Not to mention, I have no clue how it’ll impact his relationship with Cristian. Mentally, I add“Get Tennant and Cristian in therapy ASAP”to the never-ending to-do list regarding these fuckers. And, of course, Sandro needs to be in individual therapy and any other therapy my empire and I believe will benefit him… I expected challenging test subjects, but this is slightly ridiculous. I may as well just block out an entire day for Sandro alone, not to mention Cristian.
At least, others are making strides, like Lio. Hopefully, his Owner has fucking listened. It was still worth having Doc patchme up, though. Even if he bitched about it the entire time. For some reason, offering him a sucker didn’t help. I sigh dramatically since nobody is here to watch me suffer over my college crush.
“Ahem.”
“Fuck!” I drop my hands and swirl to face the open doorway, where the butler is lurking. I didn’t even notice, which means I really need the caffeine if I’m that damn tired. “Well, Lurch, what do you need this time?”
A brief sneer crosses his face before it goes perfectly blank. “Once again, sir, my name is Reginald.”
“Fine, Reggie, whatever.” I wave a hand in the air to signify I get it. Not that I’ll use it, but still.
“Reg-i-nald,” he stresses, but I merely roll my eyes. With a huff, he straightens his pristine suit and says, “I have a Brannigan and young Rowan here. I have directed them to the suite you chose for them. However, it would be preferable if you greeted them.”
“Question, Reggie… How have you not been killed yet?” I stare at him, contemplating how much havoc I can cause, because the man needs to lighten up.
“Excuse us, Reginald,” another voice joins the conversation, and I bite back a groan. Reginald shifts away from lurking in the damn doorway so that Carter, Keegan, and Jude can enter.
“Good morning, sirs.”
I run my hand through my messy hair, while muttering, “Suck up.”
“May I say, you do a great job, Reginald.” Keegan's voice has steel underlying every word. “In fact, you’ll be receiving a bonus this pay period, courtesy of Javi.”
I jump out of my seat, my face flushed as I clench my hands into fists, imagining going for my knife. This is ridiculous! Before I can open my mouth, Jude cuts in.
“You may go back to your post. We’ll check on the new residents shortly.”
Reginald manages to somehow exude a smugness as he gives a deferential bow to them before gliding out, completely ignoring me.
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I snarl, leaning over the desk. “I work too damn hard to give up any of the pittance you pay me!”
Carter snorts as Keegan steps forward, almost meeting me over the desk. “Let me make this clear. I deliberately am looking the other way on your…hobby. But the staff here are not to be harmed, unless we give an order. And there will be absolutely no threats made against them. If you like your room cleaned, food prepared, and whatever you're passing off as clothes washed, then you will respect them.”
I glance down at my outfit, aghast at the slander. The pink and yellow polka dots are quite eye-catching against the lavender background, and I’m even wearing pressed khakis in preparation for Brannigan’s arrival! Scowling, I glare at the men in front of me.
“You know, I thought Jude was the Daddy, not you, Keegan.” I sniff as I look him over, although my eyes catch Carter’s blush with interest.
“Oh, look. That bonus just got larger,” Jude states flatly. I go to argue, but he holds up a hand. “Push me and it’ll just increase more.”
I throw my hands up, making a disgusted noise. “Fine. Whatever. Hopefully, Reggie uses the money to buy some actual style. Or a personality.”
Carter stares up at the ceiling as if he's praying, and I wonder if I should add delusional to his chart, but before I can ask, Keegan interrupts my thoughts, again. “Are you ready to join us in welcoming Brannigan and Rowan?”
Cringing, I rub the back of my neck. “Uh, sure. We can do that. Just…as a reminder, I did tell you he wasn’t going to be the happiest to see me, right?”
This time, Jude and Keegan join Carter in the appreciation of my ceiling. I wonder if I should have a mural painted on it. What’s calm and soothing? Maybe a shipwreck? Those are fun.
“Let’s just…get this over with,” Keegan mutters, gesturing for Carter to lead the way. He cuts in front of me easily, but Jude lets me go before him. I’m fairly certain it’s so he can check out my ass. Although, it could be the whole “make sure I’m behaving” thing…
It doesn’t take too long for us to arrive at the suite I picked out. I’ve tried to keep my new employees somewhat close to where they’ll be working. Aside from Monroe, who I put closer to his goats. That…will be fun. As long as I have Her Majesty Queen Floofy, I’m fine. Although, I wouldn’t be opposed to another kitten.
Keegan gives me a quelling look and I shrug innocently, spreading my hands wide to prove I’m not carrying anything…visible. I hope he’s ready for fireworks, though. I did try to warn them.
With a sigh at me, Keegan knocks on the partially open door. It’s only a couple beats before it opens to reveal Brannigan, a welcoming smile on his face. He’s dressed in slacks and a long-sleeve button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His blue eyes are such a perfect contrast to that dark hair, and his full lips complete the picture. The problem? As soon as he catches sight of me, the smile falls off his face.
“You have got to be frickin’ kidding me!” he hisses, and if his glare was any hotter, I’m sure I’d be incinerated.
I shift uncomfortably, not in fear of him, but because I'm turned on. The man has always gotten under my skin, and I’ve wanted under his...sometimes literally. I give him an awkwardsmile and wave with a cheery, “Bran-Bran, it’s good to see you again! Guess what? We get to work with each other! Well, technically, you’ll be under me…”
