“Yes, Rian.”
“Good girl.” He kisses me lightly. “Very good girl. Now come.”
He takes my hand and we go to his bedroom.
Chapter 24
Daley
That night is like a lightning bolt.
It’s the flash and thunder. A night so hot it’s hard to think about without crossing my legs. He was true to his word: until the sun began to creep in through the window, he put me through hours of incredible, impossible, blissful torture. From ecstasy to painful spanking. Hair pulled, pussy fucked and filled, mouth dripping with his taste.
I’ve never felt so impossibly good before, and I don’t think I ever will again.
As I stand in front of the mirror in my bedroom, adjusting my conservative skirt and smoothing the sleeves of a silk blouse, I wonder if I can handle another night with him like that.
And I know the answer: fuck yes. Please and thank you. Sooner rather than later.
There’s a knock at my bedroom door. “You almost ready?” Aiden’s voice.
“Just a second.”
I sweep my hair over one shoulder. I’m wearing minimal makeup and didn’t spend much time getting myself prepped. The bags under my eyes attest to my night of sin.
We decided it wasn’t worth trying to get some sleep. Instead, he brought me back home, and I snuck inside before anyone else woke up. I’m sure there’s a security video of me running away and appearing again doing a classic walk of shame, but if anyone noticed or cares, they haven’t said a word.
Instead, Aiden found me drinking coffee in the kitchen and all but demanded I attend dinner with them, saying, “And make sure you look nice. It’s for fucking clients.”
I’m doing my best to look presentable. I can do that much for the family, at least. Dad does this from time to time—he brings important people to the house, introduces them to the family, and we’re expected to smile and nod and laugh at their stupid stories. It’s not that bad as far as these things go, and since I’m in a really good mood today, I don’t argue at all. I spend the day lounging around the house, daydreaming about the utter filthy sin I experienced with Rian before getting dressed around six.
Aiden meets me in the hall. He scowls, then nods like I’m acceptable, which pisses me off, and leads me downstairs. “Dad wants to talk to you first,” he says.
“Oh, okay. When are the guests arriving?”
Aiden doesn’t answer. This is how he acts most of the time, like I’m beneath his notice. Like I’m not worth talking to. He goes downstairs and Dad is waiting in the foyer. Callum and Nolan aren’t there, which I find weird, but maybe they’re in the dining room already.
“What’s going on?” I ask Dad, stopping a few feet away. I can barely look at him right now. Me and Rian agreed I wouldn’t confront my family about Queenie just yet, but I can’t stop thinking about that conversation I overheard and all the implications.
It’s taking all my self-control not to say something.
My father might be directly involved in what happened to my best friend, and the thought is so terrifying I can barely approach it without wanting to scream.
Rian and I managed to keep the horror at bay last night, but now that I’m home, all that comes rushing back.
“Before you go, I wanted to tell you something, Daley.” Dad’s frown is tense and I have a terrible feeling.
“Before I go… where? I thought we were having dinner here.”
“Dinner’s somewhere else tonight,” Aiden says harshly and Dad gives him a look.
“Listen, Daley.” Dad’s tone is soft. The same tone he used with me back in the day when I was spiraling and at my absolute worst. The tone he’d use to coax me from the bathroom when he found me lying on the tile floor halfway comatose after sobbing so hard I got sick. That tone brings back so many bad memories. “I want you to know that I love you and that this is for your own good and the good of the clan. This won’t be easy, and your life may be harder from now on, but I promise we will still look out for you. I’m told he’s a nice man. I’ll make sure he’s kind and treats you well.”
“What are you talking about?” But I know already. I step back, heart hammering. Adrenaline hits me like a wall. I look around for an exit and turn to run up the steps, but then Aiden’s right at my hip, staring down at me with barely restrained anger.
“It’s time to do your part,” he says and grabs my arm before I can bolt.
I try to pull away. I thrash and yank, but Aiden’s twice my size and ten times stronger. He grunts as he drags me away from the foyer and to the door. There’s a black SUV waiting already with a driver staring stone-faced ahead like he doesn’t see me desperately trying to escape.