DADDY’S LITTLE SURVIVOR

MISSOURI DADDIES
BOOK TWO
EVERLY RAINE
Copyright © 2023 by Everly Raine

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means,
including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author,
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Cover Artist: Scott Carpenter

Editor: Charyl Maddox

 CONTENTS

Content Warnings
1. Chapter One
2. Chapter Two
3. Chapter Three
4. Chapter Four
5. Chapter Five
6. Chapter Six
7. Chapter Seven
8. Chapter Eight
9. Chapter Nine
10. Chapter Ten
11. Chapter Eleven
12. Chapter Twelve
13. Chapter Thirteen
14. Chapter Fourteen
15. Chapter Fifteen
16. Chapter Sixteen
17. Chapter Seventeen
18. Chapter Eighteen
19. Chapter Nineteen
20. Chapter Twenty
21. Chapter Twenty-One
22. Chapter Twenty-Two
23. Chapter Twenty-Three
24. Chapter Twenty-Four
25. Chapter Twenty-Five
26. Chapter Twenty-Six
27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
28. Chapter Twenty-Eight
29. Chapter Twenty-Nine
30. Chapter Thirty
31. Chapter Thirty-One
32. Chapter Thirty-Two
33. Chapter Thirty-Three
34. Chapter Thirty-Four
35. Chapter Thirty-Five
36. Chapter Thirty-Six
37. Chapter Thirty-Seven
38. Chapter Thirty-Eight
39. Chapter Thirty-Nine
40. Chapter Forty
41. Chapter Forty-One
Epilogue

Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Everly Raine
To everyone who reads my books. Love ya
 BLURB

With no plan in mind, Monroe knows only one thing. If she doesn’t take
this chance to escape, the next beating might be her last. Out of gas, food,
and luck, and desperate for some rest and safety, she pulls up to the side of
a residential street to gather her thoughts.
Michael, free clinic doctor and club owner, wants to help the damsel in
distress parked outside his door, but his very presence causes her to pass out
from a panic attack.
Upon closer inspection, he realizes she may be the Little he’s been
looking for. But will her fear keep him away? Will he be able to help her or
will her worst nightmare come back with a vengeance?

Author Note: This is an age play book. If you are comfortable

reading about age play, ABDL, spicy scenes, discipline (including
spankings, corner time, and more), then this is the book for you!
 CONTENT WARNINGS

T rigger Warnings: Little, ABDL, talk of abuse, cara crash, light

cursing, spanking, ginger, spicy scenes.

T HIS IS AN AGE PLAY BOOK . If you are comfortable reading about age
play, ABDL, spicy scenes, discipline (including spankings, corner time,
and more), then this is the book for you!
CHAPTER ONE
 MONROE

M onroe looked once again in her rearview mirror to see if anyone

was following her. It had been three days since she’d escaped.
Three long and hard days, but she wanted to put as much distance
between herself and him as she could. Monroe hadn’t slept a lot the past
three days; she’d been too scared.
She had been on the road for a total of twenty-six hours since her last
stop for gas and a nap. Monroe could only manage to sleep a couple of
hours without starting to panic. The thought of him closing the distance
between them scared her.
Stopping several times hadn’t been part of her plan, but she couldn’t do
anything about it. Exhaustion weighed down on her bones as she sat for
hours driving down highways. She had almost fallen asleep a couple of
times but had managed to push through it. She’d had no choice.
Any time she stopped somewhere, she made sure to keep her sweatshirt
hood up to hide her skin. Her once smooth and silky skin was now marred
with bruises, cuts, scars, and scabs. Monroe had made the mistake of not
putting her hood up the first time she’d stopped to get gas and had seen
several people staring and whispering.
She had quickly left after that, afraid someone would call the cops, and
he would find her.
 A shiver ran through her body at that thought. She prayed he wouldn’t
easily find her, but couldn’t know for sure. Monroe had paid attention to
him talking about his work, trying to pick up good information–he had
apparently hidden several people he knew–so when she left, she used the
techniques she had learned to hide herself so he couldn’t find her. Or she
hoped he couldn’t.
She just hoped it paid off. When she’d first left, she had bought new
clothes and dumped her old ones. She hoped he hadn’t placed any trackers
in her car, and had looked once she’d gotten to the first motel, but she didn’t
really know what she was looking for.
She had never heard him talking about tracking people before like that,
but she knew he was good at what he did. It was his specialty, placing
tracking devices everywhere and them being undetected. Monroe hadn’t
used her car in over five, almost six, years, right before she moved in with
him, and had never seen him touch her car.
She could only hope he hadn’t bothered to place one on her car. The
idea of him tracking her through her car made her stomach churn. She
couldn’t think about that because her mind could go into a dark place fast
and she was driving right now.
She didn’t have enough money to get rid of her car and buy another one.
No one would give her enough money for her car. It was old and soon to be
unreliable.
Blinking, Monroe rubbed her eyes quickly and looked at the exit. She
needed to stop soon for gas and figure out where she was. If she even had
enough money to get gas.
She had been saving for a year in hopes she would have enough to
leave. She barely had enough but she was making it last as long as she
could. Maybe she could stop in this town and get a job if they had any
available. Monroe didn’t have a college degree and only had her GED.
 Sighing, she pulled down a road and continued to drive. Monroe didn’t
know where she was. All she had was a map for Ohio, but that didn’t do her
any good because she wasn’t in Ohio anymore. She knew that for sure.
All she had was a burner phone and she hoped it still had a battery that
worked. Maybe she could look up where she was, but she didn’t know if
that was possible. It wasn’t anything fancy and she didn’t know if it had a
GPS signal to track where she was.
Monroe wasn’t good with technology. When she’d bought the phone,
she had asked the clerk for a prepaid phone that couldn’t be tracked and the
person had given her this flip phone, something she was familiar with.
Pulling over, Monroe put the car in park and grabbed the burner phone.
Crap. It was dead. Just her luck. Nothing was going in her favor right now.
She searched the small bag that held the charger cord, pulled it out to
inspect it, and realized she didn’t have the plug to put it in her car and
charge it.
Monroe sighed and leaned her head against the steering wheel.
Everything in her body ached as she leaned forward. The last time she’d
stopped at a gas station, she’d looked at pain meds, but couldn’t afford
them.
What was she going to do now? She didn’t have a lot of gas left in her
car and she didn’t think she had enough money to get more.
Maybe she could stop at a convenience store and ask if there were any
places hiring so she could earn some money. She needed to keep moving
but Monroe knew it would take a while to earn enough money to do that.
Not many places hired when a GED was all the person had, and they
didn’t pay well, either. Maybe she could get a job at a diner and they could
pay her cash under the table. It would probably be a sketchy diner, but she
would do it if it meant getting paid.
Monroe didn’t know how long she would have to run and stay hidden.
Would she have to do this for the rest of her life? She didn’t know if she
could do that.
Pulling her hood down, she let out a sigh. It was hot in the car but she
didn’t want to turn it back on for the AC. It would waste gas she would
need once she decided to do next.
All Monroe wanted to do now was find a safe place where she could
rest and not have to worry about anything, but it didn’t seem like she was
ever going to be able to do that. It had only been three days, yet it felt like it
had been three years.
Exhaustion weighed her body down and she tried to relax in her car.
Stomach growling, she wrapped her arm gently around her stomach to stop
it. She hadn’t eaten in a while, and she didn’t know when she was going to
eat next.
Did she have enough money to get food and gas?
No.
She didn’t and she already knew that, but she wanted to pretend she had
to think about it. Give her something else to think about that wasn’t her
stomach growling or how thirsty she was.
Would she die of dehydration and starvation? How long did it take for
that to happen? Monroe hadn’t drunk or eaten anything in over a day, trying
to save money for gas. Like that did her much good. She probably could
have gotten a bottle of water or something to eat at the last gas station she’d
stopped at.
Monroe didn’t know how much gas ten dollars was going to get her in
this city. A strangled cry escaped her lips at the thought of the city. She had
no clue where she was and that worried her.
Everything was starting to crash down on her. The reality of escaping
him and driving to who knows where was settling in. Oh gosh. What was
she going to do? How was she going to earn money when she was on the
run? She wasn’t cut out for this type of life.
 Her grip on the steering wheel tightened as she tried to ground herself.
She needed to get a hold of herself. There was no time for panic attacks or
worrying about things. She needed to get moving.
Monroe forcibly relaxed her body and let her arms rest on her lap. She
needed to find a gas station, get gas, and ask if anywhere was hiring. Would
they hire her with all the bruises or turn her away?
A shiver ran through her body as she let out a shuddering breath. It was
so hot. She knew she shouldn’t have worn all this clothing, but she wanted
to cover up so no one saw the bruises and called the cops.
Before she could think about the answer, knocking on the window
pulled her from her thoughts. Turning her head, she stared at a figure
towering over her car. Heart rate picking up, it took her brain a couple of
seconds to realize it was a man and he didn’t look happy.
Her eyes quickly scanned his features and took in his short brown hair
and beard, dark jeans, and deep red button-down shirt before her reflexes
triggered and she scrambled as far away from the door as she could get.
Large men with muscles were bad news.
Opening her mouth, she let out an ear-piercing scream and shied even
more away from the window. Who was that? Could he have already found
her and sent someone after her? To keep her here until he arrived?
Her eyes went wide, and she stopped breathing as she stared at the man
on the other side of the window.
CHAPTER TWO
 MONROE

M onroe sat frozen in her car, not breathing, her hands starting to
shake. Shit. She was about to have a panic attack.
So many things were running through her head as she stared at him. Did
he know Jared? Had Jared sent this man to hurt her? Put her in her place
and tie her up until Jared got to town and forced her to leave with him?
Black started to cover the corner of her vision and her eyes burned with
tears. Everything was getting to be too much.
“Breathe,” the man said.
His voice was surprisingly calm and tender. Why would he be telling
her to breathe? Wouldn’t he want her to pass out so he could break into her
car and kidnap her? Her eyes went even wider at that thought. Shit. She
needed to breathe so she didn’t pass out. She didn’t want to be taken.
“Breathe,” the man said again, but this time it was more of a command.
Her hand flew to her neck and she winced as it connected with a bruise.
Monroe’s eyes stayed on his as she started to claw at her neck. She needed
to breathe but couldn’t. It was like her brain couldn’t comprehend enough
to send a signal for her lungs to breathe.
The man by her window bent down and while it eased some of her
worry, at the same time, it sent her into an even worse panic. Was he going
to pick her lock and break in?
 “Can you focus on my words?” he asked softly as if he was speaking to
a child.
Monroe stared into his eyes and took a little gasp of breath, her hand
tightening around her neck. Wincing, tears sprung to her eyes as the pain
radiated through her neck. She needed to stop doing that, but she couldn’t.
She didn’t think she could take her hand off her neck.
“Just listen to my voice and try to calm down. Everything’s okay.
You’re okay. Take a deep breath in. Hold it for a second. Let it out now,” he
spoke as he walked her through breathing.
Monroe took a deep breath in again but started to cough, which resulted
in her breathing picking up again. If she couldn’t breathe in deep, how was
she going to breathe at all?
“No, no. Don’t panic. You’re okay,” the man said. “Look at me.”
She couldn’t bring herself to look at him again, instead looking at her
other hand that was laying on her lap, shaking.
Waves in her vision started to appear and her head lolled to the side for
a second.
“Look back at me,” the man commanded. “That’s it. Good girl. You’re
doing great. Now, I want you to take a small breath in. Not too big.”
She tried to take a small breath in, but her lungs seized and she shook
her head.
“No, look back at me. Focus on my voice. Small breath in. Hold it. Now
let it out. Good girl, you’re doing so good.”
Monroe’s eyes closed as she focused on his voice. It was slowly starting
to calm her down.
“Can you unlock the door?” he asked.
Her eyes went wide as she pushed her body further away from the
window. She flinched as one of her bruises pushed up against the center
console. Pain radiated through her whole body as she moved too fast.
 Why did he want the car door to be unlocked? Did he want to get in and
take her away? Was he going to beat her until she passed out?
“Shit,” he mumbled. “Look at me. It’s okay, you don’t have to unlock
the door.”
She kept her eyes trained on him. She didn’t want him to get out of her
sight and do something. Monroe still didn’t know who he was or if Jared
had sent him to her.
“You’re doing okay. No one is going to hurt you. You’re safe now.” The
man kept talking. “No one is going to get you. I promise.”
Monroe didn’t like that he promised that. He could be trying to get her
to calm down and trust him so he could knock her out and give her back to
Jared.
She had tried to run away before and thought her next door neighbor
was a safe place to stay before she left the next morning. It was foolish of
her to trust him when her neighbor said no one was going to hurt or get her.
Jared had come over and taken her back to their house. He’d known she
was there from the beginning. The neighbor was on his phone several times
and made sure that Monroe spent the night there.
She should have known something was up, but she had trusted her
neighbor. She wanted to see the good in people and trust them, and Monroe
regretted that now. That night, she got the worst beating she’d ever
received; at least until the most recent one.
This past one had been particularly brutal. Cuts littered her body along
with the bruises. She was pretty sure she might have a concussion, but she
had to push through. The adrenaline was still lingering three days later, but
she knew she was going to crash soon.
Everything was starting to hurt more, and it was harder to focus on
anything.
“Little Bunny? I need you to breathe for me,” the man said, bringing her
out of her thoughts.
 Little Bunny? Where did he get that from? Why was he calling her that?
All those questions went through her mind, but she couldn’t help but give a
tiny smile at that. She loved the nickname.
“No one is going to hurt you,” he said again. “I promise.”
Monroe just stared at him. Why did he keep promising things? It was
stupid. Everyone broke promises at some point.
“Bunny, focus on me,” he said. “Focus on my voice and calm down.”
There he went again calling her Bunny. Monroe’s eyes went wide. She
had a stuffed bunny in her back seat. Could he have seen that? Shit. She
tried to hide it, but she had placed it in the backseat the last time she
stopped.
She needed the little stuffed bunny for comfort every now and then. It
also brought out her Little, which wasn’t wise at this moment. She didn’t
need to be Little and forget about all the responsibilities she had now.
Granted, Monroe didn’t think she would be in Little space anytime
soon.
“Little Bunny,” the man said. “Deep breath in. Hold it then let it out.
Good girl. Now, I don’t think you heard me the first time. You’re safe now.
I’ll keep you safe.”
Would she ever be able to trust anyone again? If Jared found her, he
could have anyone watching her until he thought it was the right time to
bring her back. Would he wait until he thought it was the right moment?
Her breathing came out as pants with all those thoughts and questions.
She needed to get out of here. Monroe’s first destination would be to get gas
and drive as far as she could before she completely ran out of money. After
that, she would have to hitch a ride.
It was risky, but she needed to keep moving and get as far away as she
could. She couldn’t risk getting caught by Jared. He would be so livid, she
knew she wouldn’t survive the night if he got her.
“Breathe in for me,” the man said. “Hold it. Now let it out.”
 Her breathing didn’t calm down one bit. If anything, it sped up as the
man continued to talk to her. Why was he trying so hard to calm her down?
As black spots littered her vision, she closed her eyes for a second,
trying to get them to go away.
“Open those pretty eyes for me,” the man said. “Focus on my voice and
look into my eyes.”
It was a command Monroe found herself following. She tried so hard to
focus on his voice as he continued to talk to her, but the longer she
struggled to breathe, the harder it was for her to hear.
Everything felt like it was under water, muffled and so far away. The
black dots increased across her vision and his muffled voice got drowned
out.
Monroe looked at the man, and the last thing she saw was the panic on
his face as her eyes rolled back and everything went black.
CHAPTER THREE
 MICHAEL

A few minutes earlier

M ichael groaned as he turned on his car. Today had been a long day
and he couldn’t wait to get home and relax. His body was aching from the
hours spent at the clinic followed by a long shift at the club.
He’d always planned to become a doctor. He focused on his studies in
high school so he could get into Harvard for pre-med and med school
before being invited into a residency at the University of Washington
Medical Center. But working in the emergency room had him close to a
personal burn-out. So when his trust fund from his grandparents left him
with enough to comfortably live on, he’d packed up and moved back to
Springfield, Missouri. There, he’d begun working a few days a week at a
free clinic that was connected to a women’s shelter.
Then one day he had met up with several buddies from high school.
They had tossed around an idea about opening a club and asked him to be
part of it. And so BTS–Behind the Scenes–was born. Now he was busier
than ever with the clinic and club. There was always something to do at the
club, and he didn’t mind spending most of his spare time there. He didn’t
have anyone to go home to and had gotten out of the habit of hobbies or
leisure activities.
 That would change once he found his Little, if he ever found her. He
wasn’t holding his breath. Michael had been searching for her for over
twenty years now and still hadn’t found her.
Yes, he did have Littles that he had been in relationships with before,
but they never felt right. They had all been lovely, but he had always found
himself eventually telling them he couldn’t do it anymore. Michael felt bad,
but he didn’t want to lead them on. They were all grateful for that, even if
they were sad when it was over.
He hadn’t had a Little in over eight years now. No one had caught his
attention and he didn’t want to force anything.
Driving down the road he lived on, Michael thought about how he
didn’t have anything in the fridge. He didn’t want takeout, but he didn’t
want to cook tonight. Could he go to bed without dinner?
He shook his head. No, he couldn’t. Being a doctor wasn’t always great.
He wanted to take care of his body and constantly eating takeout wasn’t
good for him or anyone.
Sighing, he slowed his car when he saw another car stopped on the road.
No one ever parked their cars out on the street in his neighborhood. It was a
nice neighborhood, and everyone had garages they parked in.
Michael parked his navy-blue Toyota SUV in his driveway and kept an
eye on the other car. Could someone be visiting a neighbor? It was unlikely
since his neighbors liked to keep to themselves and never had anyone over.
Who could this be?
Squinting his eyes, Michael tried to make out if anyone was in the car or
not. He stepped out of his car and slowly walked toward the mystery one.
The closer he got, the more clearly he made out a person slouching
against the steering wheel. Were they okay?
Worry filled Michael and his pace picked up. What could be wrong with
them? Why were they slouching against the steering wheel of their car?
 He peeked into the back row seat as he walked up to the driver side. A
green stuffed bunny caught his attention right away, dirty and worn like the
person had it for years, but he could tell it was green. A couple of blankets
littered the backseat as well.
Michael knocked on the driver's window, hoping to get the person’s
attention. The person turned their head and the first thing he noticed were
the bruises that littered the face and neck. The second thing he noticed was
the person was female.
What the fuck had happened to her?
The shoulder length brown hair framed her bruised face. He could see
the bruises were all different colors. The clothes she wore were old and
tattered, like she hadn’t bought any in years.
An ear-piercing scream filled the street and his eyes went wide. Shit. He
needed to get her to stop screaming soon or the neighbors would call the
police, and Michael didn’t think that would be a good idea.
Glancing around her body, he saw more bruises on her hands, but
everything else was covered. Why was she covered in bruises?
The girl finally stopped screaming, but kept her wide eyes trained on
him. Ever so slowly, her face started to turn red and panic seized his chest.
Shit. She needed to breathe or she was going to pass out.
“Breathe,” he said, his voice calm.
Michael hoped being calm would in turn help her calm down, but the
opposite happened. Her eyes went wider and she started to shake.
“Breathe,” he commanded this time.
If he didn’t get her to breathe, she was going to pass out and possibly hit
her head on something.
The girl's hand flew to her neck, hitting one of the bruises, and he
watched as she flinched. She started to scratch at her neck and he knew she
was making the bruises even worse.
 Michael got onto his knees, hoping that by making himself smaller, she
would relax some.
“Can you focus on my words?” he asked softly, as if speaking to a
child.
The girl stared at him and took a little gasp of breath. Tears sprung to
her eyes, and he wondered what he could have done to make her cry. He
had no doubt this was scary and all he wanted to do was comfort her.
“Just listen to my voice and try to calm down. Everything’s okay.
You’re okay. Take a deep breath in. Hold it for a second. Let it out now,” he
said, trying to walk her through it.
Michael watched as the girl followed his instructions and started to calm
down. Until she took too deep of a breath in and started to cough
uncontrollably.
“No, no. Don’t panic. You’re okay,” he said. “Look at me.”
The girl didn’t look at him, though. Michael wanted to growl. He didn’t
like when someone didn’t follow what he said in dire situations.
“Look back at me,” Michael commanded. “That’s it. Good girl,” he said
when she turned to look at him. “You’re doing great. Now, I want you to
take a small breath in. Not too big.”
She shook her head and looked away from him again.
“No, look back at me. Focus on my voice. Small breath in. Hold it. Now
let it out. Good girl, you’re doing so good.”
Her eyes closed and Michael saw her slowly starting to relax into the
seat.
“Can you unlock the door?” he asked. He wanted to get her out of the
car and sitting somewhere comfortably where he could help her better.
She opened her eyes quickly, staring at him with wide eyes as she
pushed her body further away from the window. Michael sucked in a breath
as she flinched but kept pushing herself away from him.
 Shit. He shouldn’t have asked so soon, but he wanted to get her out of
the car. He had no idea how long she had been sitting in there and he
needed to get her into the fresh air. It was getting colder and colder as the
night went on and he knew she had to be starting to feel the cold.
Well, maybe. He could see the beads of sweat on her forehead. Probably
from not breathing and then hyperventilating off and on.
“Shit,” he mumbled as her breathing started to pick up again. “Look at
me. It’s okay, you don’t have to unlock the door.”
Her eyes stayed on him, almost like she was trying to keep him in her
line of sight in case he tried anything. The only thing he wanted was to get
her to calm down and out of the car.
“You’re doing okay. No one is going to hurt you. You’re safe now,”
Michael kept saying. “No one is going to get you. I promise.”
He didn’t know if she was running from someone, but his gut told him
she was. All the bruises on her exposed skin and the way she was acting
were signs that she was abused and running.
Michael had seen his fair share of women come through the hospital,
and now the clinic, beaten and skittish around anyone. It broke his heart
every time he saw a girl like this, and he vowed to help and protect every
one he could.
He watched her body language as a couple of seconds went by. She was
starting to shake uncontrollably, and her face was scrunched up in pain.
How long had it been since she’d gotten out? How long had she been in the
car? Was all the adrenaline wearing off?
“Little Bunny? I need you to breathe for me,” he said.
She looked at him, but her eyes were glassed over. Not a good sign. He
needed to get her out and soon. Michael didn’t want her to go into shock
because then he wouldn’t be able to do anything.
“No one is going to hurt you,” he said. “I promise.” He would do
everything in his power to keep her safe. “Bunny, focus on me. Focus on
my voice and calm down.”
Her eyes went wide. What could have her possibly shocked and on alert
even more?
“Little Bunny.” He used the nickname again. “Deep breath in. Hold it
and then let it out. Good girl. Now, I don’t think you heard me the first time.
You’re safe now. I’ll keep you safe.”
Michael knew a lot of people who were abused needed to hear that they
were safe and nothing was going to happen many times and he was
prepared to tell her every minute if she needed it. He wanted her to calm
down and relax a little.
The girl's breathing came out as pants, which concerned Michael.
“Breathe in for me,” he reminded her. “Hold it. Now let it out.”
It didn’t calm her breathing down at all. If she kept this up, she was
going to pass out and he didn’t want that. Her eyes closed and Michael
started to panic a little.
“Open those pretty eyes for me,” he commanded. “Focus on my voice
and look into my eyes.”
She slowly opened her eyes and he knew right away she wasn’t really
looking at him. Her head rotated to the side and her eyes rolled to the back,
her body going completely limp in the car.
Shit. Michael quickly got up from the ground and ran toward his car. He
always kept a device to open car doors or windows in case of emergencies.
He didn’t want to get stuck in water and not have a way to break the
window and get out.
He didn't like that he was going to have to break her window because it
wasn’t his property, but he needed to get her out and make sure she was
alright.
Running back to her car, he tapped the window with his device and
broke it. He needed to be careful when he picked her up. Michael didn’t
want any of the glass to cut through her clothes and skin.
 Reaching through, he unlocked the door, opened it, and gently pulled
her into his chest. It was freezing cold outside and in her car, but she was
hot. The past couple of days were hot during the day but cold at night,
something people weren’t used to. Could she have internal bleeding? Could
she have an infection of some kind?
Worry filled him and he quickly walked to his house. He needed to get
her inside and laying down on a couch so he could look over her to make
sure she didn’t have anything that needed immediate attention.
It was difficult unlocking the door to his house, but when he finally
managed, he pushed through and walked toward the couch. Gingerly
placing her down, he took a good look at her.
What to do first. He needed to check her body to make sure there
weren’t any big cuts that needed immediate attention. But he also wanted to
get his medical bag so he could take her temperature.
Groaning, Michael took a deep breath and made a mental list in his
head. Grab the bag first and then check her temperature and her body.
With that in mind, he went to retrieve his medical bag from his office.
CHAPTER FOUR
 MICHAEL

M ichael set his medical bag on the coffee table and opened it.
Searching through, he grabbed the rectal and oral thermometers. Which one
should he use? He wanted to use the rectal one since it would be more
accurate, but he didn’t want to do something she didn’t want or would
frighten her.
Right now, she was unconscious and that worried him. He didn’t know
if there were other contributing factors or not.
Sighing, he grabbed the regular thermometer and put it in her mouth.
Michael waited until it beeped at him before he looked at it.
Ninety-seven degrees. He knew she wasn't at that temperature. It was
freezing outside and she was hot to the touch. Something was definitely
wrong and he needed an accurate number.
Michael kissed her forehead to see if she was still hot or if his fingers
were just cold. Shit. She was still hot even against his lips. He had really
hoped that his fingers were just cold from being outside without any gloves,
but it was too good to be true.
If he had taken her to the emergency room, he knew they would use a
rectal thermometer to get her temperature. He was a doctor and she needed
him to be one right now.
 Michael set the oral thermometer to the side and grabbed the rectal one.
He just hoped she wouldn’t wake while he was taking her temperature this
way. How would he get her to calm down? She was already so skittish and
didn’t trust him one bit. It would be a challenge, especially when he had
something up her bottom.
He carefully rolled her over to her side and pulled down her
sweatpants.
Bruises of all colors littered her skin. Blue, green, purple, black, yellow.
What the hell had happened to her? There wasn’t a spot on her skin that
wasn’t some sort of bruise.
Michael squirted some lube onto his finger and gently coated the end of
the thermometer and her rectum. Gently easing the thermometer inside her,
he turned it on and waited several minutes.
He could tell she had a fever. The only question was whether he could
deal with it himself or whether she needed to be taken to the hospital–
something that would mean involving the authorities. Something he didn’t
want to do.
The thermometer went off and Michael gently pulled it out and looked.
One hundred and two. Definitely a fever but one he could deal with
himself.
Grabbing two fever reducing suppositories, Michael gently eased them
into her bottom and kept his finger there for a couple of minutes, wanting to
make sure the medicine dissolved inside her before he took his finger out.
He had done physicals on too many Littles and all of them loved to push
the medicine out. He wasn’t going to have any of that, even if she was
unconscious right now. She needed the medicine both to reduce her fever
and to deal with some of the pain she was undoubtedly in.
After pulling the cover off and putting it in the trash, Michael set the
thermometer back in his bag and stood up. He needed to check her body to
make sure there weren’t any open wounds that needed immediate attention.
 Michael was quick to pull up her pants before he took a look under her
shirt to see if there was anything that needed to be looked at right away. He
needed to keep his clinical detachment while he looked closely at all the
bruises to make sure there weren’t any that were too bad. Her stomach was
particularly bad, and it took everything in him to stop from pressing on
them gently. She needed to be awake for that so he didn’t hurt her too
much.
All he wanted to do was ask her questions when she woke up. He knew
he wouldn’t be able to, but the Daddy inside him was screaming to take
care of her, protect her, and make her his.
Michael froze in his tracks. Shit. Did he really just think that? He hadn’t
thought about having a Little in a long time, and just one look at her and all
he wanted to do was make her his.
Getting up from the floor, he grabbed his phone off the coffee table and
walked toward the kitchen. He needed supplies but didn’t want to leave her
alone right now, and he knew once she woke up, he definitely wouldn’t be
able to leave.
How was she going to react when she woke up? Would she scream
again? Would she hide in a corner, have a panic attack, and pass out again?
Would he be able to get through to her that he wouldn’t hurt her?
So many thoughts ran through his head as he scrolled through his phone
to find Finn’s phone number. Finn had a Little girl about the same size and
Michael needed some clothing for her. He knew the girl wouldn’t appreciate
having to wear his clothes when she didn’t even know him.
Michael wasn’t prepared to have a Little in his house right now. He had
gotten rid of a lot of things several years ago when he gave up hope on
finding the perfect Little girl. Well, he got rid of all the essentials like
bottles, diapers, and clothes, but the furniture was all still in the room, ready
for a Little to use it.
 He had thought about selling it so many times, but it came in handy
when someone came over and had a Little. There was a place for them to
nap and have a couple of toys to play with. Not that it happened a lot.
Currently, only two of the other club owners had a Little and they didn’t
come over often. Now there were two, but he didn’t think that would
change unless this girl was a Little.
“Finn?” Michael spoke into the phone but kept his voice quiet in case
she woke up.
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I’ve got a girl who’s been abused that stopped on my street. She passed
out in her car as I was trying to calm her down. Would I be able to borrow
some clothes, a bottle, and some diapers? Well, I don’t know if the clothes
will fit but maybe one set of clothes to see.”
It was weird asking him for all this stuff, but Michael wanted to be
prepared. He knew that her having a stuffed animal wasn’t much to say she
was a Little, but he wanted to be prepared if she was. Not a lot of adults
carried around a stuffed animal if they weren’t Littles or had kids.
He also didn’t know if she had any other clothes in her car and he didn’t
want to leave right now when she was still passed out. She could wake up at
any moment and he didn’t want her to be alone in a house she didn’t
recognize.
What if she was a Little and he didn’t have anything? It was better to be
prepared than to not be prepared.
“Uh, sure. Do I need to get someone to watch Charlotte?” Finn asked.
“No, you don’t. I promise that once I get her comfortable around me,
I’ll give the stuff back,” Michael replied. “Well, obviously not the diapers if
she uses them. And I may not even need all this stuff, I just want to be
prepared.”
“You’re really making me curious, but I’ll wait until you can actually
talk.”
 “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”
“The stuff will be delivered to you soon.”
Hanging up the phone, Michael set it down on the counter and looked
out to the living room where the girl still lay unconscious.
Why did she stop on the street? Did she know someone on his street?
Who was she running from? Was the person still after her? How far had she
driven?
So many questions and Michael didn’t have an answer to any of them.
He didn’t know how to ask her when she woke up. Would she be calm
when she woke up or would she be so scared that she passed out again?
Michael buried his head in his hands and took in several deep breaths.
He didn’t know when she would wake up. It could be several hours or just a
couple of minutes and he needed to be prepared for it.
A ping sounded off in the room and he looked at his phone. Mac, one of
the other owners of BTS, had texted him.

I’m dropping off the clothes and other things for you. Should be there
soon.

Michael wondered if it was because Charlotte needed Finn. Was she in

Little space and not able to be left home alone? He had thought about
calling Noah, one of the other owners who had a Little, but he didn’t want
to bother him.
Noah wasn’t always approachable since he had met his Little several
years ago. She needed a lot of care and attention and at this point couldn’t
be left alone for long periods of time. Noah had mentioned she had an
autoimmune disease that made her need more assistance than most. Michael
didn’t want to bother Noah and take him away from her.
The first thing Michael knew he had to do when the girl finally woke up
was keep her calm. He had no doubt she was going to be frightened and
disoriented. She had been terrified when he walked up to her car. He knew
that her waking up in his house, not knowing where she was, was probably
going to make her want to bolt.
Standing up straight, Michael walked toward the living room. Should he
cover her up with a blanket? She had a fever and he knew she might get
chills but at the same time, he didn’t want her to get too hot.
Before he could do anything, though, the doorbell rang. At the same
time, he heard a soft gasp.
CHAPTER FIVE
 MONROE

M onroe gasped for a breath of air as she woke up. Where was she?
Why was she laying on a couch? How did she get here?
Those were the first things she thought of when she woke up. After
years of being with Jared, she always woke up like that. In a panic and
asking herself where she was and how she got here. She couldn’t remember
a time when she didn’t have to think about that.
It had taken her way too long to realize she needed to get away from
Jared. He had already stuck his talons deep into her and controlled every
aspect of her life, making her blind to everything he was doing to her.
Well, until it got so bad it opened her eyes and made her realize she
needed to get far away from him. It hadn’t been easy escaping and she
definitely wasn’t in the clear, but she’d gotten away for now.
Her eyes opened wide and she sat up straight. Wherever she was, she
needed to leave. Monroe looked around the house. It wasn’t Jared’s house,
so where could she be?
Inside Jared’s house everything was white or grey, but this house had
pops of color throughout. There were picture frames on the wall but she
couldn’t make out what they were. The walls were a muted shade of blue
and everything was clean, almost like the person spent hours cleaning every
day.
 She swung her legs off the couch and attempted to stand up.
“Lay down,” a male voice said. “You’re okay.”
Her whole body went rigid and she moved her head around to try and
find the person. Standing behind the couch off in the distance was the man
who had stood outside her car door.
Everything came rushing back to Monroe. She had been driving for
hours and hours, not stopping long enough to get much sleep. She had to
continue so she didn’t get caught.
And now she was caught.
How could she have been so foolish to have stopped in front of
someone’s house? She didn’t think she was going to be stopped there for a
while, but she’d lost track of time trying to figure out what she was going to
do next.
She didn’t have a lot of money and she was low on gas. Monroe needed
to find out where the nearest gas station was so she could get money and
then be on her way.
That’s what she needed to do. Now she just had to get away from this
man. The man who could have called Jared by now. He could be on his way
right this minute.
The man who had stood outside of her car tried to calm her down. No
doubt all a ploy to get her to calm down so she would be able to see Jared’s
face when he found her.
What was she going to do? He was obviously stronger than she was and
no doubt faster than her. He could probably manhandle her, get her to do
anything and everything he wanted her to do.
Shit.
He had gotten her out of her car and touched her. He’d brought her into
his house. His house where he could do anything to her if he wanted. How
long had she been out for?
 Monroe’s breathing picked up as she stared at the man walking in front
of her. How was she going to get away from him? She didn’t know the
layout of the house and he did.
He had so many advantages and she didn’t have any.
“It’s okay. You’re safe,” he gently said again. “I’m Michael Grayson
and you’re safe in my house.”
The doorbell went off again, making Monroe jump off the couch. Her
eyes were wide as she stared at the man.
How long had she been out? Was Jared here? Was he going to take her
back to Maine?
Not even five seconds later, Monroe started to see black dots in her
vision as she swayed back and forth.
“Woah,” the man said.
He rushed toward her, making Monroe stumble back and fall onto the
couch again.
“Please, don’t,” she whispered hoarsely.
Her breathing picked up as she tried to get far away from the man, but
the dizziness hindered her from moving too fast.
Michael got on his knees and gave her a small smile. “You’re okay and
safe now. No one is going to hurt you.”
She shook her head and pressed herself further into the couch. She was
never going to be safe, not if Jared was alive. He would always find her, no
matter what.
The doorbell rang for a third time and Monroe whimpered.
“I need to go get the clothes for you from my friend, but I’ll be right
back. Please don’t move,” his voice was stern, and Monroe found herself
watching him as he walked toward the front door.
The way he spoke was just like a Daddy Dom. His stern voice silently
commanded her to obey him. She hadn't had someone talk to her like that
before and it did something to her.
 Monroe had always craved that. She knew he was just trying to look out
for her, or, well, it seemed like it. She wouldn't know for sure because she
didn’t know him, and he could know Jared…though none of Jared’s friends
would have spoken to her so gently.
She heard Michael talking and then another man's voice. She slightly
relaxed into the couch when she realized the voice wasn't Jared's. But who
could it be?
He had said he was getting clothes from the man. Why did he ask for
clothes for her? Was he planning on keeping her for a while? Was this going
to be another Jared situation?
How could she possibly get out of this? She knew if she tried to get up
again, she could pass out. She had felt so dizzy when she stood up and
Monroe didn’t want to risk it right now when she didn’t know her way
around the house.
What if she passed out in the middle of the house and he took her
somewhere else? She couldn’t let that happen. What if he tied her up, called
Jared, and kept her until he came?
Just as Monroe was about to get up from the couch, she heard the door
close and Michael’s footsteps. Maybe she could ask to use the restroom and
slip out then.
She had to get out of here and go somewhere else. She could get away
and then think about things. Would she be able to get far enough away for
Michael not to follow her?
He had a car and no doubt if he wanted to keep her there for Jared to
come get her he would just follow her. Try to keep her safe until Jared could
come get her.
“As you know, my name is Michael and I’m a doctor who works in a
free clinic and also owns a club with seven other guys. I want to be upfront
and not keep anything from you. I’m worried about all your bruises and
cuts on your body,” he said as he took several steps toward her.
 A doctor? Jared never mentioned having friends who were doctors. Was
he going to stitch her up and put her back together for whenever Jared got
back here?
But Jared had many friends she probably didn’t know about. All in
different occupations for different occasions. It was a win-win situation for
him. He could help them out and they would help him in return.
It was cruel and sick, but that’s how he did things. She never saw any of
his ‘friends’, if she could call them that, because he couldn’t put them at
risk. One wrong move and it wouldn’t end well for any of them.
Monroe pushed herself against the couch, trying to put more distance
between them. She was cornered and couldn’t move fast enough. No doubt
she would pass out if she even tried to move quickly.
Her head was swimming and she was nauseous just sitting down.
“I’ve got clothes for you to change into. You can head into the bathroom
just down the hall and change,” he said. “Well, I would walk with you in
case you passed out. I don’t want you to hit your head and make anything
worse.”
Monroe couldn’t wrap her head around any of this. Why was he telling
her to go change? Why did he have clothes for her? Why was he worried
for her? Why did he care? He wasn’t supposed to care.
No one was supposed to care for her. She was a nobody.
The only thing she could think about to make it logical was he wanted
to hurt her later on. Gain her trust so she relaxed. Monroe couldn’t think of
any other reason why he would be nice to her.
Maybe she could change into the clothes and while he was busy doing
something, she could slip out of the house and into her car. Were her keys
still in the car or did he take them?
Monroe didn’t have time to think about that or find out where they
were. If they weren’t in her car, then she would just have to walk and get
away. There were trees around the neighborhood she could hide behind if
he was trying to find her.
“Here are the clothes. You can take a shower if you’re feeling up to it,
but it can’t be too hot. I’m worried you might have a concussion and I don’t
want you passing out in the bathroom. You can also take a bath, but it can’t
be deep water in case you slip,” he went on and explained.
Monroe blinked several times as she stared at him. He was worried that
she was too hurt to take a shower or bath? Something didn’t add up here
and it made her feel uneasy.
“I know I just told you a lot, but I want you to be safe and not get hurt
anymore,” he said. “So, I may need to help you do things.”
She slightly shook her head. Monroe didn’t want any help right now.
She wanted to get out of here and far away from him and Jared.
Michael was being too nice to her. No one was this nice who didn’t
want anything in return for it.
“Or I can take you to the hospital to get better. I don’t want you to drive
right now in case you pass out behind the wheel. It can either be I help you
get better or I take you to the hospital,” he explained. “I know several of the
doctors and nurses at the hospital so you would be in good hands.”
Monroe shook her head harder but winced as sharp pain spread across
her head. Oh, it hurt so bad she thought. She didn’t know why she kept
doing that when she knew it was going to hurt her.
“Please, don’t do that. You can either tap once for no and twice for yes
or speak, but I don’t want to see you in pain,” he said.
That shocked Monroe. He didn’t want to see her in pain? Jared or any of
his friends would egg her on to be in more pain. They didn’t want her to
have a moment of peace.
“Can you tell me your name?” he asked.
Why wouldn’t he know her name? Did he really not know who she was
or that Jared was after her?
 “Monroe,” she whispered for the first time.
She didn’t think anything of it before she spoke.
“Such a pretty name for a beautiful girl,” he softly said. “Thank you for
telling me.”
They stared at each other for what seemed like a couple of minutes.
“Give me one second. Before you go change, I want you to drink some
water.” Michael walked behind her and she heard him filling up a cup.
She stared at him the whole time, worried he’d try something with her
back turned to him. Monroe didn’t know him and definitely didn’t trust
him.
“Here.” He passed her the plastic cup.
Monroe looked at it. Princesses with bunnies littered the outside and she
couldn’t stop herself from smiling.
She loved bunnies and princesses.
“Ah, there’s a pretty smile.” Michael broke the moment she was
having.
The smile on her face fell and she looked up at him. She had completely
forgotten he was here and where she was.
“Sorry,” he said. “Please drink the whole glass.”
She looked down at the cup and back at him. How did she know it
didn’t have anything in it? Jared had put stuff in her drinks or food to make
her pass out.
Michael let out a sigh. “I should have thought about that. I’ll take a little
sip to show you that nothing is wrong with it.”
Monroe watched as he took a drink and waited for any symptoms to
show, but none did. She was so very thirsty and before she knew it, she
grabbed the cup and started to drink from it.
“Not so fast. Don’t want to make yourself sick,” Michael said.
She slowed down but continued to drink. Maybe he would allow her to
have a second or third cup of water. She hadn’t drunk anything for over a
day and it was taking a toll on her.
“I need to ask you a couple of questions. Remember, I’m a doctor, and
I’m only asking these things so I can help you,” he said.
Monroe didn’t take any mind to what he was saying. Yeah, he had said
he was a doctor before and that he was concerned for her. What a bunch of
bologna.
All doctors wanted was to see people so they could get paid big bucks.
Did they even really care for the patients? They all seemed cold and distant,
like they didn’t care at all.
“How did you get those bruises?” he asked.
Water went down the wrong pipe and Monroe found herself choking on
water.
CHAPTER SIX
 MICHAEL

I t happened in slow motion. Michael watched as Monroe’s eyes went

wide and she started to cough. Shit. He didn’t meant for her to choke on the
water.
Michael waited a couple of seconds to see if she would catch her breath
and stop coughing. He didn’t want to go over there and make everything
worse.
It didn’t get better and he found himself quickly walking over to her and
sitting down. His hands gently made contact with her back, patting her to
help her stop coughing.
“Exhale slowly,” he whispered.
Monroe shook her head and tears sprang to her eyes as she coughed
more violently. Her face turned red as she continued to cough, and worry
filled Michael.
“Exhale for Daddy,” he found himself saying. “Do it for Daddy.”
Michael watched as she slowly started to exhale and come back to her
senses. Tears still ran down her face and it took everything in him not to run
his thumb across her cheek to get rid of them.
Every instinct in him was screaming at him to take care of her, to baby
her and help her get better. But it wasn't his place to do that. Monroe didn't
know him. And he was already pushing his boundaries.
 In the heat of the moment, he called himself Daddy. Something he knew
better than to do yet he still did it. Monroe had his Daddy instincts kicking
in full force. He hadn’t felt like this in years and couldn’t stop himself.
He needed to remember patience and also the fact that he didn’t know if
she was into the DDlg lifestyle.
He had seen the stuffie in the back of her car, but that didn’t mean
anything. Yes, it made him feel it was more likely she was a Little, but it
wasn't a certainty.
He would never forgive himself if he made her uncomfortable or pushed
his lifestyle on her and she didn't want it. He wouldn't want to do that to
anybody.
Monroe's head quickly moved in his direction and she started to
tremble. That was his cue to get up and walk slowly away from her.
He knew there was a risk that if he got too close, she would panic even
more, and he didn't want that to happen. He didn't know how much more
her body could take. She had to be exhausted physically and mentally and
panicking would only worsen both.
Michael wanted her in a relaxed state. He knew it would take a little bit
of time getting there because she didn't know him, but he was willing to
take all the time she needed. Though, if she wanted to go to the hospital, he
would take her.
It wouldn't be his first choice and he couldn’t really see her doing that.
Monroe was jumpy and scared around him, and he knew something terrible
had happened before she drove down his street. Being in a hospital with
hundreds of strangers would trigger her fear and probably do her no good at
all.
He wanted to tell her that, and that he'd take good care of her, spoil her,
and cherish her, but he didn’t want to overwhelm her.
She already looked overwhelmed - overwhelmed and scared. Michael
didn't know how he was going to calm her down and get her to trust him.
He didn’t want to push her too far and have her run away. He wanted to
gently talk to her and gain her trust, make her feel comfortable around him.
All he had to remember was one baby step at a time.
Monroe cowered away as he stood up to his full height. Shit. He needed
to remember she was even more scared when he stood up. She wasn’t short
at all, but he still towered over her.
“Sorry, Little Bunny. Didn’t mean to scare you,” he whispered.
Michael quickly sat back down on a chair and looked at her. It broke his
heart that she was so scared of anything and everything. Who could do
something like this?
He knew it was a person. The bruises that littered her body as he briefly
glanced to see if there were any major cuts told him it was a person. Fists,
handprints, boot prints, and more types of bruises showed up on her skin.
He didn’t know if he had any bruise cream, but if he didn’t, that would
be at the top of his shopping list. Michael didn’t like seeing her in pain.
He felt this connection with her and would do anything to help her.
“You don’t have to be afraid of me. I’m not going to hurt you,” he softly
said. “I want to help you heal and keep you safe from whoever you’re
running from.”
Monroe’s eyes went wide as he said the last part. Having seen too many
abuse victims and survivors come through the hospital and clinic, he
immediately saw the signs and knew what to do and what not to do. But it
had all gone out the window when she passed out and when she started to
choke on the water.
He needed to get better at that. He didn’t need to be Daddying her right
now, even if he really wanted to do that and thought it was best for her.
Michael needed to respect her boundaries, even if he didn’t know what they
were yet. He was going to find out, though.
“I-I’m not h-hiding from a-a-anyone!” she stuttered out.
 Her voice was like music to his ears. Soft and smooth like honey. He
could listen to her talk all day long. If she continued to talk like that, it
could probably put him to sleep.
Michael’s face went hard after she finished speaking because he knew
right then she was lying. He didn’t like it when people lied to him. He had
been lied to too many times in his life.
“I don’t like it when Little girls lie. Little girls who lie get sent to the
naughty corner, write lines, or get spanked,” he said, and watched as her
eyes went wide. “If you’re thinking about lying, don’t. Just tell me you
don’t want to talk about it. That’s better than lying.”
Monroe stared at him for several seconds, taking in everything he just
told her. Had she ever been told not to lie? If she did, did she ever have
consequences?
If she was Michael’s Little, she wouldn’t be getting away with lying. He
took that very seriously.
Michael froze at that thought. His Little? He needed to not think about
that. She wasn’t his and he needed to remember that.
Finally, she nodded her head and relaxed into the couch. He watched her
body language, looking for any discomfort, but she seemed more relaxed
than she had before. What could he have possibly done that made her feel
more relaxed around him?
Her eyes started to droop and caught Michael’s attention.
“Monroe,” he softly said, trying to get her attention.
He didn’t want to scare her. He knew she was in a vulnerable state right
now, almost asleep, but he needed to check her eyes to make sure her pupils
were still reacting okay, and she needed to change and take a bath.
She slightly hummed and opened her eyes.
“I need to check your eyes one more time to make sure your pupils are
still reacting okay. Are you feeling nauseous, have a headache, or are light
sensitive?” he asked.
 She shook her head and winced.
“Headache?”
“Yes, sir,” she whispered. “And a little nauseous.”
“Thank you for telling me that. Would you like some more cold water or
would you like Canada Dry?”
“Canada Dry, please.”
“After I get your drink, I need to check your eyes. Then you can take a
warm shower or bath.”
Michael slowly walked past her, being mindful that she didn’t like fast
movement, and got her the drink. He always had Canada Dry in his fridge
for instances like this. He didn’t get nauseous all the time, but when he got
too tired, he did, which seemed like was happening more and more
recently.
Walking back into the living room, Michael squatted down in front of
her, Canada Dry in one hand and his small flashlight in the other.
He opened the Canada Dry in front of her and handed it to her. “Slow
sips. If you want or need another one, I have more in the fridge.”
Monroe slowly drank some of her soda before setting it down and
tiredly looking back at him.
“Gonna be quick, Little Bunny,” Michael said.
He slowly brought the light up toward her eyes, gently opening her eyes
with his left hand while he flashed the light in her eyes.
Her skin was so soft despite all the bruises she had. He wanted to help
her keep it that way, take care of her in every aspect.
“I think you have a slight concussion. I’ll be monitoring it, making sure
it gets better unless you want to go to the hospital. If you aren’t comfortable
here, I can take you to the hospital or I can call one of my friends and you
can talk to them,” he said.
“No hospital.” She sounded so scared.
 Michael nodded his head. “No hospital. Promise. If you change your
mind, let me know. I could also take you to the clinic instead.”
Monroe slowly nodded her head.
“Now, how about you go take a warm shower or a bath and I’ll make
food for you,” Michael suggested.
She looked hesitant and he gave her a small smile, hoping to encourage
her. He had no doubt she would feel a little better after getting cleaned up.
Washing off seemed to make people feel slightly better, like they washed
away some of the yuck.
“Follow me and I’ll show you where everything is,” Michael said as he
slowly stood back up.
He watched out of the corner of his eye as she got up from the couch.
He didn’t want her to pass out and hit her head on anything.
Walking toward the bathroom, he slowed his pace when he realized
Monroe was having a hard time keeping up. He had completely forgotten
she was hurt and probably didn’t have a lot of energy right now.
“Sorry about that. No one else has lived here with me,” he said as he
walked into the bathroom.
She looked at him confused but didn’t say anything.
“Here’s the shower. If you want to take a bath, you’ll just pull this little
lever and it’ll stop the water from draining. There’s shampoo and body
wash on the sides but if you need anything else, it’s under the sink. I have
bubbles and some other feminine stuff if you need it,” he said. “No one else
but my friend's Li-, I mean girlfriend, has used it and that was several
months ago. She gets messy when she comes over with her boyfriend.”
Michael didn’t know why he explained that when he didn’t have to. He
didn’t have to tell her why he had some feminine smelling shampoo, lotion,
and feminine products, but he wanted to. It was almost like he wanted to
reassure her he didn’t have anyone else in his life, that he was available.
 He stopped himself from scoffing out loud. He was available and had
been for years. But he didn't think she would be ready for any type of
relationship for a while.
“If you want me to help you take a bath, I can,” Michael said before he
could stop himself.
The Daddy inside him wanted to demand that he help her. He wanted
her to relax while he took care of her so she didn’t have to lift a finger.
Monroe blushed, quickly shook her head, and looked down at her feet.
“Sorry. I keep saying things I should keep to myself,” he softly said.
“Promise I’ll try my hardest to not do it again.”
He wanted to promise he wouldn’t for sure do it again, but he couldn’t
do that. He knew he was going to do it again because her body language
just screamed at the Daddy inside him.
“Are you allergic to anything?” he asked as he walked toward the
bathroom door.
“Oranges,” she whispered.
“How allergic are you? I just want to make sure so if I need to get an
EpiPen, I can, or if I need to have Benadryl on me.”
“Hives and swelling.”
“Does Benadryl normally help or what do you do?”
“I think Benadryl works fine.”
Michael didn’t like the ‘think’ in her sentence. Did she not know or had
it been a while?
“Thank you. You can leave the clothes in the bathroom and I’ll wash
them. When you’re done, you can come to the kitchen and I’ll feed you,” he
said and closed the door behind him.
He made his way to the kitchen and pulled out chicken nuggets from the
freezer. Michael had these on hand for whenever Charlotte and Finn came
over. It wasn’t often, but he’d made the mistake of not having them the first
time and she threw a temper tantrum. It hadn’t ended well for her.
 Placing them in the oven, he grabbed some baby carrots and placed
them on a plate. A princess and bunny plate.
Michael couldn’t remember where he even got these plates, but he was
thankful for them now. The way Monroe’s eyes lit up when she saw the cup
melted his heart. He would give her anything to get that look again.
Just as he was pulling the chicken nuggets out of the oven, he heard her
small footsteps coming toward the kitchen. He turned around right as she
walked into the kitchen and his jaw dropped.
Even with the bruises and small cuts, she was absolutely breathtaking.
CHAPTER SEVEN
 MONROE

S o many thoughts had run through her head as she took a lukewarm
shower. Monroe had wanted to take a hot shower like she normally did, but
she didn’t want to pass out and have Michael need to come into the
bathroom.
She wanted to avoid being seen naked with all the bruises, scars, and
cuts that littered her body. It was probably best that he had told her not to
take a scalding hot shower anyway, because that would really have hurt her
cuts. She might even have screamed in pain and that would have been bad.
The lukewarm water didn’t hurt her cuts, but after being in the shower for a
while, it started to irritate them.
Monroe knew she needed to get them cleaned because she didn’t want
them to get infected. She had no clue if he had looked at them closer to see
if they needed to be cleaned or not. She wasn’t going to ask him or mention
them.
She didn’t want him close to her. There was something about him that
made her feel comfortable around him but at the same time, he made her
body freeze up.
Maybe she could look closer through the cabinets of the bathroom to
see if he had any medicine she could use.
 Her mind started to wander as she carefully washed her body. Monroe
knew she was a Little since her junior year of high school. One day, she had
downloaded a book and found it was about a Little and her Daddy. It
immediately caught her attention and she wanted to explore it. She had
talked to her boyfriend at the time and they started to explore, with him
being the Daddy and she being the Little.
It was groundbreaking. She loved every minute of it and found herself
wanting to be Little all the time, but held back whenever she was in front of
her foster parents and teachers. It wasn’t easy, but she managed to do it.
Then she had gotten thrown out of the foster care system when she had
turned eighteen and was on her own. Her boyfriend had broken up with her
several weeks before. It had been two months before graduation and since
she couldn’t go to the high school anymore, so had gone to a women's
shelter and received her GED.
She had gotten a job at a department store and worked there for more
than a year before they’d had to downsize, and she was the first to go.
Being homeless wasn’t easy, especially in the winter and living in her car.
She’d gotten a job at a diner and several weeks later, Jared stepped into her
life.
He rescued her off the streets and even though her boss, Mario, had told
her not to get involved with him, she had let Jared carry her away like a
knight in shining armor. Even though he saved her, she hadn’t felt fully safe
to show Jared her Little side. Monroe had been so stupid back then and
would do anything to go back in time and change it.
Her mind drifted to when Michael had called himself Daddy. She hadn't
really thought about it at the time, and had just followed his orders, but
thinking back on it, he really had called himself Daddy.
Was he really a Daddy?
She didn’t know what to think about that. If he wasn’t a Daddy, why
would he call himself that? That meant he had to be one.
 When he said that, it made her relax and actually do what he said. She’d
never had that happen before and she didn’t know what had come over her.
Was it the way he talked, the authoritative voice, or was it because he said
Daddy?
Right as she came to her senses, she became all tense and didn’t want to
be near him. She had to remember she didn’t know this guy and couldn’t
trust him, no matter how much she wanted to.
He knew she was running away from someone and could probably find
out who and contact Jared, telling him where she was. That couldn’t
happen, so she needed to keep him at arm’s length right now.
Monroe had to remember that even though this was the first Daddy she
had officially met, it didn’t mean she should trust him. He could be a serial
killer that just told her he was a doctor so she would trust him.
Her body tightened up at that thought. She needed to get out of this
house right now. What if he was a killer? She didn’t want to die yet. She
was only twenty-seven years old and still had the rest of her life to live.
She’d just gotten away from Jared. She wanted to live, explore, and stay
hidden.
She could do those at the same time, right?
Monroe sighed and leaned against the wall. She had no clue if she could
do all that at the same time. It sounded nearly impossible right now with her
not having any money and already struggling to stay hidden.
It was exhausting. She hadn’t realized how exhausting it was going to
be, but she would rather be here and exhausted than back with Jared, scared
and abused. Anything was better than being with him, maybe even death.
Monroe wasn’t suicidal, she wanted to live and experience life, but she
also knew the reality if she couldn’t get away from him. What if she didn’t
manage to escape? She knew she wouldn’t have been able to go through
another one of his beatings and still be alive.
 She finished cleaning her body before she shut off the water and stepped
out of the shower. It was really tempting when he suggested he could help
her take a bath.
Oh, she really wanted to say yes to him helping her in the bath, but she
didn’t want him to stare at her bruises, scars, and cuts the whole time. She
didn’t want him asking even more questions once he had time to really look
at them.
Monroe longed for the day when a Daddy would help her take a bath,
cherish her, and love her for who she was. She wanted to be pampered and
loved but she didn’t know if she would ever get that.
Who would want someone as damaged as her? Who would want to be
with someone who was running away from such a powerful person?
No one would want that. She didn’t know a single person who would
want to be on the run with her. Granted, she didn’t know many people, but
still. She wouldn’t want to be on the run with someone for the rest of their
lives.
Not knowing how long she’d been in the bathroom, she knew she
probably needed to hurry if she didn’t want him to coming to ask her if
everything was alright. Quickly opening the bag, the first thing she saw was
the giraffe onesie.
A tiny squeal left her mouth. She had always loved onesies and hadn’t
worn one since high school.
Why would he get her something like this? Did he know she was a
Little? Jared had never gotten her things like this, even when they first
started to date. He’d told her if she wanted things, she could buy them for
herself because he didn’t want to guess what she liked or didn’t like.
The first thing she noticed when she touched the onesie to pull it out of
the bag was how soft it was. How was it so soft? She didn’t think she’d ever
felt anything this soft.
 She reluctantly put it on. She knew it wasn’t hers and she didn’t want to
ruin it. What if one of her cuts started to bleed again? What if she spilled
something on it? Maybe she should ask for something else to wear so she
didn’t ruin this.
Monroe left her clothes on the floor like he’d said, even as it went
against everything in her body. She was the one who cleaned up and made
sure everything was spotless. Dirty clothes on the floor were unacceptable
and she normally got beatings for it.
She quickly went back to the bathroom, grabbing the clothes before
making her way toward the kitchen. She knew he said to leave them behind,
but she couldn’t bring herself to do that. What if it was a test and she was
really supposed to bring them with her?
Walking into the kitchen, Michael turned around right as she entered
and she watched as his jaw dropped. Little soft giggles escaped past her
mouth as she looked at him. Why was he making such a silly face?
Michael smiled at her and she quickly remembered she needed to know
where the washer and dryer were so she could put her stuff in.
She held up her clothes and the towel toward him. “Where is the
washer?” she whispered.
“You can leave them right here and I’ll put them away while you eat,”
he said.
She stared at him, trying to see if he was telling the truth or if this was
another test. It was so hard to read him and what he wanted, and it was
making her start to panic. What if she chose the wrong thing?
“It’s okay. Nothing’s going to happen. You can place them right here on
the floor and I’ll put them in the wash while you eat,” he said after she
continued to hold her clothes and towel. “You can sit on this stool and I’ll
get your food for you. I hope you like chicken nuggets and carrots.”
Monroe held her facial expressions back. She loved chicken nuggets but
didn’t want the carrots. If she had her way, she wouldn’t eat any veggies
ever.
“Do you want ketchup?” he asked, and she nodded her head.
Chicken nuggets and ketchup was the best combo ever! Putting her
clothes and the towel down on the floor, she sat down on the stool and
waited for the food.
“While you eat, I’m going to quickly put these in the wash and then I'll
brush your hair,” he said as he placed the plate down in front of her with her
Canada Dry from earlier. After placing the food in front of her, he grabbed
her dirty clothes and towel.
Tears sprang to her eyes as she looked down at the plate. Everything
was cut up for her in little bite sizes. No one had ever cut up her food for
her, not even when she was little.
Growing up in the foster care system, she moved from house to house,
and a lot of the families already had kids. Some were better than others, but
she learned pretty quick to become independent and not rely on the families
for much of anything.
“Eat as much as you can and if you want a snack later, I have several
things,” he said as he walked back into the kitchen, hairbrush in hand. “Can
I brush your hair?”
She wanted to shake her head no, but found herself nodding instead.
She couldn’t remember the last time someone brushed her hair. Even her
‘Daddy’ back in high school hadn’t brushed her hair when she was Little.
Jared definitely never offered to brush her hair for her. He thought it
was below him to do anything like that.
“I’ll be gentle, don’t worry,” he softly spoke as he started to brush her
hair out. “I just want to let you know I took off the next couple of days so I
can take care of you. I know it might be weird, but I don’t want you doing
much because you have a lot of cuts and bruises. I want you to relax and be
able to heal.”
 Monroe stopped eating as he spoke. Was he for real? She had planned
on waking up earlier than him and leaving his house. Why would he really
want her to stay? She couldn’t believe it was because he wanted her to get
better. That just seemed weird and off.
“I believe I have some arnica care cream for your bruises, but if I don’t
I’ll have my friend pick up some.” He continued to gently brush her hair
out.
She was shocked with how gently he was brushing her hair. Had he
done this before?
“I don’t need any,” she whispered.
She didn’t want him to go out and buy some just for her. She could go
without as she had done before so many times.
It was like she could feel the disappointment roll off him as he paused
brushing her hair. Did she say something wrong? Was that one of the tests
she didn’t see?
Nausea rolled in her stomach and she pushed her food away. She didn’t
think she could stomach any more food after she realized she didn’t pass
one of the tests.
“Can you take a couple more bites?” he gently asked.
Monroe shook her head and yawned. She just wanted to catch a couple
hours of sleep before she left his house.
“Okay, how about we get you into bed,” he said.
She got off the chair and followed him past the bathroom she used and
toward a door.
“This can be your room for as long as you stay here. If you need
anything, my room is right next to yours,” he said. “If you get hungry at
night, come get me. You get scared, come get me. If you’re thirsty, come
get me. I promise I won’t be mad.”
She nodded her head but knew she wasn’t going to be getting him for
anything. Waking up a man from his sleep wasn’t a wise idea. It always
ended worse when she woke up Jared.
He hated when she woke him up. Said she didn’t have a good enough
reason to wake him up, even if she was bleeding out. That one hurt when he
said that.
“Alright, good night. And I really mean it. If you need anything, you
come get me,” he said.
“Night,” she whispered.
Opening the door, Monroe didn’t look around the room. She didn’t want
to see anything around her and get sucked into staying longer. His house
was already way nicer than Jared’s.
The bed looked so enticing and Monroe found herself laying down and
falling asleep instantly.
CHAPTER EIGHT
 MONROE

G asping for a breath of air, Monroe sat up in bed and screwed her eyes
shut. It was just a dream, she kept telling herself.
But it wasn’t. It had actually happened to her, and she woke up every
night from the nightmare. It changed all the time, but they were all things
that Jared had done to her.
She laid back down in bed and turned to her side, hugging the blanket to
her chest. Even with the soft onesie engulfing her body and the comfort of
the weighted blanket, Monroe found herself unable to fall back asleep.
When this normally happened, she would go get a drink of water or
warm milk, but she wasn’t at her house. She didn’t want to walk downstairs
and rummage through Michael’s refrigerator and get into trouble.
Would he get mad at her if she went through his fridge to find
something to drink? He had told her before she went to bed that she could
get him for anything, but she didn’t want to knock on his door and make
him angry.
Jared had always gotten angry when he was woken up from his sleep.
Those were some of the worst beatings she’d ever received. A shiver ran
through her body as she remembered the last time she’d woken him up.
The beating had lasted for over twenty minutes. Jared just constantly
kicked her ribs, legs, arms, and landed punches on her. She wasn’t able to
walk for several days after that, too sore and in so much pain.
The first time she’d woken Jared up was when she’d needed to get food
for dinner and needed money. Big mistake. She learned from then on not to
wake him up. Though, it was hard when he was a light sleeper and walking
past him to go clean would wake him up.
It was like he tried to be half asleep and be woken up by Monroe so he
could beat her. Granted, he didn’t need a reason to beat her. He did it
whenever he wanted and for however long.
That was another thing Monroe realized too late. She thought it was
always her fault for him beating her, but one day she opened her eyes and
saw it wasn't. She realized that now, but it didn't mean she still didn't have
those thoughts.
Several times she found herself thinking it was her fault since being in
Michael's house and it had been less than twenty-four hours. Her brain was
wired for the past six years to think everything was her fault. She
understood it was going to take a long time for her to heal, and she would
be willing to try and correct how Jared made her think every day.
Monroe couldn’t work on that right now. She needed to have all her
attention on making sure she was safe and away from Jared.
Turning over on the bed, she let out a frustrated sigh and sat up. There
was no way she was going back to sleep now. She couldn’t shake the
nightmare and she had been thinking too hard.
If only she had been able to go downstairs and grab a drink of water or
warm milk, she probably would have been able to go back to sleep. But this
wasn’t her house, and she didn’t want to do something and get punished for
it.
Sighing, Monroe pushed herself off the bed and walked toward the door.
She had no clue where her clothes were, but this was the perfect time to
escape. The sun was just about to rise and she hadn’t heard any movement
in the house yet.
 Perfect opportunity.
She wouldn’t miss the clothes he washed because they were old, but she
would miss the extra pair of clothes. She only had one other shirt and pants
in the car and knew that wouldn’t last her long before they would need to be
washed.
Tiptoeing out of her room, she didn’t bother closing the door before she
made her way toward the front door. She stopped in front of the kitchen,
contemplating if she wanted to see if there was any food or bottled water
she could take with her.
She only had enough money to get some gas in her car, and she didn’t
know when the next time she’d be able to eat would be. Monroe hadn’t
eaten everything she’d wanted to last night. Her stomach had rumbled right
before she’d gone to bed, but Michael just kept talking about taking care of
her and it was weird.
She couldn’t remember a time in her life when someone fretted over her
like that. Even her ‘Daddy’ back in high school wasn’t like this. Yes, he
made sure she was okay but when she got hurt, he told her she was okay
and to move on.
Monroe shook her head and continued to walk to the front door. She
didn’t want to steal from Michael. He had already been nice enough to let
her stay at his house and look after her, even if she thought it was really
weird and he had an ulterior motive. She didn’t want to do anything wrong
or against the law.
Though, she didn’t know if that would be against the law since he let
her stay in his house and it didn’t seem like he was worried. Why wouldn’t
he be worried? She was a random person in his house.
He didn’t know if she was running away because she murdered
someone. He didn’t know if she was going to steal something from him or
not. Michael had left everything out like he didn’t care about any of it or
that he had a strange girl in his house.
 She couldn’t think about that right now. She needed to get out of the
house and to her car so she could leave. The thought of her car keys not
being in her car briefly passed through her mind, but she didn't dwell on it.
Why would he take the car keys out of her car? She didn't know what she
would do if they weren't there. Maybe she would just walk somewhere.
Her hand gently grabbed the handle of the door. She had already
unlocked the deadbolt, but something was holding her back. Was this a
smart idea? Michael had told her countless times that he wanted to keep her
safe. He wanted to help her get better, healthy.
But Jared had done the same thing. He had told her several times before
she stopped working that he would keep her safe, that he would love her,
that he would give her a life she always wanted. Look how that turned out.
Monroe couldn't trust anyone anymore. They all seemed to lie to her.
The social workers had told her countless times that she was going to a
great home; that the family would love her and wanted her. Most of those
were lies, and she learned from a young age not to trust anybody.
Then Jared came along, and with smooth talking and his charm, she
believed him. Her body and mind were telling her not to trust him, but she
didn't pay any attention. Everything he said and his actions were too good
and she believed him.
What a mistake, she thought to herself. She would never do that again,
and then Michael said the exact same thing.
With that thought in mind, Monroe gently turned the doorknob and
pulled on the door. A shrilling obnoxious noise sounded throughout the
house, making her slam the door shut and hit the ground.
Her breathing picked up and her heart beat faster as the noise continued.
What was that? Why was it continuing to go off? She heard footsteps
pounding toward her.
Monroe's hands went over her head as she rocked back and forth on the
ground. She didn't want to get hit for making the noise go off. A whimper
escaped past her lips as the noise continued. She heard someone cursing in
the background, pulling her into a memory she wanted to forget.
“You ungrateful bitch! I told you no noises and here you are making
noises again!” Jared yelled at Monroe.
She gasped for air, trying to fill her lungs.
“Why couldn’t you just follow one fucking rule?” Jared screamed. “I
was trying to sleep!”
Monroe cried out and rocked herself faster. She could hear his words in
her head, feel his hands hitting her as he let out his frustration. How could
she be so stupid and not realize there was an alarm in the house? She hadn’t
seen any box for the alarm, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one.
Why was she so stupid for setting it off? She woke him up, interrupted
his sleep.
“Monroe.” Jared called out her name, but it didn’t sound like him.
“Please, no. Don’t hurt me. I’m sorry for letting it go off! I didn’t mean
to!” she cried out.
Silence filled the air as the alarm got turned off, but it didn’t help
Monroe. If anything, it set her off even more.
“On your knees,” Jared commanded. “You know the drill. Gotta teach
you a lesson again.”
She let out a sob and huddled in the corner. She needed to protect her
head at all costs. Monroe had learned the hard way that if she didn't wrap
her arms around her head, it wasn't going to end well.
Jared had kicked her in the head several times, not caring that he was
causing damage. On multiple occasions, she’d suffered from concussions.
She didn't have a clue how many. Although, she knew at some point when a
person got too many concussions, they were banned from driving and
basically doing anything, and she didn't want to become like that.
“You’re such a useless bitch. Can’t do anything right. Always messing
something up or breaking some rule and making me angry,” Jared said. “I
don’t want to be angry at you, but every little thing you do makes me want
to rip your head off!”
Monroe sobbed. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you up. Please, don’t
hurt me. I’ll be good, I promise. I’ll do anything you want me to do as long
as you don’t hit me.”
“Monroe,” a voice said, but she didn’t pay any attention to it.
Jared never called her by her name. He had nicknames for her. Slut,
bitch, whore, idiot, and so many more.
Someone touched her shoulder, making Monroe flinch and hit her head
against the wall.
“Please, no,” she begged.
“It's going to be okay. No one's going to hurt you. I'm right here,
keeping you safe,” the person said.
Tremors wracked through her body as memories of Jared hitting her
flashed through her mind.
“Please,” she begged. “Stop.”
The hand grabbed her shoulder, keeping her in place. A scream bubbled
out of her mouth and filled the silence. Thrashing around, Monroe tried to
get away from the person, out of their grip.
“Stop!” she screamed.
The person hoisted her up off the ground and held her close to their
body. She thrashed around some more, trying to get out of the person's
hold.
“Please, let go!” she begged.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered into her ear. “You’re safe now.”
Monroe cried out and pushed against his chest. Everything in her
wanted to be out of his embrace. Her skin was crawling as he held her
tighter against him.
“Please,” she begged again.
 Tears of frustration and panic filled her eyes. Monroe bit down on his
shoulder to try and get him off her, but he didn’t even flinch.
“It’s okay, Little Bunny,” he whispered. “You’re safe now. I’ve got you.
No one is going to hurt you again.”
Sobs wracked her body as she grew tired of fighting against him. He
wasn’t trying to harm her, but help her. It was something she wasn’t used
to.
“That’s it. You’re okay,” he said as he started to rock them back and
forth.
CHAPTER NINE
 MONROE

M onroe’s skin started to crawl as her body relaxed. With the thick
onesie surrounding her body and Michael’s arms wrapped around her, her
body started to overheat.
She moved her arms so they were between their bodies and pushed
against his chest, trying to get away. She needed to get this onesie off her or
she was going to start hyperventilating again and pass out.
Michael tightened his hold on her and sat down on the ground.
"You're okay. I've got you now," he murmured into her ear. "No one is
going to harm you again. I'll take care of you and keep you safe from
everything and everyone."
She didn’t pay any attention to what he said. Monroe continued to push
against his chest and whimpered as she grew hotter and her skin clawed
even more. She wanted her onesie off right now; she needed it off.
"Hot," she whimpered. "Need off."
Her breathing grew labored as she continued to struggle in his arms.
Michael pulled back and looked down at her, concern written all over his
face. She didn't think anything about his facial expression. All that went
through her mind was now there was a little space between them.
Her hands flew up to the zipper and started to tug on it, trying to get it
down, but it wouldn't budge. It was stuck and Monroe started to get
frustrated that it wouldn't unzip. She tugged harder on it, trying to force it
down.
Nausea rolled in her stomach as she started to get hotter and knew if she
didn’t get her onesie off soon, she would be throwing up.
She shivered at the memory of Jared torturing her that way. He loved to
crank up the heat and make her get so hot she had to run to the bathroom
and throw up several times. It was his sick way of showing her he was in
control of everything and she couldn't get away from him.
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as Michael moved his hand
toward her. Gently, he moved her hands away from the zipper. She
impatiently watched as he unzipped her onesie.
Monroe didn't wait for him to finish as she pulled her arms out of the
sleeves and relaxed back into his embrace. She could feel the cold air
against her skin.
"That's it. You're okay," he whispered as he wrapped his arms around
her again.
He was being so kind to her. Michael had helped her calm down and
had unzipped her onesie, something Jared would never have done. Maybe
they weren’t the same, but she couldn’t be too sure this early.
For a second, she felt content and safe. Her skin wasn't crawling, she
wasn't hot, and she liked the feeling of his arms wrapped around her.
Safe. That’s what she felt like with his arms wrapped around her.
She couldn't remember a time when Jared had just held her like this,
when he cared for her. She hadn’t even known Michael that long and he had
already made sure she was as comfortable as she could be considering all
that was happening to her.
Monroe's breathing had evened out and she had calmed down
significantly. Her skin wasn't crawling anymore, and she wasn't hot and
sweaty.
"You're okay," Michael whispered again.
 The more he talked, the calmer she got and the more she became aware
of her surroundings. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and she could feel the little
hairs on his chest on her breasts.
Monroe held her breath with that thought.
She could feel his chest hairs on her skin. Her eyes went wide when she
realized she didn't have anything under her onesie. Monroe was completely
naked from her waist up and she was pressed up against Michael.
She screwed her eyes shut and tried to come up with a plan. How was
she going to get out of this? He had to know she didn't have anything under
her onesie once he’d helped her take it off. Why didn't he say anything? Did
he want to cop a feel?
Monroe pushed against his chest and fell off his lap. She scrambled to
grab the top of the onesie and fit her arms through the holes, but it didn't
work. Her hand got stuck, her chest on full display in front of Michael.
Tears of frustration filled her eyes as she continued to struggle to get her
arms through the armholes and zip it back up. Why wouldn't this stupid
thing work? Why did it have to get all tangled up when she needed it to
cover up the most?
"Let me help you," Michael said.
Monroe shook her head and scooted back, trying to get out of his reach.
She didn't want to be near him right now. She didn't want to be touched.
She was so focused on trying to get her arm in the sleeve that she didn't
realize Michael was slowly moving toward her. He gently grabbed her
sleeve and helped her arm push through.
Staring at him while he helped with her other hand, she realized he
wasn't looking at her boobs but was staring intently at where her arms were
to help get them through the tangled sleeve.
It calmed her down some when she realized he wasn't looking at her, but
she still didn't want to be near him right now. She was starting to get
overwhelmed, and wanted to be alone to think things through.
 Michael slowly zipped her onesie up all the way and made sure none of
her hair was in the way.
"There. All covered up," he said as he sat back.
They both stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Monroe
moved back toward the corner. She brought her legs up to her chest and
wrapped her arms around them as she continued to look at him.
"I'm going to go make breakfast. When you're ready to eat, I'll have it
ready for you," he said.
Monroe stared at him as he got up from the ground and started to walk
away.
"Do you want anything to drink? Water, milk, or apple juice?" he asked
right before he moved out of her sight.
She wanted to tell him yes because she was so thirsty, but that could
wait. First, she needed to wrap her mind around everything that had just
happened and figure out the next step.
"No," she whispered.
"No, thank you," he said.
She looked at him weird. Why was he saying that? He didn’t have
anything to say no to or thank you.
"Manners," he replied.
"No, thank you," she said.
Jared hadn't minded when she didn't use manners because she didn't talk
much or really interact with him. She didn’t know how she felt about that.
While it threw her off , it also made her feel at ease in some way.
"I'll be in the kitchen when you're ready for breakfast," Michael
repeated before he disappeared into the kitchen.
Monroe stared at the empty space where he used to be. What all had just
happened? He’d seemed so calm through everything while she was a train
wreck. Did he know that was all going to happen or did he have
experience?
 So many questions swirled through her mind that tears of frustration
overwhelmingly filled her eyes. She just wanted all this to be over. She was
so tired.
Leaning her head against the wall, she closed her eyes and took several
deep breaths. She didn't know what she was going to do and that worried
her. The past four—almost five—days she hadn't had a plan and it was
starting to catch up with her.
What if Jared was right behind her the whole time? What if he was
waiting for the perfect moment to come out and grab her?
Monroe gripped a handful of her hair and tugged. She felt so defeated
and she didn't know what to do. She didn’t have anyone to turn to and ask
for guidance.
CHAPTER TEN
 MICHAEL

M ichael slowly walked back to the kitchen, waiting to see if

Monroe would call him back. He knew she wouldn't, but he had told her he
was here for her if she needed anything. He had hoped she would call him
back, ask him to hold her, and keep her safe.
That's all Michael wanted to do. He wanted to hold her against him and
keep her safe. Comfort her in her time of need, but he knew she needed to
be alone right now. She was scared and he didn't want to make it worse.
He'd wondered if he’d moved too fast…or too slow. If he had insisted
on holding her, would it have made her feel more safe, or frightened her
again? That was if he made her feel safe. Michael had no clue if he had that
effect on her or not, and she didn't give any indication if she felt safe or
not.
Well, she kind of did give an indication when he thought about it.
Monroe had tried to leave that morning while he was asleep. Michael had
thought last night that she might try to run so he had set the house alarm.
Normally he didn't set it because it was a safe neighborhood, but he had
hoped the noise of the alarm would cause her to freeze long enough for him
to get downstairs.
Michael felt bad for relying on her fear response, but he knew she
shouldn't be out on the streets right now in her condition.
 She had a concussion, was dehydrated, had to be in a lot of pain, and
was underweight. He didn't know how long she had been on the road, but
he bet it was a while, and he needed to take care of her. She could have
passed out at any time while driving.
What if she had been on the highway and passed out? She could have
rammed into another car or a semi and gotten killed—or killed someone.
Just the thought of her getting hurt or being killed hurt him. He didn't want
anything to happen to her. She was already too precious to him.
Michael took a deep breath in and pulled out eggs and bread. He wanted
to get some protein and carbs into her so she could gain some weight.
Hopefully she liked milk because he knew that was another great way to get
protein into her and fuel her body.
When was the last time she had eaten properly? Michael didn't know if
he wanted to know the actual answer to that question. What if it had been
years?
Every thought about how she lived before broke his heart. He wouldn’t
want that to happen to anyone, but Monroe tugged at his heart strings and
his Daddy instincts. He wished he could go back in time and find her before
the other person had come into her life, whoever it was.
As he started to make breakfast, he thought back to what had just
happened to process everything. The alarm going off had woken him up in a
panic and for a second, he had forgotten that Monroe was in the house.
The first thought that ran through his head was that someone was
breaking in. He had rushed out of bed, forgetting he only had shorts on and
running out of his room and into the living room.
That was when he saw her, on the floor with her hands over her head.
She had been rocking back and forth as she covered her head, a clear
defense mechanism, and he had no doubt she was reliving events that
happened throughout her life.
 Michael had made sure he turned off the alarm as quickly as possible
before he tried to talk to her. Maybe he should have thought of a better way
to keep her in the house. He could have slept on the couch so he would hear
her and not make her go through all that. The guilt had been almost
overwhelming as he had watched her rock back and forth.
He had tried to be gentle when he talked to her, but even then she had
screamed and backed away into the corner. The sight broke his heart and
even now, thinking about it, Michael had to take a couple of seconds to
regain his composure.
Everything in him wanted to go back in there and make sure she was
okay. He wanted to hold her against him, rocking her to calm her down.
Michael didn't know if he could’ve handled that differently. He tried to
rack his brain to come up with different scenarios, but he couldn't. His voice
hadn't been getting through to her and when he’d touched her, she’d
panicked.
Thankfully, he was able to calm her down when he held her. Those
glorious couple of minutes he felt her in his arms made him crave more.
Oh, so much more, but he needed to be patient and gentle with her. He
didn't want to overwhelm her and end up scaring her away. There would be
plenty of other times to hold her like that again.
How could he get her to trust him? He had never been around abused
survivors long after he checked them over. They normally went on their
way after he told them there wasn't anything else but rest they could do for
them. Even when they stayed in the shelter, he didn’t interact with them
much unless they needed medical advice. He could call one of the nurses
that worked at the clinic with the abuse victims and ask her what he could
do.
Michael turned off the burner and pulled the eggs off before gently
placing them on two plates. It was earlier than he had planned on waking
up, but he was going to make the best of it. He needed to plan out his day
and come up with a plan on how to get her to trust him.
First, though, he needed to get her fed. He knew just by looking at her
that she was underweight. She was tall and the way her arms and legs
looked in her clothes left no room for any imagination. Monroe was too
skinny.
He bet he could wrap his whole hand around her bicep and overlap his
fingers. That was how skinny she looked. He knew it wasn't healthy and he
wanted to help her fix that.
Maybe he could get her to drink some protein shakes and go down for a
nap. He didn't know how she would feel about taking naps, but it was
essential for getting better. Lots of food, liquids, and rest, and he wanted to
provide that for her. Her body needed it to heal properly.
He didn’t know if he could get her to do any of it, but he would try. She
recognized his Daddy voice and seemed to follow it.
She had seemed to respond to that well, but Michael didn't want to
overuse and abuse it. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He would be
no better than the person she was trying to run from.
She had clearly been abused, probably by someone who wanted to
control her. He wasn’t like that, but would she be able to see the difference?
He wanted her to heal, and to help her grow.
Picking up some strawberries, he started to cut some onto their plates.
He didn’t know if she liked strawberries, but he hoped she did. If she didn’t,
then he would get something else for her.
He placed both plates down on the kitchen counter where he had two
stools. So many thoughts went through his mind. Should he wait for her to
come in or should he go get her? Should he wait until she came to eat or go
ahead and eat his food while it was hot?
Before he could act on any of his thoughts, Monroe walked through the
kitchen door, her head hung and shoulders slumped. She looked absolutely
defeated and Michael didn’t like that. He didn’t like that at all.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
 MONROE

M onroe walked into the kitchen, her head hanging and shoulders
slumped. She didn’t know what to do or how to feel after the past twenty-
four hours.
Michael had been nothing but nice to her, too nice for her to be able to
trust that he was sincere. He wanted her to eat enough, made sure she felt
comfortable, and told her if she needed anything to go to him. No one in her
life had ever done that for her.
Was that normal or did he want something in the end? From her
experience, no guy had ever been nice to her just to be nice. They always
had some ulterior motive.
Jared had been sweet to her in the beginning but after a couple months
of living with him, he had slowly started to change. She hadn’t realized it at
the time because they were gradual, subtle changes, but looking back now,
she saw it all.
She was saddened to realize how far she’d let him go.
"You can sit on this stool and your food is right there. Would you like
chocolate milk, apple juice, or water for breakfast?" Michael asked.
Monroe had never gotten so many options in her life. People never
asked what she could and could not have. Jared never wanted her to have
juice or chocolate milk. Those were only for special occasions that never
happened. She loved chocolate milk, but hadn't had it in many years.
"Chocolate milk," she whispered.
She didn't know if this was another one of his tests to see what she
would pick and do. With Jared, she never really had to guess if it was a test
or not. If he gave her a choice about something, she knew it was a test. And
she knew that whatever she chose, it would be the wrong choice and he
would punish her. Normally, she’d known what to do and what not to do,
but with Michael it was a whole different story. She didn't know him and
didn’t know what his rules were. Would he get mad if she made the wrong
choice?
He hadn't gotten mad yet, but only time would tell. His next question
could be a trick and she could fail and get beaten.
Her whole body froze at the thought of getting beaten again. Would
Michael’s hurt more or less than Jared's? Michael looked bigger than Jared,
but Jared had always made her pass out from his beatings. The pain was
unbearable, and he would go on for what felt like hours until he was
satisfied or she passed out.
It hadn’t started out like that. In the beginning, it was just him yelling at
her and telling her to do things and it escalated to a slap here or a punch
there. After a while, it got worse and worse and she found herself with
broken bones, cuts, and bruises that littered her body.
Monroe couldn't remember a time when her skin wasn't marred with
cuts and bruises. It had been years since she saw her skin clean, fresh, and
healthy. Would she recognize herself if she looked in the mirror and saw
herself with healthy skin?
"Here you go," Michael said, pulling Monroe from her thoughts.
She looked at the plate of food. She hadn't had eggs in a long time.
Honestly, she couldn't remember a time when she’d had a full meal like
this. Jared’d had a strict hold over what she could and couldn't eat; well,
mostly what she couldn't eat. He didn't think she deserved food when she
was naughty and seemed to think she was naughty all the time.
Monroe gingerly picked up her fork and scooped some eggs onto it,
slowly bringing them to her mouth. What if they were poisoned? She
hesitated before putting them in her mouth. He wouldn't do that…well, she
didn't think he would. He had been nice to her since she met him yesterday
but that didn't mean anything. He could be waiting for her guard to be down
before he struck. Not poisoning her drink yesterday and hopefully not her
food today, but she didn’t know him that well to put that much trust in him.
She stopped chewing and contemplated spitting the food out. She didn't
want to be rude and get beaten for spitting them out, but she didn't trust he
hadn’t put something in them.
Monroe looked over to her side to see Michael eating his food. She
swallowed her food and waited to feel dizzy or off, but nothing happened.
Maybe he had put such a small dose in it she would have to eat the whole
thing to pass out?
Worry churned in her stomach. She wanted to eat the food because she
was hungry, but the thought of it being poisoned made her appetite
disappear. She didn't want to pass out and be at his mercy. He could do
anything to her. But he could have done anything to her while she was
passed out yesterday or while she slept last night, and he hadn't.
A whimper threatened to escape her lips, but she forced it back down.
She couldn't think about that right now.
Pushing her food around her plate, Monroe closed her eyes for a second.
She felt exhausted and knew it was from the nightmare she’d woken up
from and the panic she’d had several minutes ago. They always took so
much out of her, and she felt like she could barely function for a day after a
full panic attack.
"Monroe, please eat," Michael softly said.
 She looked at him then down at her food. Monroe continued to push her
food around on her plate. She really wanted to eat, but the thought of it
having something in it made her stomach turn to knots. She didn't want to
get drugged again.
That was Jared's favorite way to drug her. Put stuff in her food or drink
and not tell her. It was always in her mind when he gave her food, but her
body didn't care because it wanted food. She was starved, and any little
food he gave her she would scarf down and live with the consequences
later.
"Please eat some more. You need all the food to nourish and fuel your
body," he said again.
It put Monroe off that he cared so much. Quietly putting her fork down
on her plate, she leaned over and placed her head on the counter. Maybe she
could go back upstairs and fall asleep for a couple of hours. She
remembered seeing a lock on the door, which slightly put her at ease. Who
knew if Michael had keys to the room or not, but it was worth a try. He
didn't bother her last night, so why would he bother her now?
It was stupid logic, but it eased her mind a little.
Closing her eyes, she took in several deep breaths to try and calm
herself down.
"Sit up and open your eyes. I'll feed you," Michael said.
Monroe stopped breathing for a second. Why would he want to feed
her? Was he going to force feed her the food that had drugs in it? After all,
he was a doctor, and probably had supplies he could use.
She continued to keep her eyes closed as she leaned her head against the
counter. He couldn't force her to eat food. Maybe she could sneak down into
the kitchen later and have a snack. He couldn't have laced everything in the
house with drugs. When would he have had time to do that? How would he
remember what he had laced with drugs and what he hadn't?
 "Monroe, you really need to eat. Open your eyes and sit up and I'll feed
you the rest of your food," he said.
He sounded so genuine, it tugged at her heart. She didn't want to
disappoint him, but she also didn't want to be drugged.
"Come on, sit up," he commanded.
Monroe slowly opened her eyes and sat up straight. Pushing the place
away from her, she looked down at the food with apprehension. She didn't
think she could stomach eating any more of it. She already was feeling
tired, and didn't know if that was from the food or from everything that had
happened.
"I promise the food doesn't have anything in it. If you want, I can eat
some to show you," Michael said.
Her eyes snapped to his and she could see he was sincere. If he was
willing to eat some of her food, that meant it wasn't drugged, right? She had
no clue, but it seemed like a logical answer to her.
"Come on," he encouraged her. "It tastes delicious. I am biased since I
made them, but I've had other people tell me they really like my eggs."
She had to agree with him. The little taste she’d had was delicious and
she hadn’t fully appreciated it because she was paranoid at the time.
Monroe opened her mouth and waited for him to place the fork in. She
wasn't as relaxed, but she wasn't as paranoid as she was before. She slowly
chewed them before swallowing and she could agree, they were great. Soft
and smooth, but fully cooked.
"Good?" He had a knowing smile on his face.
She hesitantly nodded her head. Her stomach grumbled a little, making
her bow her head as her cheeks grew red. How embarrassing.
"Let's feed the monster inside your stomach," Michael said as he
chuckled.
Looking back up, her mouth dropped open when she saw him starting to
do a little plane movement with the fork toward her mouth. Something
inside her broke as tears welled up in her eyes. She shouldn't be crying over
this. Although she didn't understand why, she couldn't help the tears that
filled her eyes.
Michael placed the food in her mouth, and she closed her eyes. She
needed to stop crying but couldn't find it within herself to stop. No one had
ever done anything like this for her before, not even when she was little and
refused to eat. The foster parents had told her if she didn't eat she could
starve. They weren't going to take the time to do little airplane movements
or train movements with the utensil to make her eat.
"Open up," Michael encouraged her.
Jerking back, she opened her eyes and shook her head. Tears blurred her
vision, and she could barely make out Michael in front of her. She couldn't
deal with this anymore. She needed to get away from him.
"It's okay," he whispered. "I bet a lot is going through your mind right
now. How about you continue to close your eyes and think, and I'll continue
to feed you and tell you when you need to open your mouth."
She didn't want to, but the way he spoke, so soft and caring, made her
close her eyes and open her mouth. The whole time he fed her, she kept
pushing back all her emotions as she tried not to cry.
Her whole life, she had believed all men were the same. Her opinion
had briefly changed when she had met Jared, but changed back after she’d
lived with him for several years. All men were nice if they wanted
something in return. They didn't care about the person they were using; they
only wanted to use them then throw them out.
Monroe couldn't figure out what Michael could want in return for all his
niceness. He had to want something. She just couldn't figure out what since
he didn't know her and what she could offer him. She wanted to believe he
was different, but she didn't want to be in the same situation as before.
The way Michael was acting around her seemed genuine and it was
confusing her. It was different from what Jared had done. Were there really
men out there that didn't want anything in return and she had just never met
one?
She didn't know what to believe right now and it scared her. Part of her
wished she had never stopped on his street so she didn't have all these
thoughts and feelings, but another part of her was grateful. Even though she
was scared and didn’t fully trust him, he had put her at ease a couple of
times and helped pull her out of several panic attacks. No one had been able
to do that since, well, forever.
“All done,” Michael said, again pulling her from her thoughts.
Monroe slowly opened her eyes and made eye contact with him. He had
a small smile on his face which confused her. Why was he smiling? Did she
have something on her face and he thought it was funny?
She reached up and wiped her hand across her face, but nothing was
there. Why was he smiling?
"What would you like to do today?" he asked.
She wanted to get out of here, but didn't think he would appreciate that
answer. Everything in her was telling her to leave the house and never come
back, but another part of her was telling her to stay and see what happened.
"I do want to let you know that since you have a concussion, you can't
do a lot. We don't want to make the concussion worse or prolong it," he
said. "We can make cookies, a cake, or any type of food you want."
Monroe started to feel overwhelmed with everything. "I want to leave,"
she whispered.
Michael let out a sigh. "I don't think it's a wise idea for you to leave
right now. With your concussion, you shouldn't be focusing on anything too
hard or you could make it worse. I wouldn't want you to start driving and
have you pass out. You could hurt yourself, but you could also hurt other
people. You also have a lot of bruises and cuts on your body, and I would
hate for them to get infected."
 She shook her head and got off the stool. Why was he so concerned
with her health?
"You can either stay here or I can drop you off at the hospital or clinic,
but I would really advise you not to leave on your own. I can't keep you
here, but as a doctor, I'm worried that if you leave on your own, you could
hurt yourself more and I don't want that to happen," he explained.
There he went again about her health. He couldn’t keep her here, had
said so himself, but she didn't find herself walking out the door. Why
couldn't she leave? Why was he so concerned about her health? Why did
part of her want to stay?
He seemed in some ways different from Jared and it intrigued her. Some
tiny part of her wanted to see if he was truly different or if it was just a
show.
"Would you like to do anything?" he asked again. "Or would you like to
be left by yourself for a little while?"
"Left alone," she whispered.
CHAPTER TWELVE
 MONROE

“I 'll be in my office which is just down the hall. If you need

anything, you let me know." He got up from his chair and walked away.
Monroe moved to the couch and sat down, feeling confused. Thoughts
were running through her mind, almost too fast for her to grab hold of.
She couldn’t figure out what his motive was. Was he trying to get her
defenses down so when he called Jared, she wouldn't have a clue? Was he
wanting to do the same thing Jared had done to her?
Or was he really just being nice and sweet to her? But that couldn’t be
right.
She was on edge, unable to figure out his motives. Who would do things
just to be nice? She had never met a person like that, and she didn't believe
they were real. That meant Michael had an ulterior motive. That must be it.
She had no other explanation.
There was also something different about him she couldn't quite place
her finger on. With his niceness had also come some sternness, and she had
seen it again when he told her she had to eat.
The way he had spoken to her almost reminded her of the Daddy Doms
she’d read about. She couldn't forget that when she’d arrived here and
choked on the water, he had called himself Daddy. He had done it twice and
it had actually helped calm her down.
 She’d never had a Daddy before, but the way he spoke just made her
want to obey him. She didn't want to displease him at all and that worried
her.
That's how she had been when she and Jared first started getting
together. She hadn’t wanted to displease him at all and would do anything
and everything to please him. Obviously, that hadn’t ended well, and what
was to say this time wouldn’t end well, either? But what if it could end well
but she didn’t give it a chance? What would she have lost?
Michael had made her think about things more than she ever had in her
life. The way he acted and spoke to her was so foreign and different, she
wondered if there were other people like him.
But her mind always went back to what it knew, and she knew all men
were the same. That meant Michael had to have a motive behind being so
nice to her and she was going to try and find out what it was. It was the only
logical thing to do.
Well, she didn't really want to find out right now, because all she wanted
to do was sleep. And the way he’d told her he didn't want her to drive by
herself was kind of making her think about staying in the house until she
was a bit better.
Monroe gasped and sat up straight. Was that his motive all along? Get
her to feel better and calmer around him so she stayed until she fully
recovered and then didn't want to leave?
Just as she was about to stand up, she heard footsteps. Did he know?
Was he going to force her to stay here?
Chest tightening, she rubbed it to try and loosen the pain. She didn’t
want to panic right now and let him know she knew. There had to be a way
to get away without him knowing.
“I just wanted to check in. Do you need any water or milk?” Michael
asked as he walked into the living room. “I also have a protein shake if you
want it.”
 She shook her head even though she was a little thirsty. Maybe once he
was gone she could grab a drink of water, something she herself could see
come out of the faucet and knew wasn’t laced with anything.
“If you get thirsty, let me know and I'll get you a drink. If you're not
comfortable with that, I'll set a cup out for you and you can grab a drink of
water anytime you want,” Michael said. “Or if you look in the fridge and
see anything you like, you can have it.”
There he went again, being nice and considerate and it threw Monroe
off. She didn't know how to respond to that, or if she was even supposed to
respond. Jared hadn’t been this considerate even when they’d first started to
date.
Everything in her mind told her to run out of the house and leave and
never come back. There were several red flags that popped up in her mind
and she knew she needed to leave, but her body didn't want to.
Her body and her mind were at war with each other. Her mind knew this
could be a dangerous situation, but her body was reacting to his words. Her
body wanted to get comfortable and loved the way he spoke and was
considerate.
She didn't know what to do and it frustrated her. It had all been easy
when she’d left Jared because she knew what he was doing was wrong and
bad and she needed to get away. But with Michael, it was a whole different
story. He was different.
Monroe had known him for less than a day and he was already
confusing her. She didn't know if he was being genuine or if he was being
like Jared, just in a different way. He could be manipulating her right now
and she wouldn't know or, well, she would, she just didn't know how to stop
it.
He was being so nice and she wanted to trust him, but it just felt wrong.
She had read several books that had Daddy Doms in them, but she’d
never met one in real life. All the books portrayed these Daddies as
possessive and caring, but she had never met a man like that in a good way,
never mind a Daddy. Jared could be called possessive, but in a bad way. He
wanted to own the person and never let them do anything.
Several times, she had dreamed about having a Daddy of her own,
someone that would cherish her, spoil her, discipline her, and be possessive.
But as life went on and she kept reading those books, the reality of it
becoming true dwindled until now it was just a fantasy, a fairy tale.
Her boyfriend in high school had said he was a Daddy Dom, but he
never acted like one. And then he came to her just before she dropped out
and told her it was all a lie and he wasn't one. That he didn't identify as a
Daddy Dom anymore, but as a sadist.
One thing she hated was lying. She didn't like it when people lied to her
because it put her in the dark and made her feel unsafe.
It was funny how she didn't like lying yet she had lied a lot recently, and
Michael had been the one to call her out on it. But she wanted to be safe,
and her lying to him wasn't harming him. Well, it wasn't harming him yet.
She knew she needed to leave soon so he wasn't in danger. Jared was
powerful and when he wanted something, there was no stopping him. She
was worried that whoever she stayed with or talked to would be in trouble.
Or worse, they would be killed, and she didn't want that on her
conscience. She had seen Jared kill before and it scared her because he
looked so cold and removed, like taking a life didn't bother him.
Monroe let out a yawn and leaned her head against the couch cushion.
Her mind was screaming at her to wake up and go into the bedroom,
locking the door behind her, but her body was at ease. It was almost like her
body knew she was safe here but her mind hadn't caught up yet.
Or maybe it was the other way around. Her body was at ease when it
shouldn't be, and it should be listening to her mind telling her she shouldn't
be falling asleep in the living room.
 It was an open space and Michael could do whatever he wanted to her if
she fell asleep here. She was defenseless and her mind knew that, but her
body chose to ignore it.
Monroe couldn't find it in herself to leave the couch and go to the bed
and she ended up falling asleep on the couch.

“M ONROE , can you wake up for me?” someone softly whispered.

She groggily sat up from her position on the couch and blinked several
times. Sleep weighed her body and mind down and all she wanted to do was
fall back asleep. She was exhausted and could probably sleep for another
several hours.
“There are those beautiful eyes,” Michael said.
Monroe didn't think her eyes were beautiful. They were only brown and
whenever she looked into the mirror, they reminded her of poop. They were
dull, lifeless, and boring. Michael also had brown eyes, but his were
different. They had a little gold or yellow in them that a person could see.
His kind eyes shone whenever he looked at her.
She wanted to tell him his eyes were beautiful, but she held the
comment back. Monroe had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate that, and she
didn't want to get in trouble. That could be the turning point and he could
show his true colors.
“Can you drink this protein shake while I make lunch?” Michael asked.
Why did he want her to drink a protein shake? Did he want her to stay
hydrated?
The look on her face must have shown her question because he started
to explain.
 “I believe you're underweight, and I want to make sure your body is
getting enough protein, fats, and carbs to fuel it properly. If we don't take
care of our bodies, after a while, they could start to shut down, and I
wouldn't want that for you,” he explained. “I want you to get healthy, which
means we need to take care of it.”
There he went again, talking like he truly cared about her. It was putting
her more on edge every time he did it and she didn't know how much more
she could take.
“Why don't you come sit in the kitchen while I make one?” he
suggested.
Monroe was hesitant, but didn't think there'd be any harm in watching
him. He hadn't done anything to her, that she knew of, while she was asleep,
and she would be able to keep an eye on him if they were in the kitchen.
Michael held his hand out for her to grab, but she didn't place her hand
in his. She didn't like touching other people a lot. Human contact, physical
touch more specifically, made her crave it more and she didn't want that
craving right now.
He had already held her once and she’d loved every minute of it. She
didn’t want to get used to it because when she left, she would miss it so
much more. It was better not to touch him at all.
Jared had withheld physical contact that was lovey-dovey when she
wasn't a good girl. He didn’t want to hug or cuddle at any point. She had
cried several times when he first implemented that but after a while, she
grew to push that feeling down.
He hadn't touched her in that way for years and she knew once she
started, she wouldn't want to stop. It scared her because she didn't want to
go through those sleepless nights where she couldn't cuddle up to the person
and feel their skin against hers.
Everything in her wanted to grab his hand, but she held it back. Monroe
pushed herself off the couch and took a couple seconds to catch her breath.
She was slightly dizzy, no doubt from the lack of sleep, dehydration, and
her body trying to heal. Well, and probably the concussion Michael said she
had. It honestly felt normal, which might not be a good sign, but she didn't
know any different.
She had felt like this several times throughout the past six or more
years. She just had to take the next couple of days easy and not overdo
anything.
If Michael was hurt that she didn't take his hand, he didn't show it. Was
he hurt or did he not mind? Should she have grabbed his hand? Was it
another test?
“Chocolate or strawberry?” he asked. “For the protein shake.”
“Chocolate,” she whispered.
She liked strawberry but it wasn't her favorite flavor. She enjoyed the
fruit more than anything strawberry flavored, but chocolate was the best.
Michael pulled out a chair for her and walked around the counter,
opening the fridge and grabbing a protein shake and handing it to her.
Before she could stop herself, she spoke. “Straw?”
Mortification fell across her face when she realized she’d asked him for
a straw. He had just made her feel more comfortable than she had in a long
time and she’d forgotten where she was for a second.
A small smile broke out across his face as he moved around the kitchen.
“Here you are.”
He placed the drink in front of her and gave her the straw.
“I would normally open the drink for you, but I want you to know for
sure that it’s sealed and I didn’t do anything. I want you to drink all of it and
not worry I might have put something in it, which I didn’t,” Michael said.
Looking down at her lap, she took a couple seconds to regain her
composure. She shouldn't have asked for that. She brought the bottle close
to her and opened it, feeling the seal tear before she put the straw in.
 Her Little side loved to drink with straws. It just made it more fun, and
she wanted to drink from it. She could drink without a straw, but it just
wasn't the same. She didn't have a drive to drink it as much as she did when
there was a straw in there.
“No need to be embarrassed about wanting a straw. I love drinking with
a straw,” Michael said.
She looked up at him in disbelief. It felt like he was just saying it so she
didn't feel embarrassed.
“I thought we could get to know each other while I cooked lunch. Ask
each other a couple of questions. How does that sound?” he asked.
Monroe’s mouth fell open and she moved back in her chair. She didn’t
like the idea of him asking her questions. He could either ask her simple
questions or he could ask her who she was running from and how she got
her bruises.
“If you don’t want to answer, just let me know and I’ll do the same,” he
said. “But if you really don’t want to, we don’t have to talk.”
That made her feel guilty for some odd reason.
“Okay,” she whispered.
She didn’t know how many questions she would answer or ask or if she
would answer any of them. She wasn’t comfortable sharing much about
herself because he could possibly find something out that led to Jared. If he
hadn’t already called him.
“What’s your favorite food?” he asked.
She watched him for a second, kind of in shock. Monroe was not
expecting him to ask a question like that. She was expecting more of ‘who
hurt you?’ and similar questions.
“I don’t know,” she honestly replied.
She couldn’t ever remember a time when she had absolutely loved what
she was given to eat. In the foster homes, it was the same five things. With
Jared, well, she didn’t get to eat a lot and when she did, it was bland food.
 Jared would tell her she didn’t deserve food that had a lot of taste to it.
The only time she could have something with taste was when his work
colleagues would rope him into bringing her to dinner, which wasn’t often.
“Well, we’ll have to fix that then. While you’re here, we’ll try all
different types of food to figure out what you like,” he said as he turned
around and gave her a big smile. “I have to say homemade spring rolls or
samosas are my favorite food.”
Why would he want to do that? Wouldn’t he want her to eat bland
things or have no food at all?
She knew he had mentioned her getting enough food in her body, but
that could be just a ploy to get her to do it and then get her in trouble.
Monroe always had to be prepared for everything and right now it felt like a
test.
“Don’t forget to take a couple sips of your protein shake,” he reminded
her.
Monroe took several sips of the chocolate protein shake and couldn’t
help but relax a little. It tasted good but maybe that was just the straw
talking to her. Drinking through a straw made everything better, or, well,
almost everything.
“What’s your favorite color?” he asked. “My favorite color is red. More
of a dark red, almost like a maroon.”
“Green, soft green,” she whispered and took several more sips of the
drink. She knew that for sure. It had always been her favorite color.
Monroe had always loved the way soft green looked on anything. She
especially liked it when it was paired with pink. She wasn't by any means a
pink girl, but the two colors did go together.
She could feel herself starting to get full so she pushed away the drink.
Whatever he was making started to smell good and if he was going to insist
she eat anything, she needed to stop drinking.
“Is that the color of your stuffed bunny?” he asked.
 Her eyes went wide as she stared at him. Her bunny, Bunster, had
magically appeared on the bed last night and she hadn’t known how it got
there. Could Michael have gotten it from her car and placed it there?
She didn't know when he would have had time, unless he did it while
she was passed out. What else had he done while she was passed out?
It worried her that she didn't know what had happened while she was
unconscious. How long had she been out? Did she need to be worried?
“I hope you like chicken with some spices on it and rice. We can either
have green beans or corn. What would you prefer?” Michael asked.
He turned around to look at her and she shrugged her shoulders. She
didn't care if they had corn or green beans. She didn’t like either and didn’t
want to make a decision right now.
“We'll have corn today and tomorrow we can have green beans,” he
said.
Monroe watched as he dished out two plates before setting one in front
of her. Her mouth salivated as she looked at the food and her stomach
rumbled.
“We better feed the stomach monster before he eats you,” he jokingly
said.
She couldn't remember a time when her stomach was so full or when it
grumbled. It had been years and yet in the past couple of hours, both had
happened.
Right as she was about to take a bite, Michael asked her another
question.
“Do you have any siblings?” he asked.
Monroe didn't want to talk about the lack of family she had. She knew
growing up in foster care hadn’t been something she’d planned, and she
shouldn't be ashamed of it, but it was hard because she had no good
memories.
 Her appetite was lost as soon as he asked that question. She didn't want
to eat anymore even though the food looked appetizing.
“Sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable,” Michael said.
He couldn't have known but she still didn't want to talk about it.
“Please eat,” he kindly asked her.
She took a couple of bites of the chicken and rice, but her appetite was
just gone. She felt like if she took any more bites she was going to puke,
and she didn't want to make a mess.
“Does your stuffed bunny have a name?” he asked.
Monroe nodded her head but didn't offer the name. She didn't want him
to know her stuffie's name. Not many people knew she had the stuffed
bunny, not even Jared, and she didn't know how she would feel with him
knowing.
He could take it away and she didn't like the thought of that. It had been
her first stuffed bunny she got for herself. It was special because it got her
through some pretty tough times.
“May I be excused?” she asked.
Deep down, she knew she probably didn't have to ask, but she didn't
want to get on his wrong side. He had the house rigged so that an alarm
went off when she opened the front door so she couldn't get out.
She didn't want him to turn into Jared and beat her.
“Yes,” he said and sighed.
Monroe was quick to push her chair out, get off it, and walk to the room
he was letting her stay in.
She had almost let her guard down when he was asking questions and
that was a mistake. She needed to be more mindful of the fact he could very
easily be manipulative just like Jared was.
Sighing, Monroe lay down on the bed. She had honestly thought he was
different with how he was treating her, but she should have known better.
She kept reminding herself he had an ulterior motive and it finally showed.
 He wanted to know about her background so he could return her to
Jared. Michael probably wanted to know if she would mention Jared so he
could confirm she was his girl. Well, not his girl anymore, but she didn’t
think Jared would accept that.
She needed to get out of here, but she didn't know how. The alarm was
set for the house which meant if she tried to get out, he would know.
She was going to come up with a plan to leave because she didn't want
to be manipulated again.
“Monroe?” Michael’s voice came through the door.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
 MICHAEL

M ichael stared at her retreating form as she walked to her room and
groaned. He had messed up. Before he’d asked her if she had any siblings,
instinct told him it would be a bad idea, but he’d ignored it. Idiot.
Family and the person she was running from were topics that were
definitely not to be talked about until they got to know each other better. He
should have known that, but he’d let his impatience override his common
sense.
He had instantly regretted the question when he saw her completely shut
down. Why couldn't he have waited until later to ask that question? He had
seen the way she was looking at the food, a little excited look in her eyes,
and he’d been glad. She needed to eat.
He was worried he may have to force her to eat.
And then the excitement in her eyes had disappeared when he asked that
question. She’d taken a couple of bites but after that, she just pushed the
food around. If only he hadn’t asked her about her family.
When was the last time she’d been excited about food? Maybe never.
And he’d ruined it. That was all he could think about.
Michael wanted to go after her, hold her in his arms, and tell her
everything was going to be okay. He wanted her to come back down and eat
so her body was nourished.
 Looking over at her plate, he saw all the uneaten food and her protein
drink. Maybe if he brought it up to her, she would eat some more and drink
the rest of her protein drink.
He had seen the way she seemed to enjoy the protein shake, especially
after he’d given her the straw. He didn't think she saw him when he looked
over at her as she took her first sip. He bet she had never had a protein
shake before and maybe this was a good way to get the protein in her when
she wasn't that hungry.
Michael normally didn't have protein drinks in his house because he
liked to get his nourishment from actual food, but he had been a lot busier
recently and it was a good supplement when he couldn't sit down and eat a
full meal.
He was thankful now that he’d gone out and bought some.
He just wanted her to know that she would be safe as his Little girl.
Michael sat up straighter at that thought. Make her his Little girl. He didn’t
know for certain that she was a Little. Yes, she gave off some indicators
with her stuffed animal and the way she responded to him when he called
himself Daddy, but he didn't know for sure and didn't want to make any
assumptions.
Grabbing her plate and drink, he made his way toward her room. He
didn't think she was going to answer, but that was okay.
“Monroe?” He called out her name when he got in front of her door.
No answer. To be expected since he had messed up and made her shut
down.
“I'm sorry for asking a question that made you uncomfortable. It wasn't
my intention. I just wanted to get to know you a little bit. It wasn't my place
and I know that, and I hope you’ll forgive me,” he said.
He had no clue if she was paying attention to him or not, but he hoped
she was.
 “I wanted you to get the proper nourishment you need for your body
and I know my question probably made you lose your appetite. I didn't want
you to go hungry, so I brought your food and protein shake up. Can I bring
it in?” he asked.
There was still no answer which made him a little sad. He had hoped
she would open the door and take the food at least. Michael knew she
wasn't going to talk or forgive him for what he did. She needed time to
digest everything.
“It’s okay if you don't want to come and get it. I totally get it and again,
I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable. I want you to be comfortable here
while you heal up,” he said sadly.
He wanted her here longer, but he couldn't hold her forever if she didn't
want to stay. He felt a connection between them but didn't know if she felt it
as well. All he could do was hope she did.
“I'll leave the food and your protein drink out in front of the door. I'll be
in the living room. Don't hesitate to come get me if you need anything,” he
said as he placed her food down on the ground.
If she was his, he would give her a little bit of space to think and
process everything before he tried to talk to her again. He didn't like things
to go unsolved or not talked about it for a long time because he felt like it
could lead to miscommunication.
He didn't like miscommunication at all.
But Monroe wasn't his and he needed to respect that and give her space
and let her come to him. It was going to be hard, but he knew he needed to
do it.
Michael walked away from her room and into the living room. He knew
he needed to eat, but right now, he was worried about her and couldn't
stomach the thought of eating. He would, but it could wait until a bit later.
How could he get close to her, make her trust him? Maybe he could ask
Finn for some pointers. Charlotte didn’t go through anything like this, but
he knew that she was shy.
Michael picked his phone up and searched for Finn's name, but right as
he was about to call him, his phone started to ring.
Jaxson.
“Hello?” he answered the call.
“I know you said you're going to take the next couple of days off, but I
think we need you at the club,” Jaxson said.
Michael let out a sigh and sat down on the couch. He didn't want to
leave Monroe right now.
“Can you ask any of the others to come in and help? I really can't leave
right now,” he responded.
“I'll ask, but none of them have as much medical experience as you do.
Sure, Leo and Oliver have some experience with being in the military, but
they don't have as much as you,” Jaxson said.
“Is it an emergency?” he found himself asking.
He didn't like it when something happened at the club and he wasn't
there, especially if it was a medical emergency.
Last year, they’d had an accident where the sub had to go to the
hospital. Now, Michael made sure he was on standby whenever something
was happening. He wanted to err on the side of caution.
It was nice that he was still practicing as a doctor and now club owner,
but it also got exhausting between his hours at the clinic and his
responsibilities as a club owner. There had been several occasions where a
Dom and a sub were going to do a scene together and it could potentially be
dangerous, so he was there watching in case something happened. It was
unlikely since they were all experienced, but they all wanted to be safe.
At one point, people started to take advantage of his good nature and
had him there every night. Once he realized that, he put a stop to it and set
days and hours for people who wanted him to be on standby for scenes that
really needed it.
 He didn't like to dictate when people could and couldn't do their scenes,
but he had to protect his health. There were a couple of members that were
a little annoyed when he set those boundaries, but the majority understood
and respected them.
He couldn't be at the club every night and also do admin stuff
throughout the day. It wasn't working and he wasn't sleeping a lot, which
made him grouchy and not pleasant to be around.
All the other owners had encouraged him to set boundaries, especially
when things started to get out of hand. It had now been four months since
he’d implemented that rule and everything was better. Michael still worked
several hours, probably too much, but he didn't have much else to do.
His parents had died before he opened the club with his friends, and he
didn't have any siblings.
“It's not an emergency yet. I'll ask Leo and Oliver first and see if they
can help out. I'll keep you in touch with everything,” Jaxson said, pulling
him out of his thoughts.
Michael didn't like that it wasn’t an emergency yet. He preferred to stop
things before they got to be an ‘emergency’. He always told people about
RACK, risk aware consensual kink, but he’d like to make them be more
than just ‘aware’ of the risks. He wanted them to be proactive about
preventing problems.
“Everything all right?” Jaxson asked.
He hadn't told many people why he was taking time off and he knew the
other owners were probably worried about him.
“Everything's fine,” he replied.
“Is she all right?”
Michael closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. He hadn't told Jaxson
why he was taking time off which meant either Mac or Finn had mentioned
something.
“How'd you hear?” he asked, not answering the question at all.
 “Mac said he brought some clothes over to you from Finn's house. You
wouldn't miss work unless something was wrong with her,” he replied.
“Sorry if I wasn't supposed to know, but after your text saying you weren't
coming in for a couple of days and not giving any explanation, it threw me
off. It threw us all off.”
He should have known it would pique their curiosity. Nothing better to
do than gossip, those guys, but he hadn't cared at the moment. His only
focus had been Monroe and making sure she was all right.
“Yeah, I knew better than to send a text without an explanation, but I
didn't care. She's doing okay.” Michael finally answered his question.
“Well, I'll let you go. Oliver and Leo should be able to handle this, but
on the off chance they can’t, I’ll let you know,” Jaxson said. “Also, we need
to do inventory for the medical side and you need to be there. You know
what we need and don't need. We're running low on some things, so you're
going to have to come in sooner rather than later. I know you don't want to,
and I don't know the whole situation you have with the girl. Bring her with
you if you have to.”
Jaxson ended the call and Michael let out a sigh. He was supposed to do
inventory today, but meeting Monroe had thrown everything off. He simply
didn't want to deal with any of his other responsibilities right now.
It sucked that he was the only one that could do it. Leo and Oliver had
been medics in the army so they knew some things, but they didn't know
everything. Compared to him, they only knew the basics.
Michael didn't like thinking about it that way, but when he had talked to
them several times about things, they were confused and had no clue what
he was talking about. Maybe it was time for him to offer some training
classes at the club.
He took a deep breath in and rubbed his hands across his face. Things
felt like they were starting to get out of control and he needed to quickly fix
that.
 Light footsteps pattered against the floor, bringing Michael out of his
thoughts. Monroe walked into the kitchen with her plate and protein drink.
From the looks of it, she had eaten some more of the food, but he would
have liked all of it to be gone. She needed all the nutrients and calories she
could get. Hopefully, she’d finished the protein shake.
“Are there any foods you would like and can eat more of?” Michael
asked once she made eye contact with him.
He had thought about asking before, but didn't know if she saw him or
not and he didn't want to scare her. He didn't want a repeat of this morning.
Monroe shrugged her shoulders and looked at him. Had she had
different types of food? Or was she just too afraid to say anything?
“If you think of anything, you let me know. I don't want to make
something you don't like,” he said.
Her facial expression didn't change, but she did nod her head. Good.
She was listening, but that didn't mean she was actually going to tell him if
she wanted something.
He had no doubt whoever she was with before probably didn't give her a
lot of choices. Michael was going to make it right and make sure she knew
he was a safe place for her to ask questions and say what she wanted.
It was going to take time, but he was willing to wait. He wanted to see
her flourish and be confident.
“I need to talk to you about something,” Michael said.
Monroe's complexion went pale and he cursed at himself in his head. He
could have said that in a better way and now she was scared again.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
 MONROE

A shiver ran through her body as she stared at Michael. What could he
want to talk to her about?
They had been talking about food that she liked and would want and
suddenly he said he needed to talk to her. Nothing good ever came from that
statement.
Could he be wanting to tell her Jared had found her? Had he known this
whole time that Jared wanted her and now he was giving her back to him?
Monroe didn't want to be found by him. The idea terrified her. If Jared
found her again, it wouldn't end well. She wouldn't be alive. He had told her
one time that if she ever escaped and he found her, he was going to torture
and kill her.
Running away had been a risk and she knew he would follow through
on what he said, but she had to escape. There was no other way for her. It
was either stay with him and die or get away and possibly get caught and
die. Either way, it ended up with her dead. She thought she would have a
better chance of running away.
Well, she didn't think she would have a better chance, but she wanted a
chance to live.
Monroe felt her breathing start to quicken as she waited for Michael to
say something. She didn't know if she could handle him telling her Jared
was coming for her. She started to feel light-headed and dizzy, making her
grab onto the wall next to her to steady herself.
“Calm down, take some deep breaths for me,” Michael said. “What I
want to talk to you about isn't anything bad. Take a couple of deep breaths
for me.”
She tried to follow what he said, but it was harder than she thought. She
had already started to panic, and couldn't feel herself stopping anytime
soon.
He could just be telling her what he wanted to talk about wasn’t
anything bad when in reality, it was. Jared had done that several times,
telling her he just wanted to have a simple conversation but really, he was
mad about something and then would tell her and beat her.
“Look me in the eyes,” Michael commanded. “Take a deep breath in.
Good girl, now let it out. No, no, no. Look at me in the eyes, keep your
focus on me. You're okay and you're safe. Nobody's going to hurt you.”
Monroe slowly started to feel herself calm down. That was the second
time he had brought her down from a panic attack. She didn't know how he
did it or what kind of magic he used.
Jared had never even tried to calm her down from a panic attack. He
would just let it run its course, ultimately leading to her passing out. She
hated when she had panic attacks, but she couldn't do anything about them.
“I told you I had taken a couple days off work to make sure you were
okay and healing fine,” he said. “But I just got a call, and I might need to go
into work sooner than I thought.”
Monroe relaxed some as she looked at him. He was going to leave and
that meant she could leave. Unless he decided to bring her with him to
work.
Her whole body tensed up at that thought. She didn't want to go to work
with him. It could be another trap.
 But ultimately, he could make her do anything, go anywhere he wanted,
and that scared her. He could easily tie her up in a room and not let her
leave, or force her to go with him.
He could want to take her with him to his work so he could pass her off
to Jared. Anything was possible since Michael was a six foot something
muscular male and even though she was tall, she didn’t know how to defend
herself and she was weak. She didn’t stand a chance against him.
What Monroe needed to do was get away from him. She needed to find
a way to leave and not return.
“You can come with me or you can stay here if you want. I don't know
if or when I have to go into work, but I wanted to give you those two
options,” Michael said.
He was giving her an option?
Monroe stared at him with confusion. Did he really just say that? She
didn't know what to think. Jared never gave her an option. Maybe Michael
wasn’t the same as Jared.
“If you come with me, I would want you to stay close since there are a
lot of people there. If you decide you want to stay here, you can go
anywhere in the house. Nothing's off limits because I want you to feel
comfortable.”
He wanted her to be comfortable? He wasn't giving her any limits on
where she could and couldn't go in the house?
Michael kept confusing her. Sometimes the way he acted reminded her
of Jared, but other times, he was nice and considerate and she didn't know
what to do with that.
She still felt like he had an ulterior motive. Maybe he was just trying to
be nice to get on her good side and get her defenses down and then he was
going to strike. She didn't know for sure, but it was a huge likelihood that
that was his plan.
 “I want you to feel comfortable while you're here healing. I want to give
your body time to relax and heal properly,” he said.
Monroe still didn't understand why Michael was obsessed with her
healing and relaxing. Was that his way of telling her he wanted her to heal
before she went back to Jared? She didn't think it mattered if she was healed
or not; if she went back to Jared, she was a dead person either way.
Maybe if she didn't heal properly, it would take less time for her to die.
“Do you understand?” he asked.
She nodded her head and waited for him to say something else. She
didn't want to just walk away and get in trouble for leaving when he wasn't
done talking.
“Words,” Michael said.
Her eyes went wide. “Yes, sir.”
She had really wanted to call him Daddy, but she knew that it wasn't her
place. She also didn't know if he really was a Daddy Dom or not.
A look of satisfaction filled his face and he gave her a smile. “I just
want what's best for you.”
That confused her. Why would he want what's best for her?
“I want what's best for you because you're a special person. This may
scare you away, but I need to tell you. I feel a connection toward you and I
want to keep you safe, keep you healthy, cherish you, and spoil you. I want
you to have a wonderful life.”
His words confused her even more. She didn't know what connection he
was talking about. Well, maybe she did. She felt comfortable around him
and maybe that was the connection he was talking about.
He kept saying he wanted to keep her safe and let her have a great life,
but he didn’t even know her. He didn’t know who Jared was. Monroe bet
that if he knew who he was, he wouldn't want to have anything to do with
her.
 She let out a yawn and leaned up against the wall. Even though she had
woken up from a nap earlier, she was still exhausted.
“Why don't you go lay down and take a nap. I'll wake you up in a
couple of hours,” Michael suggested.
Nodding her head, she started to walk toward her room. Monroe had no
clue if she would be able to fall asleep, but she didn't want to be near
Michael right now. She had no clue what they would talk about or if they
would just be sitting in awkward silence. And she didn't want to be around
that right now.
She also didn't want to have to think about what kind of questions he
was going to ask her, if it was a test or not, or if he was going to call Jared
at any moment. Those were already on her mind, but around him, she
tended to forget about those things. They would all come back full force
when he asked about her background or other personal things.
She laid down in her bed and stared at the ceiling. How was she going
to get out of this?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
 MICHAEL

I t had been two days since Michael told Monroe he might need to go
to the club sooner than he’d hoped. He had put off going back for two days,
but today he needed to go in and do inventory. He also needed to teach
some people medical play since they were interested in it. People wanted to
know the safe and proper way to sew things shut, practice fire play, and
enhance electrical play.
He didn't want to leave Monroe at the house, but understood she
wouldn't be comfortable coming with him. Michael had asked her if she
wanted to come with him or if she wanted to stay and she chose to stay.
It took everything in him not to take her with him, but knew if he
wanted to gain her trust, he needed to leave her. He had reminded her that
she could go anywhere in the house she wanted and nothing was off limits.
He did have a room he was hoping she wouldn't walk into; the nursery.
Michael couldn’t remember if he had locked the door or not. He didn't
know how she would react since he didn't know if she was a Little or not.
Michael didn't want to weird her out when he wasn't there because she
could leave and he wouldn't know.
“Michael. What are you doing here?” Finn asked as he walked into his
office.
 “Inventory and setting up some first aid classes. I needed to come in,”
he responded.
He had drug his feet when leaving the house because he didn’t want to
leave. Part of the reason he never took a holiday was because nobody else
knew as much about medicine as he did, and he didn't want to leave the
club in a bind if something happened.
Michael had thought about seeing if any of the other members were
doctors that could help when he needed to leave or couldn't be there, but he
hadn't brought it up to his friends yet. They weren't hurting for money so
they could pay somebody to be on their staff a couple nights a week to
oversee things just in case.
“How's your girl?” Finn asked right as Jaxson walked into the room.
Michael didn’t correct him because Monroe felt like his girl.
“She's still scared of me. It’s only been three days so I wasn’t expecting
much, but she's too scared to even talk to me. I don't know what to do. I
don't know how to make her comfortable. I've seen plenty of abused women
before, but I've never had to interact with them much besides checking them
over,” Michael honestly said.
He knew both of them could give him insight he might not have thought
about. He also didn't keep a lot of things from them because if anything
happened, he wanted them to know and be in the loop.
“Give her time. Like you said, it's only been three days and she's
probably confused. Just continue to show her you aren't the bad guy and
before you know it, hopefully, she'll be trusting you,” Finn said.
“Take it easy and don't overwhelm her too much. I haven't been around
a lot of abused women, but I have no doubt she's probably scared out of her
mind. Like Finn said, show her you aren’t the bad guy and that you care
about her. Don't overwhelm her too much,” Jaxson added.
Michael knew they were right, and he had thought about that all along.
He knew it wasn't just going to be a day and she would trust him. That was
foolish thinking, but he couldn't help but want that.
He felt a connection with her and Finn calling Monroe his girl felt so
right. He wanted to call her his Little Bunny, but he didn't want to
overwhelm her. That was the last thing he wanted to do because it would
only push her further away.
Michael started working on ordering the inventory they needed as Finn
and Jaxson continued to talk.
“Charlotte has finally opened up a little bit more to me,” Finn said.
“What do you mean? Has she been lying to you?” Jaxson asked.
“Well, open up is the wrong phrase. Before, she would hold back some
of her needs because she didn't want to be a burden. I've been telling her
and telling her that she isn’t a burden and I want all her needs. I think it's
finally gotten through her skull that I'm serious because she came to me
four times this week with her worries and stuff she needs,” Finn explained.
Michael couldn't wait for the day when Monroe did the exact same
thing. If she decided to stay after she healed up.
“That's good. She will probably need more reassurance as time goes on
to make sure she's not bothering you.” Michael found himself talking.
“And I plan to do just that. I want her to know she means the world to
me.”
Jaxson and Michael hummed in agreement. There were some Littles
that didn't need a lot of reassurance and there were some that did, and that
was okay. Everyone was different and everybody's needs were different.
“Oh, Michael, just to let you know, I got Leo to do the basic first aid
class for you,” Jaxson said.
Michael looked up at Jaxson with wide eyes.
“I looked at what the class entailed and Leo knew about that stuff.
There's no sense in you staying and teaching it when your mind isn't going
to be here,” Jaxson explained.
 He felt relieved because he had been going to just push through and
teach the class, but he knew his heart and mind wouldn’t be in it. Michael
had thought about putting it off, but he had already done so once and it
wasn’t fair to the people who wanted and needed to learn.
“Thank you,” he responded.
Michael looked down at the tablet and submitted the inventory order.
He could go back home now and check on Monroe. Hopefully, she was still
there.
“Asher is leaving in three or four months to go see the opening of the
new club in Virginia,” Jaxson said. “Can’t believe we’re expanding to
another location.”
“Already?” Finn asked. “It feels like just yesterday when I signed the
papers for them to do that.”
“Yeah. The group of Doms already had a building they put a bid on and
when we told them yes, they went ahead and put a higher bid on it. Now
they just have to renovate it, get all the stuff in there, hire some workers,
and get some people trained.”
This was the first time that the club, Behind the Scenes, was expanding
past Springfield, Missouri, and it was a big deal.
The thought of having to do it all over again did not make Michael
happy and he was glad it didn’t fall to them. It was super necessary, but
opening a new club took a long time. It was a process.
They had wanted to do everything right and had made sure everyone
was safe before they opened their club and now it was a huge success. They
did have hiccups every once in a while, but they always made sure to
correct them.
“So right now, they are renovating, finding people to work, and training
people? Are they doing background checks on the potential employees and
members?” Finn asked.
 Finn had always been the one to worry between all nine of them. He
didn’t like it when things didn’t go to plan.
“Yes, they are. Don’t worry. I have a friend who is into BDSM and has
been for a long time and he’s helping them out. Most of them are
experienced Doms who want to open this club and have been for years and
years,” Jaxson said. “They have it under control and if they don’t, they
know to ask for help.”
Finn let out a sigh of relief and Michael couldn’t help but smile.
“Did you need to discuss anything else while I’m here?” Michael
asked.
He wanted to get back to his house and check on Monroe. He didn’t like
having to leave her alone in the house.
No doubt she’d wanted to leave while he was gone and it worried him.
He had told her before he left that he knew he couldn’t keep her in his
house, but he would like for her not to leave. Michael knew he couldn't
keep her there and if she left, he would have to accept it.
For all he knew, she could have left a couple of minutes after he did,
and she could be all the way in Kansas by now. The thought didn't sit well
with him and he really hoped she was still at his house.
"I hired a new bartender. She’s from Chile," Jaxson said.
"Does she know English?" Finn asked. "Wait, she does or you wouldn't
have hired her for the bartender job. Not trying to be rude, but you know
how it can get rowdy in here and with Littles, it's sometimes hard to
understand them."
"Yes, she does know English and I did ask her if she knew what type of
club this was," Jaxson explained. "I know the drill and she said she did and
explained what kind of club it was. She went into detail so she either has a
friend who is in this scene or she is."
Relief washed through Michael at that. They didn't make it a
requirement that the person they were going to hire had to be in the scene,
only that the person wouldn't judge and knew up front what type of club it
was. If they weren't comfortable with it, then this wasn't the job for them.
In the very beginning, they had a lot of people who wanted to work here
but when they figured out what type of club it was, a lot of them said no
thank you and left. BDSM wasn't for everyone and Michael knew that.
“You have this fond look as you talk about her. Are you interested in
her?” Finn asked. “I’ve never heard you talk like that before about a girl.”
Jaxson shrugged his shoulders and Michael couldn't help but smile. He
was totally interested in her and couldn't hide it now.
"Something is different about her. I don’t know what it is, but I feel
connected to her in a way. I’m worried about her," Jaxson explained.
"You're totally interested in her," Michael said.
"I'm not! There's just something different about her and I want to make
sure she’s okay. She doesn’t have any family here. Is there something
wrong with that?" Jaxson asked, exasperated.
Michael shook his head and stood up. "Nothing wrong with that. Just
thought you were interested in her. Well, since I'm done with what I needed
to do, I'm going to go home and check on Monroe."
"We’ll catch up later. Maybe once Monroe is fully healed, she can come
over and hang out with Charlotte. They could have a playdate," Finn said.
Michael stopped right before the door and looked back at Finn. "I don't
know if she's a Little yet. She has shown signs, but I don't want to assume
anything and make her feel uncomfortable. Right now, I'm just focused on
her healing and getting some more weight on her."
"Good luck! Hope she heals soon and gets to feeling better. Remember
to be patient with her and she'll come around," Jaxson said.
He waved as he walked out of his office and toward the entrance of the
building. Michael slowed down as he passed the gift shop where they kept
all the stuffed toys people sold to the club so the club in return could sell to
other people.
 "Hey, Jonah." Michael waved as he walked into the room.
He had thought on several occasions today that he should bring Monroe
here once she was fully recovered to let her get a stuffed toy. He thought it
might brighten up her day and give her stuffed bunny a friend.
"Hey, Michael. How are you? I haven't seen you in several days," Jonah
smiled.
"I'm good. I took some personal days and have been hanging around my
house, relaxing," he replied. "How are you? How's Moriah?"
Moriah was Jonah's sub, and they were a cute couple. They had been
part of the club since it first opened.
“Can I talk to you for a second about that?” Jonah sighed and rubbed his
hand down his face.
“What's up?” Michael didn't like how stressed he looked.
“I feel like I'm failing her. She's been keeping something from me. I've
been patient and giving her space so she can come to me when she's ready,
but it's been two weeks and I'm worried about her,” Jonah confessed. “I
don't want to bring it up and make her shut down because she isn't ready to
tell me, but I'm worried something could be wrong."
The last time Jonah and Moriah came into the club, Michael had felt
that something was off between them. They'd never been on the Little side
of the club, but were on the other side where the club catered to other
people's needs and desires.
A couple of the owners had wanted to only make the club cater to
Littles, Middles, and anyone who was interested in age play, but there were
a couple of other owners that were Daddies who also liked to dabble in
other aspects of BDSM so they added a smaller room onto the building for
them.
“You're the Dom and you know what's best for her as your sub but also
as your wife. If you're worried about her and what she's keeping from you,
then tell her that. Sit her down and tell her you're worried about her and
didn't want to push her, but it has been going on for a while and you want to
make it better," Michael said. "Communication is key to life and marriage.
You need to remind her of that, and you need to bring that worry to her.
Don't be afraid to talk to her and let her know how you're feeling and that
you're worried."
Michael liked it when people came to him for advice. It showed they
trusted him and that he was a safe place for the person.
"Thank you, Michael. I'll be sitting her down tonight and having a talk
with her," Jonah said. "I really appreciate it."
"No problem! Before I go, I want to get someone a stuffie. Do you have
a bunny or maybe an elephant?" he asked.
At first, he wasn’t going to get anything, but stopping here and looking,
he knew he couldn’t go home without getting one.
“Yes! We just got an elephant stuffie in the other day!” Jonah said as he
grabbed the elephant.
It was grey and looked really soft. “I’ll take it!”
Jonah rang him up quickly and he paid.
“Thank you so much. I’ll see you soon!” Michael said as he walked out
of the shop.
Michael quickly walked to his car and got in. He didn't live far from the
club, but he wanted to get home as soon as possible and see Monroe. He
had only known her for a couple of days, yet she had found her way into his
heart, and he cared for her. He wanted her.
It didn't take long for Michael to get to his house. Her car was still here,
but she couldn’t do much with it. He had taken the car keys and put them in
the kitchen, in plain sight.
Unlocking the door, he walked in and listened for Monroe, but it was
dead silent. Had she left?
His heartbeat increased as he walked to the kitchen and then to her
room. Nothing. She wasn't here and he couldn't help but worry about her.
Was she okay on her own out there?
It wasn't safe in Springfield at all. There were a lot of trafficking places,
and he didn't want her to get picked up. Michael should have made sure she
was safe. He should have told her that it was a dangerous place and a
woman shouldn't walk alone.
He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths in. What did he need
to do first? He didn't know her last name or really anything about her. He
could go to the police, but he didn't think they would do much since he
didn't really know her, and she hadn't been missing for twenty-four hours.
Before he could act on anything, he heard a soft voice and turned his
head toward the room where it was coming from. Very slowly, Michael
started walking toward the voice. Why would she be in there? He did tell
her nothing was off limits, but he didn't think he would find hers in this
room.
Michael gently opened the door and peeked in. He stared in shock at
what he saw.
There she was, laying on the floor playing with dolls in his nursery.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
 MONROE

M onroe had thought about leaving soon after Michael left for work,
but something stopped her. What he said before he left had stopped her.
He had reminded her that he wanted her safe and he couldn't keep her
here, but he would like for her to stay so she could heal properly. She’d
never had someone care so much about her. It was weird but it slightly
intrigued her.
The first thing she had done after she decided to stay was to look around
the house. She hadn't had the opportunity to look around and see if anything
was alarming to her before. Michael had told her she could go anywhere,
but she hadn't felt comfortable enough to explore while he was in the house.
She'd only been in the living room, her room, and the kitchen. The
house wasn't massive, but there were four other rooms and she wanted to
know what they were. One of them had been his bedroom, the other one
was the office, the third one was almost like a storage room, but the last one
caught and held her attention.
Monroe had opened the door and just stood and stared. It was her dream
come true to have a room like this. She didn't know if Michael wanted her
to go into this room, but he’d told her she could go anywhere in the house
and nothing was off limits.
 She couldn't help but slowly walk into the room and look at everything.
There was a crib, a changing station, a rocking chair, a stool in the corner,
toys in a bin, a dollhouse, and so much more. It had everything like the
nurseries in her books.
She had never imagined it happening in real life. She thought it only
happened in books, but in front of her was a room made for a Little. Did
that mean Michael had a Little and hadn’t told her?
That thought saddened her, but why would he let her stay if he had his
own Little? Where was she?
Monroe didn't think he would allow her to stay, to take care of her, if he
was already in a committed relationship.
With those thoughts, she picked up two dolls and lay on her tummy on
the ground. She hadn't played with dolls in years and couldn't help but feel
giddy inside as she let her Little peek out.
“Hello, Sally,” Monroe said in a higher voice as she moved the doll in
her right hand.
“What do you want, Maria?” she said in a deep voice.
She couldn't help but giggle as she continued to play with the dolls.
Monroe didn't know how much time had passed since she’d first walked
into the room, but she couldn't bring herself to leave. She wanted to stay in
this wonderful room forever.
A creak in the floor brought her attention away from the dolls and to the
door. Gasping, Monroe pushed the dolls away from her and stood up,
keeping her eyes on the floor.
Michael stood right in front of her, holding a grey stuffed elephant in his
hands, and she didn't want to see the anger on his face for finding her
playing with dolls and going into this room.
“I'm so sorry,” she rushed out. “I, I w-won't ever come back in here.”
It would break her heart not to come back in here, but she didn't want to
get beaten. She had escaped one man and she didn't want to land in the
same situation.
“I-I’ll p-pack my b-bags and leave,” she stuttered out her words.
Monroe walked forward, trying to get by him, but he blocked her way.
She stood there stiffly and waited for the first blow.
“It's okay,” Michael said. “I said you could go anywhere in this house.”
She shook her head and took a step away. He said that but he probably
didn't mean it and she had walked into a room he didn't want her to go into.
She should have known better than to come into this room, but everything
in here was calling to her.
“Monroe,” he said. “Can you look at me?”
She didn’t dare move. Everything in her was screaming to look at him
but she didn’t want to see the anger or the disappointment in his face when
she did.
“Look at me, now.” His voice was stern.
Monroe’s head snapped up and she looked into his eyes. There was no
hint of anger on his face or even disappointment—which made her take
another step back.
He was really good at hiding his feelings and she didn't like that. Jared
was never good at hiding his feelings and it made it easy on Monroe
because she didn't have to guess if he was angry or not.
“I'm not mad you found this room. I told you that you could go
anywhere, and I meant anywhere,” he started off. “I'm not going to hit you,
I'm not mad, and you can come into this room anytime you want. It's not off
limits. If you enjoy being here, come in here. I'm not going to stop you.”
Monroe didn't know how to react to that. Did she say thank you? Did
she tell him no, it's okay? Did she leave?
Her mind was telling her to leave and never come back or look back.
This could turn into a bad situation and she didn't want to be around for it.
Michael just was acting like it was okay but would say something later
about how it was not okay and she should have known.
 “Are you a Little?” he asked, and Monroe froze, her eyes wide.
How did he know? She had seen other adults play with dolls when they
were bored. How did he know that wasn't what was happening right now?
“Don't be alarmed. I'm a Daddy Dom. You’ve acted in certain ways that
remind me of Littles and your playing with the dolls today made me think
you are,” he continued to speak.
So, she was right that he was a Daddy Dom. Just from the way he had
acted since she got here made her think of the Daddy Doms in the stories
she used to read.
“I am a Little,” she found herself whispering before she could stop
herself.
Michael gave her a soft smile and bent down to his knees. He had done
this before and she felt calm and relaxed when he did, like he was trying to
make himself her size so he didn't scare her. She didn't know if that was his
actual reason for bending down, but she liked to believe it was.
She never had anybody think about her like that, so it was hard to
believe it was his intention. But so far, she had to admit that Michael had
just always been nice to her. She didn't know if it was all for show or if this
was how he actually was and everything she knew about guys was all
wrong. Her mind kept telling her it was all just for show but her body was
telling her to trust him, that he was actually really nice.
“Can I ask you a couple of questions?” he asked. “If you aren't
comfortable, you don't have to answer. I would just like to know a little bit
more.”
Monroe clasped her hands behind her back and started to rock on her
feet. She was nervous and a little shy about what kind of questions he was
going to ask.
“Before I ask anything, I stopped by the little gift shop in the club and
picked up a friend for you,” he said, handing her the stuffed elephant.
 She gently grabbed it and the first thing she noticed was how soft it was.
Bringing it up to her face, she rubbed it against her and sighed in content.
She loved soft stuffies.
“What are you going to name the elephant?” he asked.
“Ellie,” she whispered. “Short for elephant.”
She couldn’t help but giggle. It was such a fitting name for her new
stuffie.
“Such a good name for her,” he replied.
Michael grabbed a doll and sat down fully on the ground.
“How long have you known you were a Little?” he asked in a higher
pitched voice as he looked at the doll.
That was easy. “Over fourteen years,” she whispered.
She had done so much research over the years and talked to a couple
other Littles online when Jared had given her access to a computer. She
wanted to know more about Littles and if she truly was one, and it all came
back that she truly felt like she was one. She had never had a Daddy before,
but that didn't stop her from being a Little.
“A pretty long time. Have you ever had a Daddy?” the doll asked.
Monroe shook her head no and looked down at her feet. She had
dreamed about having a Daddy for years but living with Jared, it wasn't safe
for her to ask if he was a Daddy or go talk and find one. Even if Jared was a
Daddy, she wouldn't want him as hers because he abused her and her Little
space was precious to her.
“Can I ask why? You got all sad.”
“I don't wanna talk about it,” she mumbled.
She didn't want to explain that she had been in an abusive relationship
for the past six years and couldn't show her Little side. If she told him that,
he would ask even more questions she wasn't ready to answer.
It took everything in her to not tell him why. He had been so nice and so
welcoming since he found her in her car. He had made it easy for her to
slowly start to trust him. It worried her because the last time she trusted
somebody so easily, it didn't end well.
She had thought several times about asking him to be her temporary
Daddy while she recovered. He made her feel comfortable, partially safe,
and like she could be herself. No one had done that in her life.
“Would…” Monroe started to say but stopped herself.
She couldn't ask him to be her temporary Daddy. It wasn't right and it
wasn't safe. At least, that's what she kept telling herself. She had no clue
whether Jared was coming after her right now or not and she had been
feeling safe, even if her mind screamed at her that she wasn't.
Maybe if he was her Daddy for a little bit, he could help her heal and
regain her strength before she had to move on, maybe help her get
somewhere safe. It sounded so appealing. But deep down, she felt like she
might get attached and didn't know if she’d be able to leave in the end.
If he was her Daddy and acted and treated her the same way he had for
the past couple of days, she would never want to leave. He had treated her
so well she just wanted to yell at him to be her Daddy, beg him to give her a
chance.
“Yes, Little Bunny?” he said.
Monroe loved it when he called her Little Bunny. He hadn't done it
much but each time, it sent butterflies into her stomach.
“Nothing,” she mumbled.
“Okay. When you're ready to say what you were about to say, let me
know. I'm here to listen to you and help you,” he said, setting the doll on the
ground. “Now, I'm going to go make a late lunch. Something light so it
doesn't ruin dinner in a couple of hours. You can continue to play here
while I make lunch and I'll call you when it's ready.”
She nodded her head and stared at him as he stood up.
“I know I'm not your Daddy, but I do like verbal answers. It helps so
there's no miscommunication,” Michael said.
 “Yes, D-sir,” she quickly corrected. “I understand.”
Her cheeks went rosy red and she looked down at her feet. This was the
second time she had almost slipped and called him Daddy. She needed to
get a grip on herself because he wasn't her Daddy, and she knew it wasn't
appropriate to call him that when they hadn't talked about it. She wasn't his
baby girl, his Little, so she had no right.
If Michael caught that she’d almost called him Daddy, he didn't say
anything and she was thankful. She didn't know if she could handle the
embarrassment she would feel.
She heard his footsteps leaving the room and a sigh left her mouth. How
could she have almost slipped again? She blamed it on the fact she was
becoming comfortable around him and he called out to her Little.
With everything on her mind, Monroe didn't feel like playing anymore
right now. It seemed like in the past three days, she had thought more about
things than she had in years.
Quietly, Monroe picked up the two dolls and put them back on the shelf.
Maybe she could come back into this room later tonight, if she was still
here, to play a little more. Maybe she could do it after she knew he would
be asleep so he didn't find out.
She knew he told her to come into this room anytime, but she was a
little embarrassed. He was the first one to find out she was Little since her
boyfriend in high school. No one else knew.
Just as she was about to walk out of the room, Michael called her name.
She slowly walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. The first thing she
noticed were the sandwiches filled with ham or turkey.
“Do you like ham?” he asked. “If you don’t, I also have turkey.”
“I like ham,” she whispered.
She had only had it once, but the one time she’d it, she had really liked
it. Michael put her plate down where she normally sat, and she found
herself slipping into the chair and eating.
 He tried to make conversation with her several times, but her mind was
occupied. She didn't want to open her mouth and blurt out that she wanted
him to be her Daddy. She was worried if she did start to talk, it would just
come out without her wanting it to.
Monroe's body was telling her to do it, to ask, but her mind was
reminding her he could turn out to be just like Jared. He could be trying to
woo her right now so she would ask and then he could change. It was a big
possibility that could happen but deep down, she knew he could also be an
amazing Daddy.
“What's on your mind?” he asked. “You’re normally very quiet, but you
seem different. Your whole demeanor has changed.”
Monroe shook her head because she didn't want to talk. She knew she
was in a vulnerable state right now and she would just blurt anything out.
“It's a safe place where you can speak your thoughts. I'm not going to
hurt you and I'll listen to you,” he said. “It will always be a safe place for
you to express yourself and tell me things that are worrying you or
troubling you.”
And just like that, Monroe found herself spilling her guts.
“I, I w-want you to be my Daddy. I want you to take c-complete control
because you make me feel safe and I haven't felt this s-safe in years,
probably my whole life. I'm so s-scared to trust you because I just got out of
an a-abusive relationship, and I don't know if your kindness is real or fake.”
She was met with silence and her shoulders sagged. She shouldn't have
said anything. It was a mistake and now she knew.
Monroe tilted her head slightly to look at him, expecting a mad face, but
was met with a look of shock.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
 MONROE

G uilt filled Monroe as she stared at him. She shouldn't have said
anything and yet she had. Michael had said it was a safe place, but she was
pretty sure he wasn't expecting anything like that.
She quickly pushed her chair back and stood up.
“I'm sorry. T-this was a m-mistake and I need…” She rushed out of the
room.
Monroe quickly ran to the room she was staying in and grabbed her
stuffed bunny and her own clothing he had washed. How could she have
been so stupid as to actually speak her mind? He didn't want that; he wasn't
expecting that.
She had learned over the years that if a man tells you it's a safe spot, it
really isn't. She had wanted to believe it was, and found it was another
mistake. A mistake she was never, ever going to make again.
She had felt safe around Michael and yet it was turning out to be the
same situation she had been in for the past six years. She scoffed and turned
around to leave the room but standing in her way was Michael.
“Stop!” he commanded.
Monroe moved back and looked around the room. How could she get
past him, through the door, and out of the house without him catching her?
She had no doubt that he could catch her, and it worried her.
 Would he treat her just like Jared had? Would he lock her in a closet for
hours on end to keep her where he wanted her?
Sweat broke out across her body as her head kept moving around, trying
to find an escape route. She needed to get out of here as fast as she could
and get away from him.
“Monroe, stop! Don’t you dare take another step unless you’re looking
for trouble,” Michael said.
Her whole body froze at the thought of being in trouble. What would he
do to her if she disobeyed him? Would he beat her until she understood
about following the rules?
Monroe’s breathing picked up at the thought of him beating her. It
wouldn't be the first time Monroe had somebody beat her until she
understood what she did wrong. It wasn't a pleasant time, and she knew she
needed to try and not have the same fate.
“Breathe,” Michael said.
She tried to take a breath in, but it didn't work. He had been so nice to
her the past several days and she didn't think he was capable of it, but it
looked like she was wrong.
“Monroe; Little Bunny. I need you to concentrate on my voice,” he said
as he grabbed her face with his hands. “Listen to my voice and concentrate
just on that. Slowly take in some deep breaths.”
Tears formed in her eyes as she slowly started to take some breaths in.
She knew it wouldn't be easy and she needed to remain calm and focused
on his voice, on what was actually happening right there and then.
“Such a good girl. No. Don't look away. You're okay and you're doing
good,” he whispered. “Such a good Little Bunny. My Little Bunny.”
Monroe's mind started to register what he just said. She loved it when
he called her Little Bunny and she often found herself turned on. But
something had changed. He had said my Little Bunny and not just Little
Bunny.
 Was he wanting her to be his or was he just saying that to calm her
down? It was a valid question because she had read in one of her books
where the male character had called the female character his and she
calmed down, but in the book they weren't together.
Monroe didn't know how to interact with other people. She had only
ever interacted with her boyfriend in high school and Jared but outside that,
she didn't leave the house. She knew books weren't always realistic on how
things should happen.
She didn't want to do something and then find out it was wrong, because
that meant she could get into trouble. She hadn't had time to practice
anywhere before she met Michael and she didn't know what was acceptable
or not.
“Do you like it when I call you Little Bunny?” he asked.
Monroe knew what he was doing. He was trying to distract her, and it
was working. Her breathing had calmed and she was slightly relaxed, but
she was still shaking. The adrenaline from everything that happened was
crashing down and she knew if she stayed still, she would be asleep soon.
She nodded her head and looked down at her feet. She didn't want him
to see the slight blush that ran across her cheeks at the thought of the name.
Jared had never given her a nickname and her boyfriend hadn’t, either.
They just called her Monroe. It was all new and she loved it. Made her feel
special and gooey inside, and it felt great.
She wanted him to call her Little Bunny all the time. Monroe didn't
know if she would ever get tired of hearing him call her that.
“Did I say you could look away from me?” His voice was hard.
Her head snapped up and her eyes were wide as she looked at him. She
didn't know what to do with that. No one had ever said something like that
before.
“No,” she whispered.
 “It's okay. I just told you to look at me and not look away and then you
did,” he reminded her.
He had told her to look at him, but she had thought it was just when she
was panicking. She didn't think it applied to after she had calmed down.
“Can you listen to me?” he asked. “I want to talk to you, but I need you
to be able to listen and understand.”
“Yes, sir,” she said softly.
She didn't really want to listen to what he had to say because she just
knew he was going to reject her. The welcome feeling she had felt before
was slowly disappearing as she came to terms with what was going to
happen.
He didn't want her and she had to accept that.
“I want to be your Daddy, believe me I do, but I don’t want to make you
feel like you’re in your old relationship,” Michael said. “I don’t want to
make you regret this or trigger you in any way.”
“You won’t!” she yelled. “You make me feel safe!”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
 MONROE

S he couldn't believe she had just blurted that out. Well, more like
yelled it at him.
“Inside voices,” he said. “When we're inside, we'll use inside voices and
we won't yell.”
Monroe almost felt ashamed that she had yelled at him, but she wanted
him to know she was serious. He did make her feel safe and Little. No one
else had managed to do that and she constantly felt safe with him. And
when she had walked into the room, it just solidified everything.
“Sorry, sir,” she whispered. She really wanted to call him Daddy, but
she didn't want to push her luck. He had said he wanted to be her Daddy,
but he didn't want it to be like her last relationship. So… he accepted her
but rejected her all in one sentence?
“I'm glad I make you feel safe,” he said. “It brings me a lot of joy and
pride that I can make you feel that after the things you must have gone
through. I know I don’t know what they are, but it seems like they were
pretty bad.”
Monroe didn't know how to respond to that.
“If we're going to do this, we're going to sit down and talk first. Since
you haven't had a Daddy before, we're going to go through lots of different
things and make sure I don't do anything that will trigger you, and you
won't do anything I don't like that I would want to use my safe word for,”
he said. “Does that sound okay?”
She nodded her head. In some of the books she had read, the characters
had a conversation before they established the relationship so both parties
were safe. She expected it and it made her feel good that he was taking that
precaution.
“When can we have this talk?” she asked.
“How about later this afternoon? Does that sound okay?” Michael stood
to his full height and stretched. “I want to get you down for a nap, but we
can talk after if that's okay.”
She didn't know about the nap. She didn't need a nap.
“You do need a nap.”
Had she said that out loud?
“You're tired. I can see it in your eyes. I want you to get as much rest as
you need and right now, you need a little extra than normal. I know you’re
exhausted from your long drive as well as from your injuries. Extra sleep
will help you feel better, Little Bunny,” he explained.
“Okay,” she whispered.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized that maybe he was
right and she did need a nap. She was exhausted and knew it was not only
from her body healing but also because she was catching up on everything
she had missed.
When she was with Jared she got some sleep, but it wasn't anything
spectacular. Her body and mind had always been on alert so that if he came
to hurt her, she was ready to cover her head and make sure she didn't get hit
there.
“Let's get you into bed, and I'll tuck you in,” he said.
Monroe set her small bag down on the ground and shuffled her feet
toward the bed. Michael had pulled back the covers and Monroe slid in. It
felt so nice to have somebody tuck her into bed.
 When she was little and bouncing from foster home to foster home,
nobody ever tucked her into bed. She had always told herself she wasn't
missing out on anything but now she knew she was wrong.
She loved the way he pulled back the covers and let her get in before he
made sure the covers were tucked around her, making her feel safe.
“Everything all right? Do you need anything?” he asked.
“No, sir,” she whispered.
Monroe already felt her eyes closing as her body sank into the mattress.
She didn't even register when Michael kissed her forehead and walked out
of the room because she was already asleep.

“M R . W IGGLE ,” Monroe exclaimed as she touched the stuffed dinosaur's

nose. “How could you do such a thing!”
She and Michael, her Daddy, had gone to his club. He needed to sign
some paperwork and while they were here, he took her to get a stuffie so
that Bunster had more friends than just Ellie, her new stuffed elephant.
Mr. Wiggle had decided to steal one of Daddy’s pens off his desk. Not
just any pen but the pen he had been using before he had left the room for a
second. Monroe was currently scolding Mr. Wiggle for taking the pen.
He knew better than that and yet, he had still decided to do it. She
wasn't surprised one bit, though. The moment she saw Mr. Wiggle, the
dinosaur, sitting on the shelf, she knew he was going to be trouble and that
she had to have him.
Daddy had gone to get her a coloring book with some markers because
he had to read through several documents and it was going to take a bit
longer than he’d thought. She couldn't complain, though, because she was
having a great time with Mr. Wiggle, and she couldn't wait to color as well.
Maybe she and Mr. Wiggle could color a picture together and show Daddy.
She and Michael had held the conversation after she had woken up from
her nap yesterday. He had asked her what triggered her and what didn't,
what her safe word was, what age range she thought she was, if she wanted
a twenty-four seven dynamic or if she just wanted one while they were at
his house, and her likes and dislikes about things.
She had told him that while she was healing, she would like a twenty-
four seven dynamic because she didn't want to have to think about any
choices or anything. She just wanted to focus on healing right now. The
thought of making all the choices in her life stressed her out and him being
her Daddy meant he could take care of all that.
Monroe was nervous and scared in the beginning when she told him that
because she had spent six years with a man who not only took control of her
life, he abused it, and she was worried this would turn out the same way.
But Daddy told her that this was different. She trusted him to make the best
decisions for her and he wasn't going to abuse that trust. He had also said if
anything ever felt like he was abusing something, she could say her safe
word and they would talk about it.
That eased a lot inside her when he said that. She was worried he
wouldn't hear her out if she had a concern, but he told her several times that
if she ever got uncomfortable or something triggered her, they would talk
about it and make sure it didn't happen again.
And after she thought about it, she realized he was telling the truth. The
more she thought about that, the more she realized Jared didn't give her an
option and just took things. This was different because she was willingly
letting Daddy take care of her. She felt safe around him and knew he was
going to do the best he could for her.
He had proven to her several times that he just wanted what was best for
her and while sometimes it was hard to believe, other times she was glad
she had stopped right next to his house and he had found her.
“Michael?” a deep voice said.
Monroe watched as a huge man with tan skin and brown short hair
walked into the room. Her immediate thought was Jared had found her and
she started to panic.
She grabbed Mr. Wiggle and dashed across the room toward Daddy's
desk. She needed to get to safety. She didn't know if Jared had seen her or
not, but she didn't want to take any chances.
Tears streamed down Monroe's face as she huddled under the desk, her
knees up to her chest as she hugged them close.
All the noise around her washed out and she felt like she was
underwater. Everything became muffled and she panicked even more. What
if Jared was coming around the corner to grab her before Daddy could come
and get her?
She wrapped a hand over her mouth to try and keep her cries muffled in
hopes he wouldn't find her. What was she going to do? She had no way of
defending herself.
It felt like forever before a pair of feet stood right in front of her.
Monroe pushed her back harder against the rear of the desk, her eyes wide
and breaths coming out way too fast as she watched the person bend down.
A scream bubbled out of her throat as the person’s face came into her
view. It was Daddy.
His lips moved, but all she heard was his muffled voice. A sob broke
through her lips as she shook her head. She couldn’t believe he would call
Jared right after she told him she trusted him. She thought he was different.
She watched as Daddy sat on the floor, worry written all over his face as
he continued to talk to her. He reached out for her, but she pushed herself
into the desk even more.
“No!” She forced herself to speak.
 He raised his hand and continued to talk to her, but she didn’t hear a
word he said. She tried to read his lips, but couldn’t catch everything. All
she caught was the word ‘focus’.
Monroe hugged Mr. Wiggle tighter to her chest and closed her eyes,
trying to calm herself down. She needed to be calm so she could assess the
situation and figure out how to get out of here.
Daddy had lied to her and she was hurt. She had trusted him and now
she just felt foolish. She knew now that he really was like every other man.
They were all the same and he had just proven that.
“Monroe.” She could finally hear his voice. “It’s okay, Little Bunny.
Everything’s alright. No one is going to hurt you. You’re safe.”
Tears continued to stream down her face and she shook her head. She
wasn’t safe anymore. Jared had walked into the room.
“Leo didn’t realize I had brought you into the office with me. If he had
known, he wouldn’t have come in,” he explained.
Leo? Why was he calling Jared Leo? Did Jared know Daddy before and
used a fake name? Was his name really Leo or was it Jared like he told her
over six years ago?
“Leo left and he isn’t coming back. You’re safe. Can you come out from
under there?” he asked softly.
“N-no,” she whispered.
Daddy gave her a small smile. “That’s okay. Can you tell me what
happened?”
Monroe didn’t know if she should say anything or not. She didn’t want
to anger him even more and tell Jared, or well, Leo, that he could take her
away.
“Leo is Jared?” she whispered, sounding so unsure.
She needed to ask even if it got her in trouble. She needed to know if
Jared was Leo or the other way around.
 Daddy looked confused. “Leo is Leo. He’s one of the club owners. He
retired from active duty five years ago.”
She stopped breathing. Leo wasn’t Jared, he couldn’t be. Yes, Jared was
in shape, but he wasn’t in the military. He had been home every day for the
past six years and he never got deployed. Didn’t most active duty members
get deployed? She didn’t know anything about the military, but it would
only seem logical.
“Monroe, it’s okay. No one is going to hurt you,” he said, gaining her
attention.
She took a slow breath in and nodded her head.
“Can you tell me what happened now?” he asked.
“I was just,” she took a shallow breath in. “I w-was j- just playing and,
and, then...”
She could feel her breathing pick up as she tried to explain everything
that had happened.
“Take a deep breath,” he told her. “Good girl. My good Little Bunny.”
“I was j-just playing and t-then he came in a-and I got scared. H-he
reminded me of h-him,” she whispered toward the end.
Deep down, she knew it wasn’t Jared, but he looked so like him. She
didn’t want to get taken back. Daddy had told her she was safe with him
and he would protect her.
“Leo is one of the other owners,” Daddy said again. “He wouldn’t have
hurt you. He might look tough, and he has a tough exterior but inside, he's a
teddy bear. He's had a hard life and it's made him gruff but once you get to
know him, you realize that. Yes, he is grouchy, but he cares for the people
he loves. He knows you mean a lot to me and he wouldn't have barged into
the room without asking if he had known you were in my office.”
Monroe didn't understand why he kept saying he wouldn't have walked
into the office if he’d known she was in there. Had Michael told them about
her?
 “I just told them I was helping someone and I couldn't come into work.
They were told you had a rough past, and while I didn’t know what it was, I
told them I wasn't going to introduce you to any of them because I didn't
want you to be scared. I wanted to be mindful that you didn't even trust me
and weren't comfortable around me in the very beginning and I didn't want
to make it worse,” Daddy assured her.
It was like he could read her mind, but she knew that wasn't possible. It
must be her expressions because Jared would always manipulate her with
how she showed her emotions. She thought that after spending six years
with Jared she would have gotten better at hiding her emotions. It was hard
for her and she found it exhausting. Back then, she didn't want to have to do
another thing that was exhausting because she was already worn out.
“He feels sorry for what he did, that he made you panic, because it
wasn't his intention. He called me right away to let me know you had run
across the room and hidden under my desk and he could hear your cries. He
didn't mean to scare you,” he said. “He told me before I walked in that he
was sorry for scaring you.”
Monroe started to feel bad that she overreacted. She should have known
it wasn't Jared, but he looked just like him. Well, they had a lot of
similarities. They both had a short beard and short brown hair. Leo and
Jared were about the same height and had the same skin tone. For a second,
she wondered if they might have been brothers, but she remembered Jared
saying he didn't have any siblings and that he was thankful for it.
“Can you come out from under there?” Daddy asked. “I’m getting kind
of lonely and I would really like a hug right now.”
She looked at him, trying to figure out if he was being serious or not. He
was getting lonely?
“I'm serious. I got scared when you were hyperventilating and
whispering that he was here. Right now, I'm scared and could use a little
comfort and would really like a hug,” he said. He paused. “What’s Mr.
Wiggle been getting up to?”
Monroe hadn’t meant to scare him. She had been scared because she
thought Jared was back and was going to take her. She didn't know it was
going to affect Daddy like that.
She slowly crawled from under the desk and into Daddy's lap with Mr.
Wiggle. His arms wrapped around her and she felt secure and safe. She felt
warm inside as he held her tightly against him.
Monroe didn't know if he needed the hug or if she really needed the hug
and he saw that. Maybe both. This was their first official hug and she didn't
know how she had lived without hugs before. They were the absolute best
thing ever and she never wanted to stop hugging him.
That all ended when Daddy spoke again.
“We need to have a talk,” he said.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
 MICHAEL

M ichael had been startled, to say the least, when Leo had called
him. Apparently, Leo had startled Monroe, and now she was under his desk
crying.
It hadn’t occurred to Michael that someone might walk into his office–
he’d only planned on being away long enough to grab a coloring book for
his Little Bunny. But then Oliver had stopped to ask him something, and
suddenly, there was a call from Leo.
The whole thing frightened him and he wasn't lying when he told her he
was scared and needed a hug. When he got there, she was hyperventilating,
shaking, pale, and murmuring ‘he was here’, and Michael didn't know what
to do.
He tried to talk to her but didn't think she could hear him at that
moment. That worried him even more, but he kept talking to her as if she
could, hoping that on some level, the sound of his voice might begin to
calm her.
Once she had finally calmed, he knew they needed to have a serious
conversation about her background. They’d had an extensive talk about
what triggered her and what didn't, but this was different.
Leo’s appearance in his office wouldn’t have scared her that much
unless something else was going on. Yes, Leo was tall and intimidating, but
he was nice when a person got to know him.
What got to Michael was the fact she kept whispering ‘he’ was here.
Almost as if Leo reminded Monroe of the person who hurt her. Could he
have looked like Leo? Did they have the same build? Did they have the
same eye color? Did they have the same beard?
He didn’t know and it drove him crazy. He didn’t like being in the dark,
especially when it came to people he cared about.
Every fiber in his being wanted to give her space so she didn't have to
tell him when she didn't want to, but he needed to know. He couldn't
continue to walk on eggshells around her because she needed a firm hand,
but he also didn’t want to trigger her into a panic attack. Michael wanted to
protect her but didn’t know how or when he would make her panic. It
wasn't healthy for her and he needed to make it better.
He knew her abuser’s name was Jared, but nothing else. She didn’t need
to give him the person’s full name at this point. He just needed to know
what happened so he could help her deal with the trauma.
Michael knew he wouldn't be able to help everything, but he wanted to
make it easier on her. He wanted to help her start healing emotionally so she
could fully sleep through the night and be her true self.
Every once in a while in the past twenty-four hours, he had seen little
parts of her, real parts of her. When she fell into Little space, she was his
happiest Little Bunny. And he could tell that she was a cuddler and a
snuggler, and he couldn't wait for the day they got to do that.
Those couple of seconds when she cuddled into his arms was the best
part of his life. The way she just snuggled into his embrace as he held her
tightly against him was the best feeling ever and he couldn’t wait to get
more.
“Monroe,” he said, trying to gain her attention.
She looked down at her lap and he felt his heartstrings get tugged a
little. He didn’t like seeing her like this.
 “Little Bunny. Can you look at me?” he asked.
Lifting her head, she looked at him and he saw the tears in her eyes.
“It’s going to be okay. I’m going to keep you safe. You’re safe,” he told
her. If he needed to remind her every day, he would. He just wanted her to
know she was safe; he wanted her to always feel safe.
“We need to talk. I need to know about your background so I can better
help keep you safe and comfortable. You told me what I shouldn’t do to
trigger you, but what about other things around you? You don’t have to tell
me all of it, just the jist of it, and you don’t have to mention any names,
though I would like that so I can go after the person,” he continued to say.
Her complexion went pale when he said the last part.
“You can’t!” she yelled.
He gave her a pointed look.
“Sorry, Daddy. Inside voices,” she whispered. “But you really can’t go
after him!”
“Okay, we’ll talk about that later,” he said. “Can you tell me about it?”
She started to chew on her lip, and he knew she had to be scared and
nervous at the same time.
“I won’t go anywhere. I’m here until you get sick and tired of me,” he
said. “You’re safe.”
Monroe leaned her head on his chest and took several deep breaths.
“Okay,” she whispered.
CHAPTER TWENTY
 MONROE

A shiver ran through Monroe as she heard what Daddy was saying. He
wanted to know what had happened to her and she really didn't want to tell
him. She just wanted to bottle everything up and keep it deep, deep inside.
She’d guessed someday she was going to have to talk about it. She had
hoped the day would never come, but here it was. His friend, Leo, had
triggered her, and not some little trigger, but a full-blown panic attack and
everything.
Monroe had hoped that if she built a wall around the memories and
didn't talk about them, eventually the pain and fear would go away. She
knew doing it by herself would take longer but she was willing to try. She
just didn’t want to have to talk about it.
She had heard talking about it would heal her over time, but she was
worried if she started to talk about it, she would have even more
nightmares. The struggle to get a good night's sleep was hard enough with
all the nightmares she already had.
The thought of having to relive everything Jared had done to her scared
her. She didn’t want to live in fear, but at the same time, she didn’t want to
have to relive everything.
When she’d gotten the job in the department store after finishing her
GED, she thought everything was under control, and her life could begin.
But then they had downsized, and she’d had to make do with a part-time
waitressing job. Soon, unable to pay the rent, she’d lost her apartment and
began living out of the car she’d so proudly bought after her first six
months in the store. She hadn’t known what she would do when winter
came, but then Jared had come along like a knight in shining armor to
rescue her. He’d offered her a place to stay and what had seemed like a real
relationship. She’d jumped at the chance.
Jared would always bring up the fact he had saved her from a horrible
life, and he was a hero. And yes, in a way, he did help her get out of a
horrible life, but he’d only brought her into an even worse one.
What he had done to her was horrible and she wouldn’t wish it on
anybody. He was sick and twisted and showed no remorse when he did
something wrong. At one point early on, he had apologized for something
he had done and she had believed him.
That was until he continued to hit her and beat her. She thought he
would change over time, but he just continued to prove he wouldn’t. It was
almost like he found out he loved to hit her and couldn’t stop.
It was twisted and she knew it, but she also couldn't have done anything.
He was so much stronger than her and knew how to manipulate her into
doing anything and staying with him.
Looking back on it now, she thought being homeless might have been
better than being with an abusive man for over six years. It was a weird way
of looking at it, but she would rather live on the streets than get beaten
every day.
“Monroe?” Daddy said.
She took her head off his chest and looked at him. She was trying to put
off telling him what had happened, but he wasn’t going to give up and she
knew that.
“Yes, Daddy,” she replied.
 Maybe she could get away with not telling him everything that had
happened. Monroe didn’t think he needed to hear every gruesome detail.
She didn’t want to relive those horrible memories.
“I know it’s going to be hard for you to talk about everything that
happened, but I need to know some of it. I need to know who you’re
running from so that I can better protect you,” Daddy said.
She understood where he was coming from but that didn’t mean she
liked it. Deep down, Monroe was worried that once he figured out who
Jared was, he would throw her to the curb.
Whenever Jared talked about himself, he always portrayed himself as a
good guy. But when he came home, he also talked about how he paid this
person off to say this, and how they set that person up, and she quickly
realized he was a horrible and dangerous person.
By the time she understood what he was really like, the beatings had
already started, and he had threatened her several times. At first, she had
been too scared to leave, and then she just got used to it. After a while, it
felt like it was right. It was stupid and looking back on it now, she realized
that had been his plan the whole time.
Monroe climbed off Daddy’s lap and sat on the ground. When she
explained everything to him, she didn’t want to be in his lap. She knew it
would bring her comfort, but she wouldn’t be able to see his reactions and
she didn’t think she was worthy of the comfort he was going to try and give
her.
“I grew up in foster care,” she began. “My parents apparently died right
after I was born and I got put straight into foster care. I didn’t have any
family left to take me in. I was sent from home to home and no one really
wanted me. Or if they did want me in the beginning, they then had a kid of
their own and didn’t want me anymore.”
She needed him to understand why she had gone with Jared. She didn’t
want Daddy to think she had just given up on life and moved in with an
abusive person.
“A lot of them just wanted the extra person so they could get money. I
would eat one to two meals a day sometimes because they didn’t want to
spend the money to feed me or buy me clothes if I changed sizes. It is what
it is and I don’t want your pity,” she rushed out as she saw the expression
on his face.
Before he could start speaking, she continued. She needed to get this out
and if he stopped her, she wasn't going to start again.
“I aged out of foster care when I turned eighteen and the foster parents
didn’t want me anymore. I found a shelter for women and stayed there
while I finished studying to get my GED but once I did, I was told I needed
to leave soon. So, I found a job at a department store and lived in the shelter
for a couple of months until I got enough money to rent a small room. I
worked there for a couple of years before they had to downsize and I was
the first to be let go.”
“What happened next?” Daddy asked.
“I got a job at a little diner. I didn’t get paid a lot, but the owner was a
sweet man who took care of me. Gave me free meals when I couldn’t pay
for them. But the pay wasn’t enough for me to keep the room I’d rented,
and I had to leave. There was nowhere else to live but my car. It got colder
as it got closer to winter and I was still living in my car. That’s when Ja-,”
Monroe had almost slipped up and told him Jared’s name. She needed to be
careful. “I mean, he found me and was like a knight in shining armor who
swept me off my feet and took care of me. I thought it was great even
though my boss told me to stay away from him. Of course, I didn’t pay
attention.”
Daddy grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed it. Comfort filled her
body, and she relaxed a little.
“I think I liked that he gave me attention. He took care of me for a little
while but then things started to change. His work started to get stressful and
one night, he slapped me when we got into an argument. That was the first
time he hit me and it was like something snapped in him. He apologized,
but he ended up doing it again and after the third time, he didn’t apologize
anymore,” Monroe said. “I was so scared to leave him at that point, because
I realized how powerful he was and what he could do. Over the years, I just
kind of started surviving on autopilot. I didn’t do anything he didn’t like so
he would beat me less, but then he started to not need an excuse for hitting
me. Things got so bad I realized I needed to leave. He had caught me once
before trying to leave. I went to my neighbor and my neighbor ratted me
out. He came home that afternoon and I got a really bad beating that night.”
Chest tightening, she took a deep breath, trying to release the tension.
She didn’t like talking about this. It was almost like a big ball had sunk to
the bottom of her stomach, weighing her down.
“The day before I left was one of the worst beatings ever. I knew at that
point I needed to leave, so when he left for work, I did. He normally locked
the door from the outside with a deadbolt so I wouldn’t be able to leave, but
he was in a hurry that morning and I knew it was the perfect opportunity. I
took it.” Tears streamed down her face as she talked. “I drove for three
days, only stopping to get gas or take an hour or two to nap, but I couldn’t
do more than that. I needed to get far away from him. I got lost, so I just
pulled over to try to think and ended up parked in front of your house. I
wasn’t gonna stay, I just needed to figure out where I was so I could find a
gas station and leave. And then you found me.”
The beating before she left was playing in front of her eyes as she talked
about it. She could feel Jared’s hands on her skin, pounding into it as he
relieved some of his anger and stress.
“You’re okay,” Daddy said. “How long were you with him?”
“Over six years. After the first two years, I just kind of stopped caring
until the time he almost killed me. That’s when I woke up and knew I had to
get out of there. I wasn’t allowed to leave the house at all, so I was cut off
from interacting with anyone besides him.”
She felt ashamed that it had taken her that long to wake up to the fact
she needed to get out. Tears filled her eyes. How could she have been so
stupid?
“Ah, ah, ah. Don’t look away. You’re okay and safe. You got away and
now you’re here with me,” he said. “Do you think he’ll come after you?”
Monroe shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t know for sure, but she had
an inkling he would.
“Maybe, but I’m not so sure,” she replied. “He said he would come after
me if I left, but it could have been an empty threat.”
Not for a second did she think it was an empty threat. She paused.
“Okay, I lied. He is probably looking for me right now. That’s why I
need to leave and get on the road. I can’t put you in danger,” she rushed out.
One of the rules she had was no lying and she didn’t want to lie to him.
The thought of breaking that rule at this moment made her feel sick to her
stomach. This was a huge matter that could affect a lot of people and she
didn’t want to put anyone in danger.
“You aren’t leaving. We can protect you,” Daddy said.
“But-”
“No buts. We have several people with a lot of training that can help
keep you safe. I don’t want you driving out there when he could hurt you at
any point. You mean too much to me and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Monroe shut her mouth and stared at him. She knew she meant
something to him, she just hadn’t realized he cared about her that much.
Tears pooled in her eyes and she blinked several times, trying to get
them to stop. She couldn’t cry again.
“It’s okay,” he murmured, like he knew she was getting emotional. “I
care about you. I want you to flourish and live a great life. I want you to
feel safe and able to come out of your shell.”
 Tightening her hands around his, she took several slow, deep breaths in
to try and calm down.
“Can you tell me where he works? Where did you come from?” he
asked.
Monroe shook her head and pulled her hands away from his. Daddy
couldn’t find out where he worked. The look on his face told her that once
he found out, he was going after him and she couldn’t allow that.
Jared was a powerful person and could ruin Daddy with a snap of his
fingers. The guilt she would feel if that happened would be too much for
her to handle.
Monroe already carried the guilt about not trying to help all the people
Jared had turned his back on. She knew what went on yet she did nothing
about it. There were many days where she thought about ending her life
because it would be better than carrying that guilt inside her.
“Daddy, I can’t,” she whispered, guilt weighing down in her stomach as
she said those words.
She wanted to tell him, but she knew he would go after Jared and she
didn’t want Daddy to get hurt.
Jared had ruined so many lives while she was living with him and each
time, when he would boast about it, it made her feel even more guilty than
before. She had thought about telling someone about it, but when she heard
him talk to his supervisor in their house, she knew he was also in on it.
Who could she have gone to? She didn’t have a phone back then and
she wasn’t allowed to leave the house, either.
“That’s okay. Maybe sometime soon you can tell me,” Daddy said.
She highly doubted that, but she nodded her head anyway.
“Thank you for telling me. I know it was hard, but I’m proud of you,”
he said. “Hug?”
Daddy opened his arms and she didn’t think twice. Moving quickly, she
climbed onto his lap and snuggled into his chest as his arms wrapped
around her body.
Everything felt heavenly when his arms were wrapped around her. She
could get used to this.
Peace. Comfort. Safety.
“Does my Little Bunny like it when we hug?” he asked.
“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered. “So much.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I like giving hugs. Anytime you need one, you
can come to me. You don’t even have to ask.”
She nodded her head and melted into his embrace even more as he
tightened his arms around her.
“Why did you leave the hospital?” she whispered. “Working there?”
Monroe felt him take a deep breath in before he started to speak.
“There were a lot of reasons, but the major one was I was getting burnt
out. I was sometimes on call for twenty-four hours or more. Several times I
saw where someone was severely injured and died before they could
arrange to pay for the necessary treatment they needed,” he said. “And there
were the ones I couldn’t save. Children were the worst.” He was silent for a
moment, and she could tell by the pain on his face he was remembering. “It
was tough mentally but also physically, so when I came into some money, I
moved back here and started up a clinic with some other doctors.”
“That’s so cool. What do you do there?” she asked.
“It’s a free clinic so anyone and everyone can come in if they need help
and don’t have insurance or a lot of money, but we also have a women’s
shelter attached to it. So, abuse victims can come, stay, and heal.”
Monroe looked up at him in awe. He did all that and still took care of
her.
“I was thinking maybe at some point, when you feel more comfortable,
you could come and volunteer at the clinic. I bet a lot of the women would
love to talk to someone that has gotten out of an abusive situation and is
happy and living a good life,” Daddy said.
 She thought about it for a second. It sounded interesting but she didn’t
know if she was up for it right now. Not while she still didn’t feel safe.
“Not now, but maybe sometime in the future,” he said. “And maybe in
the future, you could talk to someone about what happened. A
professional.”
Nodding her head, she leaned her head back on his chest and relaxed in
his embrace. She didn’t know what to think about talking to a professional.
Would it do her any good? Daddy seemed to think so, so maybe she
should.
“Ready to go home?” Daddy asked.
“Yep,” she replied.
Home. She liked the sound of that. Monroe didn’t think she’d ever felt
like she had a home, but Daddy’s house was starting to feel like home to
her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
 MICHAEL

E verything in Michael wanted to push his Little Bunny to give up a

name. When he found this person, he was going to destroy them.
He had always considered himself a calm and peaceful person, and
many people had said the same thing. But if someone hurt a person he
loved, all bets were off the table.
A man had hurt Monroe, his Little Bunny, for years and could have
killed her. He didn’t like the thought of the guy still alive and out in the
world.
Michael didn’t like the fear he saw in Monroe’s eyes when she told him
she couldn't…wouldn't tell him anything about the man. She was absolutely
terrified of this person.
He tried to imagine who the person might be, but it was hard. The guy
was powerful, but a lot of people were powerful. Could he be in the mafia?
Police? MC? A politician? Mayor? President?
Michael didn’t like this one bit. Monroe had almost slipped up and said
his name, but she stopped. He knew the first name but not Jared’s last name,
but what was he going to do? Charge out of there and question every single
man whose name was Jared? That was, he admitted, not the most practical
or efficient way to go about things. He had thought about asking what her
last name was, but she would know immediately what he was trying to do.
 Would she come up in the news? Had the man reported her as missing
or was he keeping it quiet?
“Daddy!” she yelled. “Are you coming? Mr. Wiggle and Bunster are
getting impatient!”
He couldn’t help but smile. Mr. Wiggle and Bunster were not getting
impatient. His Little Bunny was.
Oh, when she was Little, she came out of her shell. It was amazing to
see and he cherished every second.
“Daddddyyyyyy,” she yelled again.
“Coming, Little Bunny. Give Daddy one second to get you a drink,” he
replied. “And remember, inside voices. You know that. Next time you yell,
you’ll be over my lap before you can blink.”
Monroe wasn’t far from him at all. He had set up a tea party in the
living room because Monroe wanted one and he couldn't tell her no. With
her wide puppy dog eyes when she looked up at him, she made him want to
do anything for her.
She had him wrapped around her pinky finger and thankfully, he didn't
think she realized that yet. His Little Bunny could ask for anything and he
would have a hard time saying no to her.
Quickly grabbing her drink, he made his way into the living room and
tried to figure out how to sit down in one of the small, uncomfortable
chairs.
She had insisted they use the small chairs he had in the nursery for the
tea party. He tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't have it so here they
were.
"Sit, sit, sit." She bounced up and down in her chair.
“Patience, Little Bunny. Daddy is far too big for this chair, so he has to
sit down slowly," he told her as he lowered his large body. "I don't want to
break the chair if I sit down too fast."
Monroe giggled at that and he wondered what exactly she was thinking.
 "What's so funny, Little Bunny?" he asked.
"You bwaking the chaiw!" she giggled again. “Like in the story of the
Thwee Beaws!”
He didn't think it would be funny if he broke the chair and fell, but he
had no doubt her mind was creating this whole funny scenario and he wasn't
about to stop her from thinking it. He loved to hear her giggle.
"Would Princess Monroe like some tea?" he asked in a British accent.
Her eyes went wide and she looked at him like he’d just done the most
amazing thing ever.
"Wowsie," she whispered. "Accent so good."
"Why, thank you, Princess Monroe. I spent two years in London and
practiced a lot."
Her nose wrinkled and she shook her head.
"Little Bunny," she whispered.
"What?" he asked.
Why was she saying his nickname for her?
"Me Little Bunny, not Pwincess Monwoe," she said.
Michael smiled at her and nodded his head. He knew she liked the
nickname, but he didn't know she liked it that much.
"Sorry, my Little Bunny. You'll always be my Little Bunny," he told her.
"My good Little Bunny."
Her cheeks went rosy red and she looked down at the table. Oh, he
loved it so much when she got all rosy cheeked when he told her she was a
good girl.
"Tea! Pouw fow Wiggle and Bunstew and me!" she demanded.
He raised his eyebrow at her.
"Pwease?"
"Good girl for using your manners," he said as he picked up the teapot
and poured the imaginary tea in her cup first.
 He had thought about filling it with actual tea, but he didn't want
Monroe to burn herself if she insisted on pouring. Selfishly, he also didn't
want to have to clean the small teapot. If she had asked, he would have
done it for her, but she seemed content without it.
"Thank you, Daddy!" She clapped her hands and bounced in the chair.
"Wiggle and Bunstew next!"
"Of course. We can't forget about the noble Mr. Wiggle and Bunster," he
said and poured them some tea, too, before he poured some for himself.
Michael picked his little cup up and looked at Monroe.
"Pinky out," he reminded her. "It's the only proper way to drink tea."
She looked so serious as she pointed her finger out and took a sip of the
imaginary tea.
"You look so silly!" she giggled as he made a face while drinking.
Michael placed his hand on his heart and acted hurt. "Are you calling
Daddy silly? You wound me."
Her eyes went wide and she shot out of her chair and jumped into his
arms.
"No, Daddy! No silly. Smawt, handsome, lovey," she squished his
cheeks together as she talked. "No sad, Daddy! Cheewy! Happy Daddy, no
sad Daddy."
He gently grabbed her hands and pretended to start chomping down on
them. Giggles filled the room as she tried to get away from him, but he kept
her close.
"Daddy! Stop, Daddy! Tickles," her voice raised. "Dadddyyyyy."
Stopping his pretend biting, he placed her back on his lap and wrapped
his arms around her. He gave her a big smile.
"Happy Daddy," he said.
She blinked several times, her eyes drooping as she relaxed in his arms.
"Happy Daddy?" she whispered. "No sad?"
"No sad, only happy," he said.
 Monroe snuggled into his embrace and he tightened his hold on her.
Perfect time to give her a bottle and settle her down for a nap.
"Sleepy time," he whispered. "I'll give you a bottle, diaper you up, and
then sleepy time."
She whined, but a soft pat to her bottom settled her down. Michael
picked up the bottle on the table he had grabbed earlier and maneuvered
Monroe so her head was laying on his arm.
"Bevvy?" she asked. "Choco bevy?"
"Such a good Little Bunny for Daddy," he whispered as he placed the
nipple into her mouth.
She instantly started to suckle and drink down the chocolate protein
shake he had put in there. He didn't realize how much she loved those
things until he saw how quickly she had gone through her bottle last night.
He was so glad she liked them because it was a good way for her to get her
extra protein in throughout the day.
"Good Bunny," he said as she finished off the drink.
Michael gently stood up with her in his arms and walked down to the
nursery. Placing her down on the changing table, he fastened the belt
around her midsection and pulled down her pants and underwear before he
cleaned her, put powder on her, and placed a diaper on her.
Monroe pulled her arms over her face to cover herself. He had put her in
a diaper before they went to the club earlier today and she was so
embarrassed. He reassured her she had nothing to be embarrassed about, but
he knew it was her first time. Over time, it would come to feel more natural.
"You know Daddy loves taking care of you," he gently said to her. "That
even means changing your diaper and washing you when you need a bath."
She groaned at his words and he couldn't help but smile. Such a shy
Little Bunny. Picking her up, he walked over to the crib, gently rocking her
as he went.
 "Awms, Daddy," she whispered as he tried to place her down in the
crib.
"I'll hold you until you fall asleep. Then I'll put you in the crib," he
softly said.
"Why, Daddy?"
"Daddy has to do some things around the house. I'll be here when you
wake up."
Michael walked over to the rocking chair and held her close as they
rocked. He watched Monroe fight falling asleep but eventually she
succumbed. She looked so precious and peaceful sleeping in his arms.
Everything in him wanted to help her be peaceful and relaxed when she was
awake, and it was one of his goals.
She had clearly gone through a lot even if she hadn’t gone into details
when she’d told him her story. The way her skin went pale, almost like she
was reliving everything that had happened in the past six years, made him
realize it was bad. Very bad.
Getting up from the rocking chair, he walked over and placed her in the
crib. He wondered if having the bars surrounding her would make her feel
more secure and safe or if it would have the opposite effect. He would just
have to make sure he was there when she woke up. He didn't want her
waking up in a panic and him not being there.
It felt like he’d known Monroe for years when in reality, it had only
been a week. A very long week in a way but also a short week. Michael
couldn't believe she had really asked him to be her Daddy while she
recuperated from her injuries.
He’d wanted to tell her no because he didn't know if he would be able to
let her go once she was well again, but he knew he would if she really
wanted to. Michael wanted her happy and if it wasn't with him, he would
help her find that happiness somewhere else.
 He just hoped it would be with him. He was trying everything in his
power to make her want to stay with him forever and be his baby girl, his
Little Bunny.
"I really need to go clean," he whispered to himself, trying to get
himself to leave her while she napped.
Shaking his head, he grabbed the rocking chair and brought it closer to
her crib, sitting down. What if she had a nightmare and needed him? Yeah,
no way he was leaving now. He could clean later.
Michael relaxed in the chair and watched over her as she napped.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
 MONROE

M onroe had woken up this morning and felt ‘off’. She had kept it to
herself for most of the morning, but started to act out a little when Daddy
walked into his home office.
While she was eating breakfast, he had asked her if she was alright and
she’d lied. Great way to start off the day by breaking one of the rules...not.
But it was also exhilarating. Knowing she had broken one of the rules and
hadn’t got caught or beaten was amazing.
Well, it was only a little amazing but the guilt inside of her was starting
to eat her up. She pushed the thoughts about guilt down and focused on
what she was doing.
Daddy had placed several coloring books and stuffies around her so she
could color and play while he was working. She was grateful and started to
color first, but quickly got bored.
Monroe stood up from the floor and looked at the couch. For the past
couple of hours, she had really wanted to jump up and down on the couch.
It was so huge and looked so bouncy.
It was calling her name and she couldn't say no.
Grabbing Bunster and Mr. Wiggle, she jumped on the couch and let out
a little squeal of excitement. This was so much fun! She didn't know why
she didn't think about jumping on it earlier.
 "Bunny, you better not be jumping on the couch!" Daddy yelled.
Monroe sat on the couch quickly and pretended she was talking to her
stuffed animals.
“That was a close one,” she whispered to Bunster and Mr. Wiggle.
She nodded her head when they both agreed with her.
"Of course, if he asks, I'm going to tell him it was your idea." She
pointed at Mr. Wiggle. "You're going to get in so much trouble. Maybe I
should put you in time out."
"What are you talking about, Bunny?" Daddy asked.
A little scream came out of Monroe and she turned around to look at
him. How much did he hear?
"Nothing!" she said and smiled.
“Okay, you don't have to tell me,” he said. “Were you jumping on the
couch?”
"Nope! That was Mr. Wiggle. He wanted to jump on the couch so I let
him." She batted her eyes at him.
Daddy looked at her before he nodded his head. Did he actually believe
her?
"Okay. I have a couple more things to do in the office but after that, we
can spend some time together. Maybe I can take you out on a date?" he
asked.
Monroe jumped up and down on the ground with a wide grin on her
face.
"Yesssss!" she screamed. "Sorry, Daddy. Inside voices. I'm just so
excited. I don't think I've ever been on a date before," she started to whisper
toward the end.
"What?"
"He normally had food brought to the house or he would cook, but we
never went out. I think he was embarrassed to be seen with me. Not that I
would blame him. I didn't graduate high school, got my GED, and never
went to college. I never had a good job, either – just working as a sales
clerk or a waitress."
"Stop," he said. "No talking bad about yourself."
"What if it's all true? It's not really talking bad about myself if it’s true."
She had no clue where the confidence to talk back to him came from.
She would have never thought she could or would want to do this, but with
Daddy, she felt comfortable enough to do it.
"It's a rule and it's not true. Just because you haven't had a fancy job or
didn't graduate college does not mean you are dumb. I don't want to hear
you talk bad about yourself again or you're going to find yourself in the
corner or over my lap," Daddy said.
Monroe wanted to argue with him, but she didn't want to find herself in
corner time. The thought of him leaving her while she was facing the corner
made her skin itch and her breathing pick up.
"Little Bunny?" he asked. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, Daddy. Just thinking," she softly said.
He didn't need to know what was going through her head. It wasn't
important and if he sent her to corner time, she would just have to deal with
it. Everything in her hoped she wouldn't get sent to corner time.
"Well, I'm going to try and finish up the little bit left and then we can go
out," he said. "Be good for me."
Daddy kissed her forehead and walked back to his office. Monroe
immediately turned around and looked at Mr. Wiggle and Bunster.
"Mr. Wiggle, I can't do that," she exhaled.
He gave her a look and she dropped her shoulders.
"It would be fun, I know. But that's definitely against the rules," she
softly said.
She looked at Bunster, wanting his support on this matter.
"True, he never said I couldn't draw on the wall. You're so smart,
Bunster, for thinking about that," she said and quickly looked at Mr.
Wiggle. "So are you. It was a great idea and I can't wait to do it!"
Grabbing one of the pencils by the coloring book, she walked over to
the empty wall. She hesitated for a second and looked back at Bunster,
Ellie, and Mr. Wiggle.
"Don't call me that! I'm not a chicken," she said. "Well, maybe I am.
Okay, fine. I'll do it. Oh? Sing a song as well?"
She grinned and placed the tip of the pencil on the wall.
"I'm going to go to the beach one day. Play in the pretty sand and jump
in the water," she started off singing softly as she drew on the wall. "Oh,
Bunster, I shouldn't sing louder."
Monroe went back to drawing pretty flowers on the wall and singing,
getting louder as the seconds passed.
"I'm going to go to the mountains one day! Hiking for hours and getting
tired before we get to the top. Daddy's going to have to carry me the rest of
the way," she sang louder and started to color in one of the flowers. "Oh, the
mountains! The mountains are so pretty! Pretty, pretty, like Daddy!"
She stepped back and looked at her art piece. She couldn't wait to show
Daddy what she had drawn for him!
"Monroe Johanna Grayson!" Daddy's voice boomed.
Her eyes went wide as she slowly turned around and looked at him. He
sounded mad and used three names. Even if they weren't her three names, it
still got her attention and she knew she was in trouble.
Daddy normally called her his Little Bunny or Bunny, and he very
rarely called her by her given name.
"Daddy?" she hesitantly asked. "Look at what I drew for you. Do you
like it?"
"You're not allowed to draw on the wall," he said. "You knew that and
yet you did it."
"Well, Mr. Wiggle and Bunster told me it wasn't technically in the rules
of what I couldn't do."
 She flinched as she finished saying that and Daddy's face went hard. He
was super duper mad.
"You knew not to do it and you can't blame it on your stuffed animals,"
he said. "You knew it was wrong and would land you getting into trouble."
"Nu-uh! It wasn't in the rules! You said I could color and draw. You
never said where I could or couldn't." She stuck her tongue out at him.
"I shouldn't have to tell you not to draw on the wall. And no sticking
your tongue out at me."
She crossed her arms and glared at him. He was being so unfair. It
wasn't in the rules and Mr. Wiggle and Bunster were right in what they told
her.
"Bunster said it was perfectly fine to do it! Maybe you should get some
pointers from him!" She raised her voice.
Monroe knew in the back of her mind that she should stop talking or she
was going to get into trouble.
"What did you just say?" he asked slowly, his voice deepening. "Little
girl, you are just asking for a punishment."
"I said maybe you should get some pointers from Bunster!" she yelled,
moving her arms around.
"Come here," he commanded.
"No."
She instantly regretted saying no to him, but she couldn't back down
now. She was already in trouble and needed to stand her ground.
"Now," he growled.
Monroe stomped her foot. "No, I'm not going over to you."
Daddy raised his eyebrow and waited for her to move, but Monroe
folded her arms and stayed where she was. It was like slow motion as he
started to walk toward her. She moved back, but before she could get away,
his hand gripped hers and he started to walk toward the nursery.
 He walked her over to the corner and placed her body so she was staring
at it.
"Stay here while I go get the ginger," he told her.
The moment he let her hand go, she immediately turned around. She
didn't want to be in the corner. He didn't have a right to put her in the
corner.
"Corner, now!" he said.
She stuck her tongue out and shook her head. She wasn't going to face
the corner.
Daddy walked over to her again and turned her around. She knew right
as he let go of her, she was going to turn around again.
A swat landed on her butt and a little shriek left her lips. Ouch. That
stung a little.
"Stay facing the corner with your bottom out. If I walk back in the room
and you're not facing the corner with your bottom out, your punishment will
get worse," he told her.
He wouldn't actually make her punishment worse, right? He was
probably all bark and no bite.
"Don't wanna," she said and turned her head to look at him.
Grabbing her chin with his hand, he held it firmly and got closer to her.
"You’d better or you’re going to find yourself in more trouble than you
want,” he replied.
She rolled her eyes and pulled her face from his hand. Bark and no bite.
He hadn't punished her yet for anything she'd done when she’d broken
rules, so why would she think he was going to do it now?
Once again, Daddy turned her around to face the corner.
"I hope you follow what I said. I hate punishing you, but you need to
know I mean business and won't let you walk all over me," he said. “No
matter what you do, you won’t walk all over me.”
 She gulped and stayed still as he let go of her. Maybe she should stay in
the corner while he went to get the ginger. She hoped he wasn't going to use
the ginger for what she thought he was going to, but she wouldn't know
until he came back.
"I'll be right back," he said.
Monroe waited for him to leave before she turned around and leaned up
against the wall. There was no way she was going to stay in the corner. She
didn't want to and she didn't have to.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but she started to get
bored. Maybe she could go play with some toys. Maybe Daddy forgot about
her and her punishment. Good for her in a way. She’d known deep down he
wasn't actually going to punish her.
Daddy walked into the room and shook his head when he realized she
wasn't facing the corner. He slowly walked toward the chair and sat down,
placing the ginger down on the nightstand and clasped his hands together.
"Come here," he said, his voice devoid of any emotion.
She gulped and took a deep breath. "No."
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
 MONROE

M onroe knew once she had said no, it was a big mistake. Daddy sat
up straighter and if it was possible, his face got even harder.
“I’m going to count to three and once I hit three, you’ll regret it. Your
bottom won’t be the only thing that hurts. You’ll be doing lines, corner
time, no toys,” he said. “One.”
She held her breath. He was bluffing. Daddy had to be. He wouldn’t
really take away her toys, would he?
“Two.” His finger pointed between his legs.
Her eyes went wide and she started to walk toward him. Definitely not
bluffing. Standing in between his legs, she looked down at her feet. She was
in big trouble. It was like she could feel the disappointment rolling off him
as she stood in front of Daddy.
“Before we get started, I want you to know that if you get triggered or
it’s way too much, you can use your safe word. Do you understand?” he
asked as he lifted her head to look at him.
“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered.
“Good girl. What’s your safe word?”
“Oranges.”
“I’m going to put ginger in your bottom, spank you, you’ll do corner
time, and then I’ll plug your little ass after I take the ginger out,” he said. “I
know it’s a lot, but you could have only had the ginger and corner time. You
decided to back talk to me and not follow directions.”
Her head hung again. She really should have followed her gut and not
disobeyed him so much. She didn't know what went through her.
“Lay over my lap,” Daddy said. “Pants and diaper down.”
Monroe moved back and pulled her pants and diaper down. She wasn't
ashamed of her body, but she also wasn't super comfortable about showing
it.
She crawled onto his lap, placing herself in the position she had read
about so many times.
“I know you said you wanted to try out spanking so we're going to try it
once I get the ginger in you. If at any point you get triggered, yell out your
safe word, okay?” he asked.
“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered.
Monroe felt him move around, probably grabbing the ginger before she
felt his fingers spread her cheeks apart. She'd never had ginger in her
bottom, but she’d read about it. They all talked about it stinging or burning,
but did it really?
She knew that some books exaggerated things and she didn't know what
to trust and what not to trust, especially since it was fiction, after all.
“I'm going to slowly ease it into you,” he said.
She waited and waited until he started to slowly push it in. The stretch
of it entering her body was uncomfortable but it wasn't as nearly
uncomfortable as the sensation that started to happen.
Monroe yelled and tried to get away, but Daddy held her down as he
firmly placed the ginger where he wanted it to be.
“Your clenching is only making it worse,” he told her. “But you go on
ahead and continue to clench. That's still staying in the whole time you're
getting spanked and standing in the corner.”
 Tears filled Monroe's eyes at the thought of it being in so long. She tried
to relax but it was hard when she was in pain and all she wanted to do was
tighten around it.
It burned and Monroe didn't like it at all. She guessed the authors hadn’t
been exaggerating.
Daddy lightly tugged at the ginger before pushing and pulling it in and
out slightly. She knew what he was doing. He was making her feel it even
more, the burning sensation intensifying as he continued to push it in and
pull it out.
“Hopefully, this will remind you not to color on the wall again or jump
on the couch,” he said.
She definitely wasn't going to be back talking to him again. Ah, well,
for a while at least. She couldn't promise she wasn't going to back talk again
because that would be stupid. She didn't know why she’d done it now and
she was pretty sure she was going to do it again.
“I-I’m sorry!” she wailed, trying to get out of his hold.
“Be a good girl and stay still for Daddy while you take your
punishment. I don't want to have to add on any extra.”
Monroe tried to stay still but it was hard when her butt was stinging. It
felt like it was on fire and it was never going to be put out.
“Punishments aren’t supposed to be liked,” he said. “Now, you're going
to get twenty spankings and then you're going to go into the corner for
fifteen minutes.”
She held her breath, waiting for the first spank, but it never came.
“Breathe,” he told her. “I don't want you passing out on me. You need to
breathe.”
Taking in a small shaky breath, she followed his orders. She didn't like
not knowing when he was going to start spanking her. The tension in her
stomach intensified with each passing second.
 “I want you to count. Say ‘thank you, Daddy’ afterwards. If you forget
to say it then we won't move forward until you do,” he said. “Ready?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she whispered.
The anxiety rolled through her as she waited for him to start spanking
her.
Smack.
A small cry left Monroe's lips as the spanking started. She hadn’t
thought it was going to be this hard of a spanking. She knew it wasn't going
to be easy but for some reason, she thought it would be lighter and not so
intense.
“One. Thank you, Daddy,” she cried out.
Tears were streaming down her face at this point from all the pain she
was enduring. This was a lot different than the beatings she’d gotten from
Jared. She didn't fully understand why but at the same time she did.
Jared didn't care about her, and Daddy did. Jared just wanted to hit her
because he could, and her Daddy was doing it because she had broken a
rule he’d set out to protect her.
Smack. Smack. Smack.
“Two. Three. Four. Thank you, Daddy,” she said as she clenched her
teeth together.
She didn't know how she was going to survive getting twenty
spankings. She was already ready to throw in the towel right now at four,
but she knew she wasn't triggered and she could take more. It wouldn't be
right for her to say her safe word.
Smack. Smack. Smack. Smack. Smack. Smack.
It was as if he was testing if she could count at the same time she was
getting her punishment. She tried so hard to remember where they left off
and where they were now.
“Five. Six. Seven. E-eight. Nine. T-ten. T-thank you, D-Daddy,” she
stuttered, making her way through the count.
 She hoped she had counted right because she didn't know what would
happen if she didn't. Daddy had only mentioned if she didn't remember to
say thank you and the number that they wouldn’t continue until she did, but
he never said anything about her miscounting.
“Good Little Bunny,” he said. “These last ten are going to be harder and
you don't have to count.”
“H-harder?” she stuttered.
She thought he was already going really hard, and she didn't know if she
could take him going any harder. Everything in her body wanted to use her
safe word now because she didn't think she could do it.
“Yes, harder. Just for the last ten and I'll make sure they go fast,” he
said.
She had no doubt he would go fast but she didn't know if she could
handle the aftermath. Daddy hadn't hit her in one spot. He had made sure he
hit all around and even hit her sit spots. She knew she wasn't going to be
able to sit comfortably for a while.
“Daddy's going to start now. If you get triggered or it's too much, you
call out your safe word,” he reminded her.
Before she could say anything, he started to smack her bottom. She
struggled and moved around, trying to get away from his hand, but he just
held her in place as he continued to land swats.
Monroe was ready to call out her safe word when he spanked her the
last time. She relaxed and sobbed her heart out as her bottom throbbed.
“Such a good Little Bunny taking her punishment,” Daddy said. “Now,
it's time for you to go stand in the corner for a little while.”
Daddy picked her up and walked over to the corner before setting her
down. Her breathing picked up and she turned around. She didn't want to be
left in the corner alone. What if he left? What if he left and never came
back?
“A-are y-you,” she sobbed. “G-going to c-come b-b-back?”
 Daddy looked at her in confusion and she cried harder. He had planned
on leaving her?
“A-are you l-leaving me?” She cried even harder.
One of her foster families used to lock her in a closet and leave for
hours. She couldn't leave and it scared her and him putting her in a corner
made her feel the same things.
“I'm going to be in the room. I won't leave you,” he said, cupping her
cheek. “I'll always come and get you.”
She sobbed as he helped her turn around to face the corner. Monroe
started to shake and she felt the anxiety roll up in her stomach, ready to spill
at any moment. She didn't know if she could do corner time. It brought back
too many memories and she was worried he was going to leave her there.
“Be a good girl and stay in the corner. I'm going to be right in this chair
looking at you,” he said.
Monroe took a couple of deep breaths and tried to stay as calm as she
could. She kept chanting in her head that Daddy was in the room and he
was going to come get her when it was done. She just had to make it to the
end.
She didn't know how much time had passed but it felt like forever.
“Walk to Daddy,” he said.
Spinning around, Monroe walked fast to her Daddy, tears streaming
down her face.
“Such a good girl for Daddy,” he said. “Now, I'm going to take out the
ginger but put a butt plug in and leave it in for a couple of hours.”
She wanted to protest but she also didn't want to make her punishment
even worse. He was doing this for a reason and she knew that.
Laying herself across his lap, he spread her cheeks apart and gently took
the ginger out before lightly pushing a lube-covered butt plug deep inside of
her. The sting wasn't as bad, but the stretch was definitely worse than the
ginger.
 It felt like he had placed a huge apple up her butt, but she knew that it
wasn't that big.
“Now, all is forgiven,” he told her as he held her close against his body.
Monroe was still crying as he held her but felt a little lighter, however
fuller, with the butt plug in. She knew that after punishments, all was
forgiven and it was a clean slate.
“Are you okay, Little Bunny?” he asked. “Did I go too hard?”
She snuggled more into his embrace and really thought about it for a
second. Did he go too hard or was it just right?
“At the moment, too hard but overall, it was just right,” she whispered.
Daddy chuckled and held her closer. She loved the feeling of his arms
wrapped around her. She felt safe and, for once, comfortable around
somebody. She felt like she belonged and she was loving every second of it.
It would be sad when she had to leave in a couple of weeks after she
was back to normal. But that was for a later thought. Right now, she was
going to enjoy this.
“You didn't answer my question if you were okay,” he pointed out.
“My butt hurts and I'm uncomfortable with the plug in my butt but I'm
okay,” she murmured.
He laughed and slightly pinched her bottom, making her yell out in
pain.
“That huwt,” she whined.
“Good. It'll be a good reminder to not back talk and not follow orders,”
he said. “Now, let's go clean the pencil off the wall.”
She groaned and hid her face in his chest, but he wasn't having it. He
gently placed her feet on the floor, grabbed her hand, and started to walk
out of the nursery.
Every single step was uncomfortable for her. She could feel the butt
plug moving inside her. It made her feel horny but also uncomfortable
because she wasn't used to it.
 She knew this was going to be a long couple of minutes while they
erased the pencil off the wall and she wasn't looking forward to it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
 MONROE

T he whole incident left Monroe confused. She felt bad about what
she had done, even while they worked to clean off her drawings. She knew
she was forgiven, but she didn’t understand why she had even done it. What
was wrong with her?
This wasn’t like her. It seemed ridiculous now that she had done
something wrong and pretended her stuffed animals had pressured her into
doing it. “Are you okay, Little Bunny?” Daddy asked.
Monroe turned to him, tears in her eyes and dropped the eraser to the
floor. The floodgates opened at that one simple question.
“Oh, Bunny. It’s okay. It’s going to be okay,” he said as he picked her
up.
Daddy slowly walked to the couch where he sat down and placed her
head on his chest. She was so confused, so frustrated by her own
uncharacteristic behavior.
She wanted to be held by him but at the same time, she knew she didn't
deserve it. She had been such a bad girl and knew that Daddy forgave her,
but it was hard. Normally, whenever she did something wrong, she would
get a beating that would make her go unconscious or leave her so black and
blue it was hard to move the next day.
 “Can you tell me what’s wrong?” he asked as he ran his hand up and
down her back.
Monroe buried her head in his neck and continued to cry. She had never
cried so much in her life until she met him. She didn’t know what it was
about him that made her want to cry her heart out.
Her crying finally lessened, and she relaxed in his embrace. If she could
spend her whole life in this position, she would. The comfort it brought her
was grand, and she loved every minute of it.
“Little Bunny?” Daddy asked. “Can you tell Daddy what’s wrong? Why
are you crying?”
She sat up straight and looked at him.
“I don’t know why I did all those things. I don’t know why I acted out
and I don’t even know why I’m crying so much,” she whimpered as tears
formed in her eyes once again.
She felt like she had just become a crying machine and nothing else.
“Oh, Bunny,” Daddy said as he caressed her face. “You’re getting more
comfortable around me and you're testing to see if I actually follow through
on my words and the rules. It’s perfectly normal and a lot of Littles do this.
As you get even more comfortable with me, you may act out once in a
while to see if I’ll punish you. And I will. Every time.”
Monroe sniffled and started to process his words. She was getting more
comfortable with him, but she didn’t really understand why she was testing
him.
Okay, that was a lie. What he said makes sense, because Monroe hadn’t
really thought he was gonna punish her, but he followed through and did
just that.
“I guess,” she whispered. “I'm just, I'm sorry.”
“It's okay. All is forgiven now so no need to feel bad about it.”
Monroe placed her head back on his chest and took several deep
breaths. She wished she could stay in this position forever but knew at some
point, one of them was going to need to go to the bathroom or get hungry.
“Also, sometimes Littles don't know how to let their stress go away.
Sometimes they need to get a spanking so all their stress leaves by having a
good cry. I know several Littles that get spankings every once in a while,
not because they're being naughty, but because they need a good cry to let
out all the stress and everything that's built up inside of them,” Daddy
explained. “That could have been something you were trying to do. I don't
know, but there could be several reasons why you acted out.”
Moving around in his lap, she stifled a moan as the butt plug moved
inside her. It was torture having this inside her because it was a constant
reminder that she had been naughty and now she was turned on.
In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she was this turned on. It
had to have been years because everything Jared did made her scared and
not turned on. This was almost like a foreign concept or a foreign feeling,
and she didn't really know what to do.
“I'm sorry,” she mumbled.
“Don't say sorry again. Everything is forgiven and the slate is clean
now. You're fine and you're going to be fine,” he said.
Daddy grabbed her hips and held them still. She hadn’t even realized
she was rocking her hips back and forth. Monroe had also completely
forgotten she didn't have any pants or underwear on.
Would there be a wet spot on him? Mortification filled her body as she
thought about it. It would be so embarrassing. She needed to figure out a
way to get off him without him seeing a wet spot if there was one.
She slightly lifted her hips so she wasn't really sitting on him. The wet
spot couldn't get any bigger, if there was one.
“Did Daddy say you could get off of his lap?” he asked.
“N-no,” she stuttered. “But-”
“No buts. I didn't say you could, so sit back down.”
 She didn't want to, but she also didn't want to disobey him. Was it
normal to get turned on by a butt plug?? She had read about people getting
their butts plugged but she’d never experienced it before. It apparently
made her really horny.
“Is my Little Bunny turned on?” he asked.
Monroe buried her head into his neck to try and get out of answering his
question. Why would he ask such a question? Didn't he already know she
was?
“Bunny?” He slowly started to move her hips around, applying a little
pressure.
Biting her lip, a tiny moan escaped. She couldn't help it. All the pleasure
that was coursing through her body at this moment was too much. She
hadn't had this type of pleasure in a long time.
“Answer Daddy,” he said.
“Y-yes,” she stuttered, trying to hold back another moan.
Monroe tried to scooch off him but he wasn't having any of it.
“Ah, ah, ah. Daddy didn't say you could get off his lap.”
She let out a soft breath. There was something about him saying he
didn't give her permission to move that turned her on. She loved it when he
took control and everything inside her lit up.
Monroe let go of everything else and started to just feel. She wanted to
feel more pleasure. She wanted to come.
Moving a little faster, she tried to overcome his hands that were on her
hips guiding her, but he wouldn't allow it.
“Does my little baby need help?” he asked.
She nodded her head and continued to try moving her hips faster and
harder. She needed to come. All the pressure and pleasure inside her was
building up and she knew at any second she might explode.
“No. Use your words,” he said. “Ask Daddy if you can come.”
 Monroe's face turned red and she didn't look him in his eyes. He wanted
her to ask him if she could come? He obviously knew she needed to and yet
he was making her ask. She felt embarrassed asking for this.
“Ask Daddy or you're not coming.”
“Pl-please,” she whimpered as he pushed her hips down and ground
them against his cock. “Please can I come, Daddy?”
The pressure he created as he pushed her hips down and moved them
heightened her pleasure. Her toes curled as he continued and she knew she
wasn't going to last long.
“Such a good Little Bunny,” he said. “You asked so nicely.”
Before she could say anything, he jerked his hips up and a moan
bubbled out of her mouth. That felt amazing. The pleasure coursing through
her body increased.
“Come for Daddy,” he commanded as he pushed her hips down and he
jerked up.
A small scream filled the room as Monroe came. Everything felt like
she was in a dreamland as she came down from her high. She felt light like
a feather.
“Such a good girl,” Daddy praised her.
She relaxed in his embrace and took several deep breaths. She felt fully
relaxed and a little sleepy.
“Let's go get you cleaned up,” he said.
Groaning, she latched on to him tighter because she didn't want to
move. She just wanted to relax for a little bit and be with him but then she
felt it.
“What about you?” she mumbled. “Can I help you?”
She had only ever given head once and that was to Jared. He had never
wanted it afterwards and she thought maybe she wasn't good at it, but she
wanted to try again.
“Not this time, Little Bunny,” Daddy said. “This was for you.”
 Blushing, she snuggled into his neck and let out a sigh of contentment.
She could get used to this, but she had to remind herself she really
shouldn’t. It was all going to end when she was fully recovered.
“We’ll stay here for a couple more minutes and then I'm going to clean
you up and take the butt plug out.” He ran his hands up and down her back.
“We’ll go on the date some other night. Right now we’ll just cuddle after.”
She nodded but didn't really pay attention to his words. Monroe didn't
think she was going to be awake by the time he got to that point, and she
was okay with that. She trusted him and knew he would take good care of
her in her most vulnerable state.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
 MONROE

M onroe sat on the couch while she played on her phone. Daddy had
gotten her a phone the other day, a fancy touch screen phone, and she was
still learning what she could do with it.
Jared had never let her have a phone before and she’d only had a flip
phone in high school. Even the flip phone she’d had was very basic. She
had been working a part-time job and was able to pay for the phone, but it
wasn't anything spectacular.
She felt so outdated with this. When she was with Jared, she had seen
him use a phone but never up close. It had been over six years since she had
even touched a phone other than the small prepaid burner phone she’d
gotten when she had left Jared.
She had seen Daddy use his phone but she’d never really taken a close
look. In the back of her mind, she was doing the same thing she did with
Jared. He never wanted her to get close to see it and if she did, he would
beat her. She didn't want that to happen with her Daddy even though she
knew he wouldn't hit her.
It was a response she had acquired over the years and was ingrained in
her mind. There were a lot of things like that, habits she was slowly trying
to break, but it was so tiring.
 When Daddy had handed her the phone several days ago, she hadn’t
known what to do with it. She had just stared at it until he started to show
her how to use it.
Monroe had thought about asking if he could just get her a flip phone,
but she didn't want to be rude. This phone had to have cost a ton of money
and she didn't want to just throw it back in his face.
He had given her a quick rundown of how to unlock it, call him, send
him a text message, and had even downloaded some games. To say she was
overwhelmed was an understatement.
Soon after he’d given her the phone and told her how to use it, she had
gone online and found her old boss, Mario, from the diner. He had been a
sweet fatherly figure when she’d worked at the diner and had warned her
about Jared, but she hadn’t paid any attention to his advice. She wanted to
let him know she was safe now.
She thanked Daddy and told him she really appreciated it but deep
down, she didn't know if that was true. She would have been fine with just a
flip phone and nothing else. Especially since she wasn't staying here
forever.
The thought of that broke her heart because, she realized, she did want
to stay here forever. The idea of leaving Daddy to go somewhere else to
escape Jared both saddened and frightened her.
She wanted to stay with him forever, but he hadn't said anything about
her staying after she was all healed. Maybe he didn't want her here anymore
and wasn't going to say anything. Maybe he was sick and tired of taking
care of her, and wanted her gone as soon as she was all better.
It hurt to think about but she needed to remind herself that this had
never been a long-term solution. She had to remember that.
Monroe's phone pinged and she looked down. A text message? It wasn't
from her Daddy so who could it be from?
Pulling up the message, her heart sank as she read it.
 You can run but you can’t hide. I’m coming for you. - J

Her heart hammered in her chest as she reread the message. He couldn't
have found her already, could he? How could he have found out her phone
number? She had just gotten it a couple days ago.

Be a good girl and come to me without a fuss and no one will get hurt. -
J

Her eyes filled with tears as she shot up from the couch and made her
way toward the front door. She needed to get out of here as soon as
possible.
Running outside, she looked down the street to try and find her car, but
it wasn't there. Where could it be? She hadn't moved it so it should still be
there.
Her stomach rolled at the thought of not being able to escape in time.
She needed to leave before Jared found her and anyone could get hurt. She
would never forgive herself if someone else was injured because she was
stupid and stayed in one place too long.
Turning her phone on, she called her Daddy because he was at work and
had taken his car. Of course, the one day that she would need a car, both of
them were gone.
“Bunny?” he asked. “You know I'm in a meeting today. What's up?”
“W-where’s my car?” she stuttered as her breaths came out in little
pants. “Wh-where is m-my car?”
She couldn't talk about anything else. She needed to get straight to the
point and figure out where her car was and how she was going to get out of
this town.
“Slow down,” he said. “Why do you need your car?”
 “I need my car. I need to know where my car is and my keys,” she said,
her voice raising a little. “I can't find it, it's not out on the street, and I need
it. I need to leave and get as far away as I can.”
She took in a deep breath trying to calm herself. It didn’t work.
“He found me,” she whispered. “I need to leave.”
Tears were streaming down her face at this point. She would start
walking if she had to. She didn't have any money, but she was pretty sure
she could hitchhike with somebody and get away before Jared came and
hurt her Daddy.
“Monroe,” his voice came through the phone. “I need you to stay put.
I'm getting in my car right now and I'm coming home. Jaxson is coming
over now. He's going to keep you safe until I get there. He knows what to
do but I need you to go back to the house where you're safe.”
“I'm not safe. Nobody's safe. Need to leave,” she mumbled, not even
paying attention to the words he was saying.
“Monroe. House, now,” he commanded.
She found herself walking into the house and sitting on the couch. She
didn't know why, but every time he used that tone of voice, she always
followed his instructions. This was one of the instances where she didn't
want to, but her body betrayed her and did it anyway.
“I'm going to be there in a couple of minutes and Jasxon'll be there in
less than a minute,” Michael said.
Monroe let out some air and tried to think of different things she could
do. She didn't have any money so she was limited on what she could do.
She didn't have her car and didn't even know what city she was in.
Obviously, Jared knew.
What if he had associates that found out about her when she went to the
club with her Daddy?
She should have taken extra precautions, but Daddy had made her feel
protected and everything she knew about keeping safe had just flown out
the window. She knew better and yet she still let it happen. Stupid, stupid
Monroe.
Ding dong.
Monroe let out a shriek, dropping her phone and dashing toward the
kitchen. She needed to hide, and quickly.
“Monroe?” a voice said.
She didn't recognize it, which worried her. Who could it be? How did
they get into the house? Had Jared hired somebody to get her?
She yanked open a cabinet in the kitchen and crawled in. It was a tight
fit, but she could do it. She needed to hide. She wasn't taking any chances.
“Monroe,” the man called again. “I'm Jaxson, a friend of Michael’s,
your Daddy.”
She didn't trust him. He could have just said that to get her to trust him
so she would come out of hiding. Right now, she couldn’t trust anybody
besides herself. She needed to keep herself safe.
“It’s okay to stay where you are. I’m here to protect you until your
Daddy gets back and then we’re going to figure everything out,” he
continued.
It didn’t help ease anything inside of Monroe. This man knew where she
lived, he knew that Michael was her Daddy, and he knew she was alone in
the house until Daddy came back.
He could do anything to her and she wouldn't be able to stop it.
It scared her that she was alone in the house with a man she didn't know.
It was like meeting Michael, her Daddy, all over again and not knowing
what to do.
She knew Daddy had said Jaxson was going to come over, but that
didn't mean she trusted him. He was a stranger — unpredictable and
frightening.
“Your Daddy's almost here. You're okay and you're safe,” the man
called again.
 She just wanted him to leave. All Monroe wanted was to get out of the
city and away so Jared couldn't find her.
First, she needed to ditch the phone so he couldn't trace her again.
Second, she needed to get money. Then she could decide how to get out of
there.
She felt overwhelmed, the way she had when she’d first left Jared.
There were so many things to do and remember she’d gotten overwhelmed
easily and that had led to multiple panic attacks. At that point, she had tried
to focus on one thing, then the next one, and not on the whole picture.
That's what she needed to do now but it was harder this time. Daddy had
made the decisions for the past week and she’d started getting used to it. It
was different from what Jared had done and she found herself craving it
even more.
Jared had never given her the option and wasn't looking out for her, but
Daddy was. His focus was to make her heal, get healthy, and just make the
right decisions so she was happy, healthy, and safe.
“Where is she?” she heard Daddy yell into the house.
“Hiding in the cabinet in the kitchen,” the man said.
Monroe didn't care at the moment that she didn't trust this other man,
Jaxson. She pushed the cabinet door open and started to crawl from the
tight space.
She couldn't see her Daddy yet but knew he was here. She’d heard his
voice asking where she was.
Her foot got caught on something in the cabinet, creating a sharp pain,
but it didn’t even register right then. She needed to get to Daddy so she
could find out where her car was and get out of here.
Maybe she could borrow some money from him and tell him that once
she was safe and settled somewhere, she’d send the money back. Monroe
was going to have to get better at keeping her identity a secret. Changing
her name, her story, working and getting paid under the table, anything so
she could stay away from Jared.
She needed to be safe and smart about this because she didn't want to
put anybody else in harm's way. She’d already put Daddy in danger by
staying with him for over a week and now Jared knew. He had found her, so
he must know where she was and who she was staying with, which made
Daddy unsafe.
Daddy popped into the kitchen and a cry of relief fell from her mouth as
she hobbled toward him. She needed to feel safe for a couple of minutes so
she could think straight and figure out her next move.
“Daddy,” she cried out.
He opened his arms as he knelt on the floor and she jumped, wrapping
her arms around him. Her heart started to break as she realized this would
be the last time she would feel his arms around her.
“You’re okay,” he whispered. “You’re safe.”
But she wasn’t. Monroe would never be safe.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
 MICHAEL

M ichael’s heart had been racing since his Little Bunny had called
him all panicked and wanting to leave. He couldn’t have that.
He didn’t know how many laws he broke as he drove from the club to
his house, but he knew he needed to get there as soon as possible. No doubt
Monroe was scared out of her mind.
He had moved her car to the mechanic to get it looked over since it
looked a little beat up. He knew it wasn't a very old car, but he also didn't
know when the last check had been. If and when she drove the car again, he
wanted her to be safe.
“You're okay,” he whispered into her ear as he rocked her back and
forth.
Michael didn't know how she’d gotten under the sink. She had to be at
least five foot seven and the space under the sink wasn't huge. Her being
underweight probably helped her some but he had no doubt that it was a
tight fit.
Walking over to the couch, he sat and placed her on his lap. Jaxson sat
down in front of them, his face full of worry.
“You're okay. You're safe,” Michael said.
Monroe shook in his arms as everything came crashing down. He didn't
like seeing her this way. He had never even thought her ex could trace her
through the phone he had just given her. He just hadn’t wanted her to be in
his house alone without a way to contact him.
Who was her ex? It had only been a couple of days since he had given
her the phone and her ex already found her. Was this his fault? But he had
deliberately put the phone in his name.
“Little Bunny. Can you pay attention for a second?” he asked her.
He knew she was scared beyond belief, but he and Jaxson needed to
know the guy's last name and figure out how he found her. He knew from
when they’d talked before that she didn't want to give up the last name, but
in order to keep her safe now he needed to know.
Monroe slightly pulled away from him and nodded her head.
“Such a good girl,” he praised her. “Now, can you tell us the guy's
name? Jaxson is a retired police officer and knows several things to keep
you safe.”
Her eyes went wide and she jumped out of his arms. Letting out a hiss,
she stared at Jaxson with her eyes wide and shook her head.
What had gotten into her? What did he say that made her react this
way?
“No! I can't tell you anything. Especially not you,” she said, her voice
raised.
Michael looked at her, confused, before he looked over at Jaxson.
“Do you know what she's talking about?” he asked.
“No. I’ve never met her before now and don't have a clue what she's
talking about,” Jaxson responded.
He looked back over at Monroe. Her face was pale and she was shaking.
Whatever she was thinking, it wasn't good. It was like her meeting Leo all
over again.
“Why can't you say anything? Do you know Jaxson?” he asked.
She shook her head and took a step back, wincing as she put pressure on
her left leg. His eyes swooped down over her leg and saw a cut on her
ankle. How did she get that? Did she get it while she was in the cabinet?
“No, you don't know Jaxson, or no, you won't answer why you can't say
anything?”
She shook her head again and Michael knew he needed to ask one
question at a time. He didn't want to overwhelm her and make her shut
down even more than she already was.
“Why can't you say anything?” he asked. “No one's going to hurt you or
get hurt.”
Monroe took a shaky breath in and kept her eyes on Jaxson. It was like
she didn't trust him and he didn't understand why. Jaxson was a great guy
and would do anything to help save people that were in need of rescuing.
He didn't like that she was so jumpy and really scared. He had hoped
she’d begun to feel safe.
“Jaxson may know who he is and I don't want to get on anybody's bad
side,” she said. “I can't get on anybody's bad side again.”
It made him sad she thought he would be mad at her or get on anybody's
bad side. It was hard to get on Jaxson's bad side and he highly doubted
whoever she was hiding from would have anything to do with Jaxson.
Michael knew for certain that Jaxson didn't like abusers. He had saved
countless women, children, and men from abusers and got them into safe
houses where most of them were living great lives now.
“I probably won’t know who he is, but I can tell you that you're not
going to get on my bad side. Whoever did this to you is on my bad side
because we don't treat anybody like that,” Jaxson said.
Jaxson and Michael looked at Monroe, waiting to see what she would
say. He had a feeling she wouldn't give them a last name because she was
that afraid of him. It broke his heart that she didn't feel safe enough to say
the person's last name, but he also couldn't blame her. If he was in her
situation, he probably wouldn't tell them the person's name, either.
“Jared Anderson,” Monroe whispered.
 Michael looked over at Jaxson right as his eyes went wide. Did he know
this Jared Anderson?
Standing up, he held out his hand for Monroe to take and once she did,
he brought her close to him. He wanted her close so if Jaxson did anything,
he could put his body between them. Not that he thought Jaxson would do
something like that, but he didn't know in this situation.
“What's wrong?” Michael asked.
“Jared Anderson as in the Jared Anderson who works for the FBI?”
Jaxson asked.
Monroe gripped onto Michael's shirt and buried her head in his side.
This had to be the guy, given how she was reacting. But who was he?
“Shit,” Jaxson stood up. “How did you meet Jared?”
She peeked her head around Michael. “I've known him since I was
twenty-one. So over six years. He saw me when I was going into work one
day from my car, where I was living, and he started talking to me. I didn't
know who he was in the beginning, I promise.”
“Do you know anything he's done?” Jaxson asked. “Did you get
involved? He was the one that beat you? I need to know everything.”
“I know some just from passing conversations he had on the phone or
when he invited people over. I never got involved. Jared didn't trust me and
kept me locked up in the house,” Monroe whispered. “H-he b-beat me.”
Michael didn't like how her shaking got worse as she talked about this
Jared guy or how she got increasingly more pale. Before Jaxson could ask
any other questions, Michael finally spoke.
“Does somebody want to tell me who Jared Anderson is and why you
sound surprised and also angry?” he asked.
He didn't like the way Jaxson had reacted when he’d heard the name of
the man Monroe was so afraid of. Something was going on and he needed
to know because Jared Anderson was messing with his Little Bunny.
Nobody messed with his Little Bunny.
 “Jared Anderson works for the FBI and has for years and years. He used
to live around Springfield and did some pretty shady things,” Jaxson said.
“So why are you so interested in him?” Michael asked.
“Our police department was building a case against him. Some higher-
ups didn't want it to happen in their office, so they tasked us with it. We
were trying to gather evidence on Anderson about what he had been doing
in his current job,” Jaxson explained.
Michael didn't like the sound of this. If he hadn't been caught and it had
been over six years, it was going to be very hard to catch him. Especially
since he was in the FBI.
“We still have all the information in boxes at the police station but once
he moved, the case was shut down,” Jaxson said. “I don't really know why
since it's obvious he's still been doing it, though I have my suspicions. I'm
surprised he got himself transferred all the way up to Maine.”
How were they going to get this guy? Jared had resources he could use,
and Michael was worried about that. Yes, he did know Jaxson, and Jaxson
knew the police department, and Leo and Oliver were ex-military, but they
were still not on the same level as Jared. It worried him because he had told
Monroe he would keep her safe and he felt like he was failing her right
now.
“Did you take any pictures of her bruises and cuts when she first came
here?” Jaxson asked Michael.
“Yes, I did. I have them all safe on my hard drive and SD card,” he said.
Michael had gone back and forth with himself about taking the pictures
of her or not and now he was glad he had. Monroe knew he had taken
pictures because he told her. He wanted her to have the option to press
charges later on if she wanted to, and to have this evidence.
“Good. You'll probably have to go give statements at the police station
and then we can reopen this whole thing,” Jaxson said. “Don't worry, I trust
the people that are working at the police station, and I know for a fact the
higher-ups are still the same. Most of them are retiring soon but they are all
the same right now.”
Michael didn't know if he should feel grateful it was still the same or if
he should be worried. From what Jaxson said, they had closed the case once
Jared moved states, so why would they reopen it now?
“No! I can't and won't do it!” Monroe said, shocking them both. “You
can't go after him. He'll kill you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
 MONROE

E verything in her body was telling her she shouldn't have said
anything about Jared. Why did she go and tell them his name and that she
knew some of the stuff he did? She should have just kept her mouth shut or
said a fake name or something.
She knew she’d made a mistake when Jaxson started to talk about
reopening the case and going after Jared. That was suicide and they had to
know it. Jared was high up in the FBI and had a lot of connections –
connections that could get all of them killed or put behind bars for a stupid
reason.
Monroe needed to figure out how to persuade them to leave Jared alone.
They didn't understand how powerful and dangerous Jared really was. She
had spent over six years living with him and had seen sides of him they
probably couldn’t even imagine.
“Sit down,” Daddy said.
“No. I can't let you go after him and get hurt. This is not your battle to
fight,” she exclaimed.
“Not my battle to fight? Not my battle to fight? Did you really just say
that?” he asked. “Not my battle to fight. Hmmm. Jaxson, when you have a
Little, you protect them, right? Do anything to help them out and keep them
safe?”
 “That sounds about right,” Jaxson replied.
Monroe didn't know where her Daddy was going with this, and didn't
know if she liked it or not.
“Your fights become my fights. I'm protecting you and protecting you
means going after the person that hurt you. He deserves what he's going to
get. We're going to take him down and I'm going to keep you safe and out
of harm's way. He's never going to touch a hair on your pretty little head,
and if I have it my way, he won't ever look at you again,” her Daddy said as
he got to her height and looked her in the eyes. “Do you understand me?”
“Daddy, he’s powerful and his bosses are in it as well. He had several
meetings with them at his house to talk about what they were going to do
next and how they were going to cover it up. I can't let anybody die. I won't
be able to live with myself. So, you can't go after him because it's suicide.
He has a lot of connections and I'm not about to let you go after him. Who
knows? Maybe that’s why the investigation here was closed,” Monroe
argued, ignoring everything her Daddy had just said.
“Good thing I don't need your permission then. We're going after him
whether you like it or not.”
Monroe didn't like the sound of that. He was surely going to die and she
wouldn't be able to live with herself. The one person she was comfortable
with and he was just willing to sacrifice himself to keep her safe and
protected.
“I think it's better if I go alone to Jared so he doesn't come after you. I'll
say I made you keep me here while I recovered and gave you no choice. I'll
make up some other excuse so you two aren't involved in this. You can't be
involved in this,” she said.
“Hell no!” Her Daddy grabbed her arm and pulled her into his lap as he
sat back down on the couch.
She struggled, trying to get out of his embrace, but his arms around her
were too tight.
 “Let go of me,” she yelled.
Monroe needed to get away and contact Jared so she could lead him
away from her Daddy and Jaxson. She needed to keep them safe and the
only way to do that was to run away before Jared got here and hurt them.
“Settle down,” Daddy said.
She didn’t, though. How could she when this person she cared for a lot
was planning to go and do something that could result in him getting
thrown in jail or killed.
“Please,” she begged. “You can’t do this. It’s suicide.”
“No and that’s final. You’re staying here and not leaving. I won’t let
you,” he said. “If I have to tie you to the bed, I will.”
She slumped against him, taking several deep breaths. Maybe later she
could sneak out and go back to Jared or run to a different city. She just
knew she couldn’t stay here and put all of them at risk.
Daddy had been so amazing and nice to her, taking her in and taking
care of her when he didn’t have to. It would break her heart to leave but she
wanted to keep him safe.
“I know a group of people, ex-military, who live in South Dakota, and
own a company that helps protect people. They mostly do high end jobs
like singers, actors, and governors, but the owner owes me a favor and I can
cash it in,” Jaxson said.
“I-” Daddy started to speak.
“I don’t want you to use the favor for that. Maybe down the road, you’ll
need it,” Monroe rushed out. “I’m a nobody. They don’t want to protect me.
I don’t have any money to give them, either.”
“Hush,” Daddy said. “No talking badly about yourself. You know the
rules. If you speak badly about yourself one more time, I’ll put you over my
lap in front of Jaxson and spank you.”
She closed her mouth and started to pout. No fair. She wasn’t saying
anything but the truth, so she didn’t really consider that speaking bad about
herself.
“I bet at some point, they’ll need my help again and then they’ll owe me
another favor. Don’t worry about that. The owner and I are really great
friends, grew up together, so it isn’t a big deal,” Jaxson said calmly.
“Thank you. I really appreciate it,” Daddy said.
Monroe didn’t like one bit of it. They were both being stupid and not
thinking things through.
“Daddy,” she said.
“Monroe, I care about you. I’m not letting this guy get in the way or
take you away. If I have to pay a million dollars to get him put away and
keep you safe, then I’ll do it. I want you and only you,” he said. “I want you
safe and protected. Nothing’s going to change my mind, so I don’t know
why you keep bringing it up.”
“You’ll get hurt,” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn’t
like the thought of her Daddy getting hurt or possibly taken away from her.
The thought scared her.
Yes, she knew her leaving would have the same effect, but it wasn’t the
same thing. If she left, he would be alive and well, but if she stayed, Jared
would kill him, and she couldn’t deal with that.
“I’ll contact my friend on the way home. Hopefully, he can send
someone over tonight or tomorrow and they can figure out a way to take
him out if the higher-ups at the police station don't want to reopen the case,”
Jaxson said.
Monroe did not like the sound of that. If they didn't want to open it up
again?
“It’s been over thirteen years since he left this town so they may not
want to open it up again since he hasn't lived here in a while. That's why
we're going to give all the information to my buddies, because they also
investigate and go after bad people,” Jaxson explained.
 She still didn’t like the sound of that, but she couldn't put up too much
of an argument right now. Her Daddy was just shutting everything down
and she didn't want to get punished because no doubt she would say
something bad about herself while talking about Jared.
“Thanks man, I really appreciate it. Let me know if I can do anything in
the future,” Daddy said.
“I’ll let myself out and text you once I hear from my friend.”
Jaxson looked down at her and gave her a small smile as Daddy ran his
hand through her hair.
“Time for a nap,” he announced.
A whine escaped her lips but he was quick to stop it by placing his
thumb in her mouth. She immediately started to suck on it, soothing herself.
She’d never had a pacifier and never mentioned to her Daddy about using
one, but sucking on his thumb right now felt amazing.
“Aww, does my Little Bunny need a pacifier?” he asked.
She snuggled into his body and continued to suck on his thumb. She
didn't want to stop, and she didn't want him to take his thumb out. He tried
to stand up but Monroe wouldn't have it.
“Okay,” he chuckled. “I will stay here until you fall asleep but after that,
I'm taking you to your bed.”
Monroe didn't dare complain about being moved after she fell asleep.
She was comfortable right now and knew after she fell asleep she probably
wouldn't feel him moving her.
“Such a good Little Bunny,” he whispered. “We're going to have to get
you a pacifier, though. Maybe we can go out tomorrow and get one for
you.”
She felt her eyes start to droop and snuggled closer into his embrace. It
felt so nice, and she couldn't wait to do this more often.
With one last look at her Daddy, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
 MICHAEL

M ichael had placed Monroe in her crib over an hour ago and didn't
know what to do. He tried to wrap his mind around everything that had
happened in the past several hours, but it was hard.
His Little Bunny wanted to leave. She wanted to keep him safe and put
herself in danger, but that's not how it worked with him. He would do
anything and everything to protect her, even if it meant draining his savings,
selling his house, and living paycheck to paycheck.
He didn't like it when she tried to tell them they were being stupid. Yes,
Jared, her ex, worked at the FBI, but he was willing to go up against him if
it meant keeping her safe. It was his job to keep her safe, healthy, protected,
and to spoil her. It wouldn't be right if he just let her walk out of his house
and into even more danger.
Thankfully, Jaxson knew some people that could help them, but what if
he hadn't known Jaxson? He didn't know what he would have done but he
was thankful now more than ever and he would tell Jaxson that for the rest
of his life.
He let out a sigh and placed his head in his hands. He hoped this
wouldn’t go on for too long because he didn’t like seeing his little one all
stressed out.
 He wanted her to be at peace and not have to worry about every little
thing. It seemed to be more difficult than he thought but he wasn't willing to
give up. He needed to do this for her because he didn't think anybody else
had in her life.
Anytime he thought of that, his heart broke a little bit. She should have
been cherished her whole life but she hadn’t. He promised himself he would
cherish her and spoil her, but also discipline her for the rest of her life. Or
until she didn't want to be with him anymore.
Michael didn't want to think about that because if he had it his way, she
would never leave him. He already considered her his forever Little, and
knew he would never find another Little like her.
But it wasn't only about her being a Little. He was also physically
attracted to her. Michael couldn't deny that anytime he looked at her, he got
turned on. She looked amazing with her brown hair that fell to just below
her shoulders and her brown eyes that sparkled whenever she talked about
something she loved.
He wanted to see that for the rest of his life. All he had to do now was
convince her after all this passed that she should stay with him. It wasn't
going to be easy because she already seemed like she wanted to leave but
he was going to try his hardest to prove to her that he could take care of her
and make her happy.
He didn't exactly know how to bring it up without making her panic and
maybe his best bet was just blurting it out. Hopefully, they found Jared soon
so he could ask her.
He didn't want to make her feel like she had to stay, though, because he
knew she hadn't really lived her life yet. Maybe after everything was over,
she would want to go explore all the possibilities that would be open to her.
Maybe he could convince her to let him tag along for a little while.
Michael had several months’ worth of vacation time he hadn't even
touched. He could take off and go traveling with her, but she might not
want that.
He let out another sigh and stood up straight. His phone went off and he
picked it up, hoping it was Jaxson with some good news.

They're sending someone now who should be there in the morning.

They're looking into Jared with the information I gave them.
Hopefully, they'll find out where he is so we can keep Monroe safe. -
Jaxson

Michael quickly sent a thank you text back and relaxed a little. He knew
it was still dangerous for Monroe but having somebody come who knew
what they were doing made him feel a lot better.
His phone pinged again.

Would Monroe like to come over and play with Charlotte this
afternoon? She's been dying to meet her. -Finn

He tossed around the idea of Monroe leaving the house. On one hand,
he didn't want her to leave the house, but he also knew he couldn't keep her
captive here anymore. For all he knew, Jared could still be in Maine and
they couldn't live their lives in fear. They could be cautious, but living in
fear wasn't a great idea.
A blood curdling scream filled the house and Michael dashed to the
nursery. His whole body tightened, ready to fight off anybody that was
hurting Monroe, but when he slammed through the door, he saw nobody.
Looking at Monroe sleeping in her crib, he realized she was having a
nightmare. Quickly making his way over to the bed, he placed his hand on
her stomach and gently started to rub it to try and wake her up.
“You're okay,” he softly said. “It's just a nightmare.”
 No doubt it was a nightmare, but he didn't know if she was reliving
things that happened to her. He didn't like the thought of that, but knew he
couldn't do anything about it besides make her feel safe in his house,
something she probably didn't feel right now.
Jared had somehow found her and shattered her reality that she was
safe.
“Wake up, Little Bunny,” he said as he continued to rub her stomach.
She jolted awake, her eyes opening wide as she stared at him and before
he knew what was happening, her arms were wrapped around his neck and
he was gently picking her up. Rocking side to side as he walked to the
rocking chair, he tried to keep her calm.
“You're okay,” he whispered. “It's okay to cry. Just let it all out.”
One thing he knew was she needed to let her emotions out. He could bet
that when she lived with Jared, she didn't let herself cry or feel many
emotions.
Monroe placed her face in his neck once her crying had slowed down
some. He loved being here for her and wanted her to know that at any point,
he was here.
Michael continued to rock her in the chair and whisper soothing words
to her. He didn't like that she was starting to have nightmares again, but was
glad that this time, she let him help her through it.
In the beginning, when he would hear her cry out after she woke up
from a nightmare, he had to hold himself back because she was scared of
him. He ended up pacing in his room or office for hours afterwards,
wondering if she was okay.
He had made the mistake of going into her room the second night she
was here after a nightmare and she’d freaked out even more. He had
apologized when he made her breakfast because he truly felt bad. Michael
didn't mean to make her even more scared than she already was. All he
wanted to do was bring her comfort and help her through the aftermath of
the nightmare.
When Michael first became a doctor, he would have nightmares about
being unable to save a patient, and he had no support. Every single time he
woke up, he felt alone, but after a while, he just got used to it. He had no
close friends or family and didn’t know if that would ever change.
“Feeling better?” he asked. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head and relaxed into his embrace. They sat in the
rocking chair for a long time, but he didn't mind. He knew they both needed
this.
“I'm sorry for getting your shirt all wet,” she whispered.
“Don't you worry, Little Bunny. I can wash my shirt,” he replied. “You
can wet my shirt anytime you need a good cry. I'm here for that and I'm here
for you.”
Her hand gripped onto his shirt and he loved the feeling.
“I've got a question and I want you to keep an open mind,” he said.
“Can you do that? It's nothing bad.”
“Otay,” she whispered.
“Finn, one of the other owners of BTS, asked me if you would want to
come over and have a playdate with Charlotte, his Little. Would you like
that, or do you want to stay here?” he asked.
He waited for her response, not wanting to sway her one way or the
other or push her to pick an answer. He had hoped she would say yes
because he wanted her to have friends.
“I don't know,” she whispered. “I've never actually met another Little in
real life. I'm nervous. What if I do something wrong?”
“It's okay. Charlotte is one of the sweetest girls I've met, and I do know
she's excited to meet you,” he said. “You won't do anything wrong. She
knows you're nervous and no doubt she is, too. She hasn’t played with very
many Littles herself. You're going to be fine if you want to go.”
 “Can I think about it? When is it?”
“Finn was asking about this afternoon, so anytime would be okay.”
He felt her hand grip his shirt even tighter and he was worried. Michael
didn't want to bring her any stress.
“Okay,” she said. “I guess, I guess I can go.”
“Don't worry. I'll be with you as well.”
He felt her relax a little bit and loved that he could bring her a sense of
calmness.
“All right, let's get you changed and we'll head over,” he said.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
 MONROE

“I don’t want to be here. Can we go back? I feel icky,” Monroe said

as she tugged on Daddy’s hand.
Nerves ran through her body as they walked closer to the house. She
didn't know if she could do this anymore. She had never interacted with
another Little before and was worried she would do something wrong.
Monroe didn't want to make Daddy look bad by doing something
wrong. That was what worried her the most. She didn't want to disappoint
him by not getting along with Charlotte or making a fool out of herself.
In the beginning of her relationship with Jared, he would show her off to
his work colleagues, but he stopped doing that after the third time. She kept
making a fool out of herself by saying the wrong thing or disagreeing with
something, so he had decided that whenever he had people over, she would
cook and then stay in their room.
In those times, she would read a lot of Daddy Dom books or even
Mommy books. They brought her comfort, and she dreamed that maybe
someday she would have a Daddy of her own.
They stopped walking and Daddy got down on his knees and held her
face with his hands. She loved it when he did things like this. He didn't
make her feel inferior and she knew he would listen to what she had to say.
 Daddy had told her several times that he would listen to her every
concern and everything she wanted to talk about. He valued her opinion and
she loved that about him. He was so opposite of what Jared was, yet he was
still a dominant man. That was just another thing she loved about him.
He knew there was a balance to it.
“I feel really icky,” she whispered as she tried not to throw up.
Monroe didn't like meeting new people. It made her feel anxious.
“Are you nervous or do you actually feel icky?” Daddy asked.
She thought about it for a second because she didn't want to lie to him
about what she felt like. Ever since he had found her in her car, he had
made her think about her emotions and what she was feeling and not push
them down. It was weird and she didn't know if she really liked it or not but
at the same time, she felt relieved.
She felt like her emotions mattered and they were important. He made
her feel like everything she felt and went through were the most important
things in the world and it shocked her yet made her want to cry at times.
She had never had someone care about her emotions or what she had gone
through like that.
“I'm really nervous that Charlotte won't like me,” she whispered. “I'm
worried I'm going to do something wrong and embarrass you and make you
mad at me or make her hate me. I don't want to do that and I don't want you
to look bad at all.”
Daddy rubbed his thumb across her cheek as she talked. He was
listening to every word she said and it made her feel cherished at this
moment.
“Maybe we should just go home so I can't do that. It'll be better if we
just go home,” she rushed out. “Then, then it won't give me a chance to
mess up. I did things wrong and made Jared look bad several times and I
just, I don't want to do that to you.”
“Oh, Little Bunny,” he whispered. “You won’t embarrass me.”
 She shook her head and tried to pull back.
“You don’t know that. I- I could do something really embarrassing and
you’ll end up leaving or punishing me.”
He gripped her chin with his hand and held her face still. A twinge of
arousal flooded her body at the movement.
“You can’t embarrass me with anything you do,” he said. “And I will
never punish you if you happen to embarrass me, which I can tell you won’t
happen.”
“You may be surprised,” she mumbled.
She wrung her hands together in front of her, not knowing what else to
do. She wanted to leave so she didn’t ruin everything or make Charlotte
hate her.
“Now, why do you think Charlotte won't like you?” he asked.
“Because I'm me?” she whispered, kind of confused with his question.
Why would she like her? She hadn't interacted with a girl for over six
years, let alone another Little. She was sure to say something or do
something wrong and make Charlotte hate her. Or laugh at her.
“No,” he said. “You are not allowed to talk about yourself that way.
Remember, it's a rule and if I hear you doing that again, you will be getting
spanked.”
She slowly nodded her head and bit her tongue when she wanted to say
she was only speaking the truth. How could he think she was talking badly
about herself when she was speaking the truth? Weren't people supposed to
tell the truth?
Before she could stop herself, she found herself asking. “What if it's the
truth? Aren't I supposed to tell the truth?”
Daddy took a deep breath. “It's not the truth. She's not going to hate you
because you're you. You're an amazing woman, a lovely Little and Charlotte
is going to love you. Finn told me she is so excited to meet you but she's
also nervous like you. I bet she's probably thinking the same thing you are.”
 Monroe hadn't thought about that. What if she was feeling the same
way?
She hadn't had a friend in a while, and she was nervous about it. What if
she was a bad friend? What if she didn't know how to interact with her?
There were so many what ifs and she started to get overwhelmed.
“Let's make a deal,” Daddy said. “How about we go in and if after a
couple of minutes, you want to go home, we can go home, but if you want
to stay, then we can stay. Does that sound okay?”
She looked down at her hands and thought for a second.
“Will she be hurt if we go home? I don't want to hurt her feelings but
what if I get too overwhelmed and just can't handle it?” she asked.
There had been several moments in her life in high school where
somebody had insisted she do things and she had been unable to refuse or
back out even when she became overwhelmed. She’d had to push through
her feelings several times and it had always made her feel exhausted for
days after.
“She may be sad, but that’s okay. I don’t want you to push through it so
if you get overwhelmed and you can’t handle it, you let me know and we’ll
go home. Charlotte will understand because she’s quite shy and has had to
leave some things early,” Daddy explained.
“Okay,” she whispered. “I think I’m ready. Well, I don’t think I’m ready
ready, but I don’t think I’ll ever be really ready to do this.”
“My brave Little Bunny,” he said. “Come give me a hug and then we’ll
go knock on the door.”
Daddy opened his arms and she flew into them, loving every second of
having them around her. She felt like she could conquer the world when he
gave her a hug.
“Okay, ready?” he asked.
She stepped back and waited for him to stand up. A groan escaped his
lips as he came to his full height, gripping one of his knees.
 “Oh, no! Your knees! Are they okay? Do they need to be kissed to be
better?” she rushed out.
She had completely forgotten that he had been on his knees this whole
time. No doubt they hurt right now since the ground was super-duper hard.
“Daddy’s okay. He just forgets he’s not twenty anymore and can’t do the
same things as when he was,” he said, kissing her forehead.
“How old are you?” she whispered. Her eyes went wide and her hand
flew to her mouth. “I’m sorry! Don’t answer that!”
With her hand over her mouth, it sounded muffled and blurred together.
“Don’t worry, Bunny. I’m thirty-eight,” he told her. “Not old but not all
that young, either.”
“I’m twenty-seven,” she responded.
She felt like it was the least she could do since she asked what his age
was. How rude of her to have asked that question.
“Alright, ready to go and meet Charlotte and Finn?” he asked.
She nodded her head and they walked up to the door, Daddy pressing
the doorbell. The door opened quickly and arms flew around her, throwing
her off balance. She might have fallen if it hadn’t been for her Daddy
standing behind her.
“Whoa,” he said.
Monroe stood rigid, not knowing what to do.
“Charlotte! I told you not to open the door without looking to see who it
was through the peephole!” a man yelled. “You’re in trouble! This is the
fourth time I’ve had to tell you this week and the fourth time you’ll be
getting punished for it.”
Monroe didn’t know what to do but stare at the angry man coming
toward them with wide eyes. He sounded really mad and she didn't really
understand why.
Charlotte let go of her and took a step back.
 “I'm so sorry. I was so excited to meet you that I just couldn't contain
myself,” she rushed out. “Hi, I'm Charlotte.”
Monroe grabbed her Daddy's arm and hugged it, overwhelmed with
everything going on. Daddy squeezed her arm and she looked up at him. He
gave her an encouraging smile and she took a deep breath before she looked
back at Charlotte and waved.
“Hi,” she whispered.
She didn't know what else to say because while she was excited to meet
Charlotte, she was more nervous than anything.
“Charlotte, what did I say about opening doors without looking through
the peephole?” the man who she guessed was Finn said again.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Not to open the door without looking
through the peephole. But, Daddy, I knew it was them.”
Monroe gripped her Daddy's arm tighter as she watched everything
unfold in front of her. She didn't know how to react or if she should react at
this point. This was her first time meeting another Little but also one who
had a Daddy.
“Do not roll your eyes at me,” Finn said. “And just because you know it
was them doesn't mean you can just open the door without looking through
first. I want you safe and you not following that rule could put you in
danger. What would happen if it was a robber that decided to come to our
house right before Michael and Monroe were supposed to come? What
then?”
“No robber would come in the middle of the day when they know we're
home. I knew it was Mr. Michael and Monroe. Nobody was hurt,” Charlotte
whined.
Monroe moved her hands to her bottom and clenched. Charlotte was
going to have a sore bottom before they got to play, if they still got to play
together. She could remember just the other day when Daddy had spanked
her for drawing on the wall, screaming at the top of her lungs as she was
singing, and for jumping on the couch.
“No buts. You're going to get spanked and then you can go play with
Monroe,” Finn said before he looked over at Monroe. “It's so nice to meet
you, Monroe. I'm Finn, Charlotte's Daddy, and I'm so excited that you two
get to play with each other. But first, sadly, Charlotte and I need to have a
little chat about opening the door without checking through the peephole
first. Once we're finished, you two can go play and get to know each other.”
Monroe blinked several times trying to comprehend everything he had
just said. He was excited they got to play with each other. She had never
heard anybody say that before. Granted, she hadn't interacted with many
people so maybe this was normal.
“Do you want us to wait in the car while you spank Charlotte?” Daddy
asked.
“No, you can come in and make yourselves comfortable. We're going to
go to her playroom,” Finn said.
Charlotte sighed and grabbed onto her Daddy's hand as they made their
way through the house. Daddy put his hand on Monroe's back and nudged
her until she stepped into the house.
She looked around as they walked to the living room. Everything was
simple and there wasn't a lot of color in the house. It was almost like they
didn't live in the house. There were no pictures on the walls or anything
personal.
“They like to keep the house relatively simple so if his side of the
family comes, they don't have to rearrange everything. Her nursery, though,
is very colorful and you're going to love it,” Daddy explained as she
continued to look around the house.
He sat down and brought her down on his lap. She squirmed a little, not
liking being on his lap in somebody else's house. What if they thought it
was weird?
 “Nobody's going to think it's weird that you're sitting on my lap in this
house,” Daddy assured her, apparently reading her mind. “Charlotte sits on
her Daddy's lap all the time. You don't have to be afraid to be yourself in
this house or at home.”
She relaxed a little but froze up again when she heard Charlotte start to
scream and cry.
“Is she okay? Is he really hurting her that bad? Do I need to go save
her?” Monroe rushed out as she started to push against Daddy's arms.
She needed to save Charlotte before Finn hurt her too much and she
ended up in the same position Monroe was in.
“Charlotte is okay. Her Daddy is giving her just what she needs and yes,
it hurts right now but if it really hurts that bad and she couldn't handle it,
she would say her safe word. She's okay,” Daddy said as he held tightly to
her.
“But-”
“No buts. In all honesty, Charlotte probably had it coming. She
probably did something before we came that put her on thin ice about
getting a punishment. Ever since I met her and they've been living together,
she's come out of her shell around him and has started to explore her
naughty side.”
Daddy turned her around so she was facing him.
“Which reminds me. No doing things you're not allowed. I don't want to
have to punish you in front of Charlotte, but I will if you break a rule.”
Monroe wouldn’t even think about doing something like that. She
especially didn't want to get punished in front of Charlotte. That would be
so embarrassing and she didn't know if she could handle that.
“No problem, Daddy,” she whispered. “I don't plan on getting in trouble
today.”
There was the keyword; today. Monroe couldn't promise she wouldn't
get in trouble a couple of days from now or sometime in the near future.
 Daddy chuckled and held her tightly against him and kissed her head.
“Oh, I don't doubt you'll get in trouble sometime soon,” he said.
Before she could respond to that, she heard footsteps coming closer to
the living room. She turned her head and watched as Charlotte walked into
the room with a tear-streaked face, her Daddy right behind her.
“You girls can go play now,” Finn said.
Monroe hesitated and held on to her Daddy. She didn't know if she was
brave enough right now to go and play with another Little. Charlotte walked
up to her and held her hand out.
“You can go play,” Daddy said. “If you get too overwhelmed and can't
handle it, you just come to me or call out my name. I'll come and get you.
But try, okay?”
She was glad he whispered toward the end because she didn't want to
offend Charlotte. Grabbing her hand, Monroe got off of her Daddy's lap and
let Charlotte lead her to her nursery.
“Come on,” Charlotte whispered.
CHAPTER THIRTY
 MONROE

I t had been several minutes since Charlotte and Monroe had walked
into her nursery. Monroe liked it but she liked the one Daddy had better at
home. He had changed some of the colors in the room so it was green.
While she liked blue, the color of Charlotte's nursery, she didn't enjoy this
much blue, but to each their own. Charlotte loved it and she wasn't going to
tell her she didn't because it wasn't her nursery.
For the past minute, Charlotte had been wiggling and hissing every time
she moved. Monroe had no doubt her bottom was pretty tender right now
and she wasn't envious.
She had done her time a couple of days ago and had a love-hate
relationship with it. While she hated being in pain, she also couldn't deny
that it turned her on. The little pain she had felt reminded her that her
Daddy cared for her.
She also couldn't forget that during that punishment, she had a butt plug
in and that butt plug…while she hated it, she also loved it. The feeling of it
moving and hitting just the right spots turned her on just thinking about it.
Would it feel similar to have Daddy's cock in her?
“Do you want to play?” Charlotte asked.
Monroe shrugged her shoulders. She felt Little right now but didn't
know if she wanted to play. She didn’t really feel comfortable right now
because she didn't know Charlotte that well.
“That's okay. We can play another time. Right now, we can get to know
each other,” Charlotte said. “What do you want to know?”
She was so energetic and while Monroe loved that, she didn't know if
she could be around it for hours and hours. Or at least not right now since
her mind was torn worrying about Jared coming after her.
“I don't know,” she whispered. “Does your Daddy let you work?”
That had been something that had been on her mind for the past couple
of days. What if Monroe stayed with Daddy? Would he let her work or
would he expect her to stay in the house like Jared did?
“Yep! He does and my boss is also a Daddy!” Charlotte exclaimed. “I
work at a bakery and have for years! It’s so much fun and I love doing it.”
“How does it work with you being a Little? Have you ever fallen into
Little space while at work?” Monroe asked.
She was genuinely curious about this. Ever since Daddy found out she
was a Little, she’d been in that mindset a lot more and was worried if she
went anywhere else she could possibly fall into it. She didn’t want that to
happen.
“Oh, definitely. My boss makes sure I’m safe when I do. It’s not often,
but it does happen, especially if I get scared or really super-duper stressed
out,” she explained. “Though, Daddy and my boss don’t let me get super-
duper stressed anymore—or they try.”
Monroe found it fascinating she had found a job where her boss was
also a Daddy. Did she know he was a Daddy when she got hired? She had
thought several times in her life about getting a job, but Jared never made it
possible. Maybe once Jared was gone forever, she could find a job. Though,
she didn't know who would hire her since she was a twenty-seven-year old
who had her GED and didn’t have a lot of work experience.
“You should come visit sometime! It'll be so much fun and I can show
you how I work and where I work and you can try one of my treats,”
Charlotte said, bouncing up and down. She quickly let out a hiss and
stopped, rubbing her backside to soothe the pain, no doubt.
“I don't know when I'll be able to. I'll have to ask Daddy,” Monroe
replied.
She honestly had no clue if he would let her go to the bakery. It was
different than coming here because he knew this place and maybe he knew
the bakery, but it was out in public. She didn't know if she would feel safe
out in the open like that. It was a different ball game, and she wasn't sure
she was quite ready to do that yet.
“That's fine. Come whenever you can,” she said. “Maybe once you
come, you'll see you love it just as much as I do and you could get a job at
the bakery.”
Unease filled her stomach. Why would they hire somebody like her
when she didn’t have a lot of experience?
“I haven’t worked much,” Monroe said, looking to the side in
embarrassment. “Only for two years and that was a while ago.”
“That's fine. There are no job qualifications for it. They're hiring
somebody to decorate the cupcakes or any treats I make and put them up in
the front when they're ready so that customers can buy them,” Charlotte
said. “Are you good at drawing? Are you creative? Can you make things
neat?”
“I guess. I do love drawing some. I wouldn't say I'm amazing at it but
it's fun. And I can definitely be creative and make things organized. I love
organizing things. It's so much fun. The satisfaction of it being finished is
amazing.”
Charlotte clapped her hands. “Great! I'll tell my boss about you and
whenever you can, you talk to your Daddy then come visit and I can
introduce you to James. You're going to totally love it.”
Monroe couldn't help but smile. Maybe this was her chance. Her chance
at living life. It would also mean she would be staying in this town and that
meant maybe her Daddy could be her forever Daddy instead of just until
everything was resolved.
Just the thought of that made her happy. She wanted to be his forever
Little, but she didn't know if he felt the same way. She had thought about
bringing it up several times but didn't think it was her place since he had
been so generous to let her stay. Maybe he was already sick and tired of her
and didn't want her around anymore.
That was very possible and Monroe had to respect that. Even if she
didn't like it one bit.
“So, what do you like to do when you're Little?” Charlotte asked.
“Sorry if I ask any questions that you're uncomfortable with. If you're
uncomfortable you don't have to answer them.”
“It's okay,” she whispered. “I've never been around another Little, so
this is all super new.”
She didn't know why she told Charlotte that, it just came out. Monroe
hung her head in embarrassment and took several deep breaths. She should
have held her tongue.
“That's okay. I was in your shoes at one point. No judgment here. First
impressions are important, but I like to give second chances. All of us are
new at meeting new people all the time. You're not alone,” Charlotte said. “I
love to play dress up and tea parties are absolutely amazing. But I also love
to color and create things. As you can tell, I absolutely adore baking
anything. If you ever need any baking done, come to me and I will make it
for free.”
Smiling, Monroe nodded her head. It was like a weight was lifted off
her shoulders when Charlotte was okay with being the first Little she’d ever
met.
“Tea parties are so much fun. Daddy and I just had a tea party the other
day and I absolutely loved it. He was so good at a British accent and, uh, so
hot,” Monroe said. “I could listen to him all the time if he spoke in a British
accent. Do you like British accents?”
“I love them!”
“What would it be like to have a British Daddy? Ugh. I would make
him talk all the time. I would tell him to narrate everything he did so I could
just hear him talk.”
“Oh, and him saying sweet but dirty things in your ear. That is hot.”
“I can totally imagine that! Maybe I'll have to have Daddy try that out.”
Monroe could not wait to ask her Daddy to say sweet but dirty things to
her in his British accent. Maybe once he did that, they could get to doing
things. He had already made her orgasm, but she wanted to take it a step
further.
Just looking at him turned her on and it was a struggle to keep her mind
out of the gutter. Especially when he was doing laundry with only pants on.
That was a sight to see and Monroe was so glad she had been awake that
day.
Daddy had been doing laundry when she woke up from her nap and had
found him shirtless. She had stood there for several minutes just watching
him, his muscles rippling with every movement he made.
He had caught her looking and asked her what she was doing, and she
played it off as though she was thirsty. It didn't help that her face got
flushed and he was concerned she was getting sick so he took her
temperature and made sure she drank lots of liquids.
Oh, the sweet torture of having to drink all those liquids and then have
him changing her diaper. Several times, she wanted to ask him to make her
come, but she was shy. Did he feel the same way about her?
“You're going to have to tell me all about it when you do,” Charlotte
said. “My Daddy's terrible at a British accent. So I'm living through you
right now.”
 Monroe couldn't help but giggle. It felt like they had been friends
forever and she loved that. She couldn't wait until they got to hang out and
do this again.
“You could ask him to practice,” she said. “But I'll definitely let you
know.”
“You know how some people just can't learn things or they think doing
it is amazing but in reality they suck?” Charlotte said.
Monroe nodded her head, not really following where she was going
with this.
“That's my Daddy when he's trying to speak in a British accent. It's so
horrible that now he does it whenever he wants to torture me a little.”
She couldn't help but laugh at this. She had never heard of somebody
being that bad.
“Maybe I'll have to show you so you actually believe me.”
“No, no. I believe you.” Which was a total lie but if it really was that
bad, Monroe didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to ruin the thought of a
British accent because he was so bad at it.
“Good choice,” she giggled. “He is so bad at it.”
Charlotte grabbed a coloring book and handed it to Monroe with some
markers.
“We should totally do this again and maybe next time, we can have a tea
party or play with our stuffies. Do you like stuffies?” she asked, surprising
herself with the question.
It was so unlike her to ask a question like that, but she loved the idea of
hanging out with Charlotte again. Maybe next time, she would be more
comfortable playing with her.
“I would love to do this again. We could do both at the same time. I love
having tea parties with my stuffies, but it would make it even better if you
got to be here with your stuffies,” Charlotte exclaimed. “Or we could go to
the club and play there! I could introduce you to some of the other Littles!
They are all super-duper nice!”
Monroe couldn't help but let out a little squeal of excitement. She’d just
made her first friend and she wanted to hang out again.
“We'll have to ask Daddy if it's okay and when but I'm totally down for
it,” Charlotte said.
Before she could reply, her Daddy walked through the door and she
smiled great big at him. She couldn't contain the excitement that was
flowing through her body at this point. She had made her first friend, who
was also a Little, and she wanted to have a playdate. Life was great.
“It's time to go, Little Bunny,” he said.
“Your Daddy gives you a nickname, too?” Charlotte said. “My Daddy
calls me a Little Cupcake. That’s so cool!”
“Come on, Bunny,” Daddy said. “It's almost your bedtime.”
Monroe's shoulders sagged but she got up from the floor and nodded her
head. She definitely didn't want to leave but she was starting to get a little
tired, even if she didn't want to admit it.
“Wait! Huggies first!” Charlotte got up from the ground and wrapped
her arms around Monroe.
Hugging back, they let go and she grabbed her Daddy’s hand.
“Say thank you,” Daddy reminded her as they walked past Finn.
“Thank you for inviting me over,” she whispered, feeling shy.
“You’re welcome! Drive home safe,” he replied.
They walked outside and got into Daddy’s car before they started to
make their way home.
“Was it fun?” Daddy asked.
“So much fun! I loved every second of it!” she explained. “Charlotte
and I were thinking about having a playdate soon! A tea party with our
stuffies or we thought about going to the club so I could meet some of the
other Littles she's friends with.”
 Monroe giggled and grabbed Daddy’s hand.
“Well, if it’s okay with you. Could I, Daddy?”
“I’ll have to talk to Finn and see what date is best for him, but I’ll try
and make it happen,” he replied.
“Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered.
“I’m glad you had a lot of fun, Bunny. I’m glad you could make a
friend.”
“Me, too.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
 MICHAEL

I t had been a quiet morning as they waited for the bodyguard to

come to his house. Michael was currently making pancakes for Monroe as
they waited. He had found out she loved pancakes, especially with any type
of toppings.
“Do you want blueberries or chocolate chips this morning in your
pancakes?” he asked.
“They’re called roundy-yums!” she exclaimed.
“Sorry. Do you want chocolate chips or blueberries in your roundy-
yums?”
“Chocolate chip!”
Michael had no clue what roundy-yums were in the beginning, but
Monroe had showed him and he couldn't help but think it was cute. It was
from a TV show she loved to watch.
When she woke up this morning, that was the first thing she asked for.
He had thought about making her a nutritious meal because she really
needed that, but the way she looked at him when she asked, he couldn't
refuse. She was just too cute when she called them that.
“Two roundy-yums with chocolate chips coming right up,” he said as he
added chocolate chips to the pancake batter on the pan.
 Michael could tell she was nervous and wanted to ease her worries as
much as possible. He was nervous as well, but he needed to be strong for
his Little Bunny. He had no doubt she was also scared out of her mind with
the fact Jared knew her location.
He had tossed and turned all night wondering if he should move her to a
different location to keep her safe but ultimately, he wasn't an expert on
this. He was going to ask the bodyguard once he got here what he thought
the best move was because he knew best.
Right as he placed her pancakes in front of her, the doorbell rang. Her
whole body froze at the sound.
“It's okay. It's just the bodyguard,” Michael said. “You eat and I’ll let
him in.”
He walked out of the kitchen and briefly looked back at Monroe who
slowly started to eat. He was worried that with all this stress added, she
wouldn't eat as much. She was finally starting to gain some weight and he
didn't want her to lose any of it.
Looking through the peephole, he saw a man he recognized from the
picture Jaxson sent standing on his doorstep. He was grateful Jaxson had
decided to send him a picture of who he should be expecting.
Michael had also looked up a picture of Jared to see what he looked
like. He wanted to make sure he was well equipped for any danger. He
wasn't what he thought he would look like but now, he realized why
Monroe had freaked out when she saw Leo. They had a striking
resemblance.
“Hey, you must be Ezra,” Michael said as he opened the door.
“Yeah, I am, and you must be Michael,” the man said.
“Yep, Monroe is inside eating breakfast. I'll introduce you guys.”
After shutting the door, they both walked toward the kitchen where
Monroe was still eating. She had made a small dent in her food, but it
wasn't anything significant.
 “Not hungry?” he asked.
Monroe shook her head and pushed her plate away.
“Do you want a protein shake?” he asked.
He really hoped she would say yes to that. Michael wanted her to have
something in her stomach.
“With a straw?” she whispered, looking between Ezra and him.
“Yes, Little Bunny. You can have a straw with it,” he said. “Also, this is
Ezra, the bodyguard. He’ll be protecting you all the time, even when I’m
with you. I want to make sure Jared can’t get to you.”
As he got her the protein drink, he noticed she kept eyeing Ezra. Did
she find him attractive? Should he be worried? Was she nervous?
“Here you go,” he said as he handed her the drink with it already
opened and a straw in it.
“Ezra works for This We’ll Defend Security,” Michael said, trying to
ease Monroe’s worries.
“Yes, I do. We specialize in keeping people safe, but we also go after
people and find out information. My team and our company is well
equipped to do any of that. Every member brings something different to the
table,” Ezra said. “We are normally hired by singers, actors, governors,
senators, and those types of people.”
Last night after Michael put Monroe to bed, he looked the company up.
He wanted to make sure the company could actually do what Jaxson said
they could. They were all retired military men and he felt at ease knowing
that. They knew what they were doing.
“I still don’t think I need this,” she whispered.
“Jared Anderson is a nasty man. I’m glad Jaxson called my boss,” Ezra
replied before Michael could.
Monroe huffed and crossed her arms.
“I could just leave and then none of you have to get hurt,” she said.
“That would be foolish,” Ezra said.
 Michael had wanted to say that, but he didn't want to hurt Monroe's
feelings or call her stupid because she wasn't. She just wasn't thinking
straight right now, and he had to do that for her. She might think she was
doing him a favor by leaving so he didn’t get hurt, but in reality, her leaving
would make him worry about her even more and Michael would still go
after her.
“We’ve had this conversation and I’ve told you that you won’t be
leaving. Ezra and This We’ll Defend Security will find Jared and take care
of him,” Michael said.
She glared at him but he ignored the look. He knew she wasn't happy
about his decision, but he wasn't going to let her leave and be in more
danger. He wasn't going to let her go back to Jared. She was his and she
wasn't about to do that.
“It's not foolish. I'm trying to save you guys from him. I lived with him
for over six years. You don't know half of what I went through and what
he's capable of,” Monroe spat out.
“So, you can tell me what we can't find out about him. Once I have all
the information, I'll list off what we have and if you think of anything else,
you can let us know. We want to be as prepared as possible,” Ezra said.
“This case was given to us on pretty short notice, but we have our best guys
getting information on him right now and trying to find out where he is.”
Monroe shook her head and all he wanted to do was comfort her. Right
as he was about to go and hug her, she stood up, grabbed her protein shake,
and started to walk off.
“You guys are making a big mistake,” she said.
He thought it was best right now that she go and cool off. She was
clearly upset and he knew this normally wasn't her.
“Sorry about that. She's scared right now and doesn't want anybody to
get hurt. She hasn't told me, but I know she would feel like it would be her
fault if someone got hurt,” Michael said to Ezra. “Do you want any coffee
or food? I was making pancakes before you got here and can make some if
you want.”
“Coffee, please,” Ezra replied. “One spoonful of sugar but besides that,
black.”
Michael got to making Ezra’s coffee and while he was at it, poured
some for himself. He knew it was going to be a long day and he was going
to need this.
He felt like Monroe was going to fight at every turn and he was
prepared to fight right back. He wasn't going to let her go and she needed to
realize that.
“How did she meet Jared? If you don't mind me asking,” Ezra asked as
he took a sip of his coffee.
“She told me they met a few years after she was in high school,” he
replied. “She didn’t really say what her relationship was with him, though.”
He didn't know how much information he should give Ezra. It wasn't his
story to tell but at the same time, he wanted to give him enough information
so he knew the whole situation. Maybe once Monroe came around, he could
get her permission to tell him more or she could.
“I heard he's done this before,” Ezra said.
That was news to Michael. He’d had no clue that Jared had done this
before and now he was worried.
“What happened to the girl?” he asked, but maybe he didn't really want
to know.
“After she told one of her friends all about it, the authorities found her
dead the next day. They couldn't pin it on him, but they were pretty sure it
was him. He has all the resources to do anything and make it look like it
was someone else’s fault.”
Michael didn't like the sound of that. What if that happened to Monroe?
She had already told two people what happened and now, Ezra and the
whole company he worked for would know as well. This could be really
dangerous for her.
“That isn’t going to happen to Monroe, though,” Ezra said. “We’re
going to catch the guy before he can do anything.”
“I thought Jaxson said he was going to hand it over to the authorities
that had previously worked on the case,” Michael said.
He nodded his head. “Yes, but he decided against it because when Jared
left the state, they shut down the operation instead of giving it to the next
state. He wants to be safe and let us handle it and not get it thrown under
the rug. It’s been over six years and they don’t know who he has in his
pocket and who he doesn’t.”
That made a lot of sense. When Jaxson had told him he would possibly
go to the people who had opened the case before, Michael was worried. It
had been years since the case was open and a lot of things could have
changed.
“So, I looked on your website yesterday and it doesn't say anything
about you going after people. Is this just a one-time thing? Sorry, I just am
worried for Monroe's safety and I want to know things,” Michael said. “I
understand if that was unprofessional and if I can't know.”
“No worries. Most of our clients are in a situation where we're just
bodyguards, but we have a different side to our company where we do
search and rescues and also go after bad people and take care of them,”
Ezra explained. “I got the okay from my boss to tell you this, but we would
appreciate it if you kept it to yourself. We don't advertise it.”
“No worries, I can keep the secret. Do you have a lot of search and
rescues?”
Michael couldn't help his curiosity. It was like they were a whole new
group to him, and he wanted to know everything. They were protecting
Monroe and she was his.
 “Sorry, just tell me to stop asking questions if you can't answer any. I
just like to know things,” Michael said. “Especially when it involves
Monroe.”
“It's okay. I believe you'll keep this a secret. We do quite a bit of search
and rescue. We do them at a lower rate for people who don't have a lot of
money and we find lost Littles who have run away from their Daddies or
who have gotten lost and their Daddies can't find them. It's quite common,
actually, and sometimes we charge, but a lot of times we don't because most
of us are Daddies anyways and we want Littles to be safe.”
Michael stared at Ezra for a couple minutes, not knowing if he heard
him right. Did he just say that most of them were Daddies?
“Yes, I did say that most of us are Daddies. I know that you and Jaxson
own the club with several other people, and we know what the club caters
to. Most of us were in the Army together in the same unit and we all started
talking one day about it. When we all retired, we started this company and
the rest is history,” Ezra said. “I also trust you not to tell anybody that.”
“You're trusting me to keep an awful lot of secrets,” Michael joked.
“But I'll happily keep it to myself.”
“Well, you can talk to Jaxson and the other owners but nobody outside
of the community. And if you ever know of somebody that needs help, you
can contact us and we'll help out.”
“Good to know. Thank you.”
Michael hoped he never had to use it for anybody else, but he didn't
know the future. He didn't think this would happen.
“I'm not used to this whole situation so what do I need to do and not
do?” Michael asked. “I don't want to get in the way of you doing your job.”
“You won't have to change much. I'll be around all the time, but I won't
butt into your life. If she does happen to get another text, I'll need to look at
her phone and transfer some of the data to our specialist so that he can tap
into her phone and try and track where the call is coming from if he hasn't
already found it,” Ezra explained. “Just go on with life as normal and I'll
just be an extra person around. I may give suggestions every once in a while
if you want to go somewhere.”
“Okay great. I may need to work some this week. I have some meetings
I can't miss and Monroe won't be able to come with me. Besides that, I can
do most of my work from home. Would it be best for us to be here or
somewhere else?”
“Jared is FBI and can get away with a lot of things, but right now, she is
safest here since I’ll know the layout of the house and the entryways and
everything. I'll make sure to look outside and patrol to make sure she really
is safe and nobody's lingering around or driving by or in a car. We did
contact somebody we know that lives here and every once in a while, he'll
drive up and down the street to make sure nobody's camping out
anywhere.”
Michael exhaled and nodded his head. He knew he couldn't keep her
safe from everything but knowing he had two people that were looking out
for her and making sure Jared wasn't going to come anywhere near her
relieved some of the stress he was feeling.
Little pitter patters were heard, and both their heads moved to find
Monroe walking toward them.
“I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm just worried and I really don't want anybody to
get hurt because of me,” she whispered as she walked into his embrace.
“It's okay, Little Bunny,” he said. “Just know that that kind of attitude
will land you in trouble if it continues.”
She nodded her head before she looked over at Ezra and her eyes went
wide.
“Uh, sorry. I meant, Michael,” she rushed out.
“Don't worry, Little girl. I'm a Daddy, too, so you don't have to hide that
you call him Daddy,” Ezra said. “Now, I'm going to place my stuff in the
hotel and then I'll come right back.”
 “Oh, we have an extra room that you can stay in. No need to pay for a
hotel. If you want to stay here,” Michael said.
“Thanks. I didn't want to impose but staying here would be better. I'll
just get my stuff.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
 MONROE

M onroe was exhausted as Daddy woke her up. It had been several
days since Ezra had first started staying at their house and she was on edge.
She couldn't relax with him around because she knew he was here to protect
her.
It threw her off as she would do normal things in the house and he
would be there. She tried to not let it affect her, but it was harder than she
thought. He was a constant reminder that she was in danger and Jared could
find her at any second.
Daddy had tried so hard to take her mind off things and keep her
occupied, but it wasn't working. She tried to keep it to herself that it was
affecting her, but she didn't know if she was succeeding. Her Daddy hadn't
said anything to her about it so maybe she was.
So many times she wanted to yell at her Daddy or at Ezra for always
being near her. She wanted some quiet time to herself but they weren't
allowing that and she understood why. Jared was powerful and she knew
they needed to keep an eye on her at all times to keep her safe.
Monroe just wished it would be over sooner. She wanted things to go
back to normal. She didn't want to be stressed out every second of the day.
She just wanted a normal life right now.
 “I've got to go into work today and you can't come since it's all
meetings. You'll be staying here with Ezra and I'll be back as soon as I can,”
Daddy said.
Tears formed in her eyes as he spoke those words. This was the first
time he was leaving since she got that text and she just wasn't ready to be
without him.
“Can't I just come with you?” she begged as she cried. “I don't want you
to leave. I don't want to be without you.”
“I'm sorry, Little Bunny. You can't come with me because these
meetings are very important and I can't give you my full attention,” he said
as he cupped her face and kissed her forehead. “I wish I could. I really do.”
“I could play in the big room!” she wailed.
“I need to know you'll be here, safe with Ezra. If I know you're down in
the big room, I'm going to worry about you and if you have everything you
need. Not that I’m not going to do that anyway, but having you in the big
room will be a bigger temptation to go down and make sure you’re
alright.”
Monroe continued to sob as he talked. She wasn't prepared for him to
leave. He hadn't told her at all that he would have to go into work and leave
her. Maybe she could have come to terms if she had been warned but
waking up and several seconds later being told she couldn't go with him
wasn't the way she thought it would go.
She didn't have a lot of time to process it. She knew he tried to pack all
his meetings into one day so he didn't have to be away from her, but she
didn't like not seeing him for a full day.
“Please, Daddy. Don't leave me,” she cried as she wrapped her arms
around him.
Everything was getting too much for her and she felt like she was going
to break any second. Nothing had gone her way lately and him leaving was
the icing on top.
 “I know it's going to be hard, but I believe you can do it. You're going to
be such a good girl for Ezra while I'm gone. I'll be back before you even
know it.” He hugged her back.
She knew it wasn't going to be like that. Anytime he had gone into work
for his meeting days, it felt like the day just went by in slow motion. No
matter how much she tried to occupy her mind, it wasn't enough. The time
still went by slowly.
“But, Daddy,” she said, but before she could say anything else, he was
talking again.
“No buts. Daddy has to go and you're going to be his good Little Bunny
and stay here where I know you're safe with Ezra, and I'm going to come
home at the end of the day. I promise I'm going to come home,” he told her.
“He's going to make you breakfast and lunch while I'm gone. I expect you
to eat all of it and if you aren't hungry, then you have to drink one of the
protein shakes and have snacks throughout the day. He already knows this
and is going to keep you accountable.”
She didn't like the sound of that. Ever since she found out Jared knew
where she was, her appetite had almost disappeared. Daddy had been
feeding her every meal because he was worried she wasn't going to eat
anything.
It hadn't been a major concern of hers, but she knew it couldn't go on for
much longer. Not that she wanted it to go on anyways. She couldn't help
that when things were stressful, she wasn't hungry at all. It had been this
way her whole life and she didn't think it was going to change.
“Promise me,” he said. “Promise you'll eat or you'll drink one of the
shakes and have snacks.”
“I promise,” she whispered.
“Now, don't give Ezra any trouble. If you do, he has permission to put
you in corner time or make you write lines. If you don't want that to happen,
then you get to wait until I come home and you'll get a spanking instead. It's
up to you.”
She didn't like that, either, but she also didn't see herself getting into
much trouble today. She wasn't up to it and felt like she was just going to
mope around for a little bit.
“I've got to go. You be my good Little Bunny.” He kissed her forehead.
Tears started to stream down her face again as she watched her Daddy
walk out the front door. She didn't like this one bit.
“Would you like some breakfast now?” Ezra asked.
Monroe shook her head. She didn't have an appetite to eat anything right
now.
“How about a shake and some fruit?” he suggested.
Monroe nodded her head. She knew he was going to continue to suggest
things until she agreed on something and she didn't want him to have to call
her Daddy right after he left. She didn't want to be a bad girl.
“How about you come sit at the kitchen island and you can ask me
questions if you want,” Ezra said.
Monroe didn't know if she would have any questions, but ended up
sitting down while he cut up fruit. He had placed her protein drink with a
straw in it in front of her and she was quietly sipping on it.
“We haven't really talked much since I got here, and I feel like you're
uncomfortable. So ask me questions and I can answer them,” Ezra said.
She remembered him saying he was a Daddy the other day. Maybe it
could distract her for a little bit if she asked him some questions.
“Do you have a Little?” she asked.
“I don't have a Little right now, but I am talking to someone who is a
Little,” he replied. “We've been talking for a little bit.”
“Why isn't she your Little yet?” she asked. “Sorry, that was rude of me.”
She was exhausted and didn't really have a filter right now. She needed
to watch what she said because she didn't want to offend him.
 “It's okay, no worries. She's still figuring out if she's a Little or not. She
had never heard of it before until I had asked her and now she's doing some
research. I'm giving her space as she figures it out,” he replied as he placed
the fruit bowl in front of her. “I want this bowl finished before you go and
do anything else.”
She grumbled under her breath as she placed the first piece of fruit in
her mouth. She didn't like being told what to do, especially by people that
weren't her Daddy, but she followed his instructions anyway.
She had made a promise to her Daddy that she would have snacks
throughout the day, and she wanted to follow through.
Her stomach didn't clench as she ate the fruit and she wondered if it was
because it was light. Anytime Daddy had tried to feed her heavy foods, her
stomach would cramp and she wouldn't be able to eat a lot.
“Does that feel good on your stomach?” Ezra asked. “I know when my
girl doesn't want to eat, light foods tend to help her. So chicken noodle soup
or fruit and things like that.”
The thought of chicken noodle soup actually made her hungry. It
sounded so good right now. Maybe she could have it for lunch or dinner.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I'll have to let your Daddy know. Though I suspect he already does.”
She looked at him confused. If he already knew then why was she still
eating the same thing?
“He probably hasn't changed anything yet because he wants you to eat
nutritious dense food. Chicken noodle soup and fruit, while they're okay,
aren't packed with protein. And you need protein right now.”
That did make sense. When she had first started talking to Daddy when
she got here, he had explained she needed foods that had protein in them
because she was underweight. Maybe now since she had lost a tiny bit of
weight, he was trying to get her some nutritious meals again.
She finished her fruit bowl and protein shake.
 “Would you like to go outside and blow bubbles or color or
something?” Ezra asked.
Monroe shook her head. “I think I'm going to go lay down on the
couch,” she whispered.
She didn't really want to go play right now. She was sad and none of it
sounded exciting The only thing that sounded good was laying on the couch
and snuggling with Bunster and Mr. Wiggle.
“Okay. If you change your mind, I'll be here in the kitchen,” he said. “I
was thinking we could have chicken noodle soup with a protein shake for
lunch. Does that sound okay?”
Monroe nodded her head and got out of her seat. Walking toward the
couch, she grabbed Bunster on the table and a blanket.
The thought of making a blanket fort passed through her mind but she
wasn't very good at it and didn't want to ask. Daddy made the best blanket
forts and being under one would only remind her he wasn't with her right
now.
She laid down on the couch and held Bunster close to her chest.
“I'm sad, Bunster,” she whispered. She didn't want Ezra to hear what
she said to Bunster.
Watching Bunster close, she listened to his response.
“I know he's coming back but that doesn't make any difference. He's
still gone right now and I don't like it. I feel safer when he's around.” Tears
formed in her eyes.
She blinked several times, trying to keep them away. She didn't want to
be crying all day and if she started again, she knew she wouldn't be able to
stop.
“I just wish he could have taken me. I would have been a good girl and
he wouldn't have had to worry. Do you think he thought I wouldn't be a
good girl?”
She nodded her head at Bunster's reply.
 “You're right. He probably knew I would be a good girl but didn't want
to risk it or what he said was right. He probably would have worried about
me and have come down several times to see if I was okay.”
She didn't think much time had passed but when Ezra came into the
living room and announced he was making lunch, it baffled her. A lot of
time had already passed and she didn't even realize it. Maybe today
wouldn't be so bad after all.
“Lunch is almost ready. Why don't you come in and sit where you ate
breakfast,” Ezra announced.
Getting up from the couch, she held onto Bunster and grabbed her
phone right as it dinged. She opened the text, expecting it to be from her
Daddy, but screamed when she read it and realized it wasn't.

I’m watching you. He’ll be dead soon and so will the bodyguard. - J
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
 MONROE

I t felt like her body temperature dropped as the words sank into her
memory. Jared was watching her and he had just threatened her Daddy and
Ezra. This was exactly what she didn't want to happen.
Jared was coming after the people she cared about now and she didn't
want them to get hurt. If they died and she survived, guilt would eat her up
and possibly drive her to suicide. She didn't want to be away from her
Daddy and the thought of him dying made her heart hurt.
She stood frozen as she stared at the text message. He was here. How
did he know she now had a bodyguard? The only logical reason was he was
here in the city.
“What's wrong?” Ezra came running into the room.
Monroe's breathing picked up and she continued to stare at the phone.
She had thought with the bodyguard here, she would have been safer, but
she wasn't. She thought she would still have some time because he was still
in Maine but once again, she underestimated him.
It was almost like her staying with her Daddy for the past several weeks
had just made her forget about the past six years and how dangerous Jared
really was. It was like she had been living in this fantasy, this amazing
fantasy she never wanted to leave, and Jared had just popped it.
“Breathe,” Ezra said as he stood in front of her.
 She tried to breathe but it felt like everything was closing in on her.
Blackness was creeping in the corners of her vision and her lungs felt like
they couldn't fill up with air. She felt her hands shaking and she balled them
up into fists to try and stop it.
She vaguely felt Ezra's hand on her shoulder as he pushed her down to
sit. A whimper escaped past her mouth and she shook her head. She didn't
want to be touched right now but at the same time, she wanted nothing but
arms to wrap around her and ground her.
“It's okay. Take a deep breath. Hold it. Now let it out,” he instructed her.
She tried to follow his order, but it was a lot harder. The last time she
had a panic attack, Daddy was with her, and he just had a way with his
words. Or maybe it was just his voice. She loved listening to his voice; it
calmed her down. This was different because her Daddy wasn't here right
now.
Monroe felt her breathing slowly start to even out but then her phone
went off again and a cry escaped. It was him again. She didn't want to look
at the text but at the same time, she needed to see.
“I'm going to call your Daddy,” Ezra said.
“No!” she forced out.
She had to do this on her own. She couldn't have her Daddy drive back
from work when she knew he had a busy day ahead of him. She didn't want
to worry him and if he knew, he would drop everything and come home.
Monroe couldn't do that to him because he had stacked all these meetings
for today so he could be with her tomorrow.
“Then follow what I say,” he replied. “What's five things you can hear?”
“You, the air conditioning, whatever you're making is boiling, birds
outside, and my shaky breath,” she responded.
“Good. Now four things you can touch.”
“You, the couch, my pants, and the table.”
Monroe felt herself slowly start to calm down.
 “Three things you can see.”
“My hand, the table, you.”
“Are you feeling okay now?” he asked.
She just now realized he was sitting on the floor between the couch and
the little table. It made her feel safer that he was below her and not looming
over her. He must have known it would help her feel safer in a way.
Monroe nodded her head. Her breathing had evened out but she felt
shaky, jittery, and like she couldn't control it at all.
“I need a verbal answer,” he told her. “An honest answer. How are you
feeling?”
He had changed up the question and she didn't appreciate it. It was
different and she knew now she couldn't lie. Before she could have gotten
away with saying that she did feel better and okay because a minute ago,
she didn't. But now she had to say how she felt and she felt drained, jittery,
scared out of her mind, and she didn't know if she wanted to voice that.
Deep down, she knew if she told him everything, he was going to call
her Daddy and she didn't want to bother him. She knew this was important,
but Ezra knew what to do and had people who could do things while her
Daddy would just bring her comfort.
Yes, she did want comfort, all the comfort that she could get, but she
didn't want her Daddy to leave work and have to do this again because he
missed several of his meetings. He had said that they were important, and
she didn’t want to ruin any chances of them getting anything done just
because she called him.
“I’m okay. Drained and jittery,” she replied.
She left out feeling scared, but she felt like he already knew that. Who
wouldn't be scared if their ex-boyfriend was after them? A powerful ex-
boyfriend who had all the resources to do anything and get away with it.
“Scared?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered.
 “Can you tell me what happened?”
She shakily lifted up her phone and unlocked it before she handed it to
him. She didn't even look if the text message was from Jared again or if it
was from somebody else. She didn't want to, and Ezra would take care of it
now.
“I got a text from him,” she whispered, her voice shaky as she stared at
him.
She waited for his reaction and her eyes went wide when he abruptly
stood up and whipped out his phone. She watched him as he stood several
feet away and talked on the phone. He gave someone two phone numbers
before he walked into the kitchen and back out. Probably hers and the one
Jared texted from if she could guess.
“Jared just texted her. It was very threatening which you'll see in a
couple of seconds. He may escalate very soon so we need to be prepared
and you need to find him,” Ezra said. “I'm going to call my contact here and
let him know but keep me in the loop if you find anything.”
Once Ezra got off the phone, he turned toward her and sat down on the
couch across from her.
“Monroe, can you tell me what your relationship was with Jared?” he
asked.
Unease filled her stomach with that question. She hadn’t told anyone
what her relationship with Jared was and she was worried.
“I need to know so I know how far he’s going to go,” he said. “No one
is going to judge you for the relationship you had with him.”
“Ex-boyfriend,” she whispered, looking down at her hands. “Well, I
guess he was my boyfriend. He basically kept me prisoner for six years, but
when anyone asked, he told them I was his girlfriend.”
Every day that passed, she regretted saying yes to him when he asked
the question. She hadn’t been in the right mental space and he’d known that
and taken advantage of it.
 “When did you break it off with him?” he asked. “How?”
Taking a shaky breath in, she squeezed her trembling hands. “I didn’t
take anything with me. I just left.”
She had never told him she was breaking it off with him, but she
thought leaving her jewelry and running away was significant enough to say
she didn’t want to be with him anymore.
“Okay, thank you for telling me,” he said. “I need to tell that to my guys
but first, I need to call your Daddy.”
Monroe shook her head and stood up. Immediately, her vision started
going in and out.
“Woah,” he said, grabbing onto her arm. “Easy there.”
“You can’t call him,” she said. “Please don’t. I’m okay.”
She wasn’t okay at all, but she needed to be strong for her Daddy. She
didn't want to disappoint him. He still had several hours of work left and
she didn't want to interrupt that.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I really think I should call him.”
“Please don't,” she begged. “He’s busy at work and needs to get this
done. If you tell him, he's not going to get it done until this is resolved and
who knows when that could be.”
She tried to reason with Ezra. She didn't know if he was actually going
to do as she asked, but she hoped he would.
“Alright. If it changes at all, you let me know,” he said.
“Yes, sir.”
He helped her sit back down on the couch and handed her Bunster. She
immediately snuggled up to her stuffed bunny. She tried to take in some
deep breaths to calm herself down, but she didn't know if that worked.
There was too much going on in her mind, and she didn’t know if she could
fix it by herself.
“I'm going to go get us some chicken noodle soup and your shake. You
stay here and just relax,” Ezra told her. “While I’m in there, I’m going to
make a phone call and let them know he was your ex-boyfriend.”
She honestly didn't know if she could eat any of the chicken noodle
soup. Her stomach was in knots at the thought of Jared watching her, but
she was going to try and eat. She knew Ezra wasn't going to let her get by
with eating nothing.
Daddy had told her while Ezra was here and Daddy wasn't, Ezra would
be watching her diet. No doubt Ezra was also worried she wasn't eating
enough. A lot of Daddies tended to worry about Littles, even if they weren't
their own.
It was heartwarming but at the same time, it could also be terrifying.
Some people hadn’t ever had someone fuss over them, Monroe included. It
was weird and could get overwhelming very fast.
“Here you are,” he said as he passed her a bowl. “I expect all of it to be
gone.”
She looked at the bowl and let out a groan. It was huge and she had no
clue how she was going to eat all of it.
“It’s mostly broth with some noodles and chicken chunks,” he said.
“After that, I'll let it settle for a little bit and then you’ll need to drink a
protein shake.”
Time passed and Monroe finished her soup and protein shake. She
didn’t know what time it was or when Daddy was coming back, but she
knew her hands were still shaking and no matter what she did, they
continued to shake.
The door opened and a small scream escaped her mouth as a man
walked through. Scampering across the couch, she dashed toward the
corner of the room and stared out with wide eyes.
“Bunny?” she heard.
Her heart racing, she blinked several times and really looked at the
person. Her mind had been on overdrive ever since she got the text, worried
that Jared could come through those doors at any second.
 The person slowly walked toward her and continued to talk.
“Little Bunny,” the person said. “It's me, Daddy. You're okay.”
When she heard those words, she dashed across the room and flung
herself at him. She had been so on edge the whole day that when her Daddy
walked through the door, she didn't even recognize him. She had been
imagining Jared all day and was prepared.
“It's okay,” he said. “I've got you. No one's going to hurt you.”
She cried in his arms and he held her tighter. She never wanted to be let
go. Monroe felt her Daddy move and she latched on tighter, afraid he was
going to set her down and leave again.
“I'm not leaving you. I'm right here,” he murmured in her ear.
He continued to say sweet and calming things in her ear and she slowly
felt herself starting to calm down. She didn't know where he was taking her
but it didn't matter right now. She trusted him and he was going to take care
of her.
“Sorry about that,” she mumbled.
She felt bad for screaming and running when he came through the door.
Monroe hadn’t been expecting him home at that moment because she had
lost track of time.
Daddy just set her down on the ground and gave her a squeeze.
“Ezra, can you tell me what the hell happened while I was gone?”
Daddy asked.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
 MICHAEL

A rush of emotions had passed through Michael’s head as he had

walked through the doorway and Monroe had screamed. What could have
happened while he was gone? He had texted her after he ate lunch and right
before he left but she hadn’t responded.
He first thought maybe she had fallen asleep after lunch or was playing
with her toys and didn't have her phone with her. He was okay with that
because they were good reasons but now, he didn't think that was the reason
at all.
Something had happened and he needed to know.
“I need answers,” he said. “My girl is shaking in my arms and I don't
know what went on while I was gone.”
“She got another threatening text and it spooked her,” Ezra said.
He felt Monroe stiffen in his arms and he ran his hands up and down her
back, trying to get her to relax. He didn't like how tight she was and he
didn't like that this had happened and he wasn't contacted.
“Why wasn't I contacted?” he asked Ezra.
After he figured out why he wasn't contacted, he was going to comfort
Monroe, his Little Bunny. She needed him and he was about to give her his
undivided attention.
 “I asked her if she wanted me to call you and she told me no.
Repeatedly. She assured me she was fine and I know I should have called
you, but I didn't want to go against her wishes,” Ezra said and before
Michael could say anything, he continued to talk. “I know since I'm a
Daddy that I would have wanted to be contacted, and I was going to an hour
ago, but my guy called me and I needed to answer it. Monroe was safe the
whole time so you don't need to worry about that. I made sure to look out
regularly and make perimeter checks and my guy also went up and down
the street and into the other neighborhood to make sure everything was
okay.”
Michael couldn't be mad at him because he had taken precautions to
make sure she was safe. And while he didn't like that Ezra hadn’t contacted
him, he also knew that after the text came through, Ezra was probably really
busy. But that didn't mean Monroe shouldn't have called him. She should
have and she had to know that.
“I'm going to go talk to Monroe and then we can talk about what your
guy said,” Michael said.
Ezra nodded and went back into the kitchen. He walked with Monroe in
his arms toward the couch and sat her down.
“Noooo,” Monroe whined.
“I need you to sit here and I'm going to be right in front of you, but we
need to have a talk,” Michael said. “Can you look and pay attention right
now? It's important.”
She nodded her head and held on to his hand as he knelt in front of her.
He had found out after several times that she paid better attention when they
were at the same height. It probably made her at ease knowing they were
equal in a sense instead of him towering over her, and he would do it every
single time if it made her comfortable.
“Can you tell me why you didn't want Ezra to call me?” he asked.
 “I,” she took a breath in. “I didn’t want to b-bother you. Y-you were
busy with meetings a-and I know th-they were important.”
It broke his heart that she thought the meetings were so important he
couldn't come to her, because she was wrong.
“If you would have called me, I would have dropped everything and
come to you. You are my number one priority and one of the other guys
probably could have stepped up in my place,” Michael said as he squeezed
her hand. “You are so important to me.”
“I didn’t want you to miss them and lose an opportunity that could have
been yours, but was missed because of me,” she mumbled.
“It doesn't matter. I would have dropped everything and come to you
because I love you. I want what's best for you and they would have
understood that I needed to go home. The other owners of the club know
the situation. You come first.”
Monroe sobbed and chuckled at the same time. “This probably wasn't
the ideal situation to tell me that you loved me since I'm in danger, spooked,
and can't stop shaking.”
He didn't know what was going through her head and he really wanted
to know.
“I'll tell you I love you every day to make up for it. I'll tell you so many
times you'll ask me to stop,” he chuckled. “It might not have been the way I
planned on telling you, but you need to know how important you are to me.
I love you and if you need anything, and I mean anything, you call me if I'm
gone. I will find some way to come to you.”
And he meant it. If he was in a different state and she called him and
really needed him, he would find a way to get back to her. He wasn't
messing around because she meant so much to him.
He realized she hadn’t said it back and he understood. Michael didn’t
want her to feel pressured to say it back. He knew she had some feelings
toward him but he didn’t think it was to the point of love yet.
 “Monroe, you don’t have to say it back. I didn’t tell you so you would
say the same to me. I wanted to tell you because you needed to know and I
needed to tell you,” he told her, grabbing her face with his hands and
kissing her forehead.
She nodded her head, but he could tell it didn’t sit well with her.
“Can you hold your hands out for me?” he asked.
Michael didn’t like how he felt her shake as he kissed her forehead. Had
she eaten anything since she got the text?
“Ezra?” he called out.
Her hands shook badly as she held them out in front of her. He grabbed
them and held them in his.
“Yes?” Ezra asked as he walked into the living room.
“What all did she eat today?” he asked.
He thought about asking her, but knew she may play it up a bit and he
wanted to know exactly what she ate.
“She had fruit and a protein drink for breakfast and for lunch, she had
chicken noodle soup with a protein drink. Monroe hasn’t had dinner yet,”
Ezra said. “I made sure she ate and didn’t just chew on a little bit and say
she was finished.”
“Thank you,” he replied. “We’re going to get some sugar in your system
to see if it’ll help you stop shaking. Luckily, I have some chocolate in my
bag I think had your name written all over it.”
Her eyes sparkled at the mention of chocolate and he couldn’t help but
chuckle. His girl had a sweet tooth and he would have to watch that
carefully. He didn't want her to get so full of sweets that she wouldn't eat
anything else. He had seen several Littles do that.
She slowly started to eat it and he looked back at Ezra. He had
mentioned talking to some of the guys on his team about the information
and Michael wanted to know what that was. He hated not knowing what
was going on with his girl.
 “We haven't gotten his location yet but my guy is actively working on it
and thinks he's close. We don't know if Jared is in Springfield or if he has
somebody that is watching her. He could very well be still in Maine and just
have somebody he trusts watching until he can get here,” Ezra said. “We're
still taking precautions like he was actually in the city.”
Michael looked back at Monroe to see her staring at Ezra.
“Eat your chocolate, Little Bunny. You need it,” he said, but she didn't.
Gently grabbing the already melting chocolate from her hands, he
slowly started to feed her pieces of chocolate little by little. He wanted to
make sure she was getting sugar into her system because he had no doubt
she was experiencing an adrenaline crash.
He had seen it countless times with patients that came in when he
worked at the hospital. They had a traumatic event happen and once they
were in a safe place, they crashed so hard, their hands shook and they
couldn't control it.
“So, what's the game plan?” Michael asked.
They had to have some type of plan.
“I called that guy I know here and he's on extra alert. He knows what to
look for and we're going to catch Jared. I have some other local people the
guy knows who are also willing to help in patrolling the streets incognito to
find him,” Ezra said.
“If you don't mind me asking. Why aren't some of your guys coming
in?” he asked.
Michael had found it odd that since Jared was a well-known guy they
wouldn’t want more people on this. They all knew he was dangerous and
was willing to do anything. He'd already done it once with one girl and
Michael knew without a doubt, he would do it again.
“Right before Jaxson called us, well, several days before, we had a
high-profile case come in and several of our guys that were free went to
help and protect the person. I was the only one that didn't go, along with my
guy, Antonio, the tech genius. They sent me and now I'm using my
resources here, guys who I know and trust, to help out,” Ezra explained. “A
lot of them know who Jared is and were here when he lived here. They
want him taken care of because they know how dangerous he is.”
Michael knew it was a last-minute case and they could have sent
nobody at all. He was thankful they were able to send Ezra because he
didn't know what to do. In this one instance, he felt useless because he
didn't know how to protect his girl, his Little Bunny, from Jared. Ezra was
smarter about these things and had a lot more resources than he did, and he
wasn't afraid to admit that.
Did it bother him that he was relying on someone else to protect
Monroe? Yes. Michael wanted to protect his girl and right now, he felt like
he was failing her because he didn't know how. He was in foreign territory
and couldn't do a thing about it.
“I was just wondering. I'm grateful you were able to come and help us
out,” Michael said.
“No worries. I've heard lots of things about Jared Anderson and I'm glad
we're taking him out. He's dangerous and doesn't need to be on the streets
anymore,” Ezra said. “I'm just sorry he's after Monroe. It must be absolutely
terrifying to be in your situation and we're trying our hardest to find him
with the resources we have. I can't promise and tell you it'll be done in three
days. I don't know how long it's going to be but hopefully, it'll be over
soon.”
Michael looked at Monroe to see that some of her shaking had stopped
but not all. He needed to get her to fully relax. Maybe he should build a fort
and help her calm down. He had done it several times and it always amazed
him how well it worked.
“Thank you so much for all that you're doing,” Michael said as he
looked at Ezra.
“I'm going to go call my guy,” Ezra said as he got up and left the room.
 Michael grabbed Monroe's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“Do you want to go build a fort and watch a movie? We can have all the
unhealthy snacks and stay in there for however long you want,” Michael
suggested.
“Okay,” she whispered.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
 MONROE

M onroe didn't know how much she needed this until Daddy made it
happen. When he had asked her if she wanted to build a fort, watch movies,
and eat all the unhealthy snacks, she’d known she couldn't give up this
opportunity. Not only would it help her relax but she'd get to spend time
with her Daddy.
It felt like ever since Jared had texted her, they hadn’t really had time to
just be together. He had been so worried about her and what they were
going to do that yes, he was with her, but they hadn't just spent time
together. He'd also gone back to work and while she knew he had to, she
didn't exactly like it.
She felt like he took on too much responsibility and didn't delegate, and
as such, they weren't able to do much because he was so busy. Daddy had
taken several days off when she first got here to help her gain back her
strength and heal right.
But those times were over. He had responsibilities and she knew that,
but it didn't make it any easier. She had thought about talking to him about
delegating some things but didn't feel like it was her place. She didn't know
the club in and out like he did and didn't even know if there were things he
could delegate.
 Monroe just worried he was going to wear himself thin and that wasn't
going to end well. She didn't want him to hurt himself or make himself sick.
She didn't know the first thing about taking care of someone. She sucked at
cooking and whenever somebody got sick, she would always end up sick
soon after.
Maybe that was one of the reasons why she was a Little and not a
caregiver. It didn't come naturally but she also didn't really have a drive to
do it. That could possibly change if it was Daddy on the line. She didn't
want him to suffer so she would suck it up if she had to. Probably make a
lot of mistakes as it happened but she would probably learn.
“What are you thinking so hard about?” Daddy asked.
She shrugged her shoulders and looked at her legs that were covered in
the blanket.
“Oh no. You don't get to just shrug your shoulders. Daddy asked you a
question and would like an answer,” he said.
Daddy had told her before they made a fort that he was going to be
checking on her throughout the evening. She had gone through something
traumatic and he wanted to make sure she was okay. Her insides flipped as
he said that because it was the sweetest thing. He really cared about her and
she secretly loved it.
He had also reminded her that if she didn’t want to talk about something
she shouldn’t lie but just tell him. It was a weird concept, but she agreed
when they talked about their relationship. She was trying her best to follow
that rule, but it was a lot harder than she thought.
“I was just thinking if you got sick that I would make a terrible
caregiver,” she whispered. “I'm a terrible cook, I don't know how to do
laundry very well, I suck at making beds, I get sick very easily after if I'm
around people, and it just wouldn't end well.”
She felt like a failure at that moment. Even though most of her foster
care homes weren’t the best, they had still done her laundry. Then when she
was with Jared, he had maids that came and did everything. He didn’t trust
her to do anything and he didn’t let them interact with her. When they came,
he made sure she stayed in one room.
Daddy chuckled and brought her close to him. She loved when he had
his arms wrapped around her. It made her feel safe and loved. Everything
she hadn't felt when she was growing up or lived with Jared.
“Don't worry. I'm not going to get sick,” he said. “I promise.”
“You can't promise that.”
Sickness was one thing people couldn't promise. It came and went, no
matter who the person was.
“What brought this up?” he asked.
She shook her head. She didn't want to answer that. It wasn't her place
to really talk about his work because she didn't understand it.
“Little Bunny,” he said and patted his lap. “Come here.”
Monroe crawled into his lap and he wrapped his arms around her.
“You can tell me anything. Something is bothering you and I want to
help.” He ran his hands through her hair.
She felt tears well up in her eyes and she sniffled. This had been
bothering her for a while because he had been working from home and for a
lot of hours. She didn’t want to overstep and get involved with something
he didn’t want her to.
“Monroe.” He said her name and pulled her back a little. “The only way
for this relationship to work is if we have open and honest communication.
You can come to me with anything, and I will listen.”
She loved and hated when he said her name like that. Everything inside
of her wanted to tell him but she felt like it wasn't her place.
“Love,” he said. “It's obviously troubling you. What is it about?”
“Your work,” she whispered and looked down at his stomach. “It's not
my place and I shouldn't have said anything.”
 He placed his hands around her face and made her look at him. She
could see the worry across his face and didn't like it. She didn't want to
make him worry and yet she did.
“What about my work? You can talk to me about anything. This is how
a relationship works. Open communication. Honest communication,” he
said.
She took a deep breath in. Was she really going to tell him? Maybe she
should have talked to Charlotte about this first. She had been in her
relationship longer than Monroe and had to have some wisdom.
“I'm worried about you,” she honestly said. “I'm worried you're going to
burn yourself out and you're going to get sick. I'm worried that once you get
sick, I'm going to get sick and have to take care of you. I suck at taking care
of people and I don't want to make things worse. It's not my place to talk
about it because I don't know anything.”
“No. It is your place to talk about it. You may not know much about my
work but that doesn't mean you don't have your worries and can't talk to me
about it. Something has obviously been bothering you and we need to talk
about it. I don't want you to worry so we're going to talk.” he said. “I don't
want you to ever feel like you can't come and talk to me. Even if it's
something you don't know a lot about. Now, can you tell me why you're
worried about me burning myself out and getting sick?”
All Monroe wanted to do was curl up in a ball and say nothing. She had
already gone out of her comfort zone to tell him that she was worried about
him regarding his work. But she knew she needed to do this because she
had already brought it up, and she needed to get it off her chest. That and he
asked her nicely to tell him.
“You're so busy with work, the meetings, teaching people, doing admin
stuff, and being the doctor on call in case something happens all while
taking care of me.” She took a shaky deep breath. “I'm worried you're going
to get burnt out or wear yourself too thin. I just don't want you to get sick
with everything you're doing. I'm worried about you.”
She didn't look him in the eyes, worried he was going to tell her to be
quiet and she didn't know what she was talking about. She knew she didn't
know anything about his work, but that didn't mean she couldn't worry
about him.
“And what would you suggest I do?” he asked.
Monroe's head shot up and she looked at him with wide eyes. He was
asking her what he should do? Why was he doing that? She had no clue
about his business and what all he did.
“I don't know,” she responded.
“I think you do. I think you had an idea of how but you're afraid to say
it because you don't really know everything I do and how it works. But I
want to hear what you have to say,” he softly told her.
Anytime he talked to her in that voice, she found herself telling him
everything. It was just the soft tender voice that showed he cared about her
thoughts and wanted to hear everything she said that made her feel like she
was someone special.
“To delegate things?” she said more as a question.
She didn't know if it was a good idea or not because she didn't know
what all he could delegate, or even if he could. She had never worked in her
life, and she was worried she was saying all the wrong things.
“That's a really good idea. I was already thinking about doing that with
being the on-call doctor. There has to be another doctor or retired doctor
that goes to the club, and I thought about asking if any of them would be
willing to help out. I have been working on trying to get everything settled
so I can send out a mass email to all the members of the club,” he
explained. “I didn't think about delegating some of the other responsibilities
I have, but you telling me to delegate makes me think about it.”
 She nodded her head like she understood everything he had just said but
she really only understood a tiny bit of it.
“And I'm sorry I made you worry about me. I didn't mean to, and I'll try
and do better. I'll let the guys know I'll still be working but I won't be
putting in as many hours as I normally have because I want to be here for
you and I think I've been neglecting you,” he said.
Monroe's eyes went wide when he mentioned he had been neglecting
her. They hadn't spent much time together the past couple of days but that
didn't mean he had been neglecting her.
“No! You haven't been neglecting me,” she rushed out.
“I think I have. I haven't spent as much time as I would like with you. I
haven't been taking care of you as well as I had hoped for. You've skipped
several of your naps because I haven't enforced it but that's all going to
change,” he said.
A little whine escaped past her lips at the mention of naps. She had
hoped he would have forgotten she hadn't had her nap the past several days.
It felt amazing not to be forced to take a nap but at the same time, she did
feel a bit more exhausted than normal. But she was blaming that on all the
stress she was under.
“Oh, don't you whine. You're not getting out of any naps anymore. You
need it, especially right now. All this stress is making you tired and you still
have a couple of bruises left that need to heal,” he said as he ran his hand
through her hair.
She knew he was right, but she wasn't going to let him know that.
Monroe relaxed into his embrace even more. She loved it when he
commanded her to do things. It made her feel like she was his number one
priority even though she knew she was. It made her feel cared for and like
she was the most important thing ever.
She didn't know how she got so lucky for him to have found her. It felt
like a fairytale sometimes, a magical fairytale.
 “Such a good girl for telling me,” he purred in her ear. “Just remember,
you can come to me for anything and I mean anything. Don't be afraid if
you don't know much about it. You can always learn.”
She nodded her head. He had told her many times that she could come
to him for anything, but she never really believed it. At first, she just
thought it was something a person said but didn't really mean, but now she
knew he was for real.
The way he purred that in her ear turned her on. She wiggled in his lap,
trying to create some friction.
His hands gripped her hips and ground her harder against him.
“Is my Little Bunny turned on?” he asked.
She nodded her head. The feeling of him growing hard underneath her
was amazing.
“P-please,” she whimpered.
“Do you want Daddy to eat you out?” he asked.
“Daddy,” she whined.
She wanted him to eat her out. She didn’t want him to talk. His fingers
slowly moved from her hips and into her shorts and underwear.
“Maybe Daddy will finger you instead,” he whispered. “But you have to
be quiet for Daddy. Ezra can’t hear anything. Can you be quiet for Daddy?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she panted as his fingers dipped into her.
Glorious. That was what it felt like. The feeling of his big fingers slowly
sliding into her, filling her up, sent pleasure coursing through her body.
“Please, Daddy,” she moaned.
He pumped his fingers in a rhythmic motion as she leaned her head into
his chest. A louder moan escaped past her lips and Daddy stopped his
movements.
“What did I tell you? Does Daddy need to gag you or stop?” he asked.
She shook her head violently.
 “I’ll be quiet. I promise,” she rushed out, but she didn’t know if she
would actually be able to.
She didn’t want him to stop at all. It felt too amazing.
“Be a good girl and stay quiet. Bite my shirt if you need to,” he said.
Monroe did exactly that. She bit onto his shirt, not really trusting herself
to keep quiet if she didn’t.
“Good girl,” he said as he continued his movements.
She felt the pleasure increasing in her stomach as he continued to pump
his fingers inside her. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he increased
how fast his fingers went. Clenching down on his fingers, she choked down
a moan as he continued to hit one specific spot inside her.
“Such a good girl,” he whispered.
Daddy added another finger inside her, stretching her out before he went
to work hitting the sweet spot. The pressure inside her built up and before
she knew it, she was pushed over the edge and soaring into the sky as she
rode the high.
“Good Little Bunny,” he said. “So good.”
Monroe pulled back and looked at him right as he put his fingers into
his mouth. The same fingers that had just been inside her. She hadn’t felt
him take them out of her.
The sight of him sucking her juices off his fingers turned her on and a
small moan left her mouth.
“Is my Little Bunny turned on by that?” he asked.
She shyly nodded her head.
“Maybe next time, I’ll make you lick my fingers,” Daddy said.
Before she could say anything, he continued to talk.
“Now, do you want to watch the movie?” he asked.
Monroe loved moments like this. Everything felt perfect, like nothing
could touch her.
 She turned around in his arms so her head was resting on his chest.
“Please.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
 MONROE

“T oday is going to be a good day,” Monroe said as she got in the

car with Ezra.
Daddy had texted her asking if she wanted to come eat lunch with him.
She had immediately said yes because, how could she not? He had gone
into work today because he was trying to get everything in order and figure
out who best to delegate things to.
She couldn't wait to see him today. It felt like it had been days since she
last saw him when really it was only a couple of hours.
It had only been a day since she’d received the second text and neither
Ezra nor her Daddy had told her if they had any new information. She was
worried but at the same time, if they did have new information, she didn't
know if she really wanted to know.
Yes, she was worried right now but how could someone not be? She
thought if she knew all the information, it would just make her more
worried and paranoid.
Yesterday had been a dream when Daddy had come home. They’d built
a blanket fort and watched three movies. In between, they’d eaten dinner
with Ezra, but went right back to the fort she loved it.
Her Daddy made her feel so cared for and loved. She had wanted to
play with her dolls or have a tea party but he’d told her it was time to go to
bed. No matter how much she protested and tried to get out of going to bed,
he didn't budge. He had told her she’d had an exhausting day and needed
rest.
While she could agree her day had been exhausting, she wanted to stay
up and be with him. He had told her how his friends had been worried with
how much time he spent at the club, and not leaving enough time for the
clinic or just to relax. He was determined, he told her, to make some
decisions regarding the best way to go forward.
He wanted to make sure that the tasks he was delegating were okay with
the other owners. Some things needed to be handled by him personally, but
some things could just as easily be done by other people. She didn't fully
understand but her Daddy knew the job and had been doing it for years and
knew what was best.
“Please remember what I told you before we got in the car,” Ezra said.
“It's really important that you follow the rules I gave you until we get into
the building and to your Daddy. All the way into the building. Not when we
arrive in front of it. There’s a difference and you know it.”
“Yes, sir,” she muttered as she rolled her eyes and slumped against the
seat.
Forty minutes before they had to leave, Ezra had told her some of the
rules she had to follow. They were all about keeping her safe, but it was all
tedious and annoying. She understood she was in danger and everything,
but spending forty minutes explaining a couple of rules seemed a little
overkill.
She wished she could go back in time and never have talked to Jared.
She didn't want to have to deal with all this. At the same time, she knew if
she actually could go back and never have talked to Jared, she probably
would have never met her Daddy. It was the one good thing that had come
out of all the agony she had experienced.
 “Don't you dare get an attitude with me. I'm not afraid to tell your
Daddy,” he snapped at her. “This is for your safety and I know you
understand, but I'm serious.”
Monroe felt bad she gave him some attitude. She didn't mean to, but he
had to have known she was getting restless. This needed to be over and
soon before she popped and went insane.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. “I know this is serious, I just want it to be over
with. I'm scared and not getting good enough rest and it's making me
cranky.”
He let out a sigh and turned toward her. “I know and I'm sorry for
snapping at you. I shouldn't have.”
“It's okay.”
She understood. She shouldn't have rolled her eyes and joked about it.
Monroe needed to take this seriously because it was a very serious matter.
“Are you ready for your lunch?” he asked.
“Yep!” Excitement bubbled up inside her.
She was going to see her Daddy soon and she couldn’t wait. She wanted
a hug first but then she wanted to go play. Though, she could totally see
Daddy telling her she couldn’t play until she ate with him.
He was still very serious about her food intake and tried to get her to eat
more and more with each meal. Every time a meal ended, she felt stuffed
and all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball and sleep.
“Make sure you're buckled,” he said.
Monroe already was. Safety. That was one of her rules and she thought
it was super important as well. She always had because Jared had talked
about hitting people and they did not have their seatbelt on, resulting in
them dying.
She had learned early on that she needed to wear one even if she didn't
feel like it. It was important and anything could happen.
 They pulled onto the busy street and Monroe looked out the side
window. She loved seeing people walking their dogs and seeing the scenery.
Things had started to change outside and it felt like the first time she’d
ever seen it. Jared hadn’t ever let her outside, so she’d only ever gotten little
glimpses of the outside world.
She was loving how it was turning to fall and she could see the leaves
change. Daddy had promised her he would take her to the park in a couple
of days so she could walk around and see everything. She was so excited
and couldn't wait for that to happen.
“Monroe,” Ezra said, his voice calm. “Can you do something for me?”
She looked over at him and smiled. “Sure! What do you need?”
“I need you to call your Daddy and let him know we're going to be a
couple of minutes late.”
She immediately froze and continued to look at him. Something was
wrong because there wasn't any traffic on the road for them to be a couple
of minutes late.
“W-what’s wrong?” she stuttered.
“I need you to stay calm and call him for me. I’m going to be calling
some of my men,” he responded. “Can you do that for me?”
Monroe nodded her head and called her Daddy.
“Little Bunny. Are you here?” he asked.
She took in several deep breaths, trying to calm herself down but
couldn't. Tears had welled up in her eyes and she was starting to panic.
Something was wrong because Ezra had picked up the speed of the car.
“Baby?” Daddy said. “Are you okay?”
“S-something's wrong,” she managed to get out. “W-were going to be a
couple of m-minutes late.”
“Can you pass the phone to Ezra for me?” he asked.
“I can’t! He’s on his own p-phone!”
 “That’s okay. You’re okay. Can you take a couple deep breaths for me?”
he asked through the phone.
She tried to but right as she did, the car jolted forward and she let out a
little scream. She was going to die and she hadn't even told Michael she
loved him. She had so much she wanted to do with her life, and she hadn't
even scratched the surface.
“Bunny,” Daddy said.
Monroe heard Ezra talking on the phone fast while trying to get away
from the car behind them. Who could it be? Was it Jared or was it someone
he hired? Either way, she knew they only had a little bit of time left. The car
was gaining on them again, no doubt going to hit them and try to make
them wreck.
“Bunny. I need you to pay attention to my voice,” Daddy said. “Can you
do that for me?”
She whimpered but managed to get out a yes. She was so scared.
“Where are you?” he asked.
More tears ran down her face with that question. She didn't know where
they were. She hadn't been outside the house or club much.
“I d-don’t know,” she wailed.
“It's going to be okay. Ezra is going to get you to safety. I need you to
keep your phone on so I can track you. Can you do that for me?”
“Y-yes.”
Looking at the side view mirror, she saw the person driving the car
catching up to them. This was her time to tell him she loved him. She
needed to do it before anything happened.
“D-daddy?” she whispered.
Ezra cursed and she looked over at him. He was looking at the mirrors
and back at the road.
“I need you to hold on for me,” he said. “Right now.”
“You’re going to be okay, Little Bunny,” Daddy said.
 It was like Ezra could see into the future because right as she gripped
onto the armrest, the person behind them hit the car and it went out of
control.
Monroe screamed as the car spun in circles, making her dizzy and sick.
“Monroe? Are you-” Ezra never got to finish his sentence.
Something hit the car again, making it flip and tumble. Her body hit the
side of the car, her head hitting the window. Pain shot across her whole
body.
Monroe moaned as the car came to a stop, upside down. The seatbelt
was holding her in place, but it was tight against her chest. It felt like it was
cutting into her chest, making it harder for her to breathe.
“Monroe?” she heard Daddy through the phone.
Groaning in pain, she blinked several times to try and clear her vision.
Everything looked like it moved in waves with how dizzy she was.
“Baby,” he said again.
She could barely hear him, and didn't know where her phone was.
Monroe looked over to her left to see Ezra loosely hanging from his seat.
Panic went through her for a second when she thought he was dead.
“Ezra,” she whispered, trying to get his attention. Maybe she could
wake him up.
Monroe watched as footsteps appeared right outside his window and she
screamed. Oh goodness. Jared or whoever was in the car was going to finish
them off.
“P-please,” she whimpered. “Please don’t h-hurt him.”
Fingers pressed onto Ezra’s neck and stayed there for a while. She could
hear her Daddy trying to talk to her through the phone, but she didn’t pay
any attention to it.
Nausea bubbled inside her.
“Please,” she begged. “Hurt me, not him.”
 Chest tightening, she gasped for a breath of air as the person moved his
hands and disappeared. Where did he go? Was he actually coming over to
hurt her?
She knew she told the person to hurt her and not Ezra, but she didn’t
want to die.
“Baby, I’m leaving now,” she heard her Daddy say through the phone.
Before she could respond, she heard the footsteps of the person getting
closer to her. They were slow and calculated and fear whizzed through her.
Shit. She was going to die and she still hadn’t told Daddy she loved him.
Feet planted just outside her door, the person bent down, his knee
hitting the glass-covered ground. He reached his hand into the car and she
shrieked. She watched as the person grabbed her phone.
“D-Daddy,” she whimpered.
The mysterious person’s hand froze for a second before he ended the
call. Monroe let out a choked sob as she hung upside down, waiting for the
person to kill her.
“Breathe,” the deep voice said.
It wasn’t Jared’s voice, but who would it be? Why would he want her to
breathe? Was he trying to make her stay awake long enough to torture her
before she died?
Panicking even more, darkness started to creep into her vision as she
tried to get a controlling breath in, but she ended up coughing and
panicking. Everything in her body was aching and she knew she wasn’t
going to last long before she passed out.
Monroe clung to staying awake. She didn’t want to pass out while this
man was right next to her, but the darkness started to surround her.
“Jared’s been taken care of,” the man said. “You’ll be hearing from me
soon.”
Before she knew it, the darkness took over.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
 MICHAEL

“S hit,” Michael said as he shot up from his chair.

“What’s wrong?” Jaxson asked.
He grabbed his keys and quickly headed toward his car. He needed to
get to Monroe as soon as possible.
“Michael! Tell me what happened,” Jaxson said.
“Ezra and Monroe were coming for lunch when someone went after
them and I think they got into a car wreck. I heard a lot of screaming and
then the phone call ended,” he replied.
He didn’t stop walking, he didn't have time to.
“I’ll drive, you find out where she is,” Jaxson replied, grabbing his keys
and getting in the car.
Michael didn’t care. He just got in. His one focus was getting to Monroe
as soon as he could and arguing on who would drive was stupid.
“They’re on East Farm Road 116 by the Tranquil Oaks Ranch,” Michael
told Jaxson.
Their location wasn’t far from the club. Nerves ran through Michael. He
was worried sick that she might not be there when he finally got to her. Was
Jared there? Had he taken her?
He had heard footsteps come closer to Monroe, faint footsteps through
the phone, but they were there just before the call ended. Was Jared going to
kill her on the spot? Did he hire someone to kill her?
“She might be gone when we get there. I heard footsteps coming toward
her,” Michael said.
“Don’t you dare think that way,” Jaxson snapped at him. “She’s going to
be there!”
“What if she’s not? Ezra said Jared has done this before and the girl
ended up dead before the police could ask her questions.”
“We’ll obviously go after her, then. And if he already has her, then
we’re going to find them before he harms her.”
Michael didn’t feel good about this, but Jaxson was right. She was
going to be there. Once she was safely back in his arms, he was never
letting her out of his sight. He would find a way to have her with him when
he had meetings.
When they got to the road, Michael couldn’t help but stare at the car
that was on its roof. Shit. That was the car Ezra had rented while he was
here.
“You check to see if she’s there. I’ll look at the other car,” Jaxson said.
“Be careful. We don’t know if Jared or the guy he hired is still here.”
Right. This could be a very dangerous situation and he needed to be
mindful of that. He hoped they weren’t here and Monroe was in the car with
Ezra.
Getting out of the car, he carefully made his way toward the flipped car,
being mindful of his surroundings. Jaxson had pulled a gun out as he
walked toward the other car.
He bent down by the passenger side and looked inside. Monroe was
hanging with her arms dangling, unconscious. Worry filled him as he
looked her over, careful not to move her in case she had a severe injury. He
didn't want to make anything worse and knew she could have an internal
injury.
 Blood trickled down her face in several spots. He so badly wanted to
clean her face and find out where the blood was coming from but despite
his anguish, his medical training came to the forefront and he refrained
from moving her without having a neck brace and body board.
The blood wasn't coming out fast, so he knew that it wasn't serious, yet.
He eyed the other parts of her body, trying to see things without moving
her.
He gently placed his hand on her neck, trying to find a pulse. It took
him a couple of seconds because he was trying not to move her neck, but he
finally found it and let the air out of his lungs. She was alive.
Getting up from where he was, he quickly made his way over to the
other side to check on Ezra. He had briefly seen him as he looked at
Monroe, but he wanted to get a closer look.
He would feel bad if anything happened to Ezra. While Ezra knew what
he was getting himself into and knew he could die because Jared was
powerful and had killed several people already, it still didn't matter. He
would feel guilty no matter what because Ezra was protecting his girl.
Ezra had a few cuts on his face and his arm was bleeding. It didn't look
like a lot of blood, and it looked like it had already started to coagulate.
Which was an amazing sign.
Michael gently felt his pulse and found a strong heartbeat. Another flash
of relief filled him. They were both okay for now. All he needed to do was
call an ambulance and let the paramedics safely get them out of the car with
their equipment.
If they had needed anything lifesaving, Michael would have done it, but
they didn't and he didn't want to possibly make anything worse. He had
seen people come through the hospital when he worked there that had been
moved after a car wreck and some of them could never walk again or had
died because something had shifted and he didn't want that to happen.
 “I called an ambulance and they should be coming down the road right
now,” Jaxson said as Michael stood up from the car.
He hadn’t even noticed the loud blaring noise of the ambulance getting
closer. He had blocked everything out as he tried to assess Ezra and
Monroe's injuries. Michael knew that was dangerous in this situation
because he didn't know if anyone else was nearby. Someone could have
easily come up behind him and killed him.
“Do they look okay?” Jaxson asked.
“Yeah. They're bleeding some but it's slow enough I'm not too
concerned, but there could be something I can't see. I didn't want to move
them since that could make things worse,” he replied.
The ambulance stopped right in front of Ezra's car and several people
got out.
“I'm a doctor. I didn't move them because I didn't want to cause any
more damage. Both have cuts on their faces that are bleeding, but not fast
enough to be worrying. The male, Ezra, is bleeding from the left arm but it
looks to be slowing,” Michael said to what looked like the lead person.
“Thank you,” the paramedic said. “We're waiting on the fire department
to get here. They have the equipment to cut the car and everything. They
were a couple of seconds behind us so they should be here any minute.”
Michael and Jaxson stepped to the side to let the paramedics assess
everything before the fire department got there.
The main paramedic came over to them. “Do you know these people?”
“The female is my fiancée,” Michael said.
He understood he lied, but he knew if he had just said boyfriend, they
weren't going to let him ride in the ambulance or let him back in the room
when they arrived at the hospital.
“The male is her bodyguard,” Jaxson said. “We both know them.”
“Can you tell me what happened?” the paramedic asked.
 Michael told him the bare minimum, that somebody was after Monroe
and they hired Ezra to keep her safe while Michael wasn't there with her.
The paramedic looked at them weirdly but when they mentioned Jared's full
name, the guy nodded his head almost like he agreed with what they did.
“Jared's dead,” Jaxson said out loud to all three of them.
Shock was written all over his face as he stared at Jaxson. Jared was
dead? How was that possible?
“Bullet to his temple,” Jaxson whispered to Michael. “Looks
professional. Not sloppy at all.”
There was another person involved? How were they going to ever find
this person when they didn't even know who he or she was?
“I'm assuming you want to ride with us when we get her into the
ambulance?” the paramedic said right as the fire truck pulled up.
“Please,” he said.
“When we roll her in, you follow the paramedic into the ambulance.
You know to stay out of her way in case something happens on the drive. I
just need to reiterate it. Now, I need to go and help assess.”
Before he could respond, the paramedic had already left. Michael turned
toward Jaxson.
“Who do you think it could be? Who do you think would want Jared
dead?” Michael asked as he watched them carefully pull Monroe out of the
car.
All he wanted to do was run over and assess her, but he knew that
wasn’t a good idea, either. He could possibly miss something since he was
in an emotional state. He wasn’t thinking clearly and that could greatly
affect his ability to check her over.
“I don’t know, man. A lot of people could have wanted him dead and
maybe they found this the best opportunity. It could have been anyone,”
Jaxson responded.
 Michael bit his knuckle as the paramedics started to check over Monroe.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw them pull Ezra out of the car and onto
the stretcher.
“They’re going to be okay. The car doesn’t look absolutely horrible so I
think they’re going to be okay,” Jaxson said.
“Monroe was almost done healing from everything Jared had inflicted
upon her. It’s like he knew she was almost done healing and decided to hurt
her so she had to heal all over again,” Michael mumbled.
“And she’s going to have you there with her again, taking care of her.”
Michael knew he was right. He was going to take care of her and make
sure she healed up nicely. She was going to get so sick and tired of him
fussing over her, but she was going to have to get used to it.
“She’s never leaving my sight again,” he said.
Jaxson chuckled. “Oh, I believe it.”
The paramedic waved his hand at Michael.
“Go, I’ll wait for the police. I’ll find you when I get done,” Jaxson said.
“Thanks.”
Michael jogged over to the ambulance and got in. Everything was going
to be alright.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
 MONROE

T he first thing Monroe felt as she slowly woke up was a deep ache
in her body. What had happened? Why was she feeling this way? She
couldn't remember the last thing that had happened that would make her
feel like this.
The second thing she felt was the uncomfortable bed. The sheets were
scratchy and so were the clothes she was wearing.
She slowly opened her eyes but quickly shut them as the lights blinded
her. It was too bright.
“Noo,” she whined. “Shut ‘em off.”
A chuckle sounded and the room darkened. Sighing, Monroe relaxed a
little until she realized someone chuckled as the lights turned down.
Who was with her?
Opening her eyes, she sat up quickly. A cry of pain fell from her mouth
as her body protested her fast movements. Everything in her body hurt. It
was like she had gotten hit by a train several times.
“Shhh, you’re okay,” the voice said.
Monroe looked over and saw her Daddy sitting right next to her bed,
holding her hand. Everything was white. She quickly looked around and
realized she was in the hospital. What had happened?
“Do you remember anything?” Daddy asked.
 She shook her head and cried as pain erupted against her skull. Her head
felt like she was swimming underwater after getting hit by a baseball bat.
She went to touch her head with her free hand but Daddy was quick to
grab it and place it in her lap.
“You can't touch your head right now,” he said. “Can you answer my
question?”
She thought for a second, trying to remember the question. What had he
asked?
“Do you remember anything that happened?” he asked.
Right. She had tried to answer the question by shaking her head but that
wasn't a good idea. What had caused her head to hurt so much? What
happened her to the point where Daddy told her she couldn't touch her
head?
“No, it's all hazy,” she whispered. “Well, bits and pieces.”
She felt drained of energy. Monroe started to lean forward, not wanting
to hold herself up anymore, but Daddy stopped her.
“Let’s get you laying down,” he said as he helped her.
She let her Daddy do all the work. It felt like part of her was just
shutting down and all she wanted to do was sleep and nothing else, but she
wanted to know what happened.
“Can you tell me what you do remember?” he asked.
“I was with Ezra in the car and I remember calling you in a panic, but
that's all,” she whispered.
She tried to think back on what happened, but everything was just hazy.
The more she thought about it, the more her head started to hurt.
“Don't think too hard. I'll tell you what happened or what I know,”
Daddy responded.
He started to run his hands through her hair and she slowly felt her body
start to relax. She loved it when he ran his hand through her hair. It made
her feel well taken care of and that she absolutely mattered to him.
 “You were coming to eat lunch with me when Jared came up right
behind you. He drove your car off the road and it flipped over,” he said.
“You're okay now. You've been out for four hours but they think it's because
you were exhausted and the shock to your body was so much you kind of
just went to sleep. You do have a slight concussion, but they don't think it's
bad.”
Monroe turned her head and looked at him. All of that happened? She
tried to remember but it still wasn't there. It was almost like somebody had
erased her memory.
She knew that couldn't happen but that was her first thought. How could
it not be when she couldn't remember much?
“Why can't I remember?” she softly asked.
She was trying so hard to not freak out but she was starting to.
Everything in her wanted to start hyperventilating but she realized she was
being grounded by the feel of Daddy's hands running through her hair.
“It might be the concussion that is making you not remember, or it
could be that you're still in shock and your body is trying to protect itself,”
he explained. “I've seen it several times when I was working in the
emergency room. The doctor said that it's a possibility you won't remember
some things but you will start to remember things as you relax and feel
safe.”
“When can I go home?” she asked, her voice breaking.
Monroe didn't like hospitals at all. She had only been a couple of times
when she lived with Jared and those were some of her worst memories. He
had doctor friends and whenever he would break a bone or make a deep cut
into her skin, he would either take her to the hospital or his friends would
come to the house.
“Shhh,” Michael softly said. “You're okay. The doctor wants to keep
you for a little while to see if any of your symptoms get worse.”
 Tears of frustration filled her eyes. She didn't understand why she had to
stay here when her Daddy was a doctor. He could take care of her at home
like he had before. Unless there was something else he wasn't telling her
and that's why she couldn't leave.
“Nothing else is wrong. He just wanted to see if you would wake up and
if any of your symptoms had gotten worse. You're okay,” he said. “You
don't have any broken bones. You have a lot of bruises and you're going to
be sore for a while but you're okay.”
Monroe didn't feel okay. She felt like her emotions were everywhere but
at the same time, she felt numb. It made no sense but that's exactly how she
was feeling.
Tears ran down her face as she started to get overwhelmed. Everything
was just getting to be too much, and she didn't know what to do besides cry.
“It's okay to cry. You're okay,” Daddy said. “Getting overwhelmed?”
A whimper escaped through her lips when he nailed it right on the head.
So much had happened in the past several days and she hadn't had a lot of
time to process it all. When she finally was ready to, she had gotten into a
car crash she didn't remember.
“Do you want Daddy to hold you?” he asked.
Monroe held out her arms immediately. Being held by her Daddy
always made things better, or at least she thought it did. Just his calming
presence and the pressure he created as he held her was grounding and
made her feel safe and secure.
“We have to be careful since you have an IV in your arm, but I don't see
why I can't hold you. Let's carefully sit you up and then I'll place you on my
lap,” he explained. “Let Daddy do all the work.”
And that's exactly what she did. She let her Daddy do all the work in
helping her sit up and then placing her on his lap.
Immediately, she felt herself calm down even more when he wrapped
his arms around her. She felt safe and she could stay in this position for a
while. It was one of her favorites. That and him feeding her a bottle before
she went to take a nap. It didn't happen often but when it did, it made her
feel extra special.
“Such a good Little Bunny,” he praised her. “You're doing so well.”
A knock sounded on the door and Daddy told the person to come in.
She didn't move her head from his chest, trusting him to take care of her. He
knew what was best for her and right now, she wasn't going to argue with
anything.
“Hello, I’m Dr. Mike Smith…” His eyebrows shot up. “Michael
Grayson? I haven’t seen you in years! How are you doing?”
Michael reached out and the two men shook hands.
“And this is my patient. She seems to know you,” Dr. Smith smirked at
Michael.
“Jackass,” Michael said mildly.
Monroe’s eyes went wide as she looked up at her Daddy. She hadn’t
heard him curse much since she had been with him.
“Yes. This is my girlfriend, Monroe Johnson. She just woke up a few
minutes ago and needed some comfort,” Daddy explained.
“That's perfectly fine. We worked together for several years, Monroe, so
I trust he has your best interests in mind. Now, how do you feel?”
The room fell silent and she realized the doctor was waiting for her to
speak. All she wanted was for her Daddy to tell him how she felt but she
quickly realized she hadn't actually told him anything.
“Bunny, you're going to have to tell the doctor how you feel,” Daddy
said. “No lying.”
Monroe turned her head so she was looking at the doctor and he gave
her a smile. He was older and had a belly but he looked nice.
“Tired, a little dizzy, overwhelmed, my head hurts,” she listed off.
“All those symptoms are normal right now. You do have a little
concussion so it's going to make you tired, dizzy, and make your head hurt.
I'm not going to go over how to treat it because I know Michael's going to
take good care of you, and he also told us you had a concussion when you
two first met and he took care of you,” the doctor said. “Is there anything
else?”
“No,” she mumbled.
She couldn't think of anything right now. All she wanted to do was be in
her Daddy’s embrace and be left alone.
“All right. I'm going to take out your IV and give Michael your
discharge papers. After you sign those, you're all good to go home. If any of
your symptoms get worse, please come back,” he explained.
“Thank you so much, Mike,” Daddy said.
“Just remember you're going to be sore for a couple of days. That's to be
expected since your body was jostled in the car wreck. I want you to be
drinking a ton and eating healthy but I'm not too worried about that because
I know Michael just loves that subject.” She heard her Daddy snort.
She knew the doctor wasn't lying about that. Daddy loved nutrition and
that was perfectly fine with her. She didn't have a lick of understanding
about that, and it was nice that he did and took care of it all.
Monroe pulled away slightly so the doctor could take her IV out of her
arm. She hadn't even felt it in her arm and was kind of thankful. She wasn't
afraid of needles but the feeling of it in her arm while she moved made her
sick to her stomach.
“You should come over for dinner sometime and we can catch up. Or
we could go out for a beer,” Daddy said.
“I won’t say no to a free dinner. Just tell me when and I’ll let you know
if it works for me or not,” Dr. Smith replied. “I’ll be looking forward to it.
Oh, congratulations, you two. I heard the great news,” the doctor said as he
walked out the door.
She looked at her Daddy with a confused face. Why was he saying
congratulations to them?
 “What did he mean, Daddy?” she asked.
“I told the paramedics when I first got onto the scene that you were my
fiancée. It was the only way they were going to allow me to ride with you
but also be in your room as well,” he explained.
Monroe stared at him in shock. She never thought somebody would do
that for her if she ever landed herself in the hospital. He didn't want her to
be alone and it made her realize just how much he cared for her.
It felt like forever before he was finally done going through all the
paperwork, getting her ready to go home, and into the car. She didn't do
much at all and for once, she was okay with that. She felt like crap, and he
had told her several times he was going to take care of her and she wasn't
going to do a thing.
Sounded like heaven at this point.
“Bunny, I want to let you know before we go that you don't have to
worry about Jared anymore,” he said. “When we arrived, Jared was dead in
the car.”
A sigh of relief filtered through her. She didn't have to worry anymore
about him coming after her and that made her happy. While it was sad he
was dead because he was a human being, it also wasn't because he was such
a bad person.
In the middle of the drive home, she let out a little gasp.
“What happened to Ezra?” she asked.
She didn't know why she hadn't remembered him when Daddy was
telling her about the car wreck, but it just dawned on her that he was there
with her. Was he all right?
“Ezra is fine. He had a couple cuts on his face and arm but besides that,
he's okay. He is back at the house resting,” Daddy explained as he pulled
down the street to his house.
She still didn't feel good about what he said. Was he truly fine or was
Daddy just telling her that so she didn't worry about it?
 Once they got to the house, Daddy helped her out of the car and into the
house. Immediately, she saw Ezra sitting on the couch with a bandage on
his arm and a couple on his face.
Her hands flew to her mouth as she tried to muffle her cry. He was
alive.
“Little girl. It's good to see you're okay. I'm fine,” Ezra said. “Just a
little sore but nothing is serious.”
She just continued to stare at him, not knowing what to do or say. So
many emotions had been going through her. It was all her fault he had
gotten hurt. Jared was after her and he was the one that was driving. He
shouldn't have gotten hurt.
“I'm so sorry,” she cried out. “You shouldn't have gotten hurt.”
“I knew what I signed up for when I came here. I was there to protect
you,” he replied.
She went to shake her head but Daddy quickly grabbed her head and
held it still.
“Remember, don't shake your head. You don't want to make your
headache worse,” he reminded her.
Monroe turned toward her Daddy and held her arms open. She just
wanted to be held again right now. All the guilt was building up inside of
her. She was trying to wrack her brain to figure out how she could have
kept this from happening.
“It's okay. I'm fine,” Ezra said as she hugged her Daddy. “I'm glad
Jared's dead so you're safe now. I'll be leaving tomorrow morning.”
Everything wasn't fine. He had gotten hurt because of her. And the
thought of her being safe was foreign. She didn't exactly feel safe.
Something in the back of her mind was telling her something else had
happened and she wasn't safe.
“No thinking that way,” Daddy said. “It's not your fault.”
She snuggled into his embrace as he held her.
 “I love you,” Daddy said.
Monroe pulled away from him slightly and opened her mouth.
“I told you I was going to tell you every day that I loved you. I meant it.
And I'll say it every day until you say it back or until you tell me you don't
want this anymore. My feelings aren't going to change,” he said. “And I
don't ever want to make you feel like me telling you every day makes you
have to love me back.”
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
A look of shock fell over his face when she said those words. One of the
things she did remember was that she was going to tell him she loved him
on the phone but never got the chance.
“And I want to tell you something I was going to tell you when we were
supposed to meet up for lunch,” she said.
“What is it, Little Bunny?” he asked.
“I didn’t fall in love with you because of the way you looked. I didn’t
fall in love with you because of your eyes or your smile or the way your
body looks,” Monroe said. “I fell in love with you because when I met you,
I was at my worst point. My lowest, darkest, place and you brought so
much light into my world.”
Michael squeezed her hands as she took a deep breath.
“You became the northern star in my universe. When we met, I was so
scared, but you took your time to calm me down and make me feel
comfortable. I fell in love with you because you were so patient with me
through the ups and downs and made me feel like I was on top of the
world.”
Monroe had tears streaming down her face as she continued to talk.
“You put back so many pieces of a shattered heart that you didn’t need to
because you never shattered that heart. But you decided to be that glue the
moment you met me and put all of that heart back together.
 “I fell in love with you because for the first time in forever, I found my
genuine smile, my happiness, my drive to do things in life. I started to find
goals again to better myself and be who I truly am and not what other
people want me to be. You made me realize that everyone before you didn’t
care about me, but you do. You care so much that you took your time to
make me feel comfortable around you and helped me in so many ways.”
She could see the tears that formed in his eyes and how he blinked
several times trying to get rid of them.
“I'm glad I could be there for you. I'm glad I could be your northern star
in the universe that you needed. I would put you back together again in a
heartbeat and you never have to ask. I'll always be your glue and when you
need it, I'll be there for you,” he said, bending down and kissing her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
 MONROE

M onroe sat up quickly, screams echoing in the room. Her heart was
pounding against her chest as vivid memories of what Jared had done to her
in the past flashed through her mind.
Arms wrapped around her and she screamed again, throwing her arms
around to get them off her. She didn't want Jared on her. She needed to get
away from him.
“You're okay,” Daddy's voice filtered in through her screaming.
Sobs racked her body as she let out all her emotions. The fear she felt
when she watched Jared hit her, hit after hit, was replaying in her mind.
“He's dead. He can't hurt you anymore,” Daddy whispered into her ear
as he held her close.
She kept chanting that in her head. Jared was dead now and she didn't
have to worry, but it didn't feel like he was. It felt like for the past couple of
nights, he was haunting her like he did when he was alive.
This was her third night waking up in the middle of the night, screaming
for Jared to not touch her. And each night, Daddy told her he was dead and
she didn't have anything to worry about. She believed him but deep down,
she felt like he really wasn't dead.
She hadn't seen the body and she was worried Daddy was just telling
her that so she would move on with life. But he had promised her and
showed her the death certificate showing he was truly dead.
It had also been all over the news. Several people were shocked he had
died. Someone had let it leak that it was a single bullet wound to the head
and she didn't understand how.
Something was missing from the equation and she didn't know what it
was. He had been after her, driven into their car and made them crash, but
then turned up dead with a bullet wound. How did that happen? There had
to be another person involved, but she didn’t know who it could be.
Daddy had asked her if she remembered the footsteps that were near
her, but her mind drew a blank. It was like it was trying to protect her from
reliving everything and she didn't know if she was thankful or not. She had
been stressing over trying to remember the footsteps that Daddy was talking
about.
Ezra couldn't answer any of the questions because he had been passed
out. In this one instance, she wished he had been the one to be awake and
she was the one passed out. Maybe he would have remembered something
if he had been awake.
“Everything's going to be alright,” he whispered. “Do you want a warm
bottle of milk?”
“Please,” she whispered.
The first night she had the nightmare, she couldn't calm down. No
matter what Daddy had done, she had been shaking like a leaf on a windy
day. That was when he had suggested her drinking warm milk and to give it
a try.
That night he had brought in a bottle, held her as she suckled on it, and
the rest had been history. Every single time she woke up from a nightmare,
he would ask her if she wanted a bottle and each time, she said yes. It
seemed to be the magical thing that put her back to sleep.
She thought it was the combination of the warm milk and Daddy
holding her. He held her tightly against himself as he fed her, and she felt
safe and secure.
Daddy got up from the bed and walked out of the room. Monroe hated
the time it took for him to get the drink and return to her in the room. Well,
she didn't have to stay in the room, but she never got out of bed and he
never took her with him.
She moved around the bed, laying on her back so her head hung off.
Normally, she snuggled into the sheets as she waited for Daddy to come
back with the bottle but this time, she felt like doing something different.
She closed her eyes and relaxed into the bed. A sudden familiar feeling
fell over Monroe, bringing back memories she thought she would never
remember.
Gasping, she shot up from the bed, grabbed her phone, and ran out of
the room toward the kitchen. She needed to tell Daddy what she
remembered.
Panic had set into her bones the closer she got. They were in trouble.
She didn't know who this man was, but the way he spoke to her reminded
her that he was bad.
“Little Bunny?” Daddy called out. “What's wrong?”
“I remember!” she yelled. “The footsteps!”
She huffed and puffed as she came to a stop in front of the kitchen.
Daddy's eyes were wide as he looked at her.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“The footsteps you were talking about. I remember them,” she said.
“The person talked to me.”
His eyebrows shot up at the mention of the mysterious person.
“What did he say?”
“He said something about Jared being taken care of, but that he's going
to contact me,” she whispered.
It finally truly sank in that this mysterious person was going to contact
her. Who was this person? He was obviously dangerous if he was the one
that had shot Jared.
“You stay right here. I'm going to go wake up Ezra,” he said and left the
room.
Ezra was supposed to have left two days ago, but the doctor told him he
might have a small concussion and they didn't want him to fly. She kind of
felt bad for him because he was stuck here. He wasn't on duty to guard her,
so he wasn't doing much.
She thought he would have felt more comfortable in his own home, but
he couldn’t be there. Ezra had thought about driving but didn’t want to risk
anything happening and making his injury worse.
Monroe sat down on one of the chairs and gripped her hands together.
They were shaking and she was trying to stop it, but thinking about the man
only made it worse.
She had never seen his face. He had made sure her call with her Daddy
was turned off before he even spoke. This man knew what he was doing
and it scared her. He knew who she was and might know where she lived.
Who was he? Had he been following her the past couple of days? Did
he know a lot about her? It was almost more frightening than having Jared
after her - at least then, she’d known who to be scared of.
“Little Bunny. Can you tell Ezra what you just told me?” Daddy asked.
She took a deep breath and reiterated what she had told her Daddy. It
wasn't much to go on. The only thing they knew was that another person
was possibly after her.
“C-could he w-want to kill m-me s-since I know t-things?” she stuttered
out.
She had overheard Jared talk countless times about business he had
done. She may not have known the people he was talking about, but she
could remember specifics about certain things. They were all horrific and
she didn't want to think about them.
 Jared was a crooked man and the things he had done could land a lot of
people in jail and get others out. He had put a lot of people, innocent
people, in jail while the real bad guys had gone free. There were so many
people Jared had in his pocket.
He had always wanted to be prepared for anything that happened. This
time, though, it appeared he had missed something. She just didn't
understand how this mysterious person could have killed him. It seemed
weird that the person got a clean shot to Jared's head.
“We're going to make sure he doesn't kill you in case that's what he’s
planning. But for some reason, I don't think that's his motive. It doesn't
make sense. He would have killed you on site if he wanted you dead, but he
spared you,” Ezra said.
She hadn't thought about it that way. Well, she hadn't thought about it
much at all. It rattled her not knowing who this person was and why he was
after her. It just didn't make sense.
“Did he sound familiar?” Ezra asked.
“No,” she whispered. “I remember not recognizing his voice at the
moment and it still doesn't seem familiar. I've never met this person in my
life.”
“Could it have been a delivery person or someone you had briefly
talked to years ago?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. Jared made me stay secluded when I was with
him. I wasn't able or allowed to talk to anybody he didn't want me to.
Which was basically everyone. The only person I was allowed to talk to
was him and that wasn't even a lot.”
“What a bastard,” he muttered.
He could say that again. Jared wasn't a nice person. He got off on power
and made sure that everyone was below him. He had told her that on
multiple occasions and then proceeded to put her in her place.
 Monroe was worried this person was going to take her and torture her.
Ezra had a point earlier that if he wanted to kill her, he would have done it
in the car, but he didn't. Her only other thought was he planned to torture
her to get information she knew about Jared. She wouldn't last long if that
happened. Her pain tolerance was low and she would end up spilling
everything she knew.
“Don't worry. Ezra and the people he knows are going to take care of it.
You're safe,” Daddy said.
“He's right. Try not to worry. I'm going to call my guys now and they're
going to be patrolling around the area,” Ezra said. “We're going to find him
before he can hurt you.”
It didn't make Monroe feel any better. None of them knew who this
person was. This mysterious guy had the advantage over them because he
knew her, but she didn't have a clue who he was.
“Let’s get you to bed,” Daddy said, shaking the baby bottle in his hand.
Her face turned bright red. She knew Ezra was a Daddy as well, but that
didn’t matter. She was still embarrassed by the fact he saw she was about to
drink a bottle.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” he said. “I’ve taken care of many Littles.”
That still didn’t help. Daddy and Charlotte were the only ones that had
fed her and seen her true Little side. It was foreign for her to show anyone
and at times, she felt embarrassed and shy about it.
A phone pinged, bringing all their attention to the phone in Ezra’s hand.
Looking down, he shook his head. “Not mine.”
Monroe turned hers on and saw a text from a random phone number.
Fear filled her body. The mysterious man had told her he was going to
contact her soon. She opened the message and a gasp left her mouth.

You shouldn’t be awake this early. - M

 Her head whipped back and forth but none of the blinds were open.
How did he know she wasn’t asleep?
Daddy snatched the phone out of her hand just as another text came
through. Worry gnawed at her stomach. What could he possibly want? Why
was he texting her?
“He wants to meet,” Daddy said.
“Let me get Antonio to look into who owns the phone number he’s
texting from. See if we can’t get any information on this guy,” Ezra said.
Daddy pulled her into his embrace as Ezra called someone.
“It’s going to be okay. Antonio will find information on him. We’ll keep
you safe,” he murmured into her ear.
She hoped he was right about that.
CHAPTER FORTY
 MONROE

T he look on Ezra’s face as he walked back into the room didn’t

make Monroe feel good at all. Her first thought was something was really
wrong.
She gripped onto her Daddy’s shirt tighter, trying to find some security
and comfort. She felt like she was under water, drowning with all the bad.
Things had happened to her and were continuing to happen.
Her chest was tight, like an elephant was sitting on it, as she waited for
Ezra to tell them what he heard.
“Do you know a Miles Johnson?” he asked.
Monroe wracked her brain, trying to remember a person with that name
but couldn’t. The name sounded bland and she tried to remember anyone
like that.
“No, I don’t recognize the name,” she whispered, feeling defeated.
Why was this Miles Johnson after her?
“Dang,” Ezra muttered as he ran a hand down his face.
“What’s wrong? Who is he?” Daddy asked.
“We were hoping Monroe could tell us that. Antonio searched and
searched but couldn’t find anything besides his full name.”
“Nothing?” she asked. “Not where he lives or anything?”
 “It’s like he doesn’t exist. Antonio searched everywhere and even asked
one of his contacts and the person said he’d never heard of Miles.” Ezra
leaned up against the kitchen counter.
Monroe didn’t like that one bit. It made her feel even more uneasy
because no one knew how dangerous this person was. He could be a serial
killer or an assassin for all she knew.
Who could Miles Johnson be? Why wasn’t there any information on
him?
“Whoever this person is didn’t like that we looked at Monroe’s phone. I
don’t know how, but he has eyes everywhere,” Ezra said.
The blood drained from her face as she leaned into her Daddy’s
embrace. She didn’t like the sound of that. She’d already felt that way when
he had texted her she shouldn’t be up. Were there cameras in the house?
“I’ve scanned the house for cameras and couldn’t find any. I don’t know
how he’s doing this, but he’s good. Whoever he is,” Ezra continued to talk.
Feeling lightheaded and weak, Monroe let her Daddy hold even more of
her weight. She felt sick to her stomach.
“Shhh,” Daddy said as he ran his hand through her hair. “You’re okay.”
“Shit,” Ezra said. “Ah, sorry. Didn’t mean to curse. Sorry for saying that
in front of you. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”
She gave him a small smile as he tripped over his words. She hadn’t met
too many people who did that and she found it kind of endearing.
“What do you mean he wasn’t happy you took the phone?” Daddy
asked.
“Exactly that. He sent texts as if he knew I had taken it, telling me to
give it back to Monroe. He also demanded she meet him at an ice cream
place out in public,” Ezra explained before he looked down at her. “He
texted saying you could bring your Daddy.”
Her face flushed. This Miles guy knew she had a Daddy. It was like he
knew her whole life and she didn’t even know who this person was.
 “The fact he knows you have a Daddy and wants to meet in a very
public place makes it a little better. I don’t think he would kill you in
public,” Ezra said.
That didn’t make her feel any better. He could hold a gun under the
table and tell them they had to leave with him and then he would kill them.
There was no way she was going to meet up with him.
“He also mentioned that if you don’t go to the ice cream place he’ll be
coming here,” Ezra added.
Monroe whimpered. She didn’t like the thought of him coming to her
house. Not that it mattered much because he already knew where she lived.
“I think we should go and see what he wants,” Daddy said.
“We’ll have people in and out of the ice cream place watching you guys
in case anything happens. Don’t worry, you’ll be protected,” Ezra said. “He
wants to meet in five hours.”
“At eleven in the morning. An ice cream at eleven?” Daddy said. “If he
knows I’m her Daddy, why did he pick eleven in the morning?”
Ezra shrugged and grinned. “Not my problem. You either go to the ice
cream shop at eleven or he comes here whenever he wants.”
Daddy sighed and held her tighter against him.
“Let's get you down for a nap before we go,” he said.
She didn’t argue because she was exhausted.

“A RE YOU READY FOR THIS ?” Daddy asked.

Monroe knew she wasn’t ready for this. Who was ever ready to meet
someone who killed a person and knew everything about them? She didn’t
think anyone would be ready for something like this.
 Squeezing her Daddy’s hand, they walked into the ice cream shop and
sat down in the back. Miles had texted her again this morning, telling them
to pick the booth in the back.
“Do you want any ice cream?” Daddy asked.
She thought about it for a second. Monroe loved ice cream but didn’t
know if she could stomach it right now. Nerves bubbled inside her, twisting
and turning as every second went by.
“No, thank you,” she replied. “Maybe after?”
“We can get it after,” he replied.
Monroe looked around, trying to figure out who this Miles person could
be. Was he already in the ice cream shop? She knew there were a couple of
guys in here that were looking out for them while they met up.
“W-who do you think it could be?” she whispered, looking up at her
Daddy.
“I don’t know, Bunny,” he responded. “I don’t think he plans to surprise
us but he could. There wasn’t a picture of him on the internet.”
Letting out a shaky breath, she leaned into her Daddy and they waited.
Monroe didn’t have a patient bone in her body and it was showing.
“Can we go?” she asked but before her Daddy could say anything,
someone sat down at their table.
Her eyes went wide as she looked at the man sitting in front of them. He
was wearing a navy blue baseball cap, a hoodie, and jeans. He looked like
an ordinary person but the way he spoke told her he wasn’t. That, and the
fact he’d killed Jared…
Miles kept staring at her with a fond look on his face. It was like he was
looking at something he’d lost several years ago but that wouldn’t make
sense. Monroe didn’t know this person at all. She knew she’d never seen
him before, but there was something similar about his eyes. How did he
know her?
 “I’m glad you’re okay and safe now. I’m sorry you got into a wreck. I
tried to get there before anything happened, but I was a bit late,” he finally
spoke. “You don’t have to worry about any of Jared’s superiors coming
after you or anyone else. I promise.”
Monroe’s mouth hung open. Did he kill all of them? She didn’t know
how many people knew and were okay with what Jared did, but it had to be
a lot. He talked several times about his boss and their boss. It was like his
whole department was bad.
“How can we trust you?” Daddy asked.
“Who are you?” she asked. “How do you know me?”
Miles looked up and gave her a small smile.
“You can trust me. I don’t break my promises and don’t say things I
don’t mean,” Miles responded, completely ignoring Monroe’s question.
She huffed and crossed her arms. She didn’t like to be ignored.
“You’ve got Mom’s attitude. She didn’t like to be ignored either,” Miles
said.
What did he mean by that?
“What do you mean?” Daddy asked.
“I’ve been looking for you for a long time and I’ve finally found you,”
Miles smiled. “Hello, baby sister, I’m your older brother, Miles.”
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
 MONROE

H er grip tightened around her Daddy’s arm as Monroe stared at

Miles in shock. What he said couldn’t be possible. She didn’t have any
siblings.
Her mind whirled as she thought about it. Could he really be her
sibling? Hope began to fill her, but she quickly squashed it down. It simply
wasn’t possible. Every foster care agent she had asked told her she didn’t
have any living relatives.
“How?” she asked. “I don’t understand. My parents died right after I
was born and I went into foster care.”
Miles stared at her and nodded his head. What did that mean?
“They told me I didn’t have any siblings,” she said again. “They
promised me I didn’t have anyone else in my family.”
This had to be some cruel joke he was playing.
“I promise I’m your brother,” he said.
“No, this doesn’t make any sense. Why would they lie to me? Why?”
she asked. “This is a cruel joke to play on someone who’s always wanted a
family. Please, just stop.”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued to think about this. She had
always wanted a family and the thought of having a long lost brother filled
a hope inside her she didn’t want.
 “I promise I’m telling the truth. We can do a DNA test if you want. I
know a doctor with all the right equipment to do it that I can call right
now,” he said. “I promise I’m not playing a cruel joke on you. I would
never do that to my baby sister.”
“Why now?” she whispered.
She was twenty-seven years old. Why had it taken him twenty-seven
years to do this? He told her they could do a DNA test which made it seem
like they were actually siblings, but what if he was wrong?
What if he thought she was someone else? She didn’t want to get her
hopes up on this. Everything in her wanted to believe him and what he was
saying, but part of her didn’t want to get hurt in the process.
She would be devastated if she put both feet in and trusted him, only for
it to be false and Miles not be her brother.
When she looked at him, she could see some of the similarities between
them, but she could point out some similarities between her and her high
school boyfriend. It didn’t mean much.
“Why are you just now getting in contact with me?” she asked, getting a
little impatient.
Daddy’s hand gripped her knee and squeezed. She looked up at him and
he arched his eyebrow.
“Little Bunny, patience,” he said. “If you can’t, then you’ll end up over
my lap. We don’t get rude.”
She nodded her head and looked back at Miles. He had a fond smile on
his face.
“It was hard finding you,” he said. “I’m going to start from the
beginning so you can know everything. I don’t want to hide anything from
you. Is that alright?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
After getting the little lecture from her Daddy, she felt bad that she was
getting impatient. She just wanted to know why he waited so long to find
her.
“Sorry for being rude,” she said, looking in his eyes.
“It’s okay. I forgive you,” he replied.
She let out a breath of air and snuggled into her Daddy’s side and
waited for Miles to speak.
“Mom got pregnant with you after I left the house and started to work. I
didn’t know she was pregnant until she gave birth to you. She called me
asking if I could come home to meet you and I was on my way when they
died. They didn’t think they were going to have another kid so they didn’t
put in their will that they wanted me to have custody of you,” he explained.
“Before I got there, the caseworker had taken you away and placed you in a
home. I asked them where you were and said I could take care of you, but
they told me they couldn’t tell me your name or where you were. I think it
was because of my job. Before I could press them further, I got called back
to New York for a job and had to leave.”
Monroe tried to wrap her brain around everything he said. Why
wouldn’t the caseworker tell him her name and where she was?
“I never stopped searching for you. I promise you that. All my free time
went to searching for you. By the time I learned your name, you had moved
so many times and they had ‘messed’ up where you were at the time,” he
said. “I tried my hardest to find you. I did. All the odds were against me
because by the time I had learned your name, everyone knew my name and
didn’t want to tell me anything. They were trying to protect you.”
“So how did you find me?” she softly asked.
She wanted to know what he did for work, but she wanted to know how
he found her more. Monroe could ask him later what his job was.
“I got wind of Jared because my boss said he’d double-crossed him and
needed to be taken care of. I learned everything I could about him before I
went to Maine. I didn’t want any surprises. One day, I heard one of his
bosses talking about a girl he had with him in his apartment and he showed
me a picture,” Miles said. “I took one look and knew it was you. You look
exactly like Mom did. I kept my cool because I didn’t want to tip them off
that I was after them and Jared, but they started to talk about what Jared did
to you and I made up an excuse and left.”
She didn’t know how to respond to that. He had taken one look at her in
the picture and known she was his sister?
“In the picture, you had some bruises on you and I knew immediately
he was beating you but then his bosses confirmed it and started talked about
other things. Then they mentioned you had gotten away and I felt like I was
back to square one with where you were. I had to go back to my boss and
report what I had learned, and I told him about you,” he said. “My boss
wasn’t happy I had an emotional connection to this but let me stay because
I’m the best he has.”
He was the best at what? Before she could ask, he started to talk again.
“I watched Jared for a while to see if I could find out where you were
and I needed to find the right time to take him out. He left the day after I
learned all of that and I followed him,” Miles said. “Then I saw you and
knew I had to protect you at all costs. I had this whole plan to lure him out
to this countryside so I could kill him and then I heard he was after you by
car and I knew I had to get there as soon as possible.”
“How did you hear?” Daddy asked.
Monroe watched Miles’ face as it turned slightly guilty before he
masked it.
“I had one of my guys tap into her phone so if she made a call, I was
notified and could hear things,” he replied. “Well, the microphone is always
on so I could hear everything all the time. I just needed to make sure you
were okay until I took Jared out.”
That was how he heard and knew they took the phone from her. Chills
went through her body at how easy it was for him to do that. Who was he
exactly?
 “I know that was a lot to take in and I’m sorry I dumped it all on you
after a traumatic event, but I wanted to let you know everything. I wanted to
be upfront with you,” Miles said.
She tried to wrap her brain around everything he had just mentioned. He
tapped into her phone so he could hear if she was in trouble or not. How
much did he hear? Was he always listening?
“W-were you a-always l-listening?” she whispered, clutching her
Daddy’s arm.
“I tried not to because I wanted to give you privacy but every once in a
while, I would listen in to make sure you were okay,” he explained. “I never
intended to do it but once Jared came to Springfield, I knew I needed some
way to be able to protect you.”
“How did Jared find out where Monroe was?” Daddy asked. “Do you
know how?”
Miles turned to Monroe. “Do you know a Mario Davis?”
She nodded her head. “He was my old boss.”
“Apparently, Jared was monitoring his phone and mail so when you
messaged him, he knew it was you and tracked your phone.”
“I d-didn’t think a-anything of texting h-him,” she whispered.
“Not a lot of people do but you don’t have to worry about him
anymore.”
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. She didn’t know what to say
to him. What did a person say to another person that was supposedly their
brother?
“What do you want from her?” Daddy asked. “There must be a reason
why you wanted to talk to her.”
Miles took a deep breath in and smiled at Monroe. “I want to get to
know you. If I could have taken care of you while you grew up, I would
have. If you want to start off as just friends and then move into a sibling
role, we can, but I would love to get to know you.”
 She thought about it for a second. Monroe had always wanted a sibling
and now he was sitting down right in front of her.
Looking up at her Daddy, he leaned down so his ear was right next to
her mouth.
“C-could I?” she whispered.
She knew she didn’t really have to ask her Daddy if she could get to
know her brother, but she wanted to. He always would protect her and if he
didn’t think it was a good idea then they would talk about it.
“It’s whatever you want, Little Bunny,” he replied.
She looked back over at Miles and nodded her head.
“Okay,” she whispered. “I would like that. I d-do have a q-question,
though.”
“Ask,” he replied.
She bit her lip, not knowing if she should ask or not. It had been
bothering her this whole time and she really wanted to know the answer.
“What do you do for work?” she asked. “You mentioned your boss
several times and that the caseworkers were probably keeping you away
because of your name.”
“I work for a very powerful Italian person in New York. I can’t tell you
much more but just know that if you need anything, you text me and I’ll
come,” he said.
“I don’t know if I want her involved in any of that,” Daddy said.
“Besides, if she needs anything, she’ll come to me for it.”
Monroe looked between her Daddy and Miles. What was going on
between them?
“I understand but if you guys need any help, if any of you are in danger,
you let me know and I’ll come out and help. I’ve got a lot of resources and I
can use them,” Miles explained.
“Okay, thank you,” she said before her Daddy could say anything.
 “I’ll be in town for a couple of days. If you want to hang out, text me
and we can. Your Daddy can come along, too, if he wants,” Miles said as he
stood up. “I’ve got to go. I have a meeting with someone. It was nice
meeting you.”
Monroe watched as he pushed his baseball cap down and walked out of
the ice cream place. Wow. She looked up at Daddy and gave him a smile.
“I’ve got a brother,” she whispered.
Nothing really felt real right now. Everything felt like a dream.
“I don’t know if I trust him fully,” he said, giving her a squeeze.
“He seems really protective of me. I don’t think there's any harm in
that,” she replied.
Daddy grumbled under his breath and Monroe giggled.
“Ice cream?” she asked.
He chuckled and nodded his head. “I’ll go get the ice cream.”
EPILOGUE
 MONROE

“T he boogie monster is coming to get you!” Daddy yelled as she

ran away from him.
A little scream fell from her mouth as she ran down the hallway and
into their room. They had been playing in the living room before Daddy
decided to tickle her. She managed to get away but now he was after her.
Monroe giggled as she crawled under the bed right before Daddy
walked into the room.
“Where are you?” he called out. “Are you in the closet?”
She heard him open the door and she couldn’t help but giggle.
Clamping her hand over her mouth, she tried to stay quiet.
“Oh, my Little Bunny made a noise,” he said. “Could you be under the
covers?”
She so badly wanted to giggle at that. How could she be under the
covers? The bed had been made this morning and he would definitely know
if she was under there.
“Hmm. Not under there,” he softly said. “Where could she be?”
Monroe relaxed under the bed and waited for him to leave the room or
check somewhere else. He didn’t know she was under the bed hiding.
A hand gripped her ankle and pulled her out from under the bed.
Flipping her around, his face came into view.
 “Gotcha,” he whispered.
Squealing, she tried to get out of his hold, but he hauled her up and into
his arms.
“No! Daddy!” she yelled.
He started to tickle her and she screamed.
“Mercy!” she raised her voice. “Mercy, Daddy!”
Daddy stopped tickling her but he moved them around so she was
sitting on his lap on the bed. Monroe absolutely loved it when he held her,
but she didn't like it when she was uncomfortable on his lap.
Wiggling in his embrace, she tried to get comfortable.
“You better stop wiggling unless you want me to act on it,” he said,
placing his hands on her hips and stilling them.
It took her a second before she realized what he was talking about. She
felt his cock poking at her and she couldn’t help but let a little moan escape.
Monroe continued to try and move her hips, trying to create friction and
pleasure.
“Monroe,” he said, his voice deep. “You need to stop.”
But she didn’t pay any attention to him. She gripped his shoulders and
moved her hips.
“Daddy,” she breathlessly said. “Please. Take me.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
She nodded her head. “Yes, Daddy.”
Standing up, he gently placed her back on the bed before he started to
undress himself. She watched as he peeled his clothes off and she licked her
lips. He looked absolutely handsome.
“Does my Little Bunny like what she sees?” he asked.
She shyly nodded her head and continued to watch as he slowly pushed
his pants and underwear down. His dick sprang free, hitting his stomach. It
stood tall and proud and Daddy grabbed it, giving it a couple of strokes
before he started to walk toward her.
 Monroe scooted back onto the bed and Daddy got on top, hovering over
her. She arched her back, trying to make contact with him, but with one of
his hands, he pushed her down.
“Patience,” he said. “Let Daddy undress you.”
It was torturous letting him undress her, but she didn’t complain. His
fingers lightly danced across her naked skin as he took in everything about
her body.
She had started to gain some weight and fill out, thanks to Daddy
making her eat a lot more than she thought she could.
“Beautiful,” he whispered, bending down and latching onto one of her
nipples.
Moaning, she arched her back and closed her eyes. The feeling of him
sucking on her tit sent pleasure straight to her core.
“Daddddyyy,” she moaned as he moved over to her other nipple.
His fingers trailed down her stomach before finding her pussy. Her
hands moved to his hair, gripping it as he slid his fingers in between her
folds.
“So wet for Daddy,” he murmured.
Slipping a finger into her, she tried to move her hips so his finger would
move.
“Naughty Bunny,” he said. “You take what Daddy gives you.”
“P-please,” she whimpered.
Grinning, he added a second finger and slowly started to move it in and
out of her. She felt herself stretch every time he moved his fingers, sending
little zaps of pleasure throughout her body.
“Please, Daddy,” she said. “Please take me.”
He pulled his fingers out and held them in front of her face.
“Suck,” he commanded. “Then Daddy’s going to take you.”
She opened her mouth and sucked on his fingers, cleaning them off. She
didn’t think she was going to like the way she tasted, but it wasn’t bad.
 “Such a good girl for Daddy. Doing as he says,” he praised her.
Monroe watched as he pulled back and aligned himself to her entrance.
“Ready, Little Bunny?” he asked.
“Yes, Daddy,” she said.
He slowly started to push himself into her. Her eyes started to water as
the pain intensified with each inch he put inside her.
“You’re doing so good,” he said. “Do you need me to stop?”
She shook her head and gripped the bedsheet. She didn’t want him to
stop. She knew it was going to hurt. She hadn’t had sex in a while and he
was slightly bigger than Jared had been.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, Daddy. I’m sure,” she said through her clenched jaw.
He continued to push into her and before she knew it, he was fully
inside her. Monroe watched as he stared down at her.
“Look at you taking Daddy’s cock,” he said. “So pretty.”
She blushed and threw her head back as he pulled out before ramming
back into her. Toes curling into the bedsheets, she moaned as pleasure
coursed through her body. Everything felt amazing.
Monroe wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing him to thrust
inside her from a different angle. His hand moved and he placed his thumb
on her clit, moving it in circles as he continued to thrust inside her.
Stars. Holy stars.
They entered her vision as he continued to pleasure her body. The
pleasure started to build up inside her, getting more intense with each
thrust.
“I-I’m close,” she managed to get out.
“Come when you’re ready,” he said.
He rubbed her clit harder as he picked up his thrusts, sending her over
the edge. Warmth flooded her as he came inside her.
“Such a good girl,” he said as he gently pulled out of her.
 She laid on the bed, not wanting to move.
“Amazing,” she whispered.
Daddy chuckled and picked her up. She groaned.
“No, Daddy,” she whined. She didn’t want to be moved.
“Let’s get you cleaned up and you need to go potty,” he said.
She sighed and let him take care of her. He gently placed her down on
the toilet and she went without a thought. He cleaned himself off as she
went to the bathroom.
“Grab Daddy’s legs and lean forward a little,” he commanded.
She followed his order and he wiped her before pulling her into his arms
and bringing her back into the bedroom.
“I love you,” she said as they lay down on the bed.
“I love you, too,” he replied.

“S O , YOU REALLY ARE MY BROTHER ,” Monroe whispered as she sat in front

of Miles.
It was weird to read the paper in front of her, stating they really were
siblings. She had an older brother.
“The papers prove it,” he replied.
Miles had wanted to meet up so he could show her the results. She was
skeptical at first, not really wanting to do it, but she knew she needed to.
Ever since they had taken her blood, she had been anxious to see what
the results were. No matter how scary her brother could be to the nurses,
they hadn’t budged on how fast they would get the results back.
“You knew the whole time.” She leaned back in her chair.
 She couldn’t wrap her brain around this. Miles had shown a picture of
their parents to her and she could see the resemblance to her mom, dad, and
brother. It was weird to just find out she had a brother at the age of twenty-
seven.
“How come they waited so long to have me?” she asked, trying to
process everything.
They had come to a small diner close to BTS while her Daddy was
working. He knew she was meeting up with her brother. While he didn’t
like the idea, he knew he couldn’t hold her back because she had always
wanted a family.
It took long conversations for her Daddy to finally get on board, but she
was glad. She wanted to get to know her brother, no matter how
intimidating he could be.
She was super nervous to meet with him alone. He had mentioned his
boss was extremely powerful, and he was like his right-hand man.
Miles had worn a hat again and was sitting in the back corner when she
got to the diner. He was facing the whole room and she wondered if he was
looking out for someone or not.
“I think you were a surprise to them. They had talked about having a
second kid as I grew up, but they never got pregnant,” he said as he scanned
the room again. “They would have loved you.”
Monroe’s eyes teared up at that.
“Please, don’t cry.” His voice sounded off.
She blinked several times and looked at him. He had brown hair and
eyes, just like her, but his eyes were dark and cold.
“What do you do for work in New York?” she asked, changing the
subject.
She knew if she kept thinking or talking about it, she was going to cry.
Miles sounded a little panicked as he asked her not to cry, almost like he
didn’t know what to do or how to handle the situation.
 His face went dark and he shook his head. “You don’t need to know
that.”
She pouted and crossed her arms.
“Pleaseeeeee,” she whined. “Why can’t I know?”
“For your safety and because my boss hasn’t said anything about you
knowing. I also don’t want to scare you away. I just found you and I’m not
letting you go.”
She didn’t understand. Why did his boss have to give permission for
him to let her know?
“Is it dangerous?” she softly asked.
He nodded his head, not looking at her but across the room. Moving her
head, she looked over in that direction and saw a huge man standing at the
entrance. He wore a short sleeve shirt that made his muscles pop and had a
mean looking scar across his face.
Monroe turned back to her brother to see him nodding his head at the
man.
“I have to go right now. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to text or
call me,” he said. “It was nice seeing you again. Maybe we can do this
again soon.”
“I would like that,” she replied. She wanted to get to know her brother
better.
“Ricci crime family. Don’t look it up and don’t tell anyone,” he said,
slipping out of the booth.
Before she could respond, Miles put some cash on the table and walked
off. She watched as he walked away, out of the diner, and got into the car
with the other guy.
“D ADDY !” Monroe yelled as she ran toward him.
He was standing next to a green bike with a green helmet and protective
gear beside it. Tears streamed down her face as she flung herself at him.
“Thank you!” she yelled, squeezing him.
He hugged her back and she quickly pulled away, excitement bubbling
inside of her.
“Can you help me learn now? Can we go outside right now?” she asked,
bouncing up and down.
Daddy chuckled and nodded his head. “You’ll follow what I say so you
don’t get hurt, and you’re going to wear all this protective gear.”
She bit back her groan. She didn’t want to wear all that, but knew she
wouldn’t be allowed to learn how to ride a bicycle if she didn’t have it on.
“Okay, Daddy,” she said. “Let’s go!”
Monroe grabbed the gear and ran toward the door.
“No running!” he yelled after her.
She slowed down and carefully made her way to the front door as
Daddy was walking behind her with her bike.
They made their way outside and Daddy helped her get on all her gear.
“Now, I’m going to hold the seat while you pedal and steer. It’s just like
riding with training wheels like we practiced last week but this requires a
little more balance,” he said. “I’ll be right behind you the whole time in
case you need my help.”
Monroe nodded her head, grinning from ear to ear. She couldn’t wait to
do this.
“Hop onto your bike,” he said.
“You’ll hold it?” she whispered, looking at it.
It was different getting on this bike because it wasn’t already stable.
“I’ll hold it,” he replied.
Carefully getting on, she grabbed the handles and held on for dear life.
So many nerves were running through her body.
 “Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes, Daddy,” she replied.
“Okay. Whenever you’re ready, you start pedaling. I’ll be right behind
you.”
Taking a deep breath, she slowly started to pedal as Daddy held onto the
back of her seat. The air rushed past her as she pedaled faster.
“I’ll be right behind you,” he reminded her. “Look at you, riding a bike
without Daddy’s help.”
A little squeal of excitement went through her as she felt the difference.
“Daddy! I’m riding a bike!” she yelled, not a care in the world.
Every now and then she got wobbly, but she managed to straighten
herself out and continue to ride. It felt so freeing with the air rushing past
her.
Slowing down, she toppled to the side and hit the ground.
“Monroe!” Daddy yelled.
She giggled and turned toward him, a smile across her face.
“I did it!” she said.
He pulled her into a hug.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m better than okay! I rode a bike!” she exclaimed. “All by myself.”
Smiling, he kissed her forehead. “That you did.”
“Thank you, Daddy.”
Monroe knew she would learn new things every day. Life with her
Daddy would only get better and better with each passing day and she
couldn’t wait.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There are so many people I want to thank.

Thank you to all the beta readers for taking your time to read my rough
draft and point out things that needed to change, things that needed to be
clarified more, and overall everything.
Thank you to my ARC readers for taking the time and chance on me as
a new author!
I really appreciate everyone I mentioned and didn’t mention. Thank you
to everyone who has taken the time to read this book.
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Everly Raine is an emerging author of age play books. Want to follow along in her journey as an
author?

FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/878978066732860/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/authoreverlyraine/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/30503603.Everly_Raine
 ALSO BY EVERLY RAINE

Missouri Daddies
1. Daddy’s Little Cupcake
2. Daddy’s Little Survivor
3. Daddy’s Little Foreigner (coming Jan 2024)

Ricci Crime family

1. His Perfect Little Storm (Coming November 2023)