3 months later
Julian Lodge knew they talked about him. They had talked about him before his marriage, and they certainly talked about him now. As he walked through the dungeon, he heard the whispers.
“I never would have believed that the Master could go so soft.”
“He married her without a prenup. He’s gone insane.”
Julian didn’t bother to glance back at the women talking about him. They could talk all they liked. He had better things to do. Besides, all of it was true. He’d gone back on his promise about the contracts. He’d needed one more to legally protect his loves. He had married Danielle in a small, lovely ceremony attended only by a few friends and Danielle’s amazingly obnoxious sister. It was the only real fight the three of them had engaged in since he had moved Danielle and Finn into his penthouse. He’d found it surprisingly easy to be indulgent when it came to his lovers, but he’d been angry with Danielle’s utter refusal to allow him all-out vengeance on her sister. She’d told him he wasn’t allowed to have her murdered. Taggart had offered. He’d even promised to do it in a humane fashion, but Danielle had been insistent. He wasn’t allowed to send her to prison. He hadn’t even been allowed to bar her from their wedding. Danielle had been perfectly willing to accept punishment for arguing with her Master, but she wasn’t willing to budge. She believed her sister could change. After all, she would say, Julian had changed.
Of course, he hadn’t changed as much as Danielle suspected. And Finn, it turned out, had just as much of a vicious streak when it came to protecting their woman.
Speaking of his little devil…Julian felt a wide smile spread across his face as Finn walked into the dungeon, followed by Lucas Cameron. Finn looked ridiculously out of place in his three-piece suit and slightly messy hair. He carried his briefcase, and the look of elation on his face told Julian that he and Lucas had more than likely concluded their latest venture.
“You should whip him, you know.” Leo stepped out from behind him. “He’s not wearing his collar.”
It was a point of some contention between his Dom in residence and his partner. Finn didn’t see the need to go all the way up to the penthouse and come all the way back down when he got off work and wanted to see Julian and Danielle. Danielle was far more obedient. She wore the small diamond necklace Julian and Finn had placed around her neck every day without fail. It matched the ring he’d placed on her finger. Finn wore a ring as well. It was a duplicate of the one Julian wore.
“I’ll see to Finn, Leo,” Julian said evenly. Since he’d rehired Leo, after a heartfelt apology and a fifteen percent raise, the Dom had taken charge of The Club while Julian concentrated on Danielle and Finn. Julian had never noticed how devoted to protocol his second-in-command was until Julian himself had begun breaking the rules. “Perhaps we’ll play out a heavy scene this evening.”
“Like the one you two played out with Danielle after-hours last night? The cleaning crew nearly called the cops.” Leo groused, but there was warmth in his eyes. “Tell me something, Julian, did you really chase her down while wearing a Viking helmet?"
Julian laughed. He noted that it caused almost everyone in the dungeon to turn and stare. “My wife has some rather involved fantasies. It is up to her husbands to make them come true. Let me tell you something, Leo. Those horns are heavy, and I greatly prefer my leathers to the loincloth she insisted on. Danielle looked extremely sweet in her nun’s outfit though. Well, she looked better once Finn and I ripped it off her.”
Leo shook his head. “One of these days I’m going to find my own sweet little perv. Speaking of sweet pervs, Abby Barnes just checked in upstairs. I take it she’s in town to spend time with Lexi.”
Julian nodded, and his eyes strayed back to Finn and Lucas. How was he going to tell Lucas about the man who had come to visit him earlier in the day? Aidan O’Malley was back in Dallas. Lexi’s ex-fiancé had explained a lot to Julian that he was sure not even Lucas knew. And he’d asked Julian to train him. He was determined to win Lexi back…and to bring Lucas in.
Julian would have to think on it. He already had Taggart working on a dossier on exactly what O’Malley had been doing since he’d left. He wanted Lucas happy, but wasn’t sure he had the right to interfere. He would have to talk it out with Danielle and Finn. They would help him decide what to do.
As though he’d conjured her, Danielle raced up to Finn. She threw her arms around him and kissed him soundly. Lucas nodded at them and then noticed Julian. While Danielle and Finn were in their own world, Lucas walked down the hall and greeted Julian. There were lines on his face that made him look older than his twenty-six years.
“I left the final paperwork with Candice. You and Finn are now the proud owners of a development group specializing in shopping centers. I’ll be happy to inform the Willow Fork City Council that we’ll take our outlet store elsewhere.” Lucas pulled at the tie around his neck.
A nice warm sensation settled in his heart. Danielle hadn’t forbidden him from buying the business that was going to make Val wealthy and ensuring that the deal didn’t go through. She also hadn’t made him promise he wouldn’t send inspectors out to condemn her home. He didn’t feel bad about it. It would send her straight into Jimbo’s arms. Julian had no idea why the mechanic would want her, but he intended to send him a very nice set of canes. Jimbo would need them.
“I’m heading out.” Lucas glanced around the dungeon. “I think I’ll stay away from The Club for a couple of days. Abby’s in town with my brother and Sam. It’s awkward to run into them when I’m escorting Lexi around and she’s wearing nothing but some PVC and a collar. And since I’ve started thinking of Abby as a potential mother-in-law, I find it disturbing that she looks so freaking hot when she gets her ass whipped.” He shook his head as he walked away.
Leo slapped him on the back. “And I need to go make sure Jack Barnes’s scene is properly prepared. It’s the least I can do. He’s upset because apparently the younger Taggart was very flirty with Abby earlier today. Who would have guessed Little Tag would like older redheads? He’s going to have to get in line. Will you be around later, boss?”
“Not tonight,” Julian replied. Danielle turned and caught sight of him. Her whole face lit up. Finn followed her line of sight, and they both began rushing his way. “We’re staying in tonight.”
“Have fun, boss.” Leo left, making his way toward the center of the dungeon, greeting people all along the way.
“Hello, Mr. Lodge,” Danielle said with a smile that lit up his world. She walked into his arms.
He gave her the words she wanted. She loved her new name. He’d pulled strings to facilitate her name change. “Hello to you, Mrs. Lodge-Taylor.”
Finn laughed. “She thinks it makes her sound elegant.”
Her nose crinkled up. “It does make me sound elegant. And it’s true. It’s my name. I got my new driver’s license in today. Now I can go down to the campus and get my student ID. Before he knows it, I’ll be running Julian’s company.”
Julian shuddered to think about it. She would try. The wife he shared with Finn was a sweet thing, but her ruthless side came out when she talked about having a career. Of course, she also talked about starting a family. Danielle was determined to have it all, and Julian was determined to give it to her.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. That would mean I was sleeping with the boss,” Finn said.
Danielle snorted and began to walk toward the door. “Like you don’t do that already.”
Finn followed after her. “It’s different with Julian. He’s like the boss of everything.”
Julian watched them for a moment, his heart fuller than he could have imagined. Danielle had told him that she’d learned the world was a bigger place than she could have imagined. He’d learned the opposite. He’d learned how amazingly small the world could be. His whole world was encompassed in two people. Four arms that could surround him. Two hearts that loved him. Two souls to share his own with.
The world was small, and he would have it no other way.
“Are you coming with us, Julian?” Finn asked. He held open the door as Danielle walked through into the bar.
“Always,” Julian said as he caught up to them and took Danielle’s hand.
* * * *
Lexi Moore, Lucas Cameron, Aidan O’Malley, and the whole Texas Sirens gang will return in Siren Beloved, coming summer 2018.