Page 307 of The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The Second Collection

“I wouldn’t have thought it of you, girl, but this is definitely the kind of thing Thorny’d do. You want me to treat you like I treat her?” He reaches for his belt. “Get on your knees.”

“No, sir. No. I do not consent to that.”

He leans down so his hot breath licks my cheeks. “On. Your. Knees.”

“No, sir.”

“I will not tell you a third time, slut.”

“Then don’t.” I step away from him. Around him. Not turning my back on him, because Ten just turned himself into a threat, and you don’t turn your back on threats. “Red, Ten. Red. This is not cool.”

He turns with me, pulling off his belt and looping it around his hand. I swear to the fucking Benevolence if he hits me with that, I will kick his nuts up into his neck. “What’s not cool is you thinking you can just walk away from me without any consequences.”

“You arenotmy Master, Ten. You don’t get to give me consequences. Did you hear me? I said fucking red. Hit me and I’ll scream so loud you’ll need to be treated for tinnitus.”

“Walk away from me and you will not like what happens, girl.”

“Nothing’s going to happen because I used my fucking safe word, Ten! Put your goddamn belt away. I’m out of here.”

He snaps his belt onto his palm and my flesh recoils. Not because I fear the pain. I fearhim. For the first time in five years of knowing this man, of letting him hurt and fuck me in ways that made me ache for days afterwards, I am afraid ofhim.

“When you come back,” he growls. “And you will come back, it won’t be on your knees, girl. Crawl to me on your damn belly like the fucking worm you are and lick my boots for a day and I’ll think about scening with you again.”

“You are on fucking crack,” I snap as I edge in front of the elevator doors and slam the button with the heel of my hand. Thank the Benevolence, the elevator is on this floor and the doors swoosh open behind me immediately. I step back into the elevator, keeping my eyes on Ten, who continues to glare at me and snap his folded belt against his palm until the doors slide shut.

I slump against the back wall of the elevator. When the doors open again, I stagger out and cling to the far wall for a long moment, fear playing Chopsticks on my spine, my heart still hammering against my ribs. Did Ten really just ignore my safe word?

“DirtyGurl?”

I turn as a small hand takes my elbow. Austin’s Domme, Dana, looks at me with concern darkening her big, brown eyes.

“I’m okay, ma’am.”

“Are you?”

I straighten my spine and let go of the wall. I’d be taller than Dana, who is Emily’s size, except that she’s wearing five-inch stilettos, so she’s looking me in the eye. “Yes, ma’am. I’m just on my way to the Blue Harem room.”

“Then I’ll walk you there. Would you like to tell me what happened and why you’re not wearing your collar?”

I touch my bare throat, feeling the loss again as fresh and sharp as a scalpel’s cut.

“I, um, resigned from the club. As a house submissive. I’ll still be dancing, but no more scenes.”

“Is this a good thing or a bad thing?” Dana asks as she steers me down the long central hallway of the club’s dungeon level.

“It’s a good thing, ma’am. Mac’s asked me to be exclusive.”

“I see. That happened quickly, didn’t it?”

She’s one to talk. She got her collar on Austin a whole two weeks after their first scene together, although they’re not exclusive, from what he’s said.

“I guess, ma’am.”

“I know everyone will be very sorry to see you go. You’ve been a staple of the club for years.”

Is that how she sees me? Rachel and her Drow always made me feel like I was here on sufferance.

“Thank you, ma’am.”