Page 471 of The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The Second Collection

“No,weare,” Bull says, lifting his head and meeting my eyes.

“Thanks, mate. I will do this on my own but it means a lot not to have to.”

thirty-two

LOGAN

We don’t,in the end, storm Chess’ office but only because he sees us coming on the CCTV systemI installedand opens the door for us.

Chess motions us into three, black-leather-upholstered guest chairs pulled up in front of his desk before he sits down in his huge wing-back chair. Tessa, in a full black leather puppy mask and mitts over her house submissive basque, kneels at his feet. He holds her leash loosely in his lap.

“Logan, you know I like to mull things over. Is this about something other than your emergency motion?”

“No,” I admit. “But I don’t think it can wait.”

“I disagree,” Chess says, tapping the handle of Tessa’s leash against his thigh. “I think we need a cool approach to this. I’ve already said too much during an unguarded moment to Emmett. We all need to step back and think before we do anything unwise.”

Tessa yips softly, lifting her paws to her chest. Chess reaches out and strokes the smooth top of her puppy mask.

“Yes, my sweet puppy, I told him if he ever made you uncomfortable again I’d unman him after I ripped his eyes out. It was unnecessary. I regret it now. I’m not charging into another confrontation with him like ... well, a bull.” Chess nods his dark head at Bull.

I bite the insides of my cheeks to keep from jumping in. Theo mentioned that Chess had a talk with Emmett after he and a guest scared Tessa. Theo did not mention anything about ripping out eyes.

Theo clears his throat. “That’s quite a talk you had.”

Chess rolls his eyes at Theo. “I said I regret it. I listened to everything you said to me the other day, Theo. I expressed my own concerns about Emmett and his guest. I don’t see the need to call an emergency management committee meeting. I think there are ways to deal with this that don’t involve a full-scale confrontation which might just allow certain factions within the club a podium at which to air their grievances.”

Chess looks pointedly at me.

“You mean Ten and his cabal,” I say.

“I mean everyone who is resistant to change. Logan, we voted Sante and Rachel out less than three months ago. Is this the reputation you want to build? Anyone who crosses you gets thrown out of the club? I don’t relish a full-scale rebellion and that’s exactly what we’ll have if you’re behind ousting two more members so soon.”

I take a deep breath and settle myself. This is the moment when I could threaten to replace him with Maude. That’s still my Plan B. But I understand what he’s saying about coming in like the Grim Reaper. Maybe he has a better idea.

“What do you suggest?” I ask.

“That you let me sleep on it! Give me five damn minutes to come up with a solution that doesn’t involve threatening bodily harm again. I’m as angry as you are, Logan,” he says, tappingTessa’s leash on the glass top of his desk. “You haven’t lived with shame for weeks because of the actions of a man you consider a brother toward a submissive you hold in the highest regard. You didn’t see your own submissive’s face, stiff with shock and fear, after those two mongrels abused her. I amraginginside. Don’t you ever think I’m not. But I am a dominant of Blunts. I am in control of my emotions and actions. I won’t let Emmett or Drew or their guests provoke another ill-considered response out of me. So let me mull it over and get back to you. Do me a little courtesy. Have I ever ignored you?”

“No,” I admit.

“Why would I start with something this important?”

“I didn’t know if you appreciated its importance,” I say, feeling like a school-kid who has just been yelled at for failing to turn in his homework. In fact, I’m fairly sure that my third-year teacher at Heysham St. Peter’s, Mr. Dillon, wore the same expression Chess is now wearing when I tried the “dog ate my homework” excuse.

Chess leans forward in his chair and stares me down. “I appreciate its importance.”

Theo stands and digs his fingers into my shoulder. “That’s all we came to say. Time to go.”

“Theo, you’re not even on the committee,” Chess points out.

“I’m rethinking that,” Theo says. “But it’s a conversation for another day.”

“Oh, please, let’s have it today,” Chess says. “Logan seems eager to bring all possible management committee business to a head in the same moment. Are you volunteering for a position? Master of Fur is still open.”

Theo releases my shoulder only to dig his thumb into my ribs. “You owe me for this,” he mutters at me. At normal volume, he says, “Yes, I’m volunteering.”

“Excellent,” Chess says. “Welcome to hell. I can’t imagine anyone will object, given your standing in the club and how long the position’s been open. I’ll forward you our bylaws and management committee handbook, all two hundred pages of it, which you’ll need to be familiar with before the emergency meeting. Happy reading.”