Chapter 4
Ariel
Four days go by in my posh Danish Lake resort hotel. I send sexy pic after sexy pic. Videos, too. Masturbating against the baseball bat was one of the hottest things I’ve ever done.
The video has been viewed over a hundred times.
And my profile is private except to “friends” on the site. So the only people to see it are Lyle and Austin.
Have they each watched it fifty times? Or is it only one of them watching it over and over? The site won’t give me that information, not even when I hack into the system. Rude.
If they’re both into me, what does that mean?
Which guy would I choose? I don’t know if I could pick.
Austin looks mad in the couple of images I’ve been able to find of him online, but it’s a sexy mad.
One image shows him at some big fundraiser, acting as a bodyguard.
He’s in a suit (swoon), and the backs of his hands are covered in tattoos. I bet his arms are full sleeves of ink.
Then there’s Lyle. Seems like he’s pretty involved with his family—his parents are still alive, and his brother is married with two kids. Most photos capture Lyle smiling, but he seems reserved, like he’s holding something back. Probably the dominant side of him.
He could show it to me.
They both could.
But I can’t spend every waking minute obsessing about these guys. I busy myself with other distractions. I do some work, blazing through contracts one by one. I love my job. I get to break into things to make them stronger. It suits me, but it’s a solitary gig.
I guess, in some ways, I’m a bit lonely.
And it is, after all, Christmas.
Aw, hell.
I go back to stalking Austin’s and Lyle’s Kynkworld profiles. I hack into the site and find out what else they’ve viewed and favorited over the years.
Lots of Daddydom/little girl stuff. So, so much of it.
At first, I’m confused. I’ve never understood this kind of kink.
Like, I have a dad. We might have our problems—see, for example, him contracting bounty hunters to find me and reunite us.
But he’s still my dad and I love him, and he’s enough for me.
I don’t need some other dude pretending to be my dad.
But as I watch the videos Lyle and Austin have spent time watching, I find that there’s more to the dynamic.
There’s a caretaking, protective aspect that I find very appealing.
And I can’t lie, the idea of someone punishing me when I’m naughty?
That holds a certain appeal, too. Could a Daddydom manage me? Keep me in line?
I shiver at the idea. I like it very much.
I watch a video where a stern Daddy scolds a young woman before spanking her and fucking her. This is a video that Austin has watched several times. I type in a few commands and discover that he even shared it with Lyle at one point.
He sent a message when he shared the video with Lyle. Reminds me of that woman we shared at Low Vice last week.
Lyle responded. Great fucking time.
They...they shared a woman? Do they do that often? I can’t tell. But they sound super casual about their experience sharing that one, so it only stands to reason this could be a regular thing for them.
An image flits into my head, the two of them dominating me.
And what’s Low Vice? I know of the club Vice, so I start there.
A tour of their website’s owners and their business records, and soon I have it figured out. There’s a secret kink club, hidden behind the vanilla dance club.
Intrigued, I try to find more information, but there isn’t anything available to the casual browser online. I had to dig for what I found, and if I dig further, they’ll figure out someone hacked into their system.
I quickly exit and return to the Kynkworld site, and my original rabbit hole. There, I click on the next video Austin and Lyle shared. This one isn’t a Daddydom dynamic, but two men with a woman. She’s bent over, giving one head while the other fucks her from behind.
Holy hotness. I fan myself with my hand. I might need to create some more images for them. I’ll do another photo shoot.
My phone beeps with an incoming call. Shit, have they found me? I should’ve spent more time monitoring them, less time having sexy daydreams.
I grab my device, heart pounding, and see my dad’s photo on the screen. Salt and pepper hair, beard, dark brown eyes. Asshat Dad, the name reads.
I consider letting it go to voicemail, but it’s Christmas, after all. And the truth is, I could use a friendly voice, even if I’m still mad at him.
Maybe I should hear him out.
I answer. “Dad?”
“Ariel.” He exhales heavily. “You answered.”
“Well, yeah. It’s Christmas.” I ignore the fact that I considered not answering. “Of course I want to talk to you.”
An awkward pause stretches between us.
“So, how are you?” he asks.
“Trying to stay several steps ahead of the bounty hunters you sent after me.” I keep my voice light, uncaring, but he can probably hear the reproach.
“Yeah.” He sounds sheepish. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s been a fun distraction, I guess. I’ll forgive it.”
“But you haven’t forgiven me for Leon. I’m so sorry, Ariel. I had no idea, and I was an idiot for listening to him instead of you at the end.”
Damn right, he shouldn’t have listened to Leon. When I realized what a controlling asshole Leon was, I tried to leave. Leon told everyone, including my father, that I was a danger to myself. He nearly had me committed, and my dad was on his side for way, way too long.
I only barely escaped getting locked into a hospital because thankfully a really good doctor realized I was in an abusive relationship. She wasn’t swayed by Leon’s money and influence, nor his good-old-boy smile.
I shove back the memories. “It was just another example of you prioritizing someone else over me, Dad. It really hurts, and that kind of shit needs to stop.”
“I promise. Next time, I’ll listen.”
Pushing back from my tiny desk, I pace in the hotel room. Bed, to desk, to dresser, and around again. “Hopefully it won’t come to that again, but if it does, I need to know I can trust you.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to rebuild our trust. How about dinner next week?” he asks. “I’m in Colorado for the company ski trip, but when I come back—”
“Wait, you didn’t make Janie go with you, did you?”
“She didn’t have any family plans, so of course I invited her.”
“She doesn’t know how to say no to you, Dad. Don’t keep asking her to do stuff.”
He coughs. “Right. Okay, you’re right. I’ll go easier on her.”
I narrow my gaze on the faux wood grain of the hotel dresser. Dad has always had a soft spot for Janie, but he works her too hard. Sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake in getting her a position with his company.
“So, dinner?” Dad prompts.
“Yes. Right—when you come back, give me a call.”
“And you’ll pick up?” He gives a nervous chuckle.
“Yes,” I say with a laugh. “I’ll pick up. And you’ll never choose a guy’s side of the story over mine?”
“Never again. I love you, Ariel. Merry Christmas.”
“Love you too, Dad. Merry Christmas.”
The call ends and I sit back at my desk. The call with Dad was good in that it reminded me I’m not totally alone. But hearing he’s in Colorado and I had no idea, and now the deafening silence of this hotel room?
I feel lonelier than I did before.
I send a quick text to my dad. Do you want me to give you back Mom’s ring?
His response is immediate. No. It’s yours, Ariel.
All of this fuss over something that wasn’t even that important to him. But I am important to him. I get it now. It was never about the ring.
I’m still lonely, though.
It’s time to pack up and return to San Esteban. There’s a certain kink club I’d like to pay a visit.
* * *
Lyle
Austin doesn’t seem to be in any hurry once we reach Danish Lake. He’s content to hike around, looking for signs of Ariel. I think he’s just glad to escape the car for a little while. We walk around town and talk to people at a few local stores and hotels, but nobody has seen her.
On Christmas day, I take out her file—the one Ironwood gave us. We glanced at it when they first gave it to us, then ignored it because she kept giving us new clues to follow.
Now that we’re out of clues, it’s time to do the real work.
I read through all the notes about her family. Her mother is deceased, and her dad never remarried. She doesn’t have any siblings, but she does have an aunt and uncle who live on the east coast.
And a cousin who lives in San Esteban.
I text her. Where are you? Don’t you have another clue for us to follow?
No response. She’s been quiet the past couple of days. I wonder if she’s celebrating Christmas, or what.
She could be sick, I think with a sinking feeling in my gut. What if she’s ill, and she doesn’t have anyone to make sure she’s okay? Fuck, she’s on the run. She probably isn’t taking good care of herself.
Answer me, Ariel.
Nothing.
I pack up my few things, and Austin’s as well. I throw our bags in the back of the car.
Austin is walking up the driveway to our rental when he sees me waiting at the car. “Let me guess, a new clue?”
“No. Nothing. I’m starting to worry. She has a cousin in San Esteban. Let’s talk to him.”
“You know it’s Christmas, right?”
“Yeah. But I’m starting to worry about her. We haven’t heard from her in a while.”
He nods and gets in the car.
* * *
Ariel
I spend a lot of time going over paperwork in Low Vice. They didn’t even want to let me in at first, but I mentioned my “friends” Austin and Lyle, and I dropped a year’s membership fee, declining the need for a trial.
“I already know I’m going to love it here,” I say.
And then, I’m in. This place is a miracle—it’s like Kynkworld come to life. Everything in front of me is sexy and fun. Sleek, posh, dirty, raunchy—there’s no overall vibe. Everyone seems welcome to do their own thing, as long as they don’t judge others. I love it.
The first thing I do is send a text to Lyle and Austin. Come and get me at Low Vice…Daddies. I can’t help but smile, imagining their reactions.
With that taunt finished, I take a better look at my surroundings.
There’s a big X in the corner, made from two large, wooden beams. Leather bindings are attached to chains at every point.
They look adjustable. I cock my head, remembering a video I saw on Kynkworld.
It’s a St. Andrew’s cross. A woman was bound to something like that, then teased and whipped.
I masturbated after watching the video, unable to keep my hands off myself.
I wonder if I’ll see someone play with it tonight.
I hop on a barstool and order a virgin daiquiri. But I’ve barely taken two sips before a giant of a man saunters over and sits next to me.
“From your flirty little dress, I’m going to guess you’re here to be dominated. If I’m wrong, though, I’ll walk away.”
“Don’t walk away.” I stare up and up until I meet his gaze. “But I’m new—I’ve never done this before.”
“What do you want to try?”
My gaze flicks over to the Saint Andrew’s cross in the corner.
“That’s pretty advanced for a first-timer.” He cocks his head at me. “But I get the sense you’ve been wanting it for a long time. Strip down, sweetheart, and I’ll give you a beginner’s flogging.”
“It doesn’t have to be for a beginner,” I say.
“Yes.” His voice is dark and certain. “It does. I’m not in the habit of pushing a new sub too far, too fast.”
I nod, strangely gratified that he sounds responsible, and kind. “And no sex,” I add at the last second. “Just the…the flogging.”
“Understood.” He takes my hand and leads me to the cross in the corner. “Now. Dress off.”