From Sanctum with Love (Masters and Mercenaries #10)(8)

The first class for all Doms and Dommes centered around understanding what it was like for their subs. They couldn’t be okayed to use any equipment they hadn’t tried out. He would love to force his brother to take a spanking from Mistress Jackie. She wouldn’t go easy on him no matter how good he looked. And she enjoyed a good plugging.

Alex stood and chuckled. “I think he’s going to require more personal attention, but feel free to put him through anything you think will be helpful. Thank you for doing this, Kai. You can’t know how much this helps.”

He was beginning to suspect there was something going on at McKay-Taggart he didn’t fully understand, but he wasn’t a stupid man. “The feds are going to help you find Hope McDonald, aren’t they?”

Hope McDonald had managed to flee after Theo’s death. She’d been involved in her father’s business and that had led straight to the deaths of two McKay-Taggart operatives. There was no way Big Tag simply allowed her to get away.

Alex’s face became a polite mask. “Something like that. They’ve got resources we can use. That’s all I can say.”

Why wouldn’t he talk about it? There was something about the way Alex looked away that told Kai he was withholding some serious information. It wasn’t his place to pry. “I’ll make sure things run smoothly, but I don’t like the fact that we’re basically opening up Sanctum to a potential killer.”

“We’ll talk about it at the meeting. Be at the office at seven tonight. If anyone asks, you’re there on a routine briefing,” Alex said. He made it to the door before turning around. “And Kai?”

“Yes?”

“I know how hard this is for you. Thank you. We need this. We need the feds.”

Kai nodded. “I can handle it.”

The door closed and Kai hoped Kori was able to persuade Erin to come back in. He thought about going into the ladies’ room, but eased back. Women could be a mystery. If Kori thought she could get through to Erin, then he would give her a shot.

Losing Theo Taggart had left a hole in everyone. It had even made him think about his own brother. Years had passed. Was he ready to deal with Jared again? The anger was still there, but was it doing anything for him at this point?

Why had his brother insisted on coming here? There was really only one reason. Jared wanted to confront him and there was no way he could walk away from this.

There was a knock on his door. Ah, yes. He got to deal with that idiot Squirrel.

Before he could make it to the door, it opened.

“Hey, brother.” Jared stood there, blocking the way out.

Like it or not his past had caught up with him.





Kori pushed through the door and into the bathroom. When they’d taken over this building, she’d made certain there was one feminine space. Kai liked the whole Asian, super-sleek tranquility look. Everything was in natural colors with very soothing sounds.

Sometimes a girl needed some pink, a bit of bling.

Which was why Erin was currently sitting in the lounge section of the bathroom looking perfectly incongruous on the hot pink velvet settee.

“Hey, you done puking?” She held up a frosty green can she’d found in the fridge. “Because I thought you might need one of these.”

Erin looked up and her lips curled the tiniest bit. “I would kiss you but I really did puke so that wouldn’t be such a great payment.” She held out a hand and Kori pressed the drink in her palm. Erin immediately sat back and ran the cold can over her forehead. “Thanks. It got a little real in there. Your boss is an *.”

He wasn’t really. Kai was kind of the nicest man in the world, but if calling him an ass made Erin feel better, she would go with it. “He’s a dude, but he means well. He doesn’t get that you’re knocked up, not dying.”

Erin stopped for a moment, her body going still, and Kori wondered if she was about to deny it. “Yeah, they definitely don’t get that.”

“So how far along do you think you are?” The key with a chick like Erin was to ask direct questions. Erin didn’t need to be treated like an invalid. She did, however, need to talk.

“I don’t know. I think it probably happened after we got back from Africa. Sometime before Theo got shot to shit.” Erin looked straight ahead. “It’s his. That’s all I was trying to say. Do you think everyone knows?”

“That it’s Theo’s? Yeah. I don’t think anyone believes you’ve been trolling, E.”

Erin groaned, but her lips had curled up slightly. “I wasn’t talking about that. I was talking about the pregnancy. I really…I guess I didn’t want to think about it. I knew deep down. I haven’t been drinking or anything. I did right after I got home from the Caymans.” She turned quickly, her face white. “Oh, god. Do you think that hurt the baby?”

And there it was. There was the instinct. It might get buried again. Erin might shove it under a mile of pain and bravado, but her first impulse was to protect her child. Kori reached out and put a hand over Erin’s shaking one. Of all the women she’d met since she’s started playing at Sanctum and working for Kai, Erin was the one she understood the best. There was a soft heart under all that tough skin. “The baby’s fine.”

“It was only two beers but it helped me sleep, and then the next night I threw them out because I wanted them. I wanted them so f*cking bad, but I didn’t dream. They made me not dream and that’s where I saw him.” She seemed to realize she was on the edge emotionally and pulled back. “This is so stupid.”