Daddy's Way

by Stella Moore

  God, he loved her. “Yes, you were.” Looking over at Bryant, he grinned and nudged Olivia in his direction. “She’s all yours, bro.”

  Bryant propped a foot on the bottom stair and easily hauled Olivia up over his knee. Even without Olivia’s sharp cries, it was obvious Bryant was spanking a good bit harder than James had. James found himself torn between being fucking turned on as hell, and wanting to protect his little girl from his brother’s hard hand.

  “You don’t get to disobey your daddy just because I’m here, young lady.” Bryant’s hand never faltered, even as he lectured. “Do you understand me?”

  “Yes, sir!” Olivia wailed, her legs kicking helplessly. “I’m sorry! I’ll be good!”

  Bryant finished off with a half-dozen well-placed swats to the sensitive under curve of Olivia’s bottom. Though she shrieked with each one, James could see the evidence of her desire dripping down the inside of her thigh.

  She slid off Bryant’s knee when he released her, and Bryant wrapped her up in his signature bear hug. “You going to be a good girl the rest of the night?”

  “Yes, sir,” Olivia said with a soft sniffle.

  It was the sniffle and the sweet, submissive tone that finally pushed him to his breaking point. “Bryant, would you excuse us for a few? If Shannon shows up—distract her.”

  Olivia had just pulled her leggings back up over her bottom when James grabbed her hand and pulled her up the stairs behind him. She stumbled to keep up, but he couldn’t slow down. If he didn’t get his cock inside his wife in the next minute, he might spontaneously combust.

  The first room at the top of the stairs happened to be hers. James pulled her inside and slammed the door shut. As soon as it closed, he pressed her up against it, crushing her lips against his. She opened for him immediately, and he swooped in, his tongue tingling with the mixture of peppermint and Olivia.

  Shoving his hand down the front of her leggings, he thrust his fingers into her, inwardly crowing at the slick arousal coating his fingers. She came like a firecracker, and he swallowed her scream as she went wild under his hand.

  He pulled away enough to yank the leggings down, then repeated the action with the gym shorts he’d donned when they’d gotten home. Without giving her time to adjust or catch her breath, he wrapped his arms around her thick thighs and lifted her. He drove into her, and she clung to him, her whimpers and gasps fueling him as he fucked her. Her pussy contracted around his cock when she came again, her scream muffled by the shoulder she’d buried her face in. An almost embarrassingly short time after, he followed her over the edge, emptying himself inside of her.

  “Such a good girl,” he murmured, pressing his lips to her neck.

  “God, I needed that.” Lifting her head from his shoulder, she gave him a wobbly, satisfied smile. “Thank you, Daddy.”

  When she said Daddy like that, not in her ‘little’ voice, but in her husky, grown up, well-fucked voice, he was nearly ready to take her again. “You’re welcome, little one. But let’s keep the bratting to a minimum when Shannon gets here.”

  Her cheeks pinkened, and she nodded. “Sorry. It’s been so long since you spanked me in front of someone, I just couldn’t resist.”

  James released her legs so she could stand. “I understand. But I do expect you to try and behave while our guests are here, little one.”

  “Yes, Daddy.”

  His heart constricted in his chest and he brushed her hair from her face. “I love you, so fucking much. I’m going to keep you safe, Livvy. I swear it.”

  She laid a hand over his, pressing her cheek into his palm. “I know. And I’ll do my part. Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.”

  Stroking his thumb across her cheek, he gave her a wry smile. “I’m going to remind you of that when you’re whining about all my rules.”

  “What’s the fun if I don’t whine about them?” she answered with a giggle.

  “Brat,” he growled, reaching down to squeeze her bottom.

  “You wouldn’t have me any other way.”

  Because it was true, he bent his head and captured her lips in a long, slow kiss. She sighed when he broke the kiss, and her eyes were slightly glazed. “We, ah, should probably go downstairs and make sure Shannon hasn’t eaten your brother alive.”

  Chuckling, James stepped away and pulled his pants back up. “Pretty sure that would be the other way around. Besides, Shannon isn’t his type.”

  “Really?” Olivia quirked an eyebrow at him in obvious amusement as she dressed. “A tall, hot blonde with a smart mouth, a hidden little side, and myriad bad habits isn’t your brother’s type?”

  “Well, shit, when you put it that way, she’s his soulmate.”

  With a loud, happy laugh, Olivia threaded her fingers through his and they made their way downstairs. The sound of arguing reached them when they were halfway down, and Olivia smirked up at him.

  “Look, buddy. Even if I needed a keeper, I sure as shit wouldn’t pick some Neanderthal like you.”

  “Oh, this is going to be good,” Olivia muttered just before they turned the corner into the living room.

  Sure enough, his brother and Shannon were toe to toe in the middle of the room, wearing almost identical glares of frustration. James cleared his throat and two heads whipped around to stare at him. If looks could kill, he’d have been mortally wounded right then. But while his brother’s stare stayed stony, Shannon’s immediately cleared and shifted to the sex-kitten smile he knew so well.

  “Hey there, Mr. Sexy. Liv.” Shannon raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. “You look thoroughly well-fucked, darling. Good for you.”

  “Are you always so rude?” Bryant demanded, turning his glare back to Shannon.

  “Rude?” Baring her teeth, Shannon jabbed a finger into his chest. “Rude is trying to lay down the law with a woman you’ve just met, who has no interest in having said law laid down for her. You’re not my daddy.”

  “It’s a damn good thing, too. You’d never sit—wait.” Eyes narrowed, he looked from Shannon to Olivia and back again. His scowl disappeared, replaced by a wide, satisfied grin. “This is an interesting development.”

  “It is not. I’m not looking for a man, Daddy or otherwise.” But the flush in Shannon’s cheeks let everyone in the room know she wasn’t being a hundred percent truthful.

  Taking pity on her, James stepped forward. “All right, back to your corners, fighters. We need to figure out dinner, before we do anything else.”

  “Pizza?” Olivia asked, and he couldn’t help but smile at the hope in her eyes.

  “I think that’s an excellent plan.” He looked over at Bryant and Shannon, who each shrugged. “And while we’re waiting for the pizza, we can discuss how we’re going to keep you girls safe until this son of a bitch is behind bars.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Olivia toyed with her pizza, picking at the pepperoni and sausage. The ‘debate’ on how to keep her and Shannon safe had carried into dinner, and call her crazy, but she was finding it difficult to eat while discussing her impending murder. Judging by the scowl on her friend’s face, Shannon wasn’t a fan of the current conversation, either.

  “Not hungry?”

  Bryant had leaned over; love and concern clear in eyes that matched James’s so closely it sometimes gave her the creeps. Despite their other differences, their eyes were identical. Unable to hold his gaze, she looked back down at her plate and shrugged. “Guess not.”

  “You should eat something, sweetheart,” he pressed quietly.

  “I’m not hungry!”

  She hadn’t meant to snap at him, but she was so on edge, and being nagged at about eating wasn’t helping.

  “Olivia.” Across the table, James was frowning at her.

  “It’s fine.” Draping an arm around her shoulder, Bryant gave her a comforting squeeze. “I think we’re all a little tense.”

  “I’m sorry, I just can’t eat when we’re talking about all this.” Olivia
wrapped her arms around her middle. “It makes my tummy hurt.”

  “You and me both.” Shannon lifted her glass of wine as if toasting and downed the rest of the contents in a single swallow.

  James’s expression softened. “I’m sorry it upsets you. But we do need to come up with a game plan. A buddy system, or something of the sort.”

  “A buddy system?” Amusement and sarcasm dripped from Shannon’s words. “Have you forgotten I work for your competitor, James Monroe?”

  Raising an eyebrow in a way that made Olivia’s bottom clench, James focused on Shannon. “I haven’t forgotten. What exactly is your agency doing to make sure you stay safe?”

  Shannon jerked a shoulder. “I haven’t talked to them since this afternoon.”

  “Of course you haven’t,” Bryant grumbled. “That would have been the smart thing to do.”

  “Excuse me? Are you implying I’m stupid?”

  The ice in Shannon’s voice could have frozen the Atlantic, but Bryant just matched her glare for glare. “You haven’t impressed me with your reasoning skills just yet.”

  “I’m not here to impress you, asshole.” She pushed away from the table. “I need a fucking drink.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Ignoring Bryant’s admonition, Shannon moved to the island and poured herself another glass of wine. “You can keep your opinions on my drinking to yourself, Mr. Monroe.”

  “Enough.” James’s voice cut through the din and silenced the argument. “Getting into a pissing match isn’t helping anyone. Shannon, I think you need to speak with your agency first thing in the morning. See if you can’t set up a buddy system with someone at work. Olivia, from now on you will call me before and after any showings. You will let me know if you are late arriving and if you are going to be longer than a half an hour. If I don’t hear from you within the specified time frame, I will call you, and God help you if you don’t answer my call. And you do not, under any circumstances, go into a house with anyone alone. If you have a showing scheduled with an individual, let me know and I will accompany you.”

  “That sounds like a good idea, Liv.” Shannon lifted her glass. “Cheers to a long, healthy life for our Olivia.”

  Grabbing the glass she’d barely touched, Olivia crossed to the island and deliberately clinked her glass against Shannon’s. “For both of us. If you get yourself killed, I’m going to be pissed, you hear me? You figure out a way to stay safe or I’ll get Bryant to tag along on all of your showings.”

  “Me? What did I do to deserve that?” Bryant’s baffled question had both girls bursting into giggles.

  Leaning into her closest friend, Olivia sent Bryant a smug smile. “You’re going to go around being all bossy, I’m going to hold you to your word. Can we stop arguing now?”

  Shannon rested her cheek against Olivia’s head. “I’m all argued out. Truce, Lawyer Boy?”

  “Truce.” But the storm in Bryant’s eyes told Olivia he wasn’t done with the beautiful blonde. Not by a long shot.

  * * *

  “Your brother-in-law’s a piece of work.”

  From her spot on the bed in ‘her’ room, Olivia grinned and waggled her eyebrows. “You like him.”

  Shannon stopped in the middle of pulling her pajama bottoms up to glare at her. “Shut up. I do not.”

  “You do. He likes you, too. He wouldn’t be such an asshole if he didn’t.”

  “I’m such a lucky woman,” Shannon replied dryly, jerking the pants up over her slim hips. “I’m practically swooning.”

  “It’s not so bad, you know.” Despite the heat rising in her cheeks, Olivia pushed forward. “Having a daddy who cares for you.”

  There was a flash of something in Shannon’s eyes. If Olivia hadn’t known any better, she would have called it grief. “Not everyone is meant to have what you have, Liv. Besides, I enjoy all my bad habits far too much to let someone take them away.”

  “Suit yourself.” But Olivia tucked the conversation in the back of her mind to examine once all this nonsense had been worked out.

  Shannon joined her in the bed, stretching out so they were facing each other. “Are you going to follow James’s rules?”

  “Yeah. And you’ll get a buddy at work?”

  “I’ll try. If not, I’ll figure something out.”

  “If your agency won’t help, tell us. I meant what I said. I’ll be pissed if you get yourself killed. I love your stubborn ass.”

  “Ditto.” Shannon jerked her head toward the bedroom door. “You should get to bed before James comes in and whips both our asses.”

  “He wouldn’t do that.” The idea of being punished alongside someone else wasn’t as horrifying as Olivia expected. Maybe something they could toy around with if Bryant ever settled down with his own little girl. Setting that aside for another time, she leaned in and dropped a kiss on her friend’s cheek. “Night, Shannon.”

  “Night, Liv.”

  When she walked into the master suite, James was already in bed, dressed in nothing but a pair of loose-fitting gym shorts, propped up with his laptop on his lap.

  “Work?” she asked, climbing into bed and snuggling into his side.

  “After a fashion. How do you feel about a house in Ocean City?”

  “Really? I would love that!” Peeking at the listing he had pulled up, she frowned. “Can we afford this one? It’s expensive.”

  “It would be tight, for a bit. But we could rent it out when we’re not there and more than cover the mortgage.”

  “Hmmm. It’s cute.” Shifting so she could see the screen more fully, she watched as he scrolled through the listings. “We should take a weekend trip soon and check out some of the ones we like best. Oh, I love this one!”

  “Me too, if we can talk them down on the price a bit. It’s a little more than I was wanting to spend.”

  “Hmm.” In full business mode, she considered their options. “What if Bryant went in with us? He’s always taking trips to the beach. I’m sure he’d love to have his own place.”

  James closed the lid on the laptop and set it aside. “That might work.” Chuckling, he leaned over to switch off the bedside lamp. “Except we’d never be able to rent it since he’d always be there.”

  “True, but it wouldn’t be as tight for us if we went in together on it.”

  “I’ll talk to him about it.” In the dark, he turned to her and gathered her into his arms. “How are you feeling, little one?”

  “Tired. I hate this feeling of not knowing what’s going to happen next.”

  “I know. I wish I could protect you from all of this.”

  Love welled up in her and she lifted her head to press a kiss to his chin. “I know you do.”

  “You’ll stick to the plan?”

  “Yes, Daddy. I’ll stick to the plan. I’m not going to be stupid.”

  “Stupid, no. Impulsive and reckless? Maybe.”

  Despite the light, amused tone, she heard the worry underneath. “I’ll follow the rules. I promise.”

  “Good girl. Get some sleep, little one. You’ve had a long day.”

  Snuggled into his arms, she drifted off within minutes.

  * * *

  Two down, three to go.

  The police hadn’t been expecting another murder so soon. Nobody had. And oh, what a delicious thrill that was, surprising the police and everyone else. It shouldn’t have been so easy, but for a department the size of the Baltimore PD, their resources were stretched thin. Doing murder in the most dangerous city in America certainly had its benefits.

  The pictures on the wall offered comfort. And direction. They were arranged in an X formation, with the picture of the final target in the middle. Her round face, with those devious brown eyes and that cunning smile.

  Nobody else seemed to see it. The article in the magazine had been glowing, fawning even. They didn’t know, they never bothered to look beneath the fake, shiny exterior to the lying, cheating whore beneath.

  They wer
e all whores. Using their looks to lure men into bed, then using the promise of more to get what they wanted. To edge out the hard-working men and women just trying to make a decent, honest living.

  But when it was all done, they’d see. And the work was almost done. After the next two whores were taken out, it would be time for the grand finale. The literal cover girl for ambitious cunts everywhere.

  “X marks the spot, bitch.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Friday was a bitch. The police still had no leads, as far as any of them could tell. Shannon’s agency had pretty much told her she was overreacting and hadn’t offered her any help, even after a heated phone call from James. And every single client Olivia talked to wanted to discuss her impending murder.

  By five, the headache pulling at the base of her skull had threatened to become overwhelming. Equal parts relieved that the day was done, and irritated by how much she hadn’t gotten done, she shoved her laptop in her bag and jerked the strap over her shoulder. James had left early, so at least she didn’t have to worry about snapping at him on her way out the door and earning herself another trip over his knee.

  “Stupid asshole murderer. Ruining everything for everybody.”

  “What was that, Mrs. Monroe?”

  Olivia jumped at MaryAnn’s voice and slapped a hand over her pounding heart. “Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me! I thought you’d left already.”

  Poor MaryAnn’s eyes went wide, and Olivia felt like the worst kind of heel when they filled with tears. “S-sorry. I’m leaving soon. I thought you would have left with Mr. Monroe.”

  “It’s fine.” Pinching the bridge of her nose, Olivia blew out a breath. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”

  For a moment, the two women simply stared at each other. MaryAnn opened her mouth, then closed it again, like she was trying to get the courage to say something. “It’s all right, Mrs. Monroe,” she said at length.

  It wasn’t. And even though he wasn’t there, James would expect her to make it right. “Ah, any plans this weekend?”