9. Chapter 9
Eamon
It pissed him off that he couldn’t find that scumbag, Callum. They had been searching for a few weeks now, and he was growing antsy. He wanted Daphne safe, and the more he discovered about his workings, the more pissed he became.
He was a known abuser, but because of his connections, nothing ever stuck.
They found a man willing to switch sides who told them everything.
This man had young daughters and didn’t believe in the trafficking of women and children and wanted to do anything to combat it.
He told them when the girls were going to be moved into the area and the route they planned to take.
After getting his family to safety in another country with new identities, they put a plan in motion to save these women and children.
“Callum needs to be found. Where the fuck is he?” He was pacing, his jaw was tight, his eyes focused.
“We are using every resource we have, boss, but he seems to have disappeared. We aren’t giving up.” Finnean was just as pissed as he was and knew they were doing all they could.
“Fuck, I know. I just need him found.” He slid a tired hand over his face.
“We have a plan to intercept the women, at least. We have safe houses set up and plans to get them back to their families. Dr. Dan has staff at each of the safe houses to offer medical care, and we have a translator on standby in case we need one. We don’t know where these girls are coming from, but we will help them all. ”
“We got this, boss. We’ll get them all to safety and end Callum.” Rory was confident in the plan and they all felt like they had it under control.
“How are the girls doing with being under house arrest?” Kellan asked.
“Kiera is fine. She gets to play and bake cookies with Auntie Freya almost every day.” They all chuckled.
“Daphne is…well, I’m not really sure, honestly.
She is cooperative, but it seems forced.
She spends as much time as allowed at the barn, but hates having to have a guard with her and hates that she can’t ride anywhere but in the arena. She is distant.”
“She needs to get used to the guards. When she’s yours, I know she’ll have a whole ass team of them.” Rory laughed at his glare. “You know I’m right. I know you want her, but she wants absolutely nothing to do with you. What’s your plan to win her over?”
His fingers were steepled in front of his face, elbows on the arms of his chair. “I’ll win her over or I’ll just kidnap her and make her mine.”
Rory snorted. “Yeah, ok. I’m sure Damian will be thrilled with that plan.”
He was about to respond when a soft knock hit his ears.
“Come in,” he yelled.
His eyes widened, and he sat straight in his chair as Daphne took tentative steps into his office.
“Hello, Daphne. To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?” Her eye roll made his hands twitch, but he ignored it.
“I can’t find Uncle Liam and Bozo out there won’t let me go to the barn unless you say I can. So tell him I’m allowed to go to the barn.”
“No,” he replied simply.
“No? What the fuck do you mean, no? Why the hell not?” She scrunched up her face.
“Exactly what I mean, Daphne. And you will curb your language in here or I will paddle your bottom raw. I’ve had enough of the sulking and attitude from you and it stops now.
You may ask for things politely, but demanding, name calling, and cursing will never get you what you want.
” He was standing, his hands on the table, and he pinned her with an icy gaze.
Her cheeks flushed, and she averted her gaze. Good. Maybe his words were sinking into her thick skull.
“I apologize. May I please go out to the barn with Connor?” she whispered.
“Tell you what, I’ll give you a choice. I can paddle your ass and you can go out to the barn or I can ground you for the day.”
“That’s ridiculous! You cannot ground me!” Her foot stomp would have been adorable if he wasn’t so pissed and his hands weren’t itching to connect with her gorgeous ass.
“Those are your options. And before you decide. Just know that Liam will find out about your behavior today when he gets back. Make your choice before I make it for you.” At his edict, she stomped out of his office and a few moments later, he heard the slamming of a door.
All the men found this especially humorous except for him.
“Connor, watch her close today.”
“Yes, boss.” With that, Connor left to take care of his charge.
“That girl is going to be the death of me, I swear.” He sounded weary.
“Why don’t you just paddle her ass?” Rory asked him.
“Because she told Damian that I haven’t earned her consent and that’s part of the reason she hates me so much right now.
I whipped her ass with my belt and she didn’t agree to it.
I respect her wishes to not be spanked for now, but she will eventually give consent.
” He may firmly believe that he had consent through her brother and her uncle, but he would respect her wishes.
Sighing, he stood. Putting on his jacket, he strode from the room without a glance back. He changed into jeans and his favorite belt, slipped on his boots, and headed to ride Avalanche. He needed to clear his head, and a ride was just what he needed.
He took his time brushing Avalanche, relishing in the calmness that eased over him.
Saddling him, he left for the ridge. His hair whipped in the breeze, the refreshing mountain air cooling his heated skin as they trotted through the mountains.
The weather was getting cooler by the day.
Soon it would be impossible to traverse this terrain on horseback, and they would have to resort to using snowmobiles.
Those were thrilling on their own, of course, but he preferred to be on horseback.
He rode the fence line briefly, just to ensure everything was as it should be. He trusted his men, but having an extra set of eyes on things never hurt anything. He had a town to protect. He came across a section that was down. Cursing under his breath, he called Colton.
Colton answered after the first ring. “Hey boss, something wrong?”
“Yeah, we have some down fencing, and it looks like someone has tampered with it. Call in a team and let’s get this fixed. I want cameras up here, too. I’m on the south ridge.” He was glad he stopped, but this was the last thing he wanted to fucking deal with.
“On it, boss. We’ll be up there soon.” He hung up and knew that his team would be on the job soon.
He tied up Avalanche so he couldn’t wander too far and got to work clearing some of the fencing out.
Within a few minutes, he heard the 4-wheelers on their way out.
When doing a job like this, 4-wheelers were easier to get all the equipment they needed.
“What the fuck is going on? I was just up here two days ago and everything was fine.” Colton, the oldest of the five Mason brothers, was in charge of the fences and keeping the property secure. He was damn good at his job, so he knew he had to take this personally.
“Not your fault, Colton. We have people trying to get on property all the time. And you can’t walk every inch of the property every day.
” He tried to reassure him as they got to work.
Within no time, the fence was repaired and the cameras were hung.
“We’ll monitor this section now and see if we can find anything.
It was likely a bear or something, but just in case someone is trying to get on the property, we’ll catch them. ”
“This wasn’t a bear, boss. This was someone trying to get in.” Colton held up a piece of fencing which had clearly been cut.
“Fuck my life. Who the hell is dumb enough to do this?” He considered himself a reasonable man, but fuck with the safety of the people he cared about and he was deadly.
“These cameras will catch anyone who tries to get on property. We’ll get some more cameras up and I’ll get a few extra men to run fences over the next few days.” Colton slapped him on the back. “We’ll get ‘em, boss.”
“You’re right.” He sighed. “Ok, I’m going to keep riding.
Keep everyone on property. Make sure all of your women know the seriousness of this.
I will dole out spankings if I catch anyone breaking any rules on this.
I’m serious. Something is not sitting right with me and anyone who is caught wandering without a guard can come see me and my paddle.
” With that decree made, he rode off on Avalanche, determined to clear his head.
“What am I going to do, buddy?” He was miles away in his head.
His thoughts kept wandering back to the feisty guest he had in his home.
He needed to find a way to eliminate the threat against Daphne and make her his.
She was skittish, and it pissed him off.
No one should be that scared, ever. Especially his girl.
And she was his, he just had to convince her of that.
After riding the fence, making sure there were no more down areas, he returned to the barn.
Getting his horse taken care of, he finally made his way back to the house. As he got closer, he heard yelling. Picking up his pace, he rushed in to find Daphne on one side of the table and Liam on the other. They were in some sort of standoff.
“What is going on here?” A knowing smirk played on his face.
“Daphne thinks she hasn’t earned another spanking for what you told me she did, and I completely disagree.” Liam never took his eyes off the scowling girl.
“I don’t! You guys are insufferable! I am bored.
I am tired of being locked away, and no one will let me do anything.
” Hands on her hips, she stomped her feet.
“This is so unfair. I said I was sorry. I apologized to Connor for calling him a name and I meant it. I won’t do it again.
But I don’t want another spanking!” She screamed, her fists balled at her sides.
“I don’t really care what you want, young lady.
Get your butt to your room. Now. If I have to take you there myself, you will get a spanking every morning when you wake up and every night before you go to sleep for a week.
Do NOT test me on this.” Liam’s voice was sharp as a knife.
The fierceness they all saw in his eyes made them know he meant business.
“Argh!” She threw her hands up in the air before stomping off to her room.
“Sorry about that. She is a bit peeved.” They both chuckled.
“That’s putting it mildly, I think.”
“I will take care of this, but you need to hurry up and make her yours so you can take over. That girl desperately needs a Daddy.”
“I’m trying. She hates me, and I’m sure me telling on her doesn’t help at all. She’ll be mine. We just need to get rid of Callum first.”
“Still can’t find the bastard, huh?”
“No.” He shook his head as he headed over to the bar. “Oh, call Kiera in here for a minute before you deal with Daphne.” Kiera came skipping in a moment after her Daddy texted her.
“Hi, Daddy! Hi, Uncle Eamon.” She threw herself at her Daddy and looked over at me.
“Listen to me very carefully. I don’t want to scare you, but I need you to understand that something is happening.
My job is to keep you safe and I am going to do that.
That said, if I find out you went anywhere outside without your Daddy, me, or another guard, I will paddle your bottom raw before handing you over to your Daddy.
Are we clear?” He didn’t want to scare the Littles, or anyone for that matter, but he needed them to understand the seriousness of what was happening.
Wide-eyed, she bobbed her head up and down.
“We need words, Little girl.” Her Daddy patted her hip.
“Yes, Sir. I understand. No outside unless a guard or you or my Daddy are with me. Not even Auntie Freya can take me outside. Got it. Promise.”
“Good girl. Now, how about you help me in the kitchen while your Daddy goes and deals with Daphne?”
Sighing, she turned in her Daddy’s arms. “Be kinda understanding, Daddy. She is scared and bored and she isn’t used to this.
I know she’s being naughty but I think it’s because she feels out of control.
She’s like me when I first got here. Just…
I know you’re gonna spank her. But maybe talk to her first like you do with me.
” She kissed his cheek and slid down to the ground.
Kiera had been talking to her Daddy, but Eamon felt like she was talking to him.
He needed to listen to her a bit more. Find out more about her.
Yes, he expected obedience, but he needed to be careful of her tender Little heart.
Taking Kiera to the kitchen, he helped Freya with dinner, despite her protests.