Page 45 of Natural-Born Cullers

That was why he didn’t deserve the Master tag. He’d taken his sub down with him too.

Giving a look away, he cut the engine and pushed out of his Merc before taking the long walk over to the manor.

“Mr Raoul?” The young man holding the door for him nodded. “I’m Jason. I’m your usher for the duration of your appointment.”

Gray dropped any chase of a smile. Ushers he didn’t need, not when they looked so raw and as clueless about adult life as Light away from chemicals and music, but then Gray was a visitor here now. The use of Mr drove that home.

“I’ll take you up to Master Brennan’s office,” added Jason, “then let the Masters know you are here.”

Jason held the elevator for him as they reached it, and again that trained smile came into play from the man as Gray stepped in.

“I’m still getting used to this place myself.” Jason let the door close, then sought out the floor they needed. “I—”

“Don’t,” Gray said quietly. And he left it at that. Polite conversation he didn’t have the stomach for today.

Jason went to say something, then shut it down as the lifts drew to a stop. Once the doors were open, Gray headed over to Brennan’s office before Jason got out, and he didn’t wait for him to show him in. There’d been a few changes since he’d last been here ten months ago to get his leg wound stitched from the café bombing. One of those being Simons. Simons had been an usher for the MC for over thirty years, long before Gray was a Master here. He’d also been the one to see Jack in and tie him to the X-bondage post before Gray had whipped Jack for keeping secrets on how Jan had cut security surveillance back at his home with Jack there training him.

Now Jason, a twentysomething, blond-haired youth with a tribal tattoo running the length of his throat, caught up with him, and one element that really grated into Gray’s calm was not knowing who walked at his side.

Jason loitered by the door. “I’ll be just a few minutes, sir.”

“You’ll be one.” Gray’s distracted look stayed on Brennan’s office desk. As the door closed behind him, Gray went over and leaned against it, hands resting either side as he took in the London scene outside the windows. After a moment, he looked at his watch.

Jack should have been here by now.

“Mr Raoul?”

“Hmm?” Gray looked up and gave Jason his dues.

He’d made it back within a minute.

The curved marble conference table Gray stood in front of still dominated the one side of the hall, but the Acapulco Saxony rich oak carpet that usually framed the solid oak floor in the conference hall had been replaced. Seemed so much was changing with little control from Gray, and it unnerved, enough to dig into Martin’s old knife wound and show how much Gray liked routine as much as Jack at times.

But Jack wasn’t here, not yet.

His talk low, then running into quiet, Brennan, as usual, sat at the head of the conference table, never really quite managing to shift from the look of chief superintendent forever in front of the cameras when it came to the Met police news conferences he oversaw. Mistress Carr sat next to him, long red hair, stunning green eyes, but her no-bullshit way with handling men and women with her years in the army defined her look. Her gaze over at Gray called that same calm drive for control, but more than a hint of anger came his way. She represented and oversaw the Ministry of Defence personnel.

To Brennan’s right sat the remaining two Masters. Master, well… Gruff Bastard to Jack, Bryers was the largest-set Master of the group, hands big enough to come with a whole bucket-load of punch. Strange considering he was a skilled surgeon and represented civvie life. Lucy, Mistress Ball Breaker—again: Jack—she held her own beauty in all her gender-neutrality. She was not only the one Master to have two Master subs—one of each gender, depending on taste—but her nametag, Ball Breaker, was well earned. However, the two subs she collared represented her skill with language and overseas communication: multilingual as well as multi-subbed, and she headed international waters and clients within INTERPOL as a result.

Usually Gray took the sixth seat, representing military intelligence with MI5 and homeland security, but now?

Well wasn’t that just fucking peachy?

Doctor Halliday took his place.

“Like you, he’s a guest here, Gray. Nothing more.” Brennan flicked Halliday a look, then Gray. “Because no matter your previous Master Dom role within the MC, you’re also Jack’s primary carer. As director of the MC’s psychiatric service as a specialist in cult psychology, with a core focus on personality disorders, in particularJack’spersonality disorders, Doctor Halliday retains the right to have a voice here today.”

Gray gave a brief smile down to his feet. “I’m no longer a member within the MC,” he said flatly. “That means any and all care plans for Jack with me as his carer are discussed confidentially between Jack, Jan, myself and Doctor Halliday. They always will be. But as I commissioned the doctor and his specialist team on a private basis with no funding from the MC, those discussions are contracted to be held autonomously from the MC.” He held Brennan’s gaze. “So, no, he’s not sitting here as a guest like me, is he? In fact, with Jack not being here at all, I’m curious to know why he is here. I mean, putting this whole meeting into context on why I stepped into the MC as a culler to find out if any of you were passing classified information on, are you now seriously suggesting that Halliday breaks the Official Secrets Act on behalf of the MC over discussing my personal business with you here? You really want to go there?”

Brennan eased back, giving a hard sigh.

Gray wasn’t angry, but he wasn’t prepared to be messed about either. People either fucked in the shadows or with the bedroom light on, but they couldn’t do both. So they bridged that black-and-white gap by fucking about. Jack wasn’t here, and it showed this wasn’t now a disciplinary panel. But with Halliday…? Brennan knew Gray would never consent to a private discussion session with any psychiatrist, especially over what had gone down a few days ago, and as Halliday shouldn’t be breaching his contract with Gray by being here when it came to Jack, something else played under the bedsheets with Halliday being here, only Brennan wasn’t being open over what, and Gray wasn’t here to be played.

“I could ask him to leave,” Brennan said quietly. “Or you could request that yourself as lead culler.” His gaze never left Gray’s. “ButIwould prefer he stay. Please.”

Now wasn’t that interesting? Brennan didn’t use his lead of the Masters’ Circle here. He requested as a friend that Halliday stay.

“Then be frank with me over why heishere.” Gray focused back on Halliday. “Because it’s unusual to have him sit in on a disciplinary panel, especially when he’s here and my sub isn’t. Which leads me to think this is culler business.”

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