Chase’s fingers were flying across the keys. Ben didn’t take it personally. Chase and his computer had a deep and spiritual connection. The damn thing had been almost like his girlfriend for years. It was a testament to Natalie’s charms that his brother hadn’t touched it in nearly twelve hours.
And it was time that his almost wife figured out that she was in trouble. It would do her good to have to worry about what her punishment would be all the way back home. He picked up his phone and noticed Chase wasn’t the only one with a couple of texts. The first was from Logan. It was short and pithy and explained that he had a herd of women and he hadn’t signed up for this deal and Ben was an asshole. And there was an emoticon that looked oddly like a pile of smiling poop.
So Logan was happy.
Georgia had sent him a text, too. This one was from Kitten’s phone, but as always, it was filled with bright, shiny, confusing emoticons.
“Georgia texted me. I’ll give you a reading. ‘Hey, bro. Nice work with Natalie.’ Clapping hands. Clapping hands. ‘Can’t wait for the wedding.’ Red heart. Green heart. ‘Will have her back to you in no time at all.’” He stared at the screen. “It looks like an erect caterpillar. Yep. Erect caterpillar. ‘BTW Logan’s a jerk wad.’ Oh, good, she likes the smiling poop one, too. I don’t get the emoticon thing, man.”
“Hush, I’m onto something.” Chase never looked up. He wasn’t particularly interested in erect caterpillars. Or exploding horns. Georgia had ended her message with a flurry of them. Yeah, she was so not coordinating the wedding.
He sighed, thinking about the fact that his brothers likely wouldn’t allow them to elope. They would want something big and probably formal. Winter and Mark and Drew would likely give him hell if they didn’t have a proper collaring ceremony, too. When had BDSM become his family’s religion?
Ben found his shirt and pulled it over his head. If he hurried, he might be able to catch up with Natalie at the spa. Chase would be too involved with his hard drive to come along. He would have a chance to give Natalie his own version of erect caterpillar. Oh, yeah.
“I’m going to head out to the spa and help Logan out. That’s a whole lot of woman trouble for the poor boy to take care of. Georgia alone is more than any one man could handle.” A thought struck him. “Hey, you don’t think Logan has a friend he shares with, do you?”
It really would be easier to handle his bratastic baby sister if there were two men to corral her. And she should be collared. She tended to wander off.
Chase simply frowned down at his computer, the light from the screen shadowing his face and making him look brooding and dark.
He wasn’t going to get a reply. Ben sighed. Chase was off in la-la land. He was reaching for his wallet and keys when his phone trilled again. Another text.
A local number, but he didn’t recognize it. No happy emoticons on this one.
I have something more fun than a little bit of pot happening tonight. If you’re interested and like blondes, maybe you would care to bid. I have a lot of three to auction off this evening. Contact me at this number. Your host.
Yeah. This was what they’d been waiting for. An auction? Was someone continuing Hawk’s work? A cold shiver made his gut clench. Barnes had mentioned some missing girls. Were they being sold off? It wasn’t unheard of. It happened all the time. All some fucker needed was an Internet connection, the right buyers, and a way to smuggle the girl out of the country because many of the buyers would be from abroad. This was Texas. Getting across the border was no problem at all.
From Mexico they could move women across the globe.
But Barnes had only mentioned two girls. Who was the third?
“Fuck a duck, Chase. I think they’re selling girls.”
Chase looked up from his computer. “I know they are. And I know who’s doing it. Goddamn it, Ben. I know who tried to buy Natalie from Hawk. He’s found her again, and I think he’s going to nab her. This time he won’t let her get away.”
Gaby hugged her, pulling Natalie into her embrace. “I’m so, so happy for you.”
Nat was well aware she was probably glowing. “Thanks, Gaby. I can’t tell you how much working here has meant to me. You and Cal and Chris have been family to me. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Gaby grinned at her. “I thought Julian was insane when he mentioned this plan. You know he’s gotten to be quite the matchmaker lately.”
Nat pulled back. “Matchmaker?”
Gaby winked before sinking into the chair behind her desk. “Yes. Ever since Danielle got pregnant, he’s been busily trying to match up his Doms. He wants his kid to have a circle of friends, and he’s prepared to strong-arm his employees into happy marriages. A few weeks back he called me and asked if I wouldn’t mind him setting you up with someone.”
Nat felt her eyes go wide. “Are you serious?”
Who the hell had Julian Lodge decided she would be good with?
Gaby laughed. “Yep, he did. I actually argued that you weren’t ready. I told him to give you time, and he said he didn’t have it. I think he giggled with glee when I told him you were in trouble and we needed a PI.”
Her heart clenched a little. “He wanted to set me up with Ben and Chase?”
Gaby nodded. “Yep. One way or another you were going to meet those men. Julian has a flare for knowing what a sub needs. Did I tell you the story about how Cal and I met?”
She’d heard it before. It had given her hope. “You went to a BDSM club.”
“Yes. Cal and his friend Greg had started one, but they were friends with a man named Julian Lodge. I had been to The Club several times when Julian invited me into his office and said I should try this new club. He introduced me to Heather, Greg’s wife. At the time, I thought he was kicking me out of his own club because I wasn’t pretty enough.”
Nat knew Julian. He wouldn’t do that. “I don’t think so.”
“I know that now. He was setting me up. He knew Callum would take one look at me and take me in.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “He’s a good man. He was then. He is now. And he knows what subs and Doms need. Julian thought you were what Ben and Chase needed.”
“He was right.” They needed her. No doubt. And she was madly in love with them. They had opened her up to possibilities again. Her whole life was in front of her, not something to be endured, but something to be experienced. Something to be devoutly grateful for.
“I’m so glad for you. I can’t tell you. And I accept your two-week notice with great sadness. I think Julian will find some work for you at The Club.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to work as a massage therapist anymore. Not publicly. She would love to work over her men, and if any of her friends got knots, she would totally work them out, but she was an artist, and it was past time to start behaving like one.
She might even be a diva artist. Yeah. That would be kind of awesome.
“I think I’m going to concentrate on my marriage for a while.” She would concentrate on Chase and Ben and getting back to her artistic self. As far as she could tell, they didn’t exactly need her pittance of an income.
“You be happy, Natalie.” Gaby pushed a piece of paperwork toward her. Her resignation. God, she was really doing this. She was leaving. This place had been her home for years, the first place she’d felt halfway safe in.
“Thanks, Gaby. For everything.” She scooted around the desk and hugged her again. She didn’t hold back because she was suddenly full. Full of hope. Full of love. Full of gratitude. “Now is this all you needed? Your text said I had some things to clear up.”