Chapter 23: Daddy Devious: Chapter 22

“Thank you, gentlemen. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

Ending the call I’ve been on for the past two hours, one that seemed to go around in circles endlessly with no solution on the horizon, I lean back in my chair and close my eyes.

Five minutes. I just need five minutes of rest.

But the moment the darkness overtakes me, a sharp rapping at my office door cuts through the blessed silence. “Go away,” I call, not caring who is on the other side of that damn door. Victoria is spending the day with Catharina, and there’s nobody else in this house I care to speak with.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Maxwell.”

Jerking my head up, I open my eyes to stare at Catharina, panic tightening like a vice around my chest. “Where’s Victoria? Did something happen?”

Instead of answering my questions, Cat simply folds her arms, one regal eyebrow arching upward. “Well, at least I know her fears are unfounded.”

“What fears? Why are you talking in riddles, Cat?”

Shutting the door behind her with a decisive click, she storms forward, jabbing her perfectly manicured finger in my face. “The fear your Little girl has that you don’t want her anymore. What have you done to that sweet girl, Maxwell?”

Anger wars with confusion as I stare up at the furious woman before me. “I haven’t done anything to her! I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about the fact that Victoria thinks you want her to go back to New York! Where would she have ever gotten a ridiculous idea like that?”

“I have no idea. I mean, her contract is up soon but⁠—”

“Contract? What contract?”

Irritated, though I can’t tell if it’s more with myself or Cat, I push up out of my chair and cross the room to the large drink cart along the far wall. “The one she signed after I caught her in my embezzling trap. It says she’s obligated to stay here, with me, for thirty days.” I smirk over my shoulder at Cat as I pour a healthy glass of whiskey for each of us. “Of course, I never intended for her to return to New York. The contract was merely a way to get her to the island.”

“Does she know that?” Cat asks, taking the crystal tumbler from my hands.

“We’ve never discussed it.” Jerking my shoulder in an aggravated shrug, I bring the whiskey to my lips and sip. “I was going to explain it to her if she ever brought it up, but so far she hasn’t mentioned going back.”

“Men.” Lip curled up in a sneer, Cat shakes her head. “Were you all born with the emotional range of a bullfrog, or was that reserved for the particularly dull-witted among you?”

It takes more effort than usual not to snarl at her, but I’m tired and my patience is thin. “You can say what you mean without insults, Catharina.”

She accepts the rebuke with a smile, though it’s more like a baring of her teeth, and the gesture reminds me she’s not someone to be trifled with. “This is me showing restraint, Maxwell. I just got back from a rather disastrous outing with a heartbroken Little girl that ended with her sobbing in my arms because she thinks her Daddy doesn’t want her anymore. I think you’ve more than earned a few darts thrown your way.”

My chest tightens at the idea of my sweet Little girl thinking for even one second that I don’t want her. That I don’t need her here, with me, forever. “How could she possibly think that?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Sarcasm drips like poison from Cat’s words. “Perhaps it’s because she’s signed a goddamn contract and she knows the terms are almost up? Or maybe it’s because her Daddy is too fucking pigheaded to actually tell her he wants her forever? Those are just a couple wild guesses off the top of my head.”

Guilt pricks at me, smothering the irritation I know I should feel. “You’ve made your point, Catharina. I’ll talk to her.”

“Good. Because if I ever have to hear your sweet Little girl tell me she doesn’t think her Daddy wants her again, I promise there will be hell to pay.”

With that, she drains her whiskey, slams the tumbler on my desk, and strides from the room with her nose in the air.

“Well, I guess that’s me put in my place,” I mutter before following her lead and draining my own glass. Setting the crystal down beside Cat’s, I head for the office door.

Whatever meetings I have can wait until I’ve sorted out this mess with Victoria.

Upstairs, I ease open the door to her nursery. If what Catharina told me is true, my Little girl is no doubt exhausted from her day and if she’s napping, I don’t want to wake her.

But as I push the door open, unease creeps up my spine. Something isn’t right. Her room is dim, but not completely dark. And there’s just enough light streaming in through the windows to send my heart racing with fear as I stare down at the crib.

The crib where my Little girl should be soundly sleeping. The completely empty crib.

Victoria is gone.

Tori

I wake from my nap as I’m being jostled out of the car seat by Caleb. But I’m still far too tired to face Daddy and the truth of being forced to leave his side, so I keep my eyes shut as Caleb carries me inside.

“I need to speak with Maxwell.” Auntie Cat’s words are clipped and angry, making my tummy clench with fear. “Where is he?”

Not ‘Is he available?’, I notice. My Auntie doesn’t wait for anyone to tell her what she is and isn’t allowed to do, and I can’t help but love her for that.

“He’s in a meeting,” Caleb tells her, keeping his voice low, I assume so he won’t wake me.

“His office, then.” Auntie Cat’s tone is all smug satisfaction. “Thank you. Will you take Victoria to her nursery? Poor thing has had a long day.”

Beneath me, Caleb’s chest rises with a sigh as the sound of Auntie Cat’s heels clicking against the marble floor fades in the distance. “There never is any arguing with that woman,” he mutters. “Come on, little one. Let’s get you put to bed.”

My mind goes into overdrive as Caleb carries me up the stairs. Is Auntie Cat going to tell Daddy about how naughty I was? Of course she is. They’ve both made it very clear to me that if Auntie Cat has to punish me, I’ll get another spanking from Daddy when I get home.

There’s some dark, twisted part of me that craves my Daddy’s punishing hand. Because at least then I would know he’s not quite ready to send me packing. But I still have enough self-preservation to fear the consequences of my actions.

If there are going to be any consequences, that is. He still hasn’t spanked me for acting out with Caleb last night. I suppose if he doesn’t punish me for throwing a tantrum with Auntie Cat, I’ll know for sure that he’s well and truly done with me.

By the time Caleb places me in my crib, tears are forming behind my closed lids. I wait for him to tuck the light blanket around me, then the sound of his footsteps retreating and the nursery door opening and closing before I open my eyes and sit up.

In less than a month, I’ve come to think of this place as my home. The thought of leaving here fills me with dread, and my throat aches with fresh tears.

As I sit there, wallowing in self-pity yet again, something shifts inside me and that pity slowly turns to anger.

This is bullshit. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve paid for my crimes. I played his stupid little baby games, I let him spank me and humiliate me and fuck me for damn near an entire month.

If he doesn’t want to keep me after all that, then I owe him nothing. Least of all my obedience.

Feeling bolder than I have since the moment I signed that stupid contract, I climb out of my crib and silently creep across my stupid, perfect-for-me-nursery with its bright colors and unicorns and everything I would have loved as a little girl.

Slowly, I open the bedroom door and peek out into the hallway, relieved to find it empty. I shut it behind me again, so as not to alert anyone who comes to check on me that I’ve slipped away, and I tiptoe down the hallway to the stairs.

Whoever built this house did an excellent job because not a single board creaks beneath my feet as I creep down the steps to the main entryway. I pause on the stairs, listening for footsteps, holding my breath as my heart threatens to pound out of my chest.

If—when—I’m caught, I will either spend the night with a hot, sore bottom or I’ll be sent away immediately. And it would be a shame if either of those things happened before I had a chance to rebel, at least a little.

When I hear nothing alarming, I quietly release the air in my lungs and finish my trek down the stairs. It occurs to me, as I’m wandering, that I’ve never actually explored the house I’ve considered home for nearly a month. If it’s not Daddy carrying me everywhere, it’s Caleb, or one of the other staff. This is the first time I’ve ever been on my own outside of my nursery.

Curiosity winds with the thrill of doing something forbidden as I slink through the hallways. The house is even more gorgeous than I’ve ever realized, and I fall a little bit more in love with every step I take.

And then I see it. The giant curtain hiding the section of the house still under construction. The section of the house Daddy told me in no uncertain terms was completely off limits to me.

Perfect.