Dungeon Daddy

by Jane Henry

  He stalked closer to me and I shrank into my chair. Though he never raised a hand to me, he didn’t have to. His words stung enough.

  “I rescued you from poverty, Rowena.” His voice softened now as he drew closer and still, I cowered. “I’ve kept you safe from the evil that surrounds us. I’ve given you everything you could possibly want, never denied you what you needed.”

  Everything I needed, except freedom. Friends. Autonomy. Though my contact with the outside world was limited, I knew that people weren’t meant to be holed up in houses. People weren’t meant to be isolated and made to feel as if they were useless and stupid.

  “I’m sorry, father. It won’t happen again,” I said.

  He sighed heavily and rubbed a hand across his forehead.

  “Thank you. Go upstairs for a while. I have some work to do.”

  I stood, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He wasn’t finished with me yet. And as I walked back to my room, his voice arrested me.

  “His name, Rowena. Tell me his name.”

  I swallowed hard. What would he do if he discovered I told a bold-faced lie? “Rhett,” I said, reaching for the first name that came to mind, having just finished Gone with the Wind the day before. the roguish character’s name came out of my mouth

  “Rhett.”

  “Yes. Um, that’s what he told me, anyway,” I said, not able to look at my father as I told the lie. He stared at me as I left the room and I did my best to ignore him. He would either believe me or he wouldn’t.

  “Very well,” he said, turning away from me.

  My stomach in knots, I made my way to the stairs, staring at the doorway that led to the guest room where I’d briefly entertained Ryder. He went to his office, and I started to go to my room, but curiosity got the best of me. He wasn’t finished with this, I knew. He wouldn’t let this rest until he’d seen Ryder punished.

  I waited until I heard him milling about his office, and then I crept downstairs. It was easy to be quiet on the carpeted stairs. I was experienced at it. I used to sneak downstairs to get cookies when it was past my bedtime, or to watch a forbidden TV show after he’d gone to bed. I was only caught a few times, and he always punished me, but it didn’t stop me.

  I crept down the stairs and slowly made my way to the bathroom that shared a wall with his office. Here, if I removed the grate, I could hear the conversations in his office. I hadn’t done it in years.

  I shut and locked the door, then scooted over to the vent, knelt down, and lifted out the grate. It fell into my hands easily, as I remembered it would. Leaning up against the wall, my ear at the opening, I could hear my father’s voice, distant but clear.

  “We had a trespasser in my absence, Russell.” Russell was actually Officer Neil Russell, my father’s main contact at the police force. “Yes. She won’t tell me anything and says she wasn’t harmed, but the footage shows the man came into my house through her bedroom window. I want you to find out everything you can.” He paused. “No, I don’t have his name, damn it! And the footage didn’t reveal much, because it was so dark out. But I’m sure your men could find details.”

  Quickly, I replaced the vent, stood, and left the bathroom. My father had set his eyes on Ryder as a target. He was in danger.

  I would call him, damn it. I would call him on the only phone I had, and I would find a way to delete his number from the record. I had to. I couldn’t stay here one more minute, and I had to warn Ryder that he was in danger. My father would stop at nothing. He would fingerprint his office, whatever pen Ryder used, zoom in with his security cameras on the footage he had. He’d shown me before, proud of how tightly monitored our home was. He didn’t harm me, but he did have the power to harm others. All he had to do was call the chief of police, and he could do just about anything he wanted.

  But even if I could reach Ryder, how would I escape? How would I get away without my father finding out? And when he did, how would I make sure he didn’t hurt Ryder? He was a powerful man, and would stop at nothing.

  I made my way to my own room, pausing at the doorway as I listened to sounds below. He was still talking on the phone. It was my only chance.

  I raced into my room, shut and locked the door. Quickly, I made my decision.

  I could not stay here another minute, prisoner from the outside world.

  “Are you held here against your own will?” Ryder had asked. Yes, damn it. Yes, I was.

  Trembling, I retrieved the phone from the drawer, and dialed the number I’d memorized. My hands shook. What if Ryder didn’t answer? I closed my eyes, waiting as the phone rang. My heart soared when I heard his voice.

  “Hello, you’ve reached Ryder.”

  “Ryder! It’s… it’s Rae.”

  “Leave me a message at the beep.”

  A beep sounded, and I stared at the phone. So it wasn’t him after all but his voice mail. I sighed, and at the sound of the beep, I hung up the phone.

  Now that I’d called him, I stared at the phone, not sure what to do with it. I’d read some Agatha Christie novels, and knew enough about spying that I suspected something like a tap on the phone, but it had been such a short call. I had to somehow destroy the phone. If my father found out Ryder’s number, then all could be lost. But I needed the phone to keep calling. I had to keep trying.

  Now, my hand shook as I stared at it. What was more important? Ryder’s safety, or my own? My gaze moved to the tall glass of water on the nightstand beside my bed, left over from the night before. All I had to do was drop it in. When I lifted it above the water, though, just an inch or so above the lip of the glass, it lit up and buzzed in my hand.

  I gasped and sat back on the bed, staring at the phone. I’d never received an incoming call. I hit the green button that flashed in front of me, assuming it meant that was the button that would answer the call and held it up to my ear.

  “Hello?” I whispered.

  “Hi. I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize.” Fear and relief wrangled within me. It was Ryder’s voice, deep and commanding. He paused, then, “Rae?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Did you call me?”

  I paused and listened. Silence outside my door, which was not good.

  I moved as far away from the door as I could, to the large window seat where I read. “Yes,” I whispered into the phone. “Can you hear me?”

  “Barely. Are you ok?”

  “I—I—” The words failed me as my impetuous decision to call him seemed suddenly so stupid.

  “Your father is home.”

  I closed my eyes and nodded, though he couldn’t see me.

  “Rae?”

  “Yes,” I whispered. “He’s home. I need to leave here, Ryder. I need to get out. And he’s trying to track you down. You can’t call the police, either. It’s too dangerous, because they’re his friends.”

  “What? Jesus. Where are you now?”

  “I’m by my window.” Still whispering, I tried to talk to him while simultaneously listening for sounds outside my door.

  “Did he hurt you?”

  How could I answer that question? He never physically hurt me, but every time we spoke, he reminded me of how dependent I was on him, how foolish I was, how I would have to stay here and never leave.

  “Don’t answer,” he said. “It’ll be safest when it’s dark. I’m coming, but I need you to cooperate. Getting out of your window is really tricky because there’s nothing to hold on to. Do any of the other windows in your house have an escape route?”

  “I have no idea. I don’t think so. Oh. Oh, wait! There’s a little alcove beneath the guest room. If I could get there, I might be able to get down.”

  My heart raced as I made plans to leave. I’d never been out of this house, not even once, for as long as I could remember.

  “Get to that room. Be ready to leave. Okay?”

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  “Hang up the phone now, and be careful.”

  “Okay.”

&n
bsp; We hung up and I stared at the phone and swallowed hard. My hand shook so badly I shoved them in my pockets while I planned my escape. If I left the phone here, he’d find Ryder’s number, and if I took it with me, he could possibly track me. It wasn’t safe to keep the phone. On impulse, I lifted it above the glass of water, and dropped it in. Water splashed on my dresser, and the phone bobbed up and down crazily. I closed my eyes briefly. It was my only contact to the outside world, and I’d ruined it.

  But I was moving on. I didn’t need the phone anymore. I had to escape.

  Ryder was on his way, and he’d be here soon. What would I take with me? I looked around my room, at the bare walls and spartan-like bed, with its crumpled pink bedspread and stack of pillows. In one corner of the room I had crafts that I occasionally worked on, needlework, watercolors, and beading. None of it mattered. It would all be reminiscent of a life held captive.

  I squared my shoulders and walked to my door, needing to get to the guest room and scope out the escape route. But when I tried the doorknob, to my shock, I found it locked. I twisted it again, and but it didn’t budge. I closed my eyes, willing the door to open, but knowing it would not.

  I fell to the floor and sat heavily, tucking my legs underneath me, closing my eyes.

  There was no way he already knew that I was leaving.

  This was my punishment for my lie.

  5

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Ryder

  Jesus. The girl called me. I didn’t know her at all, and had no idea what I would do with her, but I couldn’t leave her locked up in that house against her will. I was getting in deep, and I knew it, the second she said, “Don’t call the police.”

  God. What would I do with her?

  The safest place for her would be at Limits, with me, where I employed a team of bodyguards and security, and every connection I had was within arm’s reach. But how did a girl who knew nothing about the outside world fit in at a club like mine?

  I shoved my phone in my pocket, frowning at the black door to my office and thought for a few minutes, but I didn’t have much time to think. I had to activate my men, and I had to do it now. As owner of the most exclusive nightclub on the east coast, I had serious responsibilities, but the plus side was, I had a team that worked for me that I could depend on.

  But once I took the girl and brought her here, there would be no getting out of this mess, and there was no denying the fact that the man she called “father,” the one who held her hostage, was a dangerous person.

  Walking across my office, I opened the door and scanned the interior of Limits. Immediately, the gazes of the occupants inside came to me, but there were only three I cared about: Dean, Seth, and Caden, the men on the floor tonight. I needed muscle and speed, and they were the men for the job. I lifted my hand and all but Caden. the bouncer at the door, came to me. I gave him a nod, showing him that I recognized he couldn’t leave and circled my finger around the floor, then tapped the speaker at my ear.

  “Yeah, boss?”

  “Need a meeting with everyone. I need to leave, and I need some assistance. How many do you need here on staff?”

  He scanned the crowd. “We have two hundred and fifty strong here, four stationed upstairs and four downstairs. Leave me one more on the main, and I’m good.”

  “You’ve got it,” I said, and saluted him with one finger across the room. He saluted back. Tonight was a slow night, but would slowly pick up as it got closer to the weekend, Thursday gaining momentum, Friday doubling our Wednesday night guests, and then Saturday we’d peak at maximum capacity.

  Clients of Limits were the richest, most powerful people in America, and we were the East Coast’s most exclusive Club. Members had to apply for admission, and we went through a rigorous screening process. I didn’t fuck around when it came to safety. Dean and Seth were tough and rugged, Seth a jiu jitsu master with a black belt. They’d both watch my back. I opened the door to my office and gestured for them to come in, then tapped the earpiece that would allow me to speak to the entire staff.

  “All staff on alert. I’ve had a serious personal matter come up that needs my immediate attention. I’m taking Dean and Seth with me, and leaving Caden as Master in Charge in my absence. Go to him with any issues.”

  Murmured responses of “Yes, sir,” and “Got it, boss,” came to me before I clicked it off.

  These men and women were my brothers and sisters, and I trusted them with my life. I’d handpicked my staff. They were trustworthy and professional and would take care of shit while I was gone.

  The door clicked shut and I tossed my earpiece on my desk, reached for my tie and loosened it.

  “We gotta be quick, guys. we need to move now. I’ll explain on the way.”

  Seth, a tall, muscular guy with swarthy skin, eyed me with his coal-black gaze, his clean-shaven jaw tight. His eyes glittered, already on alert for the details. He knew if I pulled him and Dean off the floor, it was for good reason. I knew no other Dominant as self-possessed as Seth, and no other who could knock skulls together as effectively either if necessary.

  Dean was the badass of the group, having served time in his younger years but reformed behind bars, lifting weights and channeling his need for control into pursuing the BDSM lifestyle. He had a regular submissive of over twelve years, and didn’t play on the side, but worked full-time for me. I’d never even met his wife, but knew she was a Harvard professor and department chair in one of the sciences. He didn’t offer information and I didn’t ask questions.

  “What’s up, Chief?” Dean asked, leaning against the bookshelf.

  “The other night, I broke down on Route 249, off the main drag down in a remote area of Tailborough.” I nodded to Seth. “Blew a tire, and tried to call for help but was in a dead zone, and couldn’t reach anyone.” Dean’s typically jovial eyes sobered. “Found a house, got no answer, even though lights were on and I saw a shadow in the window. A woman’s.”

  Dean’s brow rose and Seth pushed away from the wall, but neither spoke.

  Dean’s lip curled, but I ignored him.

  “I looked up and tried to get her attention, but the next thing I knew, she screamed and fell, and from where I stood, it looked like someone had pulled her from behind. I yelled, got no answer, so I climbed up to see if she needed help.”

  “You climbed up?” Seth’s deep, midnight voice boomed across the room. I swallowed.

  “Yeah. Climbed up.”

  “A random house in the middle of nowhere, that looked like it was intended to be in the middle of nowhere. And you scaled the fucking siding.”

  “Sure as hell did, Seth, now shut up and listen.”

  His eyes narrowed but he didn’t say anything else while I continued.

  “Here’s the bottom line, guys. There was a woman in that room. She’s a captive in that house. Her father won’t allow her access to the outside world. No internet. No leaving the house. no contact with anyone besides him.”

  “Jesus,” Seth muttered.

  “No shit,” Dean agreed.

  “But she didn’t want to hear anything about leaving. Creepy as fuck. So I waited until she was asleep, broke into her father’s office, and that’s when I got in touch with Seth, who agreed to pick me up, and I went back to my car.” I cleared my throat. “Left my number for the girl, slipped it under her door. Tonight, she called me. Her father’s home, and he knows I was there.”

  Dean whistled but Seth just stared.

  “She want out?” Dean asked.

  “Yep.”

  “So there’s a psycho chick you barely met—”

  “She’s not a psycho, asshole.”

  Dean blinked, then nodded. “Okay so there’s this… girl—I mean, woman—held captive. And her psycho father won’t let her leave the house, and you one day out of the blue wander in like her fucking Prince Charming to which she’s all ‘oh, only guy I’ve ever met in my life, let me call him and is risking his life so he can rescue me.’”

>   “Shut it,” Seth ordered, his narrowed eyes swinging around to Dean. “This is what I hear. Captive girl held against her will by a sick fucker, asking for help to escape. I have only one question.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Why haven’t we left yet?”

  We parked the car a good distance away from the house, but needed to move.

  “What do you know about her father?” Seth grilled me as I drove.

  “Once I left that place I didn’t want to remember a fucking thing.”

  “Except the girl,” Dean said.

  I shot Dean a glare. Yeah, I remembered the girl all right. I’d checked my phone every hour since I’d left. I remembered her wide brown eyes, saucy mouth, and curves. The fetching way her cheeks turned pink when I told her I’d spank her. I’d replayed that memory many times.

  “Here. I’m parking here.” I figured at this point I was as close to the house as I could get without being noticed, but I needed to move fast. “I told her to meet me in the room next to hers. And I want to be sure we get to that side, first.”

  “It isn’t the room where you scaled the wall to get to her?” Dean asked.

  “No, it’s too damn hard to get to.”

  Seth nodded. “Go. You go get her, I’ll keep an eye here.”

  “Perfect. Dean, you get in the driver’s seat. I want you ready to take off the second I’ve got her, okay?”

  He grinned. He’d been dying to get behind the wheel of my car.

  “Hell yeah.”

  I crouched close to the ground and ran, Seth at my side.

  I shook my head. I would I’d get her. What I would do when I got her I had no idea, but that wasn’t the most important thing now. I finally made it to where she should be and scanned the quickest way to get to her, when something hit the ground several yards away on the other side of the house. I froze.