The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) 📕

whip technique. I’m generally for the club offering lessons of whatever kind because I think that having more skilled tops can only be a good thing. But I appreciate the liability concerns the club’s lawyer, Franco, has raised, which Maude shares. Javier is trying to talk her around. If he does, I’ll vote with them as a block, the way I usually do. If they can’t agree, I’ll abstain from the vote. It’s not important enough to annoy either of them, particularly not when there’s a vote tomorrow that I’m very invested in: transferring Sante’s membership and Rachel’s employment to our sister club in New Jersey. I’m confident I have enough votes, but the last thing I want to do is alienate either of the Doms at the table.

Maude sweeps her carefully curled gray hair off her forehead with her finger, which I know from playing poker with her is one of her tells. She’s getting annoyed.

“Let’s table this until the morning,” I suggest. “I want to add something to tomorrow’s agenda.”

“Bit last minute, dear,” Maude says.

“Well, I’m hoping it will be uncontroversial. Didn’t we used to have theme nights on a Monday? Kind of a pick-me-up after the weekend? What happened to those?”

“Gill left and Felix became Master of Festivals,” Maude answers with the authority of someone who knows every detail of the club’s history for the last hundred years. “He prefers the traditional Roman calendar.”

“I’m not arguing with the current calendar. I like the festival schedule. But I’m thinking Monday theme nights are a tradition we should resurrect. I’ll even volunteer to organize them. I think we’ll start by opening the Kennels for some kitty and puppy play.” I wink at my kinky, ninja puppy, who looks both surprised and delighted. Did she think I forgot?

Maude watches our exchange with a smile. “Does this mean you’re interested in getting involved at an organizational level again? Master of Fur is open, coincidentally.”

I shake my head. “I don’t want a formal title, or to step on any toes. But, yeah, it’s time I got more involved.”

Suddenly there are big grins all around the table.

“What?”

Javier holds up his hands. “You’ve been missed.”

I lift my eyebrow at Maude. She echoes Javier’s placating gesture and smiles into her coffee cup. I turn my head to look at my little girl. “Comment from the peanut gallery?”

“No, Daddy.” She blinks the big eyes at me innocently. “Just that lots of people seem happy to have you back.”

“Two whole people, little girl.”

Maude harrumphs.

“I’m confident when you suggest this tomorrow in committee that more than just the two of us will show their appreciation, Logan,” Javier says. He sits back from the table and shoots the cuffs on his gray-pinstripe Huntsman suit. Bastard’s way too well-dressed. “Even if this is as far as your involvement goes.”

Here it comes. He’s such a manipulator. “Where else is my involvement needed, in your opinion?”

Javier slants his eyes at Maude.

“The house submissives are in a shameful state,” Maude says, tapping her manicured nails on her coffee cup. “I know Ryan’s a friend, but he should step down. Between Tania and the girls, he’s hardly ever here. He doesn’t have enough contact to know what they need, nor the time to oversee them.”

I rub my chin. Lucy looking for a top outside the club suggests the house subs aren’t getting what they need. But maybe she’s an isolated case. And Ryan is a friend.

“I’ll have a word with him, but no more than that. I’m not up to training anyone, and if you think Ryan’s distracted?”

I tip my head at the source of all distraction, who gives me a shy grin.

“Most of the current subs don’t need intensive training,” Maude says. “Sure, the two newest ones could use some, but there are other members who can do that. What they really need is managing. Someone who can make sure they’re getting what they need. Someone to advocate for them in committee. And someone objective enough to make the ones who don’t belong here leave.”

I know what she’s getting at. Rachel isn’t the first sub I’ve shown the door; not every individual fits into every group.

“I’ll talk to Ry about that, too. He’ll probably be fine with a push in the right direction. He’s a good man, and a good Dom.”

Another grumble from Maude, but she doesn’t argue.

“Ryan’s doing double-duty already,” Javier says. “Since he stepped in as Master of Training without giving up Master of the Hunt.”

What part of I don’t want a title did Javier miss? And Ryan took on two roles so he’d be eligible for a deep discount on his membership dues. Two kids and another on the way, on a single income, even what Ryan makes in his veterinary practice, doesn’t leave a lot left over for entertainment. “What about getting one of the newer members to assist him?”

“Such as?” Javier asks. He’s got his superior smirk on, so either he already knows none of the newer members are up to the task or he’s setting me up some other way. Bastard.

“What about Cole? He’s been a member as long as I have and he’s certainly here plenty now that his divorce is final.”

Maude scoffs. “That fluff? He wouldn’t know what to do with a whip.”

“Essential equipment for Master of Training.” Javier just has to add his two pence.

They’re both full of shit. I never used a whip on any of the house subs when I was Master of Training.

“Naz? Theo?” I suggest.

“Naz hasn’t been a member for five years yet,” Maude says.

Since when did that become a criteria? “You drafted me as Master of Training before I’d been here that long.”

“Special case, dear,” Maude says. “Theo’s worth considering. Why don’t you have a chat with him?”

Me? I know the guy in passing. We’ve done a scene or two together over the years, but that’s true of most of the older members. I only thought of him because he’s an acknowledged master but hasn’t ever served on the