Page 47 of Vengeance of Childhood Proportions (Till Death Do Us Part #7)

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Holly

I could tell something was off with Master Mal when he called me.

His voice sounded harsh and distant. Far different than the voice of the man who’d kissed me good morning.

I didn’t speak much, not sure if he would be able to pick up anything odd in my voice either.

Did I sound sad, worried, frustrated, pained… ?

I agreed to meet with Master Mal, because I desperately wanted to see him. Even if it was the last time. Jason was giving me tonight to say goodbye. After that, I would be gone. Nothing more than a figment of his imagination.

After parking at Snow Chains , my mask secure on my face, I headed inside. Dominique was sitting at the desk, but I didn’t look at her.

My head was so far down that I didn’t see him until he spoke. “Little Owl.”

Jesus. Jason would never let me live it down that I was so distracted upon entering that I hadn’t checked my surroundings.

Master Mal was standing off to the right. He was in a black button-up shirt, black dress pants, and boots. A tan duffel bag rested at his feet.

I approached, going to my knees before him. “Master.” My voice nearly broke on the title. Would I ever find someone else who made me feel so safe?

He rested a hand on my brunette wig, which was a shade darker than my natural color. “Pet. Follow me.”

The lack of niceties, the impersonal greeting, made me uneasy. But I still stood and followed as he instructed, staying three steps behind him and to the right. He led me up the stairs and then to Room Two.

I was confused, but kept my mouth shut. I wasn’t a little, and that was generally what this room was used for, as far as I knew.

“Strip,” he ordered before the door was even closed.

I did as instructed. As soon as I was bare, I knelt.

My back was to the door. I kept my eyes on him as he preferred and he hadn’t told me otherwise.

I watched as he placed his duffel bag on the floor next to a lime green beanbag chair.

Everything in this room was so bright and cozy compared to the other two we’d been in.

When he turned back towards me, he had a crop in his hand. But he did not smile at me. In fact, he frowned. Pointing the leather strap at me from across the room, he scolded, “That’s one, pet. I told you to strip. That means everything. ”

It took me a moment to realize what he meant. I’d forgotten about my mask. Immediately, I started to undo the pins and the tie to remove it from my face.

“I apologize, Sir. I forgot I was wearing it.”

When he approached me, I realized he’d removed his shoes. He still had the crop in his hand. He placed the soft leather under my chin, using it to raise my face higher. We stared at each other for a long moment, his dark green eyes to my concealed ones.

“You gave me a gift last night and yet you so easily forget today? Am I so forgettable, Little Owl?”

I shook my head, the crop still under my chin. “No, Sir. Of course not.”

He made a sound before turning away from me, going back to his duffel bag.

I hesitated, but needed to know. “Sir, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but have I done something to disappoint you? Aside from my mask, that is?”

He turned back around. I heard the jingle of my scrunchies in his hand. “To be frank, Little Owl, you have.”

My heart froze in my chest. Fear rippled through me that I’d done something to upset him. I cast my eyes downward, bowing my head. “Sir, I am so sorry. Whatever it is that I have done, please?—”

“It’s actually what you haven’t done, Little Owl.”

What didn’t I do? I ran through our brief meeting downstairs and then coming up here. I don’t know what I didn’t do. I felt tears start to well up at having offended him. “Sir, please, I don’t know what you mean.”

I heard him approach and lifted my eyes to meet his, not wanting to upset him more. As soon as he neared, he reached forward with his hand.

I don’t know what caused my flinch. It never even crossed my mind that he was going to strike me. Yet, I suddenly cringed and jumped back.

Both of us froze. My heart was racing inside my chest and I could hear how heavily I was breathing. Something landed beside me on the plush carpeting. The dark crop contrasted with the light pink fibers.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him squat down in front of me. There was an arm’s distance between us, which might as well have been a million miles. How had we woken up so perfectly this morning to end up like this now? What had changed? What was different?

Was it Jason’s ultimatum? Had he called Master Mal and told him to break up with me? I couldn’t see Jason doing that; it would be very out of character, but maybe?

I sat upright and faced him. Shame made my movements slow.

“Do you think I would raise a hand to you in anger, Little Owl?”

I shook my head. “No, Sir. I don’t know why… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for your reaction. The fault lies with me. I was not under control and you clearly sensed that I wasn’t.”

“You should be allowed to lose control, Sir,” I argued. At his raised eyebrow, I elaborated, “I mean, you shouldn’t have to always be on . Not with me. I want you to let go.”

“Even if it would scare you?”

“You don’t scare me,” I assured him. He looked pointedly at the crop on the floor.

“Really,” I pressed. “I don’t know what that was.

I think… I got some bad news today, and I was already off-center when I came into the club.

I don’t think you would harm me, Sir. If I did, I wouldn’t be kneeling here before you. ”

Master Mal moved to sit on the carpeting.

He placed his arms over his raised knees, staring at me.

“I had a shit day too,” he said softly. “Seeing your mask…” He ran a hand down his face before returning his arm to his leg.

“Shit, pet, it pissed me off. It’s fucking sexy and I love seeing you in it,” he shook his head, “but not today. I needed to see you today. It was completely irrational of me to react as I did.”

I scooted closer to him on my knees. When I rested my hands on his arms below his elbows, he twisted his arms so his palms were facing upward to grab me in a similar fashion. “I have to wear it downstairs, Sir.”

He nodded. “I understand and respect that. Like I said, irrational .”

“Was it the mask, then? The thing I didn’t do?”

Master Mal studied me for a moment before shaking his head.

My heart sank into my stomach, but he squeezed my forearms reassuringly.

“I have no right to ask this of you, especially after how I just acted, but I’m going to anyway.

There’s no pressure and you don’t have to, so remove the formalities before you answer.

” I sat frozen, waiting. Master Mal reached forward and touched my right cheek with the back of his fingers. “What’s your name, Little Owl?”

I closed my eyes, looking away from him. Of course, he would ask me that. The one thing I couldn’t give him, would always have to lie to him about. “Is ‘Little Owl’ no longer good enough for you?”

“You are my little owl,” he emphasized. “If that is all I can ever call you, then I will do so gladly. But you were going to give your name to Mira the first day you called my office. If I hadn’t entered my office when I had, I have to believe I would know it now.

Why won’t you tell me, Little Owl? Does it have to do with me being a cop? ”

I shook my head, but that answer was both true and false. But I was leaving him after tonight. This was our last session, the last time he would ever see me. What was a little white lie? Just one? “You’re going to think it’s so silly.”

“Your name or why you’ve kept it from me?”

“Both,” I said with a bit of an eye roll. “It’s Phoebe, and the reason I’ve kept it a secret is because of how much I love being called your little owl.”

Spreading his legs, he pulled me forward until I was held between them. He took my face into his hands. “You will always be my little owl. Knowing your name, seeing your face, changes none of that.”

I turned my face to kiss the side of his hand. “Will you make me fly, Sir?”

“You trust me to do so?”

It was an honest question after my reaction a few minutes ago. “I do, Sir. I trust you.”

If this was my last time with him, I needed to give him something other than a fake name. I needed to give him as much of me to remember as possible. I needed to make this night last for eternity, so I didn’t have to say ‘goodbye’ come dawn.