Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
Kip
“I let my parents drug me, so their friends can rape me.”
Those words wouldn’t stop playing on repeat in my head.
Michelle vibrated with rage on Corvus’s behalf, but her rage had always been much louder than mine.
I stewed internally, my blood quietly boiling.
When I’d urged Corvus to just tell us what happened to send him into such a state the night before, I hadn’t known what to expect.
But I definitely had not expected that.
“No!” Corvus rushed to say when Michelle threatened to kill them.
She wouldn’t literally, but would she find out where they lived and drive there to make them pay for touching Corvus, which would inevitably land her behind bars?
Yes, she definitely fucking would. My beautiful little wife was protective as fuck.
“What the fuck do you mean no, bub?” Michelle demanded. She cupped his cheek, her eyes burning with hatred for his parents and so much sadness for Corvus. It tore at my heart. “They hurt you. They allowed others to hurt you. You can’t expect me to be okay with that.”
“But I let them,” he croaked.
“No,” I rasped. “Don’t even fucking try that excuse, chibi. You’re their son. This is wrong, no matter if you went to them willingly or not. Did they do this last night?” I needed to know that before I decided what the next move should be.
He shook his head. “No, but they called. Over and over and fucking over again.” He pushed back more against me, so I tightened my hold on him once more, knowing he needed the comfort and security he got from being held like this.
“They usually leave me alone for a few months after I give them what they want.”
There was so much wrong with that statement, but I’d have to address it in a minute when he was done talking. I didn’t want to interrupt him, and I could tell Michelle had something to say, too, but she kept her mouth shut, as well.
“I didn’t realize how much time had really passed.
” Corvus’s voice sounded so tired and broken.
I hated it. Hated that we hadn’t met him soon enough to protect him from the monsters he’d been born to.
“But with the lack of sleep and the flashbacks I keep getting, their phone calls just sent me off the proverbial cliff. I can’t…
” His voice suddenly sounded choked, and when Michelle leaned her forehead against his, stroking her fingers over his hair, I knew he was on the verge of tears. “I can’t keep doing this.”
“You won’t,” I swore. “They will never touch you again. No one will ever fucking touch you again, chibi. Mark my fucking words.”
“What they did to you was wrong,” Michelle told him, her voice surprisingly soft for how angry I knew she was.
“Just because you went to them doesn’t somehow make it okay.
Nor does it somehow mean you gave consent, bub.
You were coerced and bribed with the reward of a few months of peace dangled in front of you.
That’s not consent. It’s bribery. It’s still rape.
” She pressed her lips lightly to his, and he trembled, reaching to curl his arms around her and tug her closer to him.
“But you won’t have to worry about them any longer.
” She cupped his cheek and stroked her thumb over his stubble.
“They have us to contend with now, and from this moment on, they no longer have access to you, bub. You’re ours. ”
He sniffled.
I pressed my palm over his heart, applying pressure, hoping it helped the emotions I knew burned their way through his chest.
“I know we haven’t talked yet, but can I…” He swallowed audibly. “Can I call you Mommy and Daddy?”
Christ, this boy was fucking perfect.
“Of course, you can, chibi,” I assured him. “We want nothing more. And once we’re all feeling a little less raw, we can sit down and discuss what this means for the three of us, as well as your rules, expectations, rewards, punishments, and what you expect from us in return, okay?”
He nodded, deflating against me. “I want to sleep again for now,” he said quietly. “I’m tired still.”
“I imagine you are after everything you revealed, bub,” Michelle soothed. She curled her hand around the back of his head and pulled it forward just a bit, so he rested against her chest. “Go back to sleep. We’ve got you. You’re safe here.”
My heart clenched when he whispered, “I know, Mommy.”
Michelle’s eyes suddenly watered. I leaned over his head to kiss her softly, hoping that was enough to soothe her. This was everything she’d wanted—everything we’d both wanted. And seeing her so fucking happy it brought her to tears… Being patient had been so fucking worth it.
I wasn’t able to go back to sleep, and Michelle wasn’t either.
Corvus, however, passed out between us, soft snores leaving his parted lips.
If what he’d told us was anything to go by, the boy needed sleep.
The dark circles I’d seen beneath his eyes the first day I met him made so much more sense now.
Eventually, we’d need to get him to talk to Hudson and Kreed about that day. He couldn’t keep going on like this. But for now, we’d take care of him and give him a safe space to rest until we could address the issue of his lack of sleep at the root cause.
My phone suddenly rang on the bedside table. Cursing, I quickly snatched it up and answered the unknown number, so it wouldn’t disturb Corvus. Didn’t seem to matter. The boy didn’t even budge. He really was exhausted down to his bones.
“Hello?” I asked, keeping my voice low.
“Are you Kip?” a man asked.
I sat up and eased out of bed, heading for the bathroom, so I could remain close but still not risk disturbing Corvus.
“I am,” I answered, shutting the bathroom door behind me.
“This is Hudson, Corvus’s best friend,” the man said. “Have you seen him?”
“He’s here,” I said on a sigh. Of course, our boy hadn’t let anyone know where he was going.
Fuck, what if something had happened to him?
That would definitely be his first punishment once boundaries were discussed.
I understood he’d been spiraling, but I needed him to be more conscious of his reckless decisions.
“Fuck,” Hudson swore. “Is he okay? Can I talk to him?”
“He’s asleep. He showed up on my doorstep last night completely hammered. But I’ll have him call you when he wakes up.”
“Okay. He left his phone here. His car is gone. I didn’t…” His voice trailed off, but I heard the worry in his voice, even if he tried to hide it. He’d thought his best friend was hurt somewhere.
“I understand,” I assured him. I’d have lost my mind if I woke up and found someone I cared about missing, yet their phone was still at home. “But he’s safe, Hudson.”
“Okay,” he said again. “Thanks.”
With that, he hung up. I made my way out of the bathroom, placed my phone back on the nightstand, then I stared down at Corvus, drawing in a deep breath before slowly releasing it.
“Everything okay?” Michelle quietly asked.
I nodded and eased back into bed behind Corvus, wrapping our boy in my arms again. “That was his best friend. I’m assuming he got my number from Corvus’s phone… which he fucking left at home last night.”
Michelle blew out a disappointed breath. “Clearly, that’ll have to be one of his rules—his phone needs to be with him at all times.”
I nodded in agreement.
“We’ll deal with it later, tsuma,” I promised. “Why don’t you try getting more rest, too? He’s safe here.” I smiled softly at her. “I’ve got you both.”
She nodded. “I know,” she said quietly. “But okay.” She closed her eyes, snuggling closer to Corvus. “I love you.”
Didn’t matter how long we were married, I never got tired of hearing those words from her.
“I love you, too.”