Page 63 of Melt For Us, Daddy (Big Daddy Energy #4)

Cordelia

December

S eated at the table their group had claimed near the railing that looked out over the pit, Cordelia ran her hand over her boy’s hair. Even on his knees beside her, he was still ridiculously tall, and it brought her no end of joy that no matter his size she could still easily put him in his place.

Ivy was perched on her lap, plucking daintily at the spread of appetizers on the table, splitting bites between the three of them and looking happier than Cordelia could ever remember seeing her.

Being a caregiver came so naturally to her, and being able to indulge that innate need as both a submissive and a top was working out beautifully.

The club wouldn’t officially open for another hour, but with Braden and Lottie’s wedding right around the corner, he’d wanted to give his anxious babygirl a chance to relax with the people she loved best around.

So he’d opened the club early, just for them, and they’d been enjoying a fun, laid-back dinner together.

Jacob, for the most part, was finally feeling comfortable, both in their everyday lives and at the club.

He still had rough moments, and he still struggled at times with his role as her and Ivy’s baby boy.

But Shane and a few other of the male subs at the club had taken him under their wing, and he always seemed lighter after a night out with them.

It helped too that the men in their group did their best to make him feel welcome.

Though that did occasionally include teasing him the way they teased each other, and Cordelia often had to keep herself from growling at them when they poked at her boy.

Jacob enjoyed the camaraderie, even if he did get embarrassed at times, so she did her best to hold her protective side at bay.

Outside of the club, Jacob and his sisters were all settling into their lives outside the cult.

Hannah had balked at the idea of Sarabeth coming to live with them, adamantly refusing to give up custody of her baby sister.

But they came to visit often, along with Ruthie and some of their other sisters who had all been very deliberately placed with people Holden trusted.

This was their first Christmas ever, and Ivy had gone out of her way to make it the best Christmas ever not just for their boy, but for their newly extended family as well.

Cordelia knew for a fact that every penny of her tips from the club had gone toward presents for Jacob’s sisters, especially little Sarabeth.

Movement from her right caught her eye and she turned to find Killian O’Rourke striding up to the table, his usual easy smile on his face. There was a tightness at the edges of his mouth she wasn’t used to seeing, and bags under his eyes that had her wondering if he’d slept at all recently.

“Evening, friends. Sorry I’m late, I had a… business meeting that ran late.”

Judging by the worried frown Braden sent his friend’s way, he’d noticed the same things Cordelia had. “Everything okay?”

“It’s been handled. Hopefully I didn’t miss anything important."

“No. We’re just chatting. Sit, grab yourself something to eat.”

Grabbing a chair, he pulled it up beside Jacob and dropped into it, pausing to ruffle her boy’s hair. “Jacob. Nice to see you again. Have you been behaving yourself?”

A mischievous smile spread across Jacob’s face. “Yes. But not too much.”

Killian grinned. “That’s my boy.”

Cordelia still wasn’t sure how she felt about the odd friendship that had bloomed between the mafia boss and her baby boy.

But it made Jacob happy, and she’d made it clear to Killian that if anything—and she meant anything —happened to Jacob under his watch, he’d have her to answer to.

Ivy had apparently had a similar conversation with him, and he’d promised both of them he’d never let any harm come to their boy, so they’d reluctantly allowed the friendship to continue.

To his credit, he’d kept his word. And he’d done just as much as anyone to help Jacob accept his submissive desires.

She’d tried not to pry too much into their conversations, but Jacob was always so excited to talk about his visits with Killian she didn’t really have to.

They often talked about religion, which was a relief to her since she was still processing her own trauma.

Even with her reservations about Killian as a role model, she was glad Jacob had someone to talk to about such things outside of his weekly therapy sessions and their monthly family therapy.

All in all, life was… good. The media frenzy that had exploded after Harlan’s arrest had finally calmed down, though she imagined it would ramp up again soon once the jury reached their verdict.

Which was the other reason they’d gotten together earlier than usual today.

Waiting at home for news of a verdict was slowly driving her and Jacob insane, and she desperately needed something to distract all of them.

They’d both had some hard moments during the trial, especially the days they’d been called to testify, and the thought that there was even a chance she’d dragged herself and her boy through all that pain for nothing…

Soft lips pressed against her cheek, distracting her. And when she shifted her gaze, she found Ivy watching her with those dark, worried eyes.

“You okay?” she asked, softly enough the others couldn't hear.

“Yeah. Just thinking.”

A sly smile curved Ivy’s lips. “About what we’re going to do to our boy when we get him down to the pit?”

She hadn’t been, of course, but the distraction was more than welcome. “We? Who says I’m not planning to tie you both up and have my way with you?”

Need flickered in Ivy’s eyes. “I’m good with that, too.”

At the head of the table, Braden rose, drawing their attention to him as he tapped his spoon against his glass. The chatter around the table quieted, and his gaze raked over everyone who had gathered there before settling on Cordelia. Unease rippled up her spine at the intensity of his gaze.

What was he up to?

His gaze shifted away, but the uneasy feeling remained. “Thank you all for coming out with us tonight. Lottie and I appreciate all your support, not just with the wedding but in our lives. We couldn’t do this without you, and we hope you know exactly how much we love and appreciate all of you.”

Cheers went up around the table as everyone raised their glasses. When the noise settled down again, Braden looked down at Lottie, who nodded enthusiastically. And when Lottie’s bright-eyed excitement zeroed in straight on Cordelia, that ripple of unease turned to a tidal wave.

“We had originally planned to give you all a gift tonight, something to show you how much we appreciate you. But after talking it over, and then speaking with some of you, we decided on something different. Lottie?”

Popping up from her chair, Lottie hurried around the table, an envelope clutched in her hand. “This is for Ivy. Here.”

She thrust the envelope at Ivy, who blinked in surprise before taking it. “Um. Thank you.”

“Open it!” Lottie bounced on her toes. “You have to open it!”

Looking around the table, Cordelia noticed that all of their friends were watching Ivy with that same excited anticipation on their faces.

Seriously. What the hell were they up to?

Ivy looked at her, clearly expecting some kind of direction. Suspicious as she was, Cordelia wasn’t about to deny her sweet subbies whatever the gift was, so she nodded. “Go on, blossom. Open it.”

An expectant hush fell over the table as Ivy ripped open the envelope. Inside was a generic Christmas card, which Ivy carefully opened.

“Holy shit,” she whispered, her eyes going wider than Cordelia had ever seen them. “You guys can’t be serious.”

“What is it?”

Fingers trembling slightly, Ivy passed the check to Cordelia.

Holy fuck, that was a lot of zeroes.

Jerking her head up, Cordelia glared at Braden. “I can’t accept this.”

But to her growing irritation, Braden just grinned. “I know. That’s why the check is made out to Ivy. Figured you wouldn’t be able to deny your submissive the dream house she’s been salivating over for months now.”

“What house?” Cordelia demanded, looking from Braden to Ivy, the latter of whom was glaring up at Lottie.

“You weren’t supposed to tell anyone!”

“Sorry.” But Lottie didn’t look the least bit sorry.

Neither did any of the other women in their group, all of whom were grinning widely at Ivy.

“It’s just, you've been talking about that house for ever , and pretty much everyone at this table has more money than we could ever spend in a lifetime, so we wanted to do something good with that money.”

“Lottie knows about the house? Why don’t I know about the house?” The knowledge that Ivy had shared this secret dream house with others but not her, stung more than she cared to admit.

“Because it’s ridiculous,” Ivy said, her cheeks turning red as she jerked a shoulder in a shrug. “It’s way too big and it’s on the water so it's stupidly expensive.”

“Was stupidly expensive.” From his spot across the table, Ice grinned.

“Beckett and I talked to the agent, and even she admitted they’d priced themselves out of the market.

Which is why it’s been sitting empty for as long as it has.

She already talked to the owners and with a cash offer, they’re willing come down on the price significantly.

The check is more symbolic than anything, the money’s sitting in account right now, just waiting to be transferred.

Beckett’s handling everything on the financial side of things, and since you’re not using a realtor, he sweet-talked the agent into only charging you the selling agent’s commission. ’

“This is too much.” Cordelia shook her head. “We can’t possibly ask you guys to buy us a house .” Especially not one with a price tag that they wouldn’t be able to afford in a hundred years at their current salaries.

“You’re not asking.” Leaning over, Ruby gripped Cordelia’s hand, her expression fierce.

“You know I have more issues than anyone accepting this kind of thing. But we want to do this for you. Because we love you. No strings, no hidden demands, just a group of people who love you and Ivy and Jacob and want to give you all the best future possible.”

Letting her gaze travel the table, Cordelia swallowed hard at what she found there. Love, just as Ruby had said. The kind so pure and all-consuming, she hadn’t even believed it had existed for years.

“Ivy. Look at me, baby.”

Her babygirl did as she was told, and in that instant, Cordelia knew she wouldn’t be turning down their gift. “Yes, Daddy?”

“You really want this house?”

Hunger flickered in Ivy’s gaze. “No. It’s too much.”

“That’s not what I asked, little girl. Be honest with Daddy. Do you want this house?”

She watched the struggle play out on Ivy’s face, the struggle between her desire to protect Cordelia’s feelings and the house she clearly wanted. “I do… but not if it’s going to upset you.”

“Oh, baby. I’m not upset. Shocked, maybe, but not upset.

” Dragging in a deep breath, she pushed her own ego aside, and focused on what mattered most: Her girl and her boy and their happiness.

“And you know I’d do anything to make you happy.

But it’s not just us we have to think about. It’s Jacob’s house, too.”

They both looked over, only to find Jacob grinning up at them.

“Braden already talked to me, when they first decided to give us the money. He figured it would be easier to talk you into it if I was on board already, and I totally am. You should see this place, Dee. It’s got everything we want, plus like three more bedrooms, so enough room for Hannah and Sarabeth to come and visit.

And there’s a hot tub! Seriously, it’s great. ”

Shifting her gaze, she narrowed her eyes at Braden. “You went behind my back and talked to my boy without me?”

“Okay, well, in my defense he wasn’t supposed to tell you all that.

” Braden tried to look stern, but the effect was ruined by the twitching of his lips.

“But yes, I did what I had to do to ensure that your stubborn ass would accept our gift. And I knew you’d never turn it down if you knew your girl and your boy both wanted the house. ”

“You’re an asshole, Braden Elliott. But you’re a really fucking thoughtful asshole.”

“I’ll take that as a thank you,” he said, his face splitting into a wide grin.

“Does that mean we’re getting the house?” On her lap, Ivy bounced excitedly, her eyes brimming with hope. “Like for real?”

“For real, babygirl. Merry Christmas, I guess,” Cordelia added with a shaky laugh. “Holy shit, we’re buying a house.”

Another round of cheers went up around the table, accompanied by clinking classes and squeals of congratulations. Amidst it all, Ivy wrapped her arms around Cordelia’s neck and squeezed.

“Thank you, Daddy. I know that wasn’t easy for you.”

“It wasn’t. But making you and our boy happy? Easiest decision ever. I love you, Ivy Mae.”

“I love you, too.”

Rising from his seat, Holden cleared his throat, once again causing everyone around them to fall silent. “Think you three can handle a bit more good news today?”

There was something in his smile that had Cordelia’s heart pounding against her chest, and she instinctively reached for Jacob, gripping his shoulder. “What is it?”

“Jury just came back. Harlan Redding was found guilty on all counts. That son of a bitch will never see the outside of a jail cell again for as long as he lives.” A fierce pride shone in Holden’s gaze.

“You did that, Delia. You and your boy and everyone who stood up and spoke out. We nailed his ass to the wall, and it’s all thanks to you. ”

For a long moment, she was too stunned to actually speak. The words were there, tangled in her chest, but she couldn’t force them past the tightness in her chest.

“It’s really over?” Jacob’s voice was strained, and when he looked up at her, she saw her own stunned hope reflected in his eyes. “He’s really going to jail? Forever?”

“Yeah, baby.” Tears of pure joy swam in her eyes. “It’s over. He’s going to jail and he’ll never, ever be able to hurt you or your sisters or anyone else again.”

Launching himself at her, Jacob wrapped his arms around her and Ivy, his body shaking with sobs.

Their nightmare was over. But their dreams were just beginning.