Page 114 of Smut Lovers

Chapter Two

D aylight poured through the windows. Birds chirped outside. The sensation of eyes on him had Rhodes sitting upright with his gun aimed at the face above him. His boss, and Beau’s righthand man, Henry, didn’t look the least bit moved by having a weapon leveled at him.

“Get dressed. Beau wants to see you downstairs.”

Rhodes blinked at the hard tone. As far as he knew, Henry had no beef with him.

Rhodes always did his job. “Yeah. Okay.” He swiped his hand over his face, trying to clear the cobwebs from his mind.

“Give me a second and I’ll head down.” His gaze slid toward the spot next to him.

It was empty. Disappointment poured through him.

Of course, Cairo was gone. What did he expect?

He was incapable of keeping anyone. Rhodes was too intense.

He probably scared the hell out of Cairo.

The guy had probably run the moment Rhodes fell asleep. Rhodes would do the same in his shoes.

Henry left him to dress.

Rhodes tried not to look at the empty bed.

Cairo could have stayed. He didn’t need to go back to hiding at The PlayPen.

Banks was Beau’s son. Beau would take Cairo in if he asked.

Cairo didn’t need to be in Rhodes’ bed. Rhodes would rather Cairo be safe than anything.

If that meant pretending last night never happened, then so be it.

Cairo was too sweet to live in fear. Maybe he would talk to Beau about it after their meeting.

He was curious as hell to know what had happened.

Henry had sounded serious. Beau didn’t have big meetings with him unless something huge went down.

Rhodes needed to focus on anything other than that empty bed while he got ready.

Fuck. His chest hurt. Rhodes massaged it on his way downstairs.

He had so many questions. Likely, he would never know the answers.

For whatever reason, he hadn’t been good enough.

Maybe he had been too rough. Damn. That was probably it.

This was exactly why he needed to avoid the power dynamics.

He was a greedy fuck. Cairo was too sweet for all that.

Rhodes’ feet slowed as he reached Beau’s office.

His eyes automatically found Cairo. He sat in the corner, tucked beneath Beau’s husband’s arm.

They were both dressed like bunnies. Cairo’s nose and eyes were red.

Tears streamed down his face while he sucked furiously on a pacifier.

Kylo patted him and tried to comfort him.

Cairo looked too trapped in his own terror to notice.

Rhodes tore his gaze away. He automatically focused on Beau.

Beau’s deadly ice-blue eyes watched him cross the room.

He looked harder than Rhodes had ever seen him, and that said a lot.

While he couldn’t imagine Beau terrorizing Cairo, something definitely had, and Beau was the deadliest thing in the room.

Beau motioned toward an empty chair across from him at his desk.

Rhodes immediately sat. A terrible sense of foreboding rose inside him.

He had no clue what was happening, but it obviously wasn’t good.

Beau motioned toward Henry. Henry moved from his spot as Beau’s sentry and handed Rhodes a piece of paper.

“This came by messenger this morning.”

At Beau’s claim, Rhodes’ gaze shot around the room once more before dropping to the letter. Once he started reading, all he knew was rage. All he saw was red.

You have something that belongs to me. I expect him returned unsullied.

While I know you had nothing to do with him turning up on your doorstep, I still expect Cairo to be sent home immediately.

I apologize for any inconvenience he’s caused you.

He’ll be properly disciplined for any disruption he’s caused to your household.

I should’ve put him down a long time ago, but I’ve had too much of a soft spot for him.

Make sure he understands how upset I am for his behavior.

He might’ve survived the last time I slit his throat. I doubt he will twice.

My apologies and sincerely,

Hugh Freight

All Rhodes saw was the deep scar on Cairo’s neck.

There was nothing else in his head. Hugh Freight.

That motherfucker. Rhodes knew him. Everyone on this side of the law knew each other.

Though he doubted Hugh Freight was the guy’s real name.

But Hugh never crossed paths with Beau for a reason.

Hugh worked the sex trafficking game and Beau didn’t touch that shit.

People like them minded their business, no matter how distasteful they found each other.

This was different, though. He knew Beau hated abusers, but this was stepping on the toes of another crime boss.

Beau was a cold bastard. He could always go either way on any topic, especially since harboring Cairo might mean starting a war.

Rhodes ran his tongue over his teeth, trying to hold back his temper as he set the letter aside. He didn’t want Beau to see the rage boiling inside him when he met Beau’s stare.

Unfortunately, Beau watched him a little too closely. The guy saw everything. Of course, he wouldn’t come right out and say as much. “Last night’s security detail tells me you’re the one who brought Cairo here.”

Rhodes gave him a sharp nod. He was curious as hell to know how Cairo went from being in his bed to wearing a pair of Kylo’s pajamas and crying in the corner.

Beau leaned back in his chair. His expression turned a little too businesslike. Rhodes had a bad feeling he would be the one making things right with Hugh. “Do you plan to take care of him?”

Rhodes’ mood swung wildly. He almost laughed aloud at Beau’s question. He sounded exactly like a parent, giving a stern lecture on taking care of the stray he brought home. “Yes.”

“You do understand what that entails, right? I won’t let this house be endangered.”

Rhodes got it. If Cairo wanted to leave, he wouldn’t do so alive. Rhodes would have to kill him if he didn’t want him. It wouldn’t take long for Cairo to have seen too much in this house. “I understand.”

Beau released a loud sigh and sat forward. “Henry, pick your team. Make sure Hugh understands Cairo is ours and what happens when he threatens one of mine.”

Henry didn’t hesitate. He headed for the door. “On it.”

Beau shuffled some papers on his desk. “Take your man and go. He needs comforting.” Beau didn’t look at him as he gave the order.

Rhodes hid a smile. Beau might be a lot of things, but he was also a daddy.

Kylo was his world, and he took damn good care of him.

He would expect the same of Rhodes and wouldn’t allow Hugh to ever touch him again.

If Cairo chose him, Rhodes would treat him like a king.

He prayed Cairo made that choice. The alternative was unthinkable.

Cairo was a wreck. He had woken up starving.

After finding one of Rhodes’ huge t-shirts, he had gone in search of food.

The sound of music had carried him to a playroom where an adorable bunny had been dancing.

Kylo had spotted Cairo watching and immediately befriended him.

The next thing Cairo had known, Kylo had him in matching pjs and a tea party was underway.

They had hazelnut crepes. Cairo had felt so warm and at home.

Then that letter had arrived. Embarrassingly, he had been inconsolable since.

Kylo had shoved a pacifier into his mouth and done his best to comfort Cairo.

But the thought of being forced back to Hugh had taken out his sanity.

He didn’t understand how Hugh had found him.

Cairo had been at The PlayPen for days without being discovered.

He didn’t fully grasp what was happening, but he knew the pain would come soon. This time, he likely wouldn’t survive.

He watched Rhodes talk to Beau. No words penetrated his panic.

Rhodes looked so closed—like he hated Cairo now.

Then Rhodes crossed the room and scooped Cairo into his arms. Cairo cried harder.

It was nice to be held so lovingly, and soon that would end.

There was no way Rhodes could understand what their one night together had done for him.

He thought his chest would cave, thinking it would never happen again.

Rhodes carried him back to bed with a muscle jumping in his jaw.

He sat next to Cairo with his back against the headboard.

Rhodes stared straight ahead. Finally, he met Cairo’s stare, and Cairo saw the hurt in his eyes.

“Did Beau catch you when you tried to sneak away? You could’ve told me thanks for the one night, but no thanks. I’d never hurt you.”

Cairo had never been more confused. That was saying something, considering his entire life had been a mess. Cairo plucked the pacifier from his mouth. “Why do you think I tried sneaking away?” Nothing could have pulled him from his meltdown faster.

“You were gone when I woke up.”

“I got hungry.”

Rhodes visibly deflated. “I should’ve fed you before bed last night. Sorry. Guess I kind of suck at being a daddy.”

Cairo swiped at his face. It was time for him to be a big boy. He climbed onto Rhodes’ lap. “I know I’m a mess, but that’s not your fault. Please don’t be sad.”

Rhodes wrapped his arms around Cairo and snuggled him.

“I’m not sad. I’m fucking pissed. You have no idea how much I want to go beat the life out of Hugh.

” Cairo felt Rhodes’ muscles relax. He looked guilty.

“I guess I am a little sad too. When you popped up in my life last night, it was just in time to save me from drowning. Now I know how badly you’ve been hurt, and I realize you deserve to be free.

You definitely don’t deserve to be stuck with me, or need another daddy, especially one as moody as I can be. ”

Cairo couldn’t believe his ears. It was like Rhodes didn’t see him at all.

“I watched you for days before approaching you.” It was hard for Cairo to admit that, but he honestly believed Rhodes needed him too.

“Admittedly, one reason it took me so long is because you were always surrounded by other daddies. But mostly, I was just in observation mode. I saw the way you looked at other couples and I thought, ‘He sees it too. He sees the way everyone else has more, and their relationships don’t look like my life with Hugh.’ I chose you.

” Cairo realized he made himself sound like the prize with that confession, but he knew Rhodes understood what he meant.

They were alike. Cairo had chosen the one person in that club that needed love as much as he did.

“Did you find something to eat?”

A smile snapped to Cairo’s lips at the way Rhodes still thought of only him. “Kylo fed me.”

Rhodes nodded. “He’ll make a great playmate for you.” He visibly hesitated. “That is, if you’re still choosing me.”

Cairo was scared to hope. “What about Hugh? He doesn’t really want me, but he won’t let me go.”

“Beau is handling it. As long as you’re part of Beau’s household, he won’t let anything happen to you. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Cairo licked his lips in his nervousness. He wasn’t good at having the adult conversations. Life was so much simpler when he got to play the baby. “Are you asking me to stay? With you,” he clarified, since Rhodes had said part of Beau’s household. Rhodes hadn’t said his household.

“Yes.” Zero hesitation. Full eye contact. Steady voice. Rhodes meant that shit.

“I’d like that. The staying with you part.

” He over thought for a second. “And the playing with Kylo part too. We had a tea party with his bear friends.” Excitement filled Cairo the more he spoke.

He bounced a little in Rhodes’ lap. “Did you know Kylo is a ballerina? Like, for real. He was on stage and everything. Of course, I don’t know if they call men ballerinas, but he’s a very pretty princess, so it fits. ”

The way Rhodes smiled filled Cairo with so much hope for the future, he thought he would explode. “He has an extremely famous mom too. You’ll meet all types here. We’re an eclectic bunch.”

He was really serious. Rhodes wanted to keep him.

Cairo had begged the universe so hard for a savior.

He had pleaded for a real daddy for him and only him.

Not a man he had to share who didn’t need an excuse to abuse him the way Hugh had.

He had given up hope this life would find him.

Realistically, he understood Rhodes could turn out to be just like Hugh, but Cairo doubted it.

Rhodes was too much like him: starved of love.

“What should we do first?”

A huge grin spread across Rhodes’ face. “If you’re staying, you’ll need some clothes and toys.”

A wave of sadness washed over Cairo. “I had to leave everything behind when I ran.”

Rhodes kissed the tip of his nose. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you. I’ll give you a good life.”

Cairo knew that. He had seen all the bad and evil. Rhodes was the opposite of all that. It was time for him to build a new life with someone amazing. Cairo refused to believe he deserved anything less.