“I’ll step back,” Sadie said grudgingly, and gave Olivia’s hand a squeeze before letting go. “But I’m staying in the room.”

Jack nodded at Cade. “We’ll be over here,” he said, and dragged a reluctant Sadie away to stand with him against the far wall.

Cade laid a hand on Olivia’s shoulder, warm on her bare skin. “Fofa?”

“I’m okay,” she assured him.

He nodded, then turned to Kyle. “Kyle.”

“Cade.”

“You know better than to pull something like this.”

“I just want to talk to her, Cade.” His gaze flicked to her neck, where a thin strip of leather circled her throat. “I didn’t know you’d collared her. I would’ve come to you first if I had.”

Cade nodded, and Olivia relaxed slightly. It was a serious breach of protocol to approach a collared submissive without the permission of their Dominant, and if Kyle had circumvented Cade on purpose, it would’ve added a layer of insult to an already tense situation. That he hadn’t seemed aware of their relationship was strange—she’d been wearing his collar at parties for months now, and their relationship wasn’t a secret. But Kyle hadn’t been around since they’d broken up, so it was possible he’d been out of the loop.

Cade stroked her shoulder, drawing her attention. “It’s up to you.”

She glanced at Kyle, waiting patiently, then back at Cade. “I can talk to him.”

“Do you want me to stay with you?”

“I’d really like to talk to her in private,” Kyle began.

Cade’s head whipped around to stare at him, and Kyle shut his mouth with a snap. “This will happen however Olivia wants it to, or not at all.”

Kyle hesitated slightly, then nodded.

Olivia laid a hand on Cade’s arm, wanting to soothe. The hard glitter in his eyes told her his temper was on a short leash. “Can you wait with Jack and Sadie?”

“If that’s what you want.” He pinned Kyle with a look. “You have five minutes, and you keep your hands to yourself.”

Kyle nodded. “Understood. Thank you.”

Cade squeezed her shoulder in reassurance, then crossed the room to stand next to Jack.

Olivia looked up at Kyle, her fingers linked together in front of her as she waited for him to speak. The flash of anxiety that she’d felt when he’d walked into the room had faded, leaving her feeling strangely…fine. Her belly wasn’t in knots. Her shoulders were relaxed. She felt calm and at ease, partly because had three sentries standing guard, ready to spring into action if she appeared at all distressed. But mostly, it was because whatever Kyle had to say, however he felt, it wasn’t her problem anymore.

“It’s good to see you,” Kyle finally said.