Page 19 of Law

Some of the pain in her eyes gave way to hope, so he kept going.

“I'm not sure exactly what happened the day you were taken, kitten, but I do know that your actions kept both you and Zane safe. I also know that he’s safe now, and so are you. I’m here to ensure you stay that way. So, let’s talk about your first rule.”

That earned him a smile and a question.

“Rule? What, like drinking water every day?”

Yeah, they’d deal with those eventually. Once the Warriors were gone from Darling and he knew she was safe. “Listen closely, Lovelyn. My land is secure. It’s protected in several ways, one of which is a perimeter fence. Do you remember the gate we had to open?”

“I remember.”

“Well, that gate surrounds my property.” It took a lot of time and even more money, but it was state-of-the-art technology. “Rule number one for you, little girl. Stay safe. At all times. Right now, that means staying inside that gate unless I am with you. No exceptions. Do you understand?”

The fear returned to her eyes, but he had spoken with Sawyer while she checked out her room. The General was already discussing methods to retrieve Lovelyn, and he didn’t seem to care about what condition she was in when delivered, dead or alive.

The thought of her being hurt affected him in ways that made no rational sense, and he didn’t have time to worry about it at the moment. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. To achieve that, he needed her close and confined to his property. Period. End of statement.

“We're going to play that game I told you about soon, fairy cat. But first, tell me you understand Rule One.”

“I understand. Stay inside the fence. That should be easy.”

“I hope so, little girl. Because the consequences of disobeying that rule will be swift and designed to ensure you don’t break it again.”

The smile left her face. Good, she needed to take this very seriously.

“What does that mean?”

“Let’s talk about that. First, do you think you can keep both Zane and yourself safe from the Warriors and the Society on your own?”

“No.”

Good. They were on the same page so far. “Do you think you can follow the rules if there are no consequences for breaking them?”

She quickly nodded her head. Naturally, she did. He raised an eyebrow, met her gaze, and waited. It was a look he had perfected over two years of dealing with his brother’s Little girls and their friends.

Sure enough, Lovelyn’s nod wavered. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and gradually transitioned from nodding to shaking her head. The expression on her face was filled with such sorrow that he wanted to kiss her on the spot.

That would come later. That’s what the game was for.

“Good girl. Thank you for being honest.”

She rolled her eyes at that, and his palm itched to respond.

“What happens to the Little girls who break their Daddy’s rules in those books I know you read?”

She gasped. “How do you know what I read?”

“Because it’s the same books all you girls read, that's how. Now answer the question. What do the Daddies in the books do when Little girls break important rules?”

“They get punished, but only by their Daddies. You aren’t my Daddy. I mean, I’m not Little.” He leveled her withthe lookagain. “Oh, all right. Fine. I am a Little, but you still aren’t my Daddy.”

“That’s true. So how about I be your Viking? Vikings act a lot like Daddies, don’t they?”

“Well… I guess they do.”

He could work with this. “Sure they do. They’re bossy, and brave, and very, very protective. And they will paddle their Little girl’s ass in a heartbeat if she puts herself in danger.”

“I don’t think I ever read that anywhere.”

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