Page 12 of Enveloped By the Darkness

“I don’t know what to say, Master,” I admitted. “Except thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied, kissing the side of my face. “I am grateful for your offer, Tiffany. When I am ready to talk, you will be the first to know.”

Chapter Five

Kade

“Stop fussing, little girl.” Shifting the car into neutral, I glanced sideways to where Tiffany sat. “You look great, and you’re more than ready.”

“Thank you, Master.” Cheeks tinged with heat, she turned to meet my eyes before closing her compact mirror. “I needed to hear that.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” I replied, although God only knew why she needed bolstering. Didn’t I tell her every day how much she meant to me and how she’d changed everything for the better? Didn’t my every gesture demonstrate my devotion? “I’ll be here later when your day is finished.”

“At five o’clock,” she clarified as she shoved her mirror into her purse.

“That’s right.”

“Though I don’t know for sure what time I’ll leave, Master.” Her chest rose and fell faster as she tried to explain. “It’s my first day, so I might need to play things by ear, and—”

“I’ll be waiting, regardless,” I reassured. “You need to be back in the car by five minutes past five o’clock.”

She already knew the consequences of every five minutes she kept me past her deadline. I’d reinforced the rules often enough over the weekend, but I couldn’t resist mentioning them again.

“There’ll be ten swats with my paddle for every delay.”

“But Master!” She flustered. “I might have to stay. I can’t just walk out if there’s a meeting or—”

“I understand.” My palm rose in a gesture of conciliation. It was as apologetic as I got. “I won’t be upset if you’re delayed, but I also want to ensure you know what the ramifications will be for your pretty backside.”

Tiffany shifted on her seat. “You’re not playing fair, Master.”

“No,” I agreed, reaching for her hand and squeezing gently. “I’m not, but then I never do.” Of all people in the world, Tiffany should know that.

“True.” Her lips curled.

“Now, go in there and smash it.” Nodding, I motioned toward the huge black door of her new workplace.

“Thank you.” She mouthed the words to me, her growing nerves evident from her tiny fidgety movements. “I’ll see you at five o’clock, Master.”

“Yes, you will, little girl.” I smiled as she checked the path before opening the door and stepping out into the cool air.

My gaze loitered on the door long after Tiffany had walked through it, my emotions tinged with both sadness and pride. I’d seen the way she dealt with both the police and defense teams in the past and knew how good she was at her job, but I couldn’t deny the pang of sorrow that resonated as she disappeared from sight. She had gone back to work, back to a life without me, and even though I recognized it was selfish and preposterous to want her to myself, the thought still lingered, highlighting how little else there was in my life.

I had Barrington, the huge house and the grounds, but all of my focus had been on Tiffany—on retrieving and wooing her—and I hadn’t thought past this moment to what waited beyond. Staring at the busy street ahead, it was all clear. She would have a healthy and happy professional life while my existence revolved around only her.

“Stop brooding,” I muttered, glancing at my side mirror. On the other side of the street and a few vehicles behind, a blue car briefly caught my attention before my gaze flitted away. “You’re damn lucky to have anything.”

Pulling into the line of traffic, I accepted I was right. Not so long ago, I had no home and had lost the woman I adored. Now, both problems were rectified, and despite my callous behavior and murderous streak, Tiffany was not only mine, but we were happy. I was one lucky son-of-a-bitch.

The house would keep me occupied. Despite the renovation, there was still a lot I wanted to change. I wouldn’t rest until every trace of my father had been wiped from each surface. Talking through my childhood trauma was one thing, but constantly being reminded of it was another. I’d kept the wood-paneling because it was easier and less time consuming than replacing it but living with its legacy was proving much more challenging. Every time I grasped a banister or bent my little girl over a counter for punishment, I was reminded of its genesis—a cruel man with a penchant for his son. My stomach twisted at the unsettling truth.

Blowing out a breath, I turned left onto the main road. Perhaps Tiffany was right, and I did need to speak to someone. I’d spent the weekend diverting her whenever she’d mentioned talking about my father, mainly because even the thought of him was enough to make me want to scream, but how sustainable was my approach? We were living in his old house for God’s sake. I had to accept that my inheritance was more than money, more than only bricks and mortar—it was recognizing the things he’d done and how those acts had impacted me. It was learning to forgive.

My fingers tightened on the wheel. I could never forgive that bastard for what he’d done to me, for the way he’d torn me up inside, belittling, then destroying the person I’d been, but at the same time, I accepted Tiffany’s advice. Our future depended upon me burying the ghosts roaming Barrington’s halls.

Swallowing down my rising unease, I glanced in the rear-view mirror. A stream of vehicles drove behind me on the highway, some overtaking while others held back. My gaze scanned the line of cars, my brow creasing as I noticed one that looked eerily familiar to the vehicle I’d seen outside Tiffany’s new Chambers. Checking the road ahead quickly, I stared in the mirror again, reading the registration plate. It wasn’t someone I knew, yet I couldn’t shake the nagging sense that it was the same blue car I’d seen before.

“It’s nothing,” I vowed, but deep down, I knew it wasn’t.

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