by Alta Hensley
He pushed himself up on his elbows and glared at her.
With her face flushed, her breathing still erratic, she raised her gaze to meet his.
“Ariana.” He pushed her leg out of his way and stood from the bed. With his hands fisted on his hips, he kept his hot stare on her. “What did you say?”
Her hand covered her mouth.
“I…I’m sorry,” she hurried to apologize from behind her fingers.
Costello grabbed hold of her arm and dragged her from the bed. He’d been positioned as a Daddy in the House for a little over a year, with one more to go before he earned the move up in rank in the Romero family. In that year, he’d never had a girl grab him the way she had while she rode her orgasm or screamed out with a curse word.
Maybe he’d taken her too quickly to his room. Maybe she needed more time, needed to understand where exactly she was and how she was to behave. The Lullaby should have taken care of that. It should have worked to keep her mental age low enough to be pliable and innocent. And yet, his little girl just screamed fuck while fisting his hair.
“Daddy, I’m sorry…so sorry… please.” She tried to tug free of his grip, but he wasn’t messing around.
He yanked her across his bedroom to the corner, pressing her into it. She tried to twist around to look at him, but he delivered a hard smack to her ass, and she quickly thought better of it.
Sniffles came easily after the second spank and he released her arm, sure she wouldn’t try to bolt from the corner.
“Do you know why you’re standing here in the corner, Ariana?” He moved behind her, folding his arms over his chest. The muscles in her back tensed, and her shoulders shook slightly.
He had scared her.
“I said a bad word?” she asked tentatively.
“Yes. You did.” He lowered his gaze down to her ass. So shapely and sweet, marred only by the two red handprints he’d left behind.
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I…I don’t know where the word came from.”
Costello didn’t respond.
“I…I’m a bad girl,” she whimpered and started to sway back and forth in the corner. His little girl took to guilt quite easily.
He dropped his hands to his sides and sighed. He needed to go slowly with her. She was just learning the ways of the House. But she couldn’t get away with such foul language. None of the little girls were allowed to curse. Not even during their big girl times. It was one of the few rules Frank imposed on the Daddies of the House in regard to the girls’ trainings. No cursing. He found it distasteful, even when they had a pussy full of cock.
But there was an even bigger issue. She shouldn’t even have had the inclination to use that word. Not if the medicine was working right.
“You’re not a bad girl,” he said, stroking her back. “You said a very bad word though, Ariana. You can’t say that word ever again. For any reason. Do you understand me?” He leaned his shoulder against the wall and watched her profile.
One tear slipped down her face and rested near her quivering lip, leaving a wet streak behind on her rosy cheek.
“I won’t. I promise,” she said quietly.
He pulled her arm and turned her to face him. Wiping the tears from her cheeks, he smiled down at her.
“Good. See? That’s a good girl. I think maybe the medicine didn’t work well enough this morning.”
She stiffened, and her eyes went wide. “No. I think it did,” she protested.
He paused. “It’s okay, Ariana. Sometimes it takes a few doses, and we already had to use more sedative with you than normal. I’ll take you back to your room and ask the nanny to bring you another sippy cup. You’ll take a nap and by dinner time, you should be on track.”
“Oh, okay,” she said, a small smile tugging on her lips.
“But first, you have to answer me honestly.” He cupped her chin and brought it higher. “Did you like what Daddy did to you? Did you like my kisses?”
Her cheeks erupted into a deep red blush, and she lowered her gaze.
He chuckled. “I think you did. But you have to always answer your daddy. Your forever daddy will need you to tell him how much you enjoyed his touches. So, you’ll practice with me.”
Usually, explaining what will be expected of the girls in her next house didn’t affect him. It was simply part of his job to describe what their next daddy might want. But with Ariana looking so innocent and pure before him, with the small tinge of embarrassment present on her delicate features, it turned his stomach. Another man would be giving her these instructions in a few short months if he did his job well. He’d only have weeks with her, while some asshole would get a lifetime.
Ariana winced, looking up, and Costello loosened his grip on her chin. He needed to get his thoughts under control.
“So, go on, Ariana. Tell Daddy,” he encouraged when she still kept silent.
“I did, Daddy. I liked when you kissed my…” Her cheeks flamed again, and the words died off.
He raised his eyebrows. Too much leeway and she’d get the idea she could use her cuteness against him. All little girls tried it at least once with him.
“Your pussy. I kissed your pussy. Go on.”
“I liked it when you kissed my pussy, Daddy. I liked it a lot,” she said and dropped her gaze to settle on his chest.
“That’s a good girl.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers, meaning only to give her a peck. But once he touched her, he wanted more.
So much more.
His hand slipped along her jaw to cup her face, and he pressed harder against her, deepening the kiss.
“Open for me,” he mumbled against her mouth, and when his tongue touched her bottom lip, she parted for him. Sweetly giving over to him the way a good girl does for her daddy. When he broke the kiss, tearing himself away from her, he touched his nose to hers.
“I like that, too, Daddy,” she whispered, her soft breath washing across his cheeks.
He chuckled. “Me too, little girl. Me too.” He stepped back from her. “Let’s get you dressed.”
He scooped up the dress from the chair. “No, I’m going to dress you. Not all Daddies do that, but in my room, if you need dressing, I’ll do it.” He gathered the material in his hands and thrust the opening of the dress over her head. Silently, she let him maneuver her arms through the sleeves and button her up.
“Shoes.” He pointed at the bed for her to sit on the edge, and he wiggled her feet into the patent leather black Mary Janes, buckling them for her. “Perfect.”
“Thank you, Daddy.” She wiped the hair from her face that had come undone from their activities.
He helped her off the bed and linked their hands together. “Naptime,” he said and tugged her toward the door. “Real naptime,” he qualified.
As he walked her down the corridor to her own bedroom, he sensed the tension in her body ease. By the time he was at her door, she actually looked sleepy. Maybe he’d pushed too hard too soon. He’d leave her be until the morning, then he’d work with her again.
“Is Nanny Nancy coming?” she asked. She tried to hide her distaste, but Costello picked up on it easily enough. Most girls didn’t like the meddling bitch, and Costello didn’t disagree with their assessment.
“No. I’ll ask Maria to come in. You’ll like her.” He sat Ariana on her bed and kissed her forehead, stilling himself from really kissing her again or worse.
“Okay, Daddy,” she said with a yawn and threw herself backward onto the bed.
He narrowed his gaze on her. Her voice seemed strained, not as natural as he would think. Shaking his head, he chalked it up to her high tolerance of medicines. Once Maria gave her a second dose, she’d have an easier time.
Four doses in and Ariana still didn’t feel the effects of the medicine the other girls around her seemed to have. While in the dayroom playing with stuffies and coloring in books, Ariana’s mind rebelled against the monotonous activities. She did her best to copy the behaviors of the other gir
ls—she knew her survival depended on it.
It was all getting to be too much. How long could she keep this up? Costello hadn’t come for her after dinner when most of the other Daddies showed up to put their little girls to bed. She’d counted it a blessing since he’d expect her to behave differently.
She had to stay under his radar. He already suspected the medicine didn’t work right with her, but he seemed so hopeful a second dose would put things right. Another concern weighing on her was how much the nannies suspected. Nancy checked on her constantly, but the other two—Maria and Anna—seemed to lay off once Ariana started sucking on her thumb.
She had to actually suck on her thumb.
But she had to do something, anything, to stay alive. The threat of being put to sleep was a very real thing, and she would find a way to play this twisted game if she had to.
“I want the red crayon.” Shelby reached across the coloring book Ariana was coloring in and grabbed the red crayon from the small pile Ariana had put aside for herself.
“I’m using it,” Ariana said and snatched it from Shelby’s hand.
“No, you’re not!” Shelby argued and tried to grab it again, but Ariana twisted away and held it to her chest.
“It’s mine,” Ariana said when Shelby reached for it again.
She already had to bear the indignity of having the damn nannies help her dress, dry her after her baths, and she’d been given exactly zero minutes to herself that wasn’t meant for sleeping. Enough was enough already. The damn crayon was hers.
“Girls. What’s going on?” Maria walked over to the coloring station. “You have to share,” she said gently.
Ariana blinked a few times. She should just let Shelby use the crayon. Ariana didn’t even need it yet. And a rational adult would do so. But she wasn’t supposed to be a rational adult. She was supposed to be an emotional drugged out little girl.
It was damn time she gave these sick assholes exactly what they wanted.
“No!” Ariana shouted at Maria and shoved Shelby’s shoulder hard enough to knock her out of her chair.
“Ariana!” Nancy’s shrill voice called from across the room.
“Now you’ve done it,” Maria muttered. She put her hand out. “Give me the crayon, Ariana. You’ll need to go sit in time out while we get your daddy.”
“Daddy?” Ariana’s throat clenched. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. Of course they’d call him.
Ariana dropped the crayon in Maria’s hand and got up from her chair. Shelby was already sitting up on the floor with her tongue sticking out in Ariana’s direction.
“Come on.” Maria grabbed Ariana’s hand and pulled her to the bright red stool that was kept in the corner of the room. Sometimes girls sat there after their daddies had dealt with them, and the daddies wanted the other girls to learn the same lesson. Shelby had sat there just last night. Her ass had been so red, Ariana had cringed looking at it.
At least this would give her a chance to prove to Costello the medicine was working, and he didn’t have to worry. It would buy her a little more time to figure out what to do before Uncle Frank could learn that she wasn’t like the others and put her to sleep.
A shiver shot down her spine at the thought. No. She wouldn’t end up that way. She would figure this all out.
“You sit here. Nanny Nancy has already called your daddy. He’s very unhappy with you.” Maria laid on the guilt pretty thick while she pushed Ariana onto the stool.
He’d spank her, no doubt about that. Ariana had survived the first one, she’d survive this as well.
As soon as Ariana’s ass hit the stool, the door to the dayroom flung open and Costello marched in. A cold shudder ran through her when his heated glare settled on her. He was dressed in a black collared button-down shirt and jeans. The casual look shouldn’t be so damn seductive on a man who looked ready to crush her.
“Ariana.” His deep tenor shook her insides.
“Thank you for coming. She wasn’t sharing, and then she shoved Shelby off her chair,” Maria explained plainly.
“She’s been very aggressive today.” Nancy hurried over to the corner to tattle. Ariana glared up at her.
“I have not!” she defended herself, starting to get off the stool.
“Stay put.” Costello shoved her back down with his hand on her shoulder and turned his attention to Nancy. “How so?”
“She hoards the crayons and if anyone wants to use them, she won’t let them. Earlier today I saw her shove the chair away from Courtney so she couldn’t sit with her at the playdough center.”
Ariana’s mouth dropped open at the bald-faced lie the nanny was sprouting.
“Is that right, Maria?” Costello questioned the second nanny.
“I wasn’t here for that,” she answered him, but the way she frowned told Ariana she knew Nancy was making it up.
“I’ll deal with her.” Costello ended the questions, and grabbed Ariana by her arm, hauling her off of the stool.
“But she’s not telling the truth,” Ariana complained. Acting like a little girl or not, Ariana would not let that bitch get her into more trouble than she had coming to her. She did just fine on her own without any help from that sick in the head psycho.
“Not another word,” Costello warned with a shake of his head.
Ariana slapped her mouth closed and did her best to keep up with him as he marched her out of the dayroom and down the hall. His fingernails dug into her skin, pinching her, but the dark glare still lingered on his expression. She didn’t mention it.
Costello pushed her bedroom door open and dragged her inside, kicking the door closed behind them. Only once he was leaning against the door, did he let go of her arm.
She instantly rubbed her hand over the pinched area.
“You aren’t taking me to your room?” she asked.
“No,” he said firmly. “I was on my way to an important meeting when Nancy called me to tell me what a bad girl you’ve been today.” He crossed his arms over his chest. His muscles pressed against the fabric of his shirt with his positioning, but it was the dark tattoos covering both arms that captured her attention. Everything about this man screamed danger, yet Ariana could already feel her pussy starting to get wet for him.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” he demanded.
Right. She was supposed to beg forgiveness or something.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.” She spoke from the mental script she’d made for herself. What meeting did he need to go to? What exactly did he do other than take care of women who were drugged and made to be little girls for the perverse pleasure of fucked up strangers?
“Hmmm.” His lips screwed up in disbelief. “I shouldn’t have given you so much time without instruction.” He shook his head. “You’re new here, and you should have had more Daddy time.”
This was his fault? Okay, she could get behind that. Maybe he wouldn’t spank her then. Just wag his finger at her and leave her to sit in her room all afternoon. A break from all the acting and mind-numbing playroom would be heaven.
“If you have to go to a meeting, I understand.” She went to her bed and sat on the edge.
His dark brow arched. “I have an important matter to deal with first.”
She swallowed. That didn’t sound promising.
“Why did you decide not to share with Shelby?” he asked, speaking down to her. It was one of the most annoying parts of her time with these people. No one talked to her like she could grasp simple concepts.
“I was using the crayon,” she said simply. Her ability to playact was slipping away the longer he glared at her. Surely, he’d see through her.
“You have to share everything around here, and you sure as hell don’t put your hands on the other girls. And you don’t yell at your nannies.”
“I didn’t—”
“Right in front of me, you yelled at Nancy in the dayroom,” he pointed out.
Her shoulders fell. If he were living her life, he’d
scream too. But she couldn’t tell him that.
“Nanny Nancy wasn’t telling the truth.” She forced a pout. It wasn’t too difficult; that bitch of a woman was always lying about the girls. Twice that morning, she’d gotten two girls in trouble because she made up lies. None of them defended themselves, probably because they were used to it by now. But Ariana wasn’t used to any of this yet. And if she had any luck, she wouldn’t need to be.
There had to be a way to get Costello or someone else to take her out of the House. Once they were out, she would be able to find an easier way to escape.
But first she had to deal with her own stupidity at hoarding a fucking crayon.
“I know,” he said with a firm nod. “I’ll worry about Nancy. But you did push Shelby.”
Ariana clenched her teeth. It was the only thing keeping her from stomping her feet and screaming her head off. She hadn’t gotten in trouble for pushing someone since elementary school. This entire situation was absurd. She was going to crack soon, and it had only been a few days.
Costello dropped his hands to his belt and quickly worked it open. Ariana’s gaze froze on his motions as he tugged on the leather and pulled it free of his jeans. No longer concerned with acting her age, she scrambled to the top of the bed.
He shook his head. “You can’t hide from your punishment. Let’s go.” He snapped his fingers and pointed to the edge of the bed. “Lift up that dress, drop your panties, and bend over. Bottom nice and high.” He gave his order while tapping the folded belt against his thigh.
He couldn’t be serious.
She wouldn’t be able to handle a belt. She’d barely survived his hand.
“Can’t you just…ground me?” she asked, wrapping her arms around her knees.
“Ground you?” he asked as though the term was foreign to him. “Ariana, get in position and take your spanking. If I have to put you there, you’ll get another belting before bed tonight, and you’ll be wearing a diaper tomorrow.”
Her heart stopped. A diaper. No fucking way.
She scrambled off the bed and reached beneath her play dress, shoving her panties to her knees.
