“He pulled you out of the car, and…?”
My mom’s voice shakes me out of my thoughts and I quickly reply. “And told me to stay away from him. You know, typical overprotective stepdad stuff.”
Why did I say that? Why don’t I just spill the beans? Why am I asking myself so many stinking questions!?
“Well, that’s his job.” My mom shrugs. “To look after his stepdaughter and make sure no one takes advantage of her.”
I honestly have to laugh at that one. I laugh so hard my cereal falls from my spoon. If only I could let her know just how funny that was. But I can’t, so I just grab my bowl and head upstairs to my room so I can eat in peace.
He may be gone, but Baron’s presence still lingers in the house like an unseen force. A ghost, ready to jump out and snatch me away when I least expect it. Just as I’m starting to dig into my cereal, I hear the sound of a phone vibrating behind me. Baron took my phone, so it can’t be mine, but when I open the drawer of my nightstand, I see a phone there – not mine – buzzing with a call from an unknown number.
Hesitantly, I pick it up and answer.
“H—hello?”
“Hello, princess.” My blood chills instantly. It’s Baron.
“Who are you? Jason Bourne?” I ask. “Why not just give me my phone back?”
“So you can send nude selfies to pricks like Harry? I don’t fucking think so.”
God, he’s such a jerk. Doesn’t he know by now that I’m not that kind of girl?
“What do you want, Baron? And tell me quickly before I hang up on you.”
“I want you to go into your closet, find the dress and heels I left for you, put them on, and get in the car I’ll have coming to pick you up in an hour.”
Instantly, I get up and go to the closet. Sure enough, there’s a sleek black dress hanging up and a pair of stiletto heels on the floor beneath it.
“What is this?”
“It’s a dress and heels,” he chuckles. “Now go doll yourself up and put them on. The car will be there in an hour.”
“I know you’re used to people doing exactly what you say, Baron,” I interrupt. “But I don’t work for you, and I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’m not putting anything on and you can’t make me.”
“Wow, what a strong woman,” he replies mockingly. “You really think you’re tough, don’t you?”
“I’m not doing it.”
“You are doing it,” he growls. “Or I’ll kick you and your mother out of the house before the day’s over. How would you like living on the streets?”
There isn’t even a hint of remorse in his voice. It’s like someone carved him out of ice. He’s unshakeable. A force of nature, like the unrelenting rain outside. He’s not even in the same room as me, and I feel small. Maybe I was wrong to have even a sliver of faith in his humanity.
“Where is this car taking me?”
I can practically hear him grinning on the other end of the call. “Don’t you worry about that, princess. Frowning too much will give you wrinkles. Like your mom.”
Before I can reply, he hangs up.
After I get over the shock of what just happened – finding a hidden cell phone in my drawer and an outfit in my closet, I grab a towel and head to the shower. I hate to admit it, but the mystery of Baron has gripped me, and I can’t shake it.
What possible reason could he have for treating me this way and doing what he did to me? Sure, he says he was protecting me from Harry, but his version of “protection” is basically pulling me out of the frying pan and throwing me into the fire. I would have thought bringing me inside for a stern talking to and then maybe a make-up popsicle or some ice cream would have been the way to go, not forcing me to strip and jerking off on me.
What could motivate him to do such a thing?
Does he really just want me that badly? I know I’ve been wearing completely inappropriate things around the house, but as a grown man, shouldn’t he be able to ignore that? Look the other way? In two years he’ll be forty, for crying out loud! I guess maybe if he and my mom aren’t having sex anymore—
“Hmmm.” I groan at the thought of them together, and the shock of realizing I don’t like thinking about that causes me to stop everything I’m doing. I’m not jealous…am I? That would be nuts. Am I going through some kind of Stockholm syndrome or something? They’re married. It would be strange if they hadn’t had sex at all.
I sure hope she doesn’t anymore. Not after banging her new boy toy. That would just be disgusting and super disrespectful.
Not that Baron warrants any respect around here anymore. Not after what he did.
Still…as I go over my body with the loofa, I can’t fully push away the pang of jealousy in my chest. It’s like a thorn, an itch I can’t scratch, and I don’t know what to do.
Maybe what Baron did to me is just a kink. Domination. BDSM or something like that. Not that I know anything about those things, but I do know they exist. Having control over me is what he wants, not me specifically. I could just be any girl he found attractive, and he’d feel the same way.
Whatever the reason is, he’s sure not making it clear or giving me any hints. He won’t even tell me where this car is supposed to me taking me. For all I know it could be to a meat grinder where he’s going to dispose of
