Ruled by her Daddies

by Roberts, Laylah

  “Thank God.” Because the feelings he had towards her weren’t fatherly. He had no idea if she was a Little. But he had a sneaking suspicion she might be.

  “Grab the pole. I’ll take you to the toilet.”

  She reached out a thin arm to grasp hold of the pole. God, she was light in his arms. He didn’t like that she was so fragile. Easily hurt.

  She’d always seemed so capable and self-assured. Strong. If he’d known this was happening, that she was slowly fading away, he’d have come for her earlier.

  And damn the consequences.

  Walking into the small bathroom, he moved to the toilet. “Have you got panties on?”

  “W-what?”

  “Have you got panties on? You’ll need help taking them off.”

  “I will not!” she said indignantly. “I’ve been taking my own panties off successfully for a very long time. Well, there was that time I got really drunk on a girl’s night and Aleki had to help me . . . and why am I talking about that?” She pressed her hand to her face. “Can you please just put me down and leave me to wallow in my embarrassed misery?”

  He had to grin at her theatrics. Although, now he really wanted that story. “Glad to hear you’ve mostly got control over your underwear. However, you can’t stand on your foot. So I’m gonna put you straight down on the toilet. Now, do you need your panties taken off first?”

  “No, I do not.”

  “Because you’re not wearing any or you’re being stubborn?”

  “I’m not being stubborn!”

  He sighed. “Jelly bean, either you let me help you or I get the nurse. Now, what is it?”

  She was stiff against him.

  “Make up your mind, you need to pee and it’s not good to hold on. You’ll give yourself a UTI.”

  “Oh Lord, fine. I’m wearing panties. But I can still stand on my good foot and get them off. There’s a bar by the toilet I can hold onto for balance. Just set me down then go.”

  He’d had enough of this. He carefully let her feet drop down. Then when she was resting her weight on her good foot, he nodded to the bar. “Hold onto that with both hands.”

  “Damn it, Caleb.”

  “Jelly bean, if you’re gonna fight me all the time then it’s going to take you so much longer to get better. Now, do as I said,” he told her sternly.

  She grasped hold of the bar. He bent down slightly and reached under the nightgown which had pictures of pigs all over it in different poses. Some were sitting on the beach, drinking cocktails, others were dancing.

  It was cute. And maybe a sign she was a Little? But he shouldn’t read too much into it. He guessed it had come from her bag of stuff that the nurse had laundered for her. He slid her panties down, careful to keep his touch light. To not linger the way he wanted to.

  She had one hand on the bar as he grabbed her hips and guided her onto the toilet. She grasped hold of the nightgown and drew it out of the way as he set her down.

  “This is so embarrassing.”

  Caleb gave her a firm look. He didn’t want her embarrassed or ashamed. He didn’t want anything to feel that way between them.

  He drew in a deep breath before he blurted that out. Easy, man. She’s not ready for your feelings.

  “You’ve nothing to be embarrassed about. You’re not the first injured person I’ve helped go to the toilet.”

  Her eyes widened and for some reason, she looked as though he’d struck her. He had no idea why.

  “Had to help Aleki once when he tore up the ligaments in his foot. Believe me, I’d rather help you any day of the week.”

  “Oh.” She looked away, blinking.

  “I’ll wait just outside the door. Do not move from that toilet without my help, understand?” he ordered.

  “Yes.”

  He grasped hold of her chin. “You move without me and next time you won’t get any privacy, understand?”

  “You never used to be this bossy.”

  He had to grin. “Baby, you think this is bossy? You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

  Reluctantly, he let her be while she peed. He didn’t like it. She was hurt, ill, and she needed care. He wanted to look after her in all ways. But he got that she wasn’t at that same place. She had no idea about what he needed.

  He felt so torn between her and his brothers. What he had to do was convince them that she was what was best. For all of them.

  Damn, that wasn’t going to be easy.

  After holding her while she washed her hands, he carried her back to bed. He settled her under the covers and tucked them around her. He grabbed some water and held the straw to her mouth. She sighed but took a few sips. She looked pale and exhausted. As though that small trip to the bathroom had done her in.

  Maybe he should have insisted on the bedpan. Or the diapers. None of it really phased him.

  “Good girl for obeying me. I have something for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small packet of candy.

  She smiled as she took it. “Black jelly beans. My favorite.”

  She’d always been addicted to them. Hence, her nickname.

  “Just don’t tell Wolfe,” he said.

  “Deal,” she whispered.

  “What happened? Vivi? How did you come to be in that alleyway?”

  She just shook her head. “I can’t tell you.”

  There was a sound at the door, and she hid the candy under her bedding. Standing, he moved over and opened the door. Wolfe walked in, carrying a tray with a bowl of broth on it as well as a glass of orange juice.

  Kind of a weird combination.

  “Soup and juice?” she asked as he set it down.

  “The doctor said the broth is good for your stomach. You managed some fine before. And vitamin C is good to have with iron tablets to help your body absorb them.”

  “You could have brought me something,” Caleb muttered.

  “You’re welcome to go get yourself something. I think Aleki is getting pizza.”

  “Pizza? How come I get broth and Aleki gets pizza?” She pouted.

  Wolfe stared down at her. “Pizza has little nutritional value.”

  “Like jello?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Wolfe,” Caleb warned. “If she wants pizza, isn’t it better for her to eat something?”

  “She will eat something. The soup and juice.”

  “That seems unfair,” she muttered.

  Wolfe folded his arms over his chest. “Unfair, huh? Tell you what, if you can eat a whole bowl of broth, I’ll get you pizza. How is that for fair?”

  He turned his gaze to Caleb. “No need to test it before you feed her. I checked the temperature already. It’s perfect.”

  Caleb raised his eyebrows. “You tested it?”

  “That so-called nurse nearly burned her with her over-hot soup yesterday. Do you need me to feed her?”

  “I think I have it handled,” Caleb said dryly.

  Wolfe turned away from them both and headed towards the door. “And I saw that, miss!”

  Caleb turned back to find Vivi had her tongue sticking out. She tucked it away, looking embarrassed.

  He had to grin.

  Wolfe turned back at the door. “Be careful, little girls who stick their tongues out are often given something to occupy their mouths.”

  “Did he . . . did he . . .” She looked at Caleb in shock.

  “Did he what?” he asked innocently. He had to fight the smile tugging at his lips.

  “Never mind,” she muttered, yawning. Poor darling. She was so tired. It hurt him how exhausted she appeared. “I don’t understand what’s going on.”

  Caleb gave her some soup. He could tell she wasn’t even going to finish half of it. There went her dreams of pizza. He had no doubts that pizza wouldn’t have sat well in her stomach anyway.

  “We’re here to help you,” he told her.

  “I’ve changed.”

  “So have we,” he countered. “Does that mean you don’t care a
bout us anymore?”

  He watched her suck in a breath. She opened her mouth and he knew she was about to spout some shit.

  He placed a finger over her lips. “And just to be clear, lying, just like calling yourself useless or putting yourself down in other ways, will not be allowed.”

  She glared at him. “You know you have no right to tell me what to do.”

  “And yet, I just did. And you will obey me.”

  “Or what?”

  “Or when you’re feeling better, I’ll turn you over my knee and spank that ass of yours.”

  Her eyes widened. “Have you guys got some weird spanking fetish?”

  “Are spanking fetishes weird? It’s not weird if it’s something you want. And as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, then how can it be wrong?”

  “I don’t want to be spanked.”

  “No? Not even for fun?” he asked.

  “Fun?” she squeaked.

  “Spanking can be used for discipline. A punishment when you break the rules. It can also be used for pleasure.”

  “I don’t see how that’s possible.”

  I’ll show you.

  He managed not to say the words. Just.

  “It’s possible. But let’s stop talking about that. You need to eat or else I’ll be in trouble.”

  “And will Wolfe spank your ass?” she asked with false innocence.

  He narrowed his gaze at her warningly. “Wolfe isn’t my Dominant. If anyone is spanking asses around here, it will be me.”

  “Ooh, I’d pay good money to see that.”

  * * *

  Twenty minutes later, Caleb walked into the suite they were sharing. Aleki was polishing off a pizza while Wolfe sat at the table, working on his laptop. They both looked up questioningly.

  “She’s asleep,” he told them.

  “Did she eat the soup?” Wolfe asked in a blasé voice. He could have been asking if the sky was blue today for all that he seemed to care.

  Caleb knew better. “She had half a bowl.”

  “No pizza for her then.”

  Aleki scowled at Wolfe. “If she wanted pizza, you should have let her have it.”

  “Her every wish cannot be granted. Sometimes what she wants isn’t what’s best for her.”

  “It’s just pizza,” Aleki snapped.

  “Look, we have more important things to talk about than pizza,” Caleb snapped.

  Both of them looked at him.

  “Has she told either of you what happened to her?” he asked.

  They both shook their heads.

  “She did tell me that she broke up with Aleki to protect him. To protect us,” Wolfe said.

  “What the fuck?” Aleki snapped, sitting up straight. “From what?”

  “She wouldn’t say,” Wolfe replied darkly.

  Caleb didn’t like not knowing what was going on with her. “She’s still trying to protect us. That’s why she won’t tell us anything.”

  Wolfe snorted. “Protect us? She can’t even swat a fly in the condition she’s in right now.”

  “All of this has to be tied to her husband’s death, right? It can’t be a coincidence. What if he didn’t die of a heart attack?” Aleki asked.

  That’s what the press was reporting as his cause of death.

  “She told me that she wasn’t close to her husband, how can you not be close to the person you’re married to?” Caleb asked.

  They were all quiet. When they had a woman, they’d know everything about her. Where she was, who she was with, what she was feeling. They risked smothering her, but it was the way it had to be for them to remain sane. They’d seen the worst life had to offer and they would ensure that their woman never had to endure pain or fear or suffering. Not while they were breathing, anyway.

  “We can’t leave her while she’s in danger.” He couldn’t leave her again under any circumstances, but he didn’t tell them that. “I’ll stay with her.”

  “What? Why you?” Aleki asked.

  “Wolfe doesn’t care about her one way or the other and you don’t want to care. I’m the only one who isn’t conflicted over her.”

  “I’m not conflicted,” Wolfe muttered. “I don’t feel anything towards her.”

  “Right, that’s why you were about to pull the doctor’s arm off for touching her,” Caleb said sardonically.

  Wolfe glared at him.

  Caleb pointed at Aleki. “Aleki still has feelings for her but wishes he didn’t because she walked away and broke his heart. And it’s never healed.”

  Aleki scoffed.

  “You want to hate her, Wolfe. And sometimes you do. But the rest of the time, you want to protect her. You want to hurt her, but don’t want anyone else to hurt her.”

  “Jesus, when did you turn into a relationship therapist?” Aleki muttered. “And a fucking crap one at that.”

  Caleb ran his hand over his face. “All I’m saying is that she needs help and I’m not walking away from her.”

  “We don’t split up,” Wolfe said with a frown. “That’s not the way we do things.”

  “I know,” Caleb said. “But this is different. If it’s too hard for the two of you, then maybe it’s better you go. She’s fragile. We cannot add to her stress.”

  “We get it. We’ll go easy on her, right Wolfe?”

  Wolfe grunted.

  “But we’re not leaving you here,” Aleki said. “I don’t think I can leave her, either. Not until I know she’s okay.”

  Wolfe sighed. “You both have feelings for her, don’t you?”

  Caleb and Aleki stared at each other.

  “Truth is, I always have,” Caleb muttered.

  Aleki shrugged. “I want to stay angry with her. Distant. I told myself she couldn’t be trusted. But she’s in trouble and we don’t know why.”

  “We can’t stay here forever,” Wolfe countered.

  Caleb frowned. “Maybe we should take her home with us.”

  “Fuck,” Wolfe muttered. “How’d I know you were gonna say that?”

  Caleb sighed. “I can’t walk away from her, Wolfe. She’s still my friend.”

  But this wasn’t just about friendship. Nope, it was about something far, far more potent. And with the power to destroy them all.

  9

  Vivi watched as Aleki slept on the sofa across the room. He was twisted up on the tiny two-seater, his legs hanging over the edge, his arm over his eyes.

  He looked uncomfortable as fuck.

  Reaching over, she pinched her arm. Not a dream. She was waiting for the other shoe to drop. For them to tell her that they had some other reason for being here. That had nothing to do with her.

  The door opened and Wolfe walked in, carrying a tray of food. He seemed to have designated himself as the person-who-must-fatten-Vivi-up.

  It was kind of weird.

  She’d never realized he was this interested in food.

  She held a finger to her mouth as he went to talk then she pointed at Aleki. He nodded as he saw the other man was sleeping. He slid silently over to the table and set down the tray. Damn, he moved like a ghost. It was impressive and a bit scary.

  Turning, he crept over to Aleki then leaned in and shouted, “Wake up!”

  She let out a startled cry as Aleki quickly jumped up.

  Aleki was instantly on alert, staring around as though searching for an enemy as Wolfe calmly grabbed a chair and pulled it over to her bedside, before sitting and grabbing the bowl of oatmeal. He stirred it, blowing on it occasionally.

  “Wolfe, what the fuck!” Aleki roared.

  “Wolfe, that wasn’t very nice,” she scolded.

  Wolfe raised his eyebrows at her. “Since when did I claim to be nice?”

  Well, she guessed that was true.

  “Why would you do that? You gave me a fucking heart attack!” Aleki snapped.

  “You were sleeping on the job.” Wolfe kept stirring the oatmeal.

  Yuck. She didn’t want oatmeal. She didn’t really want anyt
hing. But if she had to eat, she’d rather have cake.

  “I wasn’t sleeping on the job.” Aleki glared at Wolfe.

  “What’s going on? Everything okay?” Caleb walked in, his hair up on end, yawning. He stretched and she got a glimpse of his abs when his T-shirt rose up.

  Yum.

  She probably shouldn’t be checking another man out when her husband had just died. But then he hadn’t been a proper husband to her, had he?

  What about the funeral? Were people wondering where she was? Was her father looking for her? What about the person who shot her?

  Worry filled her. She couldn’t stay here any longer. Bad enough she’d been with them for two nights. They were at risk just being around her.

  “Stop checking Caleb out and eat your oatmeal,” Wolfe scolded.

  She gave him a shocked look. “Wolfe!”

  “You were checking me out, huh?” Caleb drawled.

  “I was not.”

  “No lying,” Wolfe warned.

  She stared at him in shock. She wasn’t lying. Well, she was. But it was a little white lie so she didn’t die of embarrassment.

  “You can check me out anytime you feel like it, Vivi,” Caleb drawled, doing some more stretches.

  Okay, now he had to be doing it on purpose.

  “You were checking him out?” Aleki asked.

  “She totally was. She liked what she saw,” Caleb boasted.

  “Caleb!”

  He grinned and winked at her. Okay, that was unexpected. She turned to look at Aleki, worried about his reaction. He had his arms crossed over his chest, glaring down at her.

  Oh no. He was upset. She never wanted to do that.

  “How come you’re not checking me out?” Aleki asked.

  Umm. Okay. That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say.

  “W-what?”

  “If you’re gonna check Caleb out, you should check me out too. Fair’s fair.”

  “Fair’s fair?” she repeated.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Maybe she just thinks my abs are better, man,” Caleb said wickedly.

  What the hell? What was going on here? She reached over to pinch herself again.

  “What are you doing?” Wolfe grabbed hold of her wrist and she froze.

  “Umm, pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”