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“What was your nightmare about?” he asked.
Ugh. “Marcus and the fire. What about you?”
He chuckled humorlessly and exhaled some smoke. “Losing everyone I love in the fire. And I don’t know what’s worse, reliving the night I lost my parents and my sister, or concocting my own versions where I lose Reese and River.”
Gosh. I could not imagine that horror.
“I’m so sorry this is happening, Shay,” I said quietly. “But I’m glad you have River and Reese.”
They would be there for him every step of the way toward recovery, I was sure of it.
I wasn’t as sure about my own situation. Every night seemed to push me back to feeling lost and weak, not to mention insecure, which Sloan and Greer didn’t deserve. They hadn’t done a single thing to validate that worry.
“Same with your new crew,” Shay said. “We’ve been worried for a while, but Master Greer and his two will be good for you, I think.”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. “You don’t think it’s weird I’m already in a kink dynamic with them?”
He shrugged. “Maybe? But does it matter? Weird doesn’t equal bad. I met the Tenleys under pretty weird circumstances too.”
He had a point.
“Do they make you happy?” he asked. “Do they rush you in any way? Do you feel like they’re trying to use you somehow?”
I cocked my head and ticked the answers off my fingers. “Yes, no, no.”
“Then I think it’s safe to say you’re on the right track,” he replied. “Our demons will go away eventually. And in the meantime, we have Sadists and Valium.”
I spluttered a laugh.
I was glad I’d come out here. I already felt better.
Breakfast a few hours later was a sore affair. My butt cheeks were turning a dark-purple shade, and I had to use a cushion to sit on.
“I just don’t like it when Doms spend time together on their own.” Milk dribbled down my chin, and I wiped it away with my hand. Leave it to Archie to find me an unsweetened almond milk I’d never tried before, and now I could finally have cereal whenever I wanted.
Shay was nibbling on toast, his stare fixed on the men outside on the porch, while we were stuck in here at the dining room table. He didn’t like this development either.
“Do you think Archie will tell us what’s going on?” he asked.
Unfortunately not. “Not likely.” I reached for the Cocoa Puffs and poured more cereal into my bowl. “He’s like Cam. The high-protocol stuff keeps them from always being on the brats’ side.”
“I figured.”
While I was at it, I grabbed the juice and refilled Shay’s glass. “Eat more, please. I can make you more toast.”
He only had one triangle left.
Before he could respond, I heard Greer yell my name. Actually yell.
I went rigid and watched through the window as he stalked inside, decked out in his utility clothes for work. Sloan was hot on his tail, holding Kyla at the same time. Archie followed, then River and Reese.
“What now?” Shay sat a little straighter.
Greer barged in first, and he didn’t look happy. “What’s this I hear about your birthday? It’s tomorrow, you fucking brat.”
Oh crap.
“Oh crap,” I whispered.
Reese snuck past the others and frowned at me. “I thought they knew, kid.”
“How did you know?” I had to ask.
“I saw it when I reviewed your membership,” he answered. “For the record, I terminated Marcus’s membership yesterday.”
Oh.
“Why didn’t you tell us, sweetheart?” Daddy asked. He looked more troubled than annoyed, and I didn’t know what was worse.
I had to be honest. “I didn’t think it was appropriate, and I didn’t want to risk you feeling guilted into doing something for me.”
“Corey.” Archie was evidently appalled by my answer. “This is—I mean, it’s your birthday. We—I—bloody hell, Master, are you going to punish him? Preferably on his already bruised butt.”
Whoa!
“I fuckin’ have to, don’t I? ’Cause that’s gotta be the dumbest shit I ever heard.” Greer shook his head at me.
“But I haven’t done anything wrong!” I cried out.
“That may be true, but I can punish you anyway,” Greer argued.
That…I…what! So he was acknowledging that I hadn’t done anything wrong, and he still wanted to punish me? What the crap!
“Baba!” Kyla yelled.
Greer pointed at her. “She agrees with me.”
“Does not!” I huffed.
“Does too,” he insisted.
“All right—Christ, quit it, both of you.” Sloan intercepted and handed Kyla over to Archie. “Shep, you go to work. Archie, you give your Owner his lunch—”
“It’s on the hallway table,” Archie replied.
Daddy continued. “I’m gonna run errands with Corey and discuss his birthday. We don’t even know if he has plans.”
“I don’t,” I said. “I mean, not really. Marcus was gonna try to FaceTime me if I was a good boy for him, but I don’t think I’ve been a good boy for him this weekend.” I grinned a little.
