Page 84 of Their Domme

Rhodes

Friday

Roderick’s carwas pulling out as I approached Ansel’s home, speeding up the driveway to get to Nic. I’d only been gone a few days on club business, but Ineededto be with her. Ansel had found her father, and that meant she was going to confront the asshole soon. I knew we would all be there when she did. She would take the lead, but we’d be there to provide whatever kind of support she needed.

The compound was a complete loss, and I had no idea where we were going to go now. Business still needed to be conducted, and deals had to be made. Luckily, we had just moved our last big deal a few days before the fire, so our loss on that front was minimal, but I had to figure out everything ASAP. Thankfully, Razor had no problem stepping up, and I was seriously considering moving him up in the ranks. Maksim would always be my right-hand man, but Razor was proving his loyalty over and over again lately, especially considering he always asked after Nic. That kind of care for family wasn’t something you could teach.

The house was silent when I walked in, but it wasn’t empty. Emmerich, Blake, and Ansel were all sitting in the living room, along with Wulfric and the younger man, Conrad. They all looked in my direction as I came in, but it was Ansel who spoke first.

“She’s in my office.”

“Why was Roderick here?” I asked, shutting the door behind me.

“Paperwork shit from Maeve,” Emmerich answered. “She’s been looking it over for the past hour or so.”

I didn’t bother to figure out what they were doing, immediately heading to the office where Nic was hiding away. Ansel had gotten this house a while ago, needing distance from Frederick, and he wanted to give Emmerich space to grow into his role in the Family, which he felt like his son wouldn’t fully do if he were there. Ansel was a hard man in many ways, but he loved his children even though he hadn’t always had the best way of showing that affection.

Nerves hit me harder the closer I got to Ansel’s study—about Ansel with my woman, the children Nic was pregnant with, the memory of Lia dying because of complications, all the complicated shit with the club.

Not bothering to knock, I opened the door. Nic was sitting behind the desk, looking at the papers in her hand. As I entered, she spun around to face me with a growing smile on her face. The happiness in her blue-green eyes made my heart race and warmth fill me. Her being happy the moment I walked into the room was a powerful feeling. The fact that I made her look like that with just my presence… She was amazing.

“What’s wrong, hotshot?” Nicholette asked, worry making her brow furrow. I sighed, realizing I had been standing there without saying a word.

I shut the door behind me and made sure it was locked before I walked over to her. With no questions asked, she was scooped into my lap while I claimed the chair. Nic cuddled into my chest after shifting around to get comfortable. She placed a hand atop the center of my chest, tilting her head back to stare at my face. I knew she was waiting for an answer, but where did I start?

“Everything, love.” I clenched my jaw before letting out a long breath and closing my eyes to work on relaxing now that I was with her. “I have no idea where the club is going to set up shop now. Your stalker. The pregnancy… You think you can slow down a bit after all of this? I’m feeling every day of my fifty years lately.”

Nic chuckled as she snuggled closer to me. “I hope so. Given the possibilities for fathers, we should start concerning ourselves with the mischief these hellions are going to create when they get here.” A lump in my throat made it impossible to respond, and of course she noticed. “Rhodes?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t seem like nothing,” she replied carefully.

I shook my head, my fingers twitching with the wish for a cigarette. It would give me time to think before I responded to her, a few moments of nicotine bravery and calmness to remember Lia. After a few moments of strained silence, Nic actually let it go.

“I have something for you, hotshot.” I raised my brows, wanting to see where this was going. She leaned away from me and flipped through the papers on the desk before she grabbed a set and offered it to me.

With a curious look, I grabbed the papers and started to look through them. My eyes widened when I realized what she was showing me. It was a sprawling estate down the road from Ansel’s. Close to Ashview and Boston, yet part of neither, it was nestled in the protection of Shadowglen Estates. It was impressive, with lots of bedrooms, offices, a huge garage, and a few other buildings scattered throughout the twenty-some-acre property.But why is she showing me this?

“My stalker destroyed your compound, President,” Nic murmured, her voice velvet steel. “This was left to me by Maeve, and I’m gifting it to you. It’s not the same as what you had, and maybe the location isn’t the best for what you need, but it can be a starting point at least. No scrambling or worrying about future fires considering where we are.” My lips parted in shock, and I didn’t realize my hands were trembling until her soft fingers curled around mine, steadying them. “I came back into your life and caused nothing but chaos. Let me make it right, hotshot. The Lords are your family, your friends. Let me help you take care of them.”

“Trying to get old lady status, Nic?” I joked, unable to really process what she was offering me right now.

“I’m your partner, Rhodes, your equal, and I’ll accept nothing less. You can rule the Lords of Chaos, and I’ll sit pretty as the Madame, pulling strings to make people dance to my tune, both of us savoring the violent delights like a fine wine,” she breathed, her heat and vulnerability a heady mix as she stared up at me.

I pushed her off my lap and tossed the papers on the desk before standing up and pulling her lips to mine. There were no words I could utter that would express how much she meant to me. Her power, humor, and sharp edges mixed together into a woman who was my dream in every way that mattered. I never imagined the woman I loved would be someone I’d have to share, but as she flicked her tongue against mine, I couldn’t find it in me to care.

The study was small—a desk, two chairs, and a small sofa off to the side. Ansel liked quality over quantity, and it showed. Backing her up, I led her to the couch and wasted no time pulling at her clothes until she was naked in front of me. There were names carved into her thighs and another over her heart, taunting me to make my own mark.Soon, but not right now.Her soft hands tugged at my jacket, urging me to join her, and I did.

Jacket, shirt, and jeans hit the floor, then we were kissing again. We fell onto the couch, a tangle of limbs and reassuring touches as we lost ourselves in each other. Nic was intoxicating and gorgeous. I let her straddle my lap, riding my dick while she screamed my name, her pussy milking my cock until I spilled inside of her, marking her.

“I need you tonight,” I admitted, pressing a small kiss to her shoulder.

“Can you share with Ansel?” she asked after a slight hesitation. “He already—”

“I can do that.” I released a put-out sigh. “Guess he and I are about to get closer than we ever thought.”

Nicholette chuckled. “You can focus your attention on me, hotshot. I’m even more needy now that I’m pregnant.”

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