Page 20 of Her Dream Mafia Daddy

“Daphne thinks she hasn’t earned another spanking for what you told me she did, and I completely disagree.” Liam never took his eyes off the scowling girl.

“I don’t! You guys are insufferable! I am bored. I am tired of being locked away, and no one will let me do anything.” Hands on her hips, she stomped her feet. “This is so unfair. I said I was sorry. I apologized to Connor for calling him a name and I meant it. I won’t do it again. But I don’t want another spanking!” She screamed, her fists balled at her sides.

“I don’t really care what you want, young lady. Get your butt to your room. Now. If I have to take you there myself, you will get a spanking every morning when you wake up and every night before you go to sleep for a week. Do NOT test me on this.” Liam’s voice was sharp as a knife. The fierceness they all saw in his eyes made them know he meant business.

“Argh!” She threw her hands up in the air before stomping off to her room.

“Sorry about that. She is a bit peeved.” They both chuckled.

“That’s putting it mildly, I think.”

“I will take care of this, but you need to hurry up and make her yours so you can take over. That girl desperately needs a Daddy.”

“I’m trying. She hates me, and I’m sure me telling on her doesn’t help at all. She’ll be mine. We just need to get rid of Callum first.”

“Still can’t find the bastard, huh?”

“No.” He shook his head as he headed over to the bar. “Oh, call Kiera in here for a minute before you deal with Daphne.” Kiera came skipping in a moment after her Daddy texted her.

“Hi, Daddy! Hi, Uncle Eamon.” She threw herself at her Daddy and looked over at me.

“Listen to me very carefully. I don’t want to scare you, but I need you to understand that something is happening. My job is to keep you safe and I am going to do that. That said, if I find out you went anywhere outside without your Daddy, me, or another guard, I will paddle your bottom raw before handing you over to your Daddy. Are we clear?” He didn’t want to scare the Littles, or anyone for that matter, but he needed them to understand the seriousness of what was happening.

Wide-eyed, she bobbed her head up and down.

“We need words, Little girl.” Her Daddy patted her hip.

“Yes, Sir. I understand. No outside unless a guard or you or my Daddy are with me. Not even Auntie Freya can take me outside. Got it. Promise.”

“Good girl. Now, how about you help me in the kitchen while your Daddy goes and deals with Daphne?”

Sighing, she turned in her Daddy’s arms. “Be kinda understanding, Daddy. She is scared and bored and she isn’t used to this. I know she’s being naughty but I think it’s because she feels out of control. She’s like me when I first got here. Just…I know you’re gonna spank her. But maybe talk to her first like you do with me.” She kissed his cheek and slid down to the ground.

Kiera had been talking to her Daddy, but Eamon felt like she was talking to him. He needed to listen to her a bit more. Find out more about her. Yes, he expected obedience, but he needed to be careful of her tender Little heart. Taking Kiera to the kitchen, he helped Freya with dinner, despite her protests.

Chapter 10

Daphne

After her talk with Uncle Liam, she felt so much better. For the first time since coming here, she felt truly understood and seen. It had been two weeks since her major punishment, and while there have been minor corrections since then, for the most part, she had behaved. She had been allowed out to the barn much more frequently. She loved being out there, helping where she could, brushing the horses, and learning about the breeding business and the racing business.

Eamon apparently dipped his toes in a little bit of everything, mostly breeding and racing. He owned a couple of horses who were contenders for the Derby circuit, but they didn’t live at this barn. They lived in Lexington, Kentucky. She wasn’t a complete moron; she knew he did illegal stuff, but he seemed to really love all of his animals and took fantastic care of them.

The barns were impeccable. They were absolutely gorgeous, with high ceilings and wooden beams. The outside was stone and log; the stalls were ornate with intricately wrought iron designs. It was clean. There was a whole team of people who kept the barns in top shape. She was convinced you could eat off the floor in here. The tack room was her favorite place. It smelled of sawdust, leather, and pine. It smelled of the mountains. As it got cooler, the snow would fall, and she couldn’t wait to watch this magical world turn into a snowy wonderland.

Approaching Ghost’s stall, she peered in. “Hey there, boy,” she cooed as he approached her. Ghost was her favorite horse. He was massive, white, and had a gentle personality. She felt secure riding him and connected to him in a way she couldn’t really describe. While she knew he wasn’t her horse, she was claiming him as her own.

She felt him before she saw him. “Ghost has a pretty amazing story.” Eamon was leaning against the stall next to his, his huge arms crossed over his chest. Why did he have to be so damn sexy? She ignored him, turning back to Ghost, but he continued on. “I rescued him from a kill pen. They said he wasn’t strong enough to pull the massive loads, so they were going to dispose of him. I looked in his eyes and knew then and there he needed a home here.”

“I hope you killed every one of them who hurt this sweet boy.” She glared at him in righteous indignation.

“They all got what they deserved, and that’s all you need to know.”

“Whatever,” she quipped back. “What are you even doing down here? Don’t you have other things to do besides being an overbearing—”

“Watch it, Little girl.” His eyebrow raised in warning as her thought was cut off.

“That doesn’t answer my question, Eamon. Why are you here?”