Page 40 of Stolen Compliance

I nod and swallow back the sob that wants to work its way up my throat. “Can I…”

He huffs. “You’re still such a fucking soft touch. Go. But…remember the rules.”

I don’t look at him, knowing I’ll collapse if I do. Instead, I make my way back to Luca. The pull between us cannot be denied. Stepping in front of him, I try to catch his eyes, but he’s studiously not looking at me. Either lost in the pain or trying to hide from the world, I don’t know, but either way, that doesn’t change what I need to do.

Carefully, I unshackle one arm, grabbing him and holding his weight up as I awkwardly do the other. His legs give way underneath him, and I follow him to the floor, cradling him in my arms.

It’s weak. I’m weak. I’m sure Dominic will make me pay for this later, but right now, I don’t fucking care. Not when the chains I’ve kept myself under for so long are breaking, and I get a taste of what it’s like to hold a Boy in my arms.

It’s stupid. It’s selfish. And it could very well get him killed, but for a moment, he feels like mine, and I’m nothing if not diligent. I’m the one who gave him pain, and now I can ease him through it. Even if he hates me after. It’s okay. Because I’ll hate myself, too, but at least the guilt of letting him suffer won’t be on my shoulders for once.

Dominic moves around the space, but I ignore him as I whisper nonsensical words to Luca and gently run my fingers over his sweaty and shaking body.

“You’re okay. You’re safe. I got you.” The words feel like lies, but I force them out, anyway.

Tomorrow we can go back to hurting and hating each other, but for today, for this moment, I can let myself pretend we’re choosing one another. So long as I can shut this door once morning comes, it won’t matter. Luca probably won’t remember, and I can lock these gentle parts of myself back up again.

Just this one moment. Just let me have this. Let me believe I haven’t completely become a monster…

Fucking hell. This day… Just fuck. Getting a call from Sergio is never fun. Finding out he just tested his son—my responsibility—without my fucking knowledge? That’s even worse.

And Luca… Luca fucked it all up. Sergio could have called Luca on the lie. But then he’d have to admit to Teo that the test was for him. While he doesn’t trust his son yet, he’s cautious enough to know not to break the kid.

So where does that leave us?

Fucked.

And worse, Teo is now hung up on the bunny…which means I have to somehow keep him alive. It doesn’t matter what Sergio wants. Teo is never going to be the hardened shell he expects.

Hell, I put Teo through some of the toughest training we offer, and the kid didn’t crumble. To still have enough heart left to cuddle the bunny? That’s the sign of a man that will not shatter, and he won’t bend to his father’s desires.

Eventually, we’re going to have to face it. The question is, what will Sergio do? We worked hard to find Teo. It’s a fucking miracle that Sergio managed to have a kid. There’s no fucking spare on this one.

And damn if Teo isn’t lucky for that. Because the moment his father finds out he’s still got a soft spot, Sergio is going to have to decide: toss the business to the woman he treats as his daughter or accept his son won’t fit the mold no matter what.

For now, I keep my own counsel. But we’re playing a dangerous game. My job is to make sure Sergio’s heir is ready. Doing so keeps us both alive.

But Teo… he just won’t fall in line. And the closer he gets to the bunny, the further away he is from the prize. No matter how much pressure I put on them or how much I manipulate them, there are limits to the mind.

The bunny seems to be far stronger than I thought he was, and that’s not a good thing. I know Sergio well enough to understand he’s not doing shit out of the goodness of his heart. He has an ulterior motive, and it means I need to stay two steps ahead, like usual.

There will come a time when a decision has to be made. And my gun will be ready. The question is…who will be in my line of sight?

Luca? Teo? Or…will it finally be time to face the lies we tell ourselves. Each time we move the goalpost a little further on our morality is yet another sin we have to answer for in this life and the next.

As I stand here listening to Teo’s comforting murmurs, I’m beginning to wonder, just how those sins add up. Because sometimes… sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have my Buttercup and the bunny all to myself. Forever.

Pushing the rambling thoughts away, I force myself to close in on Teo and Luca. Coldly, I snap out, “I didn’t think cuddling was part of the experience we offer here.”

“Fucking hell, Dominic,” Teo bitches. “I’m just making sure he’s alright.”

“It’s not your business if he is or if he’s not. Fuck, by rights your father could have told you to put a bullet in his head. That’s what you need to keep in mind.”

Teo shakes his head, visibly holding back his thoughts. I want to rage against it. How dare he hide anything from me? But right now, we don’t have time. Not when I don’t know when Sergio may be coming back.

“Get him up to his room,” I command. “I’ll deal with you later.”

It’s a struggle not to help him carry Luca’s weight, but I force myself to stand quietly as Teo handles it. The truth is, something about the bunny calls to me, too. But I already have one asshole I’m putting my life on the line for, I don’t need another one.