Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Mace
What the hell just happened?
I pace inside my office, going through not just the two words Autumn uttered but the previous fifteen minutes before them.
She meant those words. They slipped out of her subconscious mind, revealing a piece of her I had no way of knowing about.
Autumn is submissive.
Maybe I shouldn’t jump to such a conclusion simply because she called me Sir, but I am. I’ve known her for four years. Though I have only interacted with her half a dozen times, never once has she called me Sir. It’s not some polite interaction her father insisted on.
Yes, both he and I were in the military. Yes, we are familiar with the intent in such a setting. But Burke was not strict with his daughter like that. He didn’t treat her as though she was a subordinate in the Army. Never.
No… Autumn used a different tone. The word Sir was capitalized and reverent. It came from a place of submission. She has experience with Dominants.
I’m certain of it because she was instantly mortified to have used the honorific.
She knows exactly what she said and how she meant it.
What it tells me is that in her exhausted state, she wasn’t able to filter her choice of words.
She fell into a comfortable place of submission, as she would in the presence of a Dom.
I used a commanding tone with her several times this morning. I couldn’t help myself. Apparently, she couldn’t control her response, either.
Now, I have a million questions. First of all, where did she learn about submission? Who taught her what she knows? I’m insanely jealous of the Dom or Doms who have come before me. Or hell, perhaps even Dommes.
She’s twenty-two. She just graduated from college.
From my perspective, she’s led a fairly sheltered life.
I wasn’t aware of her partying while she was attending the university.
Her father spoke of her often and fondly.
She lived at home the entire four years.
James always said she was so “good” that it worried him.
He laughed about it. What sort of father was concerned that his child was too well-behaved?
Did Autumn have a secret life? One she kept from her father? And why does that make my skin crawl?
For four years, I’ve thought about this woman often. I never intended to act on it. Under no circumstances could I have ever mentioned my feelings to her father.
But now she’s here in my home. Her father is gone. She needs me.
And she’s submissive.
Who the hell has seen that side of her? I kind of want to strangle the unknown Dominants who have been lucky enough to spend time with my girl.
My girl?
Fuck.
Fuck me.
She’s in my bed. She obviously felt dominated by me. Did she feel nurtured? Did my Daddy side come out too strong?
I fucking dried her gorgeous auburn hair and brushed through it for far longer than necessary. I’ve dreamed of doing exactly that many times. I wanted to braid it, too. So badly that I even voiced my thoughts. She must have found my suggestion to be batshit crazy.
Or maybe she didn’t. Only minutes later, she called me Sir.
Just because she’s submissive doesn’t mean she has any knowledge of or experience with age play. But if she belongs to any fetish clubs, it’s possible she has witnessed age play. Perhaps it’s even intrigued her. In any case, she would have some idea.
But holy shit.
I couldn’t have seen us in this awkward, precarious existence even an hour ago.
Our universe is shifting around us. Is there some freaky, remote possibility that being with Autumn could be more than a fantasy?
Could she be a woman who craves the sort of submission I would require of her if she were mine?
It’s too soon to think such things. Plus, there are more pressing issues.
Her father was mysteriously murdered last night. Fuck.
Before I started pacing, I snagged the contents of the manila envelope and dropped them on my desk.
I need to calm my racing mind and focus on this far more important task.
Some motherfucker dared to kill one of the best men I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing.
Whoever it is will not live a long and happy life.
The first thing I do when I sit at my desk is turn on the monitor that will allow me to keep an eye on Autumn. Because, yes, I have a camera watching her. I set it on the nightstand while she was in the shower. I doubt she noticed it before she went to sleep.
I’m thirty-five years old. I’ve known I’m a Daddy Dom since I was about twenty.
However, I’ve never had a woman in my home whom I would describe as a Little, with the exception of my coworkers’ girlfriends.
Nevertheless, I’ve gradually prepared my apartment for such an occasion.
I have everything a Daddy would need already in place.
That includes various cameras and monitors to ensure my girl is safe at all times.
Invasive? Yes. Definitely. Especially since I didn’t tell Autumn I would have a camera on her while she slept.
Putting her in my bed was a choice. I had other options. I could have introduced her to the playroom I’ve been slowly filling since I moved into this apartment. Perhaps I got ahead of myself. Some people would probably think I’m a bit cracked for putting the cart before the horse. I don’t care.
For one thing, I call it being prepared. For another thing, I’m not alone. Several of us who work for Black Blade Protection are Daddy Doms. We all have some level of preparedness in place.
I have no idea how Autumn will react when she discovers the room I’ve outfitted with everything a Little girl could want. Inevitably, she will see it. I can’t hide it from her forever. She’s probably wondering why I didn’t put her in a guest room.
The truth is, I do have a regular guest room set up. I could have led her there, but the idea was never under consideration. She belongs in my bed. Doesn’t she? She didn’t balk when I pulled the covers back. Okay, maybe she hesitated, but not for long.
When I glance at the monitor, I see that she’s curled up on her side, sound asleep.
The poor girl has to be beyond exhausted.
Besides staying awake all night, she did so under immense stress and fear.
She probably looked over her shoulder a hundred times, wondering if some madman was going to kill her like they did her father.
I snag the letter addressed to me off the desk and open it. My hands are trembling as I straighten out the trifold piece of paper. It’s typed and professional. It’s even on Burke’s personal letterhead. Burke was prepared.
Dearest Mace,
If you’re reading this, I am most likely dead. I’m sorry for your grief.
As I type this, my main concern is Autumn. She would have been the one to hand you this letter, so I assume she’s still alive. I know I don’t have to ask you to protect her and keep her from harm. It’s in your nature to protect the innocent, and Autumn is no stranger.
Who killed me? I can’t tell you for certain, but there are several possibilities.
I know most people wouldn’t believe this, but I have a list of enemies.
I built this reputation while I was stationed overseas on my second tour.
You weren’t there. You weren’t even old enough to join the Army at that point.
Bad things happened on that tour that were out of my control. Innocent people died. I had no choice but to eliminate several threats, but I didn’t get them all. There were sleeper cells that remained elusive to me. To this day, they walk the Earth.
I’ve always known my number would come up one day. I pray that Autumn was not home at the time and remained unharmed. I pray that she is with you now.
Please take care of my daughter.
Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you look at her. She hangs the moon for you. And I’m not oblivious enough to not have seen her fawning over you, too. If she brought you this letter, I assume it happened at some point before the two of you admitted your feelings for each other.
I know you are a good man. I’m certain you believed you were doing the right thing by keeping your distance from Autumn. I don’t blame you. She was barely an adult when you met her. You’re thirteen years her senior.
At the time I’m updating this letter and replacing it in the safe, she is almost twenty-two. She’s old enough to know her mind, and you have my blessing to pursue her.
She adores you. She lights up when you visit, unable to hide her emotions, even though she believes I have no idea. Same as you, she can’t hide from an old man like me. I’ve been around the block a few times. I’m no ignorant fool.
There’s a thumb drive in this envelope. It has a list of my known enemies. I haven’t provided it because I want you to hunt anyone down. I’ve done so because I know you will not sleep until my murder is avenged. I’m making it easier for you.
You were always like a son to me, Mace. I trusted you with my life on more than one occasion, and now I’m trusting you with Autumn’s life. I don’t want her to mourn my death for weeks or months. I want her to be happy. I want her to smile.
Do that for me. Do it for yourself. Make my daughter smile for the rest of her life.
Your trusted friend,
James Burke
I’m shaking when I finish reading this letter. It’s filled with so much shocking information that I have to read it twice more just to be sure I’m not making shit up in my head.
He knew. My friend and mentor knew I lusted after his daughter. He also died thinking she feels the same.
I set the letter on the desk and run a hand down my face. To say I’m stunned is an understatement. I’m so far past shocked.
Turning my attention to the monitor, I take a moment to watch my girl sleep. She hasn’t moved. I’m glad. She obviously needs the rest.
I lean in closer, staring at her. There are no words. I’m reeling from Burke’s insightfulness. It’s possible he’s wrong. I can’t be certain Autumn has ever thought as much about me as her father seemed to believe.
There are giant hurdles. For one, Burke didn’t mention a word about knowing how dominant I am. That’s a simple fact he was aware of. But did he realize how deeply I need a submissive woman in my life? Did he know Autumn was such a woman?
My mind wanders back to the possibilities concerning a relationship with her. If she has a club membership, or perhaps more than one, surely Burke knew. Yet, he said nothing. Not while he was alive or in this letter.
If Autumn does not currently have a Dom or has never had one, how does she know enough to have so easily let the word Sir flow out of her lips? I have about a hundred more questions than I had an hour ago.
I want to fire them off one at a time as soon as she wakes up, but I can’t do that. I would freak her the fuck out. I need to bide my time, treat her like spun gold, and ease her into my lifestyle.
It’s impossible to be sure how much she understands about Doms in general, or Daddy Doms in particular, but she’s about to learn because the reality is that, unless we share the same kink, we have nothing to build on.
I can do everything in my power to show Autumn what it means to be my Little girl, but if her heart isn’t in it, we’ll never make it work, no matter how much her father thought he knew.
Lusting after someone doesn’t make them a good life partner. My feelings for Autumn have been built on a gut sense that she was the entire package. I’ve never had any proof, though.
Forcing myself to drag my attention from my sleeping angel, I reach for the thumb drive and pop it into the computer.
It’s time to see this list and make some calls.
I have the resources to hunt down any man on this planet, and I will do so.
James Burke’s life will be avenged if it’s the last thing I do.