Siren in Bloom

Chapter Eighteen

Wolf watched Shelley walk away, his whole world tilting and moving and shifting.

What the fuck had just happened?

“Are you happy with yourself?” Leo’s voice grated on his every nerve.

Leo was the one with the girl. Leo was the one with a life. “I was trying to help you. Can’t you get that? I was trying to make this easy.”

Why was Leo fighting him? He’d been doing it all fucking night long. He’d fought him about Logan, and now he was pushing back about Shelley and this was all about him. Wolf was giving him what he wanted. Couldn’t Leo see how this was tearing his fucking heart out?

Leo got in his face. “Easy? Do you know how much you’re going to have to grovel? Do you know what Julian’s going to do when he finds out how fucked this scene was?”

Wolf was very aware of how many people were watching. He felt every eye on him. “I was trying to do something good for you.”

“By pissing off our wife?” Leo shook his head. “I know she isn’t, but damn, Wolf, she practically is. She signed a contract with you. She has a verbal agreement with me. What the hell more do you want?”

“I want my brother to not hate me!” Wolf yelled, his frustration flowing.

Leo stopped. “What does that mean? Damn it, Wolf, I don’t hate you. I never could. You’re my little brother. I spent most of my life making sure you were all right. I went into the damn Navy because we couldn’t send you to college.”

“I showed you,” Wolf said bitterly. He hadn’t thought about it at the time. He’d merely wanted to follow in his brother’s footsteps. He’d thought Leo would be happy, proud that he was joining the Navy.

“You did, man.” Leo put a hand on his shoulder. “You were twice the SEAL I was. You were it, Wolf. You were everything they wanted you to be. Still are. I was always too much in my head. I loved the missions, loved protecting my country, but I didn’t live the life the way you did. I was pissed you didn’t take what I offered, but don’t you think for a second I was ever ashamed of your service. Not once.”

Kind words, and they meant something to Wolf, but they didn’t fix the situation at hand. He needed to get out of here with some modicum of dignity. If he had any left. He picked up the really expensive collar and put it back in its box. He wasn’t sure what had gone so brutally wrong with Shelley, but his brother had to see reason. “Take it, please. She doesn’t want it now, but she will later.”

He wanted to know she wore something he’d bought her. Even if she was Leo’s wife.

“Why are you being such a dumb fuck?” Leo asked. “She will never wear this. If you walk out on her tonight, she won’t even hold it in her hand. Why are you doing this to her?”

“I’m doing this for you, asshole.”

Leo threw his hands up. “Why? So I have to comfort her? So I can sit and watch hours of mind-numbing shows about people cooking things I can’t eat and installing tile? You need to talk, now. And do it fast, because the longer she stews, the worse this is going to get. She could lock us both out of the bedroom, and if that happens, it’s your ass on the couch, understand?”

Leo stalked off the stage toward a more private part of the dungeon. His boots rang out over the silent space. The minute he walked away, the chatter began. Gossip. They were talking about how the Dom in residence had just gotten his ass handed to him by a sub, and his brother had not done a thing right all evening.

He’d fucked Leo, and he hadn’t meant to. His stomach turned. Everything had gone wrong. He could still see the betrayal in Shelley’s eyes. He’d been so sure she would pick Leo. He’d been sure there would be a part of her that would welcome not being forced to make a decision between them.

She hadn’t looked happy at having the decision taken away from her. She’d seemed downright pissed that there was a decision to be made at all.

He’d wanted to find a way to live with them in some form of harmony, and now they were both so angry at him that neither one wanted to look him in the face.

But Leo had said it. Damn it. He’d heard it.

He stalked off after his brother, determined to figure this thing out. He hadn’t done everything he’d done only to lose his relationship with both of them.

“You said you couldn’t share her long term,” Wolf accused.

Leo turned, his brows up in that fashion that always let Wolf know what a dumbass he was being. “I said that when?”

He felt himself flush, but this wasn’t the time to turn back. “I heard you say it to Shelley. You told her you couldn’t share her, and you asked what the two of you were going to do with me. I made it easy on you.”

Leo’s eyes narrowed. “Well, baby brother, the next time you decide to eavesdrop, maybe you should hang around and hear the whole conversation. Shelley told me flat out she wouldn’t take me without you. Apparently, she’s got it in her head that she can have us both. I wonder who gave her that idea?”

Wolf felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. Had he missed something? He’d heard Leo’s words, and he’d wanted to find a corner and lick his wounds. Should he have stormed into the room and demanded that they all talk?

Leo pointed an accusatory finger his way. “The answer is you did it, Wolf. You walked into this club with a plan, and don’t you dare try to tell me that the plan was to walk in and hand Shelley off to me. What the hell? That is the single dumbest thing I’ve ever heard, and I’ve had therapeutic sessions with Kitten. You didn’t make love to her because you were trying to push her off on me. You’ve done everything you could since the minute you walked into here to throw the three of us together.”

“I didn’t know she was the girl you were crazy about until after I fell for her.”

Leo scrubbed a hand through his hair. “And then you decided to be a self-sacrificial idiot?”

God, no one on earth could make him feel as dumb as his brother could. “I couldn’t take her away from you.”

A slow smirk crossed his brother’s face. “As if you could.”

Asshole. But his arrogance was starting to spark Wolf’s own. “You didn’t get into bed with her until I came along. If I hadn’t come to town, you would still be yanking your own dick.”

“Would I? I don’t know about that. I do know that we’re both going to be out in the fucking cold if you don’t find a way to suitably grovel. You hurt her.”

Shame coursed through his system. He hadn’t had faith. “Why did you say it? I heard you, Leo. I get that I misunderstood and I’m a dumb shit, but I don’t understand why you would say it if you didn’t mean it.”

Leo sobered, his shoulders slumping slightly. “The relationships I’ve had before were disastrous. I can counsel people all day long, and I can make sense. I haven’t been good at following my own advice. I made Janine miserable.”

According to Janine, he simply hadn’t loved her the way she’d loved him. His brother had been faithful. Wolf would have bet that if Janine hadn’t left, Leo would still be married to her, still clinging to his vow though he felt more friendly toward her than passionate. “Janine still loves you.”

“But I didn’t love her very well.” Leo’s eyes found the ground. “I think I have a lot of our dad in me.”

Wolf’s jaw nearly dropped open. “Are you fucking kidding me? We’re back to this again?”

Leo shrugged. “I probably should have stayed and taken care of Ma. I couldn’t wait to leave.”

“Leo, you wanted your own life. Kids are supposed to leave their homes. Ma is proud of you. You should hear the way she talks about you. You would think you walk on water. She wanted us to find our places. She never wanted us to stay and take care of her. God, Leo, she’s really happy with Mel. They would get married, but they’re worried about aliens tracking the paper trail. You’re under some mistaken impressions, and there’s nothing of our dad in you.”

Leo sighed, the sound a heavy weight. “I don’t know if I can do the kid thing. It scares me. I want them. I really do. I’m brutally jealous of Jack and Julian and Aidan. But I have no idea how to be a father. I didn’t have a dad.”

Wolf felt his heart squeeze in his chest. “But I did. I had a great one.”

Leo’s eyes came up. “Wolf, I was a dumb kid who was just trying to help our mom out.”

“And yet you raised me. Why the hell do you think I was willing to give her up? I love her, Leo. I can’t tell you how much I love Shelley. I fell for her before I even laid eyes on her. Choosing to honor you by giving her up was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I did it because I owe you.”

“Stop owing me anything. Be my brother. Damn it, Wolf, that’s part of the problem between us. I don’t want to be this man you look up to. I just want to be your brother.”

Being with Shelley had pointed a few things out to Wolf. Part of his problems with Leo were just that—his problems. If he wanted this ménage to work long term, he had to move forward and find himself. “I want that, too. I love her. I want to marry her. I want a family with her. I can’t think of anyone I would rather have for a partner, man. But you should know that I won’t be bringing a ton of cash into this relationship. Not for a while. I want to go back to school. I don’t know what I want to do, but I can go to college and figure it out.”

He might be one of the oldest freshmen around, but it was past time to make a choice about his future, and he wasn’t going to just be a guy who stood in the way of bullets. He was going to push himself, be better, for his wife, his brother, his future family.

“I think I can handle you sponging off me for a while,” Leo said, his smile wide. “Besides, you’ll find that Julian blows up from time to time and then he cools down and passes out the bonuses. I’ve saved a lot of money over the years. And Shelley is serious about her business. Julian is going to give her a sterling recommendation. She might be the primary breadwinner. You could get that degree and find yourself playing Mr. Mom.”

He would do it with joy in his heart. And then he remembered what he’d just done. “I think it could be a while before she talks to me again.”

“I doubt it. I think she’s waiting somewhere to yell at you right now.”

Julian Lodge stalked through the crowd, his face a mask of frustration. He walked right up to Wolf and Leo and pointed a single finger. “Do you understand the wretched evening I’ve had? First that fucking senator shows up with four—count them—four body guards. I had to vet four extra men because Senator Cross is a paranoid idiot, and if I didn’t owe his father a favor, I would have told him to go to hell.”

Wolf wasn’t sure what this had to do with him. He sent his brother a questioning look.

“Julian hates politicians for the most part, and he really hates surprises.” Leo stood watching his boss like this was just a normal part of the day.

Julian’s eyes narrowed. “And then someone decides to explode a ticking time bomb in our midst. I don’t know if I like this new therapy via scene, Leo. But worst of all, I just heard a ridiculous tale of a sub gone wild. Tell me what I just heard is a ridiculously overblown rumor.”

Leo looked over at Wolf. “This would be one of those times I told you about.”

Julian turned on Wolf. He could feel a definite chill coming off his boss. “You are an idiot and you’re fired.”

Wolf opened his mouth to protest. He needed the job, at least part time. Leo held out a hand.

“Let him throw his fit.”

Julian’s face turned a nice shade of red. “Fit? Fit, Leo? You were supposed to publically punish your submissive who created complete chaos with her disobedience. You were not supposed to allow her to turn into the BDSM version of Spartacus. And you.” Those silver eyes turned back to Wolf. “You signed a contract with her. I set this up. I paired you off. Do you think you know better than me? Have you been doing this longer than me? You’re a fucking embryo, Wolf. Did you think you could pass around your submissive? Do you think you can make a gift of her?”

“No, sir.” Wolf simply was going to agree with everything Julian said. Julian Lodge in a rage was really something to see. And Leo didn’t seem to think anyone was going to actually die. Wolf knew he’d fucked up. He could take his medicine, and if that meant he got fired, he’d find another job.

“She’s a human being. You understand that, right? We use the term ‘slave’ in a nonliteral fashion. Should I give you a history lesson?”

“No, sir. I understand. No passing off my sub. If it helps at all, my brother’s already kicked my ass, and I get the feeling Shelley is going to want a piece of me, too.”

Julian stopped. “Then you’ve sorted this out? You’re staying with her?”

Wolf smiled slightly. “I intend to grovel, Mr. Lodge.”

Julian made a gagging sound. “Well, if you must, but not in public. And you two better get her on that stage and soon. Tomorrow night at the very latest. I expect a red ass on that sub. Otherwise all of the subs will decide to throw a temper tantrum every time they don’t get what they want.”

Wolf rather thought Shelley had thrown more than a temper tantrum. She’d fought for what she needed. It made him proud of the woman he loved.

Julian took a deep breath. “I’ll allow it since this was what I had planned all along.”

“Manipulative son of a bitch,” Leo said, but there was affection in the words.

“Yes, that is on my resume.” Julian straightened his suit. “Well, my work here is done. I will get back to Logan.”

Leo cleared his throat as Julian turned.

“Damn it, Leo, I didn’t fire you,” Julian complained, never once turning around.

Leo shook his head. “No, you just manipulated me into a position where I have a sub, a brother to put through school, and more than likely, a few babies in the next couple of years, which was really your plan all along. You just can’t go into the whole ‘dad thing’ all alone, can you? You have to pull the rest of us in with you. Tell me something, Julian, who’s next?”

Julian sighed. “Ben and Chase. I found a lovely sub for them. She works out at Danielle’s spa. I’m going to bring her to The Club in a month or two. My child is going to need peers. I will import some if I have to, but I would rather keep it in the family, so to speak.”

Julian started to walk away again, and Leo once more cleared his throat.

“Damn it, Leo. Fine. Five percent.”

“Ten percent, and I don’t mention this to Ben and Chase.”

Julian’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Ten percent. And you’re a bastard, Leo. See that your brother behaves from now on. Wolf, you’re rehired. No raise for you until you prove you can handle your sub. Come along now and join Logan and myself. Shelley needs time to cool off or I fear she will potentially cut your brother’s balls off, and that would cut my chances in half. I expect children, Leo, and soon.”

Julian walked away. Leo smiled over at Wolf. “That’s how you handle the boss.”

Julian wasn’t his main problem. “Tell me how to handle our woman instead.”

Leo frowned. “That could be much trickier. Let’s grab a beer and talk about this. First off, we need better jewelry.”

Wolf frowned, but he could handle it now. And he wouldn’t be alone. He had his brother as backup. He followed Leo up to the bar where Julian and Logan were waiting. And somewhere upstairs was his wife. Oh, she might fight him on it now, but he would win.

He settled into the well-appointed booth beside Leo, and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he belonged.

Shelley forced her feet to move toward the condo. Kitten walked beside her, a blankly serene look on her face. She appeared to be somewhere in her mid-twenties. She didn’t seem to be madly in love with the Dom who’d held her leash most of the evening. She seemed more comfortable with Chase Dawson than anything else.

The big Dom walked behind her and Kitten. He’d unhooked the leash from her collar the minute they had exited the club portion of the building. He’d been nice enough to grab a robe for Shelley to wear, but he hadn’t said much, his mind seemingly somewhere else.

They reached the door to the condo, and Chase swiped a card through the keycard lock.

She walked in with Kitten and wondered if she shouldn’t pack.

No, damn it. She wasn’t going to run away without a fight.

“Why don’t you go and get changed, Shelley,” Chase offered. “I don’t know what’s going on with your Masters, but they could be a while.”

They were fighting. She hated that. The last thing she’d wanted to do was come between them—well, in a nonphysical way. “You can go ahead and leave, Chase. I’ll lock the doors.”

Chase stood there in the middle of the living room looking at her like she’d said something stupid.

She shrugged. “Okay. Stay, then. But I’m going to change and then I’m making hot chocolate. I need comfort food.”

“I’ll take one, too,” Chase said, settling onto the couch and turning on the TV. He propped his long legs on the coffee table and appeared perfectly comfortable taking over Leo’s living room. The man wasn’t going anywhere. “Kitten will, too.”

Kitten smiled brightly. “Kitten likes chocolate.”

Kitten was still dressed for play in a minidress that appeared to be made entirely of leather belts. How she managed to keep it on was a total mystery to Shelley.

“All right.” She wanted to lie down on the bed and cry, but maybe company would keep her from falling apart. Anger. She needed to hang on to rage. That way when Wolf Meyer showed his face again, she would be ready to smack him. “I’m changing into pj’s.”

“Kitten likes pj’s, too. Warm, soft pajamas.”

It was all Shelley could do to not laugh. Well, at least she didn’t sleep in her PVC. “I can find you a pair.”

Kitten looked to the Dom, who sat watching some form of sports. He waved at her, giving his assent.

Shelley moved toward the guest room where her suitcase was. She would move it into the master bedroom. Yes. That was exactly what she would do. She wasn’t going to be waiting for Wolf when he came back. She would do what he’d wanted. She would move in with Leo, and he could screw himself.

Kitten threw herself on the bed. “Kitten likes to jump.”

Shelley wasn’t going to waste a lot of time. She had a point to make. “We’re not staying in here. Grab that bag. We’re moving all of my stuff into Leo’s room.”

Kitten picked up the smaller of the two bags. “Do you have permission?”

She really didn’t give a damn about permission at this point. She stepped around Wolf’s duffel bag. It lay near the closet. This morning she’d promised herself that when she had a chance, she would unpack for him. Wolf was one of those guys who would live out of his suitcase because he would never think to unpack. Earlier she’d wanted to make sure he felt at home. Now she was worried that if she looked into that bag, she might be tempted to take one of his guns again.

She was so mad at him.

“He’s not my Master. Didn’t you watch that little scene, Kitten? Didn’t you see him give me away?”

Kitten followed after her. “I saw the scene, but perhaps I saw it differently than you. I saw a Master who thought he wasn’t wanted. By you or maybe his brother. I saw a Master who was trying to keep some sort of place for himself, even if it meant giving up his precious sub.”

Shelley stopped. “I think you’ve got a vivid imagination.”

Kitten shrugged, her nipples peeking out of the belts that covered her torso. “Everyone thinks Kitten is crazy, but Kitten sees more than you would think. Kitten sees lots of things. Master Wolf is unsure of his place with his brother. That makes him unsure of his place with you.”

Could Kitten be right? Was she overreacting when she should be asking questions?

“Where are you two going?” Chase asked as they crossed to the back of the condo. He didn’t glance back, but kept his eyes on the screen.

“Shelley is moving into Master Leo’s room because she wants Master Wolf to spank her,” Kitten said cheerfully.

Yep. Kitten wasn’t the visionary she thought she was. At least she didn’t know what was going on in Shelley’s mind. “I’m simply going where I’m wanted.”

She huffed a bit as she carried the bag past the kitchen and into Leo’s austere bedroom.

“You’re right, Kitty Cat. She’s going to get her ass spanked,” Chase called out as she shut the door.

“You’re going to have so much fun,” Kitten said with a smile.

Shelley pulled out a couple of T-shirts and pajama pants. Kitten proved she could change clothes really fast. She looked incredibly odd in flannel pants, a tank top with little hearts all over it, and her thick leather collar with its ring and the small charm that hung from it.

Shelley changed, feeling strangely comfortable around the sub. For all Kitten’s oddities, she seemed rather nice. Shelley pulled the T-shirt over her head when she heard an odd sound, like electricity sparking. She looked around but the lights seemed fine.

Kitten, however, was not fine. Her eyes went round, her mouth opened and closed. She looked at the door like it was a monster waiting to attack.

“What?” Shelley asked.

Kitten was suddenly in her space, pressing a hand over her mouth and hauling her back toward the private bathroom. She pulled Shelley through, her hand over her mouth.

“That sound was a Taser,” Kitten whispered. “Kitten knows that sound too well. Be very quiet. Kitten does think Master Chase intended to be hit with a Taser. And he wasn’t carrying one. He refuses to use it on Kitten no matter how good Kitten is. Master Chase doesn’t like the Taser.”

Shelley’s whole body went cold. She could hear people moving in the condo. They were quiet. Leo and Wolf wouldn’t be quiet. They would be yelling for her. Who the hell was out there?

Kitten’s fingers threaded through hers and pulled her back. She slid open the door to the massive closet and jerked her inside.

“You’re in trouble. Kitten heard the men talk about it.” Her hand was on her collar, pulling at it.

She wanted her collar off? Now? Shelley’s heart was pounding. Who was out there? What the hell did they want with her? Why had she left Leo’s side? Her hands were shaking. She had to hide. God, had they killed Chase? Had she gotten Chase killed? How would she live with herself?

Kitten twisted her hand, and the charm attached to her collar popped off. Kitten held it out. “You should swallow it. Kitten doesn’t think they’re here for her.”

Kitten was bent. Shelley pushed her toward the back of the closet. There was soft light coming from the fixture above. Shelley looked around, but the switch was outside the door. Damn it. Damn it. Leo’s closet was pin perfect and spacious. Beautifully appointed. He used the space with a neat perfection that left no place to hide.

Kitten got up close. She pressed the charm to Shelley’s lips. “Swallow it.”

Shelley took a step back. They had seconds before those assholes found them. They needed to look for weapons. Wolf’s guns were back in his room, but surely Leo had a few.

“Swallow it.” Kitten was stronger than she looked. She forced the charm past Shelley’s lips. “GPS. Kitten gets lost. Master Julian put GPS on Kitten’s collar because Finn gets upset when Kitten is lost.”

GPS. It wouldn’t matter if they killed her, but at least someone could find her body. At least her brother would be able to bury her.

But if she managed to stay alive, Leo and Wolf would come for her. They wouldn’t stop. And they would have the element of surprise because no one would dream that she had a damn GPS locator in her stomach. Though it wasn’t easy, she managed to swallow the charm.

“Miss McNamara, we have your friend out here.”

Shelley could hear the low voice as someone entered the bedroom.

“How long he stays alive is up to you.”

They had Chase. They could be lying, but if they weren’t, then she couldn’t take the chance. And Kitten. They probably didn’t know about Kitten.

Shelley put a hand on Kitten’s shoulder. The crazy, whack-job, smarter-than-she-looked sub had tears in her eyes.

“Do you think they will kill Kitten?” Kitten asked, her voice so soft Shelley could barely hear her.

Not if Shelley could help it. “You stay here. Hide. Don’t make a sound no matter what you hear. When you think they’re gone, count to one hundred and then go and find Master Leo and Master Wolf. Tell them what happened. Tell them how to find me.”

Kitten nodded and moved her body to a corner, making herself as small as possible.

Shelley had no choice.

“It’s not looking good for Ben Dawson, Miss McNamara.”

They thought they had Ben? The fact that they knew names told her someone had planned this little operation. Maybe that meant someone wanted more than just her head. Stay alive. Stay alive.

She opened the door and stepped out, holding her hands up. “I’m here. Don’t kill Ben.”

She wasn’t going to correct them. She wasn’t sure why they thought Chase was Ben other than the fact that they were identical twins.

An enormous man dressed all in black stepped into the bathroom. “Guess you want him to live after all.”

Shelley nodded. He was so big, and there was something in his hand. She couldn’t quite see it.

He moved faster than she could breathe, and she felt the heat of his body and then the sting of something pressing into her neck. The world got foggy.

“Time to take a little nap, bitch. When you wake up, we’re going to have a long talk.”

She slumped in his arms, reality receding. Before the whole world went black she held on to one thought.

Leo, Wolf, find me.