Page 70 of Daddy's Muse
“I don’t think,” I said, pressing a kiss to his curly hair. “Iknow. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you both safe. This little one”—I tapped the bunny gently—“isn’t just a pet. It’s part of you, and I’d die before letting anything hurt it. Just like you.”
Colby’s lips trembled as tears welled in his eyes. “I… I don’t know what I did to deserve this… to deserve you…”
“You deserve it, baby,” I murmured, my voice low and possessive. “And I’ll spend every day proving that.”
He smiled, small and shaky, and I couldn’t resist lifting him into my lap, letting the bunny curl against his chest while he leaned into me. I let my hands brush his hair back, brushing over his shoulders, and just watched him interact with the bunny, imagining a thousand more days just like this.
“You want to give her a name?” I asked, my voice soft.
Colby’s eyes lit up. “I… I think… maybe Butter…?”
“Butter,” I repeated, testing the sound. “Butter the Bunny.”
He giggled, pressing his face into the bunny’s fur, and I felt a flush of heat, satisfaction, and obsessive protectiveness all at once.
Our perfect little family, just the three of us: Colby, Butter, and me. I’d guard them both with everything I had.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. I ignored it for a heartbeat, letting myself savor the small, warm perfection of the moment. When it chimed again, I pulled it out from my pocket, sighing inwardly as I realized it was Colby’s phone, not mine.
And the text was from none other than his dipshit ex-roommate.
Bryan:
Still up for tonite at 11?
I frowned, wondering how he was in college and misspelling “tonight”. My hand brushed against Colby’s hair again as I scrolled past the message, tucking the thought away.
* * *
I crouched beside Colby’s bed, admiring him. His chest rose and fell in quiet rhythm, little snores escaping every few seconds.
I lingered for a few more moments, letting the quiet soak into my bones, before Colby’s phone buzzed again on the nightstand. My jaw tightened when I saw the name glowing in the dark.
Bryan:
Let me know.
I swiped it open, my fingers hovered over the keyboard, a familiar rush of irritation prickling at the edge of my focus. I was pissed at leaving, no matter how much it needed to be done. Colby needed me here, but I’d already put this off long enough. I typed back, fingers deliberate, slipping into Colby’s tone.
Colby:
Be there soon.
Leaving right now.
The phone clicked off, and I let it fall back onto the nightstand. My movements became mechanical, methodical. All black—pants, shirt, boots, gloves, a cap to hide my hair. A bag of rope, tools, and duct tape tucked neatly inside. Every item I packed weighed against me like the memory of my own pulse. Colby’s warmth, the softness of Butter, the fragile smile on his lips… all of it burned in my chest like fire as I prepared myself for the outside world.
The door closed softly behind me. The night was crisp, the world quiet, the city lights dim in the distance as I slipped into my car. Hands tight around the steering wheel, eyes fixed ahead, I drove to the outskirts of campus, towards the secluded park we had agreed on. Every shadow along the route felt like a warning, every distant sound a potential complication, but my focus never wavered from the task at hand.
I arrived and stepped out, the damp grass brushing against my boots. The park was empty, the faint glow of a streetlamp cutting through the darkness. I scanned the area, eyes sharp, pulse steadying only when I saw a figure near the edge of the path. Bryan.
He looked up, startled, taking a step back. “Who… who are you?” he asked, suspicion tightening his tone.
I let my lips curve into a faint, controlled smirk, the black fabric of my jacket blending into the shadows around me. “You asked for me,” I said, voice low and deliberate.
He blinked, a nervous laugh escaping him, but his gaze stayed fixed. I adjusted the strap of the bag over my shoulder, the rope and tools pressing against me like a promise.
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