Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
When Daddy returns to work the next morning, I’m anxious. The last time we were in his office, all hell broke loose, and I ended up in a tiny crawl space, hiding from an unknown predator.
Instead of setting me in the playpen as I expect, Daddy sits at his desk and arranges me on his lap.
Grateful, I lean my head against his shoulder and pop my pacifier into my mouth. I’d gladly sit here all day and behave if he would let me.
After turning on his computers and monitors, he looks at me while they boot up. “My Little pet is feeling clingy today, isn’t she?”
I nod.
“Would you like to sit under the desk between my legs?”
Pleased by this plan, I nod again, vigorously.
Daddy rolls his chair toward the playpen and reaches over to grab a thick blanket. When he returns, he makes a nest for me under the desk. The space is large enough that I can sit upright without hitting my head.
I’m glad he recognizes my anxiety and is doing what he can to accommodate me, but I’m still twitchy as I sit on the blanket and look up at him.
“Let me know if you get too warm under there, and I’ll take your jammies off. Okay, Little pet?”
I smile around the pacifier. He thinks of everything.
Daddy rolls backward again, gathers several toys and my e-reader from the playpen, and hands them to me.
I create an oasis, propping all my supplies along the walls of my little den, but I’m not interested in reading or playing right now. As soon as Daddy rolls up to the desk, I crawl between his legs and rest my cheek on his inner thigh.
For a long time, I sit like this, grateful for everything that’s perfect in my life.
I might not have recognized it for a while, but I was indeed rescued from that space station.
Nothing will happen to me here. All my concerns about not having enough food or oxygen have vanished.
I will have both in unlimited supply until I die of old age.
I’m so lucky. I hope the other women who have been purchased have made peace with their new lives and feel as lucky as I do.
Nevertheless, my heart is beating too fast. Fear over what happened yesterday won’t stop nagging at me.
Eventually, my eyes land on something I haven’t noticed before under the desk.
It’s a flat disk embedded in the floor. I catch sight of the shiny edge of it and reach down to tug the blanket away to fully reveal it.
My pulse picks up when I recognize what it is. If I were to twist it, a bolt would pop up out of the floor.
An eye hook. Like the one outside.
I reach down and touch it. The metal is shiny and smooth. Just the proximity of it and its very existence calms me. But it’s not enough.
Daddy pushes his chair back and bends down. “What’s wrong, Little pet?”
I’m not surprised he’s sensed my angst.
He shifts his gaze from my face to the disk on the floor. His brow furrows. “It’s another eye hook, Little pet. I had them installed all over the apartment before I picked you up. I heard that some Daddies like to keep their pets restrained all the time.”
My heart is beating faster as I stare at him, sucking so hard on my pacifier, it’s a wonder my jaw doesn’t hurt.
Daddy gently cups my face. “Some pets also prefer to be chained to the floor. It gives them a sense of security. Is that something you’d like, Zoey?”
I inhale deeply through my nose and nod, my face heating from renewed embarrassment.
Daddy opens the drawer next to his knees and lifts out a length of chain. It’s only a few feet long. He brings it to my face and rubs the cool metal against my cheek, making me whimper and close my eyes.
I need this. It may be the strangest request I’ve ever made, but I know deep in my soul that I will feel a hundred times more relaxed when he chains me to the floor.
Daddy brings the links under my nose, forcing me to smell the metal.
With every inhale, I’m more drawn to this plan. I know it’s right. I nod again.
He bends down, pops the eye hook out of the floor, and attaches one end of the chain to the bolt.
I hold my breath as he tips my head back and snaps the other end of the leash to my neck. A long, relieved breath exits my lungs. The heavy weight of the chain pulls on me, making me feel safe, reminding me I’m owned and loved.
I breathe easier as Daddy smiles at me. He opens the drawer again and removes a small metal bowl. After setting it on the floor near the eye hook, he fills it with something that clinks as it hits the bottom.
Kibble. It smells good. I’m not ready to eat right now. I’m too anxious, but I’m glad it’s there. I’ll try it in a while.
When he returns to his position, with his legs under the desk, I crawl between his knees and hug his shin tight. Closing my eyes, I relish the contentment that washes over me.
The chain is thick. Its weight is unnecessary for my safety, but I’m so glad for the choice because I need its tight pull against my collar right now. It’s grounding me, literally. Every part of me relaxes.
I’m owned.
I’m loved.
I’m cherished.
I’m safe.
I’m right where I was meant to be.