Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
EMILEE
E milee's heart sank as she pushed open the front door. Arrow stood against the kitchen counter, his muscular arms crossed tightly over his chest. His jaw was clenched, eyes narrowed, and his whole body radiated tension like a coiled spring ready to snap.
Shit. He's pissed.
“I can explain,” Emilee blurted, her words tumbling out in a rush. “I went to Day & Night for coffee with Trinity, Delilah, and Makenzie. I really needed some girl time, you know?”
She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, avoiding Arrow's piercing gaze. His silence was deafening.
“Look, I know I should've texted you,” she continued, “but I just... I needed their support. Things have been crazy lately and?—”
“Kitten.” Arrow's voice was low and controlled, but she could hear the undercurrent of frustration.
She winced. “Yes, Daddy?”
“Come here.”
Emilee hesitated, then shuffled closer, her stomach doing somersaults. Up close, she could see the muscle ticking in Arrow's jaw.
This was not good. Not good at all.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered, unable to meet his eyes. “I know I messed up.”
Arrow uncrossed his arms and placed his hands on the counter, his knuckles white. “We'll discuss this. But first, I need to know—are you okay?”
The unexpected question caught Emilee off guard. She blinked, finally looking up at him. Despite his stern expression, concern shimmered in his eyes.
“I... yeah, I'm okay,” she mumbled. “Just needed some friends, you know?”
Arrow nodded slowly. “I understand that. But next time?—”
“I know, I know. Tell you first.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at Arrow's lips. “You don’t go anywhere without letting me know.”
Arrow's smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. He pushed off from the counter, closing the short distance between them with a slow, deliberate step. Emilee's heart raced, her body hyper-aware of his approaching presence. The air crackled with tension, a mixture of his anger and her own nervous energy.
“I'm glad you've found friendship with the other littles,” Arrow said, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down her spine. “It's important, especially considering their daddies are Watchmen too.”
Emilee nodded, a flicker of hope rising in her chest. Maybe he wasn't as mad as she thought.
But then Arrow's eyes narrowed, and that hope fizzled out. “However,” he continued, now close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his body, “was I not clear in my note for you to stay home?”
She swallowed hard. “You were.”
“And do we not have a rule about telling me where you'll be at all times?”
Emilee's stomach dropped. She knew where this was going. “We do,” she whispered.
Arrow raised an eyebrow, waiting.
“Yes, Daddy,” she added, her cheeks flushing. “We have that rule.”
As Arrow loomed over her, Emilee fought the urge to step back. Her body was a confusing mess of fear and arousal, drawn to him even as she dreaded the consequences of her actions.
“Good girl,” Arrow said, his tone softening just a fraction. “At least you remember the rules. Now we just need to work on following them. This is the third time you've broken the rules. I need to impress upon you the seriousness of your actions in a way that you might remember longer.”
She knew she'd messed up, but the thought of punishment made her stomach churn. He would not let her off with a simple hand spanking like the last two times. Oh no, she suspected that her face would look more like Mia’s this time around. Under her breath, she muttered, “Trinity was right, yet was coming. None of us knew yet would be today.”
Arrow's keen ears caught her words. He paused, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”
Emilee bit her lip, realizing she'd have to explain. “Well, um, I ran into Mia and Catie at Day & Night,” she began hesitantly.
Arrow's eyes widened slightly, but he remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
“They actually apologized,” Emilee rushed on. “We kind of... came to an understanding. But Mia's eyes were all red and puffy, like she'd been crying a lot.”
She watched Arrow's face, trying to gauge his reaction. “We figured her Daddy must have... you know... punished her. I told the girls I’d never been punished where my eyes would be red and puffy and you could feel it the next day. Trinity said not yet I hadn’t…”
Arrow's expression softened slightly, but his stance remained firm. “I see,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “And did this make you nervous about coming home?”
Emilee nodded, her cheeks flushing. “A little,” she admitted. “But I knew I'd messed up. I just... I didn't want to face it yet.”
Arrow sighed, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her face. The gentle touch sent a shiver down her spine, contrasting with the tension in the air.
“Oh, Kitten,” he murmured, “You know I don't enjoy punishing you. But rules are there for a reason, to keep you safe.”
Emilee's eyes stung with unshed tears. “I know, Daddy. I'm sorry.”
Arrow nodded, his expression a mix of sternness and relief. “It's about time those girls faced consequences for their actions,” he said, his voice low and measured. “I'm glad to hear they apologized to you.”
Emilee's eyes widened slightly, surprised by his agreement. “Yeah, I... I don't think they'll be mean to me again,” she said softly, twisting her fingers together nervously. “It felt... genuine, you know? Like their Daddies weren’t forcing them to apologize but more, they truly wanted to.”
A flicker of relief passed over Arrow's face, his shoulders relaxing almost imperceptibly. “That's good to hear, Kitten,” he murmured, reaching out to brush her cheek with his calloused hand. “I’m glad we won’t have to worry about words being exchanged at The Citadel or in town. Makes me feel a bit better.”
The tender gesture was short-lived, however. Arrow's expression hardened once more as he stepped back, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Now, Kitten,” he said, his voice dropping to that commanding tone that made her stomach flip flop, “It is time for your spanking. Remove your pants and underwear, then bend over the arm of the couch.”
Emilee's breath caught in her throat, fear and anticipation mingling in her chest. Her previous spankings had always been over his knee, the familiar position somehow comforting despite the punishment. This was new, unfamiliar territory.
“B-but, Daddy,” she stammered, her voice small, “I thought... you always spanked me over your knee.”
Arrow's gaze softened slightly, but his tone remained firm. “Not this time, Kitten. You need to understand the seriousness of your actions.”
Emilee swallowed hard, her heart racing as she turned towards the living room. Each step felt heavy, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. Once in front of the couch where he’d held her last night, she stopped. As she reached for the button of her jeans, she couldn't help but wonder if this was how Mia had felt earlier that day. She quickly removed her pants and her panties and placed them on the couch.
Arrow's steady footsteps behind her sent a shiver down Emilee's spine. She turned, her eyes widening as she watched him deliberately roll up the sleeves of his shirt, revealing the corded muscles of his forearms. Her breath hitched as his fingers moved to his belt buckle, deftly unfastening it.
“Oh God,” Emilee whispered, her voice barely audible. A conflicting mix of fear and arousal coursed through her body as Arrow slowly pulled the leather strap through the loops of his jeans.
“You see this, Kitten?” Arrow's voice was low, controlled. He held up the belt, letting it dangle from his hand. “Since you seem to need a bigger deterrent, your naughty bottom is going to get acquainted with my belt today.”
Emilee's knees felt weak. “Daddy, please,” she whimpered, her hands instinctively moving to cover her exposed bottom.
Arrow's expression remained stern, but there was a hint of regret in his eyes. “I don't enjoy this, Kitten. But you've left me no choice. Your safety is paramount, and you need to learn. My hand alone hasn’t done the trick, so we will move on to other implements until you’ve learned your lesson.” He guided her over the arm of the couch, and she reached forward and held onto the cushions.
As Emilee bent over the cold, unyielding arm of the couch, she yearned for the warmth of his hard thighs. This was so much worse than over his knee. What had she gotten herself into?
Arrow's hand came down first, the sharp smack echoing in the room. “When I tell you to stay home,” swat, “you stay home.” He landed several more swats to the fullness of her butt. “When I ask you to keep your phone on, you keep it on.” He peppered her behind as he spoke, covering every last inch with hard swats.
Emilee bit her lip, trying to hold back her cries. But when she heard the whistle of the belt cutting through the air, and then felt the fire as it landed across her butt, she couldn't contain her yelp of pain and surprise.
“I'm sorry, Daddy!” she cried out, tears streaming down her face. “I won't do it again, I promise!”
“I’ve heard those words before, Kitten. You’ve promised to obey and not to put yourself in danger, and yet, here we are. You are allowed to hang out with your friends. You are allowed to have fun. You aren’t allowed to disobey a direct order from your Daddy or go out without telling me where you will be. I was worried about you. Mills is still out there and until he is arrested, I need to know where you are and who you are with.” He stopped talking and brought the belt down on her behind several times.
The final strike of the belt landed with a resounding crack, and Emilee collapsed over the arm of the couch, her body wracked with sobs. Her bottom felt like it was on fire, the sting of Arrow's discipline radiating through her entire being.
“Shh, it's over now, Kitten,” Arrow murmured, his tone softening as he gathered her trembling form into his arms. Emilee buried her face in his chest, her tears soaking into his shirt.
Arrow's strong hands rubbed soothing circles on her back. “That's it, let it all out,” he whispered, his earlier sternness replaced by tender concern.
As her sobs subsided into quiet sniffles, Emilee felt herself being lifted. “Time for a nap, Kitten,” Arrow said, carrying her to the bedroom.
He tucked her in gently, brushing a stray lock of hair from her tear-stained face. As he turned to leave, Emilee caught his hand.
“Stay?” she asked, her voice small and vulnerable.
Arrow's lips quirked into a soft smile. “Always,” he replied, settling beside her on the bed.
As sleep began to claim her, Emilee heard Arrow's deep voice, barely above a whisper. “I love you, Em. More than you know.”
Her heart swelled, a warmth spreading through her chest. “I loves you too, Daddy,” she murmured back, drifting off with a sore ass and a contented smile on her face.