Chapter 17
The office was quieter than usual this morning, the soft hum of the air conditioning the only sound filling the space.
As I sat at my desk, paperwork scattered across the surface, my mind raced through a dozen different tasks that had to be tackled before the end of the week.
I barely noticed the knock on my office door before it opened.
Robert stood in the doorway, his uniform neat and his face as stern as usual. The fire marshal had always been a nononsense type of guy, but today, there was a tension in his posture that caught me off guard. He held a clipboard in one hand, and the other was tucked into his jacket pocket.
"Morning, Elin," Robert greeted me, stepping into the room without waiting for an invitation. The man looked defeated and uncomfortable.
"Morning, Robert. What brings you by?" I tried to keep my tone light, though I had a feeling something was off. I’d met Robert on a few different occasions over at the Lounge and had even had a session or two with him.
Today, he didn’t waste any time with pleasantries. "I need to talk to you about the fire inspection we did last week."
"Sure, what did you find?" I asked, already dreading the answer.
Robert didn’t immediately speak. Instead, he placed the clipboard on my desk and flipped it open, pointing to a section of the report.
"You’re missing a back exit. In the event of an emergency, if people can’t get out through the front, there’s no alternative route from the main room.
That’s a serious violation of fire safety codes.
" He looked over his shoulder. “I know Gavriel has paid our office off a time or two, but this one we can’t waive. The smaller shit wasn’t even noted. ”
“There’s the storage room.”
Shaking his head, he held my gaze. “Doesn’t comply. You need double doors for mass evacuation. I’m sorry, Elin.”
A groan spilled from my throat. I scanned the page in front of me, trying to make sense of the words. They weren’t counting the delivery door in the storage room. Fuck
"How long do I have to fix it?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
Robert met my gaze, his expression serious. "You have sixty days. After that, we’ll have to issue a citation, and you could face fines or more severe penalties."
Sixty days. I let out a slow breath, the stress of that timeline settling heavy on me. I had to act quickly. Contractors were booked out for months right now. Where was I going to find someone to come in and fix this? What if it required more structural work on the building? What if—
Stop.
"I understand. I’ll get on it right away."
Robert nodded, his expression softening just a fraction. "I’m sure you will. Just make sure it’s done properly. It’s not just about the fine; it’s about the safety of everyone in this building."
"Thanks for the heads-up, Robert."
He gave me a quick nod before turning to leave. As the door clicked shut behind him, I exhaled a shaky breath. I could ask Gavriel if he had guys who could come out and get it done.
Ugh. Gavriel.
Turning my head to the notepad at the end of the desk, I sighed as I leaned back in my chair. I had come upstairs around midnight, to give him his punishment, only to find an empty room. When I’d seen the notepad at the edge of the desk, and not where it had been left, the tension had fled my body.
I hadn’t needed to check the cameras. There’d been enough lust and need in his eyes as he’d left me last night to know he had followed directions. Family business was the only thing that I couldn’t control.
About an hour later, a knock startled me. Standing there was Gavriel.
“Goddess, my apologies for last night.”
Standing, I circled around the desk and nodded. “It was family business.”
“It was. I came straight back.” He stepped inside as I leaned on the front of my desk, crossing my arms over my chest and lifting my chin.
“I see that.” There was blood specked all over his white button-up, his hair had been raked through, and there was dried blood still on his hands, flaking away, except for what was lodged under his fingernails.
He hadn’t even cleaned up first.
Why was he so obedient? Why was he so connected to this role? Why is the Owl’s Talon of the Azzaro mafia family, so anxious and impatient to be on his knees before me?
He stood there a moment before he continued, “Do you want me in position?”
“First, have a seat.” He came and sat down as I moved into the chair next to him. “The fire marshal was here.” After I’d brought him up to day, he immediately scoffed and waved me off like I hadn’t just been told to add an entire other exit.
“We paid him off last week.”
“I know. The problem is that there is no back exit in case of emergencies. He can’t write that one off.”
He gave me a crazy look. “There’s a door through the storage room.”
“Has to be double doors.” His head tipped back, and I insisted, “We are going to fix the exit. Can the family construction company handle it within the next sixty days?”
“Dad has them on a project.”
“Then call him and tell him we need them for less than a week. It’s a set of exterior doors. Not a whole fucking room. He can spare a few guys for a couple days.”
He glared at me, but when I just stared back, he sighed. “I’ll talk to him.”
“You’ll call him once we are done here. Now, I believe you have instructions on how I require you.”
Holding my gaze, he stood and started slowly removing his bloodied shirt. Tossing it to the floor, he slowly undid his belt and lowered his pants and boxers, kicking his shoes off and adding them to the pile.
The asshole was a well-cut specimen, that was for sure, and I felt my nipples harden at the sight of the chain mail cradling around his semi-erect cock. Without thinking, I pointed to the open space in front of the couch. “In position.”
Without a word, my pretty boygot to his knees and tilted his head up to look at me as I moved to stand before him. Strands of his blond hair stuck to his forehead with blood, and tilting my head to the side, I reached up and softly moved it back with the rest.
Why was the sight of him like this, speckled with blood from some unknown violence last night, so damn sexy? He was danger incarnate. Gavriel was his father’s personal weapon, and here he was at my command.
Putting my finger under his chin, I smiled down at him when he held my gaze. “Why am I punishing you?”
“Fifteen women touched what was yours, and I didn’t remove them with the exception of the one blonde.” When I lifted an eyebrow at him, he continued, “But she still touched what belongs to you, Goddess.”
“Good boy.” Leaning down, I came so close that there was barely a millimeter between our lips. His eyes closed, and there was a shuddering breath from him as I smiled and commanded, “Hands on the cushions and brace yourself.”
Standing, I went to the small closet, where I had put a few personal items, and brought out a small bag of tools. Grabbing the crop from the duffle I placed on the floor, I turned to see that fine ass out and ready for me.
One foot in front of the other, I slowly came up next to him and lifted his chin with the crop. When his lust-filled eyes met mine, my whole body came alive. This. This was what made me feel again, despite the loss of my father.
“You will count out and name every woman who introduced herself to you. Is that understood?”
“I don’t know all their names, Goddess.” He hung his head.
“How many do you know?”
He blinked quickly a few times before he replied, “Eight.”
“You will name the eight first, then apologize for my property being touched without my consent for the rest. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Goddess.”
Stepping behind him, I let the leather flap of the crop slide across the skin of his neck, then down his back. Without warning, I lifted it and landed it on his right ass cheek.
“One. Monica.”
“Good boy.”
Pulling my arm back, I swung again, landing it with a crack on his left cheek. A moan came from his lips as he said, “Two. Francesca.”
In quick succession, I landed one on each cheek again.
“Three. Ailiya. Four. Jenny.”
“Good, Pretty Boy. Now, I want your hands threaded behind your head.”
He did as commanded as I came to stand in front of him.
There wasn’t much room, so I indicated for him to scooch back a bit, which he did.
I bent and flicked his nipple with my tongue, and he groaned.
I didn’t fail to notice how his arm and stomach muscles flexed with the movement.
“Does my pretty boylike his nipples licked?”
“Yes, Goddess.” As quickly as I stood, I let the crop fly through the air, hitting each of them. A breath of pleasure came from him as his back bowed. “Fuck.”
As his cock pressed against the chain mail, I smiled and let the leather of the crop slide across it. Gavriel’s eyes popped open, and his attention was fully on me. Something crossed with fear and pleaful need shone in those dark eyes.
“Don’t worry. I won’t whip your cock right now. I’m sure you are uncomfortable enough with it being so restrained.” I came to stand at his side again and let the crop fly two more times.
“Five was Janette. Six, Brenda.”
Again, I landed a hit on his right ass cheek, and the red was beautiful.
“Seven, Sariah.”
One more on the left, and he groaned out, “Eight, Dawn.”
“Good boy. You are doing so well.” Crouching down behind him, I ran my hands over his well-formed ass.
He let out a hum as heat filtered into my hand.
Standing, I placed a small kiss between his shoulder blades.
There was an exaggerated breath that came from him, and when I met his gaze again, I didn’t fully understand the look he gave me, so I asked, “You remember your safeword?”
“Talon.”
“Do you need to use it?” He seemed to be okay, but I was about to go harder on him for the remainder of his spankings.
“No, Goddess. Please continue punishing me.”
Smirking and without warning, I slammed down the crop on his tender skin.
“Nine. I’m sorry, Goddess.”