23. Chapter 21
FRANKIE
F rankie was utterly bored. Daddy wouldn’t allow her to do any work at all.
It was killing her just sitting around, doing nothing.
But Daddy didn’t want her to overwork herself while she was still healing.
It had only been four days since her attack, and she was making progress in her life.
Her throat didn’t hurt anymore, and even though the bruises were still a nasty dark purple color, it was lightening some.
“Do I have to sit here all day?” she whined from her spot on the couch in his office. “I can work now. Dr. Mike even said I could.”
This was going to be another torturous day if she had to sit on his couch and watch him. She could be working right now, earning money, but instead, she was sitting on the couch, doing nothing.
“Yes, sweetheart.” Daddy looked up from his computer. “Just until the end of the week. And no talking. You heard what Dr. Mike said.”
Sighing, she leaned back into the couch and closed her eyes.
Frankie had been sleeping a whole lot better since moving in with Daddy.
He made her take some naps during the week on his soft couch.
He had spent well-earned money on this couch, but it still didn’t take away that she was stuck in here, bored.
On the first day, Frankie had colored and brought Lita with her, but she was growing bored with that.
She had never had this much free time in her life, and she didn’t like it.
She didn’t know what to do with herself.
Maybe if she could go out and do things, it would be better, but she was stuck in this office.
“He said I could talk a little.” She rolled her eyes as she looked at him. “I’m just bored. I could be working and earning money.”
That was what she was really worried about.
A full week of not being able to work was going to kick her in the bottom.
Even though insurance covered all her medicine, which she found hard to believe and would be asking Dominic how much he had spent, it was still a worry.
She didn’t know when Daddy was going to tell her she needed to find a new apartment, and she needed to have all the money saved up so she could move into one better than the last place.
No way was she going to move back in there. And there was no way she was going to stay on the streets, so she needed to work. Maybe she could get a second job to save up even more money.
“Sweetheart, we’ve talked about this. You are currently on medical leave or whatever the actual term is. You are getting paid every single day,” he explained once again.
“I know, but that doesn’t make me feel good about it either. I didn’t get hurt on the job,” she pointed out. “I could have totally worked the whole time. My neck was hurt, not my hands or my brain.”
It was like she was getting free money, and it didn’t sit well with her at all. She wanted to earn her paycheck, but Daddy wasn’t having any of it. The first day, he’d dragged her to the club and made her sit on the couch, she’d tried to work.
That didn’t end well at all.
Trent found her cleaning some toys. He went and tattletaled to Daddy.
Apparently, Daddy had thought ahead and knew she would try to work, so he told everyone she wasn’t allowed to.
She got in trouble that day. Lines once again.
They absolutely sucked, especially since he made her do one hundred that time.
“And I told you no. Dr. Mike told you and me that you are supposed to rest for several days to allow your body to heal. You working is putting strain on your body, strain you don’t need while you heal,” Daddy lectured again.
“I understand you're bored and want to work, but it’s two more days and then the weekend. After the weekend, you can work.”
She eyed him warily. “Promise?”
“I promise. Monday morning, we are going to come in together, and you are can do some work. Then you’ll take a nap, eat lunch, and then you can work a couple more hours until we go home,” Daddy informed her.
“I don’t need naps anymore.” She sighed. “But I guess Monday is okay. If you don’t let me, there is going to be a revolt. I need to work so I can put some money in my savings.”
Daddy got up from his seat and knelt in front of her. “Frankie,” he gently said. “You are getting paid while you aren’t working this week. I know it feels strange, but this is what we do for our employees. Even if they don’t get hurt at work. Everyone needs time to recover.”
“So you aren’t just making it up for me?” she whispered.
“No, and even if I was, there isn’t any problem with that. We all do things for the people we lo?—”
“Can I steal you for a second?” Oliver asked, interrupting Daddy.
Daddy growled. “You can tell me here.”
Was Daddy about to tell Frankie that he loved her? Had Oliver ruined it, or was he going to say something different? Frankie couldn’t take this any longer. How was she supposed to go on like this?
“Are you sure?” Oliver looked over at her with hesitation.
“You can go,” she mumbled.
“No. Whatever you want to say in front of me can also be said in front of her. Frankie, we do things and take care of the people we lo?—”
“Police couldn’t find the guy who did this to Frankie. There were no witnesses,” Oliver cut in again.
Daddy growled and shot him a glare. “Will you stop interrupting me?” he yelled.
“The cameras!” Frankie raised her voice at the same time.
“Cameras?” Oliver gave her a puzzled look.
“Daddy put cameras up in my apartment hallway in case something happened. They were so small that I often forgot about them, but they are there, or should be. Maybe the guy didn’t see them, and you can find out what he looked like!” she suggested before her mouth dropped open.
She had called him Daddy out loud for the first time. She wasn’t supposed to do that. She was supposed to keep it in her head and tell no one she thought of him that way. What was he going to do? It was a no-no to call a Daddy Dom who wasn’t hers a Daddy. It was frowned upon.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, feeling ashamed.
Frankie knew it was going to come to this. How could she have kept it inside any longer? It was bound to come out at some point, and sadly, it came out when someone else was in the room to witness it.
“Do not say anything.” Daddy’s voice was dark as he pointed to Oliver. “Stay quiet for the next minute or so, help me, I will kill you.”
Frankie and Oliver’s eyes widened. Why was Daddy mad at Oliver? Would he actually kill him, or was he just getting frustrated?
He turned to her and cupped her face with his hands.
“Baby, sweetheart… I’m not mad at you for calling me Daddy.
I’m over the moon that you think of me as your Daddy.
I would be honored,” he gently said. “What I’ve been trying to say twice so far was that we take care of the people we love.
I love you, and I don’t want to let you go.
I don’t want you to leave my apartment. I want you where I can take care of you and make sure you are safe and loved. ”
Tears pooled in her eyes as his words. He loved her? He really loved her?
“I hate that it seems like I shouldn’t love you, from the look on your face, but I do.
I love you so much. I think I fell in love with you the first day you walked in here for the interview,” he confessed.
“I was kicking myself for allowing you to stay in your apartment and not demanding that you live with me from day one. But here you are. I finally have you, and I’m not letting you go. ”
“I love you too, Daddy,” she whispered with tears rolling down her face.
“You do?” Gently, he wiped the tears away as they reached her cheeks.
She nodded and leaned her head into his right arm. “I really do. I’ve been trying to fight off my feelings for a while, long before I moved in with you, but it’s been hard. But I’m tired of it and I don’t want to do it anymore.”
Daddy leaned forward and kissed her forehead before giving her a quick peck on the lips. “I’m tired of trying to hide them as well. You’re mine, and I am yours. There is no going back.”
Closing her eyes, she took several deep breaths and just enjoyed the feeling of him touching her, of this sweet, sweet moment.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but can we look at the camera feed to see if we can see the person’s face?” Oliver asked. “The police are outside, but I told them I would ease the blow.”
Frankie’s eyes shot open, and she looked at Daddy. “You just threatened Oliver hem with them out there. You can’t get taken away!”
“Shhh, it’s okay. I’m not going to. If I know who’s out there, he knows I would never kill anyone. Well, now I may since I have you. So precious. I don’t want anything to happen to you,” Daddy cooed at her.
“Don’t say that!” She placed her hand over his mouth. “The police don’t need to know! They don’t need to have you as a suspect!”
Daddy’s shoulders shook, but Frankie didn’t find it funny. How could she? She didn’t want Daddy to be taken away from her. Not when she just heard him say he loved her and wanted to keep her for the rest of their lives.
“They aren’t going to take me. Baxter wouldn’t do that unless he had solid evidence that I did something, which he doesn’t. Isn’t that right, Baxter?” Daddy looked off to the side of the room where the door was.
Another man walked into the room and smiled.
“Of course I wouldn’t. I don’t like hauling people in unless I know for certain they did it.
Makes everyone trust us much better. Or I like to think it does,” he said before turning to Frankie.
“Hi, Frankie, I’m Sheriff Baxter. If you need anything, let me know.
I try to keep this place as safe as I can. ”
Nodding, she looked away. Frankie didn’t want to be around many people. Daddy clasped her hands in his, helping them to stop shaking. Even though she had gotten a lot more sleep than normal and was eating better, she was still stressed beyond belief.
“Everything is going to be okay,” Daddy whispered. “I’m going to show Baxter the camera feed from your apartment, and then he’ll find the person who broke in.”
Daddy stood to his full height, but Frankie held onto his hands. She didn’t want to let him go. She didn’t want him to leave her.
“She’ll need to identify the guy who hurt her from the camera feed,” Baxter said. “Might want to take her with you. I can see she doesn’t want to leave you.”
That would be an understatement of the year. She wasn’t going to leave him at all.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Daddy whispered, picking her up. “Just a quick look and then you won’t have to think about it again.”
“She shouldn’t need to come in to identify him whenever we catch him. This should be enough to put him behind bars,” Baxter explained from his position next to them.
Daddy pulled up the camera feed on his computer and got to the night Frankie had been attacked. Gripping his hand even tighter, she sucked in a breath as the video started to play. She knew what was coming, yet it was like it was happening all over again.
“That’s him,” she whispered, pointing as he appeared on screen. “That’s the man who strangled me.”