my knife deep in his side, right at the spot where he’d stabbed Juliet. I twisted it and left it there as he took his final breath.
“The dump idea isn’t a bad one,” Ash pointed out as he stood. “Make sure the Sullivans got your message.”
It was tempting, but not worth it. For the Sullivans, the connection to my casinos was worth far more than Murphy’s life. They wouldn’t risk severing it to avenge a fucker they wanted dead, too.
I pulled my bloodied gloves and apron off. “They got it.”
“Disposal it is,” Ash said as he circled around to get his first view of Murphy’s back. He laughed, shaking his head. “A dove? Christ, you’re sick. And you’ve got it bad.”
I didn’t bother to argue.
He was right on both counts.
Juliet
When I’d closed the door, I’d asked myself what the worst that could happen was.
Hours later—how many, I wasn’t sure because I’d stupidly lost track of time—I learned what.
Because Maximo was glowering at me from the doorway.
Glowering.
I took my headphones off to hear him ask, “What did I say about this door, Juliet?”
Oh no.
Shrugging, I went for evasive, but it came out like a question. “I don’t remember?”
“Really? Because it seems like you do. Which means along with me spanking your ass for disobeying, I’d be forced to spank it again for lying.”
Spank?
Yes, please.
I mean, no way.
“Why did you close it?”
I shrugged. “I felt weird with it open.”
His body went rigid. “Why?”
“I was self-conscious.”
His shoulders dropped a little, but he still didn’t look happy. “Get over it.”
He did not…
“Did you just tell me to get over it?”
“Yes,” he said simply.
I crossed my arms over my chest and glowered at him. “You can’t just tell me how to feel.”
“That’s exactly what you agreed to when you came to my office. It’s what you agreed to again when you gave me you.”
I hadn’t thought Maximo would notice the door being closed, and I definitely hadn’t thought it was a spankable offense.
But the hardness in his eyes told me I was wrong.
“Let’s go, little dove.”
I swallowed hard. “W-where?”
“Our room.”
My stomach would’ve gone all swoony at him calling it our room had it not been for the impending punishment.
When I didn’t move, he tilted his head, thoughtful for a moment. “I could always bend you over the desk and do it in here.”
He’s not really going to…
Right?
Yeah, there’s no way.
He’s just trying to scare me.
“I won’t close it again,” I promised.
“Good.”
Relief and a surprising surge of disappointment warred within me. I didn’t want to be in pain, but at the same time, I was intrigued by being spanked.
Maybe even looking forward to it.
I was granted a reprieve, so why am I thinking of asking for my punishment anyway?
I’ve clearly lost my mind.
“Here or our room?” Maximo asked, making me realize my internal dilemma was for nothing. I wasn’t being spared at all.
My brows shot up as my relief and disappointment quickly pivoted to dread and excitement. “I said I wouldn’t do it again.”
“Which is good. But I told you to keep the door open. You didn’t listen. You earned these consequences. Now, I’ll ask you one last time. Here or our room?”
“How about I stay in here and you go—”
“Juliet.”
“Our room works.”
Just like me, he seemed to like the sounds of that.
Either that, or I’d made him develop a tic that tipped his lips.
Grabbing my hand, he pulled me from the room, unfazed by my slow, trudging steps. He closed us into the room and sat on the bench in front of his bed. “Pull your pants and panties down.”
I didn’t do as ordered and instead tried to bargain. “How about if we just forget this happened and start fresh? Clear the slate.”
He studied me, his gaze too intent and sharp. “Do you not want this?
I wasn’t sure if ‘this’ was referring to the punishment or the whole dynamic.
Either way, my answer was the same. “I do. I’m just nervous. This is all unknown territory for me.” I inhaled before softly admitting, “And I feel wrong for wanting it.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s not… typical.”
“Fuck typical. Fuck normal. Fuck what anyone else says. The only person who can tell you what to do is me. And I said pants and panties down.”
His words quieted the nagging voice of doubt in my head. Actually, his words held a pillow over doubt’s face and smothered it.
Because he was right. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought. All that mattered was what we wanted. And, even though I was unsure I’d