Chapter 29
29
Rule Five: Always run to me. Never away
Reuben couldn’t believe that she’d run off.
She’d left the damn building without him. It was dark outside. This was fucking New York City, not the middle-of-nowhere, Missouri.
She couldn’t just wander off. If something happened to her . . . yeah, he didn’t want to even think that.
But anyone who touched her would be a dead man.
He nodded to Cairn, who’d followed her out without letting on. She didn’t know Cairn and he would have frightened her if he’d grabbed her.
Pulling out his phone, he sent a text to Steven.
“R-Reuben? What are you doing? Shouldn’t we go back in?” she asked.
Her teeth were chattering. He slid off his suit jacket and wrapped it around her, placing her arms in the sleeves before he did up the buttons.
She looked like a little girl playing dress up in Daddy’s clothes.
He liked it.
Then his gaze hit her feet. Fuck! She wasn’t even wearing shoes! What was she thinking?
“Reuben? Are you going to talk to me?” she asked. Her large, pale blue eyes were wide and pleading.
He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.
He’d expected to feel anger at her behavior.
What he hadn’t expected was the sheer panic he’d felt for that short time she’d been out of his sight.
This was getting out of control.
Move her in with you. Protect her. Take over her life.
Soon. He’d give in to the need soon. First, he had to make certain that she was strong enough for him.
He thought she was.
Even though she was predominantly a people pleaser, Faith had an inner strength.
After all, she’d just defied Alejandro. Most grown men wouldn’t be able to do that.
Reuben cupped the side of her face, staring down at her. He didn’t know exactly what that fucker, Leonard, had said to her. But he would find out.
And then he would destroy him.
“No, we’re not going in. We’re going home. You’re in big trouble, Little Blossom, and you earned yourself a punishment. You’re going to learn to run to me, never away.”
He ran his thumb over her lower lip, which was trembling.
Poor baby.
“R-Reuben?”
“So fucking beautiful. Especially when you’re scared. But you don’t need to fear me.”
“You just threatened me.”
“I didn’t threaten you, that was a promise.”
“Oh God. That isn’t any better.”
“Isn’t it? How about this? I promise I will always come for you. I promise I will always stand between you and danger. And that when you break the rules, I will punish you. Because I promise to always keep you safe. Even from yourself.”
She stared up at him, her mouth open. “I can’t believe I find that so sweet.”
“I’m not sweet, Little Blossom. Never that. I’m just a man who knows what he wants. And what I want. I get. I keep. I protect.”
She just continued to stare up at him. He smiled at her gently. “Tonight won’t be easy for you, my baby. But you know you deserve what’s going to happen, don’t you?”
She shook her head. But it was okay if she felt the need to fight back. It could be hard to admit when you were in the wrong.
“You broke the rules.”
“I . . . I . . . how?”
“You ran out here without me. It’s dark, it’s late, and anyone could have hurt you. That put your safety at risk.”
She pressed her perfect teeth into her plump lip. God. He could feel himself growing harder.
“Time for a new rule, I think.”
“Reuben.”
He sent her a message on his phone. Yeah, he could have just told her, but he wanted all of these rules where she could see them.
He wanted her to know them inside and out. She drew her phone out of the small handbag hanging off her wrist.
Rule Five: Always run to me. Never away.
She sucked in a breath as she read the rule.
“It’s not one word this time.”
He shrugged. “No. This one needed to be longer.”
Steven drove the limo up to the curb and Reuben swept her into his arms, carrying her along the footpath.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
“Carrying you.”
“But you don’t have to. I can walk.”
“You don’t have any shoes on.”
“Oh, yeah.”
Steven opened the door without even a blink. Reuben slid into the limo with her on his lap. Then, he reluctantly set her down on her own seat.
Reaching over her, he buckled in her seatbelt. Then Steven pulled away from the curb.
And above all else, she had to be safe.
He did up his own seatbelt, remembering how upset she’d gotten at the thought of losing him.
That filled him with satisfaction.
She needed him. Maybe she was even starting to love him.
Which would be perfect.
If she loved him, she’d never leave him.
“Oh no!” she gasped. “We have to go back.”
He turned to look at her. “We’re not going back.”
“But we have to!” she cried. “I left Cammie’s coat back there and my shoes!”
“We’ll get them another day.”
“What if they get rid of them? We can’t get them another day.” She tried to reach for her buckle, but he grabbed her hand, frowning as he saw how she was panicking.
It was just a jacket and some shoes. Why was she so worked up over that?
“Baby, breathe.”
“I can’t borrow her jacket and not give it back.”
“Calm down,” he said firmly. “I’ll text Alejandro. He and Cat will get them for you.”
“But they don’t have the ticket for the jacket.”
He made a scoffing noise. “Do you think that anyone ever denies Alejandro? Or Cat, for that matter. Stay in your seat.”
He quickly texted Alejandro, sending him a photo of the ticket.
“He said he’d get your things,” Alejandro reassured her.
“Tell him thank you.”
“Hmm, you can tell him when you next see him. After you apologize for running out like that and not listening to him.”
Her mouth opened and shut. “W-what?”
“If I’m not around, Little Blossom, then you obey Alejandro as if he were me. Understand? He will keep you safe. But only if you do as you are told. Otherwise, he can’t look after you and Cat.”
“That’s insane. I can look after myself,” she muttered.
“Clearly not, since you took off outside without a jacket, shoes, or an escort.”
“No one was going to harm me.”
“You don’t know that.” He turned to her, grasping hold of her chin. “What did he say to you?”
“Who? Alejandro? He just said my name and told me to come back.”
“No. Lucien Leonard. What did he say to you? I need to know.”