Cherished: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella (25 page)

“Ah, you figured it out, did you?” Ian Taggart looked surprisingly happy. He was usually a dour man who frowned a lot. He was good at frowning, but his lips were turned up in a brilliant smile and he had his big hand on his wife’s slightly rounded belly, holding her close to his body. “This is one of those moves where if you don’t kill your prey, he comes back to take you out.”

“That would be my point entirely,” she shot back. “We need to make sure it’s going to work before she tries it.”

Adam was behind the projector, working the computer attached to it. “It’s going to work. Trust me, after I run this footage, all hell’s going to break loose. And it’s all thanks to Will there.”

Charlotte Taggart laid her hand over Ian’s, both resting on the baby in her belly. “Thank you, Will. He’s been so crabby. This has made him happier than you can imagine.”

Chris and Jeremy were standing off to the side with Serena and Jake, but it was easy to tell they were talking about what was going on, too. Everyone knew except her.

“What have you done, Will?”

“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 fucking 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 assholes 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.

“Good evening, everyone. I deeply apologize for tonight’s entertainment. We seem to have gotten off track. I think this would be a perfect time to call a meeting of the board of Slaten Industries. As you all know, my loving father placed a morality code on all board members, stating that any one of you could lose all stock and place in the company if the majority found you guilty of loose morals. We have a quorum here and my personal lawyer is ready to witness the meeting. If you’ll all follow me.” She was polished and cool as Frankie led her down the steps.

Will hugged her tight. “She’s going to help Frankie take over his father’s company next week. They made a deal. They’re getting divorced in six months, but I doubt they’ll ever go their separate ways. Those two really do love each other.”

For a man who hadn’t believed in the word, he threw it out often now. And he’d helped do this for her. “This is the best day of my life, Will Daley.”

“Back at you, sweetheart,” he replied. “But let’s see if I can top it next week.

* * * *

Will looked at his gorgeous girl as she stood by the ocean. The breeze gently blew her hair back. She was dressed in a lovely white sarong, but he had to admit he was looking forward to seeing her in nothing at all.

“You look like a satisfied man.” Mitch stepped up next to him, a beer in his hand.

“I’m a married man.” As of two hours ago, Bridget was officially Bridget Daley. His wife. It had taken a few days to settle the formalities and to get his sisters over to the islands, but they’d come and his friends had stayed. It hadn’t been as grand as Amy and Frankie’s, but it was going to last. He was going to love that girl for the rest of his life.

“Good.” Mitch nodded. “And I don’t want you to worry about Laurel. I promise I don’t have designs on her.”

He’d softened up on that. Bridget and Laurel had started the process and then Lila and Lisa had completed it. Laurel was a smart woman. Mitch was a good man. “Treat her right or you’ll answer to me.”

Mitch’s face went a perfect blank. “I’m going to treat her like any employee. I have no intention of touching her. She’s off limits. She couldn’t…she’s so young. Hell, she would run away screaming if she figured out what I wanted from a woman.”

Mitch could be a little hardcore, but Will had recently learned that sometimes the right woman could soften a man up really fast. Bridget made him soft everywhere except his cock. That was pretty much hard any time he was around her. Didn’t his sister deserve a man who wanted her so badly? Who would take care of her? “I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

He shook his head. “I may look, but I’m not stupid enough to touch. I’ve been down that road twice before. I’m not doing it again. No. Laurel will find some young man and then she’ll forget she ever had that thought in her head about me. I’m going to turn in. You might be staying, but I have to head back with Ian tomorrow. I’m witnessing Frankie’s takeover. I think it will go smoothly after his father is arrested for embezzlement. We have to thank Adam for catching that. Night.”

Will watched as his best friend walked away. If Mitch had turned around, he would have caught Laurel watching, too. His sister watched Mitch with longing in her eyes.

But that was drama for another day.

His wife turned and her smile was brighter than the sun. She made her way up the beach to him. “Hello, Doctor Daley.”

He kissed her. “Hello, Mrs. Daley. I think we should skip the party and start the honeymoon early.” He picked her up, hauling her against his chest. “What do you say?”

“You know I always say yes to you,” she replied, putting her arms around his neck.

As the party went on, he snuck his bride away to start their lives together, fully intent on giving his wife the happy ending she deserved.

Author’s Note

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You Only Love Twice

Masters and Mercenaries 8

By Lexi Blake

Coming February 17, 2015

Click
here
to pre-order!

A woman on a mission

Phoebe Graham is a specialist in deep cover espionage, infiltrating the enemy, observing their practices, and when necessary eliminating the threat. Her latest assignment is McKay-Taggart Security Services, staffed with former military and intelligence operatives. They routinely perform clandestine operations all over the world but it isn’t until Jesse Murdoch joins the team that her radar starts spinning. Unfortunately so does her head. He’s gorgeous and sweet and her instincts tell her to trust him but she’s been burned before, so he’ll stay where he belongs—squarely in her sights.

A man on the run

Since the moment his Army unit was captured by jihadists, Jesse’s life has been a nightmare. Forced to watch as those monsters tortured and killed his friends and the woman he loved, something inside him snapped. When he’s finally rescued, everyone has the same question—why did he alone survive? Clouded in accusations and haunted by the faces of those he failed, Jesse struggles in civilian life until McKay-Taggart takes him in. Spending time with Phoebe, the shy and beautiful accountant, makes him feel human for the first time in forever. If someone so innocent and sweet could accept him, maybe he could truly be redeemed.

A love they never expected

When Phoebe receives the order to eliminate Jesse, she must choose between the job she’s dedicated her life to and the man who’s stolen her heart. Choosing Jesse would mean abandoning everything she believes in, and it might mean sharing his fate because a shadowy killer is dedicated to finishing the job started in Iraq.

* * * *

“Who do you work for?”

“I work for Ian Taggart, though I suspect he’s going to fire me.”

“Phoebe, I need to know who you work for.” Jesse’s voice was harder than she’d ever heard before. His jaw had tightened, and when he stood in front of her she could have sworn he grew a couple of inches.

“Phoebe Graham. Accountant. 1266745.” She held the bottle, though Aidan’s hands came up over hers. She wasn’t sure how she could ever thank Li and Avery for these last few moments of sweetness. When this was done and she was back at whatever house she would live in from now on, she wouldn’t be the same. If Ten allowed her, she would go back to China and bury herself there. She wouldn’t make friends. She wouldn’t watch babies. She would do her work and wait to join her husband again.

She wouldn’t think about Jesse. She wouldn’t remember what it felt like the first time his hand had found hers and for just a minute she’d felt safe again.

“Do you work for Tennessee Smith?” The question dropped from his mouth like a mine just waiting to go off.