Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

L ost in a daze, Yoanni stared out the window as Officer Billings turned the patrol car onto her street. Her thoughts whirled with images of what life with Barron during the next few days might be like. Since that crazy afternoon when she’d met him at the Dirt Road Saloon, her mind had played happy visions for her. In none of them did she have to speak or go through the embarrassment of explaining herself because Barron, being an experienced Daddy, instinctively guessed her thoughts and secret desires.

Sure, her mind loved fantasy. But she was about to enter reality.

Not the same thing at all.

“Do you remember my house?” she asked absently.

Billings nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

The request to use her first name came to her lips, but studying the officer’s intent profile as he focused on his job changed her mind. They weren’t buddies; she was a civilian, and he was in charge of her safety. Let it be.

“Your driveway is coming up,” he said. “I’ll pull in. ”

She squinted, then gasped. “Wait! Something’s wrong.”

He slowed the patrol car. “Where? What is it?”

“There. The door is open. Do you see it?”

“I do. Before I call for backup, didn’t you say your boyfriend was waiting for you?”

“Yes.” She swallowed. “He’d never leave the door that way. Something happened. I feel it in my bones.”

Instead of going up her driveway, Billings wedged the patrol car between the street and her driveway, making it impossible for anyone in the garage to drive out. Billings spoke into his radio, calling for backup. The scratchy-sounding voice acknowledged, and he turned to her. “Stay in the patrol car. Don’t come out unless I say so. No heroics. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “I do.”

“Good.” He climbed out of the patrol car. Her heart beating against her chest, Yoanni watched as Billings, his service weapon racked and ready, slowly advanced along the bushes lining the side of her driveway. His approach avoided a direct hit from anyone who might be inside her house. He waited a few more minutes. Still maintaining his position low and to the side, Billings stepped onto her little porch, reached her door, and called out a warning to whoever might be inside the house.

No response came back.

The wail of police sirens came closer and grew louder. Yoanni relaxed enough to stop chewing her thumbnail, the only fingernail upon which she poured her anxiety and fear. The first patrol car slid up next to hers. Officer Cragg jumped out, asking, “Are you all right, ma’am?”

“I’m fine.” She pointed to the house’s open door. “Billings is in there.”

He nodded and went after Billings.

Captain Weaver came in next. He parked just ahead of the second patrol car and stepped out. Frowning, he walked over quickly and opened her door.

“I was on my way home when the call came. Are you okay, Miss Sanz?”

“Yes. I’m fine. I don’t know what’s going on. We were on our way in when I noticed the front door open. Officer Billings told me to stay here. He’s up there with Officer Cragg.”

He slapped the edge of her door. “Fine. You stay put until we tell you.” He turned from her, his service gun in hand. As the captain walked toward the house, she noticed Billings and Cragg were no longer at the door. Yoanni guessed they’d gone inside. Her thumbnail went back into her mouth. She was down to the quick. Soon, she’d draw blood.

She didn’t have to wait long. When Captain Weaver holstered his gun, she knew the danger had passed. Billings and Cragg came out of the house, helping Barron walk out.

Yoanni bolted out of the car, and without thinking much about Barron’s condition or anything else, she threw herself into his solid chest. “Oh God. I was so frightened,” she sobbed, releasing the fear she’d been suppressing since she saw the open door.

“I’m okay, baby girl,” he said, wrapping his arm around her. A glorious elation and an unspeakable relief swept her from top to bottom. “Got banged on the head, but I’m a tough nut to crack.”

She glanced up and gasped. A trickle of blood ran down the side of his face. “You’re hurt!”

“EMTs are on the way. They’ll check him,” Billings said.

“I’m fine. I’ve had a lot worse, believe me,” Barron protested. “One day’s rest, and I’ll be good as new.”

“Please don’t argue. Let them take a look at you. You’re bleeding.”

Barron touched the side of his face. With obvious surprise, he stared at his fingers. “ Huh? That’s something.”

“What happened, Priestley?” Captain Weaver asked.

Yoanni startled. She wasn’t used to hearing Barron’s last name out loud.

But he took it in stride. “I came to wait for Yoanni. The place…” Barron stopped.

Its siren wailing, the emergency vehicle pulled in. One paramedic jumped out and rushed over to them. He had to weave through a slowly growing crowd of interested neighbors. The commotion had brought out those residents with nothing important to do on a Saturday afternoon. Even Mrs. Miller and her husband rushed from the cul-de-sac on the sidewalk. They’d be upon Yoanni with their well-intentioned support in minutes.

Yikes.

“We should put you on a gurney,” the paramedic said.

Barron frowned. “No, you’re not putting me anywhere. I’ll let you check me here because my girl’s worried. I got hit on the head, but it wasn’t that bad. I’m probably concussed. I know what to do.”

“Okay, sir. If you insist. Follow me.” The paramedic, clearly frustrated with Barron’s attitude, strode to his vehicle.

As their little group walked to the emergency vehicle, Captain Weaver insisted again, “You were saying, Priestly?”

“Oh, right.” Barron sighed. “I found the kitchen door open. Someone had ransacked the place.” Barron glanced down at her. “Sorry, princess. Your home is upside down. So I went in. Someone in dark clothes ran past me. I chased the intruder, and you know what? This guy is small and slender.” He shrugged. “Anyway, less bulky than I expected. Slower too. I jumped the intruder, grabbed his pants, and we fell. I tried to pull his hood off, but the bastard was also wearing a ski mask. We fought, and I got hit in the head from behind. And here we are. They left a couple of nasty signs on the walls, babe.”

“I’m going inside. I want to see. ”

“You’re going nowhere. We’ll come another time and paint the walls.”

“I concur with Priestly. We don’t need you moving around and contaminating the evidence. So there were two intruders.” Captain Weaver turned to Billings. “Help Priestly to the EMT vehicle. Then call in the forensic unit. I want this place dusted and inspected from one end to the other.”

“The guy I jumped wore gloves,” Barron said.

Captain Weaver smirked. “We don’t know if the accomplice had them on. No crime scene is ever perfect. There’s always a mistake or an error made. I intend to find it and arrest their asses. No one threatens my assistant without repercussions.”

“Are you all right, my dear?” Andrea Miller had finally reached her side.

Releasing Barron’s waist, Yoanni gave Andrea her best smile. “I wasn’t hurt at all, but my boyfriend was.”

As Barron continued to the emergency vehicle, Mr. Miller gave him a thorough scan. “This young man seems familiar. Has he been around the neighborhood?”

“I’ve brought him around a few times.”

No way would she admit Barron was the late-night visitor Mr. Miller had seen watching her house on his bike.

“I’m glad you’re unharmed, my dear,” Andrea said. “Would you like to come home with us? We can put on a pot of tea?”

Yoanni held her wrist warmly. “Thank you. I’m so grateful for your offer, but he needs my help.” She tilted her head toward Barron.

“Of course,” Andrea said, then turned to her husband. “We can go home, Mr. Miller. For the moment, our Yoanni doesn’t need our help. Keep us informed, will you, darling?”

“I sure will.”

Once the paramedic cleaned the blood and examined Barron’s vitals, he gave up arguing with his stubborn patient. He let him go home as long as someone drove for him.

Barron argued, “I’m telling you, I’m fine.”

But between the pressure of everyone’s disapproving glares and the fact that maybe he wasn’t feeling as well as he pretended, he eventually sat quietly on the passenger side while Yoanni drove his truck. Captain Weaver, adamant that they should be escorted, assigned a different officer to follow them. Billings had other matters to deal with.

In the end, Yoanni was grateful for Officer Cragg’s escort. Barron bitched all the way home. He was pissed that someone had surprised him from behind. She let him vent without saying much. He was awake and not too hurt. Nothing else mattered to her. As she got to his house, she drove the truck into Barron’s driveway, but left it out of the garage so she could help him climb down. Cragg parked the patrol car behind the truck.

“I’ll give you a hand,” Cragg said, going to Barron’s side of the truck.

She winced, thinking of Caesar. “Thank you, but there’s a dog inside. He barely knows me. I don’t want him to get nervous and attack you.”

“Yoanni,” Barron murmured from his seat. “Caesar won’t react if you both help me walk in the house.”

“Are you sure?”

He cupped her cheek. “Yes, princess.”

Officer Cragg was a big man. His physique indicated he trained with weights and had done sports at some point in school and later. He easily anchored Barron’s armpit on his shoulder and stood him up.

“Lead the way.” Officer Cragg smiled.

Taking her keys out of her purse, Yoanni opened the door, soothing a whining Caesar inside the house. “It’s okay, boy. We have Daddy with us. ”

Caesar stepped back, growling at the man in the dark uniform.

“Settle down,” Barron ordered. “Sit.” At his master’s command, Caesar sat, panting. His eyes darted from one human to the other. “That’s my good boy,” Barron said. “Help me sit on that chair. I need a moment.”

“Oh, no. You’re too pale. Maybe we should go to the hospital.”

“Get him some water, miss,” Cragg said, helping him sit. “The concussion and all that moving around is making him nauseous. Once he gets into bed, he’ll get a decent rest and will feel better in the morning.”

“I’ll go get water. Please stay with him. Do you need anything, Officer?”

“No, thank you. I’ll watch him.”

Yoanni rushed to the kitchen and went straight for the fridge. She found several bottles of water, took one, and ran back.

“Here. Have some.” She held it up to Barron’s lips. He held the bottle and sipped. Seconds later, his color started improving.

“See, miss? He’s looking better.”

“Yes.” She sighed.

“I’ll help you get him to bed. He’s kinda heavy for you,” Cragg said.

Barron nodded. “Thank you. The dizziness is past. I can walk now. Just stay close by, in case…”

“I understand,” Cragg said.

Holding Barron’s arm, Cragg boosted him up. Moving to his free side, Yoanni wrapped her arm around his waist. Slowly, they walked him to the bedroom. Once inside, she left Barron with Officer Cragg while she quickly pulled the bedspread and stacked two pillows for him. Slowly, Barron sat at the edge of the bed. Quietly, Caesar padded in and settled nearby.

“Oh, yeah. There’s no more dizziness. Only the headache remains. ”

Officer Cragg chuckled. “I’m afraid that will stay awhile. If you don’t need me anymore, I’ll return to the investigation. I’m sure they’re going over your place with a fine-tooth comb.”

“I’m all right now.” Barron waved a hand. “Thanks.”

Yoanni smiled at the officer. “Thank you, Officer Cragg. I’ll walk with you.”

Officer Cragg paused at the door. “Don’t hesitate to call 911 if he’s not feeling well through the night. Otherwise, let him sleep for as long as he wants. That’s the best medicine.”

“I will. Thanks again.”

Cragg tapped his forehead and walked out.

Yoanni closed the door and returned to the bedroom. She found Barron with one foot on the bed, his back leaning against the headboard. He was asleep. At least his color was back to normal. She moved around him, trying to remove his shoes and slacks. Not an easy prospect when the man was so heavy with muscles. Leaving his T-shirt on, she pulled him down by the ankles toward the edge of the bed so his head would rest on the pillows, then draped the sheet and blanket over him.

Somewhat relieved he was resting, she sat at his side and exhaled. Suddenly, it hit her. Because of the speed with which events had unfolded, she never had a moment to pause and process the assault on Barron and her home. Now she understood the level of anxiety and fear she’d been under. She quivered everywhere. Her limbs vibrated, and her stomach and heart fluttered painfully.

“He’s going to be fine, boy. You’ll see.” She spoke to Caesar, but was she really encouraging herself and the dog made it easier? Caesar moved from his spot and sat by her feet. It was a clear vote of confidence. The gesture of trust moved her to the core. She didn’t feel so worried or alone anymore.

“Baby girl.” Barron’s voice was a thread.

She leaned close to him. “Are you feeling sick? ”

“No. I want to thank you.”

“For what?”

“Taking care of me. Come closer.”

“But…”

“Come to me, baby. I need to feel you.”

Carefully, she dropped her head on his chest and snuggled against him.

“Much better,” he whispered. “Now I can sleep.”

And so could she.

Yoanni woke up as light filtered through the window shades. Careful not to wake up Barron, she rolled out of bed and padded barefoot to the kitchen.

Raised in a Cuban household, she was a coffee lover, but tea would be better for Barron. She eyed the cabinets in bewilderment. Somewhere in his kitchen, there had to be tea, and Yoanni was determined to find it. Every person she knew kept some form of tea in their pantries in case of bellyaches, a cold, or simply to enjoy a soothing cup. Didn’t they?

Stepping back from the last opened cupboard, she frowned at the empty shelves. How could he live this way, and how was she supposed to take care of him? Growling to herself, she turned her attention to the last set of cabinet doors above the fridge. Caesar lifted his head, clearly curious. The sound she’d just made was a familiar language.

“I found your food, no problem.” She spoke to the dog. “At least you’re taken care of.” Dropping her hands on her hips, she made a full turn. If she’d expected illumination to come from some hidden corner, she might as well forget it. None came.

Yoanni glanced at the small eating table, considered pulling a chair over, then changed her mind. Maybe in the garage she’d find something a little more stable to climb on. Sure enough, she turned on the lights in the garage and saw the stepladder propped against a corner. This would work.

The thing was heavy, but once she managed to wiggle her shoulders under one of the steps, she put her arms around it and lifted high enough to bring it to the kitchen without dragging the legs along the floor or making a racket.

Satisfied with her efforts, she opened the ladder in front of the fridge and climbed to where she thought she could reach the cabinet doors. However, she was a short girl. In order to open the doors, she had to get on the second step from the top. Not the safest thing to do without someone spotting her from behind, but the ladder seemed sturdy enough. She went for it.

Standing on the tips of her toes, she reached forward, opened one cabinet door, and blew out her cheeks with frustration. More empty shelves.

“Stop!”

Barron’s voice startled her. Yoanni’s foot slipped out of the step, the ladder wobbled, and she held on to the top with both arms, praying the thing wouldn’t tip over. No chance of that happening. She glanced down and found Barron’s scowl. He steadied the ladder with both hands.

“You scared me,” she moaned pitifully.

“I scared you? You gave me a heart attack, Yoanni María Sanz. Do you have any idea how close you came to falling? Get down this instant.”

Yoanni moved down, ensuring each foot went onto the right step. She didn’t want to give him any more ammunition to scold her. Despite his rightful anger—he did have a point; she’d dangerously reached forward—she was unexpectedly pleased. Once she reached the floor, she turned to face him.

“You know my full name?”

“Sure I do.”

“Oh, Daddy. You took the time to find out. Makes me so happy.”

He narrowed his gaze. “Be happy all you want, but you’re not escaping.”

Oh, heck. He hadn’t forgotten, and her antics on the ladder had made it worse. Maybe she should pull out her most innocent expression.

“I…don’t know…”

Barron laughed, brushing her cheek. “You’re the most precious thing on this earth. Lord, you warm my heart. But that was a nice try. You had one pending. Now it’s double, and best of all, you’re dressed for it.” He pointed to the dining area. “Move, little girl. Go stand next to a chair.”

She gave him her best, most pathetic moue. Barron shook his head. Yikes! He wasn’t budging. Sighing in resignation, she walked to the chair he’d pointed at and stood, waiting for instructions.

“Gotta tell you,” he said as he slowly walked to the chair. “That sleep T-shirt you have on is real cute. But when you leaned forward, your ruffly panties peeked out, calling my name.” He sat and extended his palm. “Remove your panties and give them to me.”

Eyes wide, her mouth slightly open, she stared at him. “You want me to…what?”

“Are you saying I didn’t explain myself?”

“No. I didn’t mean that at all.”

Oh, wow. This Daddy Barron was more dominant than in the past. She was confused and excited at the same time. He meant to spank her bare bottom, and she, by willingly obeying and removing her panties, was going to make it happen. She was an active participant in her own punishment, and that sent her arousal through the roof.

You could refuse .

Hell, no. She wanted his hand striking her bottom. She wanted the heat he gave, with every desperate cell in her body. Even now, the sensitive nub between her legs twitched and tickled in anticipation.

“Yoanni?”

“I thought…” She lifted a shoulder. “You’d help me do this.”

“Help you how?”

“You know, put me over your legs and pull my panties down.”

He nodded. “I see. You sassed, not me. Even though I’m jumping through hoops to keep you safe, you’re the one doing silly, dangerous things and taking chances.” He crossed one leg over the other. “The way I see it, presenting your full sweet bottom for punishment is a sign of repentance, the least you can do, and what your Daddy expects. If you disagree, I can make arrangements to have you stay with someone else. Maybe with the captain or the lady in your neighborhood. Your place is trashed. Going home is out of the question.”

Her heart jumped. Wait. Is he ending the relationship?

“What are you saying?”

“We’re at the crossroads. You have to take responsibility for your actions.” Barron uncrossed his legs, but his usual lighthearted expression turned serious. The soothing warmth he always gave her was nowhere. “Decision’s yours.”

Cold panic filled her soul. They were breaking up because she wouldn’t pull her panties down?

No. You know better.

This was about admitting her misdeeds and accepting her Daddy’s rules. She shouldn’t be surprised. On their first date, he’d been clear about her taking risks and the resulting consequences. Call it macho, alpha a-hole, patriarchal, domineering, whatever. Those were his Daddy rules. He didn’t force them on her. She always had a choice, and she’d agreed.

It’s crunch time, Yoanni .

Take it or leave it.

She moved closer to his thighs. Slowly, she wiggled, inserting her thumbs into the elastic band of her panties, then pulled them down to her ankles. She stepped out, picked them up, and dropped them on his palm. One more gesture and her submission was complete. Bending over, she settled her stomach on his thighs, offering her bare rear. The strongest arousal she’d ever experienced surged over her.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure, Daddy.”

His warm palm kneaded her lower back. “My sweet little girl, you make me the happiest man on earth.”