Page 15 of The Assignment: Room 3

“Jesus, you’re such a snowflake when it comes to Nad.”

“Wait until you have a wife and become a possessive asshole too.”

“Are you kidding? For a start, there will be no wife. AndifI ever ‘settle down’ with one sub, you can rest assured she’s going to enjoy company in my playroom.”

“You say that now,” he says with a smug grin.

“Dream on, bro.” I don’t like the way it hangs in the air. I’ll never be like him because he’s a good man. Loyal.

“Do you think you’re not good enough to have someone who loves everything about you? The kinks, the flaws, and all the good parts.”

“It’s not that deep. I don’twantthe same things you do.” My irritation is thinly veiled at best. “I want to fuck. The who, where, and when don’t even matter. As long a woman is sure of herself, and her kinks align with mine, that’s all I need to know.”

He rolls his eyes, and it pisses me off. “Okay.”

“Seriously, bro. How many years have we known each other? Have I ever expressed any interest in settling down?”

“No, but…”

“But nothing. You live your life the way you want, and I’ll live mine. I don’t know why you’re looking at me with fucking pity in your eyes.”

“Calm down, Flex. What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit.”

“Stuff you wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.” There’s no way I’m telling Dalton about all the fucked-up shit going on in my head these days.

“Are you good to go ahead with the modifications I mentioned?”

“Yeah. I trust you.” There’s that look in his eyes again. Poor Flex. Doesn’t have a wife.

“Good. I’ve got to go, but I’ll give Carter the green light.”

“Sure. I’ll see you later.”

“Call me if you want to grab coffee this week.” I give him a tight smile before grabbing my keys and heading out for the night. Russellis waiting for me, as usual, and he’s probably relieved that I’m alone tonight.

When I get home, I take a long, hot shower before slipping into my sweats and sitting down with my phone, laptop, and a beer. After giving Dalton shit for what hethinksI need, I hate to admit there’s a loneliness in the air tonight. I work for an hour or so, doing some admin for my security firm. We’re nationwide now, and it’s a business I built from the ground up when I left the Navy.

It gets me thinking about what changes Jenna could make bespoke for the club. I’ve seen her work, and she’s excellent at what she does. Since she moved to New York, she and Nadia are building a goddamn empire.

Picking up my phone, I open my messages to start a new one.

Me: Hey, beautiful. I’ve been thinking about the possible security protocols of Venom.

Jenna: Hello, Flex. You realize you can just call me Jenna?”

Me: Where’s the fun in that? It’s simply stating fact.

Jenna: True. ;)

Jenna: Do you want to swing by my office tomorrow to discuss the protocols? I have a few meetings, but I could do a working lunch.

Me: I can make that work. Would you be able to show me the system you’re building for The Callaghan Group if we’re going to run it parallel to Venom?

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