Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Patrick

"It's time that he dies. I've watched her flinch so many times over the past two weeks, I can't let him breathe the same air as her for one more fucking second."

Declan, Killian, Bash, Kieran, Grady, and Ronan all listen intently as I tell them everything I've learned about Ana's father. About how he's been borrowing money from other syndicates and feeding offshore accounts. Not only that, but he's been communicating with someone about selling Ana for a large sum of money. That means, if I hadn't shown up to collect his debt first, I might not have saved her from a life of misery.

"I spoke with Alessandro and a few other syndicate leaders here in the States." Declan sits back in his chair and sighs. "They are all on the brink of killing him themselves. He's done so many people dirty this past year thatwe've lost track. I've asked if they'll leave the killing to us for… personal reasons."

The way he says that has me lifting my head to look at them, but they're already all staring at me. "What?"

Killian smirks. "The girls all seem to really like Ana. They think she's perfect for our family. So now we want to know how you feel."

Rolling my eyes, I shake my head, but on the inside, I'm beaming. "It means a lot that you guys care. And I'm glad the girls like her. Ana seems to like them, too. She has talked more to me each night this week after spending time with them than ever before. Maybe they're helping her come out of her shell?—"

"Or maybe," Kieran cuts in, "she's feeling safer with you than you realize."

I can only hope. At the rate we're going, even if she is interested in me, I can't rush her. She's been through trauma and abuse. Of course, when she becomes mine, I'll give her a ton of rules that will keep her safe, happy, and healthy. If she breaks one of them, she'll be punished, but that's where the waters become muddy. Some women who have been abused don't ever want to be spanked and it's a hard limit, which I can completely understand. Then, there are others who crave it because it gives them the emotional release they so badly need. My girl could go either way.

My girl. I love that. She is mine, and God willing, she'll one day be mine in every way. I'll take her at her pace. I'm a selfish man, but when it comes to Anastasia, she'll always come first.

"I'm keeping her."

The men smile and nod like they already know this piece of information.

"It will take a while for her to stop being so scared, but once she knows she's safe, she'll bloom under your care. You're a good man." Killian offers a reassuring smile, and I appreciate their encouragement.

"Anyway. I appreciate you helping me with Clayburn and his goons. They're just as fucking guilty as he is. Let's keep an eye on him over the weekend, and then we'll pick him up. I want to try to get her to open up to me about all the shit he's done to her."

Killian moves over to me and rests his hand on my shoulder. "No matter what she tells you, you can't lose your shit in front of her, so make sure you're ready."

I don't know if I'll ever be ready to learn the details of my girl's past. It sure will make killing Joseph Clayburn much more fun, though. His hours are numbered, and I can already almost taste his blood.

* * *

"What do you think about ordering a pizza for dinner?"

"Really? I love pizza. I haven't had it in years."

My fingers hover over the keyboard of my laptop as I glance up at her in stunned silence. What kind of prison was she living in? I was going to try to ease into this conversation over the weekend, but I need answers. And I need them now.

"Babygirl, I need you to be honest with me and tell me all the shit your father did to you."

She immediately pulls her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around her legs so she's practically rolled into a ball. I've noticed it's something she does when she's scared.

"I'm sorry to dredge it up, but I need you to tell me just this one time, and then we never have to talk about it again if you don't want to." I close my laptop and slowly rise from the dining table so I can go sit by her on the couch. I don't move in too close, though. She needs space for this. But the second she's ready for me, I'll have her in my arms to comfort her.

"Why do you want to know?" she asks quietly, her gaze roaming over my face.

"Because I'm going to make him pay for everything. He's going to experience every bit of pain he caused you and more. You deserved to be treated like a goddamn princess, and instead, he treated you horrendously."

I sit quietly, giving her time to decide what she wants to tell me— if she wants to tell me—anything. I won't force her, but my hope is that she trusts me enough to tell me something.

"My mom died giving birth to me. He's always blamed me for that. And on top of that, he says I look just like her, which is why he hates me so much."

"Your mother's death isn't your fault."

She gives me a watery smile and runs her fingers over the hem of the throw blanket she always uses when we watch movies. I wonder if I should get her a stuffed toy. Something that would be comforting for her. A friend.

"I know. But according to him, it is."

"Did he hit you often?" I hold my breath, waiting for her answer.

"He travels a lot for work or whatever it is he's doing, so I didn't have to see him very often. When he was home, I did whatever I could to stay out of his way, but sometimes, he would come into my room or call me down to his office. Usually, whatever he wanted to yell at me about ended up with him hitting me."

Flexing both my fists, I silently count to ten. If I blow up, it will scare her, and that's the last thing I want to do. "That's why you're so quiet. The less you speak, the less chance of angering someone."

She nods, and I have half a mind to drive straight to his shitty mansion right now and blow a hole in his head.

"Baby, you're safe to speak here. I will never abuse you. I want to protect you. Take care of you."

"Do you want to be my Daddy?" she asks quietly.

That was the last thing I'd expected to come out of her mouth. I wonder if she asked the girls questions today while I was in my meeting. All five of them bombarded her, but when I returned to my office, Ana was giggling right along with them. It gave me hope.

"Yes, Ana. I do. Let's back up a few steps, though. How do you know I'm a Daddy, and what do you know about that type of relationship?"

Lowering her gaze to the couch space between us, she fiddles with her hands. "Some of the books the girls downloaded for me have Daddy Doms in them. And then Paisley called Kieran ‘Daddy' yesterday and he swatted her bottom a few times. So I was going to ask them some questions once I started getting comfortable today, but they beat me to it. They said that you're a Daddy Dom, along with all their men. They also told me you're the most honorable, loyal, protective, and loving man they've ever known."

Wow. Those girls are getting the biggest fucking pink limo I can find for them.

"I am a Daddy, Ana. More specifically, I want to be your Daddy. I've only spent two weeks with you, but you're so damn special. So sweet and innocent. You chose to trust me even when you were scared. You're a brave woman, and I find myself going to bed each night wishing you were snuggled up in my arms with me instead of being at the other end of the house."

I'm putting myself out there, and it's possible she'll stomp all over my heart. I am her captor, after all.

"The books I read, the women were Littles. Some played at a young age, and some older. What if I don't know what age I want to be? Or what if I don't know how to be Little?"

Smiling at her, I pat the couch beside me. "Come here, babygirl."

She eyes it for a second before she crawls over and settles in with my arm over her shoulder.

"You don't have to define yourself as anything specific. It's meant to be something that relaxes you. So whatever you're comfortable with is what you should be. Quite frankly, I'd say you've been in a Little headspace all week when you've hung out with the girls. You did art, played with makeup, played with a puppy, had a girls' coffee party."

"What if I don't like having a Daddy?"

I chuckle at that. "Babygirl, I've been Daddying you since the day I brought you here. I've made sure you're eating proper foods, drinking water, bathing, andgetting enough sleep. And the entire time, you've been soaking it up. So I'm pretty confident that you'd like having a Daddy."

"I guess I didn't realize that." She runs her hand over the front of my shirt, and even through the fabric, she heats my skin. My cock grows and hardens, pressing against the zipper of my slacks. I need to get myself under control.

"Patrick," she whispers. "Thank you for saving me from my father. I'm sorry about the money."

Leaning down, I press a kiss to the top of her head. "I don't care about the money, Anastasia. The only thing I care about is you."