I immediately began rubbing her reddened bottom gently, soothing the sting. "Good girl. You took that very well."
Emily remained draped across my lap, her body shaking with quiet sobs. I continued the gentle massage, letting her process the experience.
"I'm sorry," she whispered finally. "I'm sorry I scared you. I'm sorry I put everyone at risk."
"I know you are, sweetheart," I murmured, helping her to sit up on my lap. She winced slightly at the pressure on her tender bottom but didn't pull away. "It's over now."
She buried her face against my neck, her tears dampening my shirt. "I was just so scared about Zoe. I couldn't sit still, couldn't stop thinking about what might be happening to her."
"I understand," I said, wrapping my arms around her. "But running toward danger isn't going to help her. We need you safe so we can end this properly." I paused. “And where were you heading when you ran right into me?”
Emily
"Away," I admitted, my voice muffled against his chest. "It was suddenly too much. The room, the people, the situation with Zoe... everything."
Dion's hand came up to stroke my hair, his touch gentle despite the firmness of his punishment moments before. "That's exactly why I was worried. You're not in a good headspace to make decisions right now."
I nodded, unable to argue with his reasoning. My bottom still stung from his discipline, but oddly, I felt calmer than I had all day. The tight ball of anxiety that had been lodged in my chest since Susan's voicemail seemed to have loosened.
"What happened with Zoe?" I asked again, pulling back slightly to look at his face. "Please tell me."
Dion sighed, his expression softening as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "We have a team watching the Bennett house. So far, everything appears normal, but we've picked up some concerning chatter on their devices."
"What kind of chatter?" I pressed.
"References to a 'shipment' scheduled for tomorrow night. Guest list for a 'private event' at their lake house." His jaw tightened. "We believe they're planning to move Zoe soon."
Fresh tears welled in my eyes. "We have to stop them."
"We will," Dion promised, his voice carrying absolute conviction. "Eric is gathering more intel, and we're positioning people to intercept if they try to move her."
"What about my meeting with Susan tomorrow?"
"Still happening," Dion confirmed. "But with precautions. You'll be wired, and we'll have a team nearby."
I nodded, trying to process everything. "I should be there when you get Zoe. She knows me, trusts me."
"Emily—" Dion began, his tone warning.
"Not actively involved," I clarified quickly. "But nearby. In a secure location where she can be brought to me immediately. She's going to be terrified, Dion. She needs a familiar face."
He considered this, his thumb absently stroking my hip. "That's reasonable," he conceded finally. "As long as you follow every instruction without question."
"I will," I promised, relief washing through me. "Thank you."
Dion shifted me slightly on his lap, his hand coming up to cup my face. "Now, about what happened downstairs..."
I tensed, wondering if there was more punishment to come, but his expression wasn't stern anymore.
"You were in the Little room," he said softly. "How did it feel before you panicked?"
The question caught me off guard. "I... I don't know. Strange. Like I was seeing something I wasn't supposed to see. But also..."I trailed off, struggling to articulate the complex emotions I’d felt.
"Also?" he prompted gently.
"Like I could belong there," I whispered my cheeks burning with embarrassment. "But terrified because I don't know what that means for me. For us."
Dion's thumb traced along my jawline, his touch reassuring. "Tell me what scares you most about it."
