Total pages in book: 180
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182075 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
And it was only fair to start righting a wrong.
“We were wrong,” he added. “It turns out that Billy used her to get to the plans and gave them to his client-slash-business partner. He’s the one that stole from us. And when Indie came to us a few months ago, she was trying to get away from him.”
“And we failed her,” Quaid added.
Rock grunted in pain.
“Fuck,” Ramsey said. “Ye’re gonna have to give the wee one your balls on a platter to make up for that.”
“The worst part is that she’s been pregnant, alone, and working her ass off while suffering through morning sickness,” Slade added. “And we should have been taking care of her all this time. If it wasn’t for Maggie, she’d be . . .”
Probably on the streets.
Which made him want to vomit. He couldn’t imagine that her mother would have helped her. According to his father, she was still jet setting it around with his business partner.
The bitch couldn’t care less about her only child.
“Out,” Rock said suddenly and Shepherd slid from the booth to let him stand.
He stormed off without another word.
“I can see he’s handling all of this well,” Shepherd said dryly.
“Would you?” Slade asked. “If the woman you’ve always loved, who you have wanted to be yours for years, was beaten and abused? If she’d come to you for help only you turned her away? And we weren’t fucking nice about it.”
“Then you’ve got a lot of groveling to do, haven’t you?” Church drawled. It took a lot to rile James Churchill, but Slade could see that his hands were clenching together as he rested them on the table. “What can we do to help?”
“Do you need someone to teach you how to say I’m sorry?” Shepherd asked.
Dick.
“I need you to find Billy,” Slade managed to get out between clenched teeth.
“Like I said, consider it done,” Shepherd told him. “Hell, I’ll even do it pro bono, you just pay expenses.”
“You don’t need to do that,” Slade said. “We’ll pay.”
“Not doing it for you,” Shepherd said as he stood. “Always liked Indie. Give her my fee. Quaid, you’ll send me what you have on him?”
“Already done. You should know that some of his connections have become shadier over the years. He now owns shares in Zodiac Construction, who we’ve always thought were dirty but we haven’t been able to prove it.”
“Good,” Shepherd said. “Gives me options to really fuck him over. Oh, and I’m gonna send you guys a gift. Don’t say I’m not generous!”
He got up and left. Shepherd had a membership, but he never played here. Slade wasn’t even certain he was a Dom and he usually had a pretty good feel for these sorts of things. Sometimes Shepherd seemed to act like a Dom, other times a sub.
Maybe he was a switch.
And what kind of gift did he intend to send?
“What do you need from us?” Church asked.
“I need you to take over the running of the club,” Slade told Church. “Free up some time for us.”
Church nodded. “Of course.”
“Ramsey, I need you to take on more responsibility at the firm with Angus backing you.”
Both of the twins nodded.
“Don’t worry about everything else, we’ll take care of it,” Ramsey told him. “Just keep the wee one safe.”
They would.
He’d do anything to keep his girl safe. And from now on, he intended to make sure that no one ever touched her again.
Church and the twins left and Rock returned. He looked pale. Ill.
“Are you sick?” Slade asked him.
Rock shook his head. “Guilt.”
Fuck. Guilt was making him ill?
“We’re going to make this up to her, Rock,” Slade said. “She’ll be ours.”
His phone buzzed and he snatched it up, noticing that Rock grabbed his too.
Quaid just stared at his phone like it was a snake about to bite him.
“Don’t you care what Spencer has to say?” Slade asked as he glanced at the text.
Indie was asleep. Good. She needed rest.
“I’ll read it soon,” Quaid replied. “I have work to do.”
Slade watched him walk away with narrowed eyes. “Idiot thinks she won’t want him.”
This was going well.
Quaid was walling himself off because he thought there was no way she’d ever forgive him.
And guilt was making Rock physically ill.
“Slade! I need some help!” Margo rushed up to them, her hair slicked back, wearing a pair of tight black jeans and a neon boob tube that didn’t cover much.
For fuck’s sake.
“It’s Master Slade, and you’re not supposed to be in this area without permission.”
Where the hell was Casper? What was the point of having monitors and bouncers if they didn’t do their job?
Margo waved her hand in the air. “Whatever.”
This was what he got for letting his cousin into his BDSM club. Margo had sworn that she’d follow the rules, show him respect, and that she’d be an obedient, quiet sub.