Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Back then

Lucian Leroux

“We’re gonna have to schedule that in after I come back from Germany, Bill,” I said, trapping the phone between my shoulder and cheek. “Speaking of which, I need your two cents on the Frankfurt people. It’ll be my first ride with international bankers, and I’ve heard they’re in a league all on their own.”

I could admit I was a little nervous, all while I could not be more determined. My first promotion at Turner and Gamble—I wasn’t gonna fuck this up. I finally had my own office, an actual assistant, and⁠—

He wasn’t doing his job if I just heard three sharp knocks on the door.

A beat later, KC barged in, with my assistant in tow.

“I’m sorry, sir, he wouldn’t wait.”

Goddammit. Something had to be very wrong for KC to storm in here. I had to cut Bill off, from a ramble of advice I sorely needed, and I gave a dismissive wave to Ola, who left hurriedly and closed the door.

As soon as I put the phone down, KC blurted out, “I broke up with her.”

Pardon?

“She never went to visit her mother,” he went on, heated, and started pacing in front of my desk. “She drove up to Atlantic City and lost two thousand fucking dollars at the craps table.”

My eyebrows flew up.

He tugged at his tie and shrugged out of his suit jacket. “And the thing is, this isn’t an isolated incident. I mean, she’s liked her scratchers from way before I met her, but that seemed innocent—you know?” He faced me suddenly, as if he genuinely wanted my input. “So…is it still innocent if she’s downplaying how much she gambles? The woman goes to the track too. She said it makes her feel closer to her old man because they used to do that together.”

“All right,” I said abruptly and gestured to one of the chairs. He was going to keep ranting without direction if I didn’t intervene. “Please sit down and take it from the beginning. I do remember you telling me Christine was going to visit her mother.”

“And she didn’t!” He plopped down in the chair and could not look more frustrated. “I think she has a gambling problem, man.”

I furrowed my brow. “It takes quite a few incidents for something to turn into an addiction. Half the guys in the office here have had a shitty weekend in Vegas that pissed off their wives⁠—”

“It was my card she used,” he cut in. “Without asking. She tried to hide the credit card statement—and how dumb is that? Did she honestly think I wouldn’t find out?”

Oh.

He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Half the guys here make over $400K a year. You know who doesn’t?”

I heard him. He had a point. I just didn’t want anyone to make any rash decisions. Which was fucked up of me to claim in this case because KC didn’t belong with Christine. Or any other woman, for that matter. But even so.

“So you actually broke up with her?” I had to ask.

He blew out a breath and slumped lower in his seat, and he scrubbed a hand over his face. “I guess. I said we were done, and I walked out.”

“This happened today? Just now?”

He nodded. “I went home for lunch. I have to be in court all week, and Noa’s sick, so I thought… I thought I’d stop by with food.”

I cocked my head. “And where’s Christine?”

“At home. It’s just…” He made a face, but there was a pinch of amusement involved too. “I’m the last guy to call someone else a shitty cook, but…”

“You’re doing it anyway.” I smirked faintly.

He shrugged and threw a cursory glance at my bookshelf. “I don’t know what the fuck to do, Lucian.”

“It seems to me you’ve already done it,” I pointed out.

As I said, I knew shit was more complicated than that, and it was mostly because of that boy. KC and I weren’t what I’d call good at talking about feelings; I didn’t know the ins and outs of his relationship with that woman, but I did know one thing. KC had no issues rambling about Noa.

“Here’s the thing,” KC said. “We’re at that point where we either break up or get married.”

“He says, mere minutes after he ended the relationship,” I added.

He rolled his eyes and gave me a bitchy look. “Fuck the fight. We’ve both said shit like that before. Like—fuck, when she quit her job without saying anything to me? She treats me like a bank. Started the minute she got the stamp of approval from my folks.”

“Then I absolutely understand why you’re thinking about marrying her,” I replied dryly.

He sucked his teeth and averted his gaze again.

I didn’t mean to give him a hard time, but I just couldn’t understand. Was he truly going to spend the rest of his life pleasing his parents? Was he never going to come out of the closet? Did he genuinely believe I didn’t know he was gay?

“Her wasting two grand bothers me,” he said. “She knows I’m working my ass off to pay back my student loans—and we were gonna buy a house! We’re in a horrible school district now. I want Noa in a better area before he starts middle school.”

That was fair. I’d been to their apartment.

I cleared my throat and knew I had to ask the right question, and it wasn’t about Christine or his bigot parents.

“KC, is Noa worth everything?”

Because that’s what it boiled down to, and I’d respect his answer. Maybe I wouldn’t understand it, but I’d respect it. I had met Noa. He was a sweetheart. And even if children weren’t for me, it was easy to see KC was loving parenthood.

“The short answer is yes,” he said.

“And the long answer?”

“Is also yes.” He nodded. “But it includes more worries and variables.”

“Such as?”

He blew out a breath and sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “My parents were never there for me when I went through a rough patch, Lucian. I can’t do that to Christine. I care for her too much. Now,” he was quick to tack on, “that doesn’t mean I have to be together with her. I’m really fucking pissed about what she did. But if she needs help, I owe it to myself to be better for her than my folks were to me.”

Christ. Then he went and said something like that.

KC had this exterior that screamed jock, now as much as back in high school. He was the picture of a dream son. Good grades, just minor rebellion moments that “the grown-ups” could laugh about today, good college, good prospects. He was a fucking lawyer, for chrissakes. But despite that—or, if we were to take a stab at ignoring stereotypes—and…aside from all that, he had the most giving heart.

I’d been thinking about stereotypes a lot lately.

“This is going to sound extremely random,” I said, “but have you heard of a type of dominance and submission called age play?”

KC frowned. “You wanna talk about BDSM now?”

“Humor me.”

He gave an impatient look and scratched his eyebrow. “Uh, sure. Role-play with age differences.”

I nodded. “Right. And I attended a kink party last weekend where I learned more about that. Supposedly, it’s not all about role-play. You can go deeper and call yourself a Daddy Dom, Mommy Domme, and Little. It’s more—it’s an identity. It’s part of who you are, much like I identify myself as a Master.”

KC responded with an And? expression, eyebrows hitched, hands open. “What’s your point?”

“I think it’s part of who you are,” I repeated. “I believe you fit that bill, KC. And outside the parameters of a kink relationship, maybe it’s easier for you to be taken advantage of because it’s in your nature to nurture.” I paused. “It’s not the first time you’ve wanted to do something for someone else because your parents didn’t do it for you.”

That made him knit his brows together and look down.

“I’m not saying don’t help Christine,” I wanted to be sure to add. “I don’t know her. I don’t know that she has problems. I’m only saying you need limits that are a bit more clear-cut—like in BDSM. It wouldn’t hurt if you established some, if only for yourself, if you’re going to continue to be there for her and Noa.”

He looked up again, and I got the distinct feeling of where I went wrong. I shouldn’t have included Noa in my speech. I should’ve stopped at Christine.

“There’s no limit to what a parent will do for their kid, Lucian,” he told me. “Within reason, obviously. I’m not going to help him bury a body when he gets older, but I’m not leaving his side either. I love that boy.”

I inclined my head, understanding the principle. My own father had been that way with me.

“With Christine, then,” I amended. “If she needs help, by all means. As long as it doesn’t crush you in the process. You have a hectic job, you’re providing for an entire family, and⁠—”

“I don’t like the way she is sometimes toward Noa,” he blurted out. “Okay? That’s the fucking problem. He’s not even ten yet, and she puts too much on his shoulders.” He scrubbed his hands over his face, and in that very moment, he looked a decade older. “The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that she has a problem, and it doesn’t always have to be about how much you do something. Take alcohol, for instance. I don’t necessarily think it’s the amount you consume that makes you an alcoholic. I think it’s how you handle it.”

I wasn’t sure I was following, and it probably showed.

“I can easily have a beer every day,” he said. “Whether it’s during a work lunch or when I get home or when I catch a game. A beer here, glass of wine there. Whatever. I can handle it. I can also go weeks without a single sip. But Christine? She doesn’t drink often—maybe once a month, if that. But she gets so shitfaced that she can’t control herself, and then she’s hollering for Noa to take care of Mommy when she’s hungover.”

I grimaced. Okay, that wasn’t right. Poor boy.

That’s why…

The thought entered my head, and in a fraction of a second, the words tumbled out. “That’s why you’re considering marrying her.” I couldn’t help how it came out as an accusation. “It would give you more control over Noa. You want to protect him.”

His silence and how quickly he broke eye contact confirmed everything. How fucking conniving of my friend. Tragic and worrisome, but conniving.

* * *

Present day

I blinked drowsily, unsure if I had ever woken up before everyone else before. Usually, it was KC who got up first, at least out here in the cabin.

I yawned and squeezed Cam to me, then kissed the top of his head before I carefully slipped out of bed.

The sight of Noa sleeping on top of KC put a smile on my face. You never knew what position you’d find those two in. Fucking ninjas.

After stepping into a pair of sweats and borrowing a hoodie from KC, I headed downstairs and went to the bathroom.

Fuck, I had a bit of a headache. What I wouldn’t give for…

I flushed the toilet and shook my head, and I made quick work of washing my hands and splashing water on my face. Coffee and a smoke—how much I could miss that combo sometimes. Like right now.

Damn health problems had gotten in the way of my usual after-dinner walk with KC. That was when I occasionally snuck in a cigarette, and KC was a good boy to cover for me.

You know where they’re hidden.

I rubbed the towel over my face.

One wouldn’t kill me. It wasn’t as if I’d ever been a heavy smoker. And I’d been so good lately. Way too little sugar and salt, barely any red meat, and nothing deep-fried. What kind of life was that? Granted, Cam was amazing in the kitchen, and he’d never given me any reason to complain, even with the healthiest of foods. But still.

This was happening.

I made myself a cup of coffee using Cam’s instructions, and I peered out the window.

A thick mist blanketed the entire lawn. I couldn’t even see the pool area.

By the time my coffee was ready, I’d dug out my secret stash of Marlboros and put on my socks and KC’s sneakers.

I stepped outside and took a deep breath. The air was chilly, and the mist matched the color of the sky. Perfect morning. Not too cold. Quiet and peaceful.

It wouldn’t be long before people started waking up, and most of our friends had stayed over. But I had some time. I walked up alongside the main house and lit up my cigarette, taking a long pull. Hell. I coughed a little and cleared my throat. Reaching the front, where the porch waited for me⁠—

I came to a stop when I noticed River sitting there. With a cup of coffee and a smoke.

Fuck. My cancerous little hobby had been a fairly well-kept secret. Only KC and Kingsley knew—the latter because he was almost as quiet as River and had the tendency of sneaking up on you in the dark.

River tilted his head at me and lifted a brow.

No, he was safe, I decided. He was the last person who would spill.

“I’m not here,” I said, climbing the steps.

He nodded with a dip of his chin and spoke into his mug. “Mornin’, nobody.”

I chuckled under my breath and sat down next to him. “It’s unusual to see you up this early.”

He grunted noncommittally and flicked away some ashes. I noticed he was staring pretty intently toward the carport across the big front lawn—unless he was counting weeds in the aforementioned lawn. That could be fascinating too. Not to mention time-consuming with the fog.

“I got up to take a leak and thought I heard somethin’,” he said quietly.

I frowned, confused.

He nodded his mug at the carport. “That’s Ella’s car next to Reese’s truck.”

What on earth?

I peered toward the carport, and sure enough, I recognized Ella’s red Toyota.

I took a drag from my smoke, wondering why the fuck she was here. Penelope wasn’t. And…what if that was the point?

“Does she still have a key to Penelope’s cabin?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Nope. Reese and I changed the locks a few weeks ago.”

Good. Good. I certainly didn’t want Ella digging through a space that was no longer hers, not after what she’d done.

I sipped my coffee and smoked in silence for a beat, trying to decide what to do. Meanwhile, she was just sitting there in her car? What was her plan? Had she come here, tested her key, then discovered it didn’t work? In which case, why did she linger? Why not start up her car and drive away again?

Interesting timing she had too. Coming here early on a Sunday morning…

River and I looked up again when we heard a car door close, and seconds later, Ella emerged from the carport.

Anger simmered below the surface. I hadn’t anticipated I’d feel so strongly about seeing her again, but I was wrong. I didn’t want her here. She’d done enough.

I took a final drag before putting out the smoke in a flowerpot, and River followed suit. Then we rose from the sofa, leaving our mugs on the table, and trailed over to the porch steps.

Ella spotted us then, and she faltered briefly.

“Didn’t she leave town?” I muttered.

River nodded with a dip of his chin. “Philly’s not that far away, though.”

Ah. True. I’d forgotten she was from Philadelphia originally.

Ella picked up the pace again, and she raised her chin in the way that let us know she was steeling herself for conflict.

I had no intention of causing any harm whatsoever. For close to a decade, I’d considered her my friend as well. But that didn’t mean I was going to let her skirt the rules. This was a members-only community, at least the house. She could reopen her online account and stay active only there, or become a proper member again.

I didn’t see the latter happening, thankfully. That was the last thing Penelope needed.

When Ella made it clear that she was about to avoid us and head straight for the back of the house, River cleared his throat.

“Where do you think you’re goin’, hon?” he asked.

She deflated a bit but tried not to let it show. “I’m just going to leave Penny a letter. I tried to get in earlier, but my key doesn’t work.”

“Because we changed the locks,” River replied. “If you wanna leave Pen somethin’, you can give it here. You’re no longer a member with us, Ella.”

She blinked, and disbelief flashed in her eyes. “Are you serious?”

“Does it look like I’m jokin’?” he asked flatly.

Ella turned her incredulous stare my way instead. “Sir? We’ve known each other for ten years. You can’t make an exception for a damn letter?”

I leaned against the nearest post and folded my arms over my chest. “You’d think those ten years would be worth a goodbye, wouldn’t you?”

She blew out a frustrated breath. “Everything became a shitshow, and I just had to get out.”

I offered a one-shouldered shrug. “The shitshow passed eventually, and you reached out to no one.”

“Because I knew you’d take Penny’s side!” she argued.

I frowned. “This isn’t high school, Ella. Community matters are handled without bias, and personal problems are handled between those involved. If you come to me and tell me you cheated on your girlfriend, I don’t care if you’re my best friend or a complete stranger. I’ll still tell you it was a fucked-up thing to do.”

She flinched and looked away.

“Outta curiosity,” River said, scratching his nose. “What is your side? ’Cause I can’t figure it out.”

I wasn’t sure it mattered. Infidelity was a heart-wrenching issue and, unfortunately, not always black and white. In KC’s case, for instance. Toward the end of his marriage, he was beaten down and at his wit’s end. The slightest problem could cause Christine to relapse, and he kept postponing the divorce talk. Meanwhile, he spent the night with me a few times.

I’d be the last person to make excuses for it, and I sympathized with Penelope wholeheartedly; I understood why she’d told Ella to fuck off. Just like I would’ve understood if Christine had done the same thing with KC—on that particular matter. But a terrible thing didn’t necessarily make a terrible person.

At the same time… Hell, if Cam, against all odds, had betrayed me that way? I would’ve shattered.

“It’s complicated,” Ella mumbled.

“Uh-huh.” River wasn’t impressed, and he went back to grab his coffee. “Well, I asked. I’m out—and so are you, Ella.” He gave my arm a pat before he headed inside the house.

I felt my forehead crease, and I glanced back at Ella.

She released a breath, appearing a bit beaten down. And I knew it partly stemmed from River’s behavior. He and Reese showed people where they stood with their actions. If you were in, they had your backs. If you were out…? The world felt like a colder place for a while.

Ella had made her choices. She’d had months to unfuck some of the chaos she’d started. Even if she couldn’t make things right with Penelope, Ella had been part of a tight-knit community.

“Are you trying to return to Mclean?” I had to ask.

She shuffled closer and shrugged slightly. “I don’t know. It depends on what Penny wants—if she responds to my letter.” In other words, she missed Penelope. “Look. I was dumb, okay? I had a stupid crush on someone I grew up with, and I acted on it. I was freaking out about turning thirty-eight⁠—”

I made a noise that sounded like a strained chuckle, even though nothing about this was funny. Unless she’d been kidding?

“Tell me you’re kidding, Ella. When you’re nearing forty, you’re still a decade away from buying a Porsche, and you⁠—”

“You bought a Jaguar when you turned forty,” she pointed out stubbornly.

Jesus fucking Christ!

I nodded. “My SUV and I have an open relationship. You and Penelope did not.”

Embarrassment colored her cheeks, and she couldn’t maintain eye contact for a moment, which I understood. Her comparison had been idiotic.

“Okay, um—” She swallowed hard and took another couple steps forward. “Could you please give her this? I’m not holding my breath for her to forgive me right away, but ten years together…I hope she’ll want to work things out with me.”

I eyed her, unable to contain my skepticism, and accepted the letter.

“I’m gonna go.” She was tearing up, so I figured she wanted a quick escape. She turned around and headed straight for her car, leaving me behind to stare at a folded-up letter. It had no envelope or anything, and I was the moron who just couldn’t help myself.

I flipped the letter open and blinked.

I miss you, honey. We can fix this.

“Christ,” I muttered. This wasn’t a letter. It was a fucking note—and she better not be holding her breath.

I pocketed the slip of paper, grabbed my coffee mug, and headed inside the main house to see if I could find any chewing gum in the kitchen. That was the extent of my deceit, a morning cigarette before I took my medication.

“Lucian?” It was River again.

I changed direction in the lobby and peered into the club area. River was standing by the patio doors, and he gestured his mug at something outside.

“I spy two brats schemin’, and one’s yours,” he said.

Oh, really.

Noa was awake, in other words.

I walked across the dance floor and came up next to River, and there they were. Noa and Corey were talking on the porch of Greer’s cabin. It was the one farthest down, closest to the forest, and I found it interesting that Noa was fully dressed. Was he going somewhere? Our breakfast plans were supposed to revolve around turkey bacon, eggs, and cartoons. The latter was a follow-up to Noa’s aftercare to make sure he was in his usual high spirits.

“You reckon it’s about the prank?” River asked.

I wouldn’t know. Those two weren’t our problem, regardless. It was Macklin. “Whatever idea the Littles have will go through Macklin’s rhyme and reason. He’s clearly in charge of whatever they’re planning.”

“Mm.” River nodded once. “Mack knows us too well.”

I was inclined to agree. Last night’s group play had undoubtedly made a few brats hopeful for more playtime between a squad of Sadists, but…as most of us knew, as Macklin knew, no Top would go further than they had yesterday. And no amount of playful flirting and kissing would trick Macklin into believing otherwise.

“If we were to categorize the brats according to their Top fantasies, how would you split them up?” I wondered. “Noa obviously wants to see all the Top-play he can get his hands on, but Kit, for instance—he’s a bit more reserved, isn’t he?”

River hummed and folded his arms over his chest. “Honestly? My money’s on Corey bein’ more reserved.”

Really? Huh.

“He’ll go nuts for Greer laying one on a Top any day of the week, but I don’t think he wants to see much more than that,” River went on. “In short, Greer’s foursome and Colt’s triad—they’re part of somethin’ together, and I think they’re satisfied with that.”

That much made sense. I’d obviously heard of their playtime dynamic, and I believed it suited Colt very well. He’d always been on the fence about sharing partners. Or Littles, I should say. He and Lucas had had plenty of fun back in the day—but who hadn’t? We’d been close friends in the quest of starting a community and figuring out who we were in kink. We had…explored.

River cracked a little smirk. “Funnily enough, Corey and Kit are both possessive of Greer and Colt. They wanna see them make out with half the world, but the ones they don’t mind sending into a fuckfest are the other two—Sloan and Luke. As long as Colt and Greer are there to oversee the playin’.”

I did love hearing River’s take on things. He was always observing and picking up details.

I side-eyed him. “And what about you, Reese, and Shay?”

He side-eyed me right back, and the faint smirk was back. “You diggin’?”

I chuckled. “I’m curious, my friend. Remember how we behaved back in the day when we couldn’t find the right subs for our research?”

He cracked a quick grin and turned toward the window again. “Good times. Different times.”

True enough.

He scratched his jaw. “I don’t know. Reese and I have some fantasies concernin’ Shay, that’s for sure. We wanna see him with the edge-play boys sometime.”

I inclined my head. KC had told me about it, and I wouldn’t mind watching that either. Shay, Macklin, Tate—Lane, if I wasn’t mistaken. The tatted-up primal subs going nuts on one another.

“I ain’t gonna lie,” River continued. “I like seein’ Reese fuck around with Greer and Colt. It’s nostalgic.”

I smiled. “And what about you? There’s plenty of nostalgia⁠—”

“I’m good,” he chuckled. “My memories are Shay’s bedtime stories, and we’re happy with that.”

It made me happy to hear. He and I were similar in that regard. We had our memories, and we could look back on them fondly—even share them with our boys now—but they stopped at being story time. I didn’t want to share Cam outside our dynamic, and he didn’t want to share me.

“Hey.” River jerked his chin at the boys again, and I refocused on them. “Corey just handed Noa somethin’.”

And they were parting ways. Noa zipped up his parka and took off in a jog, while Corey returned inside their cabin.

Okay, now I was really curious, because Noa passed our own cabin. He only paused to bend down and tie his shoes, and while doing so, he cast a few furtive glances toward the main house. Toward us. And he had to know I was up, considering I hadn’t been there when he’d climbed out of bed.

I frowned as Noa disappeared along the side of the house, and River furrowed his brow.

“I’m gonna go check,” I said and headed for the front door.

I walked briskly until I reached the front door, and then I pushed it open and saw that Noa must’ve picked up the pace. He was almost at the end of the front lawn.

“Noa!” I called. Still holding my stupid mug, I left it on the railing before I hurried down the steps.

Noa had frozen, and he turned around with wide eyes.

“Where are you going?” I headed toward him.

He cursed. “I was kinda hoping you were out buying breakfast or something.”

Why would I do that? Cam had made sure we had everything.

“Well, I’m not. Mind telling me why you’re sneaking out?”

The only thing missing from this picture was a cookie jar, because his hand would be in it. I’d definitely caught him in the act of something, and when hesitation replaced the half-expected whine or mischief, it put me on edge.

Noa was usually so easy to read.

I kept advancing until I was a few feet away, and that was when he chose to start walking backward.

“Noa…?”

He huffed. “I’m gonna go talk to my mom, okay?”

What the fuck.

I came to an abrupt stop.

“I’ve postponed it long enough,” he continued. “I don’t want KC to worry that I don’t wanna be with him in public—or that I’m putting anyone before him. I have to do this.”

KC, not Daddy. That spoke volumes about his mind-set. But he was so way off. “KC would never think that, sweetheart.” I started following him again, and I noticed him fiddling with a very green car key. In other words, he’d borrowed Corey’s car. “Come on—let’s get back to the cabin and discuss this in a calm manner⁠—”

“No! You don’t get it, Lucian.” He even stomped his foot, and then he spun around and jogged toward Corey’s car. “I’m doing this right now, before I chicken out again.”

“Noa!” I ran after him and patted my pockets. Thank God—I hadn’t taken out my own car keys from last night when I’d gone out to grab KC’s pain meds. Goddammit, Noa was going to make me use my, in his words, scary Dom voice. He wasn’t fucking stopping; he’d reached Corey’s car. “You stop right now, Noa.”

He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face me, jaw tense, eyes filled with trepidation and just as much determination.

He was bracing himself for disappointment that I would keep him from doing something he clearly needed to do.

I had no such plans, but he wasn’t going on his own.

I took out my car keys and couldn’t fucking believe I was about to leave the house wearing sweatpants and a hoodie. What would Cam think of me? I’d promised this would never happen.

Pressing the fob to unlock our car, I nodded for Noa to join me. “If you insist on doing this right now, I’m coming with you. Get in.” My tone left no room to argue, but by the look of relief in his expression, he was more concerned about simply going. He’d feared I was going to hold him back. “Do you have your phone with you?”

“Yes, Sir.” He darted around the car and opened up the passenger’s side.

I got in behind the wheel. “I want you to text Cam. Tell him we’ll be back in a couple hours. We’re on an important brat mission. Use those words.”

I didn’t want Cam and KC to worry.

Noa typed away on his phone as I backed out of the carport and began our journey toward…far away. I hardly ever went east of the Anacostia, though I did enjoy when Noa brought food from Mama’s Pizza Kitchen. Best damn wings ever, and the subs were fantastic as well.

It was possible I was hungry.

“I wish it was a brat mission,” Noa mumbled and pocketed his phone.

I reached over and gave his leg a squeeze. “Talk to me. Why do you insist on telling her today? I’m not convinced you don’t need more aftercare. Things got intense last night. You should be resting up on the couch in your PJs and watching your cartoons.”

Tell me to turn around, darling boy.

“I can’t.” He swallowed hard and looked out the window on his side. “KC’s right—it’s been hanging over my head for too long, and I hate lying every time I go see Mom. It piles on.”

I slowed down at the end of the dirt road and looked both ways before the car hit asphalt.

“Last time, she said she could meet Cameron and me in the city for lunch,” he admitted. “Like, in Shaw.”

Ah. Near the apartment where the boys no longer lived—and hadn’t for months.

We were going on the first week we hadn’t visited our condo in town either, and… Okay, that was a problem for another time, but perhaps we should consider renting it out or getting rid of it. Noa didn’t work in the city anymore, I didn’t work at all, and Cam was cutting down on his hours.

Focus, idiot.

“When did she finish her last rehab program?” I asked.

“Umm…’bout a month ago?”

I nodded slowly as I made a turn, and in the end, did it matter how long ago Christine had left rehab? Over the years, I’d heard of at least seven or eight occasions KC and Noa had taken her to rehab. And that was before the divorce, at which point KC had surrendered their house completely. He’d given it to her, figuring she could sell it and use the money for a softer landing. So that she could take her time returning to work and, well, afford the next rehab stint.

“Did she go to rehab in the years you and KC didn’t speak?” I wondered.

Noa squinted in thought, then nodded. “Two or three times.”

And he’d been alone with her for all that time. I clenched my jaw in sheer regret. I’d been so focused on KC’s recovery back then that I’d never considered the fact that Noa would have to deal with Christine’s addictions on his own. I’d fooled myself with the illusion of comfort that Noa had his own place. KC had given him a nice little condo, the one in Shaw, and I’d…simply stopped at that.

I’d had my head so far up my ass because of work, KC, and my deteriorating relationship.

“I’m sorry you had to take care of her on your own, little one.” I grabbed Noa’s hand as soon as we made it onto the Beltway. “So much of what went down when KC and Christine got divorced was unfair to you, and I played a part in that.”

Noa knitted his brows together and played absently with my fingers. “I disagree. We can’t care about everything, and you and I had no, um, bond back then. I was just your best friend’s kid. You had a lot on your own plate.”

I shook my head, not a fan of his wording. “I was selfish. I only saw KC finally getting out of a sham of a marriage. Meanwhile, I’d known for years that he loved you so very much. But aside from telling him he was an idiot for not returning your calls, I let him avoid everything.”

A breath gusted out of him, and it was his turn to shake his head. “We both know it was more than that, Lucian. For one, KC’s a grown man—you can’t make him do anything. For two, Cameron’s told me all about your ex, and you know he was totally abusive, right? Like, he manipulated you and stuff?”

Oh, we did not need to go there.

I cleared my throat and switched lanes.

“Anyway,” he said. “Then the accident happened, and the divorce was the least of KC’s concerns. He went from skiing, rock-climbing, and freaking bungee jumping, to…you know.” He shrugged and brushed a finger along my thumb. “I’m glad you were there for him instead. Besides, I had Cameron.”

I swallowed hard, then brought his hand to my lips, and I kissed his knuckles.

“Okay, getting off track, but, um…do you think KC will ever regain more strength?” he asked hesitantly. He returned to playing with my fingers. “I mean, I know he’s found happiness again, but he was next level when he could chase his adrenaline rushes.”

I hummed, not necessarily agreeing with his last statement. “Sweetheart, did it ever occur to you that he was chasing adrenaline to mask a deeper unhappiness?”

Noa looked to me, visibly confused.

“You remember his parents,” I said. He nodded. “You know he felt he couldn’t be himself. And you also know his feelings for you terrified him the moment they began to change. You were closing in on your nineteenth birthday⁠—”

“I remember,” he muttered.

I nodded with a dip of my chin. “His high-adrenaline hobbies helped him cope, Noa. He is without a doubt much, much happier today than he was back then.”

He considered what I’d said for a moment, slowly mulling things over. If we hadn’t been on the highway, I could’ve observed his expressions for a long time. Every change was clear as day.

“Okay, that’s fair,” he eventually decided. “But he could reach yet another level if he regained all his strength.”

“Hm.” Once again, I didn’t agree wholeheartedly, but it was a complicated answer. “I’m not going to sugarcoat the extent of his injuries. Of course he would’ve preferred never to have to use that chair again—or the cane, or the braces. But this is one of those instances where you just have to say life sucks sometimes. It sucks that he was in that accident, it sucks that he injured his spinal cord, and it sucks that he’ll likely never walk normally⁠—”

“But there’s a chance?” Noa pressed.

“It’s…” I sighed and switched lanes again. “Okay. It might be time to let you in on a little secret—and it’s very poorly kept⁠—”

“Like you smoking sometimes?”

Jesus!

I sent him a look, and I couldn’t conceal my shock.

Noa snickered. “Please. Cameron also knows. But he told me it’s one of those things he’ll let you do because, in the grand scheme of things, we have bigger fish to fry.”

Well. Fuck me if my ears didn’t feel a bit hot. I’d thought… I mean, I’d been so careful! I’d showered, I’d washed up, I’d overdosed on chewing gum and mouthwash, and I’d changed clothes. Most of the time. Sometimes.

I tried.

“Moving on,” I managed to say, and I gripped the wheel a little tighter. “Spinal cord research is my poorly kept secret. KC knows I’m keeping an eye on things—he knows I have books and read medical journals on the topic—and he’s acknowledged it a single time. A few months into his initial physical rehab phase, he asked me to never show him those books because he knew the odds. Every now and then, we hear of miracle stories where someone suddenly walks again, or they register new muscle growth where there shouldn’t be.”

“I’ve read about that too!” The boy still held out hope.

To be honest, so did I, but I knew why KC couldn’t.

I wasn’t hoping for a miracle, however. Just scientific improvements in the field.

“You have a better chance at winning the lottery twice,” I said pointedly. Because it was important. “Now, it can be our secret if you want. Just don’t talk about it to Daddy.”

“I get it, but I read about this guy in Poland, and⁠—”

“I read about it him as well.” I cut him off gently but firmly. “I’m not saying never, pet. Quite the opposite—I believe the science is slowly starting to catch up, so maybe, in the future…? But even so, it’s a field in which we know way too little. Everything is experimental because we can’t put together focus groups like you can with, hell, I don’t know, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, et cetera.”

Noa nodded along. “Because spinal cord injuries are so individual. I get that.”

I wasn’t surprised one bit to know he’d started his own research. He wanted KC to have everything most of us took for granted.

“Exactly,” I replied. “So you asked about his chances… Nobody knows, but they’re not good. However, because he injured his spinal cord—it wasn’t severed—there is reason to hope, at least for a family member. Because we don’t know what it’s like to wake up every morning and remember we can’t even go down the stairs. It’s important to KC to manage his hope as well as his expectations. Otherwise…that was how he barely got out of his depression after the accident.”

Noa let out a breath and glanced out the window.

I decided against telling him that KC’s doctors actually had registered a tiny bit of muscle growth in his left leg. It wasn’t as if it’d happened yesterday. It’d been almost two years, and the doctors had delivered their scripted, “We’re afraid we can’t explain exactly why these things happen” speech.

Either way, KC had been stuck on an emotional roller coaster after that appointment. More training, no more results, anger, grief… It took a toll on him.

Nothing had happened since then.

A headache settled in, as if I needed a reminder of how brutal that time in our lives had been. I’d read so many books. I’d scoured the internet for the next reason to hope. Such as the woman in Illinois who’d suddenly walked after fifteen years in a wheelchair. Or the man in Taiwan who’d felt tingles up and down his leg after almost three decades of no sensation at all.

“To circle back, though,” I said. “There’s happiness, and there’s happiness. KC has struggles we don’t have, but don’t think for a second he’s not profoundly happy. He can finally be himself, and he has us. He has you, the love of his life, and a job he’s worked hard for, good friends, our community, and an endless supply of diapers for Cam.”

Noa spluttered a giggle, and that was all I needed to hear right now.

He reached across the center console and hugged my arm, and I kissed the top of his head.

“I love you, Uncle Lucian. I know we talk about the loves of our lives, and…you know. Yeah. KC’s that person for me, like Cameron is for you, but I’m stupid in love with you too, and I can’t live without either of you.”

This boy. I had no words.

I snuck my arm out from between us and hugged him to me. “I feel the exact same way, little love. It’s the four of us forever.”

He nodded. “I’m still holding out hope for vampirism and immortality, though. Otherwise, forever is just a word.”

Sure, of course.

“Naturally,” I replied.

That made him huff and ease back. “You know, you and KC aren’t as easily shocked anymore. I call that disturbing.”

I smiled and checked the rearview. “Disturbing for you, perhaps. Daddy and I are quite happy about the development.”

* * *

When I pulled up outside Christine’s duplex, all traces of Noa’s sweet giggles were long gone, and I’d stopped thinking maybe he’d ask me to turn around.

This was going to happen without KC’s knowledge, and I would be here.

I killed the engine and scratched my forehead.

I’d never been here before, having only met Christine in person twice. When her marriage to KC began and when it’d just ended. I’d been to the house they’d shared as a family, and unless she’d gambled away most of it, she must’ve ended up with a neat cash sum even after buying this place.

“Sir?”

“Yes?”

Noa didn’t look away from the house. Its empty front yard, the rusty mailbox, the chain-link fence, the overgrown lawn.

“Am I allowed to be angry with her?” he asked uncertainly.

I frowned. “Of course you are, Noa. Look at me, please.” I waited till he’d shifted in his seat to face me, and I hated the sadness in his eyes. “I’m not vilifying her when I say you’ve had to suffer the consequences of her actions. I’m stating facts—and several things can be true at once. She can be a victim or, I don’t know—” I waved it off, unable to find a fitting term. To be honest, I didn’t care enough. My personal thoughts on the woman—she was a selfish fucking creature. “It doesn’t matter how she became an addict, because we’re not here to blame her. But with that said, in no way have you deserved her treatment. She’s used you as a therapist, she’s relied on you from an early age to take care of things that are her responsibility—she showed up drunk at your graduation, for chrissakes. Even I’m furious about that, and I wasn’t there.”

He nodded once and dropped his gaze to his lap. “I’ve tried to help her.”

“More times than most would,” I added, because it was nothing but the truth. He and KC had done everything in their power. “It’s time you put yourself first, baby.”

He bit his lip and took a deep breath, and his next nod was a little firmer. He looked up at the house again.

“She’s gonna hate me,” he said. “I’m prepared for that.”

I wished he was exaggerating. I could only hope it wasn’t permanent. Deep down, Christine loved her son. I had to believe that. She just had a bizarre way of showing it.

Noa cleared his throat and unbuckled his seat belt. “You know, a few weeks ago when Cameron and I drove out here, she commented on his new car…? And I had to think fast, so I said we’d bought it together—and then she was all, but what about insurance, car payments, can you afford this, and…stuff like that.”

He had to be sick of those white lies.

KC was right. This had been weighing on Noa for far too long.

“Okay, I’m gonna…” He hesitated when he saw me getting out of the car. “Are you coming with?”

“Absolutely. Nonnegotiable, I’m afraid.” I could be somewhat objective and polite in front of Noa and KC, but she wasn’t my mother, or my ex-wife. To me, she was a woman who’d hurt two men I loved deeply. “I’ll play nice unless I think she’s crossing a line.”

Noa sighed. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Well, I wasn’t sending him in there alone. Besides, KC would have my head.

I followed Noa up the path, through the squeaky gate, and toward the front door.

“I’m gonna get the ball rolling quickly,” he warned me over his shoulder.

“You always do.”

I smoothed down my hoodie and adjusted the drawstrings.

I was ready.

I’d asked for a cup of coffee and a cigarette, and I’d received a run-in with Ella and a family storm between Noa and his mother. So, almost the same thing.

I climbed the last porch step when Noa knocked on the front door and toed the welcome mat back into position. Such a small gesture, and yet it showed who Noa was to Christine. Always the one tidying up, mending cracks, and smoothing things over. It was ingrained in him to make her life easier.

He unlocked the door after a beat and poked his head in. “Mom?”

“In the kitchen, sweetie! Is Cam with you?”

“Um, no. Not today.” Noa kicked off his shoes, and I followed suit. The house smelled of nicotine and something freshly baked. Perhaps bread. Noa scrunched his nose. “It smells like your secret in here,” he said under his breath.

My mouth twitched at the same time as I felt my forehead wrinkle. “Has she not always smoked?” It wasn’t a detail I’d paid attention to.

“She uses it to beat stronger habits—her words.” He cleared his throat and shrugged out of his jacket before trailing to the kitchen.

I followed again, eyeing a few pictures on the wall. They were all from Noa’s baby years. Wait, one from…maybe third grade? Eyes filled with mischief, goofy grin, a missing tooth. KC had that photo in an album, so I knew it had been taken after he and Christine had met.

“Are you hungry?” I heard her ask. “I made those puff pastry cups you like.”

“Oh, um—thanks, but…” Noa disappeared into the kitchen, and I took a couple more steps, just enough to stay outside but see everything in the sparsely decorated room. “This is Lucian. I don’t know if you remember him.”

Christine closed the oven and glanced over at us, and she was definitely surprised. She hadn’t changed all that much in the last few years. She’d dyed her hair darker, maybe. She was a pretty woman.

I didn’t know what caught my attention the most, her or the wineglass on the counter. It was half full.

Noa had noticed it too. “Mom, is that new?” He pointed to the glass.

She didn’t answer. She was busy staring at me.

“Hello, Christine.”

She snapped out of her surprise. “Uh—hi. Hi, Lucian.” She flicked Noa a brief glance. “Of course I remember him, sweetie. But what’s he—” She addressed me again. “What brings you by?”

I opened my mouth to respond, but Noa beat me to it.

“He wouldn’t let me come in alone, because shit’s about to hit the fan,” Noa stated bluntly. “Are you drinking again?”

That earned him a look of warning from Christine. “It’s one glass of wine, Noa. I can handle one glass.”

At nine in the morning?

Noa nodded and scratched his eyebrow. “Yeah, it’s more glass number five and six I’m worried about, but whatever. I’m gonna do this now.” He’d tensed up, and fuck me if I hadn’t done the same. I loathed seeing him in distress. “So you know KC left you because he couldn’t keep lying about his sexuality. But another truth to that story is that his feelings for me were changing, and so were mine for him. I tried to get closer to him, like, right before you separated, but he got all awkward. And that’s why he and I didn’t speak for a long time, because he tried to deny what he felt for me.”

Even in a situation like this, Noa was making it abundantly clear that he had taken the first step, not KC. Noa was just as protective of KC as KC was of Noa.

Christine just stared blankly at Noa. I could imagine it was…a bit much to process.

“I wore him down last fall,” Noa went on. “He and I are together. And, um…” He gestured vaguely at me. “So are Lucian and Cameron. And, yeah, it’s—whatever. We have a thing, the four of us. We’re together. So there you have it.”

I put a hand on his shoulder, wanting him to feel I was here for him.

He’d kept his promise. He’d gotten the ball rolling quickly. Without finesse, and that was our Noa. I wouldn’t change a damn thing about his ramble. Except for the feeling that a bomb could be set off at any moment.

Christine slowly unfroze herself and rested a hand on the counter, as if she needed the extra support. I had all the understanding for her shock; it had to be a hard pill to swallow, not to mention accept. And anger was an easy go-to emotion. I could understand that as well. We’d just have to see if she went too far.

“Y-you and KC?” she stammered. “My KC?”

“My KC,” Noa corrected. “But yes. We live together too. Cameron and I moved in to their house in Mclean.”

Christine shot her incredulous stare to me the second Noa said “their house.” That was what she’d reacted to.

“You and KC still live together?” she asked me, a bit out of breath.

I inclined my head. “We all live together, Christine.”

She let out a sharp breath and covered her mouth with her hand. “I can’t believe this. Noa, you—he’s—I mean… You and KC? Together? Together-together?”

Noa nodded jerkily, and I rubbed his back gently, wishing he’d unclench a little. He was so ready for an attack.

“We wanted to tell you sooner,” he said stiffly. “But I was worried it might trigger a relapse.”

At that, Christine let out a dark laugh, even though nothing about this was funny. “Oh, you worried about that, did you? Well, here’s an idea—how about you don’t get into a sexual relationship with my ex-husband? With your stepfather!” That seemed to break the levees, and she started crying. “Oh my God, this is sick, Noa. It’s sick!”

Noa flinched and took a step back, whereas I was quick to take one forward.

“I understand you’re angry, but you won’t call him sick,” I told her firmly. “They’re both adults, and they didn’t exactly plan for⁠—”

“Do you think I give a shit?!” she yelled. “This is the damn story of my life! It always happens to me. I thought the one person—my own son… I just—oh God, I can’t. I fucking can’t. My own son,” she sobbed. I saw how each word left her mouth and hit Noa like the sharpest blade, and it made me tense up further too. “Noa, how could you do this to me? I’ve given you everything, and you betray me like this? My whole marriage⁠—!”

“That’s enough,” I growled. “You want to blame someone for what happened to your marriage, blame yourself and KC. Noa had fuck-all to do with that disaster.” I took another step forward when she got ready to argue, and I shut her up before she could start. “Or when did he wreck your relationship, Christine? When he cleaned up your vomit after another night out? Before or after he begged you to get help for the fifth time? When you sent him out to pick up a prescription you’d fucking forged?”

Christine gasped in horror and turned to Noa. “You told KC about that—you turned him against me.”

Noa looked like he’d been slapped, and I’d fucking had it.

“Are you listening to yourself?” I snapped. “Do you hear the words leaving your goddamn mouth? You don’t send your child to commit a fucking crime! What’s wrong with you?”

“Mom, I-I was like thirteen,” Noa implored, his voice cracking. “You can’t seriously⁠—”

“No, she can’t,” I said. “Come on, sweetheart. We’re leaving.” I grabbed his hand and started pulling him with me. This was it. He wasn’t staying another minute for this abuse. Fuck her. Fuck that wretched woman. She could’ve hurled the worst insults about KC, and I would’ve been more considerate. But to blame Noa? Jesus Christ.

Noa sniffled as I helped him with his jacket, and he angrily stuck his feet into his shoes before I put mine on too. He was about to break, and I didn’t want him here for that. We had to go.

“Noa, I don’t wanna hear from you again!” Christine cried from the kitchen.

“Okay!” Noa replied, choking up.

I gnashed my teeth and pushed open the door, and I was hit by the memory of how Noa had defended me in front of my boss mere days ago. He’d been my little tough guy then. Now…he just took whatever Christine hurled at him.

“Deep down, you know what you’ve done,” she threw out too.

“Christine—sincerely, go fuck yourself,” I spat out. “My God, you’re a horrible person.” I gently nudged Noa out the door and slammed it shut, and fuck whoever saw this. I picked him up, and he was quick to wrap his arms and legs around me.

“She thinks everything’s my fault,” he croaked.

“She’s a fucking idiot.” I kissed the side of his head and stalked back to the car. “I wish you could forget everything she said, because it was all bullshit.”

I helped him back into the car and buckled him in too. Fucking hell, I was furious. But now I had to cool down and be there for Noa. I could rant my ass off when I was alone with KC later. Or Cam.

Soon enough, I was buckled in as well, and I didn’t waste a second. I drove off and gathered Noa as close as I could.

“She’s wrong, you hear?” I said firmly. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Noa.”

He whimpered into his hands. “I knew she was gonna be mad, but to blame me for everything?”

I clenched my jaw and cursed under my breath.

* * *

When we’d made it back to the house, I could see that a short text to Cam had been enough for word to spread a little. And Cam wasn’t what I’d call a gossip. But he was waiting on the front lawn with KC, and I spotted River—wait, it could be Reese—Greer, and…Penelope? They were in the background, close to the porch. So perhaps it was unrelated. River could’ve reached out to Penelope about Ella’s visit.

I doubted KC had completed his morning workout yet.

“Give me Corey’s car key, darling. I can give it to Master Greer.”

“Yes, Sir.” Noa dug it out from his pocket.

I helped Noa out of the car, and the fact that he let me carry him again told me everything I needed to know about his mood. He’d stopped crying, but the sadness rolled off him.

On the car ride, he’d kept mumbling his disbelief. After everything he’d sacrificed—not his word, but mine—Christine hadn’t mentioned any of it. She’d just decided that her own son was the villain. Not even KC; it was all Noa.

“Master!” Cam called, running toward us.

Maybe we should’ve explained ourselves more in the text, but I’d been focused on driving, and Noa had been upset. So I’d just asked him to text Cam to say we were on our way home after Noa had come clean to Christine—and that it hadn’t gone well.

KC was in his wheelchair, and he’d soon caught up to Cam.

“Daddy and Cam are here, sweetheart,” I murmured against Noa’s cheek.

He sniffled and nodded, tightening his hold on me. In other words, I was carrying him over to KC. And in KC’s expression, I saw every question, every frustration, and every ounce of anger directed at Christine. Possibly a little bit at me as well. We’d see.

“Noa?” KC urged.

“Daddy,” Noa whimpered. We were mere feet apart, so he climbed down from me and fused himself to KC in his chair. “She blames me for everything—for your marriage falling apart.”

“Ah fuck,” KC sighed. He tightened his hold on our boy. “She’s so wrong, baby. And dammit—you shouldn’t have done this without me.” He shot me a look at that, but it was just as much a question as an accusation. He wasn’t sure how things had gone down.

“Maybe,” he cried. “Good thing Lucian caught me sneaking out, then. He forced me to let him tag along.”

KC’s gaze instantly softened with remorse, and I shook my head. We’d talk later. He should focus on Noa for now.

“Come on—tell me everything.” KC turned his chair around and wheeled them back toward the cabins.

Cam snuck close to me, and I kissed the top of his head.

“He’ll be okay, right?”

I nodded. “In time—of course he will. And until then, we’ll spoil him rotten.”

Cam nodded quickly, and I knew he wanted something to do. He became restless if he felt helpless.

“Do you know if Ty and Lane are still here?” I asked.

“Um, I think so. I saw Macklin carrying a takeout bag earlier, so it’s possible they’re having breakfast in their cabin.”

I nodded. Perfect.

Cam peered up at me with a faint smile. “Time to reveal the ace up your sleeve?”

I chuckled and hugged him to me, in desperate need of his sweet energy. We’d joked about this before the holidays, how we’d postponed the day Noa got a lizard. He’d wanted one for so long, and the rest of us…well, we weren’t the biggest fans of the idea. But we’d read up on it a little, and when he’d been pet-sitter to Ty’s lizard, we’d seen how devoted Noa was.

Yes, it was time.

“Indeed. And I will need your help.” Wanting a bigger Cam dose, I picked him up much like I’d picked up Noa, and Cam yelped in surprise before he exhaled a laugh and threw his arms around me. “There we go. My little pet in my arms, where he belongs.”

He chuckled softly and peppered my cheeks with kisses. “I think I need to spoil you too, Master. What can I make you for breakfast?”

I smiled a little and gazed at him, and I locked his feet around my hips. My boy deserved the truth, and I’d been a fool for thinking I could hide my smoking, no matter how infrequently I did it.

“Eggs and turkey bacon will be just fine,” I said. “I’m afraid I’ve already had my cheat meal of the week.”

He quirked a brow, curious.

I made a face. “Noa informed me that you know I smoke occasionally, and that’s what I had for breakfast.”

His mirth took on a cocky edge—and a bit of dryness too, which I took credit for. He’d totally gotten that from me.

“I see.” He narrowed his eyes at me. “Definitely turkey bacon for you, Sir. Unless… Unless I punish you with oatmeal for leaving the house in these clothes.”

Oh, very funny.

“You want to punish your Owner, huh?” I brushed my fingers along the back of his knee where I knew he was ticklish. “How do you think that’s going to work out for you in the end?”

He bit his lip, presumably to contain his grin. “Swimmingly?”

I mirrored his narrowed-eyed look. “Try me.”

“Yikes,” he whispered. “Okay, maybe not. How about I make you delicious turkey bacon, eggs, and toast, and we’ll forget all about this. Maybe I even rub your feet?”

“Mmm, now we’re talking.” I brushed my lips to his. “I love you.”

“I love you too. So much.” He kissed me back in sweet little pecks, and for a brief moment, the world was a wonderful place. We had our journey ahead of us, Cam and I, but I thought we were making strides. We’d find our way back to TPE soon, one command at a time.

“May I fuss over Noa first?” he murmured. “I’m worried about him.”

“Absolutely,” I was quick to say. “I would’ve insisted anyway.” I pressed a kiss to his cheek before I let him down. “I suggest you run ahead and get started on breakfast.” I nodded over to Greer, Tenley, and Penelope. “I’m just going to have a word with Mistress Penelope.”

“Yes, Sir. Healthy goodies for you, unhealthy goodies for Noa.”

“That lucky duck…is something I would’ve said if I hadn’t just encountered his loving mother.”

Cam snorted softly. “Yeah, she’s a piece of work. You know, she’s always liked me? Like, a lot. Our first Christmas together, she gave us a couple gift, but it was clearly bought with me in mind. Meanwhile, Noa had saved up for months to buy her a…I don’t remember if it was a purse or a bracelet, but he’d worked so hard for it.”

I frowned and shook my head. This was what KC felt whenever he said that his “Daddy heart took a hit.” I just knew. Goddammit. It was incredibly painful.

I sighed and gave Cam’s neck a gentle squeeze. “Looks like we’re definitely buying him a lizard after the cruise.”

“It’ll make him so happy.” He reached up and popped a kiss to my jaw. “I’ll get started on breakfast. Don’t take too long, Master. You need to eat and take your medication.”

I nodded and brushed a hand down his back. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

We parted ways for now, I made my way over to the porch. Greer, Penelope, and definitely Reese. It wasn’t easy to tell them apart when they wore similar clothes, but now I saw Reese’s ink.

Greer spotted my approach first, so I tossed him Corey’s car key.

“Please thank your boy from us,” I said. “Noa didn’t use it.”

“No problem,” he replied. “He okay? We were talkin’ to KC when Cam got the text.”

Ah. Made sense. I blew out a breath and draped an arm around Penelope’s shoulders. “He’ll recover. He’s Noa,” I said. “But Jesus Christ, his mother is…” I shook my head.

“A bitch?” Penelope pressed. “A cunt? A hag?”

Reese smirked.

I chuckled and winced. “I try not to use those words, but yes.”

She shrugged. “I call ’em like I see ’em. You’ve told me about her before, so fuck it. I hate seeing that kid upset.”

I pressed a kiss to her temple. “Speaking of…not that. Did you talk to River?”

She nodded. “That’s why I’m here. You saw Ella too?”

“Yes.” I retrieved Ella’s heartfelt love letter from my pocket and handed it to Penelope. “I asked if she had plans to return to Mclean, and she said it depended on your response to her letter.”

She unfolded the note and lifted her brows. “What the fuck? What’s there to respond to?”

Reese and Greer peered closer.

“I’m surprised she didn’t scribble it on a napkin.” Penelope rolled her eyes and pocketed the note. But she wasn’t entirely unaffected. And whatever changes she was going through were still in effect. All Stars instead of heels, ratty skinny jeans, and a hoodie under her open leather trench coat. The latter, I was used to seeing, though usually accompanied by corsets and latex pants.

“It’s up to you if she resubmits an application,” Reese said. “I can’t ban her based on relationship problems, but I can forward the email to you and let you handle it.”

Penelope sighed. “I’m bound by the same policy. If she reapplies, let her. I don’t care. She’s…” She shook her head. “She’s not the same person to me anymore. The way she tried to minimize what she did—she called it a lapse in judgment. Besides, the moment it became clear to her that I wasn’t about to let this go, she could not get out of the house fast enough.”

Greer shook his head too. “I fuckin’ hate cheating. You stand your ground, hon.”

“That part doesn’t take any effort. I don’t miss her anymore,” Penelope answered. “I don’t know—maybe it’s karma. We met under similar circumstances.”

That was news to me. To Reese and Greer too, judging by their expressions.

“Oh yeah, she was still with her ex,” she said. “She broke up with her the day after we hooked up.”

Greer and I let out breaths that spoke of similar experiences, and we exchanged a wry smirk. I knew Archie had traveled down that road with Greer. Archie and Cam were close, so I’d gotten their “story.” How Archie had been with his ex, on the verge of breakup, and then Greer had come along, and Archie hadn’t been able to resist.

Given my own history with men, and having been there for KC, I did my best not to judge, all while I had sympathy for those who got betrayed. I’d felt a pinch of that with Robert. I just hadn’t been as emotionally invested as I should have, so his unwillingness to commit hadn’t hurt as deeply.

“Well, this was fun,” Reese said.

I chuckled. “Yeah, we should do it again sometime.”

Penelope reached over and pinched Reese’s cheek. “Maybe when you’ve found the guts to shave off the beard like your little friends Greer and Colt?”

“Woman, I swear.” Reese batted her away and scowled, much to my amusement. “Blame River. He doesn’t want me with a mustache.”

“Little friends, squirt?” Greer stared down at Penelope.

I laughed.

“Calm down, rancher,” she replied. “Don’t you have to get back to the set of Yellowstone?”

See, that just made Greer smile like a dope. “That’s a compliment, sweetheart. My boys are obsessed with that show.”

Reese nodded with a dip of his chin. “Shay too. Not gonna lie, the Navy kid is fuckable. Shay’s more into, what’s his face, Rip or Trip or somethin’.”

I didn’t know what they were talking about. I hadn’t seen the show. Cam and I were currently heavily into Succession.

“You can take the Navy kid,” Penelope said to Reese. “I’ll make a move on his wife. She’s just…” She sighed dreamily.

“Anyway,” I drawled. “I should get back to my own boys.”

“Before you do,” Reese said, “we should settle on the next Game.”

Oh right. That was a good idea.

“If we vote on it right now, Lucian and I will finally get a win,” Greer said. “We want a TPE event.”

Absolutely.

“Finally get a win?” Reese laughed. “Are we gonna pretend you haven’t loved the brat shenanigans and primal play?”

“Of course I have, but I wanna show off my slave,” Greer replied. “We haven’t hosted anythin’ for the high-protocol crowd yet. Even the Academy event was taken over by brats.”

Oh, I didn’t know about that. Cam had loved the Academy event.

Reese shrugged and scratched his jaw. “No need to vote. We can do a TPE event. Any suggestions?”

“Stations,” I said. “That way, we can cater to everyone. We have TPE slaves who are Littles and brats too, for instance.”

“That’s a good idea.” Penelope nodded. “Off the top of my head… Human furniture, predicament bondage⁠—”

“A bake-off with judges,” Greer added quickly. “Let us Owners get a treat.”

“This is gonna go swell for Shay,” Reese chuckled.

“We could have a station where the subs take initiative as well,” I suggested. “Call it a final exam or a presentation of some sort where they have to impress us with a skill.”

Reese snapped his fingers and pointed at me. “I like it. TPE for the win—and you didn’t hear me say that.”

I smirked.

“All right, I’ll start a group chat for the event,” Greer said. “And we’re doin’ the masquerade ball in May, right?”

Penelope and I nodded.

“Early May,” Reese said. “Colt, Luke, and Kit have plans for the end of the month, if you catch my drift.”

That certainly had my interest. “They’ve finally set a date?”

He inclined his head. “We can expect invitations in the mail next week.”

“Aww, I can’t wait.” Penelope smiled.

“At long last—there better be bachelor parties,” Greer said.

I was very happy for them. Once again, I’d gotten the details from Cam, who’d gotten them from Kit. And Colt and Lucas were getting married in a private ceremony with family, before they hosted a second ceremony and a party for their friends out here.

It was a reminder of my own hope to marry Cam. I’d had everything planned when my damn stress had gotten in the way.

“I don’t know their bachelor party policy,” Reese chuckled. “I don’t even know if they’ll have any best men. It’s not like they’re getting hitched out here.”

Greer put his thinking cap on, that much was clear.

“I take it Kingsley and Tate are up next,” I mentioned.

Reese exhaled a laugh and ran a hand through his hair. “Uh, yeah. They’ve talked to me too. June 20th. And they actually will get married here.”

Oh, that was lovely. And very soon.

“They better send out those invites.” Penelope straightened and looked a little confused. “When my friend got married, I got the invitation seven months before the big day.”

That was my limited experience as well.

Reese shrugged, but then he smirked a little. “If my brother’s right, Kingsley and Tate have a reason to rush the day.”

I furrowed my brow⁠—

Penelope gasped. “Their surrogate is pregnant!”

And now my eyebrows went way up there.

“Well, fuck.” Greer lit up too. “That’s amazin’. Good for them. Babies are a blessing.”

They were something, all right.

Reese showed his palms. “I don’t have shit confirmed. This is just River—he told me Tate looked like he was walkin’ on air, and Kingsley seemed very intent on makin’ sure they could buy internet access on the cruise.”

I didn’t know about the others, but that sounded like confirmation to me. Kingsley had to be our least active member online. Why did he care about internet access so much?

“You know, hon, River can be quite the gossip,” Penelope noted.

“I know. It’s a problem,” Reese replied. “I think he secretly loves drama.”

Greer and I cracked up.