinking to clear the images, I forced myself to relax my grip on the sheets. Sweat cooled on my skin, making me shiver despite how comfortable the room had felt when we’d gone to bed. For a long moment, I didn’t know where I was.
Then I felt the warm solid presence beside me and remembered.
Henny.
Home.
My body didn't believe it yet. Adrenaline still flooded my system, fight-or-flight instincts screaming that I needed to move, to run, to do something. Instead, I reached out and grabbed onto Henny, pressing myself against his back with enough force that he stirred slightly in his sleep.
