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Things were kind of bad when Owen was the diplomatic one. Judd let her down, but kept hold of one hand. Shoot.
She watched Jonathan as she grabbed Owen’s hand as well. But he simply turned away and walked off. She let out a deep breath.
“Fucking dick,” Judd muttered.
She rounded on him, pulling her hand free of his. “You can’t antagonize him like that.”
“Why not?” Judd asked. “Why do you defend him? Stay working for him? He acts like he owns you.”
Because he does.
“I want to go on the Ferris wheel, Daddy,” she said as she turned to Owen. She knew it was kind of sneaky calling him Daddy in that moment because she thought it would get her what she wanted.
“All right. What baby girl wants she gets.” He swept her close. She glanced back at Judd, seeing his frustration.
Crap. She was messing up.
“Owen, if I told you something . . . would you promise not to get upset?” She needed to tell someone about Jonathan. About what he’d asked her to do. About why she was tried to keep him happy and calm.
“Can’t do that, baby girl.”
“Oh.”
“But I’ll never get so upset that I don’t want to be with you. That help?” he asked.
“Yeah. A bit. You see—”
“Shit. Can this wait a moment?”
“What? Why?” She gasped as Owen lifted her into the carriage. The door barely shut behind her before the Ferris wheel was moving.
“Owen!” she yelled out. She didn’t want to be on here.
You just told Owen and Judd you wanted to ride the Ferris wheel.
Yeah, but not on her own.
Her breath came in fast pants as she glanced down at the ground. “Oh God. Oh God.”
“Hey, you’re all right.”
She let out a small scream. Somewhere above her, someone laughed. How could they laugh?
Hux slid forward on the bench seat. How had she not seen him there?
“Chloe? You’re okay.”
“I’m not. I’m not. I don’t want to be on this.” She clung to the side of the carriage.
“It’s all right, we’re nearly at the top and then we’ll go back down. I’ll flag the attendant and we’ll get you off, okay?” he said in a calm voice.
“O-okay.”
“That’s it. Just breathe. Look at me. No, don’t look down.”
She couldn’t seem to help it, though.
He reached out and grabbed her chin, making the carriage rock as his weight moved.
She screamed.
“Look at me,” he said firmly. “Not the ground. Who am I?”
“H-Hux.”
“Good. Look at me. That’s it. That’s better. See? We’re about to start our way down now.”
Except just as he said that, they came to a stop. She cried out.
“It’s okay. They’re probably just letting someone else out. It will start up again. Shh, you’re fine. I know you won’t believe this, but I won’t allow anything to happen to you.”
“W-why wouldn’t I t-think that?” Why were these people taking so long to get out?
She heard some yelling from below and tried to turn her face to look.
“No. You’re going to do as I say and look at me.”
Her breath caught. “Why isn’t it starting up again?”
“I don’t know, little darlin’. I know they’re working on it, though.”
The carriage rocked and she whimpered, shivering. “I want down.”
“I know you do. I’ll keep you safe. I promise. I know I failed before, but I have you now.”
She took several deep breaths to stave off the nausea. Then his words penetrated.
“What are you talking about? You never failed me.”
“When those Purity Party assholes surrounded us, you got separated from me. They could have hurt you. I didn’t protect you.”
“Is that why you’ve been avoiding me?”
“I don’t deserve you, little darlin’. I’m a fuckup.”
“Who the hell called you a fuckup?” she demanded. Then she whimpered as the carriage moved. Why did it have to stop when they were right near the top? This was a nightmare.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It does.” Because it obviously mattered to him. She hated seeing him down. “You are not a fuckup. Don’t call yourself that. And you protected me. You took care of me. I don’t want you to say anything bad about yourself or I’ll . . . I’ll have to spank your ass.”
He grinned. “Like to see you try, little darlin’.”
“Pretty sure if I asked nicely, Owen would kidnap you and tie you down for me.”
His eyes widened. “There’s that mean streak. So fucking sexy.”
She cried out as the Ferris wheel gave a jolt.
“I don’t like it. I don’t like it. I need off. Please, Daddy.”
40
“Are you calling me Daddy?” Hux asked, sounding shocked.
“Is that . . . is that not okay?”
“Hey. Shh. Of course it is. You need to feel safe right now. Does being in Little headspace make you feel safe?”
“When I’m with you guys, it does. I want a cuddle.”
“Okay. I’m going to sit on the floor. I don’t want to overbalance it by coming over to your side. Then you come sit on my lap, okay?”
