Chapter 12

Caleb leaned back in his chair, inhaling the rich scent of roasted garlic and thyme. The dining room was a study in contrasts—dark wood panels set against the soft glow of flickering candles, making shadows dance on the walls. The mahogany table groaned under the weight of the feast spread before them. Gleaming porcelain plates held succulent slices of prime rib, beautifully pink in the center and perfectly charred at the edges. A colorful array of side dishes accompanied the main course: creamy mashed potatoes with flecks of chive, crisp asparagus spears glistening with butter, and a tangy cranberry relish that added a pop of color and flavor. Jesse’s staff had once again gone all out on their Friday evening meal, as had become their custom.

Laughter bubbled up like uncorked champagne, the mood in the group light and easy after their hard work that day. For three days, they’d been digging into Whitman’s background, and with every shovel they unearthed, they’d found more dirt beneath it. It had been sobering to realize how much work they’d have to do to serve Whitman the ice-cold justice he had coming to him. But for now, they relaxed.

Conversation flowed easily, punctuated by bursts of laughter and the clink of cutlery. The faces of Caleb’s companions were relaxed and open. It was rare to find such camaraderie, and he knew how lucky he was to have found these men. They’d become like family to him. As close as he was with his parents, he loved these men like brothers. Well, brothers he had sex with anyway.

Only one thing—person—was missing. Roman.

“Man, this is what I call a meal,” Ryan said as he forked a generous portion of beef onto his plate.

“Only the best for you.” Jesse affectionately scratched David’s head. The sub was kneeling next to Jesse’s chair, deeply content to sit there and be hand-fed by his Dom.

Caleb cleared his throat. “Anyone know where Roman is?”

“Probably in his room, working,” Wander responded, the lines around his eyes deepening. “The case has been eating him alive.”

A knot tightened in Caleb’s gut. If what they had already discovered ate at him, how much more would it affect Roman? The man looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders again. He’d been more relaxed after that incredible scene they’d shared, but the stress relief had been short-lived.

“Should we send him a plate?” Alex suggested, his voice tinged with worry.

The laughter died down, the mood somber as they all considered Roman’s absence. Caleb could almost see the weight of the case in the empty chair at the head of the table. It loomed over them, unspoken yet oppressive.

“Man’s burning the candle at both ends,” Ryan said. He took a bite of his steak and chewed thoughtfully. “Can’t be good for him.”

Caleb curled his fingers around his fork, the metal cool and unyielding. He wanted to do something, anything, to ease Roman’s burden. Should he offer to do another scene with him?

“Roman’s tough, but he’s human,” Wander said. “This case…it’s personal. He won’t back down, not until it’s done.”

“Maybe he needs an outlet.” Ryan shot a pointed look at Alex. “A way to let off steam.”

“What are you suggesting?” Wander leaned back, arms crossed.

“I’m suggesting Alex.” Ryan gestured at his boyfriend with a sly tilt of his head. “My little slut’s been eager to have a go at that big cock the man reportedly has. Could help Roman unwind.”

Caleb clenched his hands. Alex? But…but why Alex? Sure, he was a slut, and Ryan did like to share him, but why would it have to be Alex? Caleb had already played with Roman. He knew him better than anyone here did, especially Alex, who’d barely exchanged more than a few words with him. And Wander had sent Caleb that first night. Not Alex, not anyone else. Caleb. So wasn’t Roman his responsibility now?

Wander grinned. “I’d be okay with that. You excited to whore out your boyfriend, Ryan?”

Ryan ruffled Alex’s hair, whose face was as red as a beet. “What can I say? I like to see him get used.”

Caleb’s gut twisted. The thought of Roman with Alex… A shiver of wrongness raced through him. He didn’t want the image in his head of Roman’s hands on someone else, of Roman finding solace in another’s submission. It was like a punch to his chest, stealing his breath.

“No,” Caleb muttered, more to himself than the group. He traced his thumb over the edge of his tattoo, hidden under the sleeve of his hoodie. A reminder of strength, of battles fought and won.

“You got something to say, Caleb?” Wander’s voice cut through the tension.

“Roman…” Caleb said, then stopped. What the hell was he doing? He swallowed hard, his skin prickling from every pair of eyes on him. “He needs someone who understands him. Who knows him and can read him.”

“Go on,” Wander prompted, a challenge in his gaze.

“Roman should play with me.” The words left Caleb in a rush, a bold claim hanging between them. Silence fell like a hammer.

“Excuse me?” Ryan blinked, disbelief written across his face.

“Me,” Caleb repeated, emboldened by the rapid pounding of his heart. “I’ve already played with him. He knows me, and I can read him well. He feels safe with me.”

Wander arched his brow. “Since when are you stepping up for Roman?”

“Since now.” Caleb stood, his chair scraping against the floor. Determination surged within him, a force he hadn’t known he possessed. “I can be what Roman needs. I can take care of him.”

“But you’re a sub, Caleb,” Ryan pointed out. “This isn’t how it works.”

“Isn’t it?” Caleb held Ryan’s gaze as if challenging him. “Who says I can’t make that call? Especially when Wander set me up with Roman to begin with. He gave me to Roman as a present.”

Wander slowly nodded. “I did, but that was meant to be a one-time thing.”

“I don’t think it was.” Caleb shook his head. “I think you were hoping he’d connect with me. You knew he…”

He stopped, not wanting to betray Roman’s confidence.

Wander scratched his beard. “You’re right. I did. I knew he needed this, and I figured you two could help each other. But I wasn’t expecting you to claim him. Because that’s what you’re doing, right? You’re claiming him? Asking for him to be off-limits to anyone else?”

Eyes widened, shock rippled, clinking of silverware ceased. There was a palpable shift as the others absorbed Wander’s words. Caleb felt their skepticism like a tangible thing pressing against him. They were clearly struggling to reconcile Caleb’s submissive nature with the authoritative stance he’d taken. It was clear they didn’t know what to make of it, that the lines between Dom and sub had suddenly blurred.

He swallowed. “Yes, Sir. That’s what I’m asking.”

“Are you sure about this?” Wander asked. “A claim like that comes with responsibilities. With expectations.”

“Damn sure.” Caleb stood his ground, his heart hammering. His assertion hung heavily in the room, a brazen declaration that challenged norms and questioned hierarchies. His voice was steady, even as his insides churned with a cocktail of fear and excitement. “I want to take care of him, Sir.”

“All right,” Wander said after a long moment. “But Roman has the final say, obviously.”

Fuck. Caleb hadn’t even considered Roman might prefer someone else over him. His heart fell. What if Roman wanted to play with Alex? Or with Jonah or David?

“Of course.”

“Okay, everyone, you heard it. Roman is off-limits.” Wander swept his gaze over the team with an unyielding steadiness that brooked no argument. “Caleb has first dibs, so to speak. Are we clear?”

Wander’s question wasn’t a question at all. It was a decree, one that demanded unity and respect. His support was a fortress around Caleb, an unexpected stronghold that fortified his resolve. No one would dare go against the boss.

“Clear,” everyone responded, some with words, others with nods—an agreement forged not from complete understanding but from the trust they placed in Wander’s judgment. They would give Caleb and Roman their space because Wander demanded it, because he had earned their unquestioning loyalty.

Conversations resumed, but Caleb said little, grappling with the magnitude of what had transpired. What had possessed him to take that step? He hadn’t been exclusive with anyone since Boyd. Hell, the thought had never occurred to him. So why did he care so much now? Why had he been so quick to claim Roman for himself? It made no sense. All he knew was that something in him had awoken, fierce and possessive, at the thought of anyone else being what Roman needed.

After dinner, Wander pulled him aside. “Walk with me.”

Not a request but a command, but Caleb had known it would come. He followed his boss without a word.

In a secluded corner of the hallway where the light barely reached, Wander turned to face him. His brother’s eyes, those windows to a soul that had seen too much, searched Caleb’s face. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”

“It’s not a game, Sir. I’m well aware of the stakes.”

“Are you getting attached to Roman?” The question was direct, probing beneath the surface with surgical precision.

“No.” The denial was immediate, reflexive. But even as he spoke, uncertainty and a tightness in his chest seemed to contradict his words.

Wander studied him, the silence stretching between them. “You’ve never lied to me. It worries me.”

Caleb bit his lip. “I’m not lying, Sir. At least, not intentionally. It’s…” He sighed, staring at the floor. “I don’t understand it myself, Sir.”

Wander’s strong hand landed on his shoulder, and when Caleb looked up, his boss’s eyes were a hell of a lot softer. “Something happened when Ryan suggested Alex take care of Roman, yeah? How did that make you feel?”

Goddammit, why did Wander always have to ask the hard questions? “I think I was jealous.”

“Hmm, I figured. Can you tell me the exact thing that went through your head?”

“I…” Caleb swallowed. “I pictured him with Alex, and I didn’t like it, Sir. It was like I couldn’t breathe.”

“Like he was yours.”

Oh, crap. “Y-yeah.”

A squeeze on his shoulder. “I’m talking to you as a friend now, Caleb, as a Dom who’s seen this before. Not as your boss, yeah?”

Caleb nodded.

“Be careful. Roman’s not a trained Dom, so he doesn’t know the rules. He can hurt you without realizing it.”

“I know, Sir.”

“But more importantly, this can’t be more than sex.”

Caleb stiffened. Wander’s eyes, now only inches away, were endlessly kind. “Roman’s job, his life…they don’t allow for attachments. Being out as bisexual or being in a same-sex relationship? That would bring all kinds of complications for him. And a D/s dynamic?” Wander shook his head, the motion slow, deliberate. “Impossible.”

Caleb clenched his jaw, the muscle ticking. “I get it,” he said, voice low and rough with emotion he refused to show. “It’s just sex. Nothing more.”

Wander trailed his hand over Caleb’s shoulder to his cheek and cupped it with tenderness. “You know how much I care about you. I don’t want to see you get hurt, kid. And you’re so much more fragile than you realize. You have pain inside you that you haven’t worked through yet.”

Pain? What was he talking about? “I don’t understand, Sir.”

“I know you don’t. How I wish I could protect you from what’s coming, but I can’t. All I wanted was for you to have some fun and for him to let go. I never expected this.”

He was talking in riddles. His concern was clear, and Caleb appreciated that, but what was he so worried about? “I’m a big boy, Sir. I’ll be fine.”

Wander bent in and softly kissed his cheek. “Just remember, there are people willing to catch you when you fall.”

And with those mysterious words, Wander walked away with long strides. What had that been about? Anger, Caleb would’ve understood. Roman was Wander’s brother, after all. But he didn’t get the concern, the cryptic remarks about pain in his past or whatever. What did that even mean? He’d been honest with Wander, hadn’t he? He’d told him he didn’t have all the answers yet, that he was figuring things out.

He knew Roman could never be his. Just like Boyd had never been truly his.

Oh fuck.

Here he was, caught up in the dangerous tangle of wanting more from a man who could never truly be his. Again. He had been here before.

The realization was a punch to the gut, leaving him reeling, breathless.