From Sanctum with Love (Masters and Mercenaries #10)(44)

Jared stopped as they walked into the lobby. Up ahead, Kai could see his entourage was waiting for him. And look, his assistant had shown up. Lena was dressed for clubbing in a way-too-short skirt that would very likely show off all her assets as she got out of the limo they would surely take.

“Fine,” Jared said, his voice hushed. “But since I’m living with you for the next couple of weeks, don’t think this conversation is over. Maybe I’ll make an appearance at this club and then call it an early night because I think we should talk about this.”

He turned and joined his group. High-fives all around. Jared smiled like they hadn’t just gone from being fairly cool with each other to nearly having a public knock-down, drag-out, but then that was how his brother rolled.

“Hey, Kai, you coming with?” Squirrel had traded his leathers for the equally awkward jeans that seemed painted on his body and a V-neck shirt that proved he was way less serious about working out than Jared.

Brad or was it Tad? He couldn’t remember. They were dressed in the same douchebag outfits as the rest of the crew, as though they were all trying so hard to be Jared. One of the “_ads” gave him a nod. “The more the merrier. We’ve got plenty of room in the limo. Come with us. You’ve never gotten trim the way you get it when you’re with this guy.”

The * was patting Jared on the back like it was his duty to ensure every guy got laid by some chick who really wanted Jared but would take whatever they could get to be in a star’s orbit.

The other “_ad” nodded and got a wolfish leer on his face. “Yeah, these chicks will do the craziest shit to get near him. And the drunk ones are easy pickings.”

“Ah, date rape. It’s the call of the lesser, more criminal male.” Yeah, his brother needed to find another way to cope. “You’ll excuse me if I choose better company.”

He walked off toward the bar where he saw Vince hanging out with Mistress Jackie. Hanging out was a euphemism. He was actually curled up at her feet, his cheek against the leather of her boots that had come straight from Dominatrix.com or wherever Jackie was buying her outrageous getups these days. She looked lovely, but he couldn’t imagine having to be stuffed into a corset. Some days he genuinely thanked the universe he’d been born with a dick. And now that he thought about it, his dick wasn’t that much smaller than his brother’s. It was simply that his dick had some humility, some modesty and refinement.

“I thought you would be in a privacy room by now,” Jackie said, a knowing smile on her scarlet lips.

With Kori. How was Kori going to deal with the fact that everyone would think they had moved their relationship past the friend zone? How would she handle the fact that they actually had moved past it? That was the better question. It wasn’t like she’d hung around. There could be serious issues for them to work out.

But he wasn’t going to let that stand in his way. She was perfect for him. She complemented him.

And the truth of the matter was it was way past time for him to move on and settle down and start to build something. He could do that with her.

Was he being rash? Probably, but this decision didn’t make him antsy. It didn’t feel like something he should meditate on.

She made him feel alive.

“Where did Kori go, Vince?”

Jackie sighed. “Did the little coward run away?”

“I’m sure she’ll have a reasonable excuse.” And he would listen to it. “Mistress Jackie, could you please ask your submissive where my submissive went.”

Vince’s head came up off Jackie’s f*ck-me-hard boots, his eyes lighting up. “I knew you two made a connection. It was so easy to see in the way you caned her. That was beautiful. She needed that so badly. And she ran away like a coward. She even forced Sarah and Mia to leave with her. I think they went home, but I stayed here with Mistress. Mostly because I love Mistress, but also because when those three complain about men I get scared.”

He was sure lots of things scared Vince when Jackie was around. She placed her well-manicured hand on his head and eased him back down. “You did well, pet. Perhaps later I’ll reward you with an old-fashioned pegging. I do enjoy going old-school. Spank that brat when you find her, Kai. She deserves it.”

It was said with an affectionate fondness. At least he knew Kori’s play partners had accepted her apology. Not that they would be playing with her again.

His cell phone buzzed and he looked down. A text came through from an unfamiliar number.

Where is your brother heading for the evening? He lost me at the light.

Ah, the feds were quietly hanging around. That text made his stomach turn. It reminded him that he wasn’t simply fulfilling a contract. He was spying on his brother. He was trying to figure out if a killer had gotten close to Jared. He would go through their files again, check their histories against his instincts. His brother’s entourage was one f*cked-up group of people.

He could do that tomorrow. For tonight, he was done. Let the feds do their thing. He had his own f*cked-up human to deal with.

Some club. I don’t know. Check his social media. I’m sure he’s announced it to the world.

He shut his phone off for the night. The doctor was out.

He had other things he needed to do.





CHAPTER SIX