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Maybe if I give him some time to cool off, show him and all the others I can be as sweet and obedient as Victoria, maybethen he’ll soften enough for me to convince him to send me home. Even with all the holes Auntie Cat pointed out in my plan earlier, I’m determined to get the hell off this island. I’ll beg, I’ll plead, I’ll play whatever part my parents want me to, as long as it means I can be free again.
But in order to have a chance in hell of any of that happening, first I’ll have to play the part Jasper so desperately wants me to play. Daddy’s good Little girl.
Fuck me.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” Sniffling delicately, I let my bottom lip wobble just a bit, as if I’m valiantly holding back tears. “I just… it’s been really hard today. But I’ll be good. I promise.”
Doubt flickers in Jasper’s eyes, but he nods slowly at my apology. “It has been a hard day, hasn’t it, Juju? Come on, let’s get some lunch with Auntie Cat, and then you and I have an appointment.”
“What kind of an appointment?” I ask as he and Auntie Cat lead me to the front counter.
“Just a quick check-up. Doctor D is very excited to meet you.”
Why do I have a feeling that I won’t be nearly as happy to meet this mysterious Doctor D?
Chapter Twelve
Juliet
We part ways with Auntie Cat after a thankfully uneventful lunch. And, surprisingly, once I stopped fighting them so much, it was actually a pleasant experience. Auntie Cat, I discovered, is a fantastic storyteller and once she and Jasper got going together, I found myself laughing so hard I nearly wet my diaper.
Not that I would ever be caught dead doing such a thing. But it was a close call.
Jasper pauses in front of one of the buildings in the oddly charming little downtown area he and his friends have built on the island and reaches for the door. “Time for your check-up, princess.”
Ugh. It’s not that I necessarily have anything against doctors, but I just had my yearly physical a couple months ago and the whole process is dreadfully boring. But I’m determined to stick to my “Good Little girl” routine, at least long enough for me to find a way off this godforsaken island, so I force myself to smile up at him. “Okay, Daddy.”
We step into the waiting room, which is at least as nice as the doctor’s offices I’m used to back on the mainland. At least I’ll be able to keepsomestandard of living while I’m here.
“Mr. Blackwood! Hello!” The perky blonde at the front desk positively beams at Jasper, and it’s all I can do not to snarl at her.
It’s not that I’m jealous, exactly. But if I’m going to be stuck playing Daddy’s Little girl, then I’ll be damned if I’m going to share him in the meantime
“Hi, Millie.” Jasper smiles back, that dazzling Blackwood charm on full display, and the urge to punch them both nearly overwhelms me. “Is Doctor D ready for us?”
“He actually had to run out to the farm to check on one of the cows but he should be back in just a few minutes. We can go ahead and get started checking Juliet’s vitals if you’d like, though.”
Farm?Cows? “Jasper, did you bring me to a fuckingveterinarian?” I know he apparently sees me as nothing more than his property but this is pushing things too goddamn far.
Jasper frowns down at me. “Language, Juliet.”
“Seriously? You’re worried about my language but not about letting a freaking animal doctor put his hands on me?”
Silence fills the room for a moment before Jasper throws his head back and laughs, a deep, rich sound that makes the butterflies in my stomach take flight. The sound mingles with the blonde girl’s high-pitched giggle and I swear nothing in my life has been more difficult than fighting the urge to storm out of that doctor’s office.
“Poor Juju,” Jasper says with a shake of his head. “Doctor D isn’t a vet. I promise you he is a highly skilled physician. One of the top in the world, actually. You’ll be in good hands, I promise.”
“But she just said he was off taking care of a cow!”
“That’s not…” Trailing off, Jasper snorts out another laugh. “You know what, it would be easier to show you. Victoria’s been begging to go see the farm anyway. I’ll give Maxwell a call and perhaps we can go sometime soon. For now, just trust Daddy that you’ll be well taken care of. Can you do that for me, princess?”
“I guess,” I grumble. Not that I have much choice in the matter.
“Thank you. Millie, I think we’re ready now if you want us to come back.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Blackwood.”
Taking my hand again, Jasper leads me through the door to the left of the receptionist desk. Millie is waiting for us behind the door, with that same bright smile on her face and a tablet tucked in the crook of her arm. “We’ll just need to get her weight before we take her vitals. Doctor D prefers the most accurate reading possible, so if you wouldn’t mind taking off her clothes and diaper, we can get started.”