Servicing the Target (Masters of the Shadowlands #10)(124)

Robert took a step back at the menace in Anne’s voice.

She leaned both hands on the table and fixed him with a cold stare. “I think those guys came into the office, slapped you around, and you told them where I lived. And you never even warned me.”

“I never…” Robert sputtered, eyes shifting sideways. Every single person on the deck could see his guilt.

As fury roared through Ben, he moved forward. Paused. It was Anne’s right to tear apart the chickenshit. But damn. “Anne. Please?”

She smiled and patted her stomach. “Feel free to tend to these little chores for me…for a while. Don’t kill him.”

“Fuck, I love you.” Ben advanced on the *, swung from his hip—and, obediently, pulled his punch. Barely.

Robert flew halfway across the deck.

Arms crossed over his chest, Ben waited for dumbass to rise. Instead, he lay there, flat on his back. Eventually he put a hand on his jaw.

The cheers meant nothing compared to Anne’s soft, “Excellent work, my tiger.”

“Okay, I want to know something.” Stephan scowled at his daughter, not quite belligerently, but obviously annoyed. “Last night, you yelled at me for expecting Ben to defend you. Said you could do it yourself. So why is it different today?” He waved at Robert.

“Well, actually, last night I didn’t have any choice as to fighting,” Anne said, “and once I started, I kind of lost my temper. Ben knew I needed to release some anger.”

Ben shrugged at her father. “Her home. Her toys.”

“After I calmed down, I realized I shouldn’t have…indulged.” She gave Ben a wry look because when he’d understood how she’d risked herself and the baby, he’d given her hell. “So today Ben got to deal with the problem.”

With a smile, Ben took her hand, silently letting her know that he was available to deal with all her little problems. Any time. Any place.

Travis stared. “Since when do you not indulge? You’ve been knocking guys into next week from the time you were ten.”

Oh yeah? It’d be entertaining to hear some of those stories. Maybe if he gave Travis enough alcohol…

“My indulging days are over for…oh, another seven months or so. Until after the baby is born.” Anne set her hand on her stomach and smiled.

As the uproar broke out, she leaned into Ben, fisted his hair, and demonstrated that her indulging would be in a whole different arena.

With satisfaction, Ben pulled her closer and gave her everything she demanded, knowing his heart and mind and soul were safe in her very capable, loving hands.

The mission had been a long one and filled with peril, but somehow—some-f*cking-how—he had won for himself the love of the Mistress of the Shadowlands.

Well done, Haugen. Bravo Zulu.



The End