Chapter 5

5

Penny

T he dark look in Roark's eyes makes me shift slightly in Cameron's lap.

And that shifting around reminds me that he's been sporting a hard-on since the moment I settled here.

"Why don't you tell us exactly what happened?" Roark says.

"Because you won't believe me."

"Hey." Cameron's arms tighten around me. "Why don't you give us a chance? We're the good guys, Penny."

"Okay, sure." I'm not entirely certain I believe them, but at this point, what do I have to lose by talking? I don't have to say everything yet, just give them the bare bones. "Clive Oberon's company is spewing all kinds of disgusting pollution into our air and water, and he's trying to hide it. He's working with everyone from corrupt politicians to drug lords, and falsifying reports and I don't even know what else because I don't understand it all."

"The files you stole aren't sensitive documents meant to undermine his legit business," Roark says.

"Why would I care about his stupid business?"

"Our report says you lost your inheritance," Cameron says.

When did my life become such a circus of misfortune? "Yeah, someone I trusted gave me bad advice to benefit their own business. It sucks. But I got a job with Oberon Transport, pretty high up. Clive noticed me and started dating me, and then I found out what the company was really up to."

I don't tell them about the other things I know. The way that man screamed as he fell. Clive's cold eyes as he instructed his men to continue laying concrete.

A long silence follows my partial testimony, broken only by the sound of falling rain. The wind has died down, and thunder hasn't boomed in my ears in quite some time.

I should probably get out of Cameron's lap.

I really don't want to let him go.

In the heavy silence, I can feel their skepticism. They don't believe me, they don't trust me. And why should they? I don't trust them.

"So you copied sensitive information," Roark prods.

"It's encrypted, but it's proof of the things he's doing, the politicians he's paying off, the drugs he smuggles to appease the cartels, the falsified environmental reports."

Cameron gives me a gentle squeeze. "If you give the files to us, we can make sure they go to the right people."

I almost blab about where I hid them. It would be so easy to hand over the responsibility to someone else, wipe my hands on my pants, and say I've done my part.

But I don't know these guys. Clive could have hired them to pretend to be good guys when they've been on his side all along. Clive "Wild Card" Oberon has done crazier shit.

I shake my head. "Sorry. I'm not telling you."

Roark scowls, dark eyebrows inching together like gathering storm clouds. I'm afraid to look up and see Cameron's face.

Disappointing them makes my chest ache. Abruptly, I scramble off of Cameron's lap. "I have to pee."

"I'll take her." Roark's voice is firm.

Cameron holds up his hands. "It's not like I'd let her run off."

Interesting. Roark seems to think Cameron has a soft spot for me. Maybe I can use that.

"Let's go." Roark's hand is warm on my elbow as he leads me outside.

The rain has stopped for the most part. I'm cold in my tank top, but Roark doesn't make a move to free me from my handcuffs. He hands me a packet of tissues and walks me to a tree. There, he stands like a sentry.

I shift nervously from foot to foot.

"Go ahead," he says.

"I can't pee when you're watching."

He shrugs. "Maybe you don't have to go all that bad."

I stare at him until he shakes his head.

"Fine," he says. "But I'm not taking off your handcuffs."

"How am I supposed to do everything I need to do?"

"Figure it out." He strides to the front of the cabin and stands in the doorway.

I move around to the other side of the tree for privacy. There, I manage to both hold the little tissue packet and do my business. I bury the tissue, feeling bad about littering in the woods.

Their voices reach my ears.

"She doesn't feel safe yet. She isn't going to give us the files," Cameron says.

"Maybe she'll give them up when we get to Ironwood."

They still want the files. They don't care about me, of course. More and more, I think Clive hired them.

"Done yet?" Roark calls out.

"Just about," I say.

It's bitterly cold. I don't know where I'll go from here. I'm not wearing enough clothes. But panic fuels me.

No more time to wait, no more time to think.

I fucking run .

Roark shouts in surprise. Cameron shouts something back at him. Their thudding footsteps follow me through the forest.

I don't know where I'm going. This was stupid. I'm going to get lost and I'm going to get eaten by a bear or a scorpion. Maybe I'll freeze to death first and be a human popsicle for the bears and scorpions.

The pounding in my ears could be either my heartbeat or their running footfalls. How close are they? I don't dare turn around.

I shouldn't have run in the first place. Getting caught wouldn't be the worst thing.

"Penny!" Roark shouts. "Get back here, little girl, or you're going to be sorry."

For some reason the threat turns me on instead of scaring me stupid like it should.

And when his strong arms wrap around my waist and he hauls me to his chest, my futile struggles aren't even real.

I wanted him to catch me.

Going limp in his arms, I say, "Are you going to spank me now, Daddy?"

Roark

Am I going to spank her? Yes I fucking am. Her curvy little body presses against mine in ways that set me on fire.

Instead of making her walk, I haul her over my shoulder, ass up in the air, and I give her a sharp swat through her jeans.

She yelps in surprise, not terror.

I think she wants this.

I wonder what Cameron will say. Is he my flavor of kinky? I've seen him at Low Vice out of the corner of my eye, but I don't know what he gets up to there. I guess I'm about to learn what he thinks of doling out discipline, because this girl has earned a good punishment.

Cameron's blue eyes widen in interest when he sees the way I'm carrying her. Yeah, I'm gonna caveman the shit out of this woman. She's ours now.

Cameron falls into step beside me. "You shouldn't have run, Penny," he says. "Look what you did to Roark. Now he's angry."

"I'm sorry," she says, but she doesn't sound all that contrite.

I'm certain she wants this spanking.

I'm also certain she's scared of us when it comes to her safety and well-being, but she's aroused by us, too.

If I capitalize on the latter, I may be able to ease her fears for the former.

I carry her inside the cabin. Cameron closes the door after us and stands at the entry like Penny might make another run for it. But she's gone docile in my arms, so I hope she'll cooperate.

I set her down. She shivers in the middle of the room, her hands cuffed in front of her. The little fool tried to run deeper into the woods while handcuffed, and only wearing this tiny tank top and jeans? I snag one of the blankets from the cot and wrap it around her shoulders.

"You misbehaved," I say.

"You're going to give me back to Clive," she says.

"We already told you—we'll take you to Ironwood." Cameron gives her a good, stern look, one that says I'm not mad, I'm disappointed . Is he a daddy dom, too?

I sit down on the edge of the cot. It would be nice if there were a spanking bench to make this less personal, but at the same time, I don't mind the idea of her little body draped over my lap. I gesture her forward, then point to my thighs.

"Right here for your punishment, Penny."

"You're truly going to spank me?"

"Your safe word is red ."

Indecision shows in her expression—in her wide brown eyes, in the way she chews her lower lip, in the skeptical wrinkle of her brow. She's going to refuse, which is the smart thing to do.

I don't want her to be smart, though—I want that ass to be mine.

"The longer you dillydally, the worse your punishment will be," I say.

"Shit," she says, then steps forward.

She looks curious, intrigued, nervous.

"Have you ever been spanked before, sweetheart?" I ask.

"No, sir."

Yet she's a natural, calling me sir , her gaze respectfully lowered to the floor.

"I can't say I'll go easy on you," I say, "but you do have a safe word if you need it, and I'll respect that."

When she starts to drape herself over my lap, I hold up a hand. "Lose the blanket. And tug your pants down first. Undies, too. We're doing this bare-assed, sweetheart."

Her lips part in indignation, but she manages to get her pants and underwear down to her knees despite the handcuffs. She tries to hide her pussy by quickly lying across my lap, but Cameron and I both catch a glimpse.

She makes me salivate. I both worry for her and want her. The heady combination activates my inner daddy.

Her plump ass is exposed. My raging hard-on presses into her belly. She has to feel it. Does it scare her? Maybe it should.

Goosebumps dance over her skin. I rub a hand over her bare bottom, trying to warm her, but the best way to warm her is through light impact.

One swat, very gentle, followed by another.

She doesn't even sigh. "Is it supposed to hurt?"

"Not yet." I continue slapping her bare skin. Looking over at Cameron, I say, "Do you want to try? Have you ever delivered a spanking?"

"I specialize in restraints, not punishments," he says. "But I'd like to try."

"The key is to warm her up first. I'm spending extra time on Penny because she was cold. Some light slaps will encourage blood flow."

Kneeling on the floor on the other side of her, Cameron gives her a few swats at the same speed and strength as the ones I was delivering. Penny's ass is turning a pleasing shade of light pink. She moans quietly.

"What's that, little girl?" I ask. "Something to say?"

"No, sir."

Cameron spanks her a few more times.

"Good," I say. "Now it's time for something harder."

It's the only warning Penny gets. I bring my hand down hard, then keep it there on her bottom, holding in the heat.

Penny yelps. Her shoulders jerk, like she wishes she could reach back and cover her butt, but she's still cuffed.

"Hold still, little girl." I spank her three more times, then nod at Cameron.

He takes a turn, adding more force, but not too much.

"You've only watched?" I ask him. "You're doing it like I would."

"I watched you," he says. "One time you scened with the curtains open."

I try to think back to the scene he's talking about, but I barely recall it. Me and my buddy Dmitri with a woman neither of us knew. I'm pleased it made an impression on Cameron, though.

Leaning back, he watches while I take charge again.

"Ow, ow, ow," Penny says. "That fucking hurts."

"It's supposed to." I swat her. "It's the consequence of your actions."

"I copied those files because I wanted to do a good thing," she snaps, glaring at me over her shoulder. "And here I am being punished for it."

"No, you're being punished for running away from us when we're trying to care for you," Cameron says.

"I said I was sorry for that." She wriggles in my lap, making my cock very happy.

I don't think I want to stop at a spanking. I want to take this all the way, give her our cocks, claim her, and take care of her and whatever mistakes she's made in the past. This punishment wipes it all away, gives her a clean slate.

Could it really be that easy?

I brush my palm over her supple ass, feeling the raised marks from her spanking. She's probably had enough. For now.

"Our baby's wet," Cameron says, moving so that he's kneeling behind her legs. "I want to lick her."

Fuck, I want to lick her, too.

Holding her ass cheeks apart to give him access to her cunt, I say, "Unless you hear a safe word, go ahead."