Juan escorted Lakyninto thekitchen where several of the other submissives were gathered around an elaborate spread that looked like they planned to feed an army.
“I don’t know who is responsible for the buffet, but I hope you take time to enjoy it while I drive down to the cabin and get your contacts.” He gave her a reprimanding look he hoped kept her from arguing. Juan might not be the strictest Dom at the club, but hewouldn’t let a challenge go unmet, especially one issued in front of other club members.
“Thank you. Everything I’ll need is in my purse.” A flash of unease reflected in her amazing eyes, but she shuttered it quickly, reminding him why her acting skills had made her a world-recognized celebrity.
“When is the last time you checked in with your manager,Cariña?” Even though he wasn’t anxious forher to return to work, he doubted she would be happy sitting back on her laurels for long.
“The day before I left. It seems odd he hasn’t been blowing up my phone. I know he isn’t a great manager, but he usually checks in regularly to update me on offers he’s screening or contracts he’s forwarding to my attorney. He also updates my calendar online, but ordinarily, calls to confirm I’ve seen hisadditions and changes.” When he cocked a brow at her in questions, she shrugged. “I had planned to take a month off, but after that short hiatus, I’m stacked for the next two years. After that I want to see where things lead.”
“Stacked?” Juan agreed that she was stacked, but he doubted her meaning was the same as his.
“Seven days a week. I won’t have more than a half day off for a little overtwo years.” He heard several of the women around them gasp, and he was equally surprised.
“Damn, girl, have you signed all those contracts already? Because I have to tell you, that’s just not healthy.” Tobi leaned on the counter beside Juan, and he appreciated the little fireball calling her friend out.
“Most of them are just verbal commitments at this point, so I may be able to pare it downsome so I can work on my fashion line.”
“I thought the new fashion line was your passion? Why are you putting off your dream? Life’s too short to spend it doing something your heart isn’t in.” Damn, Juan needed to remember to send Tobi a huge bouquet of her favorite flowers for all her help. “I’ll bet you have a kazillion dollars stashedjust in case, don’t you? You’re one of those people whoplans themselves into a deep rut because something disrupted their life as a kid.” Tobi’s words brought a sheen of tears to Lakyn’s eyes, but she didn’t deny the assessment. Juan’s sisters had trained him well, and he recognized a good exit point when he saw one.
“I’ll be right back,Cariña. Listen to what your friends have to say, it’s always good to get the perspective of people who don’t standto gain financially from your decisions. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Pressing a quick kiss to her lips, Juan sent Trac a quick text, letting him know he was heading back to the cabin. The terse note he received in return told him how close his friend was teetering to the edge of his control.
*
Trac was convincedhis blood pressure was going to cause him to have astroke any minute. Not only had someone tried to pull Lakyn off the street in New York, there had been another attempt today—this one intent on sending her brother a message, and it happened right under their noses. As a SEAL, Trac had always understood, at the end of the day, his job was to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves, and he couldn’t remember a time he felt like more of a failure.
The biggest draw for him as a sexual Dominant wasn’t the sex, it was the intense connection between him and the submissive who gifted him with her trust. His desire to protect Lakyn was exponentially greater than anything he’d ever felt before, and seeing that damned video play over and over, highlighting how close they’d come to losing her had been a test he wasn’t prepared for.
The driver hadbeen a pro—he’d known exactly what he was doing, and his calculations for the timing and arc it would take to throw Lakyn into the jagged rockface wall had been dead on. The only mistake he’d made was underestimating the woman. Thank God Sam McCall had insisted each of the women had a way to cut herself free should her lifejacket become entangled in hooks on the tube or in the brush both aboveand below the surface of the fast-moving water.
Kyle West leaned back in his enormous leather office chair and frowned. “It pisses me off we allowed these fuckers to bring this bullshit to our door.” Every man in the room froze. While Kyle wasn’t above cursing, it was unusual to hear him lace a single sentence with so much colorful language. Even his brother seemed surprised. Rolling his eyes,Kyle chuckled, “Christ, have I become such a pansy-ass you’re all speechless when I cuss?”
“Yeah, pretty much, extra emphasis on the pansy part.” Kent’s grin was contagious, and Trac felt the tension in his muscles begin to ebb away. Leaning close to him, Kent grasped his shoulder. “We’ll keep her safe, brother. They overplayed their hand, and we’ve already got a lead on the driver.” Trac lookedover at his friend and boss, waiting for more information, but Kent nodded toward Kyle.
“Our groundwork is paying off in spades, we’ve got a solid lead on the prick behind the wheel. It seems he’s a merc and isn’t choosy about who he works for. The guy at the boat rental company is a friend of ours, and he was more than happy to provide us with their security footage. Between Micah and Phoenix,we had a name within minutes. James Cox is his real name, but his list of aliases is as long as your damned arm.” Trac knew Phoenix Morgan and Micah Drake had developed a kick-ass facial recognition program and was thrilled they were using it to help identify Lakyn’s assailant. Maybe with a little luck, they could place the guy in New York as well.
“The alias list is a prereq for a mercenary.”Kent’s nonchalant shrug earned him a glare from Kyle.
“I’m waiting to talk to Cooper—hopefully, he’ll have some idea who is targeting Lakyn. Cam arranged Coop’s travel home, and he’s due to arrive late tonight. We’re hoping to get him onsite before his handler knows he is no longer in London.” What Kylewasn’tsaying was almost as clear as what he’d said.
Jen McCall pushed away from the windowwhere she’d been standing and asked, “Am I the only one who thinks we might be dealing with two factions?” She seemed torn about whether she should continue, but a quick nod from Sam was all the encouragement she’d needed. “We’ve all worked for Uncle Sam, and I think we’ll all agree the government often does things we don’t necessarily agree with. But intentionally kidnapping a U.S. citizen orslinging a woman into a rock wall seems like a stretch even for the C.I.A.” Trac agreed, but the look on Cam’s face wasn’t encouraging.Fucking hell.