18. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Marcus

L eighton's confused eyes track my movements the whole time I arrange her on the bed.

I pull the gag around her head. Tell her she's such a good girl. Stroke her temple once the cloth gag is in place. Tuck her under the blankets.

There's no need to bind her to the bed. She might scream, but she won't move a muscle.

"My little doll." I kiss her forehead, inhaling the scent of our sex seeping from her pores. "You're going to be a good girl and wait for me here, won't you?"

A tear trickles out when she blinks once. Good enough.

"Good girl," I repeat. "This is for your own good. I'll reward you for it later. Try to rest. "

Assured that she isn't going anywhere, I lock the door behind me and head to the kitchen. Dr. Hatchett, Miranda, wouldn't have called unless it was urgent.

And by urgent, I mean a catastrophe in epic proportions with one of my patients.

About a year ago, I gave her this number in case I drop off the face of the earth. In case I don't answer my other phone. I reassured her, said I'd probably go for a much-needed vacation. I also urged her to check in on me.

So far, Rylan hasn't hurt me or Leighton. Emphasis on so far .

What if she's gotten to Dr. Hatchett?

When I reach the burner phone on the kitchen counter, I suck in a deep breath.

My therapist's phone rings three times before she picks up. "Marcus."

"Dr. Hatchett," I answer, my voice sounding like an order.

Rylan might be there, listening in. She should be made aware I'm still her father and I'm not to be fucked with.

"This'll be quick. I know this number is for SOS cases, and I'd hate to waste your time…should this be a misunderstanding."

My psychiatrist sounds concerned, not scared. She doesn't have my blue-eyed daughter there pressing a knife to her throat. Can't be.

Relief washes over me. One less life endangered.

"You never waste my time." I stick to my icy tone. "What's going on? "

"I received a rather disturbing call from your daughter about an hour ago." She pauses.

A tactic to get me to talk. To admit to whatever Rylan's accusing me of. I've been playing this game long enough not to fall for Dr. Hatchett's trap.

When I give her nothing, she continues, "She informed me you've gone missing. You and her best friend. The girl we've been discussing in your sessions. I knew you won't arrive today, but Leighton…" I hear her shuffling her notes and still keep my mouth shut. "Yes, Leighton June Irvine. Is she with you?"

I've anticipated this. Have considered Rylan would approach my closest confidant to try to coax the truth out of me.

Even if I wouldn't have suspected Rylan, I still wouldn't have admitted the truth to Dr. Hatchett. Telling her I took Leighton to save her would put my psychiatrist between a rock and a hard place.

On the one hand, she'll believe me when I tell her Leighton was in danger. I've been her patient for years. Ever since I started seeing my own patients. If I ever decide to incriminate my daughter, Dr. Hatchett would take my word for it.

She'll understand, even.

On the other hand, there's the law. She's legally bound to go to the authorities. About not only me, but Rylan as well.

Yeah… No.

"She's here. We haven't gone missing ." I lower my voice, glancing over my shoulder. "Not in the sense you imply. "

Leighton might draw the wrong conclusions from the tidbits that'd filter into the room. I won't allow a misunderstanding to ruin what we've built together over the last three days.

I step outside, ambling toward the pool. The water is blue and sparkling under the Malibu sun. The infinite landscape ahead of us blankets me with a sense of security.

Leighton isn't in danger here. She's the safest she'll ever be.

The privacy of the land and the two guns I store inside the house guarantee that.

"Is she okay? Miss Irvine?" Dr. Hatchett's concern is evident in every word she says.

She'd witnessed parts of my obsession no one else had. I hadn't divulged the full extent of my madness to my psychiatrist. Hadn't mentioned to her that I'd built a safe house for Leighton.

I'd never give her a reason to suspect I'd do anything to hurt Leighton.

"Leighton is perfectly fine." The orgasm she had on my dick would suggest she's more than fine. A piece of information Dr. Hatchett has no business hearing about. "This trip was a spur of the moment, that's all."

"Oh?" More silence. More baiting.

Two trained psychiatrists like Dr. Hatchett and me, our brains could spar like this all day. She wouldn't hang up until she was sure Leighton was unharmed. I would never elaborate on where I am and what Leighton and I are doing .

Unacceptable. My woman is in the other room. In a trance. Unsupervised. Uncared for. Her mind could delve into dangerous places. It could convince her I'd left her for good.

The damage to her sanity could be extensive.

"I told her I loved her. Couldn't hide it anymore. Couldn't let her go to New York." Half-truths always sound better than full-on lies. "I pulled her into a room away from Rylan and confessed. Then we eloped. That's the whole story."

"I see."

"It was impulsive and wrong. When Leighton said she felt the same"—sort of—"I had to move. Everything happened so fast, and the last thing I wanted was to drop that bomb on Rylan out of nowhere. We left the house to buy us some time. I assure you, I plan to return and sort everything out."

Once Leighton realizes there's no other man for her. That our mutual obsession is the best kind of sickness for two souls like ours.

"I understand, Marcus." Dr. Hatchett's impressed voice soothes me. She doesn't ask where we are, doesn't pry. "Would you like me to call Rylan? She's worried, and I don't mind diffusing the situation."

Worried. Right. More like, worried about tracking down her next victim.

Years of friendship mean nothing to my daughter when it comes to me.

She'll lose her shit when she finds out Leighton and I are in love. That we eloped . She'll take it out on Dr. Hatchett.

Unless I find her first. She's my only child. My beloved baby girl. I'm the only one who can talk reason to her .

We'll make it through. As a family.

No more trail of corpses left behind us.

"No need, Dr. Hatchett. Thank you." I whip around to watch the house, tracking the room where my heart lies. "I have this. I'm sorry Rylan called you. This is a family matter; it should've stayed between Rylan and me."

"No harm done." A smile filters into her voice. "On that note, I'm glad to hear things are working out well for you two. You deserve a healthy relationship, Marcus."

My lips hike to the side. Healthy . I wish Leighton could hear this.

Speaking of.

"Thank you, Miranda," I address her by her first name. "I appreciate your concern. I'll keep you updated when I return. I'll also reschedule. Depending on how long I'll end up staying here."

"Sounds like a plan."

We end the call, and I rush to our bedroom. I unlock the door, throwing the key on the nightstand.

"I'm here, beautiful. Haven't left you for a second." I'm on the bed next to her, removing the cloth gag.

Her lips are warm when I kiss them, her cheeks soft as I cup them.

"I had to take care of something, but I've just been outside by the pool. Right here."

The sight of her immobile and helpless has my mind racing. I want things I shouldn't. Like losing my clothes and sinking into her pussy again. Or stretching her ass some more with my cock, teaching her how to relax for me .

Later.

"I'm going to count slowly from five to zero, Leighton."

I'm right at her side, bathing her in warmth and a sense of security. I could snap my fingers, yet I don't. She's had enough shock for one day. I'm here to do everything in my power to soothe her.

"When I reach zero, you'll be fully awake. It'll be as though you're levitating to me on a cloud. A soft, smooth sailing. Nothing too abrupt. Okay, baby? Blink once for yes, twice for no."

One blink.

"Good girl." I brush a wayward strand of her pink hair behind her ear. "Five… You're feeling as though you're waking from a long, peaceful slumber. Four… Sensation returns to your fingers and toes."

From the corner of my eye, I see her flexing her fingers. The movements are small. She might try to slap me with those once she's up. As long as she's okay, I'll take it.

"Good job, Leigh. Three… The air conditioner's breeze caresses your skin."

Leighton's nipples pucker from below the covers at that. I smirk, stroking them reverently.

"Two… Almost there. You're able to blink freely." When she slams her eyes closed, I kiss each eyelid. "One… The world becomes clearer… Zero."

I expect anger. Disappointment. Resentment.

I wait for the sick and psycho .

For her to scream at me and for us to go back to square one .

I did, after all, break her trust.

She doesn't say a thing.

"Leighton, talk to me." My palm lies carefully around her cheek. "Tell me you're here."

Her lips pinch. She's okay. She's here instead of being stuck somewhere.

Then why isn't she answering me?

"Is something wrong?"

I mean her psyche. Her arched eyebrow tells me that her psyche too, is okay.

It's something else.

She's giving me the silent treatment.

"Are we playing this game now?" I don't snap at her. My hackles don't rise at her reaction to me. I deserve it. But another second without her voice and I'll fucking lose it. "You're punishing me?"

Both her eyebrows arch. If she wasn't giving me the silent treatment, I bet she'd ask if I was for real. I need to hear her ask that. To taunt me. To scream at me. Anything.

"Talk to me, dammit." When she doesn't, I do the unimaginable. I explain myself to her. "You're fragile, Leigh. I couldn't risk you screaming for help because you're confused. Do you understand me?"

"I wouldn't have," she grumbles.

I'll take her grumbles over silence any day. "Leighton."

"Or I would've." Her glower is so fucking cute. "Doesn't matter. You said you wouldn't say the word as a means to control me and you have. What the hell, Marcus? "

"I deserve your anger. I'm sorry." I check on her. My hand is on her, softly massaging the spot between her eyes, grounding her. "Can you forgive me?"

A small, sneaky smirk creeps up her lips. "Apologize again, and I might."

"I'm sorry. So sorry, pretty girl." When I kiss the corner of her lip, she doesn't grimace. She lets me. "Could you ever forgive me?"

Her wickedness turns into softness as her smirk evolves into a smile.

"What's going on?" I watch her like you would a wild, magical animal. "How are you?"

"High." She sighs, her voice groggy. Her pleasure is evident as she scoots toward me. "Happy. Calm. Was that Rylan?"

"No, it wasn't her." I raise the covers to join her.

She doesn't object to me gathering her into my embrace. We gaze into each other's eyes. My hands delve into her hair, hers are on my chest.

A profound sense of serenity settles between us. Absolute certainty that everything will be okay.

"'Kay." She almost looks happy.

"Where did you go in your trance, little doll?" I ask, seeking answers from her mouth as well as her eyes.

She hums. "Somewhere."

"Tell me."

Before she does, I place a finger beneath her chin, angling her head up. Her lips taste of summer and love. I take her slowly, reverently. Then fiercely. Her tongue responds to my demanding strokes, giving as good as she gets.

We break the kiss, both of us breathing hard. Her exhales are my drug. Mine make her smile.

"I love you."

I don't let my shock show. But you can bet your ass I'm stumped at her statement.

"Where did that come from?"

"I told you, somewhere."

"I'm a greedy man, Leighton. A possessive one. I want all of you. Your laughter, your tears. The words coming out of your mouth. Every single thought that runs through your head." I glower at her, my obsession for her slowly creeping up on me. "Now tell me. Where did you go?"

She undoes the buttons of my shirt. I groan but don't make a move. Leighton moves her hand over my chest, her nails grazing my skin.

"What if I want to keep it a secret?"

"Not happening." I switch from tender to demanding with my fingers gripping her neck. "I thought you'd panic about leaving you. Instead, you wake up with a silent treatment, then an I love you . Without calling me a psycho. I need you to talk, and I need it to happen right the fuck now."

"You're still a psycho." She licks her swollen lips. "My psycho."

"That's only half right. I'm yours." My teeth are greedy for the flesh of her neck. My ears, however, crave to hear her out. To find out how her intricate mind works. How I can manipulate it for her benefit. "What else? "

"I'm your psycho too. I don't know how. I just am."

I cock an eyebrow. "Go on."

"I heard you behind the door. I mean, not what you said. The words were muffled, but it didn't matter." Her searching hand glides to my belt, and I stop her. I'm fucking savoring this moment. "I felt them on my skin. And I knew. I just knew you were protecting me. I tingled all over. My mind connected to yours somehow, and it was…safe."

"From what?" I dread her answer. She's not ready.

"No idea." Leighton shrugs, sliding her leg over mine. "I want you to be my protector. My psycho too. And so much more."

Relief surges through me, then arousal. The scent of her needy pussy has my mouth watering and my dick straining for relief.

Whatever she told me is enough. It's plenty. Her pussy sucks my fingers in, still wet with my cum. I stroke her sensitive spot, the one that brings her the most pleasure. The one no one else has touched before.

This time when she goes for my belt, I don't stop her. Her hand fucks my cock while my fingers make her writhe and cry out. Her orgasm is quick and loud.

Before Leighton takes another breath, I spear her with my cock, and she screams for me.

"Still sensitive?" I ask, not really caring as I pummel into her.

Her pain will soon transform into pleasure. Everything with me will.

"Yes. "

"Good." As I fuck her mercilessly, my fingers curl around her wrist. I bring her hand up between us.

Her thumb glistens with my pre-cum, and I shove it into her mouth. She moans, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, her needy mouth sucking.

"My greedy cum slut," I growl, flipping her on her back. "So hungry for it. You almost bit off your own fingers."

"Please," she begs, knowing it's what I want. "Please."

"Fuck, yes." I move her arms up and over her head, lock her wrists together, and pound harder. "That's. My. Good. Girl."

When I can't last anymore, I groan, releasing inside her. Filling her up. Claiming her.

And all this time, she's smiling up at me.

After kissing her thoroughly, I climb off her, staying close to her side.

"You did so well." I don't waste a drop of my cum, pushing it back inside her swollen pussy. "We're getting somewhere, pretty girl."

A few strokes later, I pull my fingers out of Leighton. Her mouth is parted, but she isn't my doll now. She's just greedy.

"You want this?" I dab my fingers along her lips, painting them white.

"Please."

I drag my fingers on her tongue, down her throat. My cock jerks when she gags. When she moans at the taste of me and her combined.

I'm not going for another round, though. My heart is starving for her warmth like her mouth is for my cum .

Cradled in my arms, she takes a moment to look me over. My face, my chest, the rest of my body. I don't have to guess what she'll say next when her nails trail the new ink on my bicep.

"What's this?"

My second tattoo was hidden under a sterile pad at home. Neither she nor Ry were supposed to see it. When Ry asked about it, I lied, saying it was a mosquito bite I scratched until it bled.

Even though I haven't bothered hiding it here, Leighton hasn't noticed it so far. She's had other things to absorb.

She sees me now.

Whatever happened to her during this last trance, I'm grateful.

Twisting slightly to offer her a better angle, I wait for her to talk first.

"Is this…" Her voice drifts into silence.

"Yes. I tattooed your birth date right over Ry's."

Leighton's brow scrunches. "Why?"

"I love you, Leighton," I say the words I haven't told any woman before her. "I love you. That's fucking why."

Blue eyes glint. Hope shines within them. Doubt too. "A tattoo means forever, Marcus."

"My obsession doesn't bother you anymore?" I'm confused. "My commitment does?"

"Psycho." Her faint smile has me barking an incredulous laugh. "I'm just happy, I guess. I'm just happy."