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I wasn’t used to having another person in my home, my sister had moved out a few years after our parents died, and yet this arrangement felt fucking perfect. No matter what happened with Antonio and his insane family, the two of us were meant to be in each other’s lives. Navigating our relationship would be easy compared to cleaning up the current messes around us. We’d figure it out.
***
Caitlyn
My stupid hand ached from all of the writing. Even on my longest days at the restaurant, my wrist didn’t cramp like this. Who did Kade think he was making me write lines like I was back in elementary school or some shit? Weirder still, I sat here like the obedient student and obeyed. There was nothing to keep me in his house, even his threats weren’t scary anymore, but I wanted to listen. He had my best interests at heart, I was sure of it.
Why the hell had I gotten involved out in Devil’s Park? If I had minded my own damn business, I wouldn’t be sitting crisscross applesauce on the hardwood floor of the most luxurious townhome in all of the city. Or at least it felt like luxury. If I stayed on the sidewalk and high-tailed it back to my car, I wouldn’t be following Kade’s commands. I’d have never met him.
Fuck. I could have broken his leg earlier. What had set me off? The knowledge of what I’d needed.
Double fuck. His attention I sought and earned, but I’d foolishly believed this mess would be sorted out within a week and instead it had been just over two. Two weeks of living in the coziest home ever, with a man I’d already developed feelings for. My heart fluttered. I gritted my teeth hating the sensation, but it was no use. Kade had me hook, line, and fucking sinker. It pissed me off.
“Fuck it all!”
My internal commentary broadcasted like an evening newscast. I counted my lines and strained to hear where Kade was at in the house. He wouldn’t invade my privacy unless I placed myself in danger, but if he caught any of my ramblings it might give him a picture of things I wasn’t ready to share. Three hundred down. Fifty to go.
“Stupid freaking idiotic task.” I rotated my wrists inward. Footsteps sounded down the stairs and I returned to writing lines.
“Are you ready to get into details yet, Caity-bug?” Kade stepped to my legs and motioned for the notebook.
“No.” I handed it up to him.
“I’m quite surprised.” He took my hands in one of his, pulled me into a standing position and then let go of me. “Your handwriting is beautiful. but your attitude is not. Bend over the couch.”
I scowled, but resigned to do what had been requested since my body language clearly showed my emotions even if I forced my brain to repeat early nineties music ad nauseum to further hide any stray thoughts. His palm danced across each of my bottom cheeks. Hard. Fast. Harder. I coughed as I failed to hold back tears. Two well-placed smacks struck the top of my thighs, and then Kade sank down into the cushions. He opened his arms, and I climbed into his lap.
“Why did you spank me?”
“Why do you think?”
Ugh. I hated the back and forth questions and yet I knew exactly what the underlying reasons were.
“I’m not taking the threat seriously,” I stated with as much respect as I could. “If I leave your house, then I’ll be placed right back into the mess of danger even though I can literally bench press a garbage truck. I’m nothing but a tiny wilting flower-eep!”
Kade flipped me over his lap faster than I thought he could. He bounced his palm off my upper thighs with scarily accurate precision. My thighs burned from the punishment, but the cheeks above my shoulders burned even hotter with shame. “Please stop!”
“Antonio’s men have snipers with assault rifles. As strong as you are, Caity-bug, you’re not bulletproof.” He struck each thigh once more and then changed his target to my full cheeks without missing a beat. “Are we on the same page yet?”
“No, because if that’s true, why didn’t they just take me out the night Joe’s Pizzeria burned down? Did you ever think about that?” Bad move, Cate. I mentally noted to not actively argue with the smoking hot man holding me over his rock-hard thighs, but the sass just flew off my tongue.
“You’re really asking for it today.” Kade rubbed his hands into each of the spots he’d punished. He landed two hard blows to the center of my bottom cheeks. “Are you trying to distract me from something else or are you so thick-headed that you actually believe yourself?”
“I’m not thick-headed,” I groaned. My damn thighs ached as much as my pussy. “I’m also not asking for anything. Thank you very much.” My slightly sarcastic comeback earned me several more slaps.
“Are you done yet, or do I need to go and get my belt?”
“I’m done,” I promised and I meant it. “Please don’t get your belt, Daddy.” Nope. That leather strap hurt like a bitch. The last time he’d used it, it took several days for me to sit normally again. Kade turned me around and sat me on his lap. I hissed from the pressure on my sore behind. “I’m sorry.”
“I accept your apology, little girl. Now, I want you to listen carefully because I’m not getting into the details again. Antonio had the fire staged in order to smoke you out. He and his men would have done terrible unspeakable things before they killed you. Rape you. Torture you. Antonio is a spoiled man who is used to getting whatever he sets his sight on and you interfered.”
“But he was being a giant dick, and the only ‘interfering’ I’m doing is trying to live my life! You can read their minds. Why can’t you just go out there and, I don’t know… get him?”
“You don’t seem to understand, Caity-bug, I can’t just roll up with a handful of machine guns and take everyone out. I can predict movements, sometimes patterns, but I’m not invincible and though I’ve made some unsavory arrangements in the past, these days I do try not to just kill people. Even people like Antonio, who really deserve it.”
“Who is Antonio really? Does he have the same sort of powers like we do?”
“No, he is just a vicious yet pathetic individual who has used money to fuel his power plays for an extended period of time. He wants what he can’t have willingly. Sheila Delgado knows his game as do I.”
