Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 45251 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45251 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
“Mister Griffin!” someone squealed.
I knew that voice.
Little Miss Angel turned heads. I found her in the small crowd of a dozen or so members, and she darted toward me with a big smile on her face.
That meant Ryan was here.
“Catch me, Sir!”
“Don’t I always?” I smirked and scooped her up with a grunt, and she wrapped her arms and legs around me.
“Yay, you’re finally here!” she exclaimed.
I laughed and gave her a squeeze. “Didn’t Daddy tell you I’d be here tonight?”
“Yeah, but he says so many things,” she giggled.
I chuckled, and she climbed back down and grabbed my hand.
“Come on, Daddy’s missed you. And Greg!”
Greg. There was a man I wouldn’t mind giving a beating. I’d assisted Ryan a few times with their masochist partner. Greg was an uptight lawyer by day and a masochistic fucktoy by night. Which suited Ryan and Angel perfectly. Ryan was always a Top, both as a Master and a Daddy, but Angel skipped along the whole spectrum. She was Daddy’s little princess and Greg’s sadistic Domme.
“Have you moved up here permanently yet?” I asked.
“Not yet!” Angel responded. “The plan is next year. Our cabin’s finished, though. After winter, we’re gonna get started on the house.”
Good. They belonged up here, not in San Francisco. Here, they had babysitters. Ryan had a big family.
We reached Ryan and a few others just as Jameson and Justin joined their group too, so we jumped right into greetings and welcome-home wishes. And I couldn’t lie; it felt fucking great. To the point where I almost questioned heading to Europe in the first place.
After the handshakes and hugs, I threw an arm around Greg’s shoulders. He hadn’t said a word to me yet, and I had a feeling I knew why.
“You remember me, don’t you, boy?”
He smiled politely, a bit uncomfortable. I would be too, in a suit like that.
Ryan laughed. “’Course he does—because he sure as shit ain’t shy. Are you, baby?” He smooched Greg’s cheek.
“It’s hard to forget that bullwhip,” Greg replied stiffly. “Hello, Sir.”
Angel snickered, all gleeful and sadistic, and crept closer to Ryan. “Can you and Mister Griffin beat him tonight, Daddy?”
“I’m sure that can be arranged, princess,” Ryan answered.
Yeah, sign me up. We’d find a place.
“Can everybody take a seat?” Madigan hollered. “Justin, go sit with your Owner.”
“Yes, Sir.” Justin scurried back to Jameson, and I found an available seat in their booth.
“Where’s the rest of the family today?” I asked.
“Alex wanted a night in, so the girls decided to stay behind too,” Jameson replied. He exchanged a brief glance with Justin. “I don’t think we’ll be very late either.”
Justin shook his head. “Not considering y’all keep knocking up the girls.”
I lifted my brows.
Jameson rumbled a laugh and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Congratulations?” I half asked.
He smiled and nodded once. “Thanks.”
“Don’t you already have one?” I was fairly sure, but we didn’t see much of each other outside kink, and their dynamic was still somewhat new. I must’ve missed a lot this last year.
Jameson nodded again. “Yeah, Alex and Lola didn’t waste any time.”
“But now it’s both Lola and Harper,” Justin said, smirking. “The Grady genes take no prisoners.”
Jameson shook his head in amusement but said nothing.
Children were a blessing, but I wasn’t gonna go down that road. I was a happy uncle. One who refused to change diapers and put up with screaming through the night.
“Thank fuck! I thought you weren’t gonna show!” I heard Abel exclaim.
“Sorry I’m late!”
Fuck no.
I went rigid at the sound of that voice.
It can’t be.
Madigan smiled. “Have a seat, pet. Glad you could make it.”
“Thank you, Sir.” That motherfucking kid hurried past this booth and sat down next to Abel.
I swallowed hard, unable to stop staring at him. Why the fuck was he here? My chest suddenly felt tight, and my ears started ringing.
Yeah, okay, this was why I’d left. Fuck me sideways, I couldn’t believe I was reacting so strongly to seeing Tracy again. He’d annoyed me for a goddamn year at work before I’d told Adam I needed a break. But that was where Tracy belonged—at work. Not fucking here.
He hadn’t seen me yet, despite how close he was. He’d sat down with his back to me, so my immediate thought now was, should I split? If I ducked out right now, chances were he’d never know. He’d see me at the restaurant.
He’d cut his hair, I noticed. It was a shade or two darker than my own, but his used to be shaggier. Now, maybe a couple inches long.
Madigan started talking to everyone, and Dave, another Top, joined him. A server came to take our orders as well, and music was playing, but I couldn’t for the life of me decipher the lyrics or anything said. On autopilot, I ordered a beer when the server looked at me expectantly.