Axe Daddy (The Hardrock Mountain Daddies #1)

Chapter 1

Taron

The city feels like it’s about to collapse in around me. All the skyscrapers, historical buildings, the kinds of places that I used to relish seeing when I first moved here suddenly feel oppressive and glum.

I can’t believe this is happening.

Again.

Just when I thought that I was finally about to cross over from indie author to mainstream success, everything has come crashing down around me.

“Argh! Why now?” I ask, stomping my foot on the ground as I storm out of my literary agent’s office. “What the hell have I done to deserve this?”

I’m angry, sad, and super-frustrated all rolled into one as I turn and look at the sign above the office window.

Pace Literary: Leading Lights in Publishing.

I thought that signing with Pace Literary would be my route to the top. I’ve put in so much hard work over the years.

Grad school? Yup.

Credit card busting online courses? Oh yes.

Endless hours in front of my laptop? You’d better believe it.

And I was super-lucky that my hard work paid off with a short story of mine winning a pretty big prize too.

I mean, the financial reward wasn’t exactly great but there was a certain prestige that came with the win.

And it was this very prestige that saw my inbox filling up with requests from exactly the kinds of agents that had previously ignored my query letters.

Enter: Pace Literary.

Or, more specifically, Pace Slade.

Pace promised me the world. He said that I was the most talented twenty-four-year-old he’d ever come across in his twenty years in the business.

I mean, who wouldn’t be flattered? Pace was smooth, big on the compliments, and kind of handsome too.

I mean, I can’t deny that I wasn’t a little blown away by his slicked back style and smooth talk.

Sigh.

But a few months after I signed with him and turned in my novel in progress over to him, all Pace did was criticize me.

Nothing I wrote and showed to Pace was good enough.

He would pick through things and scrawl his red pen all over my work, telling me that I needed to change this, that, and pretty much everything.

Sometimes I even wondered if he was reading my work at all or simply just taking me down a peg or two as some kind of power play. But at the end of the day, he was the bigshot agent and I’m just little old me.

But…

It was like he didn’t like my writing at all.

All Pace seemed to focus on was me writing something steamier and apparently sexier to appeal to a wider audience.

I mean, I’ve got nothing against that kind of writing.

But it’s just not what I do. I’ve definitely got a steamy and spicy side to me, but I keep that for my personal life.

Not that I exactly have much of that right now either.

With holding down a boring office job and spending the rest of my spare time writing, I really haven’t been able to find that special someone or even come close.

But less of my non-existent love life and back to Pace…

And it wasn’t like Pace’s sleazy side ended with his demands on my writing either. Despite the fact that Pace was my agent and apparently meant to be looking out for me, he kept sending me on these photoshoots where the goal was apparently to get me wearing as few clothes as possible.

These photoshoots were invariably with so-called close friends of his in the industry, the kinds of people who were at all the right parties and had the best networks.

Well, that’s how Pace sold it. He said I needed to increase my profile by any way possible.

And being young, cute, and a ‘sweet boy’ apparently this was the best way to do it.

Honestly, I felt super uncomfortable and insulted too.

I’m an author, it’s what I’ve worked hard for since I was barely in my teens. It really shouldn’t need me to pose in revealing clothes or in so-called sexy poses to get eyes on my work or, apparently, improve my profile.

Anyway, I guess I had enough and this morning decided that I was going to tell Pace exactly what I thought.

After waking up nice and early and doing my usual walk around the small park near my apartment, I headed over to the Pace Literary office and told Pace that from now on there would be no more photoshoots and I’d be writing what I wanted, not what he deemed to be suitable.

And it was at this point that things got even weirder.

Pace suddenly made a move on me. For a second I felt scared as he walked me into the corner of his office and made it very clear who was in charge.

It felt horrible. But what was worse was that Pace said unless I changed my mind and did exactly what he wanted, he would make sure that not only would I no longer be represented by Pace Literary, but he would ensure that no other agency in the city would look twice at me.

And that’s just about it.

“Hey, you forgot this,” comes the voice from behind me.

I turn and see Pace’s assistant Kyle standing at the door to the office with my manuscript in his hands.

“Thanks,” I reply, my voice trembling a little. “Your boss is a real…”

I can’t quite get the words out and for a second think I’m about to burst out into tears. But somehow, I hold it in. And, luckily for me, I think Pace’s assistant knows full well where I’m coming from.

“I know,” Kyle says, a sad look in his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” I reply, trying my best to get through this moment without any further embarrassment.

And with that, Kyle and I nod our goodbye and I begin my lonely trudge back to the apartment. No more agent. No more prospect of an agent any time soon either—certainly not in this city anyhow.

As I walk, I look up at the sky and see that at least the sky is nice and blue this morning. That’s something at least. But my happiness is short lived though as a cab powers past me and a tsunami of a puddle rises and soaks me all down one side.

“Crap!” I exclaim, not only my leg soaked but my manuscript soaked too. “Crap! Crap! Crap!”

At this point, I’m conscious that passersby are looking at me with a mix of confusion, amusement, and even a little fear too. Right now, I feel like a crazy person, totally lost in a world of hurt.

Only one thing is going to help me now.

And luckily I’ve got a friend who knows how to do it…

The Littletown Play & Drink is quiet, which is pretty typical for a weekday morning. And that’s just fine as far as I’m concerned as it means that Robbie and me can have a nice chat while he makes me a super-fruity juice.

“Okay, so… Pace,” Robbie says, a knowing look in his eyes as he preps my strawberry, passion fruit, orange, and raspberry juice. “We can’t say we didn’t see it coming…”

“Urgh. I know,” I say, my upset at the whole situation now giving way to something closer to anger and frustration. “That’s the last time I’m going to let some smooth-talking city slicker pull the wool over my eyes. “But…”

“Yeah?”

“What if… what if… what if Pace was right?” I ask, watching as Robbie blends a big stack of berries. “What if my book isn’t good?”

Suddenly, my heart is racing. It’s the question that’s been on my mind for the whole time since I left the office. As much as I hate Pace, I have to face up to the reality that he might actually have been right about my book.

Sure, he’s a sleaze.

But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know books…

“I’m serious,” I continue. “Maybe I do need to write more to what’s hot in the market?”

“Come on, that’s silly,” Robbie says, placing my drink on the counter and leaning over to place his hand on my arm. “I believe in you. The whole world wants you to win. You have to stay positive and don’t let some asshole put you off. Right?”

I nod, but inside I’m feeling all kinds of emotions.

And Robbie can tell too. We’ve been friends since I moved to the city and started finding my way in the whole world of Age Play, Littles, Daddies, and everything else that comes with it.

In fact, we actually met here, at the Littletown Play & Drink.

Since then we’ve been best friends. We’re the same age, love the same things, and share a sense of humor—oh, and we both love teasing Daddies too, even if it means we get our butt paddled!

And one thing I know about Robbie is that I can trust him.

If he’s saying I should stick to my guns, then that’s what I need to do.

The only problem is that Pace made it pretty much clear to me that the publishing scene in the city is going to be far from a friendly place for me now that I’ve dared to cross him.

“Hey, this place is so quiet why don’t we both go and play?” Robbie asks, a mischievous look on his face as he eyes up the carefully stacked pile of bean bags over in the corner. “I’m feeling bouncy!”

Normally, I’d take Robbie up on his offer.

Bouncing around and having fun in the playroom would be super-cool. I know it would. But Pace’s words are ringing in my ears and not even the perfect juice or the prospect of having a play with my friend Robbie is bringing me out of my funk.

“Okay, maybe next time,” Robbie says. “Spoilsport!”

Bille laughs and blows me a kiss as he spots another club member enter.

“Thanks,” I say, managing a smile as Robbie prepares to go and say hello the new customer. “You’re the best.”

“Hell yeah I am!” Robbie giggles. “Listen though… why not give yourself a break? You know, like take yourself out of the city for a while. You could do an apartment swap? That way you wouldn’t need to pay out any extra rent and you could even work on your book while you were away too.”

“I don’t know…” I say, wondering how I would convince my boss at work to let me have the time off.

But deep down, I know that Robbie is right.

I need a change of scene.

I’m definitely not going to let Pace Slade put me off writing or chasing my dreams as an author.

No way. But that’s not to say I can’t find a little peace and quiet away from the city for a while.

And who knows, maybe by the time I come back Pace will have forgotten all about me and won’t bother trying to hurt my career in the process?

“What do you think, Lightening?” I ask, turning to my fox stuffie as he sits patiently next to me. “Foxes love the country, right? Maybe you could introduce me to all your friends and family?”

I pick Lightening up and give him a big hug.

His soft fur feels so comforting and as I look into his pitch-black eyes I feel something inside me change.

It’s been a tough morning. And to be honest, the last few months have been pretty difficult what with everything that’s happened with Pace Literary.

I probably do need a change of scenery. And it might be the inspiration I need to really polish my manuscript and get myself feeling confident about my work again.

But I can’t really move away from the city on such short notice.

Can I?