Punishing for Pleasure by Avery Gale Page B

bonus really. She had meant what she said…it’s easy to judge someone else’s decision when you have all the information and the luxury of time and perspective. Jax’s reaction had been blown completely out of proportion and she’d told him so. That had set off a virtual “shit-storm” the likes of which Meri hadn’t seen in a long time. Evidently telling a Dom he needed a nap was not considered appropriate because she could swear she’d seen steam come out his ears.
    None of them had stopped to think that she was bone tired, and by the time Jax had jumped down her throat she’d been on the backside of an adrenaline crash. He was probably lucky she hadn’t launched into a rant that would have shocked them all to their toes. At least this way they were simply pissed. Sighing to herself, she refocused on figuring out the accommodations for the two “guests” she would have until Jax could get the security system upgraded. Of course the chances of him hurrying the upgrades along were probably pretty slim now… damn it .
    Just as Dex parked in front of the house the front door opened and both Carl Phillips and Peter Weston stepped out. Even though she hadn’t known they were there, Meri wasn’t particularly surprised to see them. Her housekeeper, Hattie, was ordinarily positively anal about denying strangers access to the house, but Hattie knew Jax and would have happily opened the door to the devil himself if he’d asked her to. Traitor. Watching the two recently retired SEALs move down the wide front stairs like the predators they were made her think comparing them to devils might not be that far off the mark.
    Meri nodded to the two men but didn’t stop to listen to what she was certain was going to be their report on the sorry state of her security “protocols” as Jax had called them. Protocols? Really? And telling her that stacking up her mama’s crystal stemware in front of the door would have done more good than her current alarm system was just being an ass. She heard Peter Weston snort with laughter as she stepped through the door. Fuck me clear to next Friday, I forgot he’s a damned empath.
    Regi had warned her about him, but Tobi had been the one who had made the biggest impression. She'd sworn Peter was responsible for the worst paddling she’d ever gotten. Evidently her sweet smile had hidden her inner tantrum from Kent and Kyle, but Peter had joined them in one of the casual sitting areas at the club and had thrown her under the bus. “He started asking me questions and in about thirty seconds it was painfully, and I mean that literally, he'd obviously heard all the plans my mind had been working on.” When Meri had questioned Tobi, she’d finally sighed, “Well, they had played with me earlier and wouldn’t let me come. Said it was part of my kazillion punishment points from when I was pregnant. Can you believe they actually kept a list? A fucking tally? Unbelievable. Who has time for that shit? Anyway, I was plotting their demise and Peter sold me out like a two-dollar date. Don’t let those pretty green eyes fool you, he’s a minion for the demons.”
    Meri couldn’t help smile as she remembered the dancing light in Tobi’s eyes as she’d recounted the spanking she’d gotten on the club’s main stage. Evidently Kent and Kyle had decided to give a lesson on the importance of “transparency” and used their lovely submissive as an example. Tobi had still been sitting on a large pillow as she’d told the story during one of their girls’ night-in parties. None of them had gotten to hear the end of the tale because they had all been hustled back inside when the security feeds had shown a boat anchored close to the Prairie Winds’ small dock. Meri still shuddered each time she thought about how frightened Regi had been the night she swore she’d seen her dad on a boat out in the river.
    Regi had believed for years her parents had been murdered, only to find out they’d faked