Page 11 of Unsettled
“I want to make this work,” he finally says. “I want this more than I've ever wanted anything.”
“I'm glad to hear that. Everything else can be worked out, so long as you're honest with him. I gifted you to him, but in truth, I'm gifting Tennant to you. No one else has free rein over him. I don't care what Roman and Jude do with him. I know if I asked, they'd stop in a heartbeat, because they're all mine. You? You're not. I'll protect you because you're important to both Tennant and Emilio, but you are my equal when it comes to Ten.” I stare into his wide eyes. “Don't make me regret giving you such freedom.”
“No. I want him, forever. I…I don't like it, but I'll learn to live with the fact he has others in his heart.”
“That's all I ask.” Crossing my legs again, I sigh, my temples throbbing with a headache. “Back to the topic of Emilio?—”
“He's the one who came at me and started accusing me of shit!” Benjamin protests. “I tried my best to get him to talk, but I can't when he keeps shutting me out.”
I glare at him, and though he doesn't flinch, he does sag a little under the weight of my stare. “You know him best. He needs logic, not emotions, in order to process everything. It was a volatile situation, and you're both to blame for the state of your relationship. I talked to him last night, as I said. He had a come to Jesus, it's time for your own.”
“I don't believe Lio listened to you.”
I smile a little. “I can be very persuasive. You need to apologize, properly, and let him see how much you love Tennant.”
He stands, but I'm not worried about him leaving the room, so I let him be. “I tried! It didn't help.”
“Then you didn't explain it right. Whether that was on purpose or not, I don't know or care. But do it again. Properly this time, in a way he can understand.”
“You don't know him.”
I stare up at him, one eyebrow raised. He sighs and looks away. “He's not that hard to figure out. I think I have a good understanding of how he works. He loves you, and wants you safe. I told him you're an adult, and are responsible for yourself. You need to assure him of the same. And show him that the love between you and Ten is real.” Nodding towards the bandage poking out from beneath the collar of his shirt, I add, “He'll probably be pissed that you're marked permanently now, but he's also not stupid, or a hypocrite. So figure out how to make him understand that what you have is real.”
“He's not going to get the almost-killing me thing.”
I shake my head. “No, he won't.” I gesture to the scar on my throat, proof of my own brush with death courtesy of Tennant. “But I do. You are not alone, Benjamin. You'll always be connected to Ten, and me now. That doesn't mean you can just throw away your other half.”
He lets out a long, defeated breath, as his shoulders slump. “He has Roman. He doesn't need me anymore.”
Standing, I take the boy in my arms, holding him close. “He does. He needs you both. You fulfill different needs inside him.” Pulling back but not letting go, I tell him, “I know you don't like Roman, and I'm not asking you to, but you can't ask Emilio to allow you to have Tennant, while also taking away the person who's been helping keep him sane. Let them have their friendship. Roman just wants to be loved. Allowing that will help you with both Emilio and Tennant.”
He scowls but doesn't say anything. His dislike for Roman is an uphill battle that I don't have the bandwidth to tackle now. They don't have to be friends, but as long as they respect each other and their places—both as a Second and Boss, and as lovers and friends to the people they care about—I won't touch it.
“Fracturing us will make it all too easy for our enemies to finish what they set out to do. Don't let them win over some petty bullshit.”
“Fuck.” He leans against me for support. “You're right, Lio and I need to talk.”
“I'll make sure to strip his knives beforehand,” I tell him helpfully.
He lets out a watery laugh. “Thank you, Hollis. For everything.”
Lifting his chin with two fingers, I bring his face up to mine and kiss him softly on the mouth. “I'll do anything for my family, Benjamin. That includes pulling your head out of your ass.”
He soaks up my comfort for a long moment before pulling away. “I need to get to work.” He straightens his clothes and wipes his eyes.
“Go, we will see each other soon. Come find me if you need to before then, though.”
He nods and leaves through the entry to the hall. Running a hand through my hair once I'm alone, I sigh and stare at my mess that's left on the dining table.
I have so much to do, but my head is too clogged with emotions, and fixing everyone else's problems. The last thing I need is to be distracted because I'm too busy worrying about everything except the job at hand.
The urge to break something, or someone, to clear my head is too great to ignore…but all of my lovers are knee deep in their own jobs today. Fucking cops, they have to ruin everything, and prevent me from kidnapping someone for a little stress relief.
Though, they're not my only options, not anymore. It's only a matter of getting him alone…
I hope my Cucciolo can back up what he was asking for in the meeting. Not that it matters if he wants it now or not. The needy puppy will be begging for it by the time I'm done with him…
The silence is thick in the limo as we head toward the Martelli mansion. I’m ready to get back to my house, with my own family. Still, I hate seeing Lio like this. He’s not his usual self, too constrained, too quiet. It’s rare, and it worries me. He’s not the type to sit passively like this.
