I hobble forward on my knees until I’m kneeling over his chest with my cock angled at his face. If a load to the stomach can usually bring him back within minutes, blowing on his face might expedite the process.

“You’re safe, baby,” I soothe. “Dad’s here, and I’m not going to let anyone hurt you. You’re mine, buddy. You’re mine, and you’re Bennet’s. Are you ready for it? Going to bust all over you, baby, I promise.”

“Go on,” Bennet says, patting my ass supportively. “He’s ready. He needs it, Daddy.”

I work my hand faster against my shaft. My balls draw closer, and a familiar tingle spreads through my spine. “Here I come, buddy. Dad’s going to make it all better, I swear. Fuck. Benji.” His eyes are glued to mine. He’s not even looking at my dick. And, Jesus, the level of love in his eyes is unbearable. Even through his heartbreak, his eyes are blaring out love.

“Dad,” he whispers, then it happens. I aim my cockhead at his lips and explode, coating him like lip gloss. The next shot lands on his cheek, and I’m at a loss, because I have no idea how I’ve managed to come so hard twice within an hour. It’s covering half his face. Another jet lands on his chin, then his mouth opens, and he leans closer before taking my cock between his lips. Slowly, he lays his head back, and I come along for the journey.

I’m hunched over him, my arms resting on the carpet as I slowly fuck my softening cock in and out of his mouth. It’s almost too sensitive to bear, but then I think of what my boy is going through, and I push past that sensitivity, offering him whatever I can to guide him back.

He isn’t sucking to grant me release—it’s almost like he’s using me as a pacifier of sorts. Bennet’s lying on his side, his face inches from Benji’s, whispering words of encouragement. With the way I’m angled, I can’t do much to comfort him, so I just slowly slide in and out on an infinite loop until his body stops shaking, praising him with offerings of “Sweet boy. Sweetest boy. That’s my good boy,” continuously.

Fifteen minutes pass before my penis falls from his lips. When I back away and lie at his side, wedging him between myself and Bennet, his eyes follow me for the journey. I don’t bother stuffing my penis back in my pants, I just cup his face and pull him in for a kiss.

The longer we kiss, the more cum drips into our open mouths. It’s like a refreshing pop of protein each time a little more lands on our tongues. I reach blindly for Bennet before guiding him down and inviting him into the kiss.

I want this. For the rest of my life, I want them to be mine, and for me to be theirs. Their dad. Their Daddy. The love of their lives—because that’s who they are for me.

“Why is he here?” Benji finally asks. “Why would Tate bring the monster?” I can tell he wants to curl in on himself and bury his face in either Bennet’s or my chest, but he’s holding strong, and I’m just so dang proud of him. That’s my boy.

“I’m assuming he wants to dispose of him, once and for all.”

“They didn’t have to bring him here,” he whimpers. “They could have done it in Washington.” He stares at me with teary eyes, and it’s a look that shatters my heart. “Please don’t let him hurt me.”

I cup his cheek. “I swear to God, Benjamin. No one is ever going to hurt you again. I’m not going anywhere, baby, I promise.” I wipe my load from his face and slide my hand beneath his shirt, slathering it liberally across his stomach. “Dad’s got you, buddy. I’m right here. You’re safe.” I lean in and kiss him gently as I squeeze his hip.

Benji nods, then he sits up and stares at the chest. The key is right beside it, and my breath hitches when he grabs it and slides it into the padlock. He closes his eyes and draws in a shaky breath.

The chest creaks loudly as it opens, and as Benji kneels over, staring down at his monster, my heart slams in my chest. IfBenito even thinks about touching Benjamin or Bennet, I’ll rip his head off with my bare hands.

“Hi, Nito,” Benji whispers, and my God, he sounds wrecked.

“B-Benji?” Benito’s voice is raw and broken, and I have to physically bite my bottom lip to stop the words from pouring out, because he doesn’t get to call Benjamin that anymore. He lost that right a long time ago. “Benji, I can’t feel my legs.” Benji’s jaw is trembling, and tension fills the room the longer he stares down into the box. “Please? I think I’m dying. I don’t—I’m sorry, I . . .” He makes a rattling sound as he breathes, and then he lets out a phlegmy cough. “I’m begging you. Benji, I don’t want to die. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry for everything, just—Please help me.”

Benji cocks his head to the side like the request is the silliest thing he’s ever heard. “But it’s what you deserve. You hurt Tatum’s heart, then you broke ours. You didn’t have to be so mean. There was no reason to make it hurt so bad.” He sniffles. I clench my fist, digging my nails into my palm, because if I don’t, I’m going to kill the man for making Benji cry. “What did we ever do to make you hate us so much?”

“I’m sorry,” he sobs. “Benji, I really think I’m dying. They barely feed me anything. Tatum keeps me locked in his closet. I get it now—I promise I won’t ever do it to anyone else. Please, help me. I’m sorry!”

“Do they beat you?” Benji asks, his voice void of emotion. He sounds like a robot.

“No, but they do other stuff. They make me sit in a chair while they have sex, and then they tell me all the ways they’re going to kill me. The big one drugs me all the time. This is the most sober I’ve felt in months. I can’t do this anymore. Benji, I can’t, it’s?—”

Bennet takes his place at Benji’s side. “Torture,” he finishes for Nito as he kneels beside Benji, staring down into the chest.“It’s torture, and it’s exactly what you deserve.” I’ve never heard Bennet so assertive. My quiet little guy has finally found his voice, and a rush of pride swells in me.

“Bennet, I never meant—” The monster doesn’t cry out when Bennet balls his hand into a fist and punches down into the chest. I can’t see anything from where I am right now, so it looks like he’s just hitting an empty box.

“I hate you!” Bennet cries out. “I hate you for everything you did to me. For what you did to Tatum. I could forgive that, Nito. I could forgive and forget if it meant never having to see you again. But I can’t forgive you for what you did to Benji. I won’t.”

“Bennet,” Benji whispers, shaking his head. “I don’t want this. Look at him. He’s broken down to the point he probably can’t ever be put back together, and you’re just making it worse.”

Bennet stares at Benji as if he’s just slapped him. “I’m making it worse?”

Benji closes his eyes and sighs. “There’s been enough hurt to last us a lifetime. I don’t want to hurt anymore. We’re supposed to be happy right now. This is our happily ever after. We just found our new Daddy, and I don’t want the monster to ruin that too.”

Benjamin looks over his shoulder, but it isn’t me he’s staring at. He’s locked onto Bennet. This isn’t my moment, so I remain silent, watching as a wordless conversation unfolds between them.

“I don’t want him to die,” Benji finally admits to Bennet. “Even though I don’t know what I want them to do with him, I don’t want him to die because of us. I don’t know that I could ever get over that.”