Page 431 of The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The Second Collection

I chuckle and say goodbye.

Mac continues to type into his phone without looking up. “I think I might have a solution for tonight.”

I don’t question him, because if Mac says he has a solution, he has a solution. But I didn’t know he knew anyone in Jersey.

His phone pings; he smiles at it. “We’re gonna owe everyone in two states dinner by the time tonight’s over but I got a place for her to sleep. Qualified fosterandformer law enforcement. Can’t ask for more than that.”

He’s right, we can’t.

True looks up at me, her brown eyes huge. “For all of us, right? You’re staying with me, Master Logan? Master Mac? Please?”

She swings the big guns on Mac. He glances up from his phone, swallows, and looks back down to type.

“Don’t call either of us master,” I say gruffly.

“But you are, right? You have a submissive? Alittle? I’ve heard you talk about her with Miss Vizzi. Miss Vizzi’s reallyscary, isn’t she? And Master Mac just said the cop should keep his mind off Master Mac’s sub. You’re both masters. You both have subs you protect, who submit to you, right?”

“You’re too young to have that conversation,” I grumble.

“I’m not.” True plants her fists on her narrow hips. “I know what dominance and submission is. I’ve watched scenes. I’ve already had sex.”

Mac sticks one finger in his ear. “La-la-la, I’m not hearing anything about the tween having sex.”

“I’m not a tween!” True flares. “I’m almost sixteen. When did you start having sex?”

Mac grimaces at his phone but doesn’t answer. I keep my mouth shut. I’m not sure when Mac started having sex but I know if I say a word about this topic it’ll be massively hypocritical.

“Mac and I both have submissives,” I admit. “And my submissive is a little. But just because we’re masters to them, doesn’t mean we’re masters to you. There has to be consent. Do you understand that? That everyone in a scene, in the lifestyle, has to consent. We don’t inflict dominance and submission on other people.”

True tucks her hands behind her back and nods solemnly. “I’ve just started learning about consent around vanillas.”

I rub my free hand over my face, trying to get my head around a fifteen-year-old knowing what people in the lifestyle call people who aren’t.

“Okay, so let’s be clear, Mac and I are masters but we’re notyourmasters. We do not consent to you giving us your submission. Does that make sense?”

True nods. “Even though I’d consent to you being my masters?”

“Fucking hell,” Mac mutters. “No.”

“Even if you’d consent to us being your masters. Do you understand why?”

True shakes her head.

“This is not personal. The first reason is you’re not old enough to give consent. The age of consent in New Jersey is sixteen. You can’t legally give consent until after your birthday in May. Even if you want to give consent, you can’t. It’s unsafe for other people to play with you until you can give consent. It’s statutory rape. They could be prosecuted and go to jail. Do you understand that you’d be creating an unsafe space for your master if you tried to give consent when you can’t?”

Her face falls. “I didn’t think of that.”

“Something to think about. The second reason is that Mac and I already have submissives. We have existing relationships with those submissives. Whether or not those relationships are romantic, D/s relationships are just as important. You wouldn’t try to break up a boyfriend and girlfriend, would you?”

She shakes her head. “I’d never.”

“Inserting yourself into a power-exchange relationship unasked is the same thing.”

“Okay,” True says, looking chastened.

Mac grunts and puts his phone away. “Pack up, Lo. Uber’ll be here in 5. We’ve got a twenty-minute drive. They’ll be ready when we get there.” He settles his glare on True. “With a bed for you. Before you ask again, Logan and I can’t stay in the same house because we’re not certified fosters. We’re going to a hotel. We won’t even be ten minutes away. We’ll both give you our numbers. You’ll be safe. We’re reconvening for breakfast at eleven after we’ve all gotten some sleep and had time to make some calls. Do you have school tomorrow?”

True shakes her head. “They think I have mono. I’m on distance learning.”