Page 9 of The Devil's Spawn

“Conner!” I said before Eve could screech in protest again. “Leave her alone. That isn’t nice. I’m sure you wouldn’t want her picking on you like that.”

He sprang up from the couch, tossing the controller onto a cushion, and faced me with his arms crossed. “You’re not my mom. I don’t have to listen to you. My mom said so!”

Oh boy. I gaped at Conner for a couple of seconds, trying to come up with an effective response to get through to him, but his angry expression settled into one of apprehension. Conner’s blue-eyed gaze darted past me, and I sensed Gage’s presence before he spoke.

“Go to your room.Now.”

“I hate it here!” Conner stomped toward the hallway in a grand ceremony of disapproval.

Gage sighed. “I’ll talk to him.” He squeezed my shoulder before following his son.

Helpless frustration burned my eyes. I should’ve handled the situation better. Unable to sit and do nothing, I told Eve to stay put before creeping down the hall toward Conner’s bedroom. Gage had moved the gym equipment into the basement so Conner would have his own space when he visited…which wasn’t as often as we’d like, considering Katherine fought Gage every step of the way. If she’d stop being a bitch for one second and do the right thing, maybe Conner wouldn’t keep having these outbursts. The poor kid needed a little stability—not random weekend visits with a father he barely knew.

Gage’s voice filtered through Conner’s open doorway. I hesitated on the outskirts, not knowing if I should intrude or not. Better to stay put. Conner wouldn’t likely open up with me there anyway.

“This is stupid. Why do I have to come here?”

“Because you’re my son,” Gage said, drawing in a deep breath. He softened his tone. “I know this is confusing for you. I know you miss your mom and Sean,” he said, referring to Katherine’s ex, who, for several years of Conner’s life, had been the only father he’d known. But since Katherine’s deceit had come to light, Sean had washed his hands of the boy who wasn’t biologically his.

“I just wanna go home.”

“This is also your home, and you have a family here that loves you too.”

“They aren’t my family.”

“Yes, they are, and I won’t put up with you disrespecting Kayla or Eve.”

“My mom said they’d be gone soon.” Conner’s voice hitched. “It’s supposed to be me, you, and my mom!”

Heavy silence followed his words, then Gage cleared his throat. “That isn’t going to happen, Conner.” Footsteps sounded, and Gage muttered for him to take a few moments to calm down before coming out to apologize for his behavior.

Gage halted in the hallway as soon as he caught me lingering outside of Conner’s bedroom, his indigo gaze blazing with ire.

“You know how I feel about eavesdropping.” Closing the distance between us with purposeful steps, he gently took me by the elbow and escorted me to our bedroom. The lock clicked into place, and he whirled to face me, arms crossed.

“I’d have you on your knees right now if we had time.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong.” The instant the words left my lips, I wanted to yank them back. Okay, so eavesdropping wasn’t exactly an innocent act to engage in, but it was a minor fuck-up. The problem with Gage was he punished all infractions, no matter how small.

“You know that’s not true,” he said, his tone calm and even. Moving around me, he sauntered to the chair he used to dole out spankings and settled into the soft leather. “Which is why you’re going to come over here this instant and present your ass. I don’t have time for you to stall.” He patted his lap.

I blew out an exasperated breath, but I went to him without further prompting and draped over his thighs. He flipped my skirt up and exposed my bare bottom, and a hot tingle erupted between my legs as I waited for the first strike of his palm.

“You’re getting wet, aren’t you?”

I dropped my head with a groan. “I’m sorry, Master. I can’t help it.”

“I believe you. So here’s what I’m going to do to help you refrain from becoming aroused. I’m going to use a different method of punishment.”

Before I could ask about this “different method,” he shoved his thumb into my tight hole. Abruptly, violently, and uncompromisingly.

“Ow! Master, please!” I hissed in a breath, clenching my ass around the dry intrusion of his thumb.

“Spanking is losing its effectiveness. Hell, even my belt turns you on, and a punishment should hurt. It should, at the very least, make you uncomfortable. Don’t you agree?” Slowly, he withdrew his thumb and forced it back in again.

“Ow!” I shrieked.

“Answer me, Kayla.”

---