Page 32 of Leland

“Bash is my favorite.”

“You little cuss!” Kay laughed.

“I brought you black jelly beans,” Smoke said, setting two bags of the abomination on the table in front of her.

“Ohhhhh, Smoke is my favorite,” she amended.

“I brought something better than two bags of jelly beans,” Blade said.

“Three bags of jelly beans?” Rouge asked.

She was on a roll today.

“No,” Blade said before setting a wooden paddle with a pink bow down on the table. “This was your favorite and I think it’s only fair your Daddy takes ownership of it now.”

Rouge studied it in silence before turning and hugging Blade. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.” He bent and kissed her cheek gently. “I’m so glad you’ve got him on your side, Rouge. He’s a good man.”

“Yeah,” Rouge agreed with a nod. “He’s my favorite, for eally.”

“No taksiebacksies, sugar.”

“No taksiebacksies, Daddy.”

Chapter Eleven

Rouge

I was angry. A tight ball in my belly had formed this morning and it had grown and grown all day. At 3 pm I felt like it might actually split me in two. I knew what I was supposed to do, but I couldn’t make myself do it. Today was my first day back at work since the attack. Leland stayed with me for ten whole days. He’d slept on my couch and never once advanced sexually–the perfect gentleman. Every morning, he’d woken me with chocolate milk and pancakes shaped like animals.

After breakfast he would hold me in his lap and we’d snuggle while I had a sippy cup of juice and watched cartoons.

This morning, I had pancakes and juice, but no snuggles.

Then Paisley got sick and she was laying inmyDaddy’s lap waiting on her Daddy to come get her. Logically, I knew she didn’t know she was in Daddy’s lap. She was feverish and slightly delicious, but I found myself wanting to throw stuff at her too.

It was very unkind of me because I was also very worried about her, but I wanted to be worried about her while she laid in Smoke’s lap or something.

I stomped across the shop and into Daddy’s office.

“Sam’s going to be here in fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you, Sugar.”

That was it? That was all I got?

“Your office smells like ass and armpits.”What the fuck, Rouge?

“Watch your mouth, Little one.”

“How can I watch it? It’s on my face, I can’t see it.”

Daddy’s eyebrow raised and my tummy flipped.

“Rouge,” he started. The bell over the door chimed and I raced to the front, ignoring him.

“Hey Sam. I’ll get you checked in,” I greeted.

“Thank you, Rouge.” How are you feeling?”

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