Page 58 of Break Me, Daddy

Eyes wide, she inhaled sharply through her nose. “But?—”

“No. There are no exceptions to this particular rule, little girl.Am I clear?”

“Y-yes, Daddy.”

“Good girl.” Still gripping her chin, he leaned in to press a kiss to her forehead. “We should get going. Being late is definitely a punishable offense in this house.”

When he released her, she shot him a glare and grumbled something that sounded distinctly like “Bossy jerk” under her breath.

But he caught the hint of a smile on her lips when she said it, and if it meant seeing his babygirl smile again, he could overlook some sassy words.

At least for now.

Chapter21

Frankie

Her conversation with Holden played over and over in her head as he drove them to Ice and Silver’s house out by the water.

Not allowed to punish herself? What exactly did that entail? Was it just talking bad about herself or did… other things come into play there? And if it was the latter, did that mean he’d punish her for bingeing or purging?

And why the hell wasthatthought so comforting when it should have pissed her off? Or at least worried her? Because if she knew anything from her first time in recovery, she would slip up. She would backslide at some point. Being punished for that probably went against whatever her therapist would recommend if she was actually seeing her, but she couldn’t deny there was a part of her that felt steadied by the thought.

She still didn't have any answers for herself by the time he pulled up in front of Ice and Silver’s house. The house itself was a bit older than Frankie preferred, a bit worn around the edges despite the size, but Silver had fallen in love with it when Ice had been renting it from the previous owner, so they’d decided to put an offer in.

From what Frankie had heard, it was averygenerous offer. When Beckett had teased Ice about it, the latter had simply shrugged, smiled down at the woman beside him and said it was worth it.

At the time, Frankie had barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes at their open display of affection. Now, she couldn’t help but wonder if that was how Holden felt about her. She knew he loved her, but was it that deep, all-encompassing, move-heaven-and-Earth kind of love Ice and Silver shared?

Because the question made both her head and her heart ache, she shoved it firmly to the side as she made her way up the stairs with Holden close behind her. Unlike past get-togethers, everyone was in the living room, snuggled up together on the couch instead of the women on the back deck and the men in the kitchen like she was used to.

“Frankie’s here!” Raising a mostly empty glass of ruby-colored wine in the air, Lottie cheered their arrival. “Hi, Frankie!”

Pausing in the middle of the room, Frankie struck a pose, earning a round of laughter from her friends. “I see the party started without me. How rude.”

The moment the words left her lips, a glass was pressed into her hands by a smirking Silver. “Barely. Sit, drink, be merry.” Her gaze shifted, latching onto something—or rather, someone—behind Frankie. “Holden. Whiskey or wine?”

“Neither. One of us needs to be the responsible one,” he said with a low laugh.

“I can be responsible.” Why she was arguing when she already had a glass of wine in her hand, she wasn’t sure, but it seemed like an important point to make.

“Of course you can, little siren. But you don’t have to when Daddy’s right here.”

It didn’t escape her notice that all of the Doms in the room, including—or perhaps especially—Cordelia, raised their eyebrows when he called himself her Daddy.

Had he talked to them about her? Of course he had. Didn’t she talk about him with her friends? It wasn’t right to be pissed about it. What was good for the goose and all that.

Still, it made her stomach churn to wonder about what they’d said. Whathe’dsaid about their relationship to have everyone exchanging glances like that.

“I need some air,” she mumbled, turning on her heel and making a break for the back door.

Cold, brisk sea air slapped her in the face the second she stepped outside, settling her system almost immediately. Stepping up to the railing on the back deck, she closed her eyes, letting the calm of the ocean soothe her as she breathed in the salty air and listened to the waves crash against the shore.

“Frankie? You okay, babe?” Lottie’s voice, once again tinged with worry, tugged at her heart. Her friends shouldn’t have to worry about her just because she was having a bad day. Shouldn't have to stress that one bad mood could send her into a hole she’d have to spend months clawing herself out of. It wasn’t fair to them to shoulder the burden that was Francesca Legare.

“I’m fine. Just need a moment alone.”

She’d been hoping Lottie would get the hint, but apparently not. Joining Frankie at the railing, Lottie let her head fall to Frankie’s shoulder, and for a while they simply stood there, staring out at the black, endless sea in front of them.

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