Page 55 of Kiss, Kill, Thrill Me, Daddy

Last night, I told Tatum I would not drug his friends again. They will need to wake to work through whatever turmoil they’re facing. Plans will need to be made. Arrangements for housing. Ways they might avoid Benito in the future. Tatum wasn’t happy by the end of our discussion, but he knows keeping them sedated will solve nothing, and we are quickly running out of time.

And, while Tatum watches over his friends, Brody, Scotty, Fiona, Tatum’s parents, and myself have been putting the finishing touches on our upcoming double wedding. Each time I return to Tatum’s room, he hasn’t moved an inch. He just sits on the bed, his back against the headboard, watching them intently. Last night, he was cuddled up at Benji’s side, one legover the man’s thighs, hugging him tightly. The night before, he had Bennet’s head pressed firmly against his heart, murmuring sweet nothings to the unconscious man. The moment he caught sight of me, Tatum smiled like it was the most normal thing in the world. In our little bungalow in Winawana, cuddling with Fiona was par for the course. In his childhood bed, clinging desperately to men he once loved, it feels different.

Worse are the pitying looks being thrown my way. Each time I see Brody, he gives me a sympathetic smile, but he can save his sympathy for someone who needs it. I am fine. A welcome change has been Scotty’s attitude toward me. Usually, he seethes and hisses at me like a viper. The last three days, he has been uncharacteristically kind to me. There have been no death threats thrown my way. No rusty railroad spikes poking through the mattress of the sleeper sofa because I made the grave mistake of scolding him in front of his friends and family. In fact, he’s been somewhat of a shoulder to lean on. He even hugged me once, though he quickly course-corrected, claiming there was a spider on my shoulder. He slapped me directly in the face once the words were out, stating the spider had hopped onto my cheek.

Mercifully, the St. James family have also taken me under their wings in Tatum’s absence. We’ve stayed up late at night, me getting to know them, them getting to know me. They must notice how worried I am, because Lindsay has cornered me on several occasions, reminding me of the fact she’s never seen Tatum as happy as he is with me. It’s a touchstone I hold on to when he’s holed away in his childhood bed, caring for the men who loved him first.

I’m downstairs, nursing a sugary cup of cocoa when I hear it. A squeak. A squeal. Then, a bedroom door opening and footsteps dashing down the stairs. Tatum rounds the corner, his eyes wide as the moon itself.

“Abi,” he says to me, and I’d be lying if I said the worddoesn’t temporarily put my mind at ease. “They just woke up, and Benji’s freaking out. I need you to talk some sense into him.”

With a sigh, I stand, following his lead. Once we’re on the second-floor landing, I hear Benjamin weeping behind Tatum’s bedroom door. Tatum turns around and flashes me a nervous smile.

“I know I’ve been distant,” he starts, but I shake my head. Now is not the time for well-meant placations.

“He’s crying. We should calm him.”

Tatum’s face screws up, whether in confusion or disappointment, I’m not sure. He gives me a resigned nod before opening the door, allowing me entry. Once inside, I watch as Benjamin’s eyes widen in fear, and he tries to back away. Unfortunately, Tatum insisted we keep him restrained, so he doesn’t make it very far. At his side, somehow, Bennet has freed his arms from the restraints holding him to the bed, and he’s stumbled upon the butcher’s knife I’d put in the nightstand days ago. Damn.

“Little one,” I say, but he quickly shakes his head.

“Remind me, Abi, why do you keep a knife in the bedside drawer?”

“To keep you safe, little one,” I say with a sigh.

“He’s aiming a knife at me. How safe am I right now?”

“He will not hurt you.”

“That’s not the point,” Tatum squeaks, his voice taking on a shrill tone. “Replace Bennet with an armed intruder, and I’d be dead as a doornail right now. Good fucking job.”

“If the knife makes you uncomfortable, you could have removed it at any time,” I remind him. Then I see it. A hint of mayhem on his face. “You like it. Don’t you? A knife. A grenade launcher. You live for the danger.”

“I live for the day you eventually die. That’s what I live for. God, Abi. Way to turn this around on me.”

“Say it.”

Tatum groans. “Okay, well, maybe it’s kind of hot knowing I can grab it and press it against your throat, should the need toejaculate arise in the middle of the night. I’m a man, Abi. You can’t fault me for it. I have no control over my penis.”

“You needn’t threaten me, sweetheart,” I say, bumping his shoulder with mine. “You may ejaculate on me whenever the mood strikes.” His cheeks flush red, and he opens his mouth to argue, only to be cut off.

“Wait. Are you two together?” It’s Bennet speaking. He’s staring at us incredulously.

“Hello,” I say, grinning to put him at ease. “I am Kincaid. Tatum is my husband.” The way he cocks his head to the side as if I’m stupid does not sit right with me. “The little one belongs to me now. You may not have him back.”

At my side, Tatum groans. “For fuck’s sake. Calm down, caveman. He’s been through the ringer. Be nice to him.”

Wanting to show Tatum I do have a basic understanding of social graces, I fix a smile on my face. Judging by the Bens’ reactions, it must not be terribly convincing. They seem horrified. I take a careful step forward, lifting my hand and waving. “Hello.”

“Don’t talk to him,” Bennet says, holding the knife toward me. “Tatum, what the fuck?”

“Everything is okay,” I say, taking another step forward.

“No!” Benjamin cries. “Stay away from me.” He looks at Tatum with an expression that screams betrayal. “You let him drug me! How could you?”

“Benji, babes, please? I need you to calm down. You’re safe.” Tatum sits on the edge of his bed, rubbing his hand up and down Benjamin’s stomach. “It’s just Abi. He’s here to help.” Tatum inches farther onto the bed and rests his hand over Benjamin’s heart. “If you won’t trust him, then trust me. I’d never let anything happen to you. You know that.”

“You already hurt me. You hurt me, you hurt Bennet, and you hurt Benito.”

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