Cherished (Masters and Mercenaries #7.5)(62)

“Consider it a wedding present,” Will said.

“To my sister?”

He pulled her close and lowered his forehead to hers. “No. To you. You are going to marry me, right? I remember you promising to sign any contract I wanted.”

Her heart threatened to stop, and she couldn’t help but put her hands on that face she’d grown to love. “Are you serious?”

“Marry me. I know it’s quick, but…”

Hey, she never argued with her Master. Much. “Yes.”

He lifted her up, his mouth meeting hers. “I love you.”

She loved hearing those words from him. “I love you, too. Now tell me what my present is.”

He set her on her feet. “I’d rather show you. I didn’t actually find this. Ian did, but technically he worked for your father so he couldn’t use it. However, I hired him and then talked to Amy and Frankie, who agreed this is the perfect time to premiere this film.” He turned to Adam. “I think now’s as good as any. Mitch, Amy wants to make sure you’re ready to stand as a witness to the board meeting.”

Mitch had been quiet for the whole wedding, but Bridget hadn’t missed how his eyes every so often slid to find Laurel. Mitch nodded. “I am indeed. I’ve foregone alcohol all stinking day so I can make sure everything is done by the company bylaws. He won’t legally find a way around it.”

Laurel stood beside him, a laptop bag on her shoulder. “I’m ready to take the minutes. And then someone get Mr. Grumpy a Scotch.”

Holy shit. This was really happening.

The lights dimmed and suddenly there was a show playing on the screen over the bride’s table. All of Bridget’s relatives turned, obviously ready to see some sweet film about the bride and groom.

Bridget gasped. Yeah, that wasn’t the bride and groom. The film showed what looked to be an empty hotel room. “What’s happening?”

“Magic,” Ian Taggart replied.

Will leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Taggart found out that your father keeps a standing date at this hotel every week. He makes it a point to find out all the bad shit about a client before it bites him or the client in the ass, so he had Liam O’Donnell and Li’s new partner bug the hotel. He thought he’d find your dad with his mistress.”

“He always has a couple. That won’t change things. Everyone knows.” Her mother couldn’t care less.

“Honey, would you say your family is very accepting of alternative lifestyles?”

“God, no.” Her eyes widened as she saw her father and his friend enter the room. The woman on the screen was lovely. A sequined dress adorned her curvy body and she had to be forty years younger than her perverted old-dude dad.

“What is the meaning of this?” Her father had stood up and was glaring at the back of the room.

On screen, he sat down on the bed, his back to the camera, which was good because she didn’t want to see her father’s junk if he took his pants off. The pretty hooker stood in front of him and started to undress.

“Turn it off now. Right f*cking now or I’ll have your head, Taggart!” Her dad was stumbling as he tried to run through the tightly packed tables and chairs.

Taggart flipped him off. “I quit.”

There was a gasp that went through the crowd. It drew Bridget’s attention back to the screen where the hooker was doing a striptease. She had pretty breasts and a lovely face.

And a penis.

Her heart nearly stopped and tears of great joy threatened. “Is that my father with a pre-op tranny hooker? Please tell me that’s my father with a pre-op tranny hooker. It will make up for all the shitty Christmases.”

Her dad had stopped, staring at the screen as though he thought it was all a dream and he could force himself to wake up.

Taggart stepped up next to her, patting her shoulder. “See, it’s always the blowhard righteous *s who end up getting busted with a hooker. I told you it was magic. That right there, that’s a gift. A gift to me. Damn, I feel good.”

The shouting had already started, and she could see her father had come out of his stupor and was pushing his way through the shocked crowd. He was screaming, his face florid. “I will see you never work a day in your life, Taggart.”

“That would be great. I could use a vacation,” Taggart replied.

Her father stared at her and then pointed a finger her way. “You did this.”

Will moved in front of her. “No. I did. And if you ever try to come near her again, you’ll deal with me, and no amount of money will save you. I won’t fight fair and you won’t see me coming. Are we understood?”

Taggart was grinning as though this was the best show ever. “You know we could settle this the fight club way.”

“I said no fight club!” Charlotte Taggart yelled and her husband shrugged.

“She never lets me have fun. And Slaten, if you come after Bridget, you’ll find out why I was a Green Beret because I’ll have Will’s back. We all will.” He gave her a nod and stepped back.

Her father turned a lovely shade of purple and stormed out.

Bridget just shook her head. They’d done it. They’d taken the old man down. Will had done it for her.

Amy seemed perfectly calm as she took the microphone.