Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Levi
Levi stirred the pot on the stove, the scent of garlic and butter mingling with the soft clink of utensils behind him. Roland was reorganizing the already organized stack of mismatched plates for the third time, his brow furrowed in quiet frustration.
“We should’ve gotten that second-hand toy chest from Gavin when he offered,” Roland muttered. “Or that extra beanbag from Megan’s playroom. We don’t even have coloring books, Levi. She’s going to think we’re unprepared.”
Levi glanced over his shoulder, a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. “We are unprepared. That’s kind of the point, isn’t it?”
“That’s not helpful,” Roland grumbled, adjusting the placemats again. “She’s coming over to our home. What if she wants to be Little? What if she needs to color to feel safe and we’re just standing here like idiots with spaghetti and no crayons?”
Levi let the spoon rest against the edge of the pot and crossed to him, placing a steadying hand on Roland’s lower back.
“Hey,” he said, voice low and grounding, “we’re not auditioning for the perfect Daddy contest. It’s just dinner.
Just one night to see how things feel. We don’t need a nursery to care for her. ”
Roland looked up at him, worry softening into something else. “You’re really calm about this.”
Levi’s hand slid up to the back of his partner’s neck. “I’m not calm,” he admitted. “I’m holding it down because one of us has to.”
Roland chuckled and leaned into the touch. “Because you’re the serious one?”
“Because I’m the boss and we both know it,” Levi teased, brushing his thumb just behind Roland’s ear. “And because I know the second we see her in this space, everything else will melt away.”
That earned a little breath of a laugh from Roland, the kind that said he believed him even if he didn’t quite feel it yet. Levi loved that about him—how Roland could be anxious and fussy and still trust Levi to steer them steady.
He kissed Roland’s temple, lingered there for a moment, then pulled away with a reluctant sigh. “Speaking of things that need to melt away,” he said, moving toward the hallway cabinet where he’d stashed his phone, “Greg’s been sending more messages.”
Roland stiffened behind him. “To Sydney’s phone?”
“Yeah. Must’ve figured out it’s not her answering anymore, though. He’s… escalating.”
Levi unlocked the phone and opened it to the screenshots he’d sent himself. He worked hard to control the anger at seeing them again and handed over the phone so Roland could look.
Roland’s eyes skimmed the screen. His face went pale. “He thinks we’re brainwashing her? That she belongs to him?” His voice dropped, rough with something like fury. “He’s unhinged.”
“Yep.”
“And he’s threatening to take her?”
“Not in so many words, but the intent’s there,” Levi said grimly. “We’ve got security monitoring all the entry points. Derek already flagged her file in the system, so everyone knows to keep an eye on her and to be on alert when on perimeter duty.”
Roland’s jaw clenched, and Levi could see the fire rising under the surface—the way his partner’s protective instincts lit up when someone threatened the people he loved.
“He’s not getting anywhere near her,” Levi said quietly. “Not while she’s under our protection. Not ever.”
“Damn right,” Roland growled.
Levi reached out, took his hand, and squeezed. “We’ll tell her tonight. Not all of it—just enough to let her know she needs to be careful.”
Roland nodded, then gave him a weak smile. “Thanks for not letting me spiral.”
“Thanks for spiraling,” Levi said dryly. “Means I get to be the steady one and demand some payback later.”
That earned a genuine laugh, and Roland leaned in to press a slow, grateful kiss to Levi’s mouth. It was soft and sweet, but full of promise, the kind that reminded Levi why they’d lasted so long. Why this thing with Sydney might actually work, despite the chaos.
“I’m still nervous,” Roland admitted as they pulled apart.
“I know,” Levi said. “Me too.”
They stood in silence for a beat, then Levi clapped his hands once. “Alright. Let’s get the garlic bread in and try not to panic.”
“I forgot the bread!” Roland said, his voice rising. “What if she hates garlic?” he added, suddenly horrified.
“She’s South African, not a vampire. Besides, we can do without bread,” Levi said, exasperated. “Breathe.”
Roland laughed again, this time less anxiously.
Dinner would be what it would be. And Sydney, sweet, funny, mysterious Sydney, was walking straight into their home tonight.
Levi didn’t know what kind of Little she was yet. Didn’t know if she’d ever really be theirs. But for tonight, they’d open their home to her and see how things went.
They set the table together, still shoulder to shoulder but no longer bickering.
Roland lit a candle he found in the back of a drawer.
A vanilla-scented and slightly crooked candle in its glass jar.
He gave Levi a look that dared him to mock it.
Levi just raised an eyebrow and bumped his shoulder affectionately.
Fuck knows where the candle even came from.
Neither he nor Roland were scented candle type of people.
By the time the knock came, the kitchen was warm, with the smell of garlic and creamy pasta wafting through the air, and Roland’s hands were flour-dusted from fussing with a last-minute batch of biscuits he swore weren’t meant to impress anyone.
Levi answered the door.
Sydney stood on the porch in jeans and a soft sweater under a thick winter coat that had definitely seen better days.
Her arms were folded tight across her chest like she wasn’t sure what to do with herself, and Levi ached to pull her into his arms and soothe her with a kiss or a cuddle.
Her hair was loose and slightly damp, and she looked smaller somehow, like she wasn’t sure of herself.
“Evening, little miss,” Levi said gently, stepping aside. “Come on in.”
She smiled, tentative but real, and stepped past him into the warm light of their home. Roland appeared in the kitchen doorway with a dish towel over his shoulder and nervous energy vibrating off of him.
“Hi, Sydney,” he said with a wave. “You look great. We’re really glad you’re here.”
“Thanks,” she said, and her accent curled around the word like a ribbon. “It smells… amazing.”
“That would be Levi’s doing,” Roland said, grinning at Levi. “I only panic-baked.”
“You baked?” she asked, surprised.
Roland flushed. “Nothing fancy. Just some biscuits. I’m not even sure if they’re edible.”
“More than edible,” Levi said, brushing his fingers along the small of Roland’s back as he passed him. “Let’s eat before everything gets cold.”
They gathered around the small table, the candle flickering between them. The plates and glasses might have been mismatched, but the warmth was real. Levi watched Sydney relax bit by bit, like a slow tide coming in.
He waited until they were halfway through their meal before easing into the harder topics.
“We wanted tonight to be casual,” Levi said, setting down his fork. “No pressure. We just want to get to know you better, and we figured you might want the same.”
Sydney nodded slowly. “I do. I’ve been feeling a bit… adrift. So this means a lot. Thank you for inviting me.”
Roland reached over and gave her hand a light squeeze. “We’re really happy you’re here.”
Levi didn’t miss the way her shoulders lifted and dropped at that. She hadn’t heard that enough, he thought. She didn’t believe it yet. But maybe if they did it often enough she would start to.
“Now,” he said, his voice still calm but firm, “there’s something we need to talk about. It’s not urgent, but it’s important.”
Her body tensed.
Levi continued gently, “Greg’s been sending messages. Angry ones. Threats, more or less. We’ve seen them, and we’re dealing with it.”
Her eyes went wide, her fork slipping slightly in her grip.
“It’s not your fault,” Roland jumped in, voice soothing. “You didn’t do anything wrong. But he’s trying to get a rise out of you, or us, and we just want you to know that it’s being taken seriously. Security’s aware. The whole staff is looped in.”
Sydney swallowed. “Is he… coming here?”
Levi shook his head. “No sign of that. But if he tried, he wouldn’t make it past the front gate. You’re safe. We promise.”
She nodded slowly. “Thank you. I—goodness, I wish I could understand why the heck he was even doing this. What was the point in all of the lies?”
“Why, doesn’t matter right now,” Levi said, steady and certain. “For now, we need to focus on keeping you safe. And part of that is figuring out what you want to do next. That includes with us.”
Sydney blinked quickly, like she wasn’t quite comprehending his words.
Roland smiled gently. “You don’t need to figure out anything right now. We thought we could just focus on getting to know each other tonight.”
“I think… I’d like that,” she said. “For now, I’d like to stay Big for it, if that’s okay.”
“More than okay,” Levi said. “We’d like to get to know all the parts of you, Sydney. that includes the Big you.”
That made her smile, small and real.
They lingered over the last bites of dinner, drifting into easier conversation—about Gavin’s art class, about the differences between American and South African snacks. Roland was horrified to learn she’d never had Slim Jims or donuts from a bag.
By the time the plates were cleared and the last biscuit was gone, Sydney’s shoulders had dropped a good inch, and Roland was laughing more than he’d spoken in complete sentences.
Levi watched the two of them from the sink, drying his hands slowly. This was good. It wasn’t perfect. But it didn’t need to be.
Sydney was here. With them. Right now, that was all he needed.