Page 56 of Daddy Devious

Upstairs, I ease open the door to her nursery. If what Catharina told me is true, my Little girl is no doubt exhausted from her day and if she’s napping, I don’t want to wake her.

But as I push the door open, unease creeps up my spine. Something isn’t right. Her room is dim, but not completely dark.And there’s just enough light streaming in through the windows to send my heart racing with fear as I stare down at the crib.

The crib where my Little girl should be soundly sleeping. The completely empty crib.

Victoria is gone.

Tori

I wake from my nap as I’m being jostled out of the car seat by Caleb. But I’m still far too tired to face Daddy and the truth of being forced to leave his side, so I keep my eyes shut as Caleb carries me inside.

“I need to speak with Maxwell.” Auntie Cat’s words are clipped and angry, making my tummy clench with fear. “Where is he?”

Not ‘Is he available?’, I notice. My Auntie doesn’t wait for anyone to tell her what she is and isn’t allowed to do, and I can’t help but love her for that.

“He’s in a meeting,” Caleb tells her, keeping his voice low, I assume so he won’t wake me.

“His office, then.” Auntie Cat’s tone is all smug satisfaction. “Thank you. Will you take Victoria to her nursery? Poor thing has had a long day.”

Beneath me, Caleb’s chest rises with a sigh as the sound of Auntie Cat’s heels clicking against the marble floor fades in the distance. “There never is any arguing with that woman,” he mutters. “Come on, little one. Let’s get you put to bed.”

My mind goes into overdrive as Caleb carries me up the stairs. Is Auntie Cat going to tell Daddy about how naughty I was? Of course she is. They’ve both made it very clear to me thatif Auntie Cat has to punish me, I’ll get another spanking from Daddy when I get home.

There’s some dark, twisted part of me that craves my Daddy’s punishing hand. Because at least then I would know he’s not quite ready to send me packing. But I still have enough self-preservation to fear the consequences of my actions.

If there are going to be any consequences, that is. He still hasn’t spanked me for acting out with Caleb last night. I suppose if he doesn’t punish me for throwing a tantrum with Auntie Cat, I’ll know for sure that he’s well and truly done with me.

By the time Caleb places me in my crib, tears are forming behind my closed lids. I wait for him to tuck the light blanket around me, then the sound of his footsteps retreating and the nursery door opening and closing before I open my eyes and sit up.

In less than a month, I’ve come to think of this place as my home. The thought of leaving here fills me with dread, and my throat aches with fresh tears.

As I sit there, wallowing in self-pity yet again, something shifts inside me and that pity slowly turns to anger.

This is bullshit. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve paid for my crimes. I played his stupid little baby games, I let him spank me and humiliate me and fuck me for damn near an entire month.

If he doesn’t want to keep me after all that, then I owe him nothing. Least of all my obedience.

Feeling bolder than I have since the moment I signed that stupid contract, I climb out of my crib and silently creep across my stupid, perfect-for-me-nursery with its bright colors and unicorns and everything I would have loved as a little girl.

Slowly, I open the bedroom door and peek out into the hallway, relieved to find it empty. I shut it behind me again, so as not to alert anyone who comes to check on me that I’ve slipped away, and I tiptoe down the hallway to the stairs.

Whoever built this house did an excellent job because not a single board creaks beneath my feet as I creep down the steps to the main entryway. I pause on the stairs, listening for footsteps, holding my breath as my heart threatens to pound out of my chest.

If—when—I’m caught, I will either spend the night with a hot, sore bottom or I’ll be sent away immediately. And it would be a shame if either of those things happened before I had a chance to rebel, at least a little.

When I hear nothing alarming, I quietly release the air in my lungs and finish my trek down the stairs. It occurs to me, as I’m wandering, that I’ve never actually explored the house I’ve considered home for nearly a month. If it’s not Daddy carrying me everywhere, it’s Caleb, or one of the other staff. This is the first time I’ve ever been on my own outside of my nursery.

Curiosity winds with the thrill of doing something forbidden as I slink through the hallways. The house is even more gorgeous than I’ve ever realized, and I fall a little bit more in love with every step I take.

And then I see it. The giant curtain hiding the section of the house still under construction. The section of the house Daddy told me in no uncertain terms was completely off limits to me.

Perfect.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Maxwell

Panic tightens like a band around my chest, squeezing the air from my lungs as I stare down at the empty crib.

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