Chapter 11
CHAPTER 11
EMILEE
U ncle Tater.
Daddy called him Uncle Tater. Uncle. Tater. She giggled at the thought. She hadn’t met the man but once, and it was in a passing introduction. He definitely did not resemble a Mr. Potato Head toy. The thought made her giggle harder. Arrow looked at her and she simply shrugged, incapable of telling him what she was laughing about.
Uncle Tater. The burly man winked at her as he refilled the large buffet. “Homemade mashed taters,” he said warmly. “With fried chicken on the side.”
Emilee couldn’t help but giggle again. “I think you said it backwards.”
“No, I said it exactly the way it needed to be said. Why are taters always the side piece when they should be the main? Now, you try my mashed taters with some of this good brown gravy on it.” He picked up an empty plate and put a large helping of mashed potatoes on it, topped with a spoonful of dark brown gravy. Tater didn’t stop there. He grabbed a fried chicken leg, a scoop of green beans, and a biscuit.
She wrinkled her nose up and shook her head. “No thank you, Uncle Tater. I no want green beans tonight.”
Arrow cleared his throat, but before he could say anything, Tater interjected. “Do you like warm brownies with lots of chocolate and a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top?” Emilee shook her head enthusiastically. Now he was speaking her language.
“Then you have to eat your green beans. No dessert until your entire plate is clean,” Tater said.
She looked up at Arrow to see how he’d respond. Would he mind another man giving his girl orders? He stood next to her, completely relaxed, and nodded. “Do as your uncle says. I expect you to listen to them the same way you listen to me.” He frowned slightly. “Given your inability to listen to Daddy lately, let me rephrase. I expect you to listen to them better than you listen to your Daddy.”
Emilee grinned up at him. “Yes, Daddy.” She didn’t mind green beans, but after the spanking her Daddy gave her, she was definitely in little headspace. It was an amazing feeling to let go in a safe environment.
“Good girl. Blade,” Arrow called out to one prospect standing off to the side, “grab Emilee a lemonade and bring it over to where Trinity is sitting.” Blade immediately headed to where the drinks were.
“Go have a seat next to Trinity, Kitten.”
She obeyed quickly, the reminder of disobeying him lingering on her behind. Sitting across from Trinity, she moaned when her sore butt made contact with the wooden bench. Trinity gave her a knowing look and smiled.
“Being a little has all sorts of benefits, doesn’t it?” The older woman asked.
A week ago, she was alone in the world. Now, she was Arrow’s little girl and his girlfriend. At least, until he tired of her… and he would, they always did. Being Arrow’s meant she inherited this huge family of overprotective uncles. Although, none of them were as overprotective as her Daddy.
Emilee forced a smile, though she was anxious about the conversation to come with Arrow. She hated having to go back and forth between adult her and little her, especially right after a spanking. “Yeah, I guess.” She glanced around the room, spotting the familiar faces of the motorcycle club. “How’s work been?”
Before Trinity could answer, Blade put a tall glass of lemonade in front of her and said, “Arrow said to tell you he had to run to the meeting and to behave.” Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.
Trinity grinned. “No need to blush, Em. It’s how it is around here. Work is the usual chaos. But, I love it! Owning my own coffee shop, wine bar and bookstore in one? It’s a dream come true! I couldn’t have done it without The Watchmen, I’ll forever be grateful.”
Emilee nodded, a small spark of pride flickering within her. “The Watchmen do a lot for the community, don’t they? I noticed it before I started dating Arrow. I love how they’re always out there helping people.” She’d seen how quickly they banded together to help a family who’d lost all their belongings and home in a house fire. The family weren’t members of The Watchmen, but it didn’t matter. They’d hosted several charity rides to support the local schools, homeless shelter and Sam’s medical projects. They weren’t the big, bad scary motorcycle club from TV shows. Although, she’d heard whispers of their involvement in some not so legal activities, as well. They were less felon, more vigilantes.
“Totally,” Trinity agreed, her eyes lighting up. “They are all former special forces operators who know how to get things done. They’re loyal, too. Like a brotherhood. It’s comforting knowing they’ve got each other’s backs—and ours.”
“I don’t know about all the men,” Emilee said, her voice softer. “But, Arrow makes me feel safe.” She caught herself, remembering how fragile that safety felt earlier. “I mean, this has been a whirlwind and moving so fast, but I think he really cares about me.”
Trinity leaned in; her smile warm. “I can see how much you mean to him already. It’s like a little family within the club, right? Daddies taking care of their littles?”
Emilee giggled lightly. “Yeah, exactly! It’s nice to have that kind of relationship. I guess it’s just...” She couldn’t come up with the right word to express what she was feeling. Safe? Secure? Comforting?
“I understand,” Trinity replied. “We all need to find our person who gets us. Daddies and their little girls have a special bond.”
Before Emilee could respond, Trinity’s expression shifted, a hint of concern creeping in. “Speaking of Daddies, I heard your Daddy telling mine about that incident with Officer Mills at The Rusty Crab.”
Emilee felt her heart drop, the memory flooding back, bringing with it a sudden chill. She shifted in her seat, the weight of his threat still heavy in her chest. “Yeah, he... he cornered me.”
Trinity’s brows furrowed. “I heard it was pretty intense. Delilah worked that night and overheard some of it. He was saying some nasty things, wasn’t he?”
“Yeah,” Emilee said, her voice barely above a whisper. “He said I should keep my mouth shut about... about my accident. That no one would believe me because of my past.” Her hands trembled as she remembered his cold smile, the way he leaned in close. “He even threatened Arrow, said he’d make sure it was the last time I talked.”
Trinity’s eyes widened, a mix of sympathy and anger flashing across her face. “That’s awful! You don’t deserve to be treated like that. He thinks he can intimidate you? How dare he. Does he know you are Arrow’s girlfriend? I mean, how could he be that stupid?”
“It felt like a nightmare,” Emilee admitted, the tremor in her voice betraying her composure. “I just... I didn’t know how to react. I thought he would hurt me, and all I could think about was how scared I was. I thought no one would believe me.” She didn’t want to talk about all this. She wanted to go get her backpack from her car and pull out the coloring books and special muffin crayons Arrow made her. The pucks were beautiful, and all the colors melded together made it even more fun to color with. She could turn it one way and have blue and turn it another and have red. Daddy bought her another box of crayons, too. A bigger box with more colors in it and a brand-new coloring book with all of her fairytale characters. She’d rather eat her dinner and color than talk about Mills.
Trinity reached across the table, her hand covering Emilee’s. “You’re not alone in this. You’ve got Arrow, and you’ve got me. We’ll make sure he knows he can’t just bully people like that.”
Emilee felt the warmth of Trinity’s hand, grounding her. “I just want to be safe. I’ve worked hard to get where I am today. I might not have much, but I don’t want to go back to that feeling of being trapped.”
“You won’t,” Trinity assured her, squeezing her hand. “You have an entire community behind you now. The Watchmen take their loyalty seriously. If Mills tries anything again, they’ll back you up. Arrow will protect you.”
Emilee gave Trinity a small smile. “I really hope so. I want to feel normal, to be happy without looking over my shoulder.”
“You’re on the right path. Just keep talking about what you’re feeling. And remember, it’s okay to lean on others. That’s what family is for.”
Emilee nodded, although she doubted she would ever get comfortable enough with another woman to lean on them, not after Catie. “Thanks, Trinity. I really appreciate you being here.”
“Always,” Trinity replied, her smile bright and reassuring. “Now, let’s dig into this dinner! I’m starving, and Uncle Tater said I have to eat all these green beans before I get dessert. I do not like green beans one bit… maybe we can come up with a plan to get around that rule together.”
Emilee laughed, the tension easing just a bit as they talked about their favorite foods and the latest gossip in the club. As they shared stories, Emilee felt a sense of friendship grow between them. It was nice to have a friend again.
“Look, Daddy! I colored you a pretty picture!” Emilee held the paper up. Arrow and Lucky stood at the head of the table beside her and Trinity. After they’d finished eating, Emilee went to the car and grabbed her coloring supplies. The girls sat next to each other talking and coloring as the men finished their meeting. She pointed out the princess in the yellow gown and the beast wearing a suit next to her. “This is me and this is you!”
“I’m a beast, am I?” He teased with a grin. “It takes a beast to tame my little girl.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her forehead.
“Did you color me a picture, too?” Lucky asked Trinity.
“Mine's not a princess, mine’s a frog.” Trinity held it up for Lucky.
“A frog with a crown on his head?” Lucky asked, feigning ignorance.
“Uh-huh,” Trinity said.
“Girls!” Tater approached with a frown on his face. “You have some explaining to do.” Both the daddies looked from the girls to Tater and back. Their meeting had ended a few minutes before.
“Uh oh,” Emilee muttered under her breath. It was all Trinity’s idea, but she wouldn’t throw her friend under the bus.
“Uh oh?” Arrow parroted. “What exactly does uh oh mean, Kitten?”
Trinity nudged her and leaned in. Whispering so only Emilee could hear, she muttered, “I think we should run. Wanna play a game of tag?” Emilee nodded her agreement.
“What are you two whispering about?” Lucky crossed his arms over his muscular chest and narrowed his gaze onto Trinity.
“Tater?” Arrow turned to the brooding man. “What did they do?”
“Tag!” Trinity yelled, and both girls pushed off the table and took off running. “Follow me!” Trinity ordered. Emilee took off after the older woman, impressed by how fast she could run. This was fun. Different from the stressors and chaos of her life, being a little and playing with her new friend was delightful. She giggled as she heard the men take off after them.
Clover, Irish’s dog, came bounding after the girls, wagging her tail and barking furiously. Emilee heard footsteps behind her and the shouts of, “stop!”
“You aren’t it, Daddy! Stop chasing me!” Trinity said and laughter from the other members of The Watchmen quickly followed.
“Up the stairs! Follow me!” Trinity yelled. Emilee followed her quickly up the stairs. They were right outside of what had to be Lucky’s room when muscular arms wrapped around her waist.
“Oh no you don’t, little girl!” Arrow growled.
“Step away from the door, Little Rabbit,” Lucky ordered from behind them. “If you go into our room, I will bend you over the bed and take my belt to your impertinent ass.”
Wide eyed, Emilee looked at Lucky to see if he was joking. He did not seem amused. Her bottom cheeks clenched, and she gasped. “Daddy, don’t let Uncle Lucky use his belt on Trinity!”
“If Trinity doesn’t want a taste of her Daddy’s belt, then Trinity better obey him,” Arrow said. “None of us get between a Daddy and their little, especially when their little has it coming.”
“But, Daddy!” Emilee said. Arrow shook his head and put a finger on Emilee’s lips, silencing her.
“Stop talking, Kitten. You are already in so much trouble yourself.”
“Hows come?” Technically, she had broken none of his rules. Not like he’d told her not to run. Sure, she heard him yell stop, but in the chaos of Clover running after them and barking, the men laughing and both Tater and Lucky also yelling, how could she be sure it was her daddy? Instead of answering, Arrow bent low, picked Emilee up and deposited her over his broad shoulders.
“Daddy! Put me down! I’s too heavy to carry!” The words stopped Arrow in his tracks. His hand came down furiously on her behind.
“I’m not sure if you are calling yourself fat or me weak, either way, it’s not acceptable.”
Ouch.
These swats hurt and everyone could see him spanking her! She bit back a response about her size, not wanting to make things worse. He stopped swatting her and said, “Now, if you know what is good for you, you won’t speak again until I give you permission.”
He carried her down the stairs and deposited her into an oversized leather chair. A second later, Lucky dragged Trinity to the one next to it and pointed. She flopped down in the chair, but not before winking at Emilee.
“Sheesh. We were just playing. You’d think there was a rule against tag!” Trinity said.
“Right?” Emilee joined in. “Tag is one of the bestest games.”
“It's not our fault these men are old sticks-in-the-mud!” Trinity continued, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking her tongue out at Lucky.
“Little Rabbit.” The warning was clear in Lucky’s tone.
Arrow dropped to a squat in front of Emilee and took her chin firmly in his hand. “Did I tell you to speak, Kitten?”
Oh shit.
Her ass clenched again, this time for fear for her own behind.
“Daddy has more than one way of punishing his sweet Kitten. Keep that in mind. The punishment fits the crime. If you want to have a naughty mouth, it might just need to be cleaned out. Now, are you going to sit here quietly like a good girl while Daddy gets to the bottom of what’s going on?”
She nodded her head, after all, he’d told her to be quiet.