56. Fifty-Five

I blinked awake, disoriented for a moment. My body felt stiff, like I'd been sleeping in an awkward position for too long. I was on my couch, I realized after a beat. And there was a warm weight curled up against my chest. Eli.

Memories came flooding back in bits and pieces. Confronting Algerone. Blood and death. Finding Eli and Dani. And then... not much. The last few days were a dark haze in my mind, which could only mean one thing. Keres had been in control.

I looked down at Eli, studying his face in the dim light filtering through the curtains. He looked so much more relaxed in sleep, the hard lines of his face softened, his brow smoothed of its usual furrow. His white-blond hair was sticking up in tufts, still damp from a recent shower. One of his hands was fisted in my shirt, like he was afraid I'd disappear if he let go.

My heart twisted in my chest. Christ, I loved this boy. More than I'd ever loved anyone or anything. It terrified me sometimes, the lengths I knew I'd go to keep him safe. To keep him with me.

I tightened my arm around his shoulders, pressing my nose into his hair and just breathing him in. He smelled like my soap and something uniquely Eli underneath. I'd never get tired of that scent.

Eli made a soft sound and nuzzled closer.

I exhaled slowly, feeling some of the tension drain out of me. Eli was safe. He was here, in my arms, where he belonged. I'd come so fucking close to losing him, and that thought made my stomach turn. Never again. I'd burn the whole goddamn world down before I let anything happen to him.

I let my eyes roam over Eli's sleeping form, drinking in every detail like I was committing it to memory. The way his long lashes fanned out over his cheekbones. The smattering of pale freckles across his nose and cheeks, the dark ring through his bottom lip.

His oversized shirt had slipped off one pale shoulder, exposing his collarbones and the edges of his tattoos. Without thinking, I reached out to trace the lines of ink with my fingertips, following them down his arm. Eli's skin was sleep-warm and so soft. He was so small compared to me, all lean limbs and sharp angles. I knew there was a wiry strength in him, but he still felt so fragile in my arms sometimes. Like something I could break if I wasn't careful.

And yet, there was a core of steel in Eli. A defiance and sheer stubborn will that never ceased to amaze me. He'd been through so much in his short life, endured things that would've broken a lesser man. But not Eli. Eli was the strongest, most resilient person I knew.

Eli stirred, a soft hum vibrating through his chest as he slowly drifted into wakefulness. His hand flexed where it gripped my shirt, long fingers brushing against my stomach and sending a shiver down my spine.

“Keres?” he mumbled, voice rough with sleep.

Something in my chest clenched at that name on his lips, a mix of regret and jealousy and resignation. I knew Eli loved me, all of me, but sometimes I couldn't help but feel like Keres got the best parts—the raw passion, the uninhibited desire, the freedom from the chains of morality and conscience that bound me.

“No, it's Shepherd,” I murmured, brushing my knuckles down the elegant line of his jaw.

Eli's eyes fluttered open at that, searching my face as awareness seeped in. I watched the realization dawn, his lips curving into a sweet, crooked smile that made my heart trip over itself.

“Hey, you,” he rasped, untangling his hand from my shirt to reach up and trace my bottom lip with his thumb. “Welcome back.”

I caught his wrist, turning my head to press a kiss to his palm. “Missed you,” I admitted roughly. And I had. Even when Keres was in control, even when I was buried deep in the recesses of our shared mind, I always missed Eli.

Eli's smile widened, his eyes going soft and fond. “Missed you too, Sir. Always do.”

He pushed himself up on one elbow, closing the distance between us to brush a feather-light kiss over my lips. It was barely more than a whisper of contact, but it still sent a jolt of electricity zinging through my veins. Christ, the effect this boy had on me. It never got old.

I slid my hand into his hair, cradling the back of his skull as I deepened the kiss. Eli made a needy sound in the back of his throat, his lips parting eagerly under mine. I licked into his mouth, tasting him, relishing the slick slide of our tongues.

We kissed lazily, unhurriedly, relearning the shape and feel of each other. There was no urgency to it, just a bone-deep contentment at being together again, being whole.

I finally broke the kiss when the need for air became pressing, resting my forehead against Eli's as we both panted softly. His pale lashes fluttered open, his eyes dark and hazy with desire. I could drown in those eyes and die a happy man.

“Where are Dani and Noah?” I asked quietly.

“Out shopping with Gavin.”

I hummed in acknowledgment, relieved we had the house to ourselves for a bit. As much as I loved my sister and my nephew, I selfishly wanted Eli all to myself right now. Needed to feel his heart beating against mine, his breath on my skin, to reassure myself this was real.

“How long was I gone this time?” I asked, skimming my hands down Eli's sides to settle on his slim hips. Even through the thin cotton of his shirt, I could feel the heat of him, the way he trembled ever so slightly under my touch.

Eli shrugged one shoulder, his gaze dropping from mine as he worried his lip ring with his teeth. “Few days,” he said. “Long enough that it fell to Keres to explain your condition to Dani.”

I winced. “And she’s still here?”

Eli nodded. “That alone should tell you she’s in it for the long haul. Actually, Keres did pretty well. Me and Gavin helped, though. I think she understands the gist of it. Living with it… That’ll be the easy part. You’re easy to love. All of you.”

I leaned in, capturing Eli's lips in a searing kiss, trying to pour everything I felt into that single point of connection. All the desperate devotion, the aching adoration, the bone-deep need. Eli met me with equal fervor, his clever tongue darting out to dance with mine, his blunt nails digging deliciously into my shoulders.

I slid my hands down to grip the backs of his thighs, relishing the firm muscle beneath my palms as I hitched him closer. Eli went willingly, scrambling into my lap until he was straddling my hips, his lithe body molding perfectly against mine like he was made to be there.

I groaned into his mouth as he rolled his hips, the delicious friction sending sparks of pleasure skittering up my spine. I could feel him hardening against me, the heat of him searing me even through our clothes. My own body responded eagerly, desire uncoiling hot and insistent.

I slid my hands under Eli's shirt, my palms gliding over the smooth, warm skin of his back. I could feel the ridges of his spine, the jut of his shoulder blades, the lean cords of muscle. He was so slender but so strong, like a coiled spring ready to snap.

Eli shivered under my touch, a breathy little moan escaping him that went straight to my cock. I swallowed the sound, licking deep into his mouth as I rucked his shirt up higher. We broke apart long enough for me to tug it over his head and toss it aside. Then my hands were on him again, mapping the familiar planes and hollows of his torso like I was committing them to memory.

Eli arched into my touch, his head falling back on a gasp as I found a nipple and rolled it between my fingers. I ducked my head, fastening my mouth over that little bud, and scraped over it with my teeth.

I felt Eli's fingers tangle in my hair, nails scraping my scalp as he held me to his chest. I laved my tongue over his nipple, soothing the sting of my teeth before moving to the other side to give it the same treatment. Eli was panting harshly above me, little hitching moans spilling from his lips like the sweetest music.

I traced the edges of his tattoos with my tongue, following the colorful swirls and lines down his sternum, over the curve of his ribs. I knew every inch of his ink by heart, had mapped it with hands and mouth a hundred times, but I never got tired of tasting his skin, feeling him quiver under my touch.

My hands roamed lower, fingers dipping teasingly beneath the waistband of Eli's sweatpants. He bucked against me with a needy whine, his own hands scrabbling at my shoulders, my back, anywhere he could reach.

I pulled back to look up at him in wonder. Eli's face was flushed, his lips kiss-swollen and parted around each ragged breath. His pale eyes were blown black with need, glassy and unfocused. Strands of hair clung to his damp forehead. He looked utterly wrecked and so goddamn beautiful it made my chest ache.

I swallowed thickly, my throat suddenly dry as I took in the sight of Eli above me. “God, you're so beautiful, Eli. I can't believe you're mine.”

Eli's lips curved into a smile, sweet and a little shy. He ducked his head, peering at me through his lashes. “Yours,” he agreed softly. “Always.”

He leaned down to brush a tender kiss over my lips before pulling back, his expression turning almost... nervous? “Actually, there's something I want to show you.”

I quirked a brow, curiosity piqued even as my body protested the loss of contact. “Oh?”

Eli climbed off my lap and held out a hand, a silent beckoning. I let him tug me to my feet and followed as he led me down the hall toward the bedrooms. I expected him to turn into the guest room he'd been using, but to my surprise, he guided me to the door of the master bedroom instead.

My bedroom.

Eli pushed the door open and went straight to the night stand. I frowned, taking in the changes all around the room. It was subtle, but I immediately noticed the little signs that Eli had moved into the room—his battered sketchbook on the nightstand, a stack of his graphic novels on the dresser, his favorite hoodie draped over the back of the armchair in the corner.

“I know you said we should sleep separately,” he said as he came back, his sketchbook clutched to his chest. “But Keres kind of insisted on the opposite. Besides, Dani needed a place to sleep, and it felt wrong to put her on the couch so—”

I silenced Eli's nervous rambling with a kiss, my hand coming up to cup his jaw as I swallowed his words. He melted against me instantly, a soft sigh escaping him as the tension drained from his body.

“It's okay,” I murmured against his lips when we parted. “I'm glad you moved in here. It feels right, having you in my space. In my bed.”

Eli's answering smile was radiant, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way I adored. “You're not mad?”

I huffed a laugh, brushing my thumb over his cheekbone. “How could I be mad? I love the idea of falling asleep with you every night and waking up to this gorgeous face every morning.”

A pretty pink blush stained Eli's cheeks and he ducked his head, peeking up at me through his lashes. I would never get over how he could still be shy sometimes, even after everything we'd been through. Everything we'd done. It was endearing as hell.

“I just... I know you like your space,” he said, worrying his lip ring in that nervous tell of his. “And I didn't want to assume...”

I tipped his chin up with a finger until pale blue eyes met mine. “You're not an assumption, Eli. You're a fact. A certainty. I want you here, in every part of my life. Always.”

Eli's eyes went wide and soft at my words, a sheen of moisture making them glitter in the low light. He pressed his lips together, clearly fighting a smile as he clutched his sketchbook tighter to his chest.

“Actually, that's kind of what I wanted to show you,” he said, a hint of nerves creeping into his voice. He held out the sketchbook to me, worrying his lip ring between his teeth. “I've been working on something. For you.”

Curious, I took the book from his hands, the leather worn and supple beneath my fingers. I flipped it open, slowly turning the pages filled with Eli's artwork. As always, I was blown away by his talent, each sketch a little glimpse into that brilliant, beautiful mind of his.

But it was the last page that made me pause, my breath catching in my throat. I stared down at the sketch in my hands, my heart hammering against my ribs as I took in every intricate detail. It was a tattoo design, a full sleeve that would cover my entire arm from shoulder to wrist. And it was perfect.

The centerpiece was a series of Russian nesting dolls, each one unique and yet part of a cohesive whole. The largest doll at the top held a human brain—a clear nod to my role as a psychiatrist, the face I showed the world. Peeking out from behind that doll was a slightly smaller one, this one dressed all in black, complete with black gloves. That was clearly meant to be Keres.

Beside the Keres doll was another, this one with a lazy grin and a bowl of noodles. Bryce, the part of me that still clung to the simple joys and comforts of life, like junk food and bad puns. Below that was a doll holding a rosary, wings curling protectively around the smallest and final doll, one with a dinosaur on its shirt. Azreal and Dex. We were all right there.

The details woven into the design took my breath away. Delicate clockwork gears and machinery connected each doll, symbolizing how we were all part of the same system, the same mind. Threads of sparking neurons snaked between them, a visual representation of the wiring in my head. And behind it all, providing a backdrop, were the shadows of great unfurling wings.

I swallowed around the lump that had formed in my throat, blinking against the sudden sting in my eyes. This tattoo, this work of art...it was more than ink on skin. It was a portrait of my soul, laid bare in bold lines and intricate details. It showed every facet of me, every part that made up the complicated, fractured whole. And somehow, impossibly, it made that patchwork psyche look... beautiful.

Reverently, I traced my fingertips over the design, following the swirling lines and feeling the raised edges of the heavy paper. I could almost imagine how it would feel on my skin, a permanent testament to all that I was. All that Eli saw in me.

Fuck, this boy...

I looked up to find Eli watching me anxiously, his teeth digging into his bottom lip hard enough to leave indents. His eyes were wide and vulnerable with a silent question. He was awaiting my approval, my acceptance of this most intimate of gifts.

“It’s a tattoo design,” he said nervously. “I thought… Well, I’ve been thinking… I mean, you can say no, but… I’d like to tattoo you. My way of marking you, I guess.”

As if he even had to ask.

I set the sketchbook down carefully on the bed and closed the distance between us in two long strides. Eli barely had time to let out a surprised little “oof” before I was crushing him to my chest, burying my face in the crook of his neck and just breathing him in.

“It's perfect,” I rasped, my voice raw with emotion. “Of course I’ll wear it.”

Eli melted against me, his arms coming up to wind around my waist as he nuzzled into my shoulder. I could feel his smile against my skin. “You’ll do it?”

“Of course, Eli. Absolutely.”

“Are you sure you like the design? Because I can—”

I silenced him with a kiss. “Like it? Eli, I... fuck, I love it. It's the most amazing thing anyone's ever given me.” I pulled back enough to cradle his face in my hands, brushing my thumbs over his cheekbones. His eyes were shining, a hectic flush coloring his pale skin.

I leaned in and captured his lips in another kiss. Eli responded eagerly, his mouth opening under mine as he pressed closer, his fingers tangling in my hair.

I walked us backwards until the backs of Eli's knees hit the mattress. I followed Eli down onto the bed, my body blanketing his as I sealed my mouth over his in a deep, claiming kiss. Eli arched up into me, his lean body molding to mine like two puzzle pieces snapping into place. His clever fingers found their way under my shirt, skating over my abs and making the muscles jump under his touch.

I groaned into his mouth, my blood heating with the effortless way he set my body on fire, like striking a match. I nipped at his plush bottom lip, tugging on that sinful lip ring with my teeth just to hear the breathy little moan it elicited. Eli's hips canted up, seeking friction, and I obliged, grinding down against him until we were both panting.

I tore my mouth away from his to blaze a trail of open-mouthed kisses along his jaw, down the elegant column of his throat. I scraped my teeth over his jumping pulse, soothing the sting with my tongue, marking him up the way I knew he loved. Eli keened, his head tipping back to give me better access as his nails bit into my shoulders through my shirt.

“Off,” he demanded breathlessly, tugging at the fabric. “I want to feel you.”

I pushed up onto my knees long enough to strip my shirt over my head and toss it aside before descending on Eli again. We both groaned at the first slide of bare skin on skin, nothing separating us from each other.

I let my hands roam over Eli's body, re-learning every dip and curve, every sharp angle and smooth plane. His skin was warm silk beneath my rough palms and I reveled in the way he shivered and sighed, arching up into my touch like he couldn't get enough. Like I was the air he needed to breathe.

I followed the path of my hands with my mouth, pressing open-mouthed kisses to every bit of pale flesh I could reach. I laved my tongue over the smattering of freckles on his shoulders, connecting them like constellations. I nipped at the jut of his collarbones, scraping my teeth over the delicate skin until Eli was squirming beneath me, breathy little moans falling from his kiss-swollen lips.

“Sir, please...” he whined, his fingers scrabbling at my back, trying to pull me closer. Always closer. “Please fuck me. Make me yours again.”

Fuck. Those needy little pleas shot straight to my cock, making it throb against the confines of my pants. I'd never get over how responsive Eli was, how easily he came apart under my hands. And the way he begged so sweetly to be claimed, to be owned, to be mine... It did something feral to me, tapped into that primal part of my brain that wanted to mount him and mark him and make sure every inch of his body remembered who it belonged to.

I gripped Eli's hips, my fingers digging into the sharp jut of bone as I ground against him, letting him feel how hard I was. How much I wanted him. Eli mewled, his back bowing as he bucked up to meet me, desperate for more friction. I reached down to palm Eli through his sweatpants, feeling the way his cock jumped at my touch. He was already so hard, a wet patch forming where he was leaking.

I hooked my fingers under the waistband of Eli's sweatpants and tugged, peeling them down his hips along with his briefs. His cock sprang free, slapping against his taut stomach and leaving a smear of pre-cum on his pale skin. My mouth watered at the sight.

I dragged my eyes up the length of his body, taking in every inch of bared flesh, every elegant line and soft curve. Eli was breathing hard, his chest heaving and his skin flushed a pretty pink. His eyes, when they met mine, were dark and hazy with need, the black of his pupils nearly eclipsing the pale blue.

“I could look at you like this all day,” I rasped, my voice rough with want.

Eli's blush deepened, spreading down his neck to his chest. He squirmed under my heated gaze, equal parts shy and preening. “I'd rather you do more than look, Sir,” he said, a teasing lilt to his breathless voice.

I smirked. “Greedy boy.” But I obliged him, ducking my head to run my tongue up the underside of his cock from root to tip. Eli gasped, his hips bucking up involuntarily as I swirled my tongue around the sensitive head.

I lapped at the bead of pre-cum that had gathered at Eli's slit, savoring the salty-bitter taste of him on my tongue. Eli whined, his hands fisting in the sheets as his hips twitched restlessly. I could see how badly he wanted to buck up into my mouth, to chase the wet heat of my tongue, but he held himself still. Waiting for permission, like the good boy he was.

“That's it, boy,” I praised, my voice a low rumble. “Let me take care of you.”

I wrapped my lips around the head of Eli's cock and sucked gently, my tongue flicking over his slit. Eli shuddered, a broken moan falling from his lips as his thighs trembled with the effort of keeping still. I took him deeper, inch by inch, until my nose was buried in the neatly trimmed hair at the base of his cock and the head was nudging the back of my throat.

I swallowed around him, my throat muscles fluttering and contracting, and Eli groaned, his back arching off the bed.

“Oh fuck, Sir, your mouth...” The words trailed off into an incoherent moan as I started to bob my head, taking him deep on every downstroke.

I set a relentless pace, my lips stretched tight around Eli's shaft as I worked him with lips and tongue and the barest hint of teeth.

Eli thrashed beneath me, broken whimpers and pleas spilling from his kiss-swollen lips as I worked him with single-minded focus. I pinned his hips to the bed with one forearm, keeping him still as I hollowed my cheeks and sucked hard.

“Please, Sir! Fuck, I can't...” Eli’s fingers scrabbled uselessly at my shoulders, my hair, the sheets. “It's too much, I'm gonna... I'm gonna...”

I pulled off Eli's cock with an obscene pop, ignoring his whine of protest at the sudden loss of stimulation. His hips bucked up, seeking friction, but I held him down firmly.

“Not yet, boy,” I growled. “You don't get to come until I'm buried inside you.”

Eli let out a frustrated sob, his fingers clawing at my shoulders. “Please, Sir, I need it. I need you so bad...”

I flipped Eli over onto his stomach in one smooth motion, manhandling him into position. He went easily, eagerly, scrambling to get his knees under him and present his ass to me. I took a moment to appreciate the view—the elegant arch of his back, the swell of his ass, his tight pink hole.

I smoothed my hands over the globes of Eli's ass, kneading the firm flesh, and he pushed back into my touch with a needy whine. I reached over to the nightstand for the bottle of lube I knew was there. Coating my fingers, I circled Eli's rim with a slick digit, teasing him.

“You want my fingers, boy?” I asked, my voice a low rumble. “Want me to stretch this tight little hole and get you ready for my cock?”

“Yes, fuck, please Sir...” Eli whined, trying to push back onto my finger.

I pressed one slick finger into Eli's tight heat, groaning at the way his body yielded to the intrusion, sucking me in greedily. He was so hot inside, silken walls fluttering around my digit as I sank in to the knuckle. Eli let out a broken moan, his hips pressing back to take me deeper.

I worked Eli open, taking my time stretching him until he was loose and pliant, rocking back onto three of my fingers with needy little whimpers.

I slicked myself up with a groan, giving my shaft a few rough pumps before notching the blunt head against Eli's fluttering entrance. We both moaned as I pushed in, Eli's tight heat enveloping me inch by excruciating inch until I was buried to the hilt, my hips flush against his ass.

I paused for a moment, savoring the tight clench of Eli's body around me, the way he trembled and panted beneath me. Then I drew my hips back slowly, until just the head of my cock was nestled inside him, before slamming back in with a hard, sharp thrust.

Eli cried out, his fingers twisting in the sheets as I set a punishing pace, fucking into him with deep, relentless strokes. Eli could only whimper and moan in response, pushing his hips back to meet my brutal thrusts. I angled my hips, seeking that spot inside him that I knew would drive him wild, and grinned fiercely when Eli let out a choked scream, his back arching sharply.

“There it is,” I purred, grinding against his prostate with ruthless precision.

I could feel the moment it all became too much for him, his untouched cock spurting cum onto the sheets below as his internal muscles clamped down around me.

I grunted and pushed him through it, but on the other side… “Did I say you could come, boy?”

Eli whined and panted. His body fluttered weakly around my pistoning cock, over-sensitized nerve endings firing as I continued to pound into him.

“I'm sorry, Sir,” he gasped out. “I couldn't help it, you just feel so good...”

I tsked, shaking my head even though he couldn't see it. “You know the rules, boy. You come when I allow it, not before. I think you need a little reminder of who's in charge here.”

I released my grip on Eli's hips, snaking my hand down between his legs to wrap around his spent, twitching cock. Eli let out a broken moan, his hips automatically bucking into my fist even as he whimpered at the intensity of sensation.

He writhed beneath me, caught between pushing into my fist and trying to squirm away. Broken whimpers spilled from his lips, his spent cock already trying to plump up again in my grip despite his recent orgasm.

Eli's breathless sobs filled the room, his lithe body shuddering against mine. His knees slipped further apart on the sweat-damp sheets, changing the angle so I could drive impossibly deeper. “It's too much, I can't...”

“You can and you will,” I growled, punctuating my words with a sharp snap of my hips that made him wail. “You'll take everything I give you, boy. Because you're mine.”

Mine. The word resonated through me, primal and possessive. Eli was mine, every inch of his body, every corner of his brilliant mind, every shard of his fractured soul. And I would put him back together, make him whole again, through pleasure and pain and utter ruination.

I let go of his spent cock, fingers now sticky with his release, and gripped his hip for leverage as I picked up the pace. Eli's back bowed, his head tipping back to expose the long line of his throat as he wailed. I wanted to sink my teeth into that pale column, suck bruises into his skin until everyone knew who he belonged to.

Tendrils of platinum hair clung to Eli's sweat-sheened forehead. He turned his head, pressing his cheek to the mattress, lips parted, panting heavily.

I pounded into Eli with relentless force, the obscene slap of skin against skin filling the room alongside his desperate cries. Every brutal thrust punched the breath from his lungs in needy little “uh-uh-uh” sounds that made my balls tighten. The headboard slammed against the wall in a lewd rhythm, and distantly I wondered if the neighbors could hear me in here absolutely wrecking my boy.

With a guttural groan, I slammed home one last time, grinding against Eli's prostate as I emptied myself deep inside him. Eli let out a broken wail, body seizing up and clenching around me, milking every last drop. I rolled my hips, riding out the aftershocks as I pumped Eli full.

When I finally pulled out, Eli whimpered at the loss. I leaned back and watched my cum leak out of him. The sight made something primal and possessive rear up in my chest. I swiped my thumb through the mess, pushing it back inside him. Eli shuddered, hole twitching around the intrusion.

“Keep it inside,” I rasped.

Eli's hole clenched weakly around my thumb, trying to obey my command even in his blissed-out state. Christ, he was so goddamn perfect. Even now, trembling and barely coherent, he wanted to please me.

I eased my thumb out, ignoring Eli's feeble whine of protest. Gently, I gathered his pliant body into my arms and rolled us onto our sides, spooning up behind him. Eli stirred, mumbling something unintelligible into the pillow. His eyelids fluttered but didn't open, long lashes casting shadows on his flushed cheekbones.

“Shhh, I've got you,” I murmured, nuzzling into the damp hair at his nape. “You did so well for me, boy.”

Eli hummed, a contented little sound, and nestled back against my chest. I could feel the rapid thump of his heartbeat beneath my palm as I smoothed a hand over his sweat-slick skin. We laid there for long minutes, breathing together as I held him through the aftershocks.

Slowly, bit by bit, I felt the remaining tension seep out of Eli's muscles as he went boneless against me. His breathing evened out and deepened, hitching on the occasional shuddery sigh. I continued to stroke his skin, grounding him with my touch as his breathing gradually evened out. We lay there in the afterglow, wrapped up in each other, the rest of the world falling away until it was just the two of us, tangled in sated limbs and murmured praise.

Eventually, I felt Eli stir against me. He tilted his head back to blink up at me with hazy, unfocused eyes, a slow smile curving his kiss-swollen lips.

“Hi,” he rasped, voice shot.

“Hey there.” I smoothed his wild hair back from his forehead, taking in the blissed-out expression on his face.

I returned Eli's lazy, satiated smile, my heart clenching in my chest at the open adoration in his gaze. Even now, after all we'd been through, it still amazed me sometimes that he had chosen me. That he looked at me like I'd hung the goddamn moon, when I knew I was just a man, flawed and fractured in so many ways.

I leaned in to brush a soft, reverent kiss over Eli's lips. He hummed contentedly, his eyes fluttering shut as he melted into me. I could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat against my chest, the warmth of his bare skin pressed to mine. In that moment, everything else fell away until my entire world had narrowed down to the boy in my arms.

We traded languid kisses and gentle caresses as our breathing gradually evened out and our heart rates slowed. There was no urgency to it, just a bone-deep contentment, a soul-deep connection. I wanted to stay in this pocket of peace forever, where nothing existed but Eli and I twined together in my bed.

The bed that was now our bed.

I returned his dopey smile, my heart swelling with affection for this brilliant, beautiful boy who had turned my world upside down in the best possible way. Eli nuzzled into my palm, his eyes drifting shut again as he let out a contented little hum.

We lay there for a while longer, basking in the quiet intimacy of skin on skin, heartbeats syncing up. I traced idle patterns on Eli's hip with my fingertips. Eventually, I felt Eli's breathing deepen and even out as he drifted off, his body going lax against mine. I pressed a tender kiss to his temple before carefully extricating myself from his sleepy limbs. He made a soft sound of protest but didn't fully wake, curling into the warm spot I left behind.

I padded naked to the bathroom, taking a moment to clean myself up and wet a washcloth with warm water. I had just finished when I heard the sharp trill of my cell phone. Irritated, I put a towel around my waist in case Dani came back and stalked into the kitchen, only to frown at the unknown number.

“Who is this?” I demanded in place of a greeting.

“Don’t hang up,” came Algerone’s voice through the speaker, and I almost immediately did just that.

“Give me one damn good reason not to,” I ground out.

“I have a peace offering.” He sounded rather pleased with himself.

I snorted. “It doesn’t matter what you offer me, Algerone. I’m not interested.”

“What if I said it wasn’t a what…but a who? Someone I know you’re desperate to get your hands on?”

“If you laid one hand on anyone I care about—”

Algerone huffed. “Please. I know better than to make the same mistake twice. This is a peace offering, Shepherd, not another game. Get dressed and meet me at your factory in an hour.”

“What factory?” I stood up straight as a chill went through me. No one knew about the kill factory. It was the family’s most closely guarded secret. It wasn’t even registered under any names connected to the family. He would’ve had to dig through international records to even come close to connecting it to the Laskins.

Algerone sighed. “You know exactly the factory I’m talking about. Now don’t dawdle. I have other meetings scheduled. See you in an hour.” He hung up.

I stared at the phone in my hand, the dial tone droning in my ear as my mind raced. How the hell did Algerone find out about the kill factory? And what “peace offering” could he possibly have that would make me want to meet with him?

I looked over at Eli, still curled up asleep in my bed, his face smooth and peaceful. I guess we’ll find out in an hour.