Page 105 of Their Domme

I chuckled, not above some dark humor to get through a hard time. “Understandable. Nothing like compartmentalizing to deal with when we can’t run anymore, right?”

“There issomuch to unpack in that statement.” Bodhi’s voice made us both look to the door where our lover was standing with an unsure expression on his face. “Sacha asked me to look for you. He got a call from Ansel.”

“What’s wrong? Is he okay?” I asked, concern immediately hitting me. Bodhi’s tone was careful, too careful, like he was afraid I would crack if I took one more hard hit.

He held up a hand and shook his head. “It sounded like he’s fine, but I think he’s on the way back. That’s all I got before the call ended.” He licked his lips, turning his attention to our boyfriend who was holding me still. “I didn’t realize you were back.”

“We stumbled in, and I passed out on the couch. Didn’t get any real sleep since Thursday night before I left,” Oli told Bodhi with a half smile.

Bodhi tsked at his boyfriend and shook his head in a silent reprimand. “You can’t run off coffee forever.”

“I wish I could,” Oli and I said at the same time, making us all start laughing.

“Go find out what Sacha wants,” Oli said, pushing me back. “You don’t want to keep him waiting.”

I blew him a kiss then pressed one to Bodhi's cheek on my way out. Hurrying through the hallway, I was just about to go upstairs when the front door opened.

“Nic?!”

I froze on the spot, my body unable to turn around or run away.That voice.The one I thought I’d never hear again. Thomas, my baby brother, the one guy who’d never let me down and loved without any reservation. He was alive, and, more importantly, he washere.

Hoping like hell I wouldn’t mess this up, I forced myself to face the doorway, my tunnel vision zeroing in on my brother. He looked the same and yet so fucking different than the little kid I had seen last. He was taller now, but still just as slender as I remembered, and his eyes were the same blue. Long hair fell around his face, greasy and unwashed. It was so different from the short hair he’d had that my brain took a few seconds to really register everything else. There were bruises all over him, dried blood on his clothes, and swollen reminders where he’d obviously been hurt.

I’ll kill him.

I’d break every damn bone in Christopher’s body a thousand times over to make him pay for what he’d done to Thomas.

“Thomas?” My voice barely above a whisper, but then we were moving, our bodies speaking louder than my voice could. We rushed to grab each other. I didn’t give a damn about anything else when he slammed into me, his arms tightly wound around me as he trembled. I squeezed him back, holding him close, and tried to hold back my tears.Yeah, that’s a pointless effortBurying my face in his hair, I breathed deeply as tears fell without restraint.

My Thomas was alive, safe, and here in my arms. It was all I’d wanted since I left home at seventeen.

Footsteps filled the foyer, and I glanced up to find Ansel and Rhodes by the front door, watching us with intent expressions. “Where did you find him?” I managed, my voice sounding way more put together than I actually was.

“He found me at the old compound,” Rhodes replied roughly, clearing his throat. “Fell asleep on the way here.”

“The doctor will be here soon to check him over,” Ansel tacked on. I nodded, running my hands through Thomas’ hair. I faintly registered the sounds of the others joining us when Thomas’ body stiffened the slightest bit like he was unsure if the newcomers would be safe. Sacha and Vas paused when they saw us, though they continued walking downstairs after the initial moment of surprise.

Thomas started murmuring things against me, so I knelt down, separating us just enough so I could see his face and wipe away his tears. “What’s wrong?”

“He said—” He hiccuped and wiped at his face, leaving a smear of dirt across his cheek. “He did things—”

“Hey,” I said gently, calmly, as I tried to smile. “We don’t need to talk about that right now. Let’s get you some space to clean up and get checked out, then you can catch us up.”

“But I need to!” Thomas stubbornly refused to move, a scowl on his face. His brow furrowed as he glanced around at everyone. “Who are all of these people?”

“Friends,” I told him. It wasn’t the whole truth, but some things took time.

“He said they were more than friends,” he replied, uncertainty flickering across his features. “He said—”

“Some fucking bullshit, I’m sure,” Maksim muttered from somewhere, and Alexei whispered back for him to shut up.

“Can we talk somewhere? Just-Just us?”

His nerves had increased as we talked, anxiety making his fingers twitch, and I knew I’d do anything to help ease the worry and pain that he was feeling. Giving him a moment of privacy was the least I would do for him. Snagging his hand, I led him to the study I had just left. One set of footsteps followed us, but I didn’t look back. Being truly alone wasn’t really an option right now no matter how much privacy I wished to have for this reunion. Sure, I might have crept off to a room by myself while the others were sleeping, but I wouldn’t take even that tiny risk with my brother’s life now that I had him back.

“This isn’t alone,” Thomas replied shakily as I settled both of us on the couch. Sacha had taken up a spot by the door, a stoic expression on his face, and Vas appeared behind him.

“This is as alone as we get right now,” I explained. “The man who had you, he’s coming for me. Being alone isn’t safe.” Thomas didn’t say anything right away. He looked around, taking in the room then studying me. The expression in his eyes was way older than his thirteen years.

---