Cherished: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

by Lexi Blake

  Did no one really believe she could smile simply because she was happy? “I’m not going to kill anyone. I’m happy to see you. How’s the corporate world treating you?”

  Her baby sister was a VP at Slaten, and from what Bridget had heard, she was one of the smartest young executives in the business. With a slender form and chicly cut black hair, she could pass for a model, but there was no doubt about her brainpower. She’d graduated from Wharton School of Business. She hugged Bridget warmly and then kissed Chris on the cheek. “It would be wonderful if I liked my boss.”

  Their father. The bastard. “Why don’t you quit? Why are you doing this? Amy, we can get on a plane today and I’ll help you until you find your feet.”

  “We can find you a place to live in Dallas, and I have no doubt you can easily get a job there,” Chris said.

  Her sister had a great resume. She could do it. It would be hard for Amy to leave everything behind, but Bridget had done it.

  Amy shook her head. “I wish. If I leave, who’s going to protect those workers? They’ve been like family to us over the years, and Dad will fire off the experienced workers and swindle them out of their pensions. You know it as well as I do. I managed to keep him from shipping everything over to China last year. No. I have plans. I have to be patient and let them happen. Now, hello, you gorgeous hunk of fake, soon-to-be brother-in-law. Damn, but you are fine.”

  She was grinning up at Will, who seemed to take the compliment in stride.

  “Thank you. I try to live up to Bridget’s standards,” Will said.

  That wouldn’t be hard. He’d bathed. That was a step up from her last do-nothing boyfriend. Yeah, she didn’t mention that either. She was really maturing. It was a good thing.

  “Now, you have to meet my Frankie. He’s the sweetest thing ever and I adore him.” She took Bridget’s hand and started to lead her toward the bar. Will and Chris followed.

  An almost blindingly gorgeous man turned and smiled. He was at least six foot three, with a movie star face and the most perfect lips she’d ever seen on a man. He was dressed casually, but nothing could hide the lean strength of his body. He took off his perfectly paired aviators and Bridget nearly got lost in his blue eyes.

  “You must be Bridget.” Even his voice was perfect. Lyrical. Musical.

  She stood there staring at him.

  Will elbowed her. “Have you lost use of your tongue, sweetheart? Maybe I should check you out. You could have a neurological problem.” He held his hand out. “Since my lovely fiancée seems to have lost the power of speech, I’m Will Daley. Nice to meet you.”

  Frankie held out a hand and they shook.

  Why was she suddenly thinking about an MMF? They would look so pretty together.

  Chris leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Dibs.”

  She turned on him. They often had the same ideas for stories because great minds really did think alike, but he was not taking this one. No way. Will was her damn Dom and she kind of almost owned Frankie I’m-a-Love-God by way of marriage. “You don’t get dibs on this. I own this.”

  He grinned. “Nope. I called dibs. I already have the story in my head.”

  “Do I even want to know what you two are talking about?” Will asked.

  “No,” they managed to say in perfect harmony.

  She got her bearings back. Frankie was a gorgeous god of a man, but she kind of preferred Will’s broader body and more masculine face. It was good to know the man could get jealous though. She held out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Might I say welcome to the family?”

  His hand was warm in hers. “Thank you. I’m madly in love with your sister. Hell, I’d marry her for her handbag collection alone. And that hair. You look gorgeous, darling.” He turned to Chris, his eyes boldly running the length of Chris’s body with obvious appreciation. “And hello. Who is this?”

  What? Delicious boy had set off her gaydar. Hard. Like lights swirling, why can’t everyone else hear that siren blaring hard.

  Will had a smirk on his face that let Bridget know he had a gaydar, too.

  Shit. Her sister was marrying a gay dude. Which would be totally and completely fine if she happened to be packing a penis. Which she wasn’t.

  Chris’s eyes went wide as he shook hands with Frankie. “Chris Roberts.”

  “You’re one of the writers,” Frankie said with obvious glee. “I am so excited about sitting down with you two and talking about where you get your ideas. I love creative types.”

  Amy put a hand on Frankie’s perfectly pressed shirtsleeve. “Babe, there’s my cousin. He has a voting share, so we need to go make nice. Bridget, let’s catch up in a bit, okay? I’m so happy you’re here. Love you, sis.”

  She and Frankie made their way to cousin Lance, who was one of their more reasonable relatives.

  “Holy shit, Bridget. He is one of my people,” Chris said, still watching the couple.

  “Damn straight he is. And by straight I mean gay. That dude is totally gay.” There was a wealth of satisfaction in Will’s voice.

  “Does she know? Oh god. She can’t know. Shit. I have to be the bad guy again.” She was always, always put in this position. “How am I going to tell my sister that she’s marrying a gay guy? Why does he want to marry her?”

  “Apparently he likes her handbags,” Chris offered.

  “Bridget, you came.” Her mother was moving toward them with that lazy stride she used when she was drunk. Which was almost always.

  She turned her cheek up and allowed her mother to do that fakey-fake air kiss thing she did to everyone. “I did, indeed.”

  “It’s nice to see you looking so…healthy, dear.” Her mother sighed. “And your hair. It’s grown out. It’s very retro. This must be the doctor fiancé.” She held her hand out toward Chris. She’d met him once before, but it didn’t surprise Bridget at all that her mom didn’t remember.

  Will stepped in. “No. That would be me.”

  Her mother’s weird eyebrow managed to go even higher. “You’re with Bridget?”

  Well, the hits kept coming, didn’t they? Healthy was her mother’s version of fat and retro meant she should cut her hair since she was over thirty and in her mother’s mind, only little girls and supermodels had long hair. Now dear mother was shocked that the hot doc was her date.

  Will slid an arm around her waist and smiled readily. “Yes. I’m so glad to finally meet her family.”

  Her mother sighed and then she was off again, likely in search of another bottle of Pinot.

  Chris shook his head. “She’s as sweet as ever.”

  Will shook his head. “Did I miss something?”

  “I don’t think he speaks our language.” She could explain to him that her mother had insulted her, but she was trying to stay positive. “It’s okay. Hey, is that Mitch? What’s he doing here?”

  Surprise registered on Will’s face as he stepped away. “No idea. Do you want to go say hi with me?”

  She shook her head. “Go on. I’m going to get a drink and start trying to figure out how to tell Amy her stud isn’t interested in her plumbing situation.” Will walked away and she turned to Chris. “He could be bi, right?”

  “Oh, I doubt it, honey.” He kissed her cheek. “I’m going to go get Jeremy. He sent me a text saying he’s in the lobby and can’t find the place. I’ll introduce him to Frankie and see if he agrees, but I think you’re screwed.”

  Because her sister wouldn’t ever be if she married Frankie.

  She walked up to the bar. Alcohol was so needed. “Could I get a rum and diet? Heavy on the rum, please.”

  The bartender nodded.

  “So you decided to come,” a low voice said behind her.

  Her father. She was going to be calm. She was going to be a lady. She forced herself to turn. Her father was standing there in what had to be a three thousand dollar Italian suit and Ferragamo loafers. Amid all the lush relaxation of the islands, he still looked like a captain of industry, but then im
age was everything to George Slaten. Bridget couldn’t miss the way he took in her maxi dress and sandals with a frown. “Yes. I wouldn’t miss Amy’s wedding for the world.”

  He gestured to the bartender, who immediately pulled out the good Scotch. “She’s a good daughter and a fine executive, if she would just get those stupid notions out of her head. She needs to nurture the bottom line, not those idiots who are always looking for a handout.”

  Her dad was a giver. “I believe she would call them employees, Dad.”

  He shrugged. “They’re replaceable, but she forgets that. So are you still peddling smut?”

  Ah, so the pleasantries were over. “Are you still screwing the general public six ways from Sunday?” Damn it. She was supposed to be ladylike and turn the other cheek. She’d promised. “I am still writing if that’s what you’re asking. I make a good living at it, too.”

  “Enough to buy yourself a boyfriend, I see.” He nodded to the place where Will was talking to Mitch. Ian Taggart and Jake Dean had joined them. Jake had what looked like a baby carrier strapped to his chest. Yep. Tristan’s fat baby legs were hanging down.

  She was going to take the high road. Will was right. Her father wasn’t worth fighting with. Not when she could get baby cuddles from Tristan and hunk cuddles from Will. Maybe if his arms were around her she could forget she was surrounded by sharks. She picked up her drink. “If you’ll excuse me…”

  Her father reached out and grabbed her arms. “No, I will not. I want to talk to you. I know you came out here to fuck up your sister’s wedding, but I’m going to stop you here and now.”

  She really hated him. “Why would you want her to marry him? He can’t love her. Not the way she deserves.”

  “I don’t give a crap about your sister’s love life. I do, however, give a shit about my business. You see that shiny prick over there? The one your sister is marrying? His family owns one of California’s largest real estate companies. When they get married, we’re going to merge and Slaten is going to have the final piece to the puzzle we’ve needed. Our stock will soar and then I’ll sell this fucking company and be done with it.”

  He wanted to sell the company their grandfather and great grandfather had built? Her granddad had been one of the only members of the family she and Amy could stand. She often thought they’d survived their childhoods because of long stretches spent with their grandparents. “I’ll tell Amy. How could you do this? That company is her birthright.”

  “That company is mine to do with as I please. I’m going to get everything I can out of it and then retire. Amy can inherit what I don’t manage to spend, but don’t think you’re going to get a dime. I told you when you walked out of the house that you wouldn’t get a single cent from me. You made your choice.”

  Because she hadn’t been willing to fall in line. She’d never regretted it once. She’d held down two jobs until she’d started making enough to support herself with her writing. She’d built her life and it was good, but Amy had always loved the company. Amy had been preparing to take over the company from the day she’d been born. “I’ll stop it. The only reason she’s stayed with the company is to protect the workers. She’ll walk away from this wedding. She won’t do this.”

  Her father leaned in, his voice taking a distinctly nasty tone. “You could tell her. But then I’ll make sure your boy toy over there doesn’t work again. Did you think I wouldn’t have time to check him out? I work fast, sweetheart. I have connections at the hospital where he works. It’s owned by a large conglomerate, one whose CEO happens to be at this wedding. How is he going to take it when I start talking about your boy’s sexual proclivities? Did you think I wouldn’t know about that? I’m not surprised you turned out to be such a slut. Did you know his mother’s in prison for dealing drugs? Do you think he’s involved in that, too? I bet the hospital will wonder. How about the fact that he was involved with a serial killer? He’s done a fine job of keeping that out of the press, but I assure you I can make it national news. Brain doc doesn’t have a brain in his head. How’s that for a headline?”

  Anger flashed through her system. “He was not. He had nothing to do with those killings.”

  He shrugged as if he couldn’t care less. “The press might see it that way. Or they might be open to questions about it. All I’m saying is it would be in his best interest if your sister’s wedding runs smoothly.”

  His way or the highway. Or in this case, his way or Will lost his job and got humiliated in the press.

  She knew exactly how he felt. Will was private. He would be horrified to have his life spread out like that.

  Anger sat in her gut, but she nodded. She’d gotten Will into this. She couldn’t let him get caught up in her father’s crap. “I guess I should wish her a happy wedding then, shouldn’t I?”

  “You always were a smart girl. Never used it much, but smart. Now get out of my sight. You’re here for your sister. The rest of the family would rather you didn’t exist.”

  She nodded and walked away, but not toward Will. She headed for the beach.

  It would be good to remind herself that she was alone. Always alone.

  * * * *

  “What kind of protection is that thing supposed to be?” Taggart was asking Jacob Dean as Will approached. He was staring at the baby carrier.

  “Well, for one thing, it doesn’t let him slide to the ground,” Dean replied.

  Taggart took a swig of the beer he was holding. “It does nothing to stop a bullet.”

  Dean rolled his eyes and he patted his son’s back. “No. Surprisingly my baby carrier isn’t made of Kevlar.”

  “And that is where you’ve chosen poorly, my friend. Think about it. Baby would be protected and your whole chest area suddenly isn’t a big open target. I’m just saying why can’t it serve two purposes. That baby Charlie’s carrying is getting the full package. She’s thinking jogging stroller, but I think we should go with bulletproof all the way.” Taggart nodded. “Daley, how’s it going? I see Bridget hasn’t killed you yet. I lost that bet.”

  “You owe me twenty,” Dean replied.

  “No. Bridget and I get along fine. Mitch, what are you doing here?” Will asked, staring at his friend, who looked more casual than he could remember seeing him.

  Mitch pointed Taggart’s way. “The big guy called and asked me to come along. Apparently he finally met Slaten and now he’s trying to find a way out of this contract.”

  Taggart shook his head. “No. I’m fine with the contract. But I’m probably going to do something really horrible to the man, and I thought my attorney should witness the crime.”

  “Actually, that’s a bad idea,” Mitch admitted. “I shouldn’t be witness to any crimes you might commit. But I will look through those documents you asked me to look into. I’m going through some of the corporate bylaws and structure for Bridget’s sister. She had some questions. Ian had concerns and at the last minute, a couple of seats opened up on the plane. Any idea how that happened?”

  “Hey, I wanted some alone time.” It had gone spectacularly well. He was looking forward to getting her alone again. Once the family cleared out, they would have a whole week to themselves. Now that he thought about it, he should propose more than a month for their next contract. They could safely sign a contract for six months. That seemed reasonable.

  “It’s a good thing Mitch is here,” Taggart said. “Bridget’s dad is such an asshole that I think I really am going to need a lawyer.” He sobered a little. “Keep her away from him, man. He’s toxic. He talks about both his daughters like they’re property to be dispensed with, and I won’t even go into the man’s sexual proclivities.”

  “His sexual proclivities?”

  He shook his head as though shaking some nasty image out of his brain. “Hey, I had Li shadow him after we signed him up. I should have done it before, but he kind of dazzled me with the whole signing bonus deal. I got mouths to feed. Li needed a new partner and damn Damon hired some sad-sack Russia
n. I swear every ex-agent with a sob story shows up on my doorstep.”

  He did not need to listen to Taggart complain. The man could do it for hours. “Back to Bridget’s dad.”

  “Hey, I have a conscience. I also have a couple of hours of tape on the son of a bitch if we ever need it.” Taggart shook his head. “Trust me. I know who has the best odds for filing crazy lawsuits and not paying up. I have to cut that shit off at the pass.”

  “Mitch?” a familiar female voice said.

  Will turned slowly, hoping and praying that he was mistaken. “Laurel?”

  His eldest sister was holding two glasses of wine and gave him a sheepish grin. “Hey, big brother.”

  “Hello, sister. Want to explain why you’re here.” He suddenly figured it out and turned on his best friend. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “I don’t think he knew they were screwing,” Taggart whispered to Dean.

  “Definitely not,” Dean agreed.

  It was good to know they were entertaining someone. “Your opinions are not needed.”

  “Don’t think of them as opinions. Merely reactions to the show, buddy,” Taggart replied with a grin. “Continue on. You should definitely mention the fact that Mitch has gone through like five wives.”

  Laurel rolled her eyes and got in between Will and Mitch. She proved her moxie by pointing a finger the big boys’ way. “You two, stop being jerks around the baby. Mitch has only been married twice. He has terrible taste in women. And I’m here because I’m working for him. He hired me on two weeks ago.”

  Yeah, Will bet he had. He loved Mitch like a brother, but the man was known for going through women, and he didn’t want one of those women to be his sister. “I’ll get you another job.”

  Just for a second, a flash of rage went across Mitch’s face. It was quickly subdued and replaced with his usual devil-may-care vibe, but Will hadn’t missed it. No matter what he said, Mitch was interested in Laurel.

  Will wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

  “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me. I need to talk to my brother for a moment.” Laurel gripped his elbow and he found himself being hauled away.