Conquering Jude (12 page)

“What happened?” Olivia’s voice was strained.

“Brandon Randall happened. She met him at a fundraiser while Jude and I were in the field. Six months pregnant with Deborah, Kathleen left him to marry Randall. I don’t know all the details, but evidently she is as submissive as Jude is. But having Kathleen leave him wasn’t the worse part of the situation. It was his father. All hell broke loose when he heard. Old Man Larson accused of Jude of not being man enough to hang onto the mother of his child.”

“What an asshole!” A look of outrage crossed her face as her cheeks flushed. The color drained just as quickly as it’d arrived when the first part of what he said sank in. If Jackson looked closely, he knew he’d be able to see her mind whirling and putting together the recent results of a background check he’d done for her with the information he’d just given her.

“Are you telling me that
my
newest member’s slave is Jude’s ex? That he has a five year old daughter by her? That little Debbie Randall is Jude’s daughter?” Horror crossed her face. “She’s the reason he moved north, isn’t she?”

Jackson nodded. “Yes, and don’t let him hear you call her Debbie Randall. Her name is Deborah Larson and he loves that little girl like nothing else I’ve ever seen.”

Jackson gave her a reassuring squeeze. “It’s not like he’s asking you to be a mother to Deborah, Olivia. While
he
is a full time Dad…or at least as much Kathleen lets him be…”

“Which is what? Does he go home to her every night?” Aggravation showed on her face. “Did him staying here last night cause issues?”

“Slow down. Kathleen and Brandon are out town with Deborah for the summer. Touring Italy, I believe. Jude is scheduled to have her for a week before she returns to school. Just realize he’s not asking you to be her mother. She has one already.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?” Frustration marred her face.

“Just be understanding when you hear that ring tone. Acknowledge the fact Jude is going to drop everything to answer. It’ll have nothing to do with his devotion to you, but everything to do with his to his daughter. He gave her some kid geared cell phone last year and told her she could call him anytime and he’d answer. He has a huge heart and has more than enough love in it to give to you, his daughter and…” Jackson chuckled. “…heaven forbid any rug-rats you might have together.”

“Yep. And now that you know about the other girl in his life and won’t go off the deep end…” he gave her the ‘you better not’ look. “…does he stay or do I call Dad?”

“Excuse me?” Her eyes narrowed. “No one is staying with me.”

“It’s either Dad or Jude – pick, or I will.” Jackson held his hands up defensively when she reached for the pitcher of water on her tray.

“I am not having your dad as a bodyguard. I’ll kill him.” She paused. “Did you say Jude?”

Jackson gave her a mocking look. “Of course! Who the hell else did you think I was going to assign to you? Some random guard from Larson Securities? As if Jude would allow another male near you.” Jackson leaned back against the chair. “So guess what - unless you want Dad camped out on your couch, it’s Jude or me. Personally I’d think you’d jump at the chance to have Jude under foot. You could see to his training…well that’s if you can get him out of protector mode long enough to listen.”

He gave a yelp when she chucked the half-full pitcher of water at him. The plastic pitcher hit his chest, the cold water soaking his button down shirt before it landed on the floor with a thud. The remaining water spilled out of it and all over his expensive Italian loafers. “God damn it Olivia, you just ruined my shoes! I paid fifteen hundred dollars for these!”

* * * *

“I love you too, baby.” Jude smiled at the sweetly high pitched voice of his daughter. She had called to tell him Momma and Daddy Brandon were once more locked in their room and there were funny noises coming from it.

When he’d asked her why she was calling at two o’clock in the afternoon instead of being in bed taking her nap, she pouted before telling him that she was a big girl and she was too old to take a nap like a silly baby. His five year old daughter was nothing if not precocious. He idly wondered if he’d been the same at that age. “Now give the phone back to Nana.” He paced the hospital hall while waiting for Deborah’s nanny to come on the line.

While he hadn’t been comfortable with the idea of his daughter having a nanny, he’d quickly realized why, after she’d interrupted his first real date in Chicago by innocently telling the woman that ‘if she was going to kiss her daddy she’d better brush her teeth first because
her
daddy loved toothpaste kisses the best’. To this day the woman was barely civil to him when their paths did cross.

“
Señor
Jude?” The heavily Spanish accented voice of Nana Lupe filtered through the line.

“Hey, Lupe. I see the rascal found her phone?”

A weary laugh teased his ear. “
Sí, señor
. Little Deborah is really good at finding it after I hide it.” Her voice rose as she spoke to Deborah. “You spoke to your papa yesterday, young lady. All good girls are in bed now taking their naps, not harassing their fathers at business time.” He could just see the older Hispanic woman in his mind. She was probably standing in her familiar dark dress with crisp white apron glaring down at his daughter and pointing to the torn-up bed. Deborah would more than likely be barefooted, her dark hair pulled up in a sloppy ponytail and have an adorable pout on her cupid bow lips.

He heard his daughter’s soft giggling before Lupe’s voice returned. “I’m sorry,
Señor
Jude. She can be a bit…”

He spotted a coffee machine and headed towards it. “…of a handful, I know. Don’t worry, she didn’t interrupt anything. I always have time to talk to my little girl. Besides what kind of father would I be if I got mad every time she interrupted me?” He pressed the phone between his ear and shoulder as he dug into his pocket for change. The two swallows of coffee he’d gotten before he’d lost control and kissed Olivia hadn’t been enough.

“You are very understanding. All little girls should be so lucky to have you for a father, not that Daddy Brandon doesn’t do a good job with her.” She was quick to add, telling him that Brandon must have walked into the room.

“Is Brandon there?” Jude asked as the coffee began to spurt into the paper cup.

“
Sí.”
Her voice was tense. “I’m sorry….”

“Oh God!” The groan had Jude smiling. While he was cool with Brandon now, he didn’t mind making the man squirm from time to time. “A man can’t even play with his slave without that little tyrant calling her other daddy to tell him all about it.”

Jude couldn’t help himself. He started laughing.

“Just you wait, Jude, your time is coming! One day in the near future you’re going to balls deep in some woman and your daughter is going to call me because there are weird sounds coming from your bedroom.” Brandon’s deep voice laughed with real feeling.

Jude’s laughter died. The idea of his little girl calling Brandon in the middle of the night because she heard him and Olivia making love was daunting, and he said the first thing that came to mind. “Hell no. If I get that loud, I’ll have Olivia gag me.”

“Olivia? As in the Mistress at Olivia’s?” The speculation in Brandon’s voice had him freezing and bits of his conversation with Svetlana the night before came back.
“…how would you feel if your lover gave you everything you wanted in bed and later denied it…”
and he made his decision.

“Yep. One and the same.”

There was a pause then instead of the disapproval Jude was expecting he got. “It’s about damn time, you stubborn bastard. She’ll be good for you. Maybe as good as Kathy is for me.”

Jude nearly dropped the phone.
What the fuck?

Brandon chortled. “You mean I finally said something that made the great Jude Larson speechless?”

He cleared his throat. “Damn, am I that transparent?”

Brandon laughed. “Only to those who know you well, Jude. I’m truly happy for you. Olivia seems like a wonderful lady and she’s just the kind of woman to
whip
you into shape.”

The emphasis on ‘whip’ had Jude chuckling. “Speaking of which, I’m going to be doubling as her bodyguard.”

Brandon’s laughter died. “Is everything okay?”

Jude leaned against the wall. “Olivia is in the hospital with a fractured wrist and I’ve been in here all night with her. I don’t have any details yet about the attack, but I’m thankful you and Kathy took Deborah out of town for awhile. Due to the severity of the assault - until we catch the perpetrator, I’ll breathe easier knowing that she’s with you – especially once they realize I’m protecting Mistress.”

A low growl echoed over the line. “No one will hurt our daughter, Jude, that can I promise you.”

Jude gave a sigh.
Thank God Kathleen found a strong man to take care of her and Deborah when I’m not around.
“Thanks, Brandon.”

“Don’t mention it. Take care of business and be careful because I’m not going to be the one telling our little girl her daddy got hurt.” The ferocious tone of Brandon’s voice had Jude swallowing.

“Will do.”

Chapter Eight

Hefting the duffle higher on his shoulder, Jude nodded in satisfaction as he spotted two of his plain-clothes guards stationed with a full view of the front of Olivia’s building. It was late afternoon and after putting things in order at the office so he would be free for an indefinite amount of time, he’d finally been able to head over to relieve Rena. He watched as Jackson rounded the corner to park the car in the underground garage. He was giving Rena a lift home since she’d ridden in the cab with Olivia.

Giving the men a sharp salute, he ran up the steps of the building that housed Olivia’s condo. Using the key she’d given him earlier, he let himself through the locked security door. At the desk, an older uniformed man looked up from the paper he’d been reading. His face lost its color before he nervously ran his fingers through his thinning blond hair.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Larson.” The man’s face broke into a sweat.

Good, serves the bastard right. It was his guard who fell asleep on the job last night.
Jude had absolutely no sympathy for the man. He’d didn’t deserve it.

“Mr. Samson, why am I not surprised to see you manning the desk after last night’s fiasco? I’m glad you’re taking Mr. Levough’s advice to heart.”

The man swallowed and nodded. Jude wished he’d been a fly on the wall this morning when Jackson had stormed into the condo complex and reamed the co-op’s hired security a new ass. If he hadn’t been so concerned about Olivia’s welfare, he’d have been right at Jackson’s side. He had a feeling at the next meeting the security company for the building would be changing hands if Mistress had anything to say about it.

“Ms. Metjka arrived at nine a.m. and hasn’t left since. Although your man…er…I mean… woman… Ms. McAllister has checked in every hour with me.” The man’s nose wrinkled.

Jude narrowed his eyes. “Do you have a problem with my choice of protection for Ms. Metjka?”

The man shifted under his stare but boldly met Jude’s eyes. “I’ve been in the security business for nearly twenty years and well, you have to admit the woman is an unusual choice…she looks like a thrift shop reject. She may be qualified but her attire shows lack of respect for the office.”

Jude stared at the man in disbelief.
Does he honestly think being a bodyguard is the same as manning a desk at hotel? Or is he confusing it with a public office?
He clearly remembered what Rena had been wearing earlier at the hospital. The threadbare white-washed jeans with rips had exposed part of her dark thighs to the gaze while her tight top accented her ample bust. The fact that it was dark black with bright splashes of colors had had Jackson’s eyes riveted to it.
Well, it may not have been just the colors. If Jackson had stared any harder, his tongue would’ve been dragging on the floor.

“Ah, but she’s a bodyguard who’s guarding the infamous Mistress Olivia. What did you expect me have her wear, Samson? A suit? She’d stick out like a sore thumb next to Olivia’s dark attire. Could you honestly see her accompanying a practicing Mistress to her club wearing a Brooks Brothers suit?” He shook his head and held up a hand when the man looked like he was going to protest. “No. Her clothing choice is quite appropriate. When she goes out in public with Olivia, most will assume she’s a friend or part of the BDSM scene.” He leaned over the counter and picked up the visitor log. Quickly scanning it, he dropped it back on the desk, before continuing. “After all, everyone knows my client doesn’t associate with anyone outside of her club.”