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“I can give you a week or two if your dad hasn’t talked tomine. If he has, well, I’ll give you a heads-up before the shit hits the fan.Which is why you should send me a picture,” she replied. “Do you think it’ssmart to invest this much time with a woman your father is suspicious of? I’mgoing to take it this is all coming from Jack and Sam thinks she’s lovely.”
Pops was an optimist. Always. Which was probably why his dadwas such a careful man. He had to take care of both of his subs. His loves. Hemight not love Grim in the same way his father loved his pops, but Grim was oneof his soul mates. They didn’t have to get physical to be necessary to eachother. He had to protect Nicole and Grim, and that meant he needed information.“Yeah, that’s pretty much how the conversation went, though it’s not like Daddoesn’t like Nic. He’s afraid she’s in trouble, and he doesn’t want to getblindsided. I’ll get you what you need.”
His dad was right. They had to know the truth so they couldface it.
“I’ll drive down to Austin on Saturday. I’d like to meet herand see if I can make any observations,” Harlow explained. “Until then, get methat picture and watch your back. Talk to you soon.”
She hung up and Josh sighed, his mind working on theproblem.
ChapterTwelve
Nicole looked at the big man sitting on the couch infront of her and couldn’t help but stare. And hope she wasn’t drooling. He wasa delicious-looking man. If one went for glorious Vikings in their prime. Whichshe didn’t.
“Do you have any questions, Nicole?” Case Taggart lookedperfectly comfortable in the luxurious room that served as Club Subversion’sconference room.
“She usually talks more than this,” Grim said with a frown.“I guess she’s distracted.”
Oh, that sounded like a warning.
“You know if she doesn’t want to talk, ball gags can befun.” Josh frowned her way, too.
Definitely a warning. So they knew she was staring at thepretty man. She couldn’t help it. She wasn’t truly attracted to Case Taggart,but he was like a painting by a master. She couldn’t help but stare at it.
“I understand the contract and I’m happy to sign,” shereplied.
They’d been at the club for a few hours, taking a nice tour.
Everything about the last few days had been nice, and shewasn’t sure she was going to be able to work up the will to leave them.
Could she trust them with her secrets?
She was practically living with them. Oh, the majority ofher things were in Heather’s motel room. She’d taken her friend up on heroffer, and now she wasn’t losing thirty-nine ninety-nine a day. But she’d spentevery night back at their place. Josh had taken to coming into the café rightas her shift ended, and then Grim picked them both up in his truck. Sometimesthey grabbed dinner before heading back to the ranch. Sometimes they went up tothe big house and spent an hour sitting around the table, laughing and talkingand enjoying each other’s company.
She was sinking into the joy of being a member of a realfamily, and it was amazing and frightening all at the same time. The scariestthing was how calm she’d been. She believed Heather. When she got back fromColorado, Nic was going to talk to her. Heather knew about domestic violencesurvivors. Heather would listen to her.
And then she would be ready to talk to Josh and Grim.
It was almost time to make her stand.
“I would normally ask for you to have someone negotiate onyour behalf,” Case explained.
Ah, when he opened his mouth, she could see there was a realman under all his blond, god-like beauty. “But we live in the twenty-firstcentury, and I’m an adult woman who can make her own decisions.”
“Yeah, she’s deciding right now how hard the spanking isgoing to go.” But Josh was chuckling, and he winked at her.
“She didn’t mean any disrespect, Master Case.” Grim wasdefinitely the rules follower of their family. Josh made the rules. Nicoledidn’t care about the rules, so that left Grim.
When she thought about it, they meshed together quite well.Without Grim, Josh could become a possessive tyrant. Without Josh, Grim mightnever ask for what he wanted.
Without them, she would be so fucking sad.
Case Taggart had a wide grin on his face. “Oh, I thinkthat’s a perfect response. Don’t you, baby? Come here. I’d like you to meet mywife, Mia.”
The woman who walked in the room was this man’s naturalmate. She was tall and blonde and stunning. She grinned as she sank down on thecouch next to her husband. She leaned over, brushing her lips across his, andit was obvious these were two people deeply in love.
“I thought you were in New York settling Heath in,” he said.
“He’s happily in his new condo, and I caught a ride backwith Riley.” The gorgeous Mia—who reminded her a lot of her new friendHeather—turned their way. “Our son is taking over the marketing department fora division of our family company.”
