Page 128 of Viparious

She’s sweet as fuck and I ignore the animal in favor of my daughter. Remembering whatever annoyed her, she turns into her mother and turns around with her fists on her hips.

“You have to say sorry to Xena for calling her ugly,” she demands.

Leading her away from the smug fucking horse, I stand her on the bench and sit opposite her, so we’re eye to eye.

Her hands are still on her hips, and she has more spine than grown men as she repeats herself, “Say sorry, Papa, you weren’t nice.”

I ignore an apology to a fucking animal and focus on finding out who corrupted my daughter.

“Who’s been teaching you bad words?”

They can curse up a storm, but they will never apologize to anyone. My children can do what they want, and the world is their playground. Well, as long as their mother doesn’t find out because she’s the one in charge.

The queen on my board and in my life.

The woman who changed my life and gave it meaning beyond violence and vengeance.

As though she’s been summoned, her heels click against the tiled floor and our daughter tilts her head to the side. She cocks her hip as the metronome of her mother’s steps and hisses, “I’ll tell off you if you don’t say sorry.”

“Yeah?” I laugh. “Who are you going to tell?”

She looks at me like I’m an idiot and says, “Mama.”

I nod, unconvinced, and repeat, “Mama? What will she do?”

Verena doesn’t lose her conviction as she straightens her spine.

“Take your toys away and she won’t let you play. Like when Vasy’s naughty. You don’t want that, Papa.”

Inessa stops in the aisle and looks between us, picking up on the tail end of our conversation. “What doesn’t your papa want?”

The little snitch gives me a look that I’m assuming is supposed to make me apologize to an animal. I stay silent. I’ll give her whatever she wants, but she needs to learn that we do whatever the fuck we want. Rather than whoever the fuck taught her bullshit like the word sorry.

When I don’t say anything, she dramatically sighs before tattling to her mother.

“Papa was being naughty, and he was nasty to Xena. You have to take his toys away now.”

Inessa manages to keep a straight face while I scratch my jaw to hide my laugh. She drops down to her haunches and brushes Verena’s hair back as she says seriously, “Okay, little wriggler. I’ll punish your papa.”

Our seven-year-old daughter gives me a tight-lipped smile before kissing her mother’s cheek. She jumps down off the bench and steadily walks to me. Patting my thigh, she lifts up on her toes and kisses my cheek. She pauses and whispers, “I tried to help you.”

There’s no other admonishment and she skips away, leaving me with my punisher. Inessa waits until our daughter is out of earshot to stride over to me. There’s an extra sway to her hips sway as she steps between my thighs and her hands go to my shoulders.

I stroke up her thighs and ask, “I thought you had a meeting?”

She leans over me, and her dark eyes are full of desire. “It was cancelled, and I have more important things to do.”

“Hmmm, what’s that?” I pull her closer and massage her ass. “Is it something that requires you to stay in this stable, meely moy?”

“You were being naughty remember.” Her voice drops and her eyes light up with humor. “That means you can’t have your toys.”

I drag her down to straddle me and chase her lips. “Good, I don’t need a toy when I have you.” The playfulness lessens as I stare into her dark eyes. “I don’t need anything else at all.”

Inessa is everything. There’s nothing sinister when she looks at me and she’s crazy enough to see a man, not a monster. She massages across my shoulders as she hums, “But there is something I need.” Threading her fingers through my hair, she smiles and seals her lips over mine as I stand with her in my arms.

Having two kids close in age meant that they always needed something, and we’ve made our own hideaway. Without it, I’d go fucking crazy. But she laughs as I take her to the stall furthest away from the house and the door has been modified to prevent anyone seeing inside.

The laugh is warm, filled with emotion, and she mumbles against my lips, “I love you.” She kisses my cheek. “My beautiful husband, inside and out.”

the end.

---