Cherished: A Masters and Mercenaries Novella

by Lexi Blake

  Will’s hand tightened on her. “You can talk after the reception.”

  Amy laughed. “Oh, I was wondering when you were going to do the big sister talk.”

  “There’s a big sister talk?” Frankie was suddenly at his bride’s side. He slid an arm around Amy’s waist. “I would love to hear this. You look stunning in that tiara, love. Didn’t I tell you how lovely it would look?”

  “You just want to put it on James later,” Amy teased.

  “Who’s James?” Bridget got the sudden feeling she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

  “I can bet,” Will said out of the side of his mouth.

  Bridget threw him a dirty look. She might be his sub in the bedroom, but she still had a say out here in the real world.

  Amy leaned over. “His lover, Bridge. He’s far too young for Frankie, but he won’t listen to me. He’s all about the twink, if you know what I mean.”

  Bridget frowned at her sister and pointed her finger. She couldn’t do it as well as Serena since she didn’t have the mom thing yet, but she put all her righteous indignation into that point anyway. “You know.”

  “Of course I know. I’ve known all along,” Amy replied, leaning into Frankie.

  Frankie frowned. “I’m going to have to work on passing for straight. What gives me away?”

  “Well, it didn’t help that you practically devoured my bestie with your eyes,” Bridget admitted.

  “Ah, the lovely Chris.” Frankie winked flirtatiously. “Now there’s a mature man I might be able to get into.”

  “He has a boyfriend.”

  Frankie shrugged. “He might not always have one. If he finds himself alone, give me a call and I’ll comfort him. James and I are only casual dates, though I will probably make him wear that tiara tonight. He’ll look cute in it. A little prince. I’m not wasting my wedding night.”

  “Will someone tell me what’s going on here?” She was confused. Someone had definitely left her out of the joke.

  “Let’s just say Frankie and I have a lot in common. We both have horrible fathers who don’t accept us for who we are,” Amy explained.

  Frankie nodded. “I was told to get married—to a woman, of course—or I would be disinherited.”

  “And you know Father wants to merge with Frankie’s father’s company before he sells out and screws everyone over.” A stubborn light hit Amy’s eyes.

  “You knew.” Oh thank god. “I couldn’t tell you.”

  Frankie’s arm tightened around Amy’s shoulders as though comforting her. “Because of Will. Well, we knew there was a reason your father had been looking into him. It explains the conversation I had with Will earlier.”

  Will gave Amy an enigmatic smile. “You’re sure you’re all right with what’s about to happen?”

  “I’m great. We looked at our numbers. We’re good,” Amy assured him.

  “Numbers? What numbers?” Bridget was about to scream if someone didn’t tell her what was going on.

  Amy reached out and gave her a huge hug, squeezing her tight. “Don’t worry anymore, Bridget. I’m going to follow in your footsteps and blaze my own trail. I’ve spent too much time being the good girl because I was afraid to fight back. You taught me how.”

  “Fight back?” Her stomach turned. “You can’t do that. Amy, you know he won’t fight fair. He’ll destroy you.”

  Amy stepped back and took Frankie’s hand again. “Not if we destroy him first. And your man there, I like him. He doesn’t fight fair either. Tell Mr. Taggart we’re ready for the media portion of the evening and that I sincerely hope he chooses to stay on at Slaten Industries. After all, we’re thinking of relocating our corporate offices in the near future. He tells me Dallas is nice this time of year. And I’ll go and let Mitchell know we’ll need his services in about an hour.”

  She watched as her sister and Frankie walked away hand in hand toward the center of the elegantly decorated reception hall. “What the hell is going on, Will? And it’s summer. Ian lies. Dallas is a stinking hellhole this time of the year. Relocating? My father will never relocate.”

  Amy needed Mitchell. Why would Amy need a lawyer? Slaten Industries had a ton of lawyers. A whole stinking department of them, so why would her sister use Ian Taggart’s lawyer?

  Why would her sister marry a man who didn’t want to sleep with her?

  “Frankie has a seat on the board now, doesn’t he?” A seat on the board meant he had a vote. Bridget quickly ran down the board in her head. There was more than a quorum right here at the wedding.

  Why would her sister consult an outside lawyer? Because she didn’t want their father to know she was going to try to take him down.

  Will smiled at her. “Have I ever told you how smart you are?”

  “Actually no.”

  “Sorry, sweetheart. That’s an oversight. I was far too busy looking at your boobs.” He grabbed her hand and started to lead her toward the back of the room where the AV equipment and the DJ were set up. “You are brilliant though. I really do love your mind, too.”

  She looked ahead and saw the McKay-Taggart contingent standing beside the projector. Her sister had put together some sort of media show for the reception. It was supposed to be a montage of her and Frankie’s lives. She was sure it was lovely and would bring a tear to her eye, but she still had questions.

  “Why does Amy think the board will vote her way? If she doesn’t pull this off, my father will destroy her.” It was a gutsy move. It was spectacular, but it could also prove fatal if she didn’t pull it off.

  “Ah, you figured it out, did you?” Ian Taggart looked surprisingly happy. He was usually a dour man who frowned a lot. He was good at frowning, but his lips were turned up in a brilliant smile and he had his big hand on his wife’s slightly rounded belly, holding her close to his body. “This is one of those moves where if you don’t kill your prey, he comes back to take you out.”

  “That would be my point entirely,” she shot back. “We need to make sure it’s going to work before she tries it.”

  Adam was behind the projector, working the computer attached to it. “It’s going to work. Trust me, after I run this footage, all hell’s going to break loose. And it’s all thanks to Will there.”

  Charlotte Taggart laid her hand over Ian’s, both resting on the baby in her belly. “Thank you, Will. He’s been so crabby. This has made him happier than you can imagine.”

  Chris and Jeremy were standing off to the side with Serena and Jake, but it was easy to tell they were talking about what was going on, too. Everyone knew except her.

  “What have you done, Will?”

  “Consider it a wedding present,” Will said.

  “To my sister?”

  He pulled her close and lowered his forehead to hers. “No. To you. You are going to marry me, right? I remember you promising to sign any contract I wanted.”

  Her heart threatened to stop, and she couldn’t help but put her hands on that face she’d grown to love. “Are you serious?”

  “Marry me. I know it’s quick, but…”

  Hey, she never argued with her Master. Much. “Yes.”

  He lifted her up, his mouth meeting hers. “I love you.”

  She loved hearing those words from him. “I love you, too. Now tell me what my present is.”

  He set her on her feet. “I’d rather show you. I didn’t actually find this. Ian did, but technically he worked for your father so he couldn’t use it. However, I hired him and then talked to Amy and Frankie, who agreed this is the perfect time to premiere this film.” He turned to Adam. “I think now’s as good as any. Mitch, Amy wants to make sure you’re ready to stand as a witness to the board meeting.”

  Mitch had been quiet for the whole wedding, but Bridget hadn’t missed how his eyes every so often slid to find Laurel. Mitch nodded. “I am indeed. I’ve foregone alcohol all stinking day so I can make sure everything is done by the company bylaws. He won’t legally find a way around it.”

&nbs
p; Laurel stood beside him, a laptop bag on her shoulder. “I’m ready to take the minutes. And then someone get Mr. Grumpy a Scotch.”

  Holy shit. This was really happening.

  The lights dimmed and suddenly there was a show playing on the screen over the bride’s table. All of Bridget’s relatives turned, obviously ready to see some sweet film about the bride and groom.

  Bridget gasped. Yeah, that wasn’t the bride and groom. The film showed what looked to be an empty hotel room. “What’s happening?”

  “Magic,” Ian Taggart replied.

  Will leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Taggart found out that your father keeps a standing date at this hotel every week. He makes it a point to find out all the bad shit about a client before it bites him or the client in the ass, so he had Liam O’Donnell and Li’s new partner bug the hotel. He thought he’d find your dad with his mistress.”

  “He always has a couple. That won’t change things. Everyone knows.” Her mother couldn’t care less.

  “Honey, would you say your family is very accepting of alternative lifestyles?”

  “God, no.” Her eyes widened as she saw her father and his friend enter the room. The woman on the screen was lovely. A sequined dress adorned her curvy body and she had to be forty years younger than her perverted old-dude dad.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Her father had stood up and was glaring at the back of the room.

  On screen, he sat down on the bed, his back to the camera, which was good because she didn’t want to see her father’s junk if he took his pants off. The pretty hooker stood in front of him and started to undress.

  “Turn it off now. Right fucking now or I’ll have your head, Taggart!” Her dad was stumbling as he tried to run through the tightly packed tables and chairs.

  Taggart flipped him off. “I quit.”

  There was a gasp that went through the crowd. It drew Bridget’s attention back to the screen where the hooker was doing a striptease. She had pretty breasts and a lovely face.

  And a penis.

  Her heart nearly stopped and tears of great joy threatened. “Is that my father with a pre-op tranny hooker? Please tell me that’s my father with a pre-op tranny hooker. It will make up for all the shitty Christmases.”

  Her dad had stopped, staring at the screen as though he thought it was all a dream and he could force himself to wake up.

  Taggart stepped up next to her, patting her shoulder. “See, it’s always the blowhard righteous assholes who end up getting busted with a hooker. I told you it was magic. That right there, that’s a gift. A gift to me. Damn, I feel good.”

  The shouting had already started, and she could see her father had come out of his stupor and was pushing his way through the shocked crowd. He was screaming, his face florid. “I will see you never work a day in your life, Taggart.”

  “That would be great. I could use a vacation,” Taggart replied.

  Her father stared at her and then pointed a finger her way. “You did this.”

  Will moved in front of her. “No. I did. And if you ever try to come near her again, you’ll deal with me, and no amount of money will save you. I won’t fight fair and you won’t see me coming. Are we understood?”

  Taggart was grinning as though this was the best show ever. “You know we could settle this the fight club way.”

  “I said no fight club!” Charlotte Taggart yelled and her husband shrugged.

  “She never lets me have fun. And Slaten, if you come after Bridget, you’ll find out why I was a Green Beret because I’ll have Will’s back. We all will.” He gave her a nod and stepped back.

  Her father turned a lovely shade of purple and stormed out.

  Bridget just shook her head. They’d done it. They’d taken the old man down. Will had done it for her.

  Amy seemed perfectly calm as she took the microphone.

  “Good evening, everyone. I deeply apologize for tonight’s entertainment. We seem to have gotten off track. I think this would be a perfect time to call a meeting of the board of Slaten Industries. As you all know, my loving father placed a morality code on all board members, stating that any one of you could lose all stock and place in the company if the majority found you guilty of loose morals. We have a quorum here and my personal lawyer is ready to witness the meeting. If you’ll all follow me.” She was polished and cool as Frankie led her down the steps.

  Will hugged her tight. “She’s going to help Frankie take over his father’s company next week. They made a deal. They’re getting divorced in six months, but I doubt they’ll ever go their separate ways. Those two really do love each other.”

  For a man who hadn’t believed in the word, he threw it out often now. And he’d helped do this for her. “This is the best day of my life, Will Daley.”

  “Back at you, sweetheart,” he replied. “But let’s see if I can top it next week.

  * * * *

  Will looked at his gorgeous girl as she stood by the ocean. The breeze gently blew her hair back. She was dressed in a lovely white sarong, but he had to admit he was looking forward to seeing her in nothing at all.

  “You look like a satisfied man.” Mitch stepped up next to him, a beer in his hand.

  “I’m a married man.” As of two hours ago, Bridget was officially Bridget Daley. His wife. It had taken a few days to settle the formalities and to get his sisters over to the islands, but they’d come and his friends had stayed. It hadn’t been as grand as Amy and Frankie’s, but it was going to last. He was going to love that girl for the rest of his life.

  “Good.” Mitch nodded. “And I don’t want you to worry about Laurel. I promise I don’t have designs on her.”

  He’d softened up on that. Bridget and Laurel had started the process and then Lila and Lisa had completed it. Laurel was a smart woman. Mitch was a good man. “Treat her right or you’ll answer to me.”

  Mitch’s face went a perfect blank. “I’m going to treat her like any employee. I have no intention of touching her. She’s off limits. She couldn’t…she’s so young. Hell, she would run away screaming if she figured out what I wanted from a woman.”

  Mitch could be a little hardcore, but Will had recently learned that sometimes the right woman could soften a man up really fast. Bridget made him soft everywhere except his cock. That was pretty much hard any time he was around her. Didn’t his sister deserve a man who wanted her so badly? Who would take care of her? “I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

  He shook his head. “I may look, but I’m not stupid enough to touch. I’ve been down that road twice before. I’m not doing it again. No. Laurel will find some young man and then she’ll forget she ever had that thought in her head about me. I’m going to turn in. You might be staying, but I have to head back with Ian tomorrow. I’m witnessing Frankie’s takeover. I think it will go smoothly after his father is arrested for embezzlement. We have to thank Adam for catching that. Night.”

  Will watched as his best friend walked away. If Mitch had turned around, he would have caught Laurel watching, too. His sister watched Mitch with longing in her eyes.

  But that was drama for another day.

  His wife turned and her smile was brighter than the sun. She made her way up the beach to him. “Hello, Doctor Daley.”

  He kissed her. “Hello, Mrs. Daley. I think we should skip the party and start the honeymoon early.” He picked her up, hauling her against his chest. “What do you say?”

  “You know I always say yes to you,” she replied, putting her arms around his neck.

  As the party went on, he snuck his bride away to start their lives together, fully intent on giving his wife the happy ending she deserved.

  Author’s Note

  I’m often asked by generous readers how they can help get the word out about a book they enjoyed. There are so many ways to help an author you like. Leave a review. If your e-reader allows you to lend a book to a friend, please share it. Go to Goodreads and connect with others. Recommen
d the books you love because stories are meant to be shared. Thank you so much for reading this book and for supporting all the authors you love!

  Sign up for Lexi Blake’s newsletter

  and be entered to win a $25 gift certificate

  to the bookseller of your choice.

  Join us for news, fun and exclusive content

  including free short stories.

  There's a new contest every month!

  Click here to subscribe.

  You Only Love Twice

  Masters and Mercenaries 8

  By Lexi Blake

  Coming February 17, 2015

  Click here to pre-order!

  A woman on a mission

  Phoebe Graham is a specialist in deep cover espionage, infiltrating the enemy, observing their practices, and when necessary eliminating the threat. Her latest assignment is McKay-Taggart Security Services, staffed with former military and intelligence operatives. They routinely perform clandestine operations all over the world but it isn’t until Jesse Murdoch joins the team that her radar starts spinning. Unfortunately so does her head. He’s gorgeous and sweet and her instincts tell her to trust him but she’s been burned before, so he’ll stay where he belongs—squarely in her sights.

  A man on the run

  Since the moment his Army unit was captured by jihadists, Jesse’s life has been a nightmare. Forced to watch as those monsters tortured and killed his friends and the woman he loved, something inside him snapped. When he’s finally rescued, everyone has the same question—why did he alone survive? Clouded in accusations and haunted by the faces of those he failed, Jesse struggles in civilian life until McKay-Taggart takes him in. Spending time with Phoebe, the shy and beautiful accountant, makes him feel human for the first time in forever. If someone so innocent and sweet could accept him, maybe he could truly be redeemed.

  A love they never expected