by Brina Brady
“Hey, what’s up?” Rafe asked as he lit his pipe.
“Emilio received some threatening messages on his phone you gave me,” Kaden said.
“From who?”
“Mr. Brooks and Marco. I didn’t tell Emilio, though. What do you want to do about it?”
“I thought you were going to turn off the phone. Now they’ll be able to track his location.”
Kaden rolled his eyes. “I removed all trackers. Hardware and software.”
“What did they say?” Rafe asked.
“Mr. Brooks wants Emilio to finish his session because he claims Emilio took his money. Marco or one of his thugs sent chilling messages. I forwarded them to my phone. Do you want to see?”
Rafe nodded.
Kaden reread the message before he sent it.
Mr. Brooks: Meet me Saturday at 8pm in the same room. You left with my money without finishing your hour with me. If not, I will find you.
Marco: How dare you, cum dumpster! You think it’s funny that you wiped out my man in church. How do you sleep? I hope God smothers you with your own pillow. I’ll be happy to do it for him.
Yuri: I was paid $5000 to torture and murder you. If you don’t want to end up skinless in the ocean with a brick chained to you, send me the money. Answer your phone.
Yuri: This is the last time I am warning you. Answer your phone.
Marco: I will find you. You’re dead!
Marco: I know where you live. I know you have a roommate. Billy Joe will die if you don’t answer my call.
“Who the hell is Yuri?” Rafe asked.
“Probably one of Marco’s Russian punishers, I guess,” Kaden said.
“Don’t tell Emilio about these texts. He wanted me to call his roommate, but I never did.”
“I called Billy Joe and told him what’s going on. Lennon from San Diego found him a protector who took him out of California. He’s safe.”
“Thanks. That’s why you’re co-owner of the society. You always take care of time-sensitive shit.”
“Billy Joe is gay and doesn’t have any family,” Kaden said. “I think he and Emilio had something going on.”
“How much could they have going on when he hasn’t talked about Billy Joe? Emilio doesn’t need to know any of this. There’s no way they will find us.”
“I told Emilio I’d called his roommate, and he seemed happy about that. Any word from Mateo?” Kaden asked.
“No.”
“Call your mother and ease your mind that your father doesn’t have them.”
“Good idea.”
Kaden listened in to the conversation since Rafe left it on speakerphone. Sometimes, he wondered if Rafe needed him for support with his father and mother. Rafe’s parents were always a major problem. Kaden was grateful he had two loving parents who loved him no matter what.
“What was that business your mom asked about? What did she mean when she asked if you’d told Emilio? You said he might get pissed and leave?” Kaden asked after Rafe ended the call.
“It’s nothing bad,” Rafe said.
“I should know whatever you’re hiding from me about Emilio. Can’t you trust me? He’s with me day and night. I’d never hurt him.” Kaden noticed Rafe looked sick. Something was wrong, and why wouldn’t he confide in him? They told each other everything, or he had thought they had.
“I know you care about Emilio, and I do trust you with my life and his. This is just something I’ve never discussed with anyone, not even you.”
“Tell me. I won’t tell him unless you want me to.”
“When I was sixteen, I got a girl pregnant. My mother intervened because the girl was going to give the baby up for adoption. My father wouldn’t allow me to keep him. So Emilio was raised by Uncle Reuben and Aunt Carla.”
“Emilio is your son? No way. Well, he does look like you. So, you never told him?”
Kaden tried to hide his shock, but he was also hurt that Rafe had kept this secret from him. He had known about Rafe dating girls, but having a son? How could he remain silent on something so important? What did all this mean when your ex-lover asks you to be with his son, not his cousin as he led Kaden to believe? He didn’t know what to do with that information. It was weird when he had thought Emilio was Rafe’s cousin. He wouldn’t hold it against Emilio, but what father allows his ex to fuck his son? The more he thought about it, the sicker he felt inside as if he was breaking some norm. He hadn’t known, but still.
“My aunt and uncle said they would adopt and raise Emilio if I promised never to tell him the truth. I agreed to that, and they raised him as their own. Emilio has no idea, but he was always close to me.”
“Are you going to tell him?”
“Yes. Now, that my uncle sent him back to me, I feel they broke our agreement. I don’t know when I’ll tell him. I’m afraid he’ll get upset with me.”
“He loves you,” Kaden said, feeling Rafe’s torment.
“As his older cousin, but not his father, who abandoned him because his own grandfather made me. I was too young to rebel against his authority then, but not now. I’m going to take him down if he doesn’t leave us alone.”
“Don’t talk like that. You’re not going to take him down. It’s not that I don’t think you can, but do you want the Escobar Drug Cartel after you and the rest of us?”
“What am I supposed to do with that bastard? I hate him so much. He caused Mateo and me so much pain in our childhood, and that asshole has always hated Emilio.”
“I don’t know. Just hang low. When will you tell Emilio?”
“Soon. Very soon,” Rafe said.
“Talk to him tomorrow morning. I’ll stay with Alek.”
“Good idea.”
***
Later that night, Kaden sat with Emilio in the living room. So much was going through his mind. Did he make a mistake taking on Emilio? He’d known Emilio was related to Rafe, and at the time, it hadn’t bothered him very much. But his son? He wasn’t sure about that one. When he dug deeper, he knew he was in love with Emilio. His heart would break if they had to separate.
“Is everything okay?” Emilio asked.
“Why are you asking me?”
Kaden wanted to tell Emilio, but it wasn’t his place to do it. His job was to nurture Emilio after Rafe had told him. He wondered how Emilio would respond. He’d have to keep an extra eye on him while he adjusted to learning that Rafe was his father. Kaden had his own issues with the new information. All these years, both of them shared everything with each other, but not this. Why? He got that Rafe had promised not to tell Emilio, but when they had been lovers, it would have been the time to inform him.
Of course, it wouldn’t have changed anything between them, and he hoped it wouldn’t now. Still, he felt left out of something so important to Rafe. Certainly, Rafe wouldn’t have had to worry about Kaden telling Emilio when he didn’t even know he existed. He was angry with Rafe never mentioning such an important part of his life. What else was he hiding?
“Ever since you talked to Rafe, you’ve been so quiet.” Emilio interrupted his thoughts.
“Rafe wants to talk to you tomorrow morning. I’m going to stay with Alek while you two talk.”
“About what?”
“I don’t know, but I also like to discuss something with you.”
“I’m all ears.”
“Remember when you told me you thought bonding meant that the protector could have sex anytime he wanted?” Kaden asked. He worried that his young sexy lover might tire of him. Adding some spice to their sex life might keep Emilio from being bored. “Yes. That’s how it is with James and Dante. He seems to like it.”
“Dante is a sub and of course, he likes that arrangement.”
“How is our bonding arrangement different than Dante’s?”
“They do different things than we do during sex. All the protectors are in charge, and if you break the rules, you’re punished, which is similar to BDSM, but other things happen.”
“What goes on during sex that we don’t do?”
“Spanking, bondage, and implements of all sorts.”
“So, why did you ask about a protector having sex when he wants it? I told you I’m all for it.”
“How about we try that for a week?” Kaden asked.
“Okay. I like the idea of you demanding sex from me. It’s kind of hot.”
“This also means you need to follow my sexual orders, but I’m going to let you off with a safeword. So, if you don’t want to have sex, you can say so without having to explain to me unless you want to.”
“I read about a Dom who told his sub to be lubed and ready twenty-four seven.”
“Where did you read that?” Kaden laughed.
“Just a book somewhere. I don’t read much. I used to watch a lot of porn. That’s how I learned what to do during sex.”
“You should be blind by now for watching all that porn. I have to agree you learned a lot about how to please me and probably other men, though.”
“I don’t want anyone else but you.”
Kaden stood and pulled Emilio up with him. He unzipped Emilio’s jeans and shoved them down. “Step out of them.”
When Emilio obeyed promptly to his command, Kaden’s cock twitched. Kaden rubbed his cock through his jeans. He took Emilio’s hand and led him into the kitchen. Then he pulled Emilio’s shirt off and forced him to bend over the kitchen sink. The stiffness in Emilio’s cock told Kaden he was doing a good job. He reached for Emilio’s nipples. They were already hard, which turned Kaden on even more. Emilio gasped when Kaden twisted his nipples and pulled on his nipple rings. Oh, how he loved these rings. Too bad he hadn’t seen when Emilio had his nipples pierced with his shiny gold rings. Had he cried, or had he loved the pain?
Kaden unzipped his jeans and pulled his cock out before it jumped out of his jeans on its own. His cock was so hard and sensitive that he might just explode as he rubbed against Emilio’s sweet ass. Kaden ran his hand along Emilio’s hole. He spat on his fingers and slipped them inside Emilio. He was still tight, but Kaden wasn’t going to leave for lube unless Emilio was hurting. Kaden’s fingers moved deep inside, reaching against the sticky walls. Emilio rocked as Kaden fingered him, pushing him deeper. Kaden’s dick wanted some action too.
“Am I hurting you?” Kaden asked.
“God, no,” Emilio panted.
Kaden positioned his cock against Emilio’s hole. They both moaned when Kaden entered Emilio.
“You feel so good inside me,” Emilio said.
Kaden’s sole purpose was to provide Emilio with pleasure. In an effort to be completely aware of his desires, Emilio needed to explore them, especially the areas that belonged to Kaden. Kaden wanted to stamp his mark on him, making him familiar to his touch. Possessing Emilio inside and out bonded them as one.
Kaden had slipped into the role of Dom with ease, and it was a little frightening. It was the first time this had happened with Emilio, but Emilio wasn’t his sub. What was he doing? It wasn’t so much as what he was doing as how he was thinking. Emilio seemed to be completely comfortable with what they were doing, though. Just maybe, Emilio might want that for them. Kaden would give Emilio more time to see how he dealt with discipline. One thing he knew about Emilio was that he desired to serve Kaden in all his needs. Was this behavior left over from Emilio’s rent boy days, or was it something inside him?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Emilio
Emilio didn’t understand why Rafe would want to speak to him alone. So many things crossed his mind, and none of them were good. He stood with Kaden in front of Rafe’s van. When Rafe opened the door, he stepped onto the ground to meet Emilio. Then Kaden kissed him before he climbed into the van to guard Alek.
“Morning, Rafe.”
“Morning. Let’s walk to the brook where we can be alone.”
“Did I do something wrong?” Emilio had wondered what this was all about since Rafe had been too busy to hang out with him. Most of Rafe’s time centered on Alek. It seemed off he wanted to talk to him without Kaden and Alek there. Last night, Kaden had pretended he had no idea why Rafe wanted to see him alone, but Emilio had a difficult time believing Rafe hadn’t told Kaden.
“No. Not you. There’s something I need to talk to you about. Something I should have told you sooner.” Rafe took large steps toward the brook.
Emilio’s stomach turned upside down as he hurried to keep up with Rafe. “You’re scaring me.”
“It’s not anything bad. In fact, I’m hoping you’ll be happy about it.”
They sat on a wide rock. Emilio was sure this conversation had to do with sending him back to San Diego. Had Kaden complained about him? He must have, but why? Everything was going great, especially last night unless that had been his good-bye fuck. Was Rafe going to tell him rather than have Kaden break his heart?
“You know I love you, right?” Rafe asked.
“Yes. You’re my favorite cousin.” Emilio studied Rafe’s blank face. An unidentifiable expression lurked in Rafe’s dark features. Something wasn’t right, and Emilio couldn’t figure out the problem. Without thinking, Emilio sucked on his knuckle.
“That’s what I want to discuss with you.” Rafe’s voice dropped at the end of the sentence. From the onset of their conversation, signs indicated that it would be a serious one. Rafe was too still and sitting straight like he was back in the Marines.
“Are you okay?” Emilio asked.
“Yes, this is difficult for me. When I was sixteen, I got a girl pregnant. She was going to give my baby to a church adoption agency. So my mother asked if we could have the baby, and she agreed. The problem was my father, as always. He didn’t want my child. So my uncle Reuben and aunt Carla adopted him.”
“Are you talking about me?” Emilio’s eyes widened with shock.
“I am. I’m your father.” Rafe sat stock-still and watched Emilio to see what his reaction would be.
“I don’t know how I feel about this.” Emilio shut his eyes, remembering that Rafe had always loved him and he was the only one he could trust. Their cousin relationship was based on a bold-faced lie. They weren’t cousins anymore.
Rafe took Emilio in his arms. “I’ve always loved you, Emilio. I hope you know that. I’d never turn my back on you. I’ve made a point to always keep you in my life.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Emilio asked, feeling somewhere between hurt and angry.
“I made a promise to Uncle Reuben and Aunt Carla. They told me they’d only adopt you if I never told you I was your real father. I agreed because I didn’t want you to be adopted by strangers, and I couldn’t bear the idea of never seeing you again.”
“Why does your father, apparently my grandfather, hate me so much, then?” Emilio looked directly into Rafe’s eyes. There had to be a reason beyond being gay to cause his uncle to hate him with this great intensity.
“It’s not you he hates. It’s me. I was never what he wanted me to be, so he used you to hurt me. He knows how I feel about you.”
Emilio was hurt from the rejection and hate. Their constant fighting about Uncle Sal over the years had taken its toll. Rafe’s father had judged Emilio a bastard and refused to recognize him as his grandson. Later, when his uncle had found out Emilio was gay, he had pressured Emilio’s adoptive father to throw him out of the house and disown him. He had refused. There had been no way he could do that, so he’d told him to stay with Rafe for his own safety.
“Why did you tell me now?” Emilio asked. “I don’t understand.” His voice trembled when he spoke.
“Because Uncle Reuben couldn’t protect you anymore, so I felt he had broken the agreement we made.”
“I feel funny now around you. I mean, I still love you, but I just feel strange.” Emilio hated how he felt because he wanted to make Rafe happy, not hurt him, but this was too much to deal with at the moment. He knew he loved Rafe, but for him not to tell him the truth until now angered him. He tried to muster a smile,
but he couldn’t pretend. He was somewhere between tears and screaming at Rafe.
“It’s okay. I’m going to keep on loving you. You can still call me Rafe unless you want to call me Dad someday.”
“I don’t know about calling you Dad. Can I think about it?” Emilio’s heart was at war, but he couldn’t separate the father he had grown up with and his cousin who turned out to be his father. He saw the pain across Rafe’s face. Emilio didn’t want to hurt him, but he was too shocked and confused to feel excited about all this. He couldn’t ever call him Dad. He just couldn’t. What was he supposed to do with this information?
“Take as long as you like. I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.”
“I know you will. You were always there for me. Did you tell anyone else about me being your son?”
“I told Kaden last night because he’s responsible for you and needs to know everything about you.”
“He didn’t say a word to me.” Emilio remembered what Kaden had said when he asked him why Rafe wanted to see him this morning.
“Because he knew I had to be the one to tell you.”
“Yes, but he didn’t need to lie about it. And I wish you would have told me sooner.”
Rafe nodded. “I wish I could have too. I’m happy I can now tell people that you’re my son. I don’t have to hide someone I love anymore.”
“I love you either way. I just can’t believe you’re my father.” Emilio smiled, a little excited to be Rafe’s son but also sad he no longer belonged to his other father. He felt torn in half.
Rafe hugged Emilio again. “Remember no matter what you think, I’ve always loved you.”
“I know you have.” Emilio kissed Rafe on the cheek.
“I’m glad Uncle Reuben and Aunt Carla adopted you, even though I didn’t see eye to eye with them. I’d have gone crazy if you’d been adopted by strangers, and I hadn’t been able to see you.”
“I love them, and I never thought I wasn’t really theirs. They loved me until your stupid father told them to get rid of me.”
