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She hissed at the first swat. It wasn't even all that hard, but on top of the horrible switching he'd just given her, it felt like her skin was splitting open. It only took a few swats to have tears burning in her eyes. And another handful for them to burst out of her with a high, keening wail.
"There we go," Jason murmured, stopping the spanking to stroke her hair. "Let it all out, baby. Daddy's right here. You're safe."
"It's n-not fair!"
"I know. It's not fair, not at all. I'm so sorry, little one."
Draped over her Daddy's knee in the middle of the woods, she wept. She wept out the fear and the anger and the grief she'd kept bottled inside of her since her father's death. She wept until she felt empty and hollowed out.
When her sobs began to slow, he lifted her into his arms and rocked her like a child. Dropping her head to his shoulder, she whimpered, and closed her eyes. "Thank you."
"Feel better?"
"Yes." She paused, searching for the words to explain. "It still hurts, but I don't feel like I'm about to shatter at any moment."
"Good." His arms tightened around her and he pressed a kiss to her hair. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
He froze beneath her. "Say it again." His voice was thick with emotion, and the ache in her chest eased just a little bit more.
Smiling, she lifted her head enough to press a kiss to his cheek. "I love you, Daddy."
"God, I had no idea how beautiful those words would sound coming from your lips."
They sat for a while, with him holding her on his lap in the middle of the woods she'd grown to love, until the cold finally prompted her to shiver. "Daddy? Can we go back now?"
"Yeah, baby. I think you could use a nap."
When she stood, he pulled her yoga pants back up for her, and she whined at the feel of the fabric rubbing against her welts. Her Daddy simply stood and kissed her forehead before taking her hand and leading her back to the cabin.
Chapter 16
The afternoon sun warmed her cheek as her eyes slowly opened. Despite the slight ache in her head from the crying jag, she felt… good. Better, certainly, than she had in a week. And even better, on some levels, than she'd felt in years. Her nightmare was behind bars, and somewhere in this huge, beautiful cabin was a man who loved her beyond reason.
Rolling onto her back, she studied the ceiling. He'd done this for her, helped her find this peace. She should do something for him in return. A plan began to formulate in her mind. Throwing back the covers, she hopped out of bed and raced for her suitcase.
With any luck, her sisters would have planned for a moment like this. She pawed through the clothes, bypassing designer sweaters and jeans until she found what she was looking for at the bottom of the bag. When she lifted the outfit from the suitcase and unfolded it, a pink envelope fluttered to the floor. Sitting back on her heels, she picked it up and studied her name in Ro's loopy, sprawling script on the front. Fingers trembling slightly, she nudged open the flap and pulled the card from the envelope.
The card itself was simple, with three butterflies in various colors dancing over a field of shamrocks. Smiling despite the tears beginning to blur her vision, she traced a finger over each of the butterflies before opening the card.
Fancy,
Hopefully if you've found this, Jay has helped you work through some of the pain you're feeling. Neither of us really knows what you're going through, but we feel some part of it. Tea says it's just empathy, but I know it's our triplet connection.
Whenever you're ready, we'll be here. Just a phone call or a text away. We love you, and we'll do whatever it takes to help you heal.
For now, go show your man what he means to you.
Love,
Ro and Tea
She read the words at least a dozen times, tears slipping down her cheeks as she soaked in the love contained in those few short sentences. How had she lived her entire life without her sisters? Without that kind of unconditional love and unwavering support?
Making a mental note to call them later to let them know how she was doing, she slid the card back into the envelope and carefully tucked it away in her bag. With the lingerie they'd chosen for her in her arms, she went into the bathroom to make herself presentable.
* * *
