Zeke wouldn’t be like that. He’d be firm and he’d stick to his rules. Even if that might kill him. But if he got it just right, then he knew she was going to thrive. She would find the safe place to be herself. To let go of the tight hold she had over her Little.
That was the end game. To give her what she needed and desired.
And that meant he would get the same.
“Or what?” she challenged.
“Or I’ll start your punishment off here in my truck.”
There was a moment of silence. The only sound her harsh breaths working in and out of her chest. “Punishment? You’re not punishing me, Zeke Jonas.”
“Oh, baby. Did you really think you were going to get away with putting yourself in danger and not be punished? Princess, you might have your brothers fooled but I know that you need a firm hand.”
“I’m not a fucking horse you’re trying to break-in.”
Sometimes it felt a little like that.
“I know you’re not.” He leaned in and kissed her lightly. “I’d never spank a horse.”
Another beat or two while he knew she was trying to process that. “Who the hell said you get to spank me!”
He wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck. Time to learn a lesson. “Eden, you walked into a dangerous bar filled with a bunch of unsavory characters alone, without telling anyone where you were. What the fuck did you think was going to happen?”
“They didn’t hurt me.”
“Because you got lucky!”
“Duke said they don’t hurt women.”
“You know better than to believe something just because someone said it. I know you’re not that naïve. And even if Duke and Reyes don’t hurt women, doesn’t mean all the Iron Shadows adhere to that. And there were people other than Iron Shadows in that bar. You were alone, you were vulnerable and that is completely unacceptable to me.”
“Why do you care? Because of one night we spent together? I thought I’d made it clear that’s all we could have.”
“Don’t mistake me backing off as me giving in to you. I’ve given you time to come to terms with things. That time is now up. Because you put yourself in danger and I won’t allow that to happen again. You need someone to ensure that you’re safe because obvious
ly your judgment is completely off. That someone is me. Because you’re mine. And I’ll keep saying it as often as I need to in order for you to believe it.”
She snorted. “You’re gonna get sick of your own voice then.”
“Maybe so.”
“I’m not yours, Zeke.”
“Baby, the more you say that, the more I am determined to show you I am. It’s like a double-dare, a thousand times over.”
She groaned. “You’re insufferable.”
He let a small grin curl up his lips. Then he remembered what she’d said earlier. “Eden, you have to know that Clint never for one moment regretted taking responsibility for you, right?”
“So now you’re not just talking for me, you’re talking for my brother as well?” she snapped.
Surprise filled him and he grew tense. Fuck. Did she really believe that Clint held regrets?
“Did he ever do anything to make you think he has regrets?” He was unaware how dark and dangerous his voice sounded until she stiffened.
“Of course not. But. . .he has to, right? One day he was carefree, living his life as a young bachelor, next he was a pseudo-father to a cripple. And let’s face it, I wasn’t an easy kid, definitely not an easy teenager to raise.”
Anger clawed his gut. He had to take a deep breath to calm himself. She could rile his temper like no one else. “As soon as we get back to the ranch, we’re sitting down for a talk with your brothers. I can’t believe you’ve thought this way all these years and not spoken to them about it or that they didn’t figure it out.”