Page 10 of Lines Drawn
Master quirks an eyebrow at the sight of us, but doesn’t say anything. He’s in the process of stripping out of his suit, and doesn’t hesitate to continue as I push Hollis into the bathroom. I run the tap over the sink and gently coax his hands under the water.
“Fuck,” he grumbles at the sting, and I bite my tongue to stop the words that want to tumble out. Instead, I carefully clean the wounds, grateful they’re not deep enough to need stitches. I turn the faucet off and grab a towel, dabbing his delicate skin dry.
I hesitate briefly before bending down and brushing my lips across the wound. When he tries to tug his arm out of my hand, I shake my head. “No, Angel. You’re beautiful. Always.”
“He’s right, Hollis.”
Hollis startles at Master’s rumbling words. I struggle not to slump in relief as Master reaches around us and grabs the medical kit. Flicking it open, he takes out the antibiotic ointment and gauze. It doesn’t take long for him to patch up Hollis’s injuries, and only then do I feel like I can breathe.
“Alright. Keep that on, and have one of the docs check it tomorrow. I will be following up on that.”
Hollis opens his mouth to argue, but Master’s glare stops him. Instead, his cheeks flush and he mumbles, “Thank you.”
I start to strip off my own clothes, glad I had already taken a shower before wandering the house and stumbling upon Hollis. When I’m down to my underwear, I work on Hollis’s clothes. Il Padrone leans against the wall, his arms crossed as he takes us in.
It’s hard not to get distracted by him and his powerful muscles on display, but I force myself to pay attention to whatI’m doing. Every inch of Hollis’s skin that I uncover has me desperate for more. Fuck. My cock hardens in my underwear, but I know that’s the last thing Hollis needs right now. He’s exhausted and emotionally worn out.
Master guides us both to the bed, and Hollis hesitates before getting in. “Just…sleep with us. Please?”
His face softens at my request, and he cups my cheek before he slowly kisses me. My lips follow his, but he pulls back with a chuckle, a new lightness filling him. I slide into bed after him and curl my body around his. Master turns off the lights before joining us, and he places his hand on my hip as I run my fingers through Hollis’s hair, waiting for him to fall asleep.
It doesn’t take long for exhaustion to overtake him, and I sigh in relief as he finally falls under. I carefully twist my upper body so that I can look at Master. There’s only a sliver of moonlight coming in through the window, but it’s enough to see his vibrant eyes. I go to speak, even if I have no fucking clue what I’m going to say, but he lays his finger against my lips.
“Shh, Little One. We’ll talk later. For now, you need sleep, too. We’ll be fine.”
When he moves his finger, he bends and kisses me deeply—hungrily—and I bite back a groan of frustration at the way my dick twitches. He laughs silently before urging me to once again curl around Hollis. Once I do, he surrounds me, and it doesn’t take much for me to fall asleep. Safely between the two men that somehow own me. My soul. My heart. And…fuck. Every inch of my existence. I hope Master knows what to do with this, because I sure as fuck don’t.
“Do I need to make some calls, Hollis?” Doc asks without raising his head.
“No. I’m fine. Just… I couldn’t breathe. But it…it’s not athing.”
Doc looks up from where he’s dressing Hollis’s wounds with a new bandage. “It’s okay if you need help, Hollis. We all do from time to time. I had my fair share of therapy when I first came to the Family. Enzo still talks to his therapist. I can see if he can fit you in, too. Or find someone else who can be trusted.”
“I… No. My demons are my own, and I am handling them just fine.”
Doc raises an eyebrow and Hollis sighs at the silent reprimand. “I promise, if I needed to, I’d let you bully me into therapy. I know this,” he gestures to his wrist, “isn’t fine, butIam.”
“Okay. I’m letting you get away with it because you’ve been managing your anxieties well the last few years, but I’m watching you. If I see you start to spiral, I will pull you from work until I believe you can be trusted.”
Hollis tenses against me, and as much as I want to step in, I don’t, because sometimes, Doc is right. A long moment passes between them before Hollis finally nods and Doc finishes up.
“I’ll check it tomorrow. It should heal fine, since you only managed to scrape the surface. Had you managed more damage, I’d be seriously speaking to Cristian about pulling you from duty. We’re all stressed, but self-care is important, too.”
Hollis blows out a slow breath and I wrap an arm around him. “Thank you, Doc,” he says lowly.
“Don’t thank me. Just don’t be an idiot. Come to me if you need help.”
“Yeah.” That’s all the agreement Doc is going to get, and he must realize that as he dismisses us.
Hollis moves to go back to Roman’s bedside, but I stop him, forcing him to turn and look at me. The dark circles under his eyes are still present. They're not as vivid, but not hidden behind his glasses either. He looks as beaten down as he did when he finally told me his story.
I hate—absolutely hate, like I never have before—that I can’t do anything to help him except be here when he needs me.
“Why didn’t you find me last night?”
He reaches up and threads his fingers through my hair. “Because you needed sleep. You needed Benjamin. I…I needed space to think, to try to get my shit together, because I am so fucking helpless, Ten. I can’t do anything until I have a proper setup, and sitting around, waiting for Roman to wake up, waiting for something to happen, for the next bomb to drop on us…it’s killing me.”
“Hey, hey, you’re okay.” Cupping his face, I swipe away his tears. “Breathe with me, Hol. Just breathe.”
