When we emerged from the room, Hudson was missing, but Kreed was still on the loveseat. Kip, who was still on the couch where we’d left him, looked up at our entrance. He ran his eyes over me for a moment before looking at our boy. Wordlessly, he stood and followed us into the kitchen. I released Corvus’s hand to go into the pantry.
“Come here,chibi,” Kip murmured, pulling our boy into his arms. He cradled the back of Corvus’s head and pressed a kiss to his temple. “I explained to them what’s going on and what you’ve been going through. Kreed is in the process of shooting off emails and making phone calls. Hudson went outside for a breather. I’m pretty sure he’s smoking. Kreed said he’d be fine and to let him be.”
Corvus nodded. “He’s definitely smoking, and honestly, I could use a smoke, too.” He peered up at Kip just as I came out of the pantry with a bottle of water for him and some animal crackers. “Can I, Daddy?”
Kip nodded. “Of course,chibi.”
“Here.” I held out the water and small bag of animal crackers to him. “Drink that and eat those. You’ll feel a little better.”
“Thanks.” He looked between the two of us. “I’m sorry for lashing out earlier.”
Kip gripped the side of Corvus’s neck and tipped up his chin with his thumb so Corvus was forced to look up at him. “You do know that there will be a punishment for it, yes?”
Corvus sighed and nodded.
“But your apology is accepted,chibi. The punishment is foryourbenefit. You’ve had a long day already, and it’ll provide a release. I promise.”
Leaning down, he softly kissed Corvus, and my belly clenched at the sight of the two of them together. Corvus moaned softly and stepped closer to him, opening his lips beneath Kip’s. Kip groaned, tightening his hand around Corvus’s throat before he forced the two of them to part. Rubbing the pad of his thumb over Corvus’s kiss-swollen bottom lip, he rasped, “That’ll hold until later,chibi.”
“You mean I’m getting laid finally?” Corvus teased.
I laughed and swatted his ass. “Go outside and smoke, bub, before I bend you over this kitchen counter for your brattiness.”
“Don’t tease me with a good time—okay!” he yelped when I reached for the dish towel, my brow arched. But a smile played at my lips. I was glad to see he was cheering up a little. And maybe, smoking and talking with Hudson would put him in an even better mood.
He’d been holding in way too much and trying to deal with it all on his own. Now, he wouldn’t have to.
When he disappeared from the kitchen and the backdoor clicked shut behind him, Kip leaned back against the kitchen counter, reaching for me as he did so. I walked into his embrace, resting my head on his chest.
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,tsuma,” he said softly. “He’ll be okay. We’re on the other side of the worst of it. Kreed is using his money and influence in certain circles to take care of Corvus’s parents, and I believe Hudson has plans to talk to him about the day he nearly died. They had no idea how bad everything was for Corvus.”
I sighed. “He hid it well.”
Kip nodded in agreement, tightening his arms around me. “He won’t be hiding anything any longer,” he promised. “We’ll make sure of it.”
Chapter Eighteen
Corvus
Hudson sat on one of the loungers on the back patio. He looked up at me when I stepped out, immediately homing in on the animal crackers in my hand.
“You sharing?” he asked.
“Fuck no. Mommy got these for me,” I scoffed, slipping up and using her title before I could even think about what I was saying. I was trying to take this one step at a time, but there wasn’t much I could do about that now. I dropped into the lounger next to him.
“You got another one of those?” I nodded at the blunt between his fingertips.
Wordlessly, he reached into his pocket and slipped out a clear tube, passing it to me, along with his lighter.
I lit up, then deeply inhaled, allowing the smoke to settle deep in my lungs.
“Mommy…” Hudson finally mused, looking up at the sky. “I always knew you were submissive. Just never said anything because I wasn’t sure if you’d discovered it about yourself yet,and it wasn’t my place to suggest anything to you. But I definitely didn’t peg you as the type to want a Mommy and Daddy.”
I scowled at him. “Don’t be a dick.”
Hudson huffed a laugh. “I’m not. Fucking swear, bro. I’m just surprised, is all. Remember, I don’t care what your happiness looks like, so long as you’re happy. That’s all I want. You’ve been through goddamn enough.” He shook his head. “Fuck, bro, we both have. We deserve to have everything we fucking want, don’t we?”
