Landing loud blows across those burning, clenching cheeks, he varied the timing, smacking her once, then waiting, only to land a flurry of hard blows when she least expected it. Concentrating most of the spanks on a narrow band at the base of her buttocks and the tops of her thighs, he kept at her until her keening was continuous, her bottom a deep, swollen crimson, a crazy patchwork of darker welts and handprints over the flushed canvas of her plump buttocks.
Stroking her scorched cheeks, he loosened his grip on her hair. “Now, your punishment is done, as long as you start doing what you’re told. Do you think you can do that?”
She dropped her head as far as his grip allowed, her back hitching.
“I’m not doing this because I want to, Lily.”
I’m sure the fact your cock is hard as a rock against her hip doesn’t make that a lie right?
“I’m doing this because you need this. You need to learn the truth of things. And I’m going to show it to you.” He eased her thong back up, slower than he needed to, enjoying the view a little longer. He seated the black lace tightly between the blazing, enticing bottom cheeks, then pulled her jeans back up, leaving them unbuttoned. He brought her upright, moving her to the sit next to him, her flushed face downcast, eyes brimming tears, dark curls plastered to her forehead.
“Look at me, Lily.”
The coffee-brown eyes locked with his, their liquid depths making his heart twist. He saw hurt there, of course, but he saw something else, something that cut deeper than he’d ever expected.
Hatred.
Why the fuck does it matter, Lake?
It didn’t — not right now, anyway. The only thing that mattered was that she understood.
“I’m going to take this tape off and wipe your face.” Tears, snot, and runnels of dark mascara had made a mess of her much-too-potent beauty. “I’m not going to hear a peep out of you am I? One word, and it’s back over my lap. Got it?”
She nodded quickly, more tears welling from those pretty eyes. He didn’t want to think about the fact that her tears somehow aroused him even more. What the hell was it with this woman?
Maybe you’re just a sadistic fuck.
There didn’t really have to be an explanation for it. Maybe it didn’t matter anymore.
His thumb stroked through a crazy smear of mascara down her cheek. “It’s all done, Lily. As long as you behave.”
Fingers pulled the tape away as gently as he could, though she still winced, her eyes closing tightly. She worked her mouth as he balled the tape up in his hand. He reached forward, flipping open the center console storage area and retrieving one of the red shop rags he kept there, thankful he had a couple that were still clean.
He wiped the mess from her face, her cheeks flushed scarlet, her gaze sliding away from his.
“Now, I’ve still got a ton of driving to do. I need to know you’re going to behave yourself back here while I do it.” He threw the used rag up onto the front passenger seat then scrubbed his chin with a hand. “Can I trust you to stay quiet? Stay where you are? I might be able to release those cuffs if you can prove you’ve earned it.”
“I won’t — I won’t do anything. Just don’t hurt me.”
Lake felt a flare of anger and a little twinge of guilt.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Lily.”
All evidence to the contrary.
He looked out the side window at the hunter-green boughs of the cedars swaying in the wind. Then he grunted, shaking his head. “Believe it or not, I’m here to keep you in the drug dealer’s daughter business.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Her voice dropped, and she drew a shaky breath. “I mean, I don’t get what this is. Why — why are you doing this?”
Lake opened the door and slid out, turning in the doorway to face her. “What is this? This is us trying to stay alive, Lily. We’ve got a shit-ton of hurt looking for us now, and we need to get to safety so I can figure out what to do next.”
He ran a hand roughly through his hair, his palm noticeably sore from spanking Lily’s luscious little ass.
“Now, for why I’m doing this? I haven’t a fucking clue.”
Chapter 5
I buttoned up my jeans as quickly as I could and looked out the window as Lake drove back onto the highway. The car was quiet; I was quiet. I had nothing to say, I had to process what the hell had just happened, what he’d done to me. I glanced at him, at the side of his head, but when his eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, I quickly dropped my gaze to my lap where my hands rested, still linked together. My nail polish was peeling. With my thumbnail, I scratched it off completely from my fingers, all the while thinking, trying to understand.
He had spanked me. He had taken me over his knee, pulled down my jeans and panties and spanked me. It felt strange, I felt strange. I tried to make myself smaller, make myself disappear. When I inhaled, my breath hitched and I could feel his gaze on me again in the mirror. I wasn’t going to cry. If he was expecting me to cry then he was going to be disappointed.
The afternoon sun had disappeared now and it was full night. The window felt cold against my head but I laid it there, watching cars drive by, trying to keep track of the exits we passed but unable to after a while.
Had my father really hired Lake Freeman to guard me or had that been a lie? How had he known our safe word though? Nobody knew that. Hell, I barely remembered it. That was why I had gone so willingly with him. Although I hadn’t trusted him, I trusted my dad and if Lake knew those words, then I figured my dad had told them to him.
“Is my dad okay?” I asked, suddenly fearing the worst, wondering if something had happened to my father. Wondering if he’d been forced to give up those words. But why? What would be the point of that?
Lake looked back at me, his expression confused. “I would assume so. Why?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. Never mind.”
He turned back to the road, seemingly deep in thought himself. So my father had hired Lake but Lake had been paid by the cartel to kidnap me and deliver me to them. He and DeSalvo both. I didn’t want to ask what had happened to DeSalvo. I didn’t give a fuck about him. I remembered those last moments in the car before losing consciousness and between DeSalvo and Lake Freeman, I’d have chosen Lake as the safer option.
Lake who just bared your ass and spanked you.
My face felt hot as embarrassment washed over me at the very vivid memory. At least my butt didn’t hurt as much anymore. It hurt while he was spanking but the pain had passed quickly. If I could have though, I would rather have kept the physical pain and lost the humiliation of it.
Back to the why. Why not just hand me over to the cartel? He’d have gotten paid. Randall would have kept me alive if only to make sure my father didn’t testify against them, but that didn’t mean they’d have kept me safe. Hell, they probably would have done a lot worse than spank me by now.
I glanced at the back of Lake’s head again. Asshole. He was only the lesser of two evils; it would be good to remember that. And besides, what now? Why save me from the cartel? What was in it for him and what was in store for me?
Maybe I just like to keep pretty girls chained to my bed.
I swallowed, feeling flushed again, only it was different this time.
“I don’t understand why you’re doing this. They’ll kill you when they find you and they will find you. They’re not going to give up. You’re one man against a whole organization. An organization that doesn’t exactly put much value on human life — even less if that human life stole from them.”
He met my eyes in the mirror. His face was tight and I knew I wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know.
“Remember your promise to be quiet?” he asked.
I narrowed my eyes but when he held up the roll of duct tape, I exhaled and leaned my head back against the window.
* * *
I woke when the truck bounced over a pothole. Shit. Like the last time, I’d fallen asleep. I needed to know where he was taking me. I needed to stay alert.
“Where are we?” I asked, rubbing the heels of my palms over tired eyes.
He maneuvered around the curve and kept driving. We were in the woods somewhere. All I could see were trees, not a single car or house. The road looked to be unpaved and the next potholes sent me bouncing in my seat. A few more minutes of this and in the headlights, I could make out a house.
“Home,” he said finally, coming to a stop around the back of the house.
I was suddenly wide awake, looking out both windows for any sign that would tell me where we were.
“Where is this? How long have we been driving?” I cursed myself for not wearing a watch but I’d always used my cell phone to tell the time. I could have been out for hours; I had no idea.
Lake killed the engine, retrieved the pistol from the glove compartment and shoved it into the waistband of his jeans before picking up the tape and climbing out of the truck. He came to my side to open the door.
“We’re home, princess. Let’s go.”
I looked from him to the house and back.
“Need help?” he asked, his eyes hard again, his tone impatient.
I reached over and pushed the button to release my seatbelt. When he held out a hand to help me, I pulled away, climbing clumsily out on my own. He didn’t say anything but slammed the door shut then locked the truck. It was cold, colder here than it had been in the city.