Page 18 of Rico

“Careful,perrito,” I warned.

“Sorry, Papi,” he called back, disappearing around the corner.

Papi. Fuck, I never knew I wanted to be someone’s Daddy. That it would be my kink. But itworkedfor us. It fit us. Anurak was eager to please and serve, and I craved to take care of him like I needed to breathe.

Grabbing my phone, I typed out a quick message to Niran.

Rico:Let me know when Ace gets here.

Niran:Yes, sir.

I set my phone back down and focused back on reading through the contract my attorney had sent me.

Niran knockedon my open office door. I glanced up at him. “Sir, Ace and his husband, Gunner, have arrived. I’ve shown them to the living room where Anurak is.”

I nodded once and saved what I was doing before turning my laptop off. Standing, I looked back at Niran. “Is Bento with Anurak?”

“Yes, sir. I also prepared coffee while waiting for them to get here. It’s in the living room as well.”

I rounded my desk and followed him into the living room. Ace and Anurak were sitting on the floor, their heads bowed together as Ace showed Anurak some video on his phone that had my boy giggling. They both looked up when I walked into the room, and Anurak smiled at me. Leaning over, I dropped a kiss to the top of his head then headed over to where Gunner was standing, leaving the two boys alone.

We hadn’t officially met before, though I did know who he was. I held out my hand, and he clasped mine in his, giving me a firm handshake that I definitely approved of. It was firm and showed his strength without him trying to prove himself to me. One look at the man and I knew he wasn’t a man who felt the need to prove his masculinity. It oozed from his pores.

“Rico Martinez,” I introduced myself. “Gunner Matthews, correct?”

His lips twitched. “Jax warned me you’d probably know my entire life story.”

I shrugged. “The moment I was aware you and Ace were together, I did my homework on you. I’m protective of that boy, even if he doesn’t know it. He’s an extension of Jax, which makes him my family.”

“You’re not like that with his other brothers.”

I shook my head. “They tolerate me, and I tolerate them. That’s about as far as that goes.” Honestly, it was about as far as it would ever go. I didn’t appreciate their abandonment of Ace. I gestured to the couch. “Take a seat. Niran has made us coffee.” I watched as the man himself walked in carrying cookies and sodas on a tray. My lips twitched. “Seems our boys will be on sugar highs soon.”

Gunner snorted and then walked over to Ace, gripping his hair to pull his head back. Ace looked up at him, his blue eyes bright and happy. “Yes, Papa?”

“If you start bouncing off the walls, I’ll bend you over my knee and spank you before forcing you to take a nap, understand?”

Anurak’s eyes widened, fear glinting in his eyes. Ace nodded, and as soon as Gunner released him, Ace tugged Anurak close, cuddling him like they’d known each other for years rather than a matter of days. “It’s okay, little bunny. I consent to his punishments.”

Anurak’s face paled at the word punishments. I stepped forward to comfort him and assure him I wouldneverpunish him, but Ace beat me to it. “Your Papi would never put his hands on you like that,” Ace assured him, his normally bratty tone soft and sweet for my boy. Yeah… the feelings thing was alreadyhappening. There would be no stopping it, not that I wanted to. Anurak needed people outside of me, even if I didn’t want to share him. With time, I knew I’d come around. “You had it rough, huh?”

I blew out a breath and sat on the couch. Gunner took the other end, and I leaned forward, pouring us each a cup of coffee. Leaning back, I looked over at Gunner as he grabbed his mug. “You’re good for him. I’m glad that he’s found somewhere to belong.”

Gunner shrugged. “Knew he was mine from the moment I laid my eyes on him.” His lips quirked. “Seems to be the same for you.”

I grunted. “I slaughtered a room full of men just to keep him as mine.”

Gunner snorted, amusement bleeding into his blue eyes. “I get it,” he told me simply. And I knew he did. He’d done the same for Ace when Ace had been kidnapped. I was still pissed about that, but I knew that blame didn’t lie with him. It lay with FAME, the president of the Ghost Born MC. He’d sent Ace out on his own to gather intel, and it had almost cost Ace his life.

I turned on a soccer game, and Gunner and I remained quiet, watching the game as our boys formed a bond with each other on the living room floor. An hour into the game, Anurak looked up at me. “Papi?” I tore my eyes from the TV to look down at him. He stood to his feet. “I’m hungry.”

Bento appeared at that moment with sandwiches and water for the boys. Silently, he set it on the floor. Anurak beamed at him. “Thank you, Bento.”

“Of course,” Bento told him quietly before looking at me. “Do you need anything, boss?”

“Nah,” I said, waving him off. He nodded once and left the room. Ace and Anurak dug into the lunch Bento had prepared, talking quietly as they ate. I focused back on the game, one ear trained for my boy and the other listening to the television.

When silence suddenly rang from the floor, I looked down at them and chuckled. They were cuddled into each other, Ace’s arms wrapped tightly around my puppy, and Anurak’s face was buried in Ace’s chest. Both of them were asleep, their bellies full. Gunner grunted and shook his head, a small smile pulling at his lips.