by Rachel Blake
“I’m sure it’s a show you’ll get to see eventually.” Leaving the laughing woman at the table, Embry and one of the guards walked away. “Do you have to go into the bathroom with me?”
“No, I’ll just wait for you outside.” He touched her arm, pausing her for a second. “But don’t make me regret it. Deal?”
“Deal.”
As soon as the door closed behind her, she relaxed. Constantly being with people was starting to wear on her. Worse yet, Eden’s words were running through her head on repeat.
He was good to you in a time when no one else was, and he has the potential to be good for you again.
She was right, he’d always been good for her, showing her the affection she had craved so badly and the love she had missed her whole life, yet still set the boundaries she hadn’t known she needed. Looking back, she wasn’t even sure she realized he had set them back then.
Splashing water on her face, she looked at her reflection. “You’ve seen the guy once in fifteen years. Do not turn into the creep who starts planning your future together after a chance meeting.”
“Oh, I don’t know, dear. It worked out pretty well for me.”
Embry nearly jumped out of her skin. “You scared me.” Turning to the older woman, her hand clutching her chest, she apologized. “I’m sorry, I tend to talk to myself.”
“You’re fine, dear. I probably shouldn’t have answered, but I’ve learned over the years, if you have a piece of wisdom that could help someone else, you should share it.” The white-haired lady worked her hands into a lather. “I was separated from my husband for ten years. Of course, he wasn’t my husband at the time, but you get it. Anyway, when he came back into my life, we both just knew, and we were married two months later.”
“That’s sweet, how long have you been married?”
“Thirty-five years.” She pulled some paper towels from the dispenser. “I’m not telling you to throw yourself at him, but don’t dismiss him completely either.”
For the first time since she appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, the woman looked at her, and Embry’s heart dropped to her toes.
Shit.
“You’re Ross’ daughter, aren’t you?”
Shit.
“He told us that you were out of the country, visiting your mother’s family. Did you come back early?”
She didn’t know if she could speak, let alone what to say. Did she lie? Tell a woman she’d known most of her life she had just come home early, and oh, what a wonderful trip it had been?
Or did she tell the woman, who had turned a blind eye to the obvious abuse, like so many others had, the truth? Did she tell her she had finally reached her breaking point when her father had decided to sell her to gain access to her trust fund? That the man who was supposed to love her had told the same man how to get away with raping her.
“Dear, do I have the wrong person?”
“No, Mrs. Smith, you have the right person. You’re right, I’m Ross’ daughter.” There was no stopping the words once they started. “You know the one who came to you years ago and trusted you to help her?”
“Embry.” Mrs. Smith’s voice held a note of fear as if she didn’t want to have this conversation.
Too bad, Mrs. Smith.
“I showed you my bruises, told you what my father was doing to my mother and me, asked you to help me. Do you remember what you said to me?”
“I should get back to my husband.”
“No, you’re going to take a walk down memory lane with me.” Embry stepped into her path. “You offered me ice, then told me that was all you could do for me. That it wasn’t right for you to get involved in the affairs of my father’s house. You not only sent me back to him, but you called him to tell him of the ‘lies’ I’d told you. If it hadn’t been for the need to keep up appearance at some event the following day, he wouldn’t have stopped. I trusted you, trusted the fake façade you put out for the world to see.”
“Now, that’s not fair, Embry.”
“It’s not fair, but it’s the truth. You want to know what else is the truth? I never left the country. God, you know he wouldn’t let me do that. I ran away. I’m twenty-five years old, and I had to run away from home like a child.” She waited for a reply, any reply really, but Mrs. Smith didn’t offer any up. “Yeah, I didn’t think you would have much to say after that.”
Stepping to the side, Embry allowed the woman to leave, the need to stand up for the scared teen of her past was starting to eb and she needed to be alone before she lost it.
Counting to fifty, she took a deep breath and moved to the door. Shoulders back and her head held high, she stepped from the bathroom and forced herself to walk, not run to their table.
“I was beginning to think we were going to need to send in a search party.” Prim’s teasing smile fell from her face as soon as she looked at Embry, “What’s wrong?”
“We may have a problem,” Embry announced, collapsing into the booth.
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, everyone moved. The men moved as a unit, gathering the three women as close to them as they could, quickly shuffling them from the restaurant out to the car that was waiting for them at the curb.
Once they were safely in the car and pulling into traffic, Eden took her hand.
“What happened?”
Chapter Six
“Are you sure she knew who you were?” James asked for the hundredth time.
“She called me by my name. If that isn’t enough for you, she used my father’s name.” Embry threw herself back against the couch. “I got too comfortable. Two days here and I forgot I had someone I needed to protect myself against, someone I needed to fear. My own fucking father and the connections he has.”
“Maybe she isn’t going to tell him,” Prim offered.
Looking at the woman next to her, Embry smiled a twisted smile, “Yeah, and maybe she didn’t tell my father I went to her for help when I was a kid. And maybe, I didn’t get beat by him the second I walked through the door to my own personal hell. Yeah, maybe this time will be different.”
“You went to her for help, and she told your father? She didn’t help you?” Anger was clear in Prim’s voice, even as tears shimmered in her eyes. “What sort of person does that?”
“The kind I grew up with,” Embry replied.
“Suddenly, I’m really happy I grew up in my neighborhood. The people there may not have been able to help with money, but if I had told one of them my dad was abusing us, they would have kicked his ass.” Prim pulled her in, so Embry had no choice but to rest her head on Prim’s lap as her fingers ran through her hair.
“I wasn’t looking for anyone to kick his ass, I just needed help.” Embry’s attempts to sit up were quickly squashed when she was forced back down, and her hair was given a sharp tug. “He had broken my mom’s arm the night before, I just needed help.”
“How long were you guys in there after she came back out?” James asked.
“As soon as she said there was a problem, the guys had us out and in the car within minutes.” Not a single trace of concern shown on Eden’s face. “James, we moved quickly enough, I doubt this Mrs. Smith even saw who she left with.”
“The chances of her getting a photo is minimal then. We know you weren’t followed, the guys made sure of that.” James absentmindedly nodded his head. “Okay, we’re good, but at this point, we have to assume your father knows you’re still in town.”
“The radius is narrowed down. Now, he’ll start looking for me harder than ever. He’s going to be pissed I’ve been here all this time.” Embry didn’t want to give her concerns a voice, but she had no choice. “I’m scared.”
“We’ll protect you.”
The words reverberated around Embry, coming from everyone in the room. The strength behind the three simple words had her relaxing despite the evening’s events. The knock at the door had her back on high alert in a second.
“Relax, Em. It’s probably jus
t one of the guys with an update for James.” Prim allowed her nails to lightly run along her scalp.
James was the only one who moved. They all assumed it was for him, but the voice at the door told a different story.
“He knows where she is.” Maverick had tried to whisper, but his rushed words carried through the apartment.
“How did he figure it out?” James didn’t wait for an answer before moving onto the next question. “How did you get this information before we did?”
“I’m listed as The Garden’s lawyer. He contacted me.” Maverick moved into the apartment and stopped dead in his tracks as soon as he saw her. “Angel.”
“He wasn’t supposed to find me yet. I was supposed to have more time. Be able to prove my worth before anyone had to decide if I was worth the fight or not.” Embry watched as Maverick’s face went hard. She was so lost in the disapproving look, she’d missed the way Eden’s expression had shifted and changed.
“I warned you about talking badly about my girls when we were at supper,” Eden reminded her.
“Um.” That was as far Embry got before a hand grasped her wrist, pulled her to her feet, and pushed her into her bedroom.
“George, George. What are you doing?” The sound of the door closing behind them had her turning to face the man. “What are you doing?”
He didn’t say a word until he was seated on the bed, already well into the process of rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt.
“Take down your sweats.”
“What? Why?” Embry’s hands went to the waistband of her pants as if the command given a voice was enough to force the garment to disappear.
“Did she remind you at supper? Tell you talking badly about yourself wasn’t allowed?”
“Well, yes, but it just slipped.”
“Angel, you signed a contract. You knew it wasn’t tolerated and were warned.”
“It was just an off the hand remark, I didn’t harm anyone.”
“Didn’t harm anyone?” Maverick eyes collided with hers. “You harmed the most important person in your life. You harmed you. I will not allow anyone to put my girl down, let alone your worst possible critic.”
“Worst critic? Wait, your girl?”
“Yourself. You are your own worst critic. Now, take down your sweatpants.”
“We're just going to ignore the fact that you called me your girl?”
His face softened the slightest bit. “You’ve always been my girl.”
“I’m pretty sure it doesn’t work that way.”
“And I’m pretty sure I told you to take down your sweats, yet here you stand, still fully dressed.”
Embry looked at the floor. “I’m nervous. I’ve only been spanked once, and you didn’t exactly give me a chance to prepare for it then. You just… did it.”
“That spanking was meant to get you to stop yelling and listen. If I remember correctly, it worked pretty well.” A smirk played at the corner of his mouth. “This spanking is to teach you, to help you remember the promise I made you all those years ago and the rules you agreed to just a few days ago.”
“Can’t you just pull me over like you did the last time? Make it easier for me?”
“There will be times I do that.”
“Wait, how often do you plan on spanking me?” Finally letting go of the waistband of her pants, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Why are you spanking me, anyway?”
“You’re right.” Maverick stood from the bed and moved toward the door. “I have absolutely no right to be doing this. As much as I feel it would do you some good, it’s not my place. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pulled you in here.”
“No.” The single word was spoken with conviction and strength. She wasn’t sure where it came from, but she knew it was called for. “I…” Embry struggled for the correct words, the appropriate way to say what she needed to. “I want this. I trust you.” Realizing what she had just implied, she rushed forward. “Not that I don’t trust them, it’s just…”
“We have a history, even if it was just two kids fumbling around in the dark.”
“Exactly. I trust you, George. I know you’re not the same boy who loved me in high school, but you remind me a lot of him, and I need to remember the one person who protected and loved me.”
Maverick took hold of her chin, much like he had earlier.
“I’m not the teenage boy who, on a whim, pulled you over his leg and gave you love taps behind the school, Angel. I’ve grown and learned since then. I actually know what I’m doing now.”
“And I’m not the same scared, voiceless little girl who was afraid of her own shadow. I know what I’m capable of and since my mother passed, I’ve learned to fight for what I’m owed.”
“Like a spanking?”
“No.” Embry pulled her chin from his grasp, the smile splitting his handsome face too much to handle. “Like not being forced into an abusive marriage so my good-for-nothing father can gain access to my trust fund.”
“And spankings.”
“No.” His brow slowly moving to his hairline had her amending her response. “Fine and spankings.”
“I’m not who should be doing this.”
She didn’t know what got into her, but the pillow called to her, and she was helpless to stop herself. Moving to the bed, she picked it up and swung it at his head. The feel of her weapon of choice making contact with its target was satisfying, but that satisfaction was short-lived. As soon as she started laughing, she was lifted off her feet and tossed on the bed.
He came over top of her and pinned her hands above her head, “Are you asking for it?”
“Um. I-I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“That much is clear. Do you remember The Garden’s safewords?”
“I still can’t believe they call them that.”
“It’s a universal term that can be used for more than just lifestyle play. Now, what are the safewords?”
“Yellow or red.”
“Will you use them if you need to?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Make sure you do.” Rolling off her, he took a seat on the edge of the bed once more. “Drop your sweats.”
She didn’t hesitate this time, rising confidently from the bed and stood before him. Finally, with a deep breath, Embry pushed her pants to her ankles and stepped out of them.
“Remember your safewords. Using them won’t get you thrown out or thought of as any less. They’re there for a reason.” His eyes still glued to her feet, he asked once more, “Are you sure you’re okay with this. We don’t have to do this.”
“I want you, George. Your punishment.”
Heat rushed to her face when he finally allowed his eyes to move up her legs. Shit, when was the last time she’d shaved?
“Um.” When his eyes moved to her face, she said the first thing that came to mind, “Do you want my underwear down, too?”
“No, I’ll take them down when I’m ready.” His hands went to her hips and pulled her in close, forcing her to look down at him. “Can you tell me why we’re here?”
“My big mouth.”
“Embry Grace.” His fingers flexed into her flesh. “Are you trying to get more?”
“No, definitely not.”
“Then how about you try answering me respectfully.”
“I spoke badly about myself. That’s why you’re about to pull me over your lap, Sir.”
Maverick nodded his head. “Were you ever allowed to do that with me?”
“I mean, I never got spanked for it, but you always got after me about it.”
“Do you know why?” When her only response was a shrug, he continued, “You have enough outside forces trying to tear you down, like hell am I going to let you do it, too.”
“It’s all I have ever known.”
“Which is why it’s not allowed. We’re going to change what you know and teach you what it’s like to be truly loved by others, as well as yourself.”
“Okay.�
� She rolled her eyes at her own response. She was about to lay over the lap of the only real boyfriend she ever had, and all she had to say was ‘okay?’
She had a lot more to say, but she couldn’t bring herself to vocalize it, couldn’t force the words past the frog in her throat. Instead, she stood there, gaping like a fish out of water.
Smooth, Embry. Real smooth.
“Talk to me, Angel. I need to know what’s running through your head.”
“You can’t expect me to tell you everything that goes through my head.” Embry couldn’t meet his eyes, sure he would know exactly what she was thinking if she did.
“No, but when I ask, you need to tell me, especially if I’m about to pull you over my lap and light your ass on fire.”
“On fire?”
“Yes, and I already know the thought of me doing just that turns you on, Angel.”
“How?”
Maverick looked her dead in the eye and smiled, “You’re rubbing your thighs together, so either you’re turned on, or you really need to go to the bathroom.”
“Did you just? You did not just say that.”
His laughter started out as a deep rumble before it erupted from him, “You asked.”
“I’m not weird for wanting to experience it?”
“Not to me or anyone else in this apartment, you aren’t. I’m not going to lie, there are people in this world who would think the whole lot of us are freaks, but you want to know something about them?” At her nod, he continued, “They’re missing out on all the fun.”
Their laughter was interrupted by a knock at the door a second before Eden spoke, “Maverick, if this is your idea of a punishment, I think you’re doing it wrong.”
“Oh my God!” Embry’s face burned as the man in front of her howled with laughter. “This isn’t funny, George. If they can hear us laughing, they’re going to hear everything else.”
“You mean me spanking you?”
“You know that’s what I mean.”
“Then we may as well get it over with.” A hand at her hip guided her to his side. “Let’s get it over with, so we can figure out if there needs to be any extra precautions.”
