Page 9 of Lines Drawn (Crimson Bonds #5)

L oyalty . Such a simple word, yet one that seems to break so many. Forsaking others, pledging fealty. It’s a cornerstone to the Martelli motto. Loyalty. Courage. Victory. My thoughts are chaotic as I turn it over in my mind. Last night showed me something that may threaten it all.

I barely twitch at the knock on the door, calling out, “Enter.”

“Uh. Are you alright, Padrone?” I hold back a laugh at Marcus’s question, because fuck if I know.

Slowly, I turn from studying the large Martelli Crest that I keep on the wall behind my desk. I stare instead at the Boy who has been with me longer than most—all except for Luca. However, I think Marcus may be the best person to ask about this…situation.

“I have an issue.” I pause, trying to figure out the best way to approach this. Fuck . There’s no good way to do it. “Hollis joined Emilio and I last night. And no, not for fun. He was struggling, and Emilio took over to comfort him. I merely went along with it. But it leaves me with…”

Marcus stares at me, waiting for me to finish, but the words escape me. Growling, I run my fingers through my hair, yanking at it for good measure. I finally gesture for him to talk, even as he stares at me in confusion.

“Okay. So…I think I know what’s going on.

” Marcus sits down and rubs his chin, before taking a deep breath.

“I know Emilio is yours. All of us Boys know that. The relationship you have with him is different from the one you have with us. You still own us, but with him, there’s more to it.

You found your person. There will never be any question of loyalty with him. ”

“Won’t there?” I ask softly, giving voice to a concern I never thought I’d have.

Sighing, Marcus stares at the top of my desk, instead of meeting my eyes.

When he finally raises his gaze to mine, I almost flinch from the naked longing I see there.

“You know that I love Keegan? Yet, my loyalty is still to you. Keegan’s loyalty is to you as well.

We know that you’ll protect us, and we trust you to do what’s best for the Family.

When you were kidnapped, Emilio needed someone to help him.

The shy, innocent college kid no longer exists.

He’s been taught to go to his knees. It makes sense to him.

With you gone, he needed that to help keep himself sharp. You’re familiar with that.”

“Of course. I’ve never had a problem with that before.” My brows furrow as I stare at him. “But that’s not all that happened.”

“No,” Marcus responds softly. “For either of you. I know it’s easier for you to claim Cristian.

That’s what you do. Having Emilio claim someone…

it’s very different. You’ve accepted it in the past, when Ignacio asked permission to be with Benjamin, or when I paid the penalty to keep Keegan.

But Emilio never saw anyone else. Hollis isn’t a threat to you. Nor is Cristian to Lio.”

I clench my hands into fists and shake my head. “Cristian is mine. But he has his husband.”

“And now Emilio has found a Sir.”

Hissing, I hate that word. Not only do I have to share Emilio’s affections, I have to trust someone to guide him, to dominate him. Fuck. Even to punish him. Punishments are mine . His body and soul are mine .

“That’s a lot of fucking trust,” I eventually spit out, shuddering at the mere thought of leaving Emilio in Hollis’s care. I trust Hollis to a certain degree. I certainly respect him. But that’s my Emilio.

Marcus bites his bottom lip before rolling his shoulders back and addressing me again.

His dark eyes don’t waver. “Look. This is where you and Hollis will need to talk and put boundaries in place. It’s a little too late to stop the feelings—on either side.

And no matter what, you know Emilio would rather cut off his hands than hurt you.

So the question is…do you want to hurt him? ”

“Fuck!” I snarl, hating the fact he’s right. If I told Emilio to leave Hollis alone, he would. But it would hurt my Boy. And I can’t do that. Instead, I need to figure out a way to make this work for all of us.

“May I offer a suggestion?” Marcus asks quietly.

I gesture for him to speak, because fuck if I know what else to do.

“Get Hollis to prove his loyalty to you. Just like Keegan did. Then work with him on what’s acceptable and what’s not.

You’ll need to talk to Lio about this, too. He’s not the…uh…best with emotions.”

I chuckle before smiling. “I think he still assumes I’m marrying him to combine our mafia Families.”

“Yes, Padrone. That’s likely true. Although he knows you care for him. And I know he loves you. He just has problems putting things together in his mind—much less words.”

“Which is why it worries me when he calls Hollis Sir, or Angel. I know it’s serious for him,” I retort grimly. Marcus’s lips quirk, but he stays silent. “Yes, I know. You already gave your opinion. Fine. Let’s put that aside. I need to talk to you about how we go forward as a Family.”

“Yes, Padrone.”

I almost roll my eyes at the relief in Marcus’s voice. He’s not going to be relieved for long. “I have a new task for you. One you’ll want to bring Antonio in on.”

He hesitates, before warily asking, “What’s that?”

“I have a list of names. I want you to watch them, and then we need to arrange a visit. With all of them.” I grab the list and slide it over to him. His moan of pain makes me smile.

“Fuck. Alright, I’ll definitely need Ghost for this one. Thank fuck his twins are doing better. Can I use Keegan as well?”

“Of course.” I gesture, giving him permission to leave, and he practically sprints for the door. Feelings aren’t something we normally discuss, and this conversation was more than enough.

I hesitate over my phone. I need to talk with Lio, but he’s with Tennant, hopefully getting information about what happened.

With Lio out of the house, it’s the best time to talk to Hollis, and come to an agreement. I want what’s best for my Caro, but fuck. Giving up control?

Fuck .

Sharing…sharing may kill me. But he’s given me everything. Now it’s my turn to step up. At the end of the day, Emilio will always be mine—my love, my soul, my Second, and Death to those who get in our way.