Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
EMIL
Can you add the other Daddies to this chat for me?
Reed
No problem. What’s up? Anders all right?
Gabe
It’s Gabe. Rory has been so worried about him.
Barrett
Yeah, Owen too.
Levi
Same for Nico.
Travis
Anders is their heart. Casey was kicking himself for not recognizing the stress.
Anders has been going through some things. I suspect he hasn’t told the boys any part of it.
Gabe
I thought he was on the island for work.
He was suspended from McIntyre’s after fraud allegations.
I put him on special assignment under my company.
Barrett
Are you fucking serious? He hasn’t breathed a word to anyone.
Reed
Would anyone expect him to? Jakob has been making cards and stacking them by the front door in hopes that Anders shows up out of the blue.
Gabe
With glitter?
Reed
Fuck me. They’ve all got fucking glitter on them.
I have a speech on Friday. Anders is going to be there, and I’d like it if as many of you who can make it be there too.
You’ll get some lunch out of it.
Barrett
Yes for Owen and me.
Gabe
Same for Rory and me.
Levi
I’m sorry, but I’ll be at a meeting that can’t be canceled, and Nico will need to check with his boss.
Gabe
Yeah, Nico’s got a long lunch that day.
Levi
Yes on Nico.
Barrett
Owen and I will be there.
Travis
Yes, for Casey and me.
Reed
Fuck. I’m working a shift, and I’m not sure about Jakob, but probably yes for him.
I appreciate you all coming for him.
If you can’t make it, don’t stress. I just want him to be supported.
He’ll be able to fill you in later.
“Is there something going on that I need to know about?”
Anders’s question was a valid one. The ferry ride to the mainland was done in silence.
We parked the car on the island side and then walked onto the ferry.
I led Anders upstairs so we could watch from the best view.
I held his hand the whole time, but I stayed quiet.
It was pretty obvious I had something on my mind, and since that thing was rehearsing my speech, I didn’t want to unsettle him before we got there.
He’d asked about it earlier, and I’d patted my pocket and told him not to worry, that I had it written down.
“I made arrangements for the boys and their Daddies to be there. I thought it would be nice to have a do-over, and I know you’ve missed them,” I said, glancing at him from the passenger side of the Uber in the back seat.
“Seriously? Thank you. You’re not wrong. I have missed them. It feels like it’s been forever, even though I know it’s only been, like, what? Two weeks?” Happiness radiated off Anders from the inside out.
“Something like that,” I answered with my own grin.
“I love them, but the break’s been nice. What I haven’t missed is wearing a suit.” As he said it, he tugged at the collar to give himself a little more space, then at the sleeves.
I leaned over and gently kissed his cheek. “If it helps, you look amazing.”
“It doesn’t. Thank you, but that’s all right. I guess I’ll have to get used to it again once I go back to work.”
“You don’t seem very enthusiastic about it.”
“I’m going back knowing that they all believed John, except Lacey.
” I listened without interrupting. I’d never heard Anders sound so cold.
“And it really pisses me the fuck off. How could they believe him? How could they think I would do those things? Even if we weren’t friends, I thought they thought more of me. Walking back in is going to be hard.”
Anders had every right to feel the way he did about the job, but it wasn’t something I could fix for him, and that weighed heavily on me. He deserved better than returning to work with that cloud over him. I knew without question he’d decline an offer to move him to another position within my firm.
As he spoke, Anders stared out the window, his face passive but his body tense. I reached across the space and laced my fingers with his, squeezing his hand. He glanced down but didn’t move away. He didn’t speak either.
“But I’m going to do it.”
The rest of the ride was quiet until we pulled up in front of the downtown Meridian Grand.
“Before we go inside, I want you to know that if someone can’t see the goodness in you, then they can just get fucked.” I was serious when I said it, but Anders snorted.
“Was that a pep talk?”
“Does it need work?”
“Maybe just a little, but I got the gist.” Anders smoothed the lapels of my suit and straightened my tie. He leaned forward and kissed me straight on the mouth, then said, “Fuck ’em.”
The mischievous twinkle in his eye was more than I could have asked for under the circumstances. This man was more than I could ever hope for, and definitely more than I deserved.
“Then let’s get to it,” I said. “Wait here, and I’ll get your door.”
I slid out of the car, came around to the far side, and helped Anders out.
We walked up the stairs to the hotel. He stood tall and proud next to me.
I wanted the world to see him at my side, and fuck anyone who had a goddamn thing to say about it.
The only thing that would have made the moment better was his hand in mine.
There was no way in hell I’d undermine him like that, so I behaved.
Once this was over, I’d be able to claim him in every space we shared.
He was here with me, and I wanted the world to see it.
The unnecessarily fancy lobby was crowded with my arriving colleagues.
Anders squared his shoulders and stepped forward first. If they had anything to say about him, they didn’t show it on their faces.
I introduced him, and they all greeted him as if he were one of them, which was exactly what I expected.
He was the guest of honor, whether they knew it or not.
“Anders, it’s so good to see you.”
“Have you been on vacation? You look amazing.”
“Happiness looks good on you.”
The series of greetings that welcomed Anders to the table cemented my decision that having the boys and their Daddies here was the right call.
Maybe he’d been overwhelmed at the birthday party, but that had more to do with everything else going on in his life.
There was no question how much love they had for him, and how much he had for them in return.
I watched him greet everyone at the table, beaming.
Before sitting down, he made the rounds, hugging the boys and shaking the Daddies’ hands.
They might not be in little mode today, but there was no mistaking his place among them.
He was their favorite older brother, indulgent, kind, and always quietly protective.
“Thank you so much for coming. I had no idea you were interested in business,” Anders said.
“Anders, love of my life, there is only one man I’d go to a business luncheon for, and it’s not Gabe,” Rory said solemnly. “It’s you. Bestie among besties.”
“If I were a jealous man, I might be worried,” Gabe added dryly.
“Well, that would be silly,” Rory said, arching a brow. “You know the order of my love.”
“What’s the order?” I asked.
“Anders, then Gabe. Always and forever.” Rory made exaggerated heart eyes at Gabe, who smiled indulgently.
“Rory, you’re ridiculous.”
“Okay, but where’s the lie?” Owen laughed.
“Before I forget,” Casey said, “Jakob said he’d be here by twelve-thirty. Reed’s on shift.”
“Levi asked me to tell you he was sorry he couldn’t reschedule his meeting,” Nico added.
“It’s fine.” Anders glanced at me. “Although I’m not entirely sure why you’re here.”
All eyes turned to me.
Lucky for me, the servers arrived at that exact moment to deliver lunch, and the question was forgotten. We ate steak and the warm spinach salad the hotel was known for, along with basket after basket of sourdough bread that lived up to the hype.
Anders was in his element, surrounded by his boys. They competed for his attention, but this time, they gave him space. The Daddies quietly managed the balance.
Once the dishes were cleared, dessert was served, and coffee refilled, the chairperson approached the podium and clinked her water glass.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. As is our custom, we invite prominent members of our organization to speak on issues relevant across our firms.”
“I’m so proud of you,” Anders murmured as my name was called.
I squeezed his fingers, pushed my chair back, and walked to the podium. When I reached the microphone, I scanned the room until I found John seated at the center table, exactly where I’d asked that he be placed. I let my gaze linger.
A ripple moved through the room.
I glanced back at my table. The boys sat rigid, eyes fixed on John. Jakob, who’d arrived late as warned, looked confused but schooled his features into a glare in the general direction of all the others.
Anders, on the other hand, looked serene and steady while he looked directly at me.
That’s my boy.
“Thank you all for coming. I appreciate your attendance. The topic today is one that recently struck close to home within my company. A senior executive, John McIntyre, orchestrated a theft from the firm his family founded while ensuring that if the theft were discovered, a lower-level employee would be blamed.”
The collective gasp came immediately.
John’s face flushed red, his mouth set in a hard line, but he didn’t move as I laid out the evidence. Every transfer. Every falsified report. Every attempt to frame Anders.
“We are the stewards of our companies,” I continued. “We have an obligation to look below the surface and ensure that accountability rests with those responsible, not those who are convenient.
“John McIntyre is no longer with the firm his family founded, now a subsidiary of my own company. What he did will make us better because we will never allow this level of corporate malfeasance again.
“It is my vow to our employees that every accusation will be thoroughly investigated. They deserve that. They are hardworking, dedicated, and they should never be sacrificed for executive comfort or misplaced loyalty. Thank you.”
The room remained silent as the reality set in. One by one, the people at John’s table turned away from him until he sat alone, an island in the center of the room. His face, once red, now looked molten.
I stayed at the podium, watching.
He shoved his chair back and stood, turning toward our table. Rage twisted his features as he took a step in that direction.
Anders didn’t look at him.
He simply lifted his coffee and took a slow sip.
It was the final insult.
John veered away and stalked out. The room stayed silent until the doors closed behind him. There was no slow clap. I didn’t expect one. As I returned to the table, murmurs spread quietly around me.
John could sue for slander if he wanted. Discovery would be a bitch, but he was welcome to try.
I slid back into my chair, and Anders leaned into me, resting his weight against my side. I wrapped an arm around him and held him close.
“Thank you for that,” he whispered.
“It was no less than he deserved.”
“Maybe. But not everyone would’ve done what you did.”
“Fuck with the man I love, and I’ll do what I can to make you miserable.”
“You love me?”
“I do. Very much.”
“Good,” Anders said softly. “Because I love you too.”