Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
KALEB
Iwoke the next morning with a clarity I hadn't felt in weeks.
Maybe it was the release of finally breaking down in front of Lottie. Maybe it was knowing Patrice was behind bars, at least temporarily.
Or maybe it was the weight of Lottie's body pressed against mine, her soft breathing a reminder of everything I had to protect.
Everything I had to fight for.
I carefully extracted myself from her embrace, tucking the blanket around her shoulders before padding to the bathroom. The face staring back at me in the mirror looked like hell—red-rimmed eyes, jaw tight with tension I couldn't quite shake.
But my eyes held something else too.
Determination.
No more running. No more letting Patrice manipulate me through guilt and fear.
After showering and dressing in a crisp navy suit—armor for the battle ahead—I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. The house was silent. Colby and Andrei must still be sleeping after their late-night vigil.
Good. This was something I needed to do alone.
I poured myself coffee and settled at the breakfast bar, my laptop already waiting where I'd left it the night before. The cursor blinked at me from the blank email screen.
Marshall Caine, Esq.
My fingers hovered over the keys for a moment before I started typing.
Marshall,
Effective immediately, I'm cutting off all financial support to Patrice Wulf-Huntington and Rupert Huntington. No more monthly allowances. No more emergency funds. No more covering their debts.
I want trusts established for my sisters, Monica and Sierra, as well as my niece Keeley. With strict language that ensures Patrice cannot access these funds in any capacity. Not as a co-trustee. Not through loans against the trusts. Nothing.
I'll pay off the house they're currently living in and sign it over to Patrice as a final settlement. After that, no further contact. No further financial entanglement.
Please draft all necessary paperwork and restraining orders to prevent future contact with myself and Charlotte Alexander.
I'll be in your office this afternoon to sign everything.
-KW
My finger hovered over the send button.
This was it. The final severance. Once I hit send, there'd be no going back.
"Do it."
I turned to find Lottie standing in the doorway, wrapped in one of my oversized hoodies. Her hair was messy from sleep, her eyes still heavy with exhaustion.
But her gaze was steady. Sure.
"You were listening?" I asked.
She crossed the room, bare feet padding on the tile. "Heard you typing from upstairs." She slid onto the stool beside mine, tucking herself against my side. "You should do it, Daddy K. She doesn't deserve your kindness anymore."
I stared down at the screen, then at her. "What if I'm making a mistake? What if she—"
"She what?" Lottie's hand covered mine on the keyboard. "Gets angry? Threatens you again? Daddy, she's already done those things. She's already shown you who she is. Believe her."
The simple logic cut through my spiraling thoughts.
"You're right." I pulled her onto my lap, needing her closeness. "You're always right, baby girl."
"Not always." She grinned up at me through her tears. "But I'm right about this."
Together, our fingers moved over the keyboard. She hit send.
The whoosh of the email leaving felt like chains breaking.
"There." I let out a shuddering breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "It's done."
Lottie twisted in my lap, straddling my thighs as her arms wrapped around my neck. "I'm so proud of you."
Those words. Four simple words.
But they hit me like a freight train.
"Say that again," I rasped.
"I'm proud of you, Kaleb Wulf." She pressed kisses across my face between words. "So. Damn. Proud."
My eyes burned as I crushed her against my chest, burying my face in the crook of her neck.
"Thank you," I whispered against her skin. "For not giving up on me."
"Never." Her hands fisted in the back of my suit jacket. "I'll fight for you every single day. For all of you. Just like you all have for me."
The sound of footsteps made us both look up. Andrei leaned against the doorframe, coffee in hand. His knowing smirk told me he'd been there for a while.
"About fucking time, Wulf."
Despite everything—the chaos, the fear, the uncertainty—I laughed.
"Shut up, Volkov."
His grin widened. "Make me." He shook his head as he turned and walked back toward his office.
Lottie giggled against my neck, the sound like sunshine after a storm.
My phone buzzed. Marshall's response already coming through.
Marshall: Understood. I'll have everything ready by 2pm. Proud of you, man.
I showed the screen to Lottie, who beamed then giggled. God, I loved that sound.
"See? Everyone's proud of you."
"I don't care about everyone." I tucked her hair behind her ear. "Only you three."
"Then believe us when we say you're doing the right thing," Andrei said, moving to refill his coffee. "Patrice doesn't get to poison your life anymore."
"Or ours," Lottie added firmly.
The conviction in her voice made my chest tighten with overwhelming love.
"Wheels are set in motion now," I murmured, more to myself than them. "No going back."
"Good." Lottie kissed me softly. "Forward is the only direction worth going."
Andrei raised his coffee mug. "To moving forward."
"Together," I added.
Lottie smiled, her eyes shining. "Always together."
As I held my girl close and felt the support of my brothers surrounding me, I knew one thing with absolute certainty.
Whatever came next—legal battles, Patrice's inevitable counterattack, media scrutiny—we'd face it as we faced everything.
As a family.
And no one—not Patrice, not Rupert, not anyone—could destroy that.
I kissed Lottie passionately, lingering against her lips until I felt her melt against me. When I pulled back, her eyes remained closed for a heartbeat, a soft smile playing across her lips.
"Let me get your coffee, baby girl," I murmured, reluctantly helping her to her feet, then opening the refrigerator.
I grabbed her usual iced coffee—the one I'd prepared last night before bed, knowing she'd want it first thing. The glass was cool against my palm as I set it in front of her, watching with satisfaction as her eyes lit up.
"Thank you, Daddy K," she said, wrapping both hands around the glass like it contained liquid gold instead of caffeine and caramel syrup.
Her cheeks were still flushed from our kiss, her eyes slightly glazed as she took her first sip. I couldn't help smiling at her reaction. The woman made even the simplest actions captivating.
"We're going to try to keep today as normal as possible," I told her, smoothing my hand over her hair. "I have the meeting with Marshall at two, but otherwise business as usual."
"I have department reports to review," she said, nodding. "And I promised Ashlei I'd help her with the new filing system implementation."
"Perfect." I glanced at my watch. "I've got budget meetings all morning, but I should be free for lunch."
The sound of footsteps made us both look up. Andrei and Colby entered the kitchen together, mid-conversation. They fell silent the moment they crossed the threshold, exchanging a look I couldn't quite decipher.
"Good morning," Lottie chirped, oblivious to whatever tension had suddenly filled the room.
"Morning, kroshka," Andrei replied, bending to kiss the top of her head before moving to refill his coffee cup.
Colby squeezed her shoulder affectionately as he passed, but his eyes met mine with a question I couldn't answer. Something was clearly on their minds.
Andrei leaned against the counter, cradling his mug between his large hands. "We're going to the Sandbox this Friday."
The announcement came so abruptly that Lottie choked on her coffee. I patted her back gently as she coughed.
"The club?" she asked when she could speak again, her eyes wide. "Your... I mean, our club?"
"Yes," Andrei confirmed, his amber eyes gleaming with something between amusement and desire. "It's time you saw it properly."
We'd told Lottie about the Sandbox months ago—the exclusive BDSM club we'd founded specifically for Littles and their Daddies and Mommies. A safe space where everyone could freely express their dynamics without judgment or fear.
It was a subset of Scarlet Rose, which catered to the entirety of the BDSM community. We preferred The Sandbox, although we'd never brought a Little there.
She'd been fascinated by the concept but nervous about actually going. We'd agreed to wait until she felt ready.
"Are you sure that's a good idea right now?" I asked, keeping my voice neutral. "With everything going on—"
"That's exactly why it's a good idea," Colby interrupted, settling at the breakfast bar across from Lottie. "We need to reclaim our lives, Kaleb. Show Patrice she hasn't won. That we're not hiding."
I understood their reasoning. Still, concern nagged at me. "Security—"
"Will be tripled," Andrei finished for me. "I've already spoken to Mikhail. The perimeter will be locked down tighter than Fort Knox."
Lottie looked between the three of us, her lower lip caught between her teeth—a habit she fell into whenever she was nervous or thoughtful. "I want to go."
"You do?" I couldn't keep the surprise from my voice.
She nodded, her expression growing more determined with each passing second. "I don't want to hide either. I want to see this part of your lives. The club you built together." Her hand found mine on the counter. "I want to be part of everything."
Pride swelled in my chest. This woman—so brave, so willing to embrace all aspects of our lives despite the challenges.
"Okay," I agreed, squeezing her fingers. "Friday it is."
Andrei's mouth curved into a satisfied smile. "Good. I'll make the arrangements."
"Does this mean I get to see all the special rooms you told me about?" Lottie asked, mischief dancing in her eyes. "The nurseries? The playrooms?"
"Every single one," Colby promised, his voice dropping to that velvety tone that never failed to make Lottie blush. "And maybe we'll even show you our private suite."
Her breath hitched. "There's a private suite?"
"Where did you think we stayed when we needed to be at the club late?" Andrei smirked. "It's fully equipped for our... particular needs."
The flush on Lottie's cheeks deepened. "Particular needs," she repeated faintly. "Right."
I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Don't worry, baby girl. We'll take things slow. Just a tour this time."
"Unless you want more," Andrei added, his eyes darkening as they roamed over her. "Then we can certainly accommodate that desire."
"The most important thing," Colby said, reaching across to take Lottie's other hand, "is that you'll see firsthand that you're not alone in this dynamic. There are others like us—people who understand and celebrate what we share."
Lottie's eyes brightened at this. For all her confidence in our relationship, I knew she sometimes struggled with feeling "normal" about wanting three Daddies. About her Little side. About the dynamics we'd built together.
"I'd like that," she said softly. "To meet others. To see that this is... that we're..."
"Real," I finished for her. "Valid. Beautiful. Not that we need anyone else to validate that, but I know it's nice to be amongst non-judgmental people."
She nodded, blinking back sudden tears.
"It's settled then," Andrei declared. "Friday night, we show our girl the Sandbox."
The tension that had filled the room when they entered had dissipated completely, replaced by an electric anticipation that thrummed between all four of us.
For the first time since Patrice had cornered Lottie in the park, I felt truly hopeful about our future. We weren't just surviving her attack—we were moving forward, stronger than before.
Together, we would reclaim what was ours.
And no one, not even Patrice, could take that away from us.