Page 447 of The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The Second Collection

Mac and I nod.

“His father’s real conservative. Church-going, pillar of the community and all that. Emmett’s afraid of him. He does everything his father tells him to, right down to the gal he’s engaged to. Emmett keeps putting off the wedding but he knows it’s inevitable. That’s why he’s a member at Blunts. He’s sowing his wild oats ‘cause he knows his future’s a five-bed Colonial in Connecticut with three kids, two dogs, and matching beemers, working for his daddy for the rest of his life. He’ll never do anything to rock that boat. If his father found out about what he gets up to at Blunts, Emmett would lose it all.”

“He told you that?” Mac asks.

“Yeah, like I said, he likes to talk after he comes. He got real chatty after he found out my son works for another bank. I think he knew he had me locked down then.”

“He doesnothave you locked down, Annabelle. I’m disgusted any Dom would do something like this but a Blunts member? No, this won’t stand. I understand you have reasons to distrust us but will you let me pull some people in on this? Our business partner, Max. He’s an IT whiz?—”

“Cynnie’s daddy.” Annabella nods her head, curls brushing against her cheeks. “He’s a good man. You can tell him everything. Masters Javier and Theo—I know he’s a cop, all the house subs know—I trust them. I’ll call Master Javier and apologize for shutting him out. I was upset and scared but he deserves better from me. He’s been a wonderful Dom.Mistresses Maude and Dana, too. They always made me feel wanted and safe. Please pull in anyone you need. I want the Wolfpack stopped.”

Mac squeezes Annabelle’s hands. “Sweetheart, you don’t have to answer this yet but have a think about it. If we can clear out the bad eggs, would you be willing to come back to Blunts? I know people miss you?—”

Annabelle smiles tearily. “I want to come back. As much as what Emmett and Drew did hurt me, what’s hurt more was losing the friends I found at Blunts.”

“No one wants to lose you, Annabelle,” I reassure her. “You’ll be welcome back.”

And if anyone has anything to say about that, I will fight that fight. No one should live in fear. No one should be penalized for the things they do to feel safe.

Annabelle declines to join the group that’s come back from the museum with us. I could see how their company would give her comfort, so I ask twice but when she declines a second time, I suggest a subbie get-together in a few days. Mac nods and I don’t need to ask him if he’s going to get Bren to organize it. He and I are back in sync the way we were in the Navy. We don’t need a lot of talk. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We know how to work as a team to get things done.

After Annabelle leaves, still teary but much more relaxed than when I arrived, I check on my girls. Emmy’s opened her little room to the subbies who came back from the museum with us and they’re “doing art.” There’s such a haze of glitter in the air when I poke my head in that I quickly retreat and leave them to their creations. I don’t see Livvy in the sparkling miasma, so I check downstairs and find her in her bouncy seat on the table, sitting between Brenna, Fleur, and True while they have what looks like a very heartfelt and intense conversation. Livvy’s rapt, her eyes moving from face to face, so I remove my unwantedDom presence, tap on the shoulders of the five Doms sitting on my couch, and tip my chin at my office. At least two of them have military training and Theo’s a cop but they’re still an amazingly quiet group as they follow me out of the great room into my office.

Daddy-stealth. It’s a skill.

When everyone’s seated—Bravo, Warrin, and Jack on the couch, Theo in the other guest chair beside Mac, and Faolan leaning against my desk—I begin, “This is about Blunts. I know Warrin’s interested in joining. Jack, Bravo, I’m guessing you’re planning on applying, too. Am I off base?”

They shake their heads.

Faolan offers, “My application’s just gone in.”

Mac sits back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. “Hopefully it won’t be as controversial as mine. We’re getting a bit of push-back from the old guard.”

Faolan glances at me.

“Javier has a lot of clout at the club,” I reassure him. “He’ll get you in.”

I’m not worried about Faolan’s application. Warrin, Jack, and Bravo, on the other hand, may be a fight. But it’s a fight for another day.

“I’ve mentioned to you before that there’s some anti-age-play sentiment at the club,” I say, nodding at Warrin. “That’s come back to bite us. Sutter James approached me today at the museum. He gave me a ... well, he called it a fair warning. His little, Saoirse, used to work at the club. Some of the Doms treated her badly and made her feel she had to hide her littleness. Sutter’s joined the club to take revenge. He’s told me he’s going to tear it apart from within.” I hold up a hand when Theo starts to sputter. “I’m not telling you this to turn you against the kid. I actually understand where he’s coming from. If anyone hurt Emily like that, I’d go on the warpath. I wantyour help showing him revenge isn’t necessary, because Blunts can change. It’s already changing but there needs to be more. I need your help to show Sutter that Blunts is more than four walls and some floggers. It’s a family. And like any family, we disagree about things but we love and support each other, too. I need your help showing him that.”

“You have it, Logan,” Warrin says. “Anything you need.”

“I’ll need you to be present at the club, as often as you all can be. Doing scenes. Involving other members and the house submissives. Showing them our way of playing. Showing them the joy our littles give us.” I look at Mac. “That’s the way we win this. By showing them the truth at the heart of age-play and daddykink.”

Mac tips his head to the side. “Sounds good for this whippersnapper.”

The men around the room, all of us on the far side of thirty-five, trade grins.

“But this Sutter fella’s not the only one making threats,” Mac continues. “Lo and I have been investigating what’s going on with the house submissives. Seemed like a bunch of isolated problems at first. But when we dug down, we found somethin’ more sinister. Couple of the Doms and their friends have gotten it into their heads that they canhuntour submissives. Intimidate them during scenes. Drug and injure them. They call themselves a ‘wolfpack.’ Wewillcatch these fuckers and make sure they get what’s coming to them. But in the meanwhile, we’ve got to be careful. Make sure our subbies aren’t alone. Keep an eye out for the house submissives. Do scenes in foursomes at least. Group scenes are even better. Stay sharp.”

Bravo grunts. “I’ll run point on that. I’ll coordinate scenes. Make sure no one’s at the club alone. Okay if I pull Henry in? She’s talking about applying for membership, too. She loves thecourtyard and pool for primal play. She won’t take any nonsense. Not from some kid and not from a fucking wolfpack.”

I nod. “Thank you.”

We talk it around for a few more minutes but there’s no dissention. These men, these daddies and Doms, are on board. Just the suggestion that someone would intentionally target and hurt submissives has them all shifting gears into over-protective mode. I know, because that’s where my clutch has been stuck for months.

I shake their hands as they file out of my office and back into the living room to watch the game they abandoned without question at my silent request. Theo’s the last in line and instead of taking my hand, he shuts the door and stands facing me.