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“It was a horror. You would have had nightmares.”

She shrugged. “We were living in a real-life horror movie, how would that have been worse?”

Jenner winced. “I didn’t know your dad was so hard on you, baby. Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Why would I do that? Everyone had bad stuff going on. My parents were just . . . well, my father was overly critical of everything I did. And my mother parroted him. He told me that once the Deity found a husband for me, I would finally have to grow up and then I would be worth something. As a breeder. My womb was the only thing that made me worthwhile. That made him want to keep me alive.”

Jenner sucked in a breath while Tobias suddenly picked up an egg and threw it against the wall.

She stared at the smashed egg in shock.

“That was fucking unsatisfying,” Tobias snarled. “That motherfucker. How could he say that to you? His fucking daughter!”

“It really wasn’t that bad.” And she decided not to point out his swearing. Maybe he did need a subscription rate for the swear jar.

It had been bad, though. Because it hadn’t just been once. His comments had been unrelenting. All the time. All she heard was how useless she was. How she wouldn’t be anything until she had a child. How she had to stop acting like a useless child all the time.

“You’re squirming,” Jenner pointed out. “So it really was that bad. You never told me this.” He half-turned her so she could look up into his face. The pain there made her flinch.

“I didn’t think it was worth telling anyone. And I had you guys to take care of me. I wasn’t alone. You guys were always there when I needed you to be. And Abe even made me that doll once. I had everything I needed.”

“That doll was made of fucking sticks and string,” Jenner said in a choked voice.

“I loved that doll. I called her Sticky. Not very original now that I think about it.”

“What happened after the cult was raided?” Tobias asked. “Please fucking tell me that your bastard father was arrested.”

She gave Tobias a surprised look. “No. He wasn’t a Sentinel, he was a sheep. But he was good at talking.”

“Believe it or not, Immy’s parents were some of the better ones. Well, I thought they were. Her dad convinced the authorities that he’d been brainwashed and once he’d seen the truth, he was scared to try and leave for fear of the Deity and Sentinels retaliation. And Immy’s mom backed him up.”

“You . . . you lived with him after?” Tobias asked in a choked voice.

“You’re not going to throw another egg, are you?” she asked.

“Fuck. Fuck!”

“It’s all right, things were actually better after we left the cult. Abe was with me.”

“That makes it okay?” Tobias asked.

“It actually did. We were given a place to live and my father got a job. He didn’t much like it, but it meant he was gone a lot.

The guys lived close by and we all went to school together.

And with Abe there, my father stopped making those remarks.

I mean, occasionally he’d say something if Abe wasn’t around to hear.

But, actually, it was kind of peaceful. My mom spent lots of time in her room, I don’t know what she did in there.

But she wasn’t paying attention to me, which suited me fine.

Abe and I spent most of our time with the others. ”

Tobias shook his head. “I’m gonna need to pay your father a visit.”

“Why?” She glanced from the smashed egg to him.

Tobias leaned across the counter. “Because he needs to know that no one treats my . . . you like that.”

“Well, you can visit him but he won’t pay you much attention,” she told him. “He died close to two years ago. And my mom . . . well, she ended up taking her own life soon after.”

Jenner hugged her tight, rocking her back and forth. Turning her face, she buried it into his neck.

“I can’t believe I just dumped that all on you,” she muttered. “Sorry.”

“Never be sorry,” Jenner told her as he rubbed his hand up and down her back. “I knew your mother was basically a parrot and that your dad could be harsh, but I never knew how harsh.”

“I didn’t want to bother you guys. You always had things worse than me. It seemed silly to complain about something so . . . so inconsequential.”

Jenner drew her head back, staring down at her sternly. “You listen to me, baby girl. Nothing about you is or could ever be inconsequential. And whatever you are going through . . . I want to know about. Understand?”

She stared up at him in shock. He sounded so stern. So forceful.

“Understand me?”

“I understand,” she whispered.

“That’s my good girl.” He cupped the side of her face.

She liked being his good girl. More than was probably healthy.

“It’s in the past, though. It hardly matters now.”

“It matters if it affects you,” Tobias told her.

“We’ve all got stuff from our past that affects us,” she said dismissively. “And I’m fine.”

“Right, fine. Except for the fact that you deny your Little side,” Jenner said to her quietly.

She stiffened. Nope. No. She was not talking about this. Jenner had broached this with her before. So had Abe and Cat. But just because she might like sleeping with a stuffed toy didn’t mean she was a Little. There were lots of people who loved Harry Potter, who weren’t Littles.

And she couldn’t be a Little.

Because she had to grow up. Be strong. Stop being so ridiculously childish.

Unicorn poop.

Now her father was in her head. She knew she shouldn’t have spoken about him.

“He’s like Rumpelstiltskin,” she muttered.

“What? Who is?” Tobias asked.

“My father. Say his name and he appears. Poof. I need to go back to bed.”

“You haven’t eaten any of your breakfast,” Jenner protested.

“I’m sorry. I’m not hungry anymore.”

Jenner started swearing quietly, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him off. Instead, she attempted to slide off his lap. He tightened his hold on her.

“Baby, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up.”

“It’s all right. I want to go to bed. Please let me go.”

“I’ll carry you up.” Jenner stood with her in his arms.

“You don’t have to.”

“Twinkles, I know I don’t have to. I want to,” he told her as he carried her upstairs. He turned her so she was pressed to his chest. She glanced over his shoulder at Tobias who was staring after her, his face tortured.

Cupcakes.

She hadn’t meant to do that to him. To upset him.

Immy didn’t want to make anyone upset. She smiled at him, aware it probably looked a bit sad. He had his fists clenched as he leaned them on the bench.

And he didn’t smile back.

“I’m sorry, Jenner,” she told him as they reached her bedroom.

He sat her on the bed and then sat, facing her. “Why are you sorry? If anyone should be apologizing, it should definitely be me.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Why?”

“Because I’ve been a shit friend.”

“Really? Wow, if the guy who has been looking after me day and night is a bad friend, then I’d really like to see a good one.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ve been avoiding you and that hurt you and I’m sorry. I just . . . ” He shook his head. “This isn’t the time or place. Just know that I love you, Immy. I wish I’d known the extent that your dad was being an asshole.”

“There was nothing any of us could have done.”

“Maybe not. That was the worst thing about that place. The feeling of helplessness. Of being out of control. I have to have control, Immy.”

He had his hands clenched and there was a strange look on his face. One that scared her.

“You have control now.” She placed her hands on his hands, but he stood and they dropped away.

“I don’t. Not enough. But I’m getting there.

I will be worthy of you, Immy. I promise.

” Turning, he strode to the door. Then he turned.

“And you shouldn’t let your father’s words stop you from getting what you need.

He might have called you childish and immature, but I happen to think that you are the best person I’ve ever met.

I love it when you laugh and play. When you’re carefree and happy. That makes me happy.”

She gaped after him.

What in the unicorn poop had just happened?

Tobias finished cleaning up the broken egg, glancing up as Jenner walked back into the kitchen. The other man started pacing. He was like a boiling kettle about to spill over.

“Immy all right?” he asked, feeling surprisingly calm considering he’d just been throwing eggs. Well, one egg. But he’d wanted to throw the whole fucking carton.

“I can’t believe that bastard used to say those things to her. I knew he was an asshole. A selfish dick. Fucking bastard. Wish I could dig him up and piss on his dead body.”

Tobias slowly nodded. “Yeah. I get that. I can make it happen.”

Jenner stopped and gaped at him. “You’re not serious.”

“Sure, I am.” He watched as the other man swallowed heavily. Then he sat at the kitchen island. “Fuck. Fuck! That’s likely the reason why she denies that she’s a Little. She tries to suppress it.”

“Probably. Most of it, anyway.”

“She should be free to be whoever she wants. She should never be limited by that asshole.”

“No, she shouldn’t be.”

“Immy shouldn’t be limited by anything,” Jenner said. “She gets whatever she wants and I’m going to see that happens.”

“She’ll probably need help accepting her Little side.”

“You know about Littles because of Cat? Or do you have more experience than that?” Jenner asked him bluntly.

“More experience than that. I’ve been in several relationships, and all of my partners were submissive. Two were Littles.”

“I’ve gone to the club. Spent time with Littles. Time with Cat and Maeve, obviously. But I’ve never dated anyone who was a Little. I’ve barely dated.”

“And yet, from what I’ve seen, all of you act as Immy’s Daddy.”

Jenner gave him a shocked look.

He didn’t know why he was telling him this. He certainly didn’t want to help the other guy gain more of Immy’s affection and love. Nope, he should be actively trying to separate them so he could move on in.

But, fuck, for some reason he couldn’t kick this man when he looked so fucking devastated. When he was upset because of what had been done to his girl.

Their girl.

No. Nope.

He wasn’t going to share her. Immy was going to be his. Tobias could be a selfish asshole with the things that belonged to him. Everyone knew that.

And yet . . . would it be bad to have someone else who was looking out for his girl? Watching over her.

Fuck.

“I’ve got that concert this weekend,” Jenner said suddenly. “Immy won’t be able to come with us, now. She’ll have to stay here. With you.”

“She will,” Tobias said.

“You care about her, don’t you?”

“Yes. I do.”

Jenner nodded. “Just make sure you look after her.” Jenner turned and walked away.

Fucking hell.

He wanted to hate the other man. He wanted to take him down.

What he didn’t want was to feel sorry for him. Or to admire the way he loved Immy. Because Tobias couldn’t be that fucking selfless.