Rolling her eyes, Josie continues. “I knew the Thornes way back before they… relocated,” she says, once again giving me the impression there’s far more to their relocation than anyone is saying. “I was super close with all of them, but Daddy and I, we were in love. It was a wild freak coincidence, bumping into him out here in Colorado, especially when I never thought I’d see him again. And, well, he decided he wasn’t letting me go.”
I can’t help a soft, dreamy sigh. “That’s… actually kind of romantic.”
Josie snorts. “In a very twisted, dark romance kind of way. I’m thinking of putting it in a book.”
Leaning forward, Lanie gives my arm a reassuring squeeze. “I know it probably seems really big and scary right now, being in this house full of people you don’t know and being treated like a Little girl, but?—”
“No, that’s not it. I know I should probably be angry about how this all went down but, I mean, have youseenthis house? It’s way better than being jobless and homeless.”
Lanie’s brows furrow with confusion. “Then what’s wrong?”
Unsure of how to explain, I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “Good things don’t really happen to me. And even when they do, they don’t last long.”
“That may have been the case before,” Auntie Gray says, her tone firm as if she’s daring the Universe itself to defy her. “You’re a Thorne now, and absolutely nothing will ever change that.”
A mirror appears in front of me, and I gasp at the vision before me. My hair has been twisted into a simple, but surprisingly elegant style. And nestled in the braids is a shining tiara of golden flowers and gems that sparkle so brightly it almost hurts my eyes.
“I look like a princess,” I whisper in awe, turning my head this way and that to examine my reflection.
“You look beautiful, little firecracker.”
Tearing my gaze away from the mirror, I nearly choke on my own breath at the sight of my Daddy, dressed in a perfectly fitted suit, surrounded by his brothers. And even though they all look so alike—especially Daddy and Uncle Bram—my Daddy is easily the handsomest of them all.
I’m still staring, trying to get my suddenly frozen brain to function, when Auntie Gray clears her throat. “Is there something you want to tell your Daddy, Josephine?”
Josie shoots our Auntie a pleading look, but when Auntie Gray only stares, Josie lets out a deep sigh. “Tabby showed us the ring Uncle Colt bought her and I mighta said the s-word when I saw it. I’m sorry, Daddy, it just slipped out!”
Bending down, Uncle Bram hoists Josie up onto his hip. “If you’ll all excuse us, my Little girl has a date with a bar of soap. We’ll be back for the ceremony.”
“No, Daddy, it was an accident! I don’t want soap!”
Josie’s pleading echoes down the hall before it’s cut off by the sound of a door closing. A familiar mix of worry and anger wells in my chest, and I want to run after her, to stop Uncle Bram from hurting her again.
But the memory of what happened the last time I interfered in a punishment is fresh in my mind, so I force myself to stay calm and stay put. Luckily, I’m distracted from Josie’s distress by the sensation of my own Daddy picking me up and twirling me around. My heart trips in my chest and before I know what’s happening, a happy giggle bursts from my lips.
“My beautiful little girl,” he declares with a grin before setting me back on my feet. “Did you tell Auntie Gray ‘thank you’ for doing such a nice job with your hair?”
The happy, free feeling from just a moment ago disappears under a shock of panic as I whirl around. “Thank you, Auntie Gray! I’m sorry, I should have said that already. It was really rude of me not to. Please don’t be mad.”
Auntie Gray’s dark gaze slides to Daddy before returning to me. “Of course I’m not mad, honey. Even polite Little girls sometimes forget their manners when they’re excited. It was my pleasure to do your hair for your special day.”
Her words calm the beating of my heart and I manage a tremulous smile before turning back to Daddy. For a split second, I see something dark, almost dangerous on his face before he smiles and whatever I thought I saw disappears.
“All right, little firecracker,” he says, distracting me from that mysterioussomething.“Time to finish getting ready. Arms up.”
Another wave of embarrassment heats my body as I remember what he told me about the ceremony. I don’t want to be naked in front of all these people, but I also don’t want to make Daddy angry and get my bottom spanked again.
It’s sore enough as it is, thank you very much.
So I raise my arms as I’m told, ignoring the fact that I feel like I’m going to combust into flames at any moment due to the humiliation. Daddy strips my pretty dress from me, and as soon as it’s gone I cross my arms over my breasts, desperate for a hint of modesty.
“No, baby,” Daddy scolds gently, pulling my arms free. “You don’t ever hide any part of your body from Daddy. Understood?”
Tears blur my vision and clog my throat, but I manage to nod. “Y-yes, Daddy.”
“Good girl.” He flashes me an approving smile as he reaches into his pocket. “This is the pacifier I told you about. It buckles around your head so you can’t spit it out.”
“But how am I supposed to say my vows?”
