Page 38 of Winter Break

Daddy cups my breasts through the cotton, causing my nipples to pebble. In this dress, people will see them. I never let my nipples show. I always wear a sweater over my shirts to prevent that.

“I noticed you weren’t wearing a bra when you came here yesterday, Little doll. Do you not like them?”

My face heats. I guess he doesn’t think I look appropriate either. My bottom lip trembles, and tears come to my eyes.

“Hey… What are the tears for?” Squatting down in front of me, he pulls me into his arms.

I lean into him and cry, really cry. It bubbles out of nowhere. Years of frustration and sadness catch up with me. “I’m sorry,” I manage to mumble between sobs.

Daddy scoops me off the floor and brings me to his chest. “Goodness, sweetness, why are you sorry?”

Sniffling, I manage to murmur, “Because I look ridiculous in this dress without a bra. You’re embarrassed.”

He gasps and holds me back to look me in the eyes. “That is not true, Little doll. You’re stunning in this dress. I wouldn’t put a bra on you if I had ten of them. I like having access to your breasts and being able to see the hard points of your nipples.”

I swallow hard, trying to stop the tears. He wouldn’t lie to me. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I hold his shoulders and clear my throat. “I only had my mother’s bras. They were too big, so I stopped wearing them a few years ago.”

“Ah. And you weren’t about to ask Vincent to buy you new ones.”

“Right.”

“Is that why your clothes didn’t fit? They were your mother’s?”

“Yes.”

“Well, you’ll have your own clothes now, and we didn’t order you any bras yesterday. We’ll do that with our next order, okay? I like you in as little clothing as possible when we’re alone, but we’ll dress you in warmer, less-revealing clothes when we go out.”

I finally manage to smile. “Thank you, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome. Now, let’s eat breakfast.”

Chapter Fourteen

Orion

“What did you find out?” I ask Pryce after breakfast. Cora is strapped in her booster seat at the island where I’ve given her a coloring book and pencils. I wanted to stab Jones in the chest with a dull butter knife when Cora’s face lit up. The poor woman hasn’t had anything entertaining or fun for years.

When my phone buzzed in my pocket, I stepped across the room to take the call. The cabin isn’t that large, so I can’t really hide my side of the conversation, but I can keep my voice low while I get the scoop from Pryce.

“It’s as you suspected. That fucker doesn’t own the house. He wasn’t on the deed, nor did Cora’s mother have a will.”

“Could he possibly contest that? I mean, he could say that he was owed the room and board for staying to take care of Cora.”

“Ah, but I didn’t say there wasn’t a will at all. I said that Cora’s mother didn’t have one. The homestead belonged to her grandmother before her. The woman left the house to Cora’s mother in her will, and, more importantly, Cora’s grandmother stipulated that the property would go to Cora in the event that her mother passed.”

My breath hitches. I glance at my girl. She’s no longer coloring. In fact, she’s staring at me. I’m sure she heard my mumbled words. I’m livid. That son of a bitch came here yesterday to see about selling off a part of his homestead when the truth is he didn’t own it in the first place.

“What do you want to do next?” Pryce asks after a long pause on my part.

“Let me think about it.”

“I know you don’t want to contact the sheriff,” he jokes.

“Fuck no.” We won’t get the authorities involved in the untimely demise of Vincent Jones. I just need some time to figure out how to proceed.

“Let me know when you have a plan. We’re all ready to help.”

“Thank you.” I end the call and pocket the phone.