Page 16 of Danger and Dominance (Black Fox Security Doms #1)

David

Every time someone opened his door, David’s head snapped around to see if it was Jensen. He was dropping Cassidy off on his way over to David’s. Not that David expected anything to happen to them on the way, but he was still anxiously awaiting Jensen’s arrival.

During game nights, Claudia got the ladies together to play games, and the guys gathered at David’s to watch movies.

Usually, the kind their significant others weren’t interested in.

Quite often, they were pretty bad. Tonight, they were watching Wrestlers vs.

Zombies. David did not anticipate it becoming anyone’s new favorite.

Unfortunately, Drew arrived first. Then Mason.

Then, finally, Jensen. Normally, Lincoln joined them as well, especially when Ashley went to game night, but they had decided to go to the Outlands tonight.

Lincoln had not been happy about Marshall appearing at Black Fox earlier that week, even though they hadn’t heard from him since.

He had some extra energy to work off, and Ashley was only too happy to assist.

With everyone around, David couldn’t exactly pounce on Jensen and demand to know how Cassidy was doing, even though he kind of wanted to.

He’d spent the past few days with everything under his control, everything running smoothly, and the only pie he didn’t have his fingers in was Cassidy.

Even with the daily updates from Jensen, he didn’t feel like he knew what was going on.

Was she still anxious? Had she picked out a job?

Did she feel comfortable leaving the house?

Jensen’s daily ‘she’s doing fine’ texts should have been enough, but they weren’t. The amount of information was incomplete. And if he didn’t know what was going on, he couldn’t anticipate problems or figure out how to help.

“Baby Bodyguard! How’s the easy life?” Drew asked, joking, when Jensen walked in.

“Easy,” Jensen joked back, sauntering in. “Seriously, we should take up bodyguarding from home more often. It’s the easiest gig I’ve ever done. I get to work and train from home while eating amazing home-cooked food for every meal.”

David scowled at him.

“You’d better not have her cooking for you all the time just because she’s there.”

Putting his hands up in a gesture of surrender, Jensen was already shaking his head before David finished speaking.

“We told her she didn’t have to and that we were happy to start a rotation. She said it gave her something to do and that she’d let us start taking turns once she got a job.” He grinned. “You know I don’t mind cooking. Though, I’m happy to eat her food. She’s a damn good cook.”

Somewhat mollified, David nodded, trying to figure out how to get more information out of Jensen without being obvious.

“How’s she doing?” Mason asked, looking up from his phone. He’d already taken over his favorite corner of the couch and likely would not budge until forced to.

David tried not to appear too eager to hear the answer, moving into the kitchen to get the popcorn started now that Jensen was here.

He grabbed the bag of kernels, a bottle of oil, and the pot he used while Jensen moved to the armchair he favored.

There was a thoughtful expression on his face, as though he was trying to decide how to answer, which was not reassuring.

“I think she’s good. She came out with me a few times this week to the store. Claudia has been training her in self-defense, and I told her I’d help out with that if she wanted. She was timid but motivated. But…” His voice trailed off.

“But what?” David asked from the kitchen before Mason did with the prompt, too impatient to pretend otherwise.

“But she listens to a lot of true crime. And watches it.” Jensen shook his head in bewilderment.

“Every time she’s alone, that’s what she has on.

Sometimes, it’s just in the background. A lot of it is downright disturbing, man.

There are cold cases, solved cases where the asshole who did it got away, missing persons, and way too many dead women.

I don’t want to tell her what to watch or listen to, but I’m starting to get concerned. ”

“Do you think she’s afraid we’re going to let something like that happen to her?” David asked, frowning. He didn’t like that idea at all.

Drew chuckled darkly, leaning back in the armchair opposite of Jensen, making it rock slightly under his body weight. Reaching up, he brushed one of his dreads out of his face.

“It might be something like that, but Naomi said there are some women at the shelter who also really enjoy true crime. Some of them like hearing about the survivors, some of them feel relief from the acknowledgment of ‘at least I didn’t end up like that’, some of them are trying to understand what makes people do the terrible things they do…

and some of them just like to solve the mystery.

I’m sure there’s a ton of other reasons, too.

” Drew shrugged. “I don’t think we need to worry. Unless she seems really anxious?”

“No, that’s what’s disturbing; it’s almost like it calms her.

” Jensen shook his head. “Mick and I are the ones getting anxious hearing about all the things that could happen to her. Like, not that I didn’t know, but it’s different hearing all the graphic details and the after statements and shit.

I’m getting jittery. I checked the locks and the security system five times last night.

Mick had to go take a pot break when I got home because he was getting so wigged out. ”

Looking over at Mason, feeling a bit concerned himself, David was slightly reassured that Mason didn’t seem bothered at all.

“It’s totally normal. It might be her way of coping, but it might just be what she’s naturally drawn to,” Mason reassured Jensen. “Nothing to worry about. Try to ignore it if you can.”

“Easier said than done,” Jensen muttered, rubbing his hand over his face. “At least she’s Claudia’s problem tonight.”

The first popcorn kernel popping in the pan meant David could focus on that rather than the conversation, which was a relief. He wasn’t sure what to make of Cassidy’s entertainment habits. Not that it was any of his business.

Once the first kernel popped, it only took a few minutes for the rest of them to go, quickly filling up the pot.

David quickly heated some butter in another pan, melting it while the kernels finished.

Talk had already moved onto the upcoming fundraiser and the smaller jobs everyone was doing, whether or not Jensen should challenge Drew to another push-up match or wait a little longer, and whether Lincoln might be hiring someone for their team soon.

Especially with Marshall getting into the building when he shouldn’t have.

Abigail, their IT/hacker, had decided to stay active duty with the NSA rather than moving to the private sector with the rest of them.

No one blamed her, she was happy with her job and was doing good work, but it had left an open spot on their team, which was why David had had to go to Jaxon for help.

Before everything went down with Marshall, Jaxon and Marshall’s guy Zeus had split the duties, but now it was all on Jaxon.

They needed a replacement for Abi, but it wasn’t exactly easy, and Lincoln was busy with a lot of other things as well.

“Popcorn’s ready,” David said, causing a mass invasion of the kitchen as everyone came to collect their bowl and add the toppings they wanted.

Everyone steered clear of Jensen as he pulled out his own personal favorite, which David refused to store. He didn’t want the Trinidad scorpion powder anywhere near his food. He liked a bit of spicy as much as the next person, but that shit was lethal.

“Hey, careful,” Mason said, turning and hunching around his bowl protectively as Jensen carefully sprinkled a tiny amount of powder over his own bowl straight from the bag.

“Pussies,” Jensen said cheerfully, closing the bag, then putting it back in the Tupperware he carried it in. Both of which were necessary precautions because if that shit got in your face, you were going to be a seriously unhappy camper.

“If you won’t touch it with your bare hands, you can’t call me a pussy for not wanting it on my popcorn,” Mason retorted.

Considering he also had a higher spice tolerance than the rest of them, his caution made the rest of them even more adamant about keeping it away from them.

He’d been the only one to try it the first time Jensen had brought it around, and after his hacking reaction, complete with running nose and red eyes, no one else had been willing to try.

“That’s what she said,” Drew cracked, making them all laugh.

David grinned. As much as he wanted to know how Cassidy was doing and what she was feeling, he was happy to be hanging out with his guys tonight.

He’d ask Claudia how things went tomorrow.

Cassidy

A ladies’ game night. Not something she was used to doing. She’d had a few nights hanging out with some of the other Stronghold girls after being rescued, but there had always been at least one man in the house, too. And they’d never been like this.

Everyone had always tiptoed around her, avoiding certain topics, avoiding talking about their own happiness. Movies were up for discussion, and books, but any relationship news was stated with an apologetic look at her. The people who had seen her at the club hadn’t known how to treat her.

Cassidy wasn’t sure what they could have done differently. Nothing, probably. Especially when Don had started stalking her. She’d stopped going anywhere that she didn’t have to and stopped hanging out with her friends, always too worried about what might happen to them if she was with them.

She didn’t have to worry now, though.

Don had no idea where she was.

Plus, something about Claudia made her feel extremely safe, as though she could take care of anything that might come through her front door… or back… or window... Especially since, out of the whole team, she was the ‘scary’ one.

It also helped that everyone was laughing and joking freely, no one watching what they said, no unspoken reminders of her ex.

They were all too busy teasing Jennifer over the pickles Cassidy had brought her.

Not a single person seemed to believe they were from both Jensen and Cassidy.

Jensen had neglected to mention that this was not the first time he’d given Jennifer pickles, though considering the way Jennifer was being teased, she could understand why he’d tried to include Cassidy in the gift.

He was in for it the next time he saw any of these ladies.

“No, no,” Naomi said reassuringly, patting Jennifer’s hand in a manner that had Jennifer narrowing her eyes at the older woman. “I think it’s really sweet that he wants to give you his pickle.”

“ Pickles ,” Jennifer said, emphasizing the plural.

“Little weird that he has more than one, but you do you.” Claudia snickered.

“Argh!” Jennifer covered her face with her hands, shaking her head, though she was laughing at the same time. “Ya’ll are the worst! There is nothing going on with us! He just wanted to give me… pickles.”

“Yeah, I don’t know why everyone is making such a big dill out of it.”

Dead silence as they all turned their heads to stare at Yasmine, then the entire room cracked up.

Puns were honestly the last thing Cassidy would have expected from her, though they’d just met.

Yasmine was, for lack of a better word, elegant.

Built like a model, tall and lithe, she had thick, long black hair, tanned skin, and eyes so dark brown, they were nearly black. She was striking in every way.

Everyone was wearing some kind of yoga pants or pajamas to be comfortable, but only Yasmine looked like she’d just come from a photo shoot.

If she wasn’t so nice, Cassidy would find her wildly intimidating.

Scratch that. She did find Yasmine wildly intimidating, but she was so nice that some of it was rubbing off. The pun helped. Yasmine was now grinning widely as she took a sip of the dirty martini she’d made. Claudia had a full bar set up, along with a small fridge of bottled and canned drinks.

Cassidy hadn’t had a drink in a really long time. She’d been too worried about what would happen if Don showed up and she was tipsy or, worse, drunk. So, she’d opted for a cider rather than going for the hard liquor. She was halfway through the bottle and already feeling looser, gigglier.

Relaxed.

“Okay, enough about Jensen’s pickle,” Claudia announced, causing another wave of giggles through the room as Jennifer groaned and flopped back on the couch. “We need to figure out what we’re going to play. Seven Wonders?”

“No, no, I told you, I’ve got a new game,” Naomi said, jumping up from her seat, drink in hand, as she hurried over to her bag by the door. “There’s only five of us, which is perfect.”

“What is it?” Jennifer asked, calling after her, obviously desperate to keep the change of topic going. Naomi was bent over, rummaging through her bag, while everyone looked on curiously. Claudia was pouting a little at not getting her way but seemed intrigued by the idea of a new game.

“It’s called Deadly Dowagers.” Naomi straightened up, holding up a small box. “We’re going to kill off our husbands to increase our fortunes.”

“Son of a bitch, I’m in!” Claudia jumped to her feet, and Cassidy burst into another bout of giggles.

This was the best night she’d had in a long time.