Dexter (Mistress & Master of Restraint) (13 page)

The two tug on my pant legs and try to grab onto my fingers.
“De-ex-ter,” spills out baby Ez’s mouth. He has been learning names for the past few weeks. He likes to tes
t them out. He’s a smart little guy
. I think that he sees me as a large child to play
with. I pick him up and give him
a
squeeze. I pass him back to his
mom. He immediately borrows into her arms and closes his eyes.
Ava tries
to pick Azriel up before she’
s greeted me properly and is met with a tiny fist to the chest.
The look that crosses Ava’s face makes me flinch. Something tells me the angel will join the family’s hobby. She releases the child and steps away.

“Dexter,” the small voice says eloquently. I pick her up and give her a kiss on the cheek when she presents it to me.

“Hello, demon
, how are you today?” I whisper into her ear.
“Pink,” she giggles out and claps. Pink? Well, must be she’s learning colors. I laugh with her.
“Who do you want to visit?”
I whisper in her ear.
“Pop,” she squeals out as she bounces in my arms and reaches for the man. I walk her over to her favorite man on earth- not her brother, or her fathers- Pop. She has good taste. 

Pop- aka, our Master
Marcus
, is leaning over the back of the couch listen
ing
to the interview. His fa
ce lights up when he sees the tiny
demon. His arms automatically open and she stretches to reach him.

“Azriel, you’re such a naughty joy to behold. Yeah, your sister needs a good punch for how she’s behaving. Shall we punish her now?” He coos to the toddler.

“Bad Ava,” she says clearly and points at her sister.
I raise my brows trying to figure out what the girl has done to piss him off. And I can feel that he is very pissed.

I glance over to witness what has him concerned. Ava and Niel’s faces are inches apart as they
discuss something passionately. That isn’t what has Katya’s arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed. The second Dim-Whitt’s hand makes contact with Ava’s hand
,
Kat smacks at it like it’s a wasp about to sting.

Ezra’s hands immediately pull Azriel away from his furious Master. The small child sits in his lap
and glares at her sister.
Hmm…
W
hat’s happening at the Zeitler household that has this much animosity boiling?

“Ava, now,” Marcus’ cool voice commands.

I have to give the girl props. She breezes over
,
head held high with a smirk on her lips. Baby girl is playing with fire. Her partner in crime follows behind a pace knowing his name was next and he doesn’t want to hear it from our Master’s
mouth
. It sucks to hear your name called in that deadly voice. His head is lowered and he isn’t smiling.

“We had a deal, Ava. You just broke your word.” His voice is low. I hear no disappointment. It’s like he expected this.
“I’ve broke nothing,” she says cockily.
“H
ow old are you, Ava?”
“F
ourteen,
almost fifteen,
” she says in a way that sounds like
no shit, idiot.

“Oh, so you aren’t sixteen? So why did he touch you?
Why did you touch him?
” He says snidely.
“Don’t you think it’s creepy that you worry about my nonexistent sex life, Pop? I know I do.” She says his name as if the word is pedophile.

Marcus smirks at her in a way that I want to melt into the floor. I watch Ezra pull Azriel closer to his chest. I look over at Katya and she wears a similar expression to Marcus. Sorry, girl, your dad isn’t going to help ya out. And it lo
oks like mom’
s stalking you as prey.

‘Well, I worry since I know everything about your boy here. I’ve been inside his mind. I don’t think it’s a good idea for a child to date someone who is training to dominate those weaker than him. I’m not a pedophile because I worry about your chastity. Sorry, but walking in on you and lover boy kissing tends to rile up a grandfather.”

He patiently stares at her waiting for her response. An arrogant smile plays along his lips. He enjoys their bantering.

“Ah- See… I’
m not weaker than him and yo
u know it. He’s my best friend.
We
go to school together. I haven’t broken my word. We’ve kissed once and you saw. We’ve been good since you said if you caught us before I was sixteen you’d never let us see each other. I don’t break my word-ever,” she hisses out glaring at her grandfather.

“Oh, I’ve no doubt on your
strength or intelligence. That’
s why the second you turn sixteen you will be under
Queen
’s care. I worry that your mind and body are older than your age. What kind of idiot would I be to allow a
f
ourteen-year-
o
ld child to play with a sixteen-year-
old
young
man?” He runs his fingers along the back of the couch as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.
“I’m not a child,” she hisses defiantly. Her voice is so cold and low it is almost a parody of his.
He smiles wider at her and laughs.
“I love you with all
of
my heart and I won’t allow you to fuck your life up. We have a deal, sweetheart. I know you two are partners and I respect that. You need to emotionally grow into the feelings running throu
gh your body. You’re too
smart
for your own good
. I said kissing and you found a way around it. I will not embar
rass the pair of you, but never doubt
my ability to get Daniel to spill his guts.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He has nothing to spill.” She smugly says as she looks at Niel. Dim-Whitt flinches and she misses the reaction. It doesn’t escape Marcus’ gaze and he chuckles.
“Lesson number one, baby girl,
never underestimate a boy’s horniness to give him away. Daniel showed up to training
today
satisfied and not the kind your own hand can offer.  I said no sex, no kissing. I shall elaborate on that. No kissing anywhere,” he says with a raised eyebrow.

You could hear a pin drop in the dungeon. Ezra’s eyes blaze with fire as he stares at the boy; Azriel
being
held in his lap is the only thing that saves the kid from decapitation.

Ava’s face burns bright and then flashes paler than her usual fair color.

“Since you haven’t gone this route
yet I’ll add no hands too. You’
re standing
in my domain. I’
m the Master of this state, this club, these people- even your boyfriend.”
He stands from where he was leaning on the back of the couch. His voice isn’t rising, but the air is growing thick with his fury
.
“Most importantly is that I’
m head of this family
and you will obey me until you’
re
twenty five
or stronger than me, whichever comes first. No sex, kissing anywhere, no hands- nothing with sexual connotations. You
can test my boundaries, b
ut it won’t matter. Daniel will not touch you without my permission. Are we understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” she spits out. Her eyes blaze with defiance. She glares at Niel and he flinches.
“The pair of you
are
a
disaster waiting to happen. Don’t misunderstand me. You two are perfect for each other. You challenge each other. I want you to spend time with each other. In the future when you are more mature you both will be amazing
together. Not until then. You’
re too young for what you’ve been doing together.” Marcus laughs hard when she scowls at him.

“I can’t believe you are judging me for touching my boyfriend when you touch your daughter-in-law.” She raises an eyebrow at him mockingly and waits for his reaction.
Everyone in the room stops breathing. Katya moves forward with death in her eyes. Even Daniel shakes his head back and forth in amazement
and grabs her hand to pull her from the room
. Marcus raises one finger and Katya freezes in her path.

“You’ll learn- eventually and undoubtedly painf
ully. The difference is that I’
m an adult
,
as is your mother. You and Daniel are minors. You may think we are deviants, but I don’t take judgment from anyone. Lesson number
two, baby girl-
never show your currency.”
She squints at him trying to figure out what he means. I flinch.
“Daniel?” He smoothly says.
“Yes, Sir,” Niel replies
to Marcus
.
“Let go of her hand,” he says softly.
The boy drops her hand before he finishes his sentence.
“Currency- the most important thing to someone, the one thin
g you can use against them. It’
s amazing in punishment. Never allo
w your M
aster to know it or your enemies. You’ll learn soon enough.”

She still looks confused.

“Daniel, you will
not touch Ava until I give you
permission. You’
re not allowed to hug or hold her hand for a month. You will not speak outside of school for a month. You may
only
use messaging outside of school.”
“Yes, Sir,” Niel says agreeably with obvious relief.
“Ah- and Ava,” he says waiting for her to look at him.

“Yes?” Her voice is still defiant.
“If you manipulate him I will move him from Hillbrook. Forget sixteen, I will make it eighteen. I’d behave if I were you.
He knows when to quit, you don’t. Follow his lead.”
“Fine,” she hisses out.
“Good. Oh, and go ahead and try to disobey me. I’d love that. Ask your parents how much I love it.” He threatens.

He walks forward and kisses Ava on the cheek and then Niel on the forehead. He walks over and kisses Katya passionately. While kissing the mother his eyes dart to the side and he winks at the
daughter tauntingly.
“Yeah, I get it
-
you own us,” Ava whispers under her breath.
“Lesson number three: I own you until you can take me. Don’t cross me. I know your currency. I hold half of it in my arms right now. The other half is my puppet. You’ll be good for them.” He smirks at her as he releases her mother and stalks towards her again.
“I’d watch out, Old Man, someday I may surpass you.
” She meets her grandfather eye-to-
eye with only an inch difference in height.
“Oh,
on that I ha
ve no doubt. And it will be my proudest moment. I may own you, but it’s for your own good. I didn’t say you couldn’t have Daniel, just not yet.
Patience, baby girl, patience.”

“Kayla, sweetheart, could you please take the children home
. We have a meeting to get started.
None of them will step inside this building until they are of age,
”
he directs his decree
at Devlin Conrick. “My grandchildren will be separate from this. If you wish to meet with Ava again, you will do so at ShadowHaven.”
His eyes never leave Ava’s as he
makes his declaration
.
He walks off to cuddle the twins before they leave.
I grab the girl’s wrist and pull her off to the side.
“Don’t cross him, Ava. I see the struggle going between the two of you. It doesn’t matter how much they all love you, they will allow him to punish you. I know you care for Niel-
prove
it, don’t make him disobey his M
aster. He will remove him and it could affect his future.”
“I’ll be good. Don’t worry, Dexter. I just hate how he pulls everyone’s strings.” She growls out looking just like her father.
I can see her need to be the puppet master pulling the strings.
“Think for a minute. Do you really think a
Fourteen-year-old is old enough for what you’re doing with Niel
?” I shake my head back and forth wishing I was shaking sense into her.
“I get it, alright. I didn’t want anyone to know that.” She burns bright from embarrassment.
“Did Niel pressure you into it?” I’ll skin his ass alive.
“No- I pressured him into it,” she says bashfully as she gazes at the floor.
Ah- that’s why Marcus is so pissed at her and let Daniel off without punishment. No doubt t
he kid will learn who his true M
aster is. A boy will do anything to get off with his girlfrien
d, but you do not disobey your M
aster, especially Marcus. I’m sure there is a special exercise waiting in his future.

“Behave,” I whisper to her as I give her a reassuring hug. It sucks to be young and your mind is
so
advanced that it’s confusing. She’ll learn or Marcus will make her learn his way.