by Joannie Kay
"Is the lease in her name?"
"Yes."
"Do you owe her rent?"
"Yes, I do, but I don't get paid until the fifteenth. I planned to pay her then."
"Did she agree to that?" he asked.
"Yes, she did. I explained that to her when I moved in. I get paid twice a month, on the fifteenth and the thirtieth. She said that was no problem."
"Why didn't you pay her on the thirtieth?" Michael knew he was being nosy, but there was something about this young woman that tugged on his heart.
"I had another commitment that comes first. Natalie knows about that, too!"
"Car payment?Credit cards?"
"No. I don't own a car because I can't afford one! I take care of my Gramma," she added. "She is my responsibility. She raised me and took care of me, and now it is my turn to take care of her."
"Here you go," Jenny broke into their too serious conversation as she sat large platters of food in front of them. She also brought milk shakes for them both and winked at Molly. "Now don't you fret; Michael is buying." She giggled and then walked away.
"I did not order this," Molly said helplessly. "I told her I couldn't afford food...!"
"Aunt Molly thinks that food will save the world. Go ahead and eat, Molly. I'm buying," he said with a smile.
"Only because she is forcing you to buy!" Her pride was rearing its ugly head.
"Molly, eat your meal right now or I swear by all I hold sacred I am going to turn you over my knee right here and right now and give you the spanking I've wanted to give you since you answered the door earlier tonight."
"You can't do that!"
"I can do that. I am bigger than you, and I am stronger. I assure you it might not be the smartest thing to do under the circumstances, but I am out of patience. Now, do I need to spank you before I can eat my dinner, or are you going to be smart and eat?" He heard her stomach rumble then. "Good grief, Red, you are hungry. Stow the pride and eat, please?" He felt terrible for putting her in such a predicament. She was basically homeless right now and it was his fault for not making sure she had somewhere she could go.
Molly wanted to cry, but she was hungry, and the hunger won out. Her food supply ran out two days ago... and she was starving. "Thank you, Officer. I will pay you back on the fifteenth, I promise."
"This is my treat, Molly. Please don't insult me by refusing a simple meal. This isn't some fancy restaurant... and I can afford to feed a guest."
"Thank you," she whispered, remembering the manners Gram taught her. She then attacked the French fries with gusto.
Michael quickly realized that Molly Henderson hadn't eaten for a while. She wasn't just hungry; she'd been starving herself to have money to pay for her grandmother's care. He tried to put himself in her shoes, but couldn't. He had a huge family, siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews, not to mention all of his aunts and uncles and cousins and their families. Michael was rich in family. It was hard to imagine being all alone in the world. He was startled to realize he wanted, no needed, to help little Molly. He did not try to talk to her while they ate their meal. She cleaned her plate, and sipped her milkshake to the very bottom of the large glass.
"That was really good," she told him with a contented smile.
"I know; it's one reason I come here so often after work, or during work, depending on the shift."
"You also come here to check on your Aunt," Molly said, startling him.
"Don't tell her that, or she'll come undone all over me," he whispered as Jenny headed toward their table.
"Did you two get enough to eat?" she asked with a big smile.
"I sure did, Aunt Jenny," he answered.
"Me, too. It was really good, and I thank you for taking care of me," Molly said emotionally.
"It was my pleasure, dear. I hope you two got things straightened out?" she asked.
"I was over-reacting, and I am sorry for that," Molly said contritely.
"I am sure Michael knows that, dear. Now, you be a gentleman and see this child home, young man," Jenny ordered in the same tone she used when he was much younger and she wanted to be obeyed.
"I will take care of Molly, Aunt Jenny, I promise." He leaned down to kiss her again, and then handed her the invoice and money to cover it. "Keep the tip this time, Aunt Jenny!" he ordered sternly.
"It goes into the jar for our cause of the moment... You know that, Michael." She winked and then giggled.
Michael took Molly's arm and led her outside. She tried to pull free when he tried to put her into his car. "Get in, Molly."
"No! You are a stranger, and I don't get into cars with strangers, and I won't pay for dinner the way you seem to think I will!"
"Those words have earned you a bona fide spanking, little girl!"
Chapter Two
"You wouldn't dare spank me, Michael O'Keefe!" Molly Henderson sputtered angrily, unable to believe the man thought she would actually permit him to put a hand to her backside as if she were a child...! Why, she had never been spanked in her entire lifetime, even when she was a child and drove her Gramma crazy with her penchant for causing trouble!
"I would dare," Michael stated with conviction. "Now, you can either get into the car and let me take you somewhere you will be safe, or I am going to give you that spanking here and now, and then take you somewhere safe."
Molly realized she really had no choice. He was so large there was no way on earth she could break the hold he had on her. If he harmed her in any way, he had to know she would report him and file charges. She did her best to clamp down on her temper, vowing she would do her level best to mark him so he could not claim she was lying about him later!
"Well?" he asked sharply, fully prepared to pick her up and put her over the hood of the car and set her sweet ass on fire.
"You are bigger than me," she said, defiance oozing from every pore of her body. "I'll have to get into the car, but if you try anything, I swear you will regret it."
"I am a cop; I am not going to rape you, Molly." He truly wanted to shake her, but he put her in the car instead, promising himself that he was going to thoroughly enjoy spanking the seat of her worn jeans until she was begging him to stop. He walked to the other side, half expecting her to jump out and take off running the moment his back was turned, and just as he reached his car door, she did exactly that. Michael swore under his breath and gave chase.
Molly gave it everything she had. She ran track in high school and college, and it only took her a second to vault over the fence between the parking lot and the park next door. Molly knew the park well because she spent a lot of her lunch hours there, enjoying the outdoors and eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She certainly didn't want her coworkers to know that she couldn't afford to join them for lunch. She knew exactly where she would hide from the man, and she headed there, hoping to lose him as she ran, jumping over obstacles in her way.
Michael was in good shape. He worked out every day, and he ran, even when the weather was lousy. His stamina had saved his butt more than one time, and he was able to keep up with the bad guys when they ran. Little Molly Henderson was fast... for a female... but he was faster. He instinctively knew where she was heading, and he held back, giving her a chance to reach the shelter. Once there, she would have nowhere to go.
Molly reached the shelter and she wrenched on the doorknob of the small kitchen area. The restrooms were down the short hallway just inside the door to the left, and there was a large door to the right that lifted off of a counter where food could be sold when there was an event at the park, or that people could use when they rented the facilities for a family get-together, or another function. Molly sat at the tables to eat her lunch when the weather was nasty. She tried the door again, and then swore when she realized it was locked! It was never locked when she was at the park during the day! She glanced over her shoulder and found Michael standing an arm's length away, his hands on his hips.
"This is the perfect place for that spa
nking, little girl," he said quietly, reaching for her. The redhead turned into a spitting wildcat as she kicked and fought to get free, but he was used to handling men who were tough. It was a simple matter to lift her off her feet and carry her a few steps to one of the picnic tables. Michael sat on the wooden bench and flipped her over his knees. "You've probably needed this for a long time, Molly Henderson," he scolded, raising his hand and bringing it down on the seat of her worn jeans.
"Ohhhh!You bastard!" Molly was incensed.
"I am not a bastard. I am the fourth of eleven kids, and not a one of us is a bastard." He brought his hand down again and then again. "I am a police officer; I do not lure females into my car so that I can drive them somewhere and abuse them." He continued to set her jeans on fire while she kicked and screamed and cursed and did everything in her power to escape him. "This spanking is not going to stop until you settle down and start apologizing for being a hellcat!"
"I'll never apologize to you!" Molly angrily declared, her stubborn pride giving her a false feeling of courage.
"Never is a very long time," he reminded her, spanking even harder and lower on her backside!
"Ow, that is not my butt!" she hollered loudly.
"I know, and I guarantee that spanking you on your sit spots is going to make you miserable every time you try to sit down tomorrow."
"I am going to have you arrested for this!" she stated, trying once again to throw herself off his lap.
"Fine. I am sure that it will make for quite a story. I hope you don't mind having pictures of your naked butt splattered all over the papers and TV?" he asked, spanking even harder. He heard her gasp and continued. "They will have to photograph your butt for evidence."
"No way!" Molly was very modest. Gram was probably the last person to see her without clothing, and that was when she was a young child!
"They'll need to check for bruising, and talk to witnesses. They are going to want to know why I spanked you."
"Because you are a beast!" she hissed angrily. "Stop! Stop now, damn you!"
"You don't sound very sorry to me," he said.
"I'm going to kill you for this! No one has ever spanked me before and it hurts!"
"It is supposed to hurt. It is a punishment."
"I haven't done anything to be punished for!" she smacked at his leg while his hand fell repeatedly on her bottom. "Stop... Please!" She was on the verge of tears and didn't know how much longer she could keep from howling at the fiery pain that grew with each successive spank of his large hand.
"You were rude to me at your apartment. You kept right on arguing with your roommate when I asked you to sit down and be quiet. You lied to me when I asked if you had somewhere to go. You walked all the way out here by yourself in the dark when I offered you a ride. You flipped me off!" Michael gave her a dozen hard spanks on her sit spots for the gesture. You made a scene in Steak'n'Shake. Then you accused me of planning to hurt you when all I am trying to do is give you some help. And, if all of that isn't bad enough, you actually try to run from me and then call me names. You earned this spanking, and we are going to be here until you say 'sorry' and mean it."
"Okay, I'm sorry!" Molly stated. Her poor bottom was hurting more than she thought it was possible to hurt. She desperately needed for him to release her before she started crying and was unable to stop. "Please, let me go!"
"You're only sorry because your butt is hurting. I want a sincere apology, and this spanking continues until I get one.
"I already said 'sorry'!" she stated, her voice starting to crack. "Please stop now!" She sounded like she was begging, but Michael still wasn't satisfied. He continued to apply his hand in stinging, hard spanks. She knew she was going to break down if he did not stop. "Please...! I can't do this...!" That was all she managed to say before she started crying. At first she was quiet, and then she was bawling and sobbing her heart out.
Molly went limp over his lap as she sobbed. He heard her trying to speak, but there was no way he could understand the words she was saying. He gave her another dozen hard spanks, making sure she felt each one, positive she was finally accepting the punishment as due. He then lifted her and sat her on his lap to offer forgiveness and comfort. When she continued to cry and cry, he patted her back and whispered to her, telling her it was all over now and she was forgiven.
Molly clung to him, feeling very small. She was crying about everything that was wrong in her life, and every last thing was wrong. She tried so hard, but the last few months, since Gloria got married, nothing seemed to go her way. She was so tired of carrying the entire world on her shoulders. "Everything is such a mess!" she bawled.
"It might seem so now, Molly, but I promise it will get better."
"How can you know that? I can't afford to move. It takes so much money to keep Gram in the home, and I can't take care of her myself and work, too." She continued to cry, resting her head on his shoulder. "I am sorry I was so awful to you. None of this is your fault."
"It's over with now, Molly. You'll be fine. Now let's go. I'm going to take you somewhere for the night that you'll be safe." He put her on her feet and then walked her back to his car.
"I don't have any money," she reminded him.
"That won't matter," he answered. "We'll have to go over the fence again; the gate to the park is closed this time of night."
Molly remained silent. She was in a lot of pain and it even hurt to walk. She felt beaten, quite literally, but even worse than the pain and heat radiating from her behind was the weight on her slender shoulders. She did not know what she would do for shelter while she tried to support herself and her grandmother. If she didn't collect her things from Natalie's apartment in the morning Molly was positive there would be nothing left to collect.
When they reached the fence she had no idea how she was going to get to the other side. Her butt felt swollen to twice its normal size and any movement was going to be painful. Michael easily vaulted to the other side, and then said, "Come close and I'll help you, Molly."
"I don't want your help!" she wailed, sniffling, and then wiping her face with the backs of her hands.
"Come on, Molly. Pouting will only earn you another spanking and I'm sure your butt would appreciate it if you were sensible right now. Let me help you." She took the hand he offered and he pulled her closer and then put his hands around her waist and lifted her as if she weighed no more than a small child. He put her on her feet and when she looked up at him in surprise, he leaned down and tapped the end of her nose. "You are tiny." He took her hand again and led her to his car. "Please don't run again," he said quietly, helping her into the passenger side of the car. "I'm really tired and don't feel up to another run today."
"Do people run from you often?" she asked, surprised to find herself curious about his job.
"Sometimes," he answered, pleased that she was actually speaking to him without being forced to do so. He spotted Aunt Jenny looking out the window and he gave her a thumbs up sign that things were alright. She nodded, and if he were a betting man he would place a wager than his Aunt would call his Ma first thing tomorrow morning to discuss the odd situation. Fortunately, he had enough sense to get his Ma on his side first.
"Where do you think you are taking me, Sergeant O'Keefe? I won't stay in a shelter!"
"I'm not taking you to a shelter, Molly, and please call me Michael. I'm not on duty now. Most of those places are just for men, anyway. Now, don't worry, and don't question my motives again. That flaming spanking you are wearing right now will become even hotter if you make that mistake again."
The tone of warning in his deep voice told her he was dead serious. Molly felt tears well in her eyes and soon she was crying again. Sitting on the soft leather car seat was so painful, but the seat belt held her so snugly she couldn't even get a bit of relief by squirming. She wanted to unbuckle the belt and kneel on the seat, but she was positive that Michael wouldn't tolerate that for one second.
"You don't need to cry, Mol
ly," he said softly, looking over at her. "Everything will be alright, I promise."
"I am in serious pain!" she told him, her tone accusing and heated.
"You should be. I spanked you pretty damn hard, and you deserved every last swat," he couldn't resist adding. He saw her reach for the buckle to unlock her seatbelt. "Do not unless you want me to pull over and give you another spanking. It is the law that you must wear your seatbelt."
"It hurts too much to sit here. Please pull over and let me out. I can't do this any longer!" Molly reached for the seatbelt buckle again, and he pulled over to the side of the street he was on and turned to face her.
"Molly Henderson, I am a cop. You pop that seat belt and I will ticket you."
"You are a real jerk, you know that?"
"I enforce the law, Miss Henderson. I don't make the laws." He was angry now.
"Please, I just want to get off this seat." She was feeling quite desperate, and she did not think she would be able to keep from unlocking the seatbelt much longer. She impatiently tapped her fingers together and tried to squirm as he drove a couple more blocks and pulled into a driveway. There were lights on in the large house, and Molly looked at Michael, her eyes full of questions. "Where are we?" she asked.
"Come on and I'll tell you," he said decisively, opening his car door and getting out. He rounded the car and smiled when he saw that she was still trying to get the seatbelt undone. Her hands were shaking. He reached inside and pushed the button.
"It gets stuck once in a while," he said. He offered her a hand, and when she took it, he pulled her from the car to stand on the driveway. "Mind your language and whatever you do, do not lie."
"I don't lie!" she stated, offending by his attitude.
"Right...! You have lied to me several times tonight," he said as they headed for a side door. "You let me believe you had somewhere to go, when you didn't. You let me think you had money, when you didn't. You wouldn't even allow me to give you a ride, Molly. You let your pride get you into trouble. It isn't a sin to ask for help, you know."