Page 147 of The Story of You

He smiles, jumping into my lap and that relaxes me. “Right. I keep forgetting that you were a marine. Do you still have a gun? Can I see it?”

I may have kept that from him. Silas knows. I only felt it right that I notify him before moving into his home. It’s kept in a safe, unloaded, with trigger locks firmly secured onto it. Silas smirked at my declaration and said, “You’re fine, Wyatt. Keep it the fuck away from Darius.”

Which only confirmed my suspicions. I’m sure he could head out and buy one himself, but so far as I know he hasn’t, and I think Silas has something to do with that.

“Don’t need a firearm to break someone’s neck, darlin’,” I tell him.

“That’s right. Daddy’s got big, neck-breaking hands.” He curls into me and breathes against my neck.

“We also don’t know that he’s alive. We didn’t find anything to say that he is.”

“Fuck evidence. I know what my gut’s saying. It’s been saying the same thing since we heard the fucking news. I’ve been going with the story I like better—him six feet under—but something inside me knew he was still out there.”

I’m not gonna talk him outta that one.

Asher joins us. He’s got the tumbler of scotch Darius requested. Darius lights up. “Oh goodie. I need this.”

Would it be wrong for me to start limiting that stuff? We’ve been together for coming up to a year. I am his daddy. That means certain things. We have agreements. This one’s a bit different though and not the same as me spanking him for not texting me when he’ll be late.

Know what? I’m willing to risk a little etiquette to save his life. “Easy with that stuff tonight, darlin’.”

He stares, taking a long leisurely sip. “Fuck you, Wyatt.”

“Excuse me?”

“This is my coping mechanism. Leave it alone.”

He’s testing me. Pretty sure.

I glance at Asher. He drinks, but not like Darius drinks. I’ve been stepping lightly around him, but maybe it’s time for a few changes to House Reeves. I need to take charge.

Shane’s right. Asher’s somehow become mine too. I didn’t know such a thing could happen this unconventionally, but it has. It’s our energy. We’ve tangled.

Or maybe we’ve all been energetically tangled since before we ever began.

“First of all, you don’t talk to Daddy like that. If you don’t like what I’ve said, we can have an adult conversation about it. I’ll be spankin’ you later darlin’. You’re lucky it’s Oliver’s birthday or I’d do it right here.”

Darius’s jaw drops and he flounders for words that don’t come. That’s okay, I can help.

“The correct answer is, yes, Daddy.”

“Yes, Daddy.” He pouts and then resumes his snuggling into my neck.

“And you,” I say to Asher. “If I hear any more sass from you, it’s the same fate.”

His scowl is legendary. “What the fuck?”

“You heard me. This is your chance to tell me no. Otherwise, you belong with us, and don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m the Top among us. Least that’s how I feel. Am I wrong?”

One of his legs is dangling off the sofa, the other is bent at a forty-five-degree angle and resting on the couch cushion. His feet are bare. He toys with the hem of his jeans. “You’re not wrong. I’ve just never … ugh. Why does it have to be you?”

“Aww, c’mon. I’m wonderful.”

“If wonderful means—”

“You sure you should finish that sentence?”

Darius shakes his head at Asher. Asher’s hard gaze softens, and he gets shy. He blinks his pretty green eyes at me. It’s gonna take some more time to win him over, but I’m gonna have fun doing it.