Page 45 of Stolen Compliance

With a heavy sigh, he finally gives in. “Alright. I trust you. You know what needs done. Should I expect a call from my cousin?”

“I’m surprised he hasn’t already. This happened four days ago.”

“Hmm… Perhaps he wanted to see if you’d bring it to my attention. I’ll think about this further before doing anything. It may be best if I at least check in so he knows that you have been open with me, and I reassure him you have my full faith.”

Pride explodes through me. Knowing that out of everyone, I’m the one who was selected to take his cousin out and to run this territory. He warned me going in that it wouldn’t be easy. Part of me wonders if he knew just how bad it could be, but I refuse to think about that. There’s no way he’d set me up like that.

“Thank you,” I reply before moving us along. “How is everything there? Is Lio adjusting?”

“Emilio is exceptional. You taught him well. Although, I’ll be lucky if we don’t end up with a dead wedding planner. They’re still working on invitations, but hopefully soon on that. If they stop annoying Emilio so much and if Benjamin doesn’t try to take over with his binder.”

I laugh, even as it hurts. I’m glad for my friend, for my former Master. But it hits too close to home occasionally. To watch him have with Lio, what I once thought would be mine.

“I’d suggest making sure Lio doesn’t have access to weapons, but you already restrict that for good reason.”

The sound of Il Padrone’s chuckle soothes me like nothing else can. Before I can tease him further, he admits, “There’s some chatter that’s mildly concerning. But Cristian is taking point. I have faith it’ll blow over.”

“Cristian? The head of the Amatos?”

“We have formed a…tentative truce. Mainly due to Emilio and Roman, but Cristian and I do agree that since there is some smoke, we may need to keep a look out for a fire.” I can almost hear him shrugging, and I can picture it if I close my eyes. The Master who worries about nothing, because fuck knows we’ve survived far worse.

Still, it doesn’t sit right with me—especially trusting the Amatos. “Do you want me to come back? I can investigate.”

“No,” Il Padrone answers quickly—decisively. “Keep to the plan. I’ll see you soon enough. Focus on what we discussed. Your goal is far too important.”

“Right. I will. But you know you just need to call me, and I’ll come home earlier than we planned.”

“Good Boy, Luca. You do that. And I’ll check in with my cousin later. I want to make sure they’re treating you with respect.”

Before I can protest his heavy handedness or point out that would make it worse, he hangs up. All that’s left is the pain of being called a Good Boy. Because I could have been. Hell, I would have been for him.

And yet, somehow… it fights against two other voices. The whispered bunny is so real it may as well be right next to me, not carried on the wind blowing off the lake…

Fuck. My heart beats harder. Did I leave the man who twisted me, who hurt me, who fucking abused me, only to fall for two others who do the same?

Nobody’s luck can be that bad, right?

It’s merely…foolishness that makes me think of those two instead of my friend. Really, if anything, I should be worrying about those damn Amatos. If they’re claiming there’s chatter, there’s a high chance it’s them causing it. I hope to fuck Lio isn’t too new to handle this. There are so many years of pain between our two Families… He’s not the best choice to lead there.

If I’m forced to, I’ll return and take care of it. I won’t let Il Padrone down. Even if he does think his Emilio can handle it…

Sergio hangs up the phone with his cousin and the smile he wore during the conversation slides off his face as if it was never there.

“Thoughts?”

Dominic stretches out in his chair, his long body enticing, and I force my attention on my father. “The newbie has some self-preservation, it seems. He’s not hiding from his Boss, but he is not giving all the details either, it sounds like.”

My father nods. “I agree. Allesandro can probably guess, based on how he was trained, and what he does to his own Boys, but nothing he said gave me any indication he knows what went down… Though I am tempted to send my cousin the tape, simply to show him how good his Boy looks strung up and made bloody.”

I force myself to sit still even though I want to shift in my seat as discomfort fills me. Sergio isn’t wrong. Luca looked like a fucking angel of desire while he hung, but the sadistic smile on my father’s face worries me for Luca. I know enough about how Sergio treats what he considers objects to be comfortable with his attention being focused on the bunny. He’s ours; mine and Dominic’s.

I shut that thought down quickly. Nothing good comes from that line of thinking. Dominic is back to his hot and cold bullshit, and Luca is avoiding us even while shadowing our every move.

“How is he doing overall?”

“He hasn’t cracked, even after being punished,” I answer. “He is far smarter than he appeared when he first got here, despite the…growing pains.”

My father hums and thrums his fingers on the desk before meeting Dominic’s eyes. “And him?”