Chapter 19

It’s true. Here’s the proof.

With trembling fingers, she unfastened the top of the bag and peered inside. A bright banknote with a picture of a man and a colorful bird looked up at her. There was a band across the middle, and she knew it was holding a stack together. She traced her fingers over the outside of the dusty bag and could feel row after row of bundled bills.

There was no way this was just Sammi’s parents’ nest egg. What had her father done?

She wiped away the perspiration from her forehead and felt the remains of her oatmeal roiling inside her. How could her father have been involved in this?

Tears filled her eyes, messing with her vision. Blindly, she pushed the bag back into the alcove and stood. Stumbling back the way she had come, Juniper automatically turned off the bulbs she passed until she reached the bottom of the steps. There, she looked back over her shoulder at the darkness.

What am I going to do?

Climbing the stairs, Juniper tried to pull her thoughts together. She hesitated at the top and pressed her ear to the door, trying to hear if anyone was in the room. Juniper pushed open the door and peeked out. Immediately, she slammed it shut when she heard the creak of a chair and knew she’d been caught.

“I know you’re down there, Little girl. Come out.”

Even through the barrier, her Daddy’s voice sounded hard and, even worse, disappointed.

Slowly, she pushed the door open and stepped into the room. “Hi?” Her Daddy didn’t answer but held up his hand for her to be quiet.

“Got her,” Magnus said and paused. He tapped his ear to clue her in.

Juniper realized he was listening to something. Oh, crap. The whole team knows.

“Yeah, the opening is very obvious now. Perhaps some scaffolding and tarps would disguise the damage to the wall.”

Peeking over her shoulder, she saw the obvious opening in the wall. If Eric saw that, he’d know where the money was.

After tapping his earpiece again, Magnus spoke as he walked forward to tug her hat lower, “You are in so much trouble, but now, I need to get you back to a safe area. Rocco is delaying Eric, but he’s getting suspicious.”

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he rushed her to the door. “Walk directly to the elevator. I will be right behind you.”

“But…”

“No buts. Go now,” Magnus ordered as they reached the door.

Keeping her head down, Juniper walked out of the conference room and toward the elevators.

As they got close, a disgruntled voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Sir, when is the elevator going to be fixed? We’re all delayed waiting for the others.”

Magnus answered, “We’re going to test it right now to make sure it’s safe.”

As if on cue, the elevator opened, and Juniper walked in, closely followed by Magnus. She peeked up as the doors slid shut to see several people watching with satisfied looks on their faces. As the car rose, Juniper snuck a glance at Magnus. His face was steely solemn. She swallowed hard.

With a ding, the elevator arrived at the fifth floor, and she rushed out. Reaching into her pocket, she held out the mass of keys to him. “I know you’re mad. I just couldn’t not know.”

“What would’ve happened if you’d asked me to take you down there safely?” Magnus asked before turning to hang the keyring back into place.

Juniper felt her jaw drop open. Would he have taken her if she’d asked? “I needed to see it myself.”

“Yes. Let me ask my question another way. What’s the worst thing that would’ve happened if you’d asked me to take you down there?”

“You’d have said no.”

“Did you ask?”

“Well, no.”

“Instead, you stole keys, climbed out a fifth-floor window in someone else’s apartment onto a ledge, scampered down a tree like a squirrel, and disguised yourself as an employee while moving through an area where a man, who we can only suspect would kill you to find out where the money was hidden, could find you easily.”

“Eric Rivers was rock climbing with Rocco.”

“Let’s add hacking into a computer system to your list of bad decisions. I’ll have some questions about that later.”

“I had to know,” she wailed.

“Did you ask?” Magnus repeated for the fourth time.

“No.” Juniper took off the borrowed baseball cap and handed it back to him.

“Do you have any idea how I felt when you appeared on my screen with foliage in your hair?” he asked before reaching out to pluck a small shoot with a leaf from her hair. “The last time we talked, you were in your playroom reading. I connected the dots.”

“I found the money. It’s in an alcove to the left. I can’t believe my father had something to do with the robbery.” Juniper started crying, her chest heaving in distress.

Magnus wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close to his hard frame. “Don’t jump to conclusions. It’s very possible we don’t know the whole story. Why would a man who knows where a fortune is hidden never return to claim it?”

“You don’t think he was involved?” she asked with her face hidden against him.

“I think he hid the money. Why—I don’t know. We’ll have to figure that out. For now, my first priority is correcting a naughty Little girl who put herself at risk today.”

“I’m fine. I have a few scrapes from the tree, but I’m okay,” she assured him.

Magnus stepped back and pointed to their apartment.

Head down, Juniper walked in front of him to the door with the cute kiwi bird. When he opened the door, she stepped inside and hesitated.

“Go to our bedroom, Little girl.”

She walked to the bed and draped herself over it, expecting to be spanked. Juniper saw the hat she’d borrowed land on the bed a foot away. She swallowed hard and squeezed her eyes shut, anticipating the swat she knew was coming.

“Stand up, Juni. I want to get your clothes off you to make sure you haven’t hurt yourself.”

Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet and reported to the spot he indicated by pointing.

“Raise your arms,” he ordered.

When she was in position, he lifted her pilfered Danger Bluff shirt, as well as her own, over her head. The cool air of the room wafted over her breasts. Juniper dropped her arms by her sides, not daring to cover her chest. It was so hard to be exposed and vulnerable.

Magnus dropped to one knee to unfasten her shoes. She lifted each foot as he instructed and watched him strip off her socks and shoes before dragging her leggings to her ankles. Juniper stepped out of the stretch material without waiting to be told.

“Good girl.”

That praise reminded her that this was her Daddy. He cared about her. Suddenly, it dawned on her how worried he must have been. Had he imagined her falling from the top floor?

“I’m sorry I worried you,” she whispered.

“Thank you, Juni,” her Daddy said as he slid her panties down her legs slowly as if to remind her that this was her very last piece of clothing.

With that discarded onto the pile, Magnus scanned her body. His fingertips explored every slight abrasion to her skin and probed everywhere. He turned her slowly in front of him. “We’ll have to treat all these scratches after you bathe. Lean over the edge of the bed on your stomach, bottom facing me. I’m going to get your thermometer and make sure you don’t have a temperature.”

“No, Daddy,” she pleaded as she wiggled in place. Her buttocks clenched already because she knew where he’d take her temperature.

Time crept by on turtle legs. Finally, she heard him returning. Juniper rushed to reassure him. “I feel fine.”

Magnus didn’t answer that but set a large jar of lubricant, an open container of wipes, and a thick, long thermometer in its protective case in her line of vision. He slowly unscrewed the lid and set it aside before dipping his finger into the thick substance inside.

“Reach back and hold your bottom apart.”

“What?” she squeaked, starting to roll over to look at him. A firm hand in the center of her back pinned her in place.

“Spread your buttocks, Juni. I need to get you prepared.”

When she didn’t move, he warned. “I’m going to count to three. Each time I reach that number, I’ll add five additional swats to your spanking. You don’t want any more added.”

As she pondered that statement, he counted, “One. Two. Three. Do you want ten?”

Before he could begin counting again, she reached back and pulled her cheeks apart, but just barely.

“More.”

She pulled more firmly, imagining what she must look like to the man behind her.

“More.”

“Daddy!” she protested.

“Now, Juni. One…”

She spread her buttocks as far as she could and buried her face in the covers.

“Good girl. This will feel cold.”

He pressed a hand to her lower back, tethering her in place. She held her breath and then felt the slippery mixture as he rubbed it over the usually hidden ring of muscles. “Spread,” he warned when she relaxed her hold.

“Yes, Daddy,” she said as she complied. How had she ever thought exploring on her own was a good idea?

He pressed his finger through the opening slowly.

Juniper clenched her thighs together as she tried to convince herself that she didn’t like this—that he didn’t set her nerves on fire—that she wasn’t becoming soaking wet. That damned finger rubbed along the walls, bringing the nerves to life and making her bite her lower lip to hold back her moan.

“I can feel your response, Little girl. It’s okay to like feeling my touch. This is not a punishment. This is Daddy making sure that you’re okay.”

She nodded against the covers and melted onto them as he withdrew his finger. Peeking to the side when she felt motion, Juniper watched him clean his hands with a wipe before removing the thermometer from its case. Her breath shuddered from her lips as she imagined that thick instrument inside her.

“Try to relax,” he suggested as he dipped the end into the lubricant before spreading it up the glass sides.

When it disappeared behind her, she let go of her bottom.

“Two. Three. That’s ten extra spanks, Juni.”

She quickly spread herself again. He didn’t hesitate this time but inserted the thick tip. It didn’t go any further for a few seconds. He simply rotated it shallowly inside, pushing the response of her nerves higher. When she thought she would scream with anticipation, he slowly pressed it inside. As it stopped, Magnus twirled it inside her for a few seconds before it resumed its inward path. Finally, his hand cupped over the end and rested on her bottom.

“Ten minutes.”

Those minutes stretched out into a year in her brain. Her actions played over and over in her head. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“I know, Juni. That doesn’t change your punishment.”

Again, she nodded, feeling miserable. The silence was overwhelming. Tears leaked from Juniper’s eyes as her brain focused on all the things that could have happened to her. She jumped as he removed the thermometer.

“You may release your bottom now. You are very lucky, Juni,” he announced after checking the gauge. “Your temperature is normal. Go stand in the corner while I go put these away.”

He helped her to her feet and pointed to an empty corner. When she pleaded with him with her eyes, Magnus said, “Go on, Little girl.”

Shuffling her feet, she huddled in the corner. Juniper pressed her forehead to the cool wall. Listening intently, she heard him moving around. The soft sounds of water and drawers opening and closing reached her ears. Finally, she detected the whisper of his shoes on the carpet as he walked back into the room.

“Come here, Juni.”

Juniper turned from the corner and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed. She dragged her feet as she approached. He didn’t hurry her as she searched his expression for any hint of anger. His face was calm and relaxed.

“Lie down over my lap.”

“Are you going to spank me a lot?” she asked. Her hands automatically covered her bottom as if she could protect it.

“How badly could you have gotten hurt?”

Freezing as she recreated that move to the tree limb and the climb downward, Juniper knew luck had kept her safe. Without another word, she stretched her body over his hard thighs.

Whack, whack, whack.

She closed her eyes as tears tumbled to the carpet. The heat building on her skin made Juniper bite her lip. He paused to run a finger over her mouth.

“I need to hear your sounds, Little girl.”

She released her teeth immediately and moaned as he swatted her bottom three more times in rapid secession. No longer trying to be quiet, Juniper heard her own gasps and pleas to end the spanking. The punishment continued.

Everything blurred together. The tension in her muscles evaporated, and she drooped over his lap. Daddy was in charge.

“Five more swats for not following directions,” he announced. Those last five seemed the hardest to take because she knew she’d earned them by not doing as she’d been told.

Finally, he gathered her into his arms and lifted her to sit on his lap. Her bottom was on fire. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she buried her head in the crook of his neck. His hands smoothed over her back as he whispered to her.

“You did good, Juni. Daddy’s proud of you. All those bad choices are wiped away. You’re safe and in Daddy’s arms. I love you, Little girl.”

“Even when I’m bad?” she whispered. Her voice was husky from crying.

“All the time, Juni. You’re mine. My Little girl. I love you.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“What are you going to do differently next time, Juni?”

“I’m not going to climb out a window. I promise I’ll talk things over with you in the future.”

“Thank you, Juni. It would kill me to lose you now.”

“Daddy? What about the money?”

“We’ll have a big meeting about the money this afternoon. Right now, you’re going to let Daddy give you a bath, and then you’ll go take a nap.”

She nodded. That sounded heavenly. Juniper peeked up at him again. “I love you, Daddy.”

His mouth captured hers in a kiss that made her toes curl with delight. When he lifted his lips from hers, Magnus looked at her with the best expression. His lips were tipped up at the corners just enough to make his eyes crinkle. She could feel her heart doing flip-flops in her chest.

Everything would be all right. Her Daddy would make sure of it.