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“You don’t know anything about my father.” His voice hardened.
“That’s because you don’t tell me anything, Master. Whatever he did to you is just another secret this house is bound to keep.”
“Tiffany.” His tone was a warning. “Don’t do this.”
“Do what?” A spike of anger rose in me. “Speak the truth?”
“Don’t lash out at me because you’re upset.” He fixed me with one of those stares that would normally have melted my core, but today, passion had been replaced by a new nefarious vacuum. “All it will achieve is a sore bottom.”
Of course, spanking was Kade’s answer to practically everything.
“Tell me then, Master.” I wasn’t going to drop it. He’d been dangling inferences about his father for longer than I could recall, and it was time I knew what had gone on in the dark recesses of the house.
“Tell me what happened with your father—what did he do to you?”
“Tiffany.” He hissed my name through gritted teeth as if my questions had wounded him.
If that was the case, then so be it. According to Kade, I’d saved his life in the last twenty-four hours. He owed me this much.
“I don’t want to talk about this now.”
“You never want to talk about it,” I snapped, realizing immediately how unfair that sounded. “Please, Master.” I reached for his hand with my free palm. “If you can open up about this a little, I think it might help me.”
Gray eyes penetrated me as he chewed on what I’d said, and for the longest time no words were exchanged. Then, just as the dread furling in my belly threatened to explode into more emotion, his lips twitched into life.
“I’ve never told anyone this.” His tone was somber, tensing my muscles.
“I know,” I soothed. “I really appreciate it, Master.”
“You deserve it,” he corrected me. “That’s the only reason I’m telling you.”
Nodding, I gripped his hand as our gazes locked.
“He used to wait until night fell.” His voice wavered as he closed his eyes, revisiting the scarring experiences.
“What did he do, Master?” The ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach told me that I already knew the answer, but having pushed him, it seemed important to wait and let him tell me in his own words.
“He’d come to my room.” Kade exhaled as though each new breath was willing him on. “He’d touch me.” His jaw tightened. “Make me do things to myself and in the end, he…” Gripping my hand, his fingers tightened. “He forced himself onto me.”
“Oh God, Master.” Pain exploded in my head as I tried to rationalize the terror he must have experienced as a small child. “I’m so sorry those things happened to you.”
It explained a hell of a lot. Like why Kade had shut down from society, why he’d ostracized himself from his father, and ultimately, why he’d replicated similar terrible deeds with women later in his life.
“How did you get away from him?”
“I didn’t.” Hurt reverberated in his voice, an echo of too many years of pain and exploitation. “I left home as young as I could and never came back until after you’d walked out on me in Hyde Park.”
My brow furrowed at the possibility that I’d forced him to relive his trauma not once, but twice. Without asking his permission, I left the table and wrapped my arms around him.
“Little girl.” He chuckled, despite the obvious pain resounding inside. “What are you doing?”
“Hugging you.” Breathing in his irresistible aroma, I gripped him tighter. “Letting you know you’re loved and that I’ll never share your secrets with another living soul.”
“I know.” His hand rose to the back of my head. “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry I pushed you to talk, Master.” Withdrawing a few inches, I kissed his jaw. “That was wrong of me.”
“I should have told you before,” he replied. “At least now you know how damaged I am and why I’m so fucked up. I hate to pass the buck, but it’s all down to my dear old dad.”
