Page 59 of The Bodyguard and the Bombshell

“Yes, you would. And you’re welcome.” Bri smiled. “Devi’s got a real shot at becoming a designer. I was with her in New York a couple of weeks ago and they loved her work.”

“But they haven’t called me back.” Devi stood.

“There’s still time.” Brianna was always an optimist.

“Sure. I’m going to go check on the babies. I’ll be in there if anyone needs me.” Devi turned when she got to the hallway that would lead her to the nursery. “And Daisy, I’m happy for you. If your dad can’t be… Well, then he isn’t the Uncle Li I know. He’ll figure this out and then he’ll be all team Daisy again. He’ll go from my daughter is a saint of a girl to my daughter can drink you all under the table. Now, if you love me, you’ll remind us all Bri has written three books and never lets anyone read them.”

Brianna gasped. “She already knows that.” Bri looked her way. “You know that.”

“Yes,” Daisy agreed. “I know, and I think what Devi is pointing out is time works the same way for all of us. It’s going by, and you need to figure your shit out, sister. Be brave. Let us read them. Then let your mom read them.”

Bri went a pasty white. “Absolutely not. Maybe someday. When she’s old and can’t see. Hey, Hunter.” Bri smiled, her weird thank god something is saving me smile. “Daisy, Hunter is here.”

He was. And he wasn’t alone. Gabriel Lodge was with him, and they’d brought Lucas Taggart along. Gabe and Lucas were both a bit older than her crew. They’d been a couple of years ahead of Daisy, but Hunter had always hung around them.

“I thought y’all would be at The Hideout. Also, I thought we were locked in.” They hadn’t even given her the security code. Which was probably good because she wasn’t great at remembering random numbers. Nate had let them in, and he’d watched as she’d greeted all the kids. When Michael and Vanessa Malone had brought in way too much stuff for their infant, Nate had held the tiny girl while Daisy had helped them set up. He’d looked so hot. A big muscular man rocking this tiny infant. He’d even hummed. He hadn’t looked freaked out or anything.

Because he was a man who could handle some chaos.

Lucas winked her way. He was a gorgeous man in his mid-twenties, but he couldn’t hold a candle to her Nate. She’d seen him holding a baby, and he’d just frowned the whole time. Admittedly the baby was his cousin, and he’d needed a diaper change. She rather thought Nate would have simply done it.

“My dad kind of owns the building,” Lucas pointed out.

“He doesn’t,” Bri countered. “Your dad and Uncle Ian donated the money for the building, but Kai owns it. Have you thought about coming in for a session or two?”

Bri was kind of being a bitch, and Daisy supported her. Lucas could be a heartbreaker, and he was a little full of himself. The Ferguson Clinic was housed in the building next to Sanctum. They’d grown over the years from it being run by Kai Ferguson and specializing in PTSD issues to having family therapists and specialists in domestic violence and marriage counseling. What they didn’t have was a child psychologist.

“He knows the code because he caters the group sessions they have sometimes,” Bri continued. “Why are you acting like…like you? You do remember who we are, right?”

Lucas gave them both a big smile. “Yeah, you’re my little cousin and Daisy is… Well, we’re not related, Daisy and I.”

“Actually, neither are we. Like no blood between us.” Bri gasped when she looked over at the indoor playground. “AJ, you cannot hit him with a chair. This is not wrestling.”

She ran off to save Wyatt Murphy from Armie Hutchins, who apparently had been watching wrestling with his dad. Or maybe his grandpa had been in town. She looked back at the guys who’d invaded her space. “What do you need? Did you leave something behind? The kitchen’s in the back.”

Gabriel Lodge wore jeans and a button-down that he’d buttoned down to show off a good portion of his cut chest. He had longish jet-black hair he normally pulled back in a queue, but tonight he’d left it down. “We just wanted to come by and see if you needed some company.”

Hunter grinned. “Yeah, The Hideout feels boring without you, Dais.”

She wasn’t sure why. “I almost never play in the dungeon because I can’t find a play partner. Actually, the last time I was in the dungeon you told me I should leave.”

The last bit was said to Gabriel, who held up a hand.

“Hey, baby, I did not put it in those words. I asked if your brother knew where you were,” Gabe corrected. “You have to understand, your father is extremely scary. I’m not sure the man is well half the time. When he gathered the tops and told us he would murder anyone who tried to tempt you, I believed him.”

“Aidan was pretty clear, too,” Lucas admitted. “But he has rescinded his order.”

Daisy felt her jaw drop. “I’m sorry. You’re here because you think now that my brother has stopped pretending I’m a virgin in need of protection, you can… What? What do you think is going to happen tonight?”

Hunter squared his shoulders like he was going into battle. “Look, Daisy, we think you should pick. You’re a sub and we’re all tops, and the three of us are all open to exploring a D/s relationship with you.”

“You are?” She wasn’t going to laugh at them. Nope. They had tender male feelings, and she would have to check the part of her that really wanted to guffaw.

“You’re gorgeous,” Gabe said with a sigh. “I mean, stunning. I know you grew up with these two, but we didn’t meet until later, which means you can see me as a man and not a boy.”

“I assure you, I don’t see you as a little girl,” Lucas proclaimed.

“No, you see me as another notch on your overly crowded belt.” This was kind of fun. “I should know because I have a belt of my own. A player can see right through another player, Lucas. So I’ll have to say flattered but no. Hunter, you’re like a brother to me. Eww.”

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