15. Sandro
Icrowd in next to Tennant as we wait for Emilio to wake up.
At his soft chuckle, I glance over at the man who is rapidly becoming central to my happiness.
When I raise an eyebrow in question, he wraps his arm around me, pulling me onto his lap.
I let out what I’m considering a manly squeak at the quick movement, but fuck if it didn’t surprise me.
“You Boys are being too damn cute,” Daddy whispers in my ear, and I shudder from the sensual promise behind it. There are no words for it.
I never really understood why Emilio was drawn to Daddy kink, but the more I learn from Tennant, the more comfortable I become.
And it’s not just with him being my Daddy, but being myself.
Knowing I can leave myself vulnerable with another person?
It’s something I don’t take lightly. Yet, I know he’ll never betray that trust.
Clearing my throat, I damn well snuggle into him and simply say, “We want to be there for you.”
He sighs, but hugs me anyway. “Out of everyone, I don’t need protection.”
I move myself until I’m sitting sideways, so I can look into his eyes.
With every bit of emotion possible, I murmur roughly, “You’re our Daddy.
And there is nothing we wouldn’t do for you.
Everyone needs protection at some point.
Please, let us do this for you, because we recognize what you do for us. ”
He leans forward and brushes a kiss against my forehead.
I shiver from the impact it has on my heart and my soul.
It’s like a drowning man suddenly being offered an oasis.
For once, I don’t have to be the one in control.
I can simply trust Daddy to handle what needs to be done.
And as we wait for the other half of my soul to wake, I soak in that feeling, the fact that I’m not alone and never need to be again, with a sense of amazement.
Is this what it’s like? To form true bonds with more than one person? To be loved?
I know my Emilio loves me. Our connection was formed in the fire of adversity, branded on our souls by necessity—he’s the reason I breathe and every heartbeat I take. But this comfort, this openness, where nothing is being asked of me… Fuck, I’m not sure how to handle it.
It’s almost impossible, but I fight to silence the voices in my head that whisper demonically that I don’t deserve this.
Because that’s true, it always will be, but I’ll believe Daddy.
He chose me. No matter the sins of my past, the blood on my hands, the devastation I’ve caused, he still chose me.
And that’s a gift I’ll treasure, even if I don’t understand it.
I ponder if this is what it would have been like as a child to wake up on Christmas morning and have a present from Santa, that purely magical feeling.
That wasn’t my life, but damn if this doesn’t give me the same sense of wonder that I see in the movies that Emilio forced us all to watch on the holidays.
“Did you hear anything from the Board of Directors?”
There’s a surge inside me, one I struggle valiantly to push down.
The feeling of being Il Padrone… Fuck. I breathe through it, hating it.
I don’t want to be that person anymore. I can’t risk it.
Yet sometimes, it teases me, mocks me, reminds me of a time when I could use that power to crush any threat to my loved ones…
Forcing myself to remain torn apart, I tightly say, “No. None of them answered their phone. I would like the opportunity to see Robert in person. And hell, perhaps visit with the board afterward.”
Meeting Tennant’s eyes is a struggle. The feeling from before is ripped away from me, and yet there’s a comfort, because while the bloodlust is riding me hard, Tennant merely adjusts his grip on me.
Breathing through the twisted pain inside, I rely on the grounding steps Brannigan gave me.
Hoping desperately not to backslide as I let go of the past…
When I’m more in control of myself, when I’ve put Il Padrone back in a small box, tucked away where he can’t hurt anyone, I give Tennant my attention.
Only it’s clear he never looked away from me.
His brow is furrowed, a scowl prominent on his handsome lips.
I flush, unsure whether to be turned on, nervous, or fucking worried about disappointing him.
“I—”
He strikes out quickly, biting my shoulder roughly, and jarring me from the apology on my lips. It’s a shock to the system. I’m not sure what to think, and I stare at him with wide eyes.
“You weren’t where I could spank your ass, and I’ll use any method I can if I think you’re about to misbehave.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
I fucking blush, but it’s impossible not to given the intensity of his gaze, and when his hand brushes against my hardening cock, I swallow. His dark chuckle has me squirming more than his hand, but eventually he moves it away and I breathe a sigh of relief.
Fuck. I shake my head, trying to clear my mind as I know this isn’t the time to have sex, but damn if Daddy doesn’t just exude a sexual dominance I’ve never seen on anyone else…
“Now, onto the board,” he rumbles, as if he didn’t just tease me. “I think you’re right. You need to have a discussion. I’ll have Robert picked up for a…personal meeting. But I need you to promise me something.”
“Of course!” I retort immediately, ready to sign myself over to him.
“No, don’t give me that. I want you to really think about this, because what I’m going to ask is hard.
” He takes a deep breath and touches my cheek gently.
“You need to accept yourself—all of you. I’ll be there to watch you, to help you with it, but when we have Robert, I want to see you in action.
The man the world feared… Because you’re still him. ”
I open my mouth, but no sound comes out. I don’t know what to do as my mind spins out of control, the fears chasing me like a pack of demons that may well destroy me if I don’t outpace them. It’s an impossible request, yet he doesn’t ask much of me. He’s been the only one who hasn’t…
Finally, I give him the only answer I can. “I’ll try. But…promise me something. If…If I go too far, if I let that side out and it takes over, put me down. Don’t let me hurt anyone again. Please.”
He runs his fingers through my hair, a sad expression on his face. “Have you talked to Brannigan about this? Because Il Padrone was not the one at fault. You—who you are inside—are not evil. You did something wrong, but you’ve worked hard to make amends. Don’t bend so far that you break.
“I want you to be whole. To recognize that what you and Cristian went through was so painful that it set off a reaction that neither of you would engage in. But that doesn’t mean Il Padrone is evil and Sandro is good.
I’m sorry, Sweet Boy, that you’re trying to break yourself into pieces, but Daddy won’t let you anymore.
Not when you are good. And you are my Sweet Boy. ”
I don’t say anything. I can’t. There are no words there.
Instead, I take a moment to lean against Daddy and soak up the acceptance he’s giving me.
It’s terrifying. I…I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do.
But I know I can’t keep going as I am. He’s right.
Even if I bury Il Padrone deep, he never leaves…
I’ll have to learn how to live with him.
“Now, on a fun note, because you deserve that,” Ten says, finally breaking the silence. “I want you to take a look at a new room I had fixed up. Not right now, I know we’re waiting for our Boy to wake up… But I think we’re going to need to use the new room sooner than later.”
I tilt my head in question. And this time, his laugh is drenched in sadism, piquing my interest even further. Damn if he doesn’t know exactly how to tease the different parts of me…
“What’s the room?” I finally ask, unable to stop my curiosity.
With a wicked grin, he replies, “A nursery. We have to share it with Anderson and Ian, but…I don’t think you’ll be opposed.”
My jaw drops as I take a quick look at where Emilio is lying. The idea of being co-Daddy Doms to my precious Tesoro… Fuck. Ideas rapidly fill me, fantasies that I know will have Emilio squirming, pretending he hates it while his body shows us the truth.
Turning back to Tennant, I throw my arms around him and attack his lips, kissing him with every fiber of my soul, because this? This is a dream come true. When I break away, we’re both breathing heavily.
As soon as I’m under control, I say, “Emilio isn’t going to know what hits him when he has both a Daddy and a Papa Bear…”
We fall into a quiet discussion of ideas while we wait for our Boy to wake up. He’s going to learn exactly what it means to have two Daddies. And I can’t wait to make his dream come true… Because every day he gives me something I never thought was even possible.
Love. Friendship. Family. And most of all…he gives me redemption. Not only with what he offers me himself, but with the men he’s integrated into our lives. And thank fuck for that.