Chapter 46 #2
“I think that under the grand scheme of things that we can forget about that, yes?”
“No.”
“But it’s a ridiculous rule!” she cried. “I don’t know why I can’t climb up and down the stairs on my own!”
“Because I said so.”
“How can someone who is so logical be so illogical?” she asked.
“It’s a gift.”
“Was that a joke?” she asked suspiciously.
“No. Was it supposed to be?” he deadpanned.
Hmm.
She wasn’t sure what was going on here, but he was acting very strange.
“So, you were going down the stairs on your own—”
“Which shouldn’t be a rule,” she interrupted.
“You hid and saw something you shouldn’t have.”
“I didn’t know what was going to happen!”
“I’m still talking,” he said firmly as he carried her up to her playroom.
That was an interesting choice for North. Sure, he’d created the playroom for her. But he didn’t usually play with her in here.
He set her down on the bed and stood in front of her.
“Also, you moved when I said to stay put.”
“I was in shock,” she grumbled. She didn’t like where this was headed.
“And you called yourself gross.”
“I was covered in vomit! I was gross! It’s not against the rules if it’s the truth.”
“It’s against the rules if it’s against the rules. Circumstances don’t matter.”
“Pretty sure they do matter,” she grumbled.
He walked off to the closet to find some clothes as she sat there, trembling slightly. She wasn’t sure if it was because she was cold or still in shock.
He returned with a onesie she hadn’t seen before. It had built-in feet and mittens and was a deep gray.
Wait.
“Is this a whale onesie?” she asked with wonder.
“Yes. Do you like it?”
“Like it? I love it. Thanks, Northie!” She clapped her hands and he crouched, grabbing one of her feet to pull it on.
Then he frowned. “Your feet are freezing.”
“Are they? I didn’t even notice.”
“That is not good enough. We need to speak to a doctor about your circulation. Your toes are white. You should always wear socks and slippers inside.”
Yes, they’d had the socks conversation before. She rolled her eyes as he turned away.
“I saw that. We’ll add that to your list of naughtiness.”
“Saw what? And what list? I don’t have a list of naughtiness!” she protested.
“You do now. And that’s going on it,” he told her sternly as he returned with a pair of fluffy socks which he put on her feet before he drew on the onesie.
Holy monkey balls.
That was warm.
“My feet will roast.”
“I doubt that. They’re blocks of ice.” He stood her up so he could draw the onesie up. The towel was moved to one side and then she was fully encased in the whale onesie.
Oh.
That was so nice and warm.
Although she had noticed that he’d forgotten any underwear.
“You forgot my panties, Northie,” she told him.
“All the better to spank you, my Angel.”
Her mouth dropped open. “That was definitely a joke. Wasn’t it? Because you aren’t going to spank me!”
“Don’t be so sure!”
“I was just ill! Because I’ve been traumatized.”
Poor, poor Rex.
She still felt so sad about that. Did Rex have any family? He’d never mentioned anyone, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t.
“A spanking might be just what is needed to distract you.”
“A spanking is not a distraction. It’s punishment.”
“Which you’ve earned,” he said.
“Have not,” she protested. “I was in shock.”
He shook his head. “That’s not an excuse for disobedience and putting yourself down.”
Then he picked up a cushion and set it on the floor in front of the rocking chair.
“I’m going into the bathroom to get the hairdryer. Sit on the cushion to wait for me.”
She sat down and he disappeared, returning with a hairdryer. Then he sat behind her, drying her hair in waves. He didn’t stop too early or tell her that this was taking too long.
He just kept drying her hair until it was done. And then he picked up a hairbrush and braided it.
“You know how to braid hair?” she asked, surprised.
“I’ve had some practice.”
What did that mean?
“Oh, you’re really good at it.”
He finished and then lifted her up into his lap. He held her there, rocking back and forth on the chair.
“What . . . what are you doing?” she asked.
“I thought that I would rock you for a while,” he explained. “Do you not like this? I’ve seen Jared do it with you. Am I doing it wrong?”
“N-no, you’re doing it right.” Urgh, why was she back to stammering?
And how come her body was shaking?
He nodded. “How do you feel about being swaddled?”
“I don’t . . . I don’t know. Why?”
“I read that it can help when you are feeling upset, to get you to sleep and help you relax.” He stood and sat her on the rocking chair. Then he laid a blanket out on the bed.
Picking her up, he placed her in the middle of the blanket and tucked one side around and under her, before doing the same with the other side.
She felt secured but not smothered.
“If you feel uncomfortable, tell me.” Reaching over into a bedside drawer, he drew out a pacifier. “Here, open up. That’s it. Good girl.”
She took the pacifier and he returned to the rocking chair. She was still deciding if she liked the pacifier or not.
But what she definitely did like was being taken care of.
A small sigh escaped her and turned her face into his chest, breathing him in. It was hard to believe that this was North taking care of her like this.
She knew she wouldn’t sleep. Not after what she’d seen.
But it didn’t hurt to close her eyes and just rest.
North felt her fall asleep in his arms.
Hmm. He hadn’t been certain that that would work. But he made a mental note that she seemed to find being swaddled soothing.
The door to the playroom opened and Jared rushed inside, looking furious.
North quickly held his finger up to his lips and then nodded down at the precious bundle in his arms.
Jared slumped with relief and nodded back, gesturing to the bed then the door.
He was reluctant to leave her. To his shock, he actually enjoyed holding her like this.
Curious.
However, he knew he needed to update Jared and he didn’t want to risk waking her. So, standing, he carried her to the bed then walked out onto the small landing.
He kept the door cracked slightly so he could see her. “We need a camera.”
“What? For where?” Jared asked. “Don’t we have enough? Is there a gap in our security?”
“No, of course there isn’t.” North had set the security up himself. He was offended that Jared might suggest that. “I meant to keep an eye on Angie when she’s sleeping.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
He knew it was. That’s why he’d said it. He’d also started placing trackers in all of her shoes. They were slim and fit under the inner sole. He’d set up an area that she couldn’t step outside of without him getting an alert.
“Where is the head?” Jared asked.
“In the walk-in-freezer,” he said. “John delivered it to the house. He didn’t see who dropped it off at the front gate. I’m going to go through the camera footage.”
“Did he see Angie?” Jared asked.
“No. But I think we should tell the guards about her. It will help keep her protected. Also, she saw the head.”
“What?” Jared snapped before wincing and checking that he hadn’t woken Angie.
He explained what had happened and Jared winced. “Fuck, that will give her nightmares. More nightmares than she already has.”
“My fault,” North said.
“No, you didn’t know she was there. And you’re right, we should tell the guards about her. I just don’t want Beltran finding out that she’s here.”
“You think he’s the one who killed Rex?” North asked grimly.
“It’s the only explanation I can think of. Fuck. I can’t believe Rex is dead.”
North felt a pang of something that he guessed was sadness. That quite surprised him. Maybe he’d been more attached to Rex than he’d realized.
“Do you want to go look at the head?” North said. “Then bring me up my laptop? I’ll work from the nursery.”
“I can stay with her. Thanks for taking care of her.”
“Why are you thanking me?” North asked. “She is mine too, is she not?”
“Yeah, she is.”
“As I was looking after her, I realized that I didn’t feel annoyed or indifferent. I wanted to watch out for her. I wanted to care for her. I’m also going to discipline her later.”
“Discipline her?”
“Yes. Not now, but at some stage she’s getting her butt spanked.”