by Ivy Nelson
“Jacob Alvarado. I’ve seen you on TV a few times.”
Garrett grimaced. “That’s not a great first impression, I imagine.”
Jacob folded his arms over his chest. “Unless you’re dating my daughter, you have no reason to worry about my impression of you Mr. Oliver.”
Garrett chuckled. “I see what you did there. I assure you, Isabelle just works for me. Though I would date her if she were open to the idea,” he said with a wink in Isabelle’s direction. She just rolled her eyes.
“Don’t let Daddy goad you into saying anything you can’t take back. He’s good at that.”
Jacob scowled at his daughter. “I have no idea what you mean by that.”
Just then a nurse called out for the Alvarado family and Isabelle breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m going to stay here and get updates from my people at the office. Go visit your uncle,” Garrett said when she looked his way.
She nodded and grasped her father’s hand as they walked back to Henry’s room.
Her uncle was lying in bed with a banged-up face, but he raised one side of his mouth in a smile.
“You were on a date with Mr. Oliver,” he said between heavy breaths.
“Not a date. Just helping my boss out.”
He nodded his head to the TV. “The news says it was a date.”
Isabelle felt her face warm. Had their kiss made it to the news already?
“How are you feeling?” she asked, trying to change the subject.
“I’m feeling like I got beat to hell.”
“Tell me what happened,” her dad said as he lowered himself into the chair near her uncle’s bedside.
“I was just leaving, took some trash out that had accumulated after the evening cleaning crew left. Someone whacked me in the ribs with a board or bat or something. They were looking for Izzy. I wouldn’t tell them anything, so they just kept kicking and hitting me. The voice seemed familiar, but I’m not sure where I’ve heard it before. When I was too weak to stop them, they stole my wallet.”
Isabelle felt her heart skip a beat as panic boiled in her throat. “That means they got your driver’s license with our address on it.”
Henry went stock-still. “I guess you’re right. I’m so sorry, Izzy.”
She backed out of the room, raising her phone to her ear. “I’ll be right back,” she said. As she strode down the corridor, she prayed for someone to answer. Finally, Catarina’s voice came over the line.
“How’s Uncle Henry?”
“He’s going to be fine. I need you and Sarah to check both doors and make sure they’re locked, then go into your room and stay there until I come home OK?”
“What’s wrong, Aunt Izzy? You’re scaring me?”
She blew out a breath. “I’m sorry, Cat. Everything is OK, I’m just being careful. The person who hurt Uncle Henry has our address. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
She had reached the waiting room by the time she ended the call. Garrett was standing, talking to two men, one of them was his driver. He looked angry.
When he spotted her coming through the doors, he held up a hand for his men to pause and rushed to her side.
“Isabelle, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
“They stole his driver’s license,” she choked out. “I need to get to the girls. I’ll let you put us somewhere safe.”
Garrett was already in action, snapping his fingers so his men were at his side. “We need to get Isabelle and her family to a safe place for the night. See what you can arrange. Regina can help you with that. And make sure the police know his wallet and license was stolen.”
The men jumped into action to carry out his orders, and Garrett wrapped an arm around her.
“Have you spoken to your nieces?”
She nodded. “I talked to Catarina and told her to lock the doors and stay in their bedroom.”
“Good girl. Tell your father we’re leaving. I’ll send someone to pick him up when he’s ready.”
She pulled out her phone and sent her father a text, not wanting to waste the time to go all the way back to the hospital room. Soon she was in the back of a car with Garrett, being rushed to her apartment.
“It’s going to be OK, Isabelle. I’m going to make sure nothing happens to you.”
She nodded and let him pull her close.
They pulled up to her apartment a brief time later, and Isabelle dug her keys out of the small silk handbag she still carried.
“Girls,” she called as she opened the front door. “It’s Isabelle. You can come out now.”
Slowly, the middle bedroom door opened, and her nieces emerged, looking frightened. That is until their eyes landed on Garrett.
“I saw you kiss my aunt on the internet,” Sarah said. Catarina elbowed her little sister. “Hush Sarah.”
Garrett didn’t say anything, and Isabelle didn’t blame him. You had to be careful what you said to kids. They would definitely use it against you.
“I need you both to pack a week’s worth of clothes and get whatever you need for school. We’re going to stay somewhere else for a little while.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Catarina asked as Sarah ducked back into the bedroom. The ten-year-old was all too happy to be going on a trip, but Catarina was old enough to understand that something was wrong.
“I told you, sweetie, the people who beat up Uncle Henry might know our address. It’s just to be safe.”
The teenager’s lip quivered as she nodded. “Do we still have to go see mom tomorrow?”
Isabelle sighed. “I think it would be a good idea, but if you don’t want to, I’ll just take Sarah.”
Catarina shrugged. “If Sarah goes, I’ll go.”
Isabelle blew out a breath and turned to Garrett, who had been standing quietly near the door. “I’m going to grab clothes.”
To her surprise, and perhaps horror, Garrett followed her down the short hallway.
In her bedroom, she tossed a suitcase on the bed and began packing. She started with some of the clothes Garrett had bought for her, then moved to her dresser to grab jeans, t-shirts, and underwear.
“Your room is tiny,” Garrett said as he looked around.
“It suits me. Dad and Uncle Henry share the master bedroom, the girls share the other big bedroom, and I get this one to myself.”
Garrett just nodded and ran a hand along her dresser.
“You have a way of making me feel ashamed of my life,” Isabelle said quietly as she zipped her suitcase.
Garrett frowned as he watched her. “That’s never my intention, Isabelle. I don’t mean to disparage the life you have. I just think you deserve so much more.”
Isabelle’s gut twisted and she leaned against her bed. “People rarely get what they deserve, Garrett. I hate that word. How do we determine who deserves what?”
Garrett seemed to contemplate her words. “I don’t guess I’ve ever thought of it that way before. Forgive me. I don’t mean to offend. I’ll work on it.”
When she lifted her suitcase off the bed, Garrett stepped over and took it from her. Setting it on the floor with ease, he tilted her chin up with his free hand.
“How are you doing, Doll? What do you need from me?”
She let her eyes drift closed. “I don’t know. I think I just need some sleep and maybe food. I didn’t eat much at the gala.”
Garrett frowned. “When was the last time you ate a decent meal? You left half of your sandwich in my office.”
Isabelle shrugged. “I guess breakfast this morning then.”
Garrett growled. “I have two rules that result in a spanking if you break them. What are they, Doll?”
Isabelle shook her head. “I’m not doing this here. Not with my nieces in the next room, Sir.” There was an edge to her tone as she said the last word.
He shook his head. “Fine. But we’re not done talking.”
As Isabelle nodded, Garrett’s phone rang, and he pressed
a kiss to her forehead before he answered it.
“Regina, do you have anything for me?” he said, without a hello.
Isabelle looked around her room. It was tiny, but it was hers. That didn’t mean she didn’t dream of being able to get into a house where the girls could have their own rooms.
She stepped into the hallway just in time to hear Garrett say, “Thank you, Regina. Stay available in case there are problems.”
“We found a place that will hold all of you. We can leave right away.”
“Let me just check on the girls.”
Isabelle knocked on their door and waited a minute before pushing it open. They were sitting on the bottom bunk giggling as they stared at a phone.
“What are you two laughing about?” she asked, their laughter warming her heart.
“You, Aunt Izzy. You’re famous,” Catarina said as she turned the phone around.
Isabelle’s mouth dropped open as she watched Garrett kiss her on the red carpet.
“Delete that,” she hissed, afraid Garrett would come in and see.
The girls laughed. “It’s the internet, Aunt Izzy. You can’t just delete it.”
She shook her head. “Well, get it off your screen. You don’t need to be watching that.”
“It’s just a kiss. Are you going to marry him? He seems rich.”
Isabelle shook her head. “Nope. Not talking about this.”
“We’ll just ask him then.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she said, pointing a finger at them in warning.
“Ask me what?” Garrett said from the door, sending the girls into another fit of giggles.
“It’s nothing,” Isabelle said. “Are you ready for us?”
He nodded. “Where are your bags, ladies?”
The girls snickered again as they each pointed to a small suitcase. Garrett retrieved them and winked at Isabelle on his way out the door. “I’ll be outside when you’re ready.”
Isabelle took one last walk through the apartment, making sure nothing was left behind. She found Catarina’s science textbook and a pair of headphones for Sarah’s tablet.
“Where are we going?” Catarina asked when Isabelle slid in beside her. Sarah had opted to ride up front with the driver.
“I’ve arranged a safe house for you and your family,” Garrett said.
That seemed to placate the teen, and she went back to scrolling on her phone.
The drive was brief, and Isabelle recognized the neighborhood they were driving through. It was a nicer one but not the ritzy part of town, thank goodness.
They pulled into the driveway of a large two-story house and Isabelle felt her mouth drop open. Garrett just squeezed her hand and stepped out of the car. He opened the front passenger door with a dramatic bow and motioned for Sarah to step out. The girl giggled at him.
Catarina just rolled her eyes as she climbed out of the backseat. The driver pulled their bags from the car and carried them to the front door where he punched a code into a lockbox and retrieved some keys.
Isabelle stepped into a spacious open concept living room kitchen area. It was decorated and fully furnished. “Are we in someone else’s house?” she asked as she tried to take everything in.
Garrett laughed. “Not exactly. It’s for sale, and the owners staged it with furniture hoping to sell it faster.”
“Did you buy it?”
“No. But I have the option if I want it.”
Isabelle shook her head, too overwhelmed to ask any more questions.
“Downstairs has two bedrooms and there are three upstairs. I thought your uncle would want a downstairs room while he recovers, and your dad can have the other one down here. The girls can each have an upstairs room and you can take the master suite up there.”
Isabelle shook her head. “I’ll take the downstairs room. Daddy can have the suite.”
Garrett just shook his head, lifted her suitcase, and walked toward the stairs. “My one stipulation in all of this is that you take the suite.”
Isabelle rolled her eyes. She wasn’t exactly in a position to say no.
“I see where your niece gets her eye roll from,” Garrett said dryly.
“You are an incredibly frustrating man,” Isabelle said as she followed him up the stairs. To one side of the hall, two bedrooms sat between a bathroom. A lone door was on the other side and Garrett headed for that one, pushing it open.
Isabelle gasped. “This is way too much, Garrett.”
He shook his head. “Nonsense. It was what I could come up with last minute. Just enjoy the space, Isabelle. I know you hate the word, but you deserve it for everything you do for your family.”
“There’s a TV in our rooms!” she heard the girls scream. Isabelle sighed and hurried to their side of the hallway.
“The rules are still the rules, girls. No screens after nine on a school night.”
“Come on, Aunt Izzy. Surely this counts as a special circumstance,” Sarah protested.
‘Yeah Aunt Isabelle, have a heart,” Garrett said, winking at Sarah.
She turned and gave him a mock glare but couldn’t help but laugh. It also warmed her heart that he made a point of calling her Aunt Isabelle instead of Izzy the way the girls did.
“Maybe tomorrow. You have an early morning, though, so you should get ready for bed. I doubt the cable and internet are hooked up anyway.”
Both girls grumbled but went to explore their temporary new rooms.
“I’m heading back downstairs, Doll. I’ll be right back,” Garrett said after his phone buzzed. She sat on the edge of her bed and checked her phone for messages from her father while she waited. There were none, so she set the phone aside and looked around the spacious master bedroom.
He stepped into the doorway holding fast food bags.
“I wasn’t sure what you might want, so I had Jeff get me a few things.”
“Who is Jeff?”
“My driver.”
She shook her head. How did she not know his driver’s name yet?
She pointed at the bag for a burrito place she liked. “They have the best burritos in the area. I’ll take that one.”
He laughed and handed it to her.
He leaned against the dresser and watched her as she unwrapped it to eat. “I feel like we have a lot to discuss, Isabelle.”
She had a feeling she knew the answer, but she played innocent anyway. “Like what?” she asked as she brought the steak burrito to her mouth.
“How serious were you about being my submissive outside the club?”
She blushed as she swallowed a bite of food. It wasn’t a conversation she’d pictured having with him anytime soon, but she was grateful for the distraction from everything going on. “I like being your submissive,” she said with a shrug. “But I don’t want to give up being a house submissive for Solitaire.”
Garrett frowned. “I wouldn’t ask you to do that. I’m just trying to get a feel for what to do here. The truth is, I want you to be mine. I’ve never been in this situation before, Isabelle. I don’t mind admitting that it’s tricky.”
“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Isabelle said, putting her burrito to the side.
“Eat.” His voice was stern and commanding, but Isabelle’s stomach was in knots and she didn’t think eating was such a good idea.
“You eat, or I spank you.”
His gaze was piercing, and she dropped her head so she didn’t have to see it. She could still feel it though. “I don’t like spanking,” she muttered as she picked up her food again.
“I asked this earlier and you dodged my question. What are my two rules that can earn you a spanking, Isabelle?”
Her name on his lips sent a shudder through her.
“Blatant disrespect and putting myself in danger,” she muttered, not meeting his gaze.
“And I told you how I felt about you not eating the other day.”
She nodded and took another bite.
“If you’re going to be
mine outside the club, I’m adding one more to the list of reasons I’ll spank you.”
She cringed as her mind raced through the possible rules he could impose. “What’s that, Sir?” she finally asked.
“Not communicating with me. I need to know where your head is at for this to work.”
She let her shoulders relax. That she could manage.
“Fair enough, Sir,” she whispered.
“I need to go and get some things taken care of so I can work tomorrow. We’ll talk more later, OK?”
She nodded. “OK.”
“I’ve got security out front, and someone will be here in the morning to hook up the internet.” He crossed the room and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.
“I’ll call you in the morning, Isabelle.”
“Oh! That reminds me, I need to come in late tomorrow. Henry usually takes the girls to see their mom, but I’ll need to do it.”
Garrett frowned. “Why would you even come to work at all tomorrow? You’ve been through a lot, Isabelle.”
“Uncle Henry is going to recover and he’s safe now. I need something to take my mind off everything. And I’ll especially need it after taking the girls to see their mom.”
Garrett scowled, but relented. “Fine, but if you come in tomorrow looking like you haven’t slept, you’re getting a spanking and then I’m sending you home for a nap, are we clear?”
She swallowed and nodded slowly. Was she ready for his overbearing dominance outside the club? That glowering, dominant stare he was giving her sent shivers through her and she felt her nipples pebble beneath her shirt. “Yes, Sir,” she said, maintaining eye contact with him.
“Good girl. I’ll send a driver, it’s safer than sending you somewhere on your own right now. Where are they going to visit their mom?”
“State prison.”
Chapter Thirteen
Garrett loosened his tie as he listened to his forensic accountant rattle off details about their team’s deep dive into Darren Gunn’s history with the company.
“It would appear Mr. Gunn was tucking money away in a personal account over the last two years. He was ingenious about how he did it, and to be honest, the cursory investigation we’ve done into his background says he’s just not that bright. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone else were working with him.”