Ryland's glass stopped midway to his lips. His voice trembled with disbelief. "What?"
"Yes," Thaddeus said, steady and unflinching. "I mean it. I'll protect him, care for him, give him everything he needs. You can call it wrong, you can hate me for it… But I won't let you separate us."
For a moment, Ryland just stared, torn between anger and heartbreak. "I can't believe we've gotten to this point," he muttered, setting the glass down with a soft clink. "Why won't you just understand, Thaddeus? Kayden is still a child… please, can you not do this?"
Thaddeus took a slow breath, eyes filled with both pain and determination. "Ryland, aren't you even a little relieved that he's with someone who truly loves him? Someone who will protect him, who will never, ever hurt him? Can't you see that he's safe with me, that I would give up everything just to keep him okay?"