Page 21 of Rebellion

The Red Ranch

Coño. I was so not ready to have Foster in my life. He and I hadn’t exactly seen eye to eye, especially since his eyes were on my ass or boobs most of the time.

Sure, I’d had the cajones to tell him to fuck off when I knew Gray was at my back, but now? Those cajones were shriveled up like a deflated balloon.

I glanced over at Tate. Why wasn’t he doing something about this mouthy sub? He said he was going to take her over his knee. The only thing I could think that would stop him from acting was the power Foster held over all his underlings.

The frustration was written all over his face and down his neck, but instead of doing anything about it, he gaped back at me. What? Like I was going to do anything?

Get right back on that plane and fly home to... nothing. I had nothing waiting for me back home. Cade held down the fort, but it was a quiet, empty place sucked of any joy for me.

I had people to deal with this for me. Tall, dark, and Italian stood beside me, and taller, darker and imposing Dominic stood next to Ilario. I’d sic them on her.

“I don’t have to deal with this. Dom, Ilario.” I waved them forward.

Dominic crossed his arms and grew six inches wider taking on that bouncer-bodyguard stance.

“Mistress, allow me to deal with this filth.” Ilario spat on the ground and stepped toward Lilly.

Aww, I got a shiver from how adorable my sweet Ilario was being all protective. Who spit these days? Dominic blocked him with an arm and shook his head.

“Our Angelina can take care of this herself, Ilario. Little Lilly here will learn her place better from a Dominatrix than us.” Dominic said the words for Ilario, but he looked directly at me.

Uh. Crap.

Okay, I got the message. Set the precedent right from the get go. Lilly was a sub, and I was—or was going to be—a Domme. While dominating women wasn’t part of my plan, I couldn’t have her usurping my authority before I even had any.

I’d been surrounded by women like Lilly my entire life. Women who were arrogant and spiteful because the people around them were too stupid or too scared to take charge. So, they either had to take charge themselves or cower and whimper and hide behind low self-esteem like I had.

Either choice was fucking exhausting. I’d lived it and I could see it in Lilly’s resting bitch face. She wanted, needed someone else to take the reins for a while.

Maybe that was part of being dominant.

I smoothed the wrinkles in my black dress at my waist and thighs, making everyone wait to see what I would do. Then I struck.

“Lilly, why are you here?” I made sure to pose it as an actual question, not an implication or accusation.

She frowned and crossed one arm over her stomach, grasping her other elbow, shielding herself. “Tate brought me.”

“No. Why are you in Texas?”

She scoffed. “The same reason you are, I’m sure.”

I remembered Lilly at The Asylum, sitting at Foster’s feet, being petted like a puppy and protecting her master with looks that could kill. Foster doted on her. Was this a punishment? No. Lilly needed attention. That’s what this is all about.

I ignored her by examining my fingernails, which I knew would drive her crazy, while asking the next question. “I don’t think so. One more time. Why. Are you. Here?”

“Foster sent me to work with Tate at the Red Ranch.”

“With?” I raised one brow, but still didn’t look at her.

I could practically hear her eyes rolling. “For.”

I walked toward her, scrutinizing the get-up she wore. She was too thin, girl needed a donut. Probably wouldn’t fit into the tight corset she had on. “Doing what?”

“Helping Tate build his clientele. Subbing, showing other people who want to try subbing the ropes, so to speak.”

“And why do you think I’m here?”

---