"Yes, Master."
Giving her a decisive nod, I check my watch. "Seeing as this is your first day, things will be lax. You're allowed to do what you wish until five. Your submissive training is something I will never budge on. It is imperative you be retrained and fashioned into a proper submissive. Meet me outside your bedroom door at five sharp. You do not wish to start training off with a punishment."
I ignore the small tremble in her chin as I turn my back and leave her to finish her meal. Instead of heading to my office as planned, I sidestep into an offshoot hallway that leads to the kitchens. Chef Romero sits in a corner, laughing at some show he's watching on the mini television near the prep counter. Once he sees me, he turns it off and gives me his full attention.
"As you are aware from this morning's meeting, I have a new submissive. She will be with me until further notice. She's a," I pause, searching for the right word. "Flighty sort. Given to worst-case scenario imaginings. I'm not going to force-feed her, but I'm worried her nerves will make her unable to eat. Can you see to it she finds nutrition somehow? I don't have time to manage that part of her life."
"Anything goes, Boss?"
I scowl, detesting the flair of jealousy at his words. "You're not her dominant Romero; you're her chef. Just...I don't know, make her a protein milkshake or something."
Shaking his head, his jolly laughter fills the room. "Milkshake? Good thing you're not the chef, Boss. I'll take care of your girl. Leave it to me."
Mumbling under my breath, I leave him to his workspace and head to my office. Like clockwork, Nikolai and Sasha greet me with excited barks and yips as I make my way into the room. Chuckling, I pet them both, each feeling like the other is getting way too much love. Once they settle down and lay on their beds, I pull open my laptop and begin my work. As far as I can tell, all shipments are on time. Payments have been coming in, and distribution is going on without a hitch. Leaning back in my chair, I rest my hands behind my head and close my eyes.
Where the fuck can she be? Months now and no word. It's like she's disappeared out of thin air. Her last known whereabouts were my uncle's club. As much as I'd like to think he'd never harm family, a personal vendetta wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility. Pulling up my phone, I scroll through my photos until I get to Anastacia's most recent picture. Family or not, if he had anything to do with her disappearance, I would show no mercy. A worried frown creases my forehead, and I rub at the tension, demanding it go away.
What type of a monster am I that I'm willing to sacrifice this girl just to get information about my cousin. Knowing Anastacia, she'd be pissed as hell if she knew what I was planning. Sighing, I mull it about in my brain. I'm not taking her until I know she's ready. She'll be able to defend herself and play the part of a willing submissive to perfection. Then why does my gut twist every time I think about using her for bait? It could be because she'll have no clue. I can't trust her enough to tell her. Not that I think she'll rat me out or, God forbid, flat out refuse; she hasn't proven to be a good enough actress to not give herself away. For this to work, I need her clueless and pliant.
Running my hands through my hair, I battle it out in my brain. In order to pull this off, I'll need my uncle to see her as an intricate part of my life. She'll need to attend functions with me, dote on me, give some semblance of loving me. My uncle isn't stupid. He wouldn't risk getting caught over someone he thought I was just fucking and leaving. No. I'll have to convince my little brat that I love and care for her, only to give her up to a monster worse than I. Slamming my hand on my desk, I let the pain zip through me, grounding me. It wouldn't be hard to have a relationship with Chelsea. What would be hard is letting her go and not doing a thing to stop it.
I flip through my calendar, solidifying my dates and plans. Thirty days. That's the furthest I can push this out. By then, her piercing will be healed, and Ivan can replace it with the tracker. Until then, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure she's as prepared for this mission as can be. The only real concern is that I might lose my heart in the process.