by Sophie Oak
“Dani,” he began. “Baby, you gotta listen to me. He didn’t mean any of that.”
He understood Julian in this instance. Julian had pushed her away for the same reason Finn had held her apart. They were both scared to death. He would bet his life on it. He’d been scared Dani would reject him and Julian…well, Julian was scared of a lot of things as far as Finn could tell. Julian might be incredibly comfortable with his outward sexuality but his heart─not so much. He probably wasn’t even aware he had one.
Finn was. He’d seen the way Julian worshipped Dani. Julian was more loving than he thought he was. It was up to them to prove it.
Dani simply sat at the table, staring at the buffet that was left largely untouched. She pushed out of her chair and started to stack the plates.
“You have to know he’s scared,” Finn said.
“I don’t know anything at all,” she replied, her voice bland.
Taggart slid his cell into his pocket. He looked at them, first at Finn and then Dani. “You two going to give me trouble?”
“Why would we give you trouble?” Dani asked.
Taggart crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Well, several reasons. First of all you’re involved in some crazy three way and I think Lodge just fucked that up. He’s emotional and that man never gets emotional. It’s weird and I don’t like it, but then I don’t get the weird threesome thing. Can you wait because in about an hour this douchebag named Adam is going to be here and he totally gets the threesome thing and he loves to Oprah all the emotional shit. Can you wait that long to do whatever stunt you’re going to pull? Because I would rather you talked all this out with Adam than I had to deal with it.”
Dani crossed her arms over her chest and went toe to toe with the man. It took everything Finn had not to reach over and pull her out of the way of the man’s potential wrath. Instead he stood back and let her make her stand.
“I don’t have to talk about it at all,” she said, looking him in the eyes. Unfortunately that meant her head was bent back. Way back. “And my crazy three way is none of your business.”
“It becomes my business if you do something stupid like try to run.” Taggart stared down at her.
“I’m not going to put myself in danger because Julian Lodge is too stupid to see how good I am for him,” she replied. “You tell him he doesn’t have a thing to worry about because I don’t stay where I’m not wanted.”
Taggart’s lips curved up slightly. “Just so you know you’re wanted right here.”
She finally stepped back. “I’ll stay until it’s safe to go, Mr. Taggart.”
“Good. And if you’re serious about not giving Lodge another chance and you don’t mind mouthy metros, maybe I’ll set you up with Jake and Adam. They’re always looking for a gorgeous, open-minded woman.”
Now it was Finn’s turn. “I’m always looking for target practice.”
A brilliant smile crossed Taggart’s face. “Awesome. I win either way. Now stay put. I’ve got a couple of calls to make. I’ll be in the living room. Scream if someone attacks you.”
Dani picked up the plate of Danishes. “Do you want one before I put them up?”
For the first time the man looked slightly happy. “I can always eat. What flavor do you have?”
She glanced down. “I think all I’ve got left is lemon.”
Taggart’s whole face shut down, the light leaving his eyes. “Thanks, but I don’t eat lemon. Ever. It’s far too sour for me.”
He turned and walked out.
Dani was silent, her eyes on the door.
If he didn’t do something, she would turn in on herself and he would be left out. “Come on, Dani. Let’s go out to the guesthouse. We can watch some movies while we wait.”
He’d work on her. He’d talk to her and get her to see that the Master would take a little teaching himself. No one was perfect. They had to work to get what they wanted. He’d take Leo’s lead. Leo seemed to do what he thought was best, despite Julian’s anger, and he came out on top anyway.
Dani nodded, though her expression was vacant. “Sure. I just need to use the restroom and then we can pick a movie.”
Finn kissed her before she moved out of the dining room.
Chapter Fifteen
Dani felt her heart pounding as she pushed out of the dining room doors. She could hear the men behind her. Even Finn had gotten in on the conversation. They were talking about strategies and how best to protect her. Julian had Ian Taggart bringing in some professional bodyguards. He was flying them down despite the fact that it was only a couple of hours to drive. She was going to be watched after by someone named Alex and another guy named Liam. Julian had just about had a hissy fit when Taggart told him Adam and Jake were coming. That had been a long conversation where Julian had threatened to fire more people.
Why the hell would Julian care?
It took everything she had not to sob. The tears were right there, stuck in her chest. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t fall for Julian Lodge, but she had. She’d been so stupid. She should have known he didn’t give a real damn about her. She’d been obedient. That flipped Julian’s switch. The minute she stepped out of line, he’d dumped her.
And then ordered her to protect herself. She could still feel his hands tightening around her upper arms. He’d held on so tight as he’d ordered her to the guesthouse. His face had been a mask of cold rage, but his eyes had told a different story.
Damn him. She could see in his eyes that he was far more engaged than he let on. Why couldn’t he admit it? Why did he have to pull all this bullshit? Even if he did care, if he never admitted it, what did it mean?
It made sense to Dani. It was the way her whole life had gone. Nothing had been easy. It was only fitting that the two men she’d loved were hard cases. Finn was only now accepting who he was, and Julian─oh, shit. She loved Julian Lodge.
Why? Why did she have to love Julian Lodge?
“Dani?”
Dani whirled around. Leo Meyer stood in the doorway. He was dressed simply in a T-shirt and jeans. He was a delicious-looking man, but he couldn’t hold a candle to Julian’s sophistication or Finn’s easy western charm. And right now she found him annoying. “What the hell do you want?”
A hard glimmer came into those eyes, and Dani remembered what he was. He was the number two Dom in Julian’s private world, and right now, he looked the part. An indefinable air of authority came over the man, and he seemed to grow an inch as he stared at her.
“I would greatly prefer to be friends, Danielle.”
She wouldn’t want him as an enemy. And she had been rude. “I’m sorry, Sir. Do I call you Sir?”
Just like that, the easygoing man was back. A smile crossed his face. “Yes. You would call any dominant either Sir or Ma’am, as applicable. It’s polite. Julian, you would call Master, after everything is settled between the three of you.”
Like that was going to happen now. He would be Sir forever if he had his way.
“Hey,” Leo said, walking up to her. Concern was written on his face. “Don’t look so sad. We already called the police. Julian and I are going to meet with the sheriff in a few minutes. Ian’s going to stay here until he goes to pick up Alex and Liam. Sean is driving back with Jack and Abby and they have Lucas. We’ll call in the feds if we have to. Julian has long arms. He won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I’m not afraid,” she stated dully. She wasn’t. She seriously doubted anyone would come after her. She wasn’t important enough. That was the trouble. She would follow orders because it was stupid to fight him on this. Everyone was worried about Lexi and rightly so. She wasn’t going to add to the trouble in order to prove some stubborn point.
“Then why do you look so sad? Is it about that fit Julian threw? Sweetheart, that was actually progress. It gives me great hope for the future that he got that upset.”
Somehow she couldn’t see it as good. He’d told her to get out. If he did that every time
she made a mistake or had a different opinion, her life would be miserable anyway. She couldn’t live like that, always afraid she would make a misstep. God, she’d lived like that most of her life. It had been easier when she was a kid, but even then judgment had been the air the people of Willow Fork breathed. She’d always been that trashy Bay girl. Her mother had worked as a waitress at a truck stop. She hadn’t had the best taste in men, but she’d been a good mom. It hadn’t been her fault that first her dad and then Val’s had run out, neither one willing to get married.
It had gotten so much worse after her mother died. She had been eighteen years old raising an eleven-year-old girl. The lectures had come hard and fast from the church ladies. Hillary Glass and her cronies had shown up after the funeral with Jell-O molds and tuna casserole. They’d explained that she had to be a role model for her little sister. She had to watch her step or someone might call social services.
She’d known from that day on that she had to be perfect or she could lose everything. Tears clouded her vision. She couldn’t do it anymore. She could handle the spankings. Hell, she kind of craved that. For Julian, it was a weird way of saying he cared. It was the complete and utter dismissal she couldn’t take. She couldn’t worry about making a wrong move and losing what she loved. It was too much.
“Don’t, sweetheart.” Leo’s arms came around her as she began to cry.
“Leo, is there a reason you’re pawing my slave?”
Dani looked up, and Julian was staring at her from the doorway. Finn was at his side. He started toward her, but a single hand stopped him. Julian moved in front of Finn, taking a dominant position.
“She’s upset. You can’t tell me not to help her when she’s upset,” Leo said, but his arms were quick to release her.
“I certainly can. She’s mine. If she requires comfort, she’ll come to me.”
Danielle frowned. “You’re the reason I need comfort in the first place. I don’t want comfort from you.”
Julian’s broad shoulders inched up in a negligent shrug. “Then you may go without. Leo, if you’re through molesting my property, we need to go to the sheriff’s office. We’re taking Ms. Walker with us to give her story to the local police. Ian is going to meet the private jet. He won’t be gone for more than half an hour. Samuel and Finn will remain here. Samuel, I assume you know what to do.”
“I’ll shoot anything that even vaguely looks like that weasel. Don’t worry. As long as Dani and Finn stay here, we won’t have a problem.” Sam already had a shotgun in his hand. He looked like a man who knew how to use it.
A small woman with dark hair walked out of the kitchen. Benita was the Barnes-Fleetwood family’s housekeeper. She also had a shotgun in her hands. “The children are playing quietly. Two of the ranch hands are watching them. Ricky is enjoying playing princesses with Olivia. Truly, I never expected he would look so nice in a tiara.”
“Is everyone armed now?” Dani asked.
Seeing the housekeeper with a firearm brought home the danger they were in. Maybe Julian was wrong about this Jeremy guy coming for her, but he was out there, and he meant Julian harm. Despite the fact that he was a jerk, Dani couldn’t stand the thought of something happening to him.
“Yes,” Julian replied gravely. “Everyone is armed, and they will protect you. Once the McKay-Taggart employees are here, they’ll transport you, Finn, and the children to a safe house. Abigail will be joining you.”
Sam’s eyes got wide. “Damn. Does she know that yet?”
“I don’t believe Jackson has informed her. I believe he intends to have her taken into custody whether she likes it or not. You should mind him, Samuel, or you’ll go to a safe house as well.”
“Okay, I get it, but can we tell her that I didn’t have anything to do with it?” Sam asked. “I would just like it to be on record that I didn’t have anything to do with locking her up.”
“This is why you’re not the Dom, Samuel,” Julian said. He turned back to Dani, and she felt the weight of his stare. “I see your mind working, Danielle. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it isn’t fair that Jackson would lock up his wife.”
It had been exactly what she’d been thinking. “It’s her daughter. She has the right to look for her.”
“And she’s Jackson’s daughter, too. She became his responsibility the day he fell in love with her mother. He cannot properly track her if he’s worried about Abigail. Abigail will be his chief concern, and that is not what she needs. She needs her husband to be an animal with one thought and one thought only—find Lexi, bring her home.”
Sam shook his head. “Damn it. I have to agree. I’ll be in the doghouse, too, now. I hate logic. I’ll pack a bag for her. It’s the least I can do.”
Sam walked out, and Benita followed, the shotgun on her petite shoulder. Dani looked at Julian. She was with Sam. Logic sucked.
“I’ll stay put. I’ll go with the guards. I won’t make trouble.” She would go quietly and then figure out what the hell she would do with her life from there.
Julian stood staring as though judging her truthfulness. He finally nodded. “See that you do. I’ll contact you as soon as it’s safe. Finn, make sure you’re both ready to go when Mr. Taggart comes for you.”
He turned and left without another word.
“Give him time,” Leo said with a sad smile before he turned and followed Julian.
Finn’s hair fell over his eyes, and he pushed it back, much as he had when they were kids. The gesture made her heart soften and then clench a bit. Would he be mad that she’d gotten them tossed out? Would he want to go with Julian or stay with her?
“Baby, don’t look like that.” He reached out, tentatively at first, and then more forcefully, as though he’d made the decision to take the lead. He grasped her arms and brought her close. “It’s going to be all right. You’ll see.”
She let him hold her for a moment but then pulled away. Emotional wasn’t something she could do right now. She needed to keep it together. Later, when everything was over, she could fall apart. “Can you go grab my bag?”
Finn kissed her forehead and headed out to the guesthouse to retrieve her bag. It was the only thing she owned anymore besides that ramshackle house she shared with her sister.
Dani’s cell trilled. She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced at the display. Val. Speak of the devil. She hit the answer button, perfectly ready to spew some venom at her sister. Finn’s near-death experience had taken precedence over her sister’s much-needed ass kicking, but now seemed like a good time to at least tell Val that hell was coming her way.
“Val, you have a lot of nerve calling me, little sister.” She kept her voice low. There were a whole bunch of things she meant to say to her baby sis that she didn’t want anyone else to hear.
“Dani? Is that you, Dani?”
Val sounded strange, as though she’d been crying. The words were muffled and almost hard to understand.
“Val, where are you? I can barely hear you.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for it to go this far. Please, please─” Val’s voice was abruptly cut off.
“If you would like to see your sister alive again, you’ll do exactly what I tell you,” a low voice said.
Dani went cold. She turned and looked for someone, anyone, but she was alone. Oh, god, she’d been wrong, and Julian had been right. Jeremy was coming for her. He was already here.
“Don’t even think about going after your boyfriend. I have a gun to your sister’s head, and I broke into the security system feed. I can see everything that’s covered by his security cameras. I know Julian and Leo left with my traitor bitch sister. The big blond asshole is gone, too. I know your boy is in the guesthouse, and I know Sam Fleetwood is pacing on the porch. You’re going to do exactly what I tell you, or I kill your sister. I would kill the other one, but I really want old Lucas to watch her die, so Valerie it is. Are you going to do as I ask, or should I pull the trigger?”
&nbs
p; “Please!”
Dani could hear Val crying. She wailed, and then something thudded, and Val went quiet. Dani didn’t have a choice. She couldn’t sit here while her sister was killed and Lexi waited to die. She had to act, even if it meant she was the one to go. It was better than living with the consequences of inaction. “What do you want me to do?”
A low chuckle vibrated over the phone. “Well, Danielle, I want you to walk outside and take the Master’s car. He keeps a spare key in a magnetic box over the driver’s side wheel. I know my Master well. You will take his car and drive to your family homestead, which I have also rigged with cameras. You will get the instructions I placed in your mailbox and follow them to the letter. Oh, and before you leave, I expect you to look at the camera outside the back door and drop your cell phone. You’ll find another in the mailbox with your letter. You have ten seconds to comply.”
There was a click, and Dani took off. She didn’t think, didn’t debate, simply ran for the back door. When she opened it, she turned and found the small black camera that looked out over the back porch. She held up her cell phone and dropped it to the ground before running toward Julian’s Audi.
The key was right were Jeremy had said it would be. She slipped inside the car and thanked the day Finn had taught her to drive a stick shift. Tears clouded her vision. She might never see him again. Or Julian. How angry would he be? Would he even understand?
It didn’t matter. She had to go. Her soul demanded it. Dani put the car in drive and took off.
Chapter Sixteen
Finn zipped the bag closed and glanced around the small bedroom looking for anything he might have lost there.
Despite all the anxiety of the past hour, he felt a wide grin split his face. He’d actually lost a lot in this little house. He’d lost his shame. He’d lost his fear. He’d lost his freaking heart.