Necessary Pursuit (Trinity Masters #12) - Lila Dubois Page 0,108

Luca.

“Maybe we could just run away. Do you think the Trinity Masters could trace us to Bora Bora?” she asked.

Oscar knew it was ridiculous to feel this happy considering everything was still so fucking wrong. There were a shit-ton of really bad people with the designs to a nuclear bomb—and while it didn’t work, that didn’t mean there wasn’t some soulless asshole who wouldn’t try to find a way. The Bellator Dei was still MIA—with Luca’s sister. While Luca was putting on a good face, Oscar knew he wouldn’t rest easy until she was away from the cult completely.

And…while they were here now, together, Oscar knew the day would come when one of them would be called to the altar, and after that…

Jesus. He couldn’t even begin to think about that.

“I say we fucking lean into it,” he announced.

Luca gave him a curious glance. “I do not understand ‘lean into it’ in this context.”

Selene reached out and cupped Luca’s face, kissing him softly. “He means we’re going to stay together until we can’t anymore.”

Luca grinned. “I like this idea. Because the truth is…I’m homeless.”

“Come live with me,” Oscar said quickly. “In Charleston. Langston’s place is next door and he’s got a whole bomb-building lab set up there. I bet he wouldn’t mind if you worked on your experiments there.”

“That sounds ideal,” Selene said softly.

Oscar looked at her and realized that, while moving Luca in would be easy, Selene had her work, a life she loved, in upstate New York. “Selene—” he started.

“You know,” she said, cutting him off. “I have a standing offer from SECNAV for grant funding to review the nuclear protocol manuals and emergency plans for the submarines. Perhaps now would be a good time to request a sabbatical from Cornell. I could read and rewrite nuclear manuals from anywhere. Even…Charleston.”

Oscar picked her up and spun her around. “Are you serious? Are you sure?”

Selene laughed as she struggled to get down. Oscar wasn’t letting her go until she promised she was going to ask for that sabbatical.

“I’m serious. Now let me down, you lunatic, and get in the bedroom. I might have lied about hanging up my supervillain hat. Selene Gallio has plans for you two.”

Luca’s eyes widened. “Fem Dom?”

She tapped her fingers together and gave them a wicked smile. “Take off your clothes. Now.”

Epilogue

Walt stretched his arms overhead, working the muscles in his shoulders. He’d been reviewing slides of bloodwork, something most doctors didn’t do again after college biology, or maybe a virology class in med school.

In his type of medicine, he often had to do it all. Normally, there’d be some shiny new doctors around to help—working in an understaffed clinic was a great way to get tons of experience—but he was between rotations right now.

The Zoom call with his siblings the other day had made him slightly homesick. Langston was in love and married. Oscar was in love—which was great because this time it wasn’t with Faith, but not great because he was in love with two people he couldn’t marry, since he had joined the Trinity Masters.

Walt would join too—the Trinity Masters or Masters’ Admiralty, he didn’t actually care which—at some point. But it wouldn’t be any time soon. Right now, he had to chart and then do a bit of cleanup before locking down the clinic for the night and falling facedown on his bed in a room on the other end of the long rectangular building.

He stripped off his PPE and washed before grabbing his computer and taking it out onto the concrete patio. The patio area served as a waiting room, a triage center if things were really bad, and his living room, since every bit of space in the clinic besides his bedroom was devoted to medical care.

He sat back in one of the woven chairs and popped open his computer. He’d only been working for half an hour when he heard footsteps approach.

He repressed an exhausted sigh and stood, turning back to the building, where various doors led out onto the large patio. Instead of his “lab” room, he headed for one of the exam rooms, leaving the door open behind him.

This was another reason he sometimes sat outside at night. There were people who wouldn’t come to him during the day. Oftentimes women with more personal concerns, but sometimes the occasional man who was experiencing everything from embarrassing ED, to injuries they’d ignored, so that by the time they came to him, it was a salvage situation.

“Come on in,” Walt called out in English, then again more hesitantly in French and Spanish, just in case. One of the nurses at the clinic was local and acted as a translator. She’d taught him a few helpful phrases, but not enough. He’d call her to come in if needed.

He listened to the sound of footsteps on concrete as he put on a fresh mask and gloves. Whoever was coming was a large person, most likely male, and wearing shoes.

It was surprising how much information something so simple as a footstep could reveal.

“Hey, Doc.”

Walt frowned in surprise and turned. A massive figure stood in the shadows just outside the door, where the overhang of the roof kept the bright light of the moon and stars from reaching.

The voice had a distinct Scandinavian accent. Danish, maybe. And it was familiar.

It took him several seconds to place it. “Oh, uh, Eric?”

Eric was the leader of the Masters’ Admiralty. According to Langston, he was seriously terrifying when angry. Walt had only met the man once, and he’d found him to be irreverent, though clearly commanding.

“Yep.”

“What are you doing in Libya?”

“That’s a long story. But not why I’m here.”

“Sylvie?” Walt’s heart stopped.

“Your sister’s fine, but I need your help.”

“What’s wrong?”

In response, Eric stepped through the open door and into the electric light of the exam room.

At well over six feet and heavily muscled, his nickname of “the Viking” fit him.

Especially now.

Because Eric was covered head to toe in blood.

Are you looking forward to Walt’s story? You can preorder Wrath’s Storm now.

See where it all began! Be sure to read the entire Trinity Masters series.

Elemental Pleasure

Primal Passion

Scorching Desire

Forbidden Legacy

Hidden Devotion

Elegant Seduction

Secret Scandal

Delicate Ties

Beloved Sacrifice

Masterful Truth

Fiery Surrender

Necessary Pursuit

And if you’re interested in reading more about Erik, Sophia, and Milo, be sure to check out the Masters’ Admiralty series as well.

Treachery’s Devotion

Loyalty’s Betrayal

Pleasure’s Fury

Honor’s Revenge

Bravery’s Sin

Join the society! Hey fans of Facebook! Did you know there’s a Trinity Masters/Masters’ Admiralty fan group? Come join the fun—behind the scenes news, exclusive sneak peeks, cover reveals and (gasp) too many screenshots of texts between Mari and Lila.

Dear Reader

We hope you enjoyed reading this book as much as we enjoyed writing it. It’s lighter than the rest of the series—verging on comedy—because in the middle of a pandemic that is the book we thought you wanted to read and we wanted to write. We will return to our regularly scheduled mystery and mayhem with Wrath’s Storm.

And don’t be alarmed! Oscar, Selene, and Luca will get their happily ever after! We just aren’t quite finished tormenting those Hayden triplets yet.

Mari and Lila

About the Authors

Virginia native Mari Carr is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller of contemporary sexy romance novels. With over one million copies of her books sold, Mari was the winner of the Romance Writers of America’s Passionate Plume for her novella, Erotic Research.

Join her newsletter so you don’t miss new releases and for exclusive subscriber-only content. Find Mari on the web on Facebook | Twitter | BookBub | Email: [email protected].

Lila Dubois is a top selling author of contemporary erotic romance. Having spent extensive time in France, Egypt, Turkey, England and Ireland Lila speaks five languages, none of them (including English) fluently. She now lives in Los Angeles with a cute Irishman.

You can visit Lila's website at www.liladubois.net. She loves to hear from fans! Send an email to [email protected] or join her newsletter.