“Low level thugs. Their lives were meaningless before this. And now…” Tennant trails off, giving a chilling smile that’s all teeth.
“And now their existence will be permanently deleted,” I finish for him. Moving in concert, he hands me a knife. I take a moment to study it, to get a feel of it. The balance is perfect, and I nod in satisfaction before stepping closer to the one on the right. “But first, I feel the need to have some fun.”
“Enjoy, Piccolo.” Tennant chuckles as he lowers the one on the right, so he can at least find some balance on the tips of his toes.
Grinning, I step forward, thankful they’re properly tied up. However, I know it’s going to get messy like this. Clucking my tongue, I command, “Try not to wiggle too much.”
“Wh-wh-why?” the man stutters out.
I place the edge of the knife on his skin, choosing to start right below the elbow, and meet the man’s eyes for a fraction of a second before resuming my concentration. “Quiet. Skinning is a delicate process.”
The man starts to thrash as he screams, fucking up my work. Before I can change plans, Tennant is there, holding the man steady in a very uncomfortable-looking bear hug from behind. I murmur my thanks as I continue, taking skin from his forearm.
It’s a gruesome, but beautiful, process. After all, how many people are lucky enough to see the inside of a human body? Plus, it’s always good to sharpen a skill. Luca may be the best of the Boys at it, but I’m the one who taught him, and it would be bad if I let myself become rusty.
The man’s screams are background music, steadying me and providing the perfect level of concentration. I know when I hit a little too deep, get a little too rough. Overall, though, by the time I’m finished, I can safely say I’m still ranked among the top for it. I certainly don’t need to use a tool like Ignacio prefers.
I didn’t even notice when the man’s voice went silent, likely because the other criminal is providing a backdrop to the fun. Sadly, the man in Tennant’s arms has become unresponsive. He must have passed out. Weak.
Shaking my head, I meet Tennant’s avidly curious eyes. “Pitiful, isn’t it? To drop off just from that.”
I’ve seen versions of Tennant’s smile, but all have seemed relatively manufactured, except for the soft one he sends Emilio occasionally. Usually, his expression is serious and very much a “fuck around and find out” dare. This time, I see a smile of pure joy on him. It’s like the smile of a child on Christmas day when they still believe in the magic of Santa.
I snort at the thought, knowing it’s Emilio rubbing off on me. Holidays were never very celebrated in our household, the closest was with my aunt and uncle. Emilio… Hell, him and Benjamin have us sending out fucking Christmas cards. I almost chuckle at what Tennant will be facing this year when he finds out about their quest to turn everything into a Christmas wonderland, complete with making sure Christmas cards are sent out all over the world.
Tennant clears his throat and I meet his curious gaze sheepishly. I mutter a quick, “Sorry. My mind wandered.”
“It’s fine. Are you finished with this one?” Tennant asks, boredom seeping into his voice.
With a sad sigh, I nod and quickly slit the man’s throat. It’s pointless to try and bring him back and draw it out. Unsatisfying. Like taking a bite of what looks like a chocolate chip cookie, only to find out it’s raisins instead.
Turning to the next guy, I ask, “Are you at least going to be more interesting than your friend?”
The man stares at me in horror before peeing his pants. I jump back. Even though his dick is covered, I don’t want to be standing in a puddle. Thank fuck it doesn’t look like he hadmuch in him, as his clothes seem to absorb the majority of it, with only a little eventually dripping onto the floor. Shuddering, I meet Tennant’s horrified gaze.
“I have limits,” I state flatly.
Tennant makes a disgusted noise, but I just can’t work up the pleasure of drawing out torturing the man after that. Instead, I step forward warily as Tennant grips him from behind, and quickly disembowel the man. It’s messy, but fitting. It also makes me remember what Cristian did to Ignacio, and my breathing speeds up as panic rushes through me.
Flashbacks of everything I’ve done wrong start to pour into my mind, robbing me of the sanity I thought I’d found. My stomach churns at the memories. From the way Cristian and I first bonded, to waking up and finding the letter from my strong Emilio. Thinking I gained a new love, only to realize I lost my soulmate in search of lies. My breathing escalates and my vision starts to darken. Coldness seeps into me again, that fucking numbness robbing me of the pleasure I was finally experiencing.
I’m not sure how much time I lose, but suddenly, I’m drenched in icy water, shocking me from the demons playing in my mind. Blinking rapidly, I try to dodge the biting sting, only vaguely realizing I’m fully nude. Strong arms pin me in place, and I don’t even need to find his face to realize who it is… Tennant. His strength flows from him to me, bringing along air so I can finally breathe again. Fuck. At some point, the water warms, but I continue to shiver, my own tears joining the stream of water beating down on me.
“Shh, Piccolo,” Tennant murmurs as he steps under the spray, joining me despite still being fully clothed. His arms encircle me and I collapse against him, letting his skin warm me, even as it sends signals to my brain that really don’t need to be there. “I have you. Daddy’s here.”
Shuddering, I both hate and love that. Someone having me. For once, not being the one who carries all of the weight. Sure, most may look at what I did with the Boys and find me at fault. And fuck, I can’t even argue. But the one thing I always took responsibility for is their well-being. Even if it was only within the limited capacity I had emotionally, until I stole Emilio and he lit up my world with so many possibilities.
Those Boys have always been my priority, a disagreement my father had with me multiple times. When I learned I was using instruments wrong, because he never bothered to learn, I changed. I corrected course. And now I’m being offered something nobody else has offered me.
Sure, Cristian doesn’t ask me to be in charge, but he knows I’m generally dominant. He still defers to me in ways I didn’t expect. This? The total acceptance that this man will carry me instead… I don’t understand it. Questions play inside my mind, demanding my attention, but I shut them down ruthlessly. Instead, I soak up the comfort and stability Tennant is offering me. For once, I don’t want to make the logical decision. For once, I want to be selfish.
Taking a deep breath, awkward humiliation spreads through me, but I force myself to meet Tennant’s eyes, and say, “Thank you, Daddy.”
With a growl that reverberates through the room, Tennant swoops forward, grabbing me in his arms and claiming my lips in a fierce kiss. We fight for dominance before I surrender. He moans at my capitulation, and I open for him, letting him plunder my mouth with his tongue. Shaking, overwhelmed by the sensations running through me, I grasp his upper arms, desperately trying to hold on.
He tips his head back as I frantically try to find my breath, both of our eyes are wide in wonder, in…fuck, who even knows. He dips down and nips at my chin, and it sends an embarrassingshock to my dick. Tennant’s dark chuckle makes it clear he caught it, but I don’t have time to dwell as his fingers trail down my back, across the swell of my ass, and stop right before my crack.
My blunt nails bite into his skin as my breathing comes faster. It’s barely a whisper, but I plead, “I…I don’t know if I can. It’s been years.”
