The Salvation of Daniel (The Blue Butterfly Book 2) (4 page)

“Sleep, Annie.” I flicked on her nightlight and pulled the door closed behind me. I didn’t look at her, I didn’t want her to witness the monster her daddy was.

Because that’s exactly what I was. I was the corpse of the devil himself. The sin, corrupt and ugly inside me, transforming me into something that I had fought off two years ago.

My cock pounded as visions of the cruelty I had bestowed on Mae filled my thoughts, fuelled my dark side, fed the hunger in my veins. She had been such a pleasure to train, the softness of her skin tearing so easily under my retribution, the penance of my past flowing through her own blood. She had paid for my own twisted life, paid with her blood, and finally, her life.

I poured a shot of whiskey into the tumbler, downing it in one before I refilled it. Reaching up above a high cupboard, I snatched hold of the packet of cigarettes and tugged one out with my teeth, lighting it instantly in my attempt to douse the tension growing within me.

I hissed under my breath when the smooth roundness of Mae’s buttocks lifted to me, begging me for more, reaching for the pain my palm braced her body with. The heat that crept over her delicate pale flesh fired shot after shot of unbearable agony through my balls.

Her body was perfection, especially with her submission right at that very moment. I tightened my fist around my cock as I quickly dragged my hand up and down, hurrying for the release of bliss that scorched me. I’d never been so turned on in my life. The way my finger in her backside had brought her climax so loudly and intensely had amazed me. She had given in to me, taken what I gave her so innocently yet so shamelessly, the bite of debauchery and depravity lighting the darkness within her.

A forbidden moan left my mouth and she looked over her shoulder to me, her eyes wide and so very beautiful as she watched me come over her back, my thick fluid decorating her pretty soft skin, marking her, branding her.

I blinked when the crack of the glass in my tight hold snatched me from the memories. I launched it across the room, revelling in the loud smash when it hit the wall and shattered into pieces over the hob. “Fuck you,” I spat to the emptiness around me. “Fuck you, Mae Swift.”

HER SLEEPING FORM tilted my lips into a much needed smile. She was so innocent and perfect, a far throw from what life offered her. My heart ached for her. She was a little girl, and as much as I knew her father loved her, she still needed a mother.

Life would be hard for her, there was no doubt about that. And like me, the chosen profession of her father would torment her soul for the rest of her life.

I quietly moved across the room, creeping close so as not to wake her. Her long charcoal lashes rested delicately on her full cheeks, her nose twitching as dreams of princesses and fairies took her to where she should play out her night times. Life sucked. And she needed the fantasy only the mind could grant her.

Drops of rain dripped from my drenched clothes, trailing a path of evidence behind me. But tonight I wasn’t concerned about that, about being discovered. It was time for him to uncover who had been watching him for eighteen months. Who had learnt plenty about him. The self-centred bastard had no idea. I’d been surprised at that. A man of his stature and distinction should be more alert. The fool.

Annie whimpered in her sleep, her body twitching slightly as dragons slayed her knights and baddies stole her favourite toys. The way she squirmed brought me to her side, my fingers gently brushing the sticky hair from her damp forehead. “Sshhh, Annie.”

Her eyelashes slowly lifted, her bright blue eyes blurry until she focussed on me. Her cheeks plumped as a grin lit her face. “You came!”

“I told you I would. I don’t break my promises, Annie Belly.”

“Don’t call me that.” She giggled, betraying her true love of my nickname for her.

“Annie Belly,” I taunted as I tickled her ribs playfully. She squealed and I clamped my hand lightly over her mouth. “Shush, sweetie, you’ll wake Daddy.”

She shook her head from side to side. “Daddy won’t wake, he’s drunk.”

I frowned, anger splurging my gut. The irresponsible bastard. It infuriated me that he was unaware of my visits to his daughter. I could be anyone and with the scumbags he’d acquainted with in his past that was a lethal risk. Even entering his house had been the most simplest of tasks, the small tool I used gaining me easy access.

“Well we should leave Daddy to sleep it off. In fact, little lady, you should be asleep.”

“You’re late tonight.” She pouted, disappointed with my lateness cutting short our time together.

“I am. But don’t you worry. I told you, soon we’ll get to spend more time together. And I told you I always stand by my promise, Annie.”

She smiled at me, then pushed at her duvet, scrunching it aside before she clambered onto my lap. Her little arms wrapped around my neck as she reached up and planted a kiss on my cheek. My soul swelled, my heart full of her scent.

“Will you carry on with our story?”

I nodded, manoeuvring her back under the cocoon of her bedding, tucking it around her tiny body. I waited until she pulled Herbert, her dog-eared white stuffed rabbit, under the duvet with her and smiled. “Where were we?”

“You were being chased by the toad king.”

“Ahh, yes. Well let’s see.” I pretended to think, squinting my eyes and making a funny face. She giggled and I popped them back open dramatically. “The sun beat on my back as I ran. I ran fast, Annie, so fast my feet barely touched the ground as I raced across the arid sands of the desert. ‘You will never escape’ King Toad boomed, his bad breath rushing past me and whipping my long hair around my face.”

Annie’s wide eyes were glued to me, her mind enacting the story. The further I progressed, the further her eyelashes reached her cheek, until her soft snores halted my story telling.

I suddenly panged for Mae. Tonight would change many things. And as much as I wanted to shield Annie from the things that were to come, I knew it was too hard a task to manage. She loved her daddy, and whatever or whoever he was, I knew with my whole being that he loved her just as immensely. That fact made this harder. But as much as I hated to admit it, I needed him for what I needed to do.

I kissed Annie on the forehead, softly repositioning her bedding, and crept from her room, making sure to pull the door tightly closed so she wouldn’t hear what was about to go down.

MY HEAD THUMPED. However, it wasn’t that that woke me. Every single hair on my body reared to attention. My blood rushed around my body as both rage and puzzlement tore through me. A foreign scent assaulted my nostrils. Darkness hindered my sight. My ears picked up the strong inhalations as my cheek bore the weight of heated, furious breaths.

The knife that crushed my windpipe caused my body to freeze in fear and rage.

“Believe me when I tell you that I would love to drag this blade across your throat right now, until the spill of your blood releases you of your past sins. I want to drink your fucking essence, savour in your death, rejoice in it until you shrivel beneath me.”

Her angry but controlled voice halted my breathing. I had no doubt she meant every single word. The fact it was a woman stunned me. But it was fury that a fucking bitch was
able
to do this that made me clench my teeth.

“Who are you?” I managed to grate past the push of the blade.

“You have no idea, do you? That surprises me, Shepherd.”

I was puzzled. Why would she be surprised by my lack of knowledge? “Come on,” I goaded. “You know my name, I think you should show me the same courtesy.”

I hissed when the knife pressed deeper, the trickle of my blood itching a route down the front of my neck. “You deserve no fucking courtesy.”

“I find that easy to reciprocate with the obscenity vomiting from you. I gathered you were no lady from your blatant stupidity in doing this, but your lack of refinement proves it.”

She laughed. The fucking bitch laughed at me. “I was aware of your distaste for women but I think maybe you should refrain from passing judgement, Daniel… or should I call you
Master
?”

My body tensed. Was she previous stock? Stock that had fallen into some sick twisted game plan? Some of the bidders had been what even I would call sick, and that was the only explanation to what was happening. Well, that or the whisky had been left to ferment a little too long.

“I grant you permission to call me Master,
little girl
. But can you handle that side of me?”

She scoffed and I bit my lower lip when she rammed her knee into my last vertebra, shocking my spine in agony. “Do you like little girls? Do you take from them what you take from women?”

My mind was working, trying to figure out a way out of this. The blade was pressed so tightly that I had absolutely no room to move either her or me. If I tackled her, I would lose my life. I had no choice but to wait her out, hope she slipped up.

“Were you stock? A lost lamb come to seek out her shepherd. Play wolf?”

She tensed. “Stock?”

Well her answer answered my question. “What do you want?”

I bit back the pain when she took a handful of my hair in her fist and yanked my head back to an almost breakable position. “Hmm, redemption, forgiveness, a house with a white picket fence.” The blade dug in, breaking the skin slightly. “But first… Justice.”

“For what?”

“We’re going to do this carefully and slowly… and fucking wisely.” She pressed marginally harder, giving me a warning. “Get off the bed, but please be aware, any wrong move and you’re gone, leaving me alone with your daughter.”

Panic surged through me, my jaw locking. How dare this person threaten Annie? She would die before I allowed any threat to be carried out. She came looking for the master and she would find the ruthless, unforgiving death he was capable of. “Annie? Where is she?”

“Calm down, she’s fine. But that all depends on how we do this.”

I gave her a tiny nod, wincing at the cut of the knife into my skin with the movement. “You have my word.”

She laughed again. “I don’t hold much on that promise, but for now I’ll have to take it.”

She nudged me, motioning for me to move. We moved together, her arm snaked around my chest, her hand pressing the weapon hard against me in a silent promise. I regretted my earlier decision to bury my dark side with alcohol, the fuzz in my head hindering any fight I could have put up. I had no choice but to let her lead – for now.