Chapter 7

To keep things from getting too heavy, Avery brushed Danny’s hood back and kissed the tip of his nose. “Rhodey will take the belt to you if he hears you calling yourself names. You’re not a wimp, you’re cute and cuddly and exactly who you need to be.” He grinned when Danny ducked his head, cheeks going red. “I won’t tell, but don’t do it again.”

“I won’t…” Danny’s words trailed off as they continued up the stairs and high pitched crying echoed down at them. “Umm...are you sure Jamie’s okay? I’ve never heard him make that sound.”

Not waiting for Avery to answer, Jacks rushed up the rest of the stairs, throwing the door open. He stopped short, lips parting as he stood aside to let Danny and Avery into the loft. “Jamie...why do you have a baby?”

Pacing back and forth across the bright expanse of the open concept loft, Jamie rubbed ‘Melissa’s’, back. “Didn’t Avery tell you? I’m babysitting. She has a dirty diaper and I think she’s hungry, she keeps trying to suck on my chin. Should I let her? She was quiet for a minute when I did, but she’s gonna give me a hickey and Noah will freak.”

“No, I wasn’t aware of a baby.” Jacks shot Avery a sideways look, to which he simply shrugged before going to the fridge to see if anything in there would stop the screaming. The Dom huffed, crossing the room to Jamie’s side. “I guess this is what the supply run was for. Until then, maybe cleaning the little thing up will help? Danny, run down to the craft room where I keep the stuff for my sewing classes. Find anything cotton, it’ll be gentle enough for sensitive skin. Avery, go get some towels and facecloths, there’s nothing but beer and wine in that fridge.”

This was exactly what Avery had hoped for. A Dom taking charge. Nodding sharply, he bounded up the partially winding stairs to the big fancy bathroom on the second floor. The whole loft was all white, gleaming surfaces, big windows, and luxury. He’d only been here once, briefly, but never needed more than that to remember where the essentials would be.

In minutes, Jacks had the crying baby on the counter by the sink, laying on a few spread out towels. Both he and Jamie were close enough to keep her from falling off, but after opening her diaper, it became clear neither of them were willing to go any further.

When Danny burst back into the room with an armful of fabric, he screwed up his face. “What’s that smell?”

“The baby.” Jamie took a step back, groaning when Jacks frowned at him. “You can’t make me do it, it’s… I have a sensitive stomach.”

“You were the one who agreed to babysit!”

“I didn’t have a choice, I don’t want her to end up growing up in a home with people who don’t love her!” Jamie slapped his hand over his mouth, desperation in his eyes. He grabbed Jacks’ arm. “You can’t say anything. If you’re really my friend, you’ll help and not… Her mom might come back. And if she doesn’t, maybe I can adopt her. I don’t know, I just need...time. Please.”

If Jamie was even considering fatherhood, being afraid of a dirty diaper wasn’t a good start. Rolling his eyes, Avery nudged him aside and grabbed a few facecloths, wetting them with warm water in the sink. He cleaned up the baby, ignoring the stench and holding out his hand for one of the cotton squares Danny was holding.

The other sub gave him one with little pink dinosaurs on it, his eyes wide. “That was...wow. How did you know how to do that and...how can you stand the smell?”

“People smell a lot worse when they die.” Avery shrugged, awkwardly wrapping up the squirmy baby, who was giggling now. “I didn’t take care of Ana much when she was a baby, but I saw my mom and dad do it, so…” A sharp pain pierced his chest as he forced away the image of them, and his other sister, as they’d been the last time he’d laid eyes on them. He cleared his throat. “She’ll be better now. You can...take her.”

As Jamie picked up the baby, wrapping her in a thick, soft blue blanket he’d likely grabbed from the sitting area, Jacks pulled Avery in for a tight hug. “Very well done, my boy. I don’t know every detail about what happened to your family, but I know enough. And I’m so fucking sorry.” He tipped Avery’s chin up with a finger. “I’ll help Jamie with the little one. Why don’t you and Danny go keep an eye out for Keiran? I don’t know if it’ll make anything feel better, but you seem to like keeping busy.”

“I do, sir. Thank you.” Avery hesitated, gazing up at the Dom. He didn’t want to dig into emotional shit, but he needed to offer something in return for his kindness. “Sir, you...don’t need to ask. When you want a sub to do something? It...it feels good when you word it as...a command.”

Instead of getting offended, like some Doms would, Jacks’ expression warmed. “I’ll keep that in mind, little snake. With Danny, even a request can feel like an order to him, and neither me or Shea like doing stuff just because everyone else does. But I appreciate you telling me what you need. That I’ve earned that kind of trust.”

Not at all how Avery had intended it to come across, but...yeah, it still worked. Just like that, communicating with the Dom became much easier. He smiled up at Jacks. “I do trust you, sir.”

“Good.” Jacks turned Avery toward Danny and gave his ass a light smack. “Now go.”

If Rhodey could see this, he’d be much less worried about how Jacks was with Danny, at very least. Taking Danny’s hand again, Avery chuckled to himself, catching sight of the small cameras positioned strategically around the loft.

Rhodey could see this. And everything else. He had faith in Wren for a lot of things, but not to be objective where Jamie was concerned. Which meant Avery’s Dom was intentionally standing back and letting things play out.

He wanted to see how Jamie would handle this. How they all would.

Which gave Avery a whole new purpose.

I won’t disappoint you, sir.

Danny’s hand in his, he went down the steps, thinking over his next ones carefully. This wasn’t a mission. Wasn’t a life or death situation. But it was important, and Jamie had made a good point.

The baby’s mother had believed this would be the best place for her baby. That she would be safe here.

And whatever came next…

No way would Avery, or any of them, prove her wrong.