Page 366 of The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The Second Collection

The rebuke stings and I swallow the remnants of my anger.

“Ten is angry and regretful,” Maude continues. “I don’t think he had any idea how much Brenna meant to him until she was gone. Emotions don’t sit well on the man and I’m concerned about his mental state. I know you’ve never been close to him but I’ve known him for over a decade and consider him a friend. Punishing him will only make him mulish. Membership here and his status among the house submissives are what keep Ten level.”

“He isnotlevel. You saw the CCTV footage of his confrontation with Brenna.”

“I did. I make no apologies for his behavior. It was repulsive. But it needs to be dealt with the right way. Ten clearly feels he has enough power to act with impunity. And he’s not wrong.If he challenged Chess for the chairmanship today, I have deep concerns about who would win that vote, particularly after Chess has been so withdrawn since his wife’s death. Seeking to remove him from the management committee, or even put him on probation for his actions towards DirtyGurl, will only cause his support to harden. That’s not the way to proceed. You need to maneuver the man into getting the help he needs without making him lose face. I assumed that was your plan.”

I blow out a breath. “I don’t have a plan beyond making sure the house submissives are safe and happy,” I admit.

“Then perhaps you’ll listen to mine,” Maude says. “Ten needs to talk with someone about many things, not the least of which is DirtyGurl. The new submissive that’s started, the bartender, Krissy, is a qualified therapist. If I can persuade Ten to talk with her one-on-one, even if I have to involve Chess to coerce him, that’s better than humiliating him in front of the committee. Do you agree?”

I nod. I’m open to that.

“In the meanwhile, we should be alert to situations which allow Ten to cast doubt on your loyalty and integrity. How are things going at Sacrum?”

“Fine.” I shrug. “The system will go live in a couple of days and then we’ll see who has been evading my temporary cameras.”

“How much has been stolen?”

“In total, less than three hundred in cash but it’s making everyone feel unsafe. It’s not the amount. It’s the breach of trust among the club members.”

Maude nods her stylishly-bobbed silver head. “Of course it is. Jaimie and Olaf must be very anxious.”

They are. Worse, I think it’s an inside job. I’m not just looking for someone they’ve played with, or a guest. I’m looking for someone who is, or was, employed by the club to create a safeenvironment. Someone Jaimie or Olaf hired, and probably think of as part of their kink-family, is stealing from them.

Maude pats my arm. “I’m sure you’ll resolve it quickly. Now, shall we talk about what wonderful scenes you’re planning for the age-play night?”

She’s changing the subject unsubtly but I let her, in part because I respect the woman so damn much, and in part because we’re a minute away from the room and I don’t want to argue with Maude in front of Emily.

“Emily loves fairy tales—” I begin.

“Oh, I know, dear. She read me some of those fabulous stories by Baroness d’Aulnoy. I hadn’t heard any of those before. I’m afraid my education was limited to the Brothers Grimm.”

“Emily likes those, too. One of the scenes we’re planning is based on the Pied Piper?—”

“I get to play the witch,” Maude says.

“Uh, I don’t think there is a witch in that one.”

“There is now, dear.”

three

EMILY

Daddy thinkshe’s being sly. Like I don’t know him so well by now that I can read his mood as soon as he walks into the room.

Today, as he returns from the management committee meeting, he’s super-tense. His muscles are so rigid I could bounce a quarter off his biceps. He’s wearing a full frowny. But he jokes as he dresses me for the day like everything’s fine.

I can dress myself, of course but I always wait for him. Dressing me relaxes him. It’s not only that he needs the control of picking my clothes—and often a kinky accessory or two, today it’s the evil, wire nipple clamps—but also focusing on me clears his mind. My friend Cynnie calls it “doing the daddy.”

He relaxes as he “does the daddy.” By the time he’s pulled on my purple and black thigh-highs, a hot pink corset with the half-cups so he can torture my poor nips, and a flounced vintage smock over a pleated, black leather skirt, he’s smiling. Hearing me whimper as he fixes the clamps in place brings the light back to his eyes. After he laces me up, he helps me into a cropped cardi and kisses me on the forehead.

“You look gorgeous, baby doll. I know I tell you all the time how much I love seeing you in these clothes ... what do you call them again?”

“Goth fairy, Daddy.”

“I feel like I’m looking at your soul, my baby.” He twirls his finger in the air and I spin for him. “Mmm.”