Keeping Katie (Syndicate Kings Book 5)

That’s going to change. Once she’s with me, she’ll have a strict bedtime. She’ll also have breakfast every morning and not work at the ass-crack of dawn each fucking day.

I was pleased when I watched her leave her parents’ house at eight last night. Much better than eleven like the night before.

“You need more sleep, Little one.”

She huffs out a quiet laugh. “Okay, well, when I can actually find some time on my schedule, I’ll make that happen.”

Another thing that’s going to change. Her schedule. From what I can tell, she goes non-stop all day. It’s clear she isn’t taking care of herself. The dark marks under her eyes give away her exhaustion. I don’t know what is going on in her life. I’ve been forcing myself not to ask Chloe a bunch of questions because I want to get to know my girl on my own. It’s getting harder and harder to resist, though. Especially since I only gain a tiny bit more information about her each morning I’m here.

“Why are you up so early?” she asks, eyeing me with a raised brow.

I shrug. “I’m an early riser.”

What I’m not going to tell her is that I don’t usually go to bed until past midnight most nights as well, and I’m lucky if I sleep a few hours. I’m the Daddy, though, and I can handle less sleep. She cannot.

A customer interrupts us, and, like every morning, I want to murder them for taking her attention away from me. I’m left watching her for an hour or so until my phone starts going off with calls and messages that need to be taken care of.

I pull out a new card from my jacket and scribble another note.

Eat. Bed by nine. Drink your water. And be good.

Then I drop a hundred on top of it and hide it with the plate.

When Friday morning rolls around, a sense of relief washes over me as I follow Katie to Twisted Bean. She doesn’t know I’m trailing her, of course. I park across the lot and wait until she opens the shop to show my presence. I don’t like that she drives to work by herself so early. Or that she drives home late in the evening from her parents’ house. Although she headed home around eight again last night. Whether she’s doing that because of the notes I’ve left her, I’m not sure, but it pleases me.

As soon as the open sign flickers on, I get out of my SUV and go inside.

“Morning, Little one.”

She turns, and her eyes light up. She’s happy to see me. The feeling is so fucking mutual. I count down the hours each night until I can get up and get dressed to come see her.

“Morning. Do you sit out there and wait until I open or something?”

Caught red-handed. “Aye. Need my morning fix.”

“Of…coffee?” she asks slowly.

I shrug and lean against the counter as she starts making my drink.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were stalking me,” she says with a smirk.

She says it like it’s a bad thing. It’s not as if I’m some creep. I’m her future man. Her Daddy.

Instead of answering, I change the subject. “How was your night?”

Her gaze flicks to me, then back to the shots of espresso she’s pouring. “Good. You?”

“Do anything fun?”

She slides the drink to me.

“I wouldn’t really call cock fun.” Her eyes bulge. “Oh my God, I just said cock. I meant caulk. Cau-aalk,” she enunciates. “The white stuff that comes out of the long tube.” Her cheeks turn bright red, and she ducks her head, trying to hide behind her hands. “Holy espresso beans.”

I laugh, letting it roll up from my stomach. Jesus, she’s so cute when she’s embarrassed.

“It’s okay, Little one. I’m glad it was caulk you were playing with and not the other thing. That would have seriously displeased me.”

She peers at me between her fingers and sighs. “Can we start over? Good morning, Grady.”

I wink at her. “Morning, lass. I’ll just head to my table while you pick a pastry.”

When I turn around, she blows out a deep breath, and I chuckle but don’t say anything else.

The morning passes as usual, and when I leave, I scribble another note to leave with a hundred-dollar bill.

Eat. Bed by nine. Drink your water. Be a good girl. Looking forward to seeing you tonight.

“What do I need to know about her?” I lean back against my chair and wait for Chloe’s answer. I want to know everything. Katie’s favorite color. Favorite food. Favorite movie. What scares her. Is she into being dominated? Does she know anything about the lifestyle we all live? Any and every detail, no matter how minor, I want it. I’m tired of waiting to learn things little by little.

“Who?” Chloe asks as she sets plates and silverware on Declan’s enormous dining table.

Bash barks out a laugh, and she grins so wide it’s gotta be painful. She knows exactly who. She’s being a brat on purpose. A spankable offense, if you ask me. Instead, her husband is practically cheering her on. He’s so damn obsessed with Chloe that she could pretty much do anything, and he’d give her a high-five.

“Little girl, don’t fuck with me. You know exactly who.” I cross my arms over my chest and scowl at her. It only makes her smile even more.

“It’s bad to curse in front of us. We’re impressionable, you know. And we’re not allowed to cuss, so you shouldn’t either,” she says, putting her hands on her hips and giving me a mock scowl.

“Jesus Christ,” I mutter. “Chloe, I just need a little help. What’s something she likes? What would make her relax a bit around me?”

I’m practically to the point of pleading, but Katie’s going to be here in a few hours. Even though I’ve seen her for five days straight, I still hardly know anything about her. I’ve never reacted to a woman this way. Never felt this connection that’s drawing me to her like a magnet. She’s meant to be mine. I feel it down to my bones.

Chloe sighs and plops down in a chair next to me. “She loves to read. She’s a bit of an introvert, so reading is how she decompresses when she wants to unwind. Um, let me think… Oh, I know. Chocolate. She loves really good chocolate. Her dad used to ship in a special kind from Belgium every year for her birthday.”

“She was close to her dad?” I ask.

Her face falls, and she bites her lip before she drops her shoulders. “Yeah. Her parents are both gone. They passed away several years apart from different illnesses.”

A tightness settles in my chest to the point of pain. Making a fist, I rub the spot between my ribs. I did know about her parents passing. I was able to find that information easily on the internet.

“So she’s all alone?”

Her bottom lip trembles as she nods. “I think so. Gosh, I feel so bad. I stayed in touch with her after I quit Twisted Bean, but I should have done more. She doesn’t have any brothers or sisters, and I don’t think she has time for many friends. Shit. I’m a horrible person.”

Bash goes from amused to protective in a flash, pulling her up into his arms.

I rise, too, and reach out to stroke Chloe’s hair. Bash glares at me, but I ignore him. The bastard is so fucking territorial with her, it’s sickening.

“You’re not a horrible person,” I reassure her. “Life gets busy, and it’s not like you did anything intentionally. Besides, you’re trying to be her friend now.”

Chloe slides her arms around Bash’s waist and nods. “She’s always been so sweet. I never met her dad, but her mom was wonderful when she was well. Katie never complained once about having to pick up extra shifts when her mom was sick or about taking care of her as her health declined.”

In other words, Katie isn’t used to being put first by herself or anyone else. Shame. She deserves to be spoiled rotten.

“Thanks for the info, Little one. Make sure I sit by her at dinner. And set Ronan on the other end of the table.” I ruffle her hair and glance at Bash. He’s smirking.

“Something funny, asshole?” I ask.

“More entertaining than anything. Watching you lose your shit over a woman is so fucking amusing,” Bash replies.

I knew I’d regret all the crap I gave him and the other guys when they first met their women. They were all so bent out of shape over their girls, and now I’m starting to see why. I already don’t like the apartment complex Katie lives in. Once I get security cameras installed all over the property, I might feel a little better, but I’m going to hold off on those until I at least take her out on a date. Declan went full stalker on Cali. I’m trying not to follow in his footsteps. Even if I am following her to work every morning and home every night.

Six o’clock can’t get here soon enough. I need to see her. Thanks to Bash, I’ve been peeking in on her all day. Apparently, when he was pining after Chloe, he tapped into the cameras at her work to keep an eye on her. The guy might talk a lot of shit, but he still has my back. We always have each other’s backs. We’re family, as fucked up as it may be.

While the girls are doing who knows what to get ready for the evening, I find my way into one of the smaller sitting rooms in the mansion. It’s quiet and peaceful here. As soon as I sit on the plush couch, my eyes close, and my mind goes to Katie.

I want to pull her into my arms and hold her until she knows how fucking precious she is. She needs to be protected, coddled, spoiled, and taken care of. After watching her on the cameras, it’s obvious she doesn’t look after herself. I didn’t see her eat once today, other than the pastry I left for her, nor did she take any breaks besides than a quick trip to the bathroom once in a while. She’s going to wear herself into the ground unless something changes. And things will be changing because I will be her Daddy.

“Why is he in here?” Cali asks quietly.

Her voice startles me, but I don’t open my eyes. I finally fell asleep.

“I don’t know. Why is he asleep? Is he drunk? Maybe we should splash cold water on his face to see if he’s still alive,” Chloe answers.

“You even think about doing that, and you’ll both go over my knee to get your bottoms spanked,” I say evenly.

I finally open my eyes and turn to look at them. Cali, Chloe, Scarlet, and Paisley are in the doorway, grinning. Right next to them, Katie stands with her mouth hanging open. Her gaze is curious, though. My cock twitches. Is my girl wondering what it would be like to be put over my knee?

Then Chloe opens her sassy mouth again. “My Daddy won’t let you spank me. He’s too possessive for that. Nice try, butthead.”

Katie’s eyes widen as she gapes at Chloe. Does Katie have no idea what kind of lifestyle the girls live? Chloe would have told her before inviting her here, right?

Quickly, I rise and stride over to the women, my gaze glued to Katie. She watches me as I get closer, but she doesn’t shrink back.

“Glad to see you made it,” I say softly, lowering my head so it’s slightly closer to hers. She has to tilt her chin up to look at me, and it takes herculean strength not to run my thumb over her plump bottom lip.

She lets out a soft exhale, smiles, then holds up a finger. “Just for the record, I wouldn’t have splashed you with cold water.”

The corners of my mouth twitch, and I wink at her. “Good thing, because you’d find yourself over my knee too if you did.”

Her gasp is so loud that the other girls start laughing. Her pupils dilate, and her chest rises sharply.

“Grady is full of it,” Scarlet tells her. “He’s the softie of the family.”

My skin heats as Katie runs her gaze from my face to my crotch and back up again. The girls might think I’m soft, but my cock hasn’t been since the moment I met this woman.

“These girls are delusional if they think I wouldn’t actually spank them if they deserved it,” I say, staring at Katie. “You might not want to underestimate me.”

She nibbles on her bottom lip, seeming to consider my threat.

“Dinner time,” Declan calls out as he approaches.

All the women follow him toward the dining room with Katie at the rear. I trail behind. The entire way, her soft floral perfume has my cock at full attention. Thank goodness we’ll be sitting at a table. Every so often, she looks over her shoulder at me and smiles shyly. I reach out and give one of her soft curls a playful tug.

I can’t remember the last time I flirted with a woman, but fuck, this is fun. It’s also a huge tease to my dick.

Chloe has placed name cards at each seat. Though she might be a bit of a brat, she put me and Katie next to each other like I asked, with Ronan at the other end. I catch her eye from across the room and wink. Chloe’s lips curl into a smile, and she uses her fingers to make a heart sign in front of her chest. I guess she’s forgiven for waking me up a few minutes ago.

Without missing a beat, I reach for Katie’s chair and pull it out for her, then push it in after she sits down, catching a whiff of her fruity shampoo.

“Would you like wine or something else to drink?” I ask quietly.

She looks over her shoulder and eyes me up and down again. “Wine, please.”

As I pour her a glass, I can’t stop glancing at her. She’s beautiful. The permanent blush on her cheeks makes her look innocent. I find it hard to believe she doesn’t have a man in her life. Chloe didn’t think she was involved with anyone, and I sure as fuck hope that’s the case because otherwise the guy will die.

All the food is set out family style. The guys like being able to make their girls’ plates for them. One of the ways they show they care.

“Is there anything you don’t want?” I ask as I pick up Katie’s dinner plate.

She scans all the food, then looks to me and shakes her head. “No. It all looks delicious. You don’t have to do that for me.”

“Sit and relax, Little one. Drink your wine.”

I reach for some tongs. Out of the corner of my eye, I see she takes a sip from her glass. My cock thickens. She’s obedient. A pleaser. Just what I like. I have no way of knowing for sure, but I have a feeling she obeyed all the instructions I left for her this past week.

The girls spend the meal talking about so many different topics I can’t keep up. I don’t even try because the only one I want to pay attention to is the woman next to me.

She seemed shocked when I threatened to spank the girls. Does she know anything about this lifestyle? Or what a Daddy is? I’m not opposed to being with someone who’s new to this kind of dynamic, but being a Daddy is something I can’t turn off, so I really need her to be into it.

Maybe it’s because I’m so controlling. That I feel the need to protect everyone around me. It could also be because I want to feel needed. It’s probably fucked up that I want someone to be dependent on me, but I’ve never claimed to be normal. And what I want from Katie will be far from fucking normal. I’ll want everything from her. Her submission, loyalty, obedience, attention. Every single thing.

“You’re not eating.” She has her big blue eyes turned up at me when I look over at her.

I glance at her plate and then back at her. “Neither are you.”

A whisper of a smile spreads on her lips. “Yes, I am.”

Cocking my head, I raise an eyebrow and pin her with a stern look. “You’ve been pushing your food around your plate all night. Start eating before I take it upon myself to feed you.”

She scans the room to see if anyone is paying attention to our conversation.

“Are you always so concerned about people eating?” she asks.

No. Never. I’m not going to admit that, though. “Maybe. Depends on who it is, I guess. What do you do when you’re not working?”

“Hmm. I don’t really know.” The sparkle in her eyes dims, and her shoulders drop. “That sounds like I don’t have a life. I guess I don’t. My mom passed away a few months ago, but she’d been sick for a while, so I usually spent all my time with her.”

I lift my glass to my lips and take a drink, my heart squeezing for her. Fuck. This was not the direction I wanted the conversation to go.

“I’m sorry about your mom. She was lucky to have you.”

We stare at each other for several seconds while everyone else around us talks.

“Right, Katie?” Chloe asks.

Katie’s head snaps toward her friend. “Huh? I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Chloe grins. “I was telling Bash that we were planning a girls’ night. Maybe we can go to a club or something.”

“No clubs,” Kieran says firmly.

“Maybe for you,” Paisley argues, rolling her eyes at her husband.

Kieran grumbles something under his breath about spanking her ass when they get home. Paisley winks at Katie.

Cali claps her hands. “We should go tonight!”

Paisley, Chloe, and Scarlet all shout their agreement while Katie bobs her head and grins.

Ronan returns from the kitchen with a new bottle of wine in hand. “None of you girls are going anywhere tonight. It’s snowing.”

“What?” Katie jumps up and runs from the room toward a window. “Oh, shoot!”

I follow her. Sure enough, big, fat white flakes are floating down from the dark sky.

“What’s wrong?” Chloe asks.

Katie rushes toward the foyer. “I need to go. I can’t drive in the snow. My tires are bald. I need to go before it gets worse.”

Before she can reach the door, I step in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. “You’re not going anywhere. It’s really coming down out there, and it’s below freezing. The hills around here are too steep, especially with bad tires.”

My skin prickles. Why the fuck is she driving around in something so unsafe? She needs to be in a Range Rover or, better yet, an armored SUV of some kind.

“I… How will I get home?” she asks, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“You can stay the night here. I’m sure the girls have stuff you can wear.”

“Ohh, slumber party! Daddy, can we have a slumber party? All of us?” Cali asks, her voice carrying through the whole house.

Chloe and Paisley bounce on their tiptoes and give Bash and Kieran pleading looks that have both men crumbling at their feet. And hell, I would be too if Katie looked at me like that.

“A slumber party?” she asks as though the idea is totally foreign to her.

“Yeah. A sleepover. The other girls do it all the time and end up sleeping on the couches in the theater room,” I answer as I reach for her wrist.

Gently, I nudge her back toward the dining room, doing my best to ignore the lightning bolt between us. Fuck. Has anyone ever made me feel like this? “Let’s finish eating.”

“Tom said it was going to snow,” she murmurs. “I didn’t believe him because it’s almost spring.”

My entire body tenses, anger searing me from the inside out. “Who is Tom?”

He’s a dead man. That’s who.