Deccan (Springfield Sinners #1)

16. Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

ECHO

A week had passed since Daddy, she sighed, Deccan held her as she cried. It had been a whirlwind of emotions, but she was better.

She had to be.

Now, she was drawing as she tried to keep her mind off Deccan. She didn’t need to be thinking about him at all. Not when he had gotten her fired from the bar, wouldn’t allow her to buy knives or a second cup of coffee.

Evil .

That was what he was. Pure evil for doing those things. She still wasn’t happy about it, which she let him know. But that didn't change his mind. Echo was pretty sure he took pleasure in denying her those things. Sadist.

“Echoooo!” Rainey raised her voice. “Come on!”

She sighed. “Give me a second. I need to get this colored in.”

“But I wanna paint now!”

“We said we would color with the pencils until I finished. I’m almost done.”

Rainey had promised her they would draw when they first got to the club. Tucker was already there when they got to the club, painting happily.

“Echo!” Rainey whined.

“Sheesh, I’m going to tell your Daddy on you.”

Echo looked up at Rainey to see her cocking her hip and pouting.

“And say what?” Rainey asked.

“That you are being impatient. Haven’t you been working on that recently?”

Rainey’s jaw dropped. “How did you know?”

She shrugged. “Lucky guess. I just know you can get impatient and figured it would be something you would work on.”

Echo stopped drawing and held up the piece of paper to show Rainey. It was a motorcycle, specifically someone’s motorcycle. One she couldn’t get out of her head.

“He’s scary,” Rainey informed her.“I heard how you guys met. But I also heard he took a liking to you. That’s good.”

It really was. Then she didn’t have to worry about Deccan running her off. She didn’t know if Deccan actually would chase any of her friends away, but she wouldn’t be surprised. He had already gotten Flemming to only give her one cup of coffee, not being able to buy knives, and getting fired from her job.

He could do anything.

“I don’t know about that.” Rainey wrung her hands together. “He’s still really scary.”

“Deccan can be scary, but he’s a real softy once you get to know him.”

Or at least to her he was.

“I am?”

Rainey screamed, and they both looked to see Deccan standing at his full height, six foot one. She watched as Rainey took a step back, holding her hand to her chest.

Echo had seen Deccan slowly walk up toward them though she didn't give him any attention. Why would she when he was being an ass?

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Deccan asked, pointing at her.

Echo opened her mouth, getting ready to tell him no. Rainey beat her to it.

“I’ll just be over near Tucker,” Rainey rushed out, before scurrying to Tucker.

She sighed and closed her eyes for a second.

“Motorcycle?” Deccan asked. “ My motorcycle?”

“Who said it was yours?” she sassed. “It could be anyone’s. There are a lot of motorcycles here. What if I saw one of your guys' motorcycles and liked it? Do you think they would let me get on and ride on it with them?”

He growled and took a step forward, gripping her chin with his fingers.

“Watch it.”

“Or what?” She cocked her hip and put her hand on it.

Echo knew she was playing with fire. Deccan had said she was his, and yet she was talking about his men. Was something wrong with her brain?

“Or I’ll make you regret what you just said. You do not look at anyone else's motorcycle but mine. You will not get on anyone else’s motorcycle but mine. Do you understand?” His voice was sharp and deep.

Echo rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure.”

His eyes narrowed on her. “I will put you over my lap right now and spank you. You need a good spanking.”

“I do not. You can’t spank me.”

“Wanna bet? I spanked you at three in the morning in the street.”

Yeah, Echo remembered that like it was yesterday. She had been so turned on afterward. Did she want it to happen again? Yeah, she did.

“Have nothing to say about that?” Deccan smirked. “I think you might have liked that. Got a little exhibitionism in you?”

She did, but she wasn’t going to let him know.

“Don’t respond, that’s okay. Daddy knows. We may be able to do that again.”

A shiver ran through her body as she thought about it. Was she ever going to not react to him?

“Now, Daddy wants you at the clubhouse tonight at seven,” he informed her.

“Umm, how about no.”

His grip on her chin grew tighter. “You will be there at seven or I will come get you.”

“And what are we going to do?” she asked.

“It’s a surprise. I want you at the clubhouse at seven. For every minute you are late, you’ll get spanked.”

Her mouth fell open. “Y-you can’t do that!”

He let go of her chin and stood tall. “I can and I will.”

Deccan looked over at Rainey and Tucker were and beckoned Rainey over. Her eyebrows pinched together. What could Deccan possibly want to talk to Rainey about? Was it about the incident that happened before?

“I’ll be just a second with Rainey,” Deccan softly said.

Was he ever soft? No, but somehow, he managed to get his voice to be soft every once in a while and she loved it. But she also loved how gruff he was around her.

Echo shook her head. She didn’t need to be thinking about that. She needed to think about how to get away from him and keep him off her back. That was what she really needed to do but she didn’t find herself doing it anymore.

“Sure, whatever.” She rolled her eyes, walking away from him, past Rainey, who she didn’t make eye contact with, and over to Tucker.

“Everything okay?” Tucker asked, lifting his hand. but before he could touch her, she skipped out of his reach.

Echo was not mentally prepared to be touched. She couldn’t handle it right now, not when so many things were going on.

“Echo?” Tucker gently called her name. “Are you okay? Do I need to call Sheriff Baxter? Do I need to get some of the owners here to sort things out?”

She shook her head. “No, you don’t. Everything is fine.”

But they weren’t. They really weren’t.

“What do you think he is talking to Rainey about?”

She shrugged and sighed. “I have no idea.”

Echo really wanted to say she didn’t care but that was a lie. She did care, a lot. What were they talking about? Was Rainey okay? Was it about her? No, it couldn’t be about her.

“Do you think she is safe?” There was worry in Tucker's voice.

“Deccan might look intimidating, because he is, but he wouldn’t hurt her. Just like he wouldn’t hurt me or you,” Echo explained.

All of the sudden, Deccan started to laugh loudly, and all Echo wanted to do was go over and see why. He had never laughed that loudly with her. Was he going to pick Rainey over her? Was Deccan realizing she was too much work and was trying to find someone new, even if that Little already had a Daddy?

Hurt coursed through her body and she took a step back. Deccan’s eyes briefly looked at herbefore returning to Rainey. He was. Was that why he wanted her to come over to the clubhouse later? For him to talk to her and tell her he no longer wanted her?

Echo shouldn’t feel so desperately hurt, but she did. She really did, which confused her. She should feel happy he was moving on. Had she grown attached to him? Did she really want him to be her Daddy?

She had been lying to herself all along, saying she didn’t want him. But she desperately wanted him.

A door opened, and Marco walked into the main room, making his way right to Deccan and Rainey. Everything in her wanted to walk up and hear what they were talking about, but she didn’t want to.

“Are you okay?” Tucker asked.

“What?” she whispered, not taking her eyes off Deccan.

Annoyance grew as Deccan continued to talk to them. Why was he with them for so long? What could they possibly need to say?

“You look a little mad,” Tucker pointed out.

Before she could answer, Deccan turned toward them.

“Yes?” Echo snarked, letting her frustration out.

“Watch your tone, young lady.” His eyes narrowed on her.

She squared her shoulders and rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to let him do anything to her, especially if he was going to get rid of her tonight. Maybe he planned on killing her so she couldn’t talk.

Yeah, she was going to let all of her annoyance and anger out. Show him she wasn’t scared even if, deep down, she was.

“Come here.” He gestured to the spot in front of him. “Both of you.”

“How about?—”

“Echo, now,” he growled.

Sighing, Tucker and she walked over to them.

“Happy?” She looked at him and pulled a face.

He just glared at her.

“I will be seeing all of you more often.” Deccan looked around, making eye contact with them all. “Especially you two.” He pointed to Rainey and her.

She was a little surprised he meant Rainey as well. What did he have up his sleeve?

“Over my dead body,” Marco said.

“That can be arranged.” Deccan’s voice was cold.

“N-no,” Rainey choked out.

“Shit, girly. I’m not going to kill your Daddy. Not unless he abuses you and before you say it, spankings, corner time, ginger in the bottom, and lines do not count.”

What was he talking about? Jealousy coursed through Echo’s body. He wasn’t going to kill Marco, even though it didn’t mean he wouldn’t get rid of him at some point and take Rainey for himself.

“I’ll be seeing her around. Siblings date. Check-ins to make sure your Daddy is taking care of you,” Deccan explained.

Siblings date ? Rainey and Deccan were siblings? How had she not put that together? They looked nothing alike, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be related.

Had she gotten everything wrong? Was he not getting rid of her?

Echo took a deep breath as she tried to wrap her brain around everything. She was going to need to sit in a hot bath to fully be able to comprehend what had happened.

“He would never,” Rainey whispered.

“I know, but still.” Deccan shrugged and turned to face Echo. “Text me when you get home.”

“Make me,” she bit out.

“That can be arranged.”

Echo shook her head and sighed.

“Remember, seven o’clock.” He gave her a pointed look before walking toward the exit.

Echo stared at his form until he disappeared. Was she actually going to go tonight? She knew that for every minute she was late that she would get spanked.

Rainey sagged into Marco’s embrace and took several deep breaths.

“I’m going to go take Rainey home for a nap. She’ll contact you guys later,” Marco explained as he picked her up in his arms.

Echo looked at them longingly. She wanted Deccan to pick her up again like he did after he spanked her. She wanted to feel safe in his arms and slowly fall asleep. Everything in her wanted that. Would she actually be able to have it?

“Do you want to play some more?” Tucker asked.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I think I’m going to go home and rest. I’ve got something at seven that I can’t be late. I don’t think I’ll make it to it if I don’t take a nap.”

“That’s okay, you go home and relax. We can play another time.”

Echo nodded and slowly walked toward the exit. Sooner or later, she was going to break down and cry about everything. Should she do that when she got home or wait until she couldn’t hold it any longer?

She looked around as she left the building, Deccan not in sight. He really left. Was he not going to keep an eye on her anymore? Stalk her like he used to? Was this really the end of them? Had she pushed back too much?

Tears pooled in her eyes as she walked home. Was she going to survive tonight? Would she bawl her eyes out when he told her he didn’t want her anymore, or would she be strong?

Echo didn’t know and that scared her. She was already toeing the line of being all right. One little thing could push her over to the other side and she didn’t know if she would make it out.

“You’re okay,” she whispered to herself, but she was anything but okay.