“You didn’t need the money, little girl. I have more than enough to take care of you,” he answered.
“Not anymore. I stole it all,” I answered.
“No, you didn’t,” he replied.
I stilled against him. That just couldn’t be true.
“What are you talking about?”
“You only cleared out the accounts Daddy allowed you to know about, little girl. I have a great many more that I kept from you,” he answered.
“What?” I asked. It wasn’t possible. I’d used all the resources at my disposal, including hackers, a handful of coders, and even a few financial analysts who assured me they’d found it all. I’d walked away with several billion dollars for the family. It was hands down my most lucrative con to date.
“Yes, little girl. You hardly dented my accounts,” he replied.
My blood ran cold. He’d kept so much from me. I really didn’t know him at all.
I cleared my throat. Even knowing this information though, it was still far too dangerous for the both of us.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time,” I murmured. That much was true.
He didn’t respond. He just let me talk.
“I don’t have any family and I’ve been on the run for a long time. I move around the country and I find men that are single, rich, and prime con targets. You were one of those men,” I continued.
“Who do you work for, little girl? You can tell Daddy,” he coaxed.
“I work alone,” I answered. I didn’t have any other choice but to lie. I was protecting him.
He was quiet for a long time, so I finally decided to tell him more. I told him a bit about my process, how I exceled at becoming the person men wanted me to be so that I could make them fall in love with me enough to marry me and give me access to everything they’d ever worked for. I told him everything, except I left out the most crucial part about the fact that I didn’t do it alone.
It didn’t matter how much money or power or resources that Dean had. He would never be more powerful than the Father.
Ever.
Eventually, I ran out of things to say and he was still quiet beside me.
“You worked very hard to cover your tracks, but I still found you, little girl,” he finally said, and I tensed slightly before I relaxed against him.
“I know. I don’t know how you did it,” I whispered.
“That’s going to be my secret, little girl,” he said quietly.
I fidgeted nervously in his arms.
“Your other marks might be able to find you the way I did. You’re going to need protection,” he sighed.
“I can leave the country,” I started.
“No,” he answered.
“What do you mean?” I questioned.
“You’re going to stay with me. You’re Daddy’s little girl now and I’m going to keep you safe,” he said firmly.
I knew better than to argue, not with the marks of his belt still searing hot across my bottom.
For now, I would let things lie. It was only a matter of time before I found a way out.