Page 24 of Law

Finally, she grabbed the leg of his pants and tried to find traction on the floor with her toes, but she was too high off the ground. When she kicked harder, he delivered several slaps to the back of her thighs, increasing her howls tenfold.

Smack after painful smack landed on her bottom. He spanked her until she felt as if she couldn’t have any skin left on her rear. It was dreadful.

And yet, at the same time, it was strangely reassuring. That made no sense, and she had no explanation, but the feelings were there. Even though it hurt worse than anything she had ever known, she found herself hoping he didn’t stop too soon.

She had broken her one rule and put herself in danger. She hadn’t even seen Zane yet. If something had happened to her, she never would have.

She had no reason to worry about that. Law seemed committed to teaching a thorough lesson, and she was eager for it to be delivered. She wanted, no, she needed to feel accountable for her actions. And right or wrong, the fact that Law took the time to provide that accountability indicated he cared about her, at least in some small way.

After one more round of sizzling swats to her sit spots that hadher speaking in Klingon, Law released her and stood her back on her feet.

Still sobbing, she grabbed her thoroughly scorched backside with both hands and stomped on the floor as if that would somehow extinguish the flames torturing her bottom.

“You had no right to do that!” she cried, tears streaming down her face. “You aren’t my Daddy. You’re my Viking.”

“Semantics, little girl. I’m the one in charge of your safety, and that gives me every right. If the men at the gate had made it through and seen you, you could have died. I can’t protect you if you don’t obey the rules I give you.”

“I wouldn’t have let them see me. I thought you needed me. I thought… I thought…” She couldn’t continue because her voice gave way to more sobs. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter anyway. I was wrong.”

Her words somehow seemed to soothe him, if only slightly. His eyes softened. Taking her hand, he led her to her bedroom and sat on the bed, scooting toward the top. He propped her pillows against the window, leaned back, extended his legs, and pulled her onto his lap.

She hissed as her backside made contact with his thigh, but he pulled her closer so she could transfer her weight more onto her hip. She struggled against his embrace when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, but they felt so warm and comforting that her struggles didn’t last long.

Her breaths were broken and hitched, her lungs spasming from sobs as she tried to calm down. His arms were nice. He reached behind her to pick up Buzzy and Owlbert, placing them in her lap. She grabbed them and held them tightly.

As her breathing quieted, he began to speak. “You aren’t wrong about being needed, Lovelyn. But if you don’t listen to me and help keep yourself safe, you risk getting hurt or worse. That’s why rulenumber one is so crucial. You must be safe, because Zane needs you.”

Her shoulders slumped as she fought against the sense of rejection his words caused. Of course, he didn’t need her. He barely knew her, and she’d been nothing but a pain.

He shook his head. “Zane needs you, but so do I. It’s only been a day, but I’ve felt more alive since meeting you than I have in years. No, it started even before that. I’ve been watching you for days, planning the operation to get you and Zane out of the Society’s compound. You are an incredible woman, Lovelyn. Even locked in that room, despite everything you’ve endured over the past four years, you refuse to let the world affect you. You were in that room, still trying to make friends, still finding joy in the present moment. So, yeah. I want you in my life.”

“You want me?” It felt impossible. It had only been a day, yet she wanted him, too.

“I really do,” he said.

A comfortable silence settled between them. The day had been overwhelming. Her life had changed completely in a matter of hours. She left the control of Ravage, the Warriors, and the Society behind. The General could no longer threaten or manipulate her situation. She was living with her dream Viking, at least for now.

He was right. What she called him didn’t matter. She could call him her Viking; he obviously liked it. But that wasn’t who he was. He was a Daddy to his core. That was why he’d been so protective of her and so upset when she hadn’t minded him. He knew what could happen if the men who came to the gate saw her.

He hadn’t told her what happened at the gate, and suddenly she wanted to know. “Who were the men at the gate?”

He sighed. “I wish we didn’t have to talk about them, but I think we do. There’s something I’m missing. They want you back, but they didn’t say anything about Zane. Why do they want you so bad?”

“I told you. I read all their private documents before I burned them.”

“Right. But you burned them. It’s not as if you took pictures of everything.”

“Actually, it is. I have a photographic memory. Some people don’t believe in it, and that’s fine. All I know is it’s true for me. And somehow, the General found out. For the past four years, he has forced me to read things that could help him get away with all the illegal things he wants to do. He threatened to hurt Zane if I didn’t help him. He’s a bully, and the thought of him gaining even more power is terrifying. Then he was arrested for trying to kill Suzi Daily. Since then, he has had me read court cases for legal precedents that will help him get away with it. He needs to be in jail. He is truly a bad man.”

Law’s arms stiffened around her. Looking over her shoulder, his expression slid chills down her spine. She recognized the expression on his face. He was trying to decide if he believed in her abilities. Or if she was stretching the truth. She got it. It was how most people reacted, that’s why she usually didn’t tell anyone.

The fact that he might think those things hurt way more than it should. She was human. She made more than her share of mistakes. But she wasn’t a liar.

“Are you telling me that since you read those documents, you remember everything in all those files?”

“Pretty much.”

“Unbelievable. And the General’s been exploiting your abilities to get away with all the shit he and the Society have been doing?”

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