“Crispin Webb?”
“Right. He’s a terrible man.”
“And we need to make the world safe from the bad men.”
“Exactly.”
He put on my sneakers, then pulled me upright. He caught my face between his hands and tilted my head. “Promise me you’ll do what Daddy says.”
“I will.”
“Good boy.” But he didn’t let my face go. He stared at me for a long time, then leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. I gasped. Daddy had never kissed me like this before. Not with his tongue pushing into my mouth.
Nobody ever had their tongue in my mouth, and it felt weird, all wet and wriggly. If this was what led to sex, no wonder Daddy said it was bad. This kind of kissing felt nasty, and I was a second away from barfing. “Sweet boy. I regret…” He dropped his hands and stepped back.
“You regret what, Daddy?”
“Nothing. Forget what I just said, baby.”
He walked to the bedside table and retrieved a small resealable bag. Inside was a pill, which he put into the pocket of my hoodie.
“And what is this for?” he asked.
“If I get caught.” My bottom lip trembled. I loathed to think about that part.
“What do you do if that happens?”
“I take the pill.”
“Good.” He kissed my forehead. “You take that pill, and they won’t be able to hurt you. Let’s go.”
I flipped the hood over my head and followed Daddy out of the house. The living room was bare except for a couch and a TV stand without a TV. Books were stacked on top of it instead. All sorts of books that Daddy made me read. I’d pleaded with Daddy since I was a kid to get us a TV, but he’d said if we had one, it would fill my head with rubbish. The last time I’d thrown a tantrum about the TV, Mother locked me in the display box for almost the entire day. I’d been so hungry when Daddy let me out, but I’d been bad, and bad boys deserved bad things.
Daddy’s battered truck was parked at the foot of the wide porch. He opened the door for me and gave me a boost inside. His hand stayed on my ass a little longer than necessary, and I smiled at him. I loved it when Daddy touched and cuddled me. It made me feel safe and loved.
Daddy hopped into the truck beside me. “How many times have I got to tell you to buckle your seat belt, Cosmo?”
“Oops. Sorry.” I snapped the seat belt into place and sat quietly beside him with my hands in my lap. I’d done this too often to have cold feet, but I still worried. What if I was caught? I didn’t want to have to use the pill, but if I was caught, Daddy said I should always take the pill. It would save me from torture.
I didn’t want to be tortured.
The truck rumbled down the gravelly driveway, and the darkness hugged the sides of the vehicle as we hit the main road. It took us just twenty minutes to get to the highway. Daddy hated going downtown, but the busyness of the streets always drew me right in. We passed fancy coffee shops and stores with beautiful mannequins showing off the latest fashion. I pressed my face to the window, and I took in as much of it as I could.
One day, I would buy myself a nice dress. Something long and flowing like the ones Mother used to dress me in. Or maybe a short one that would show off my knees. Daddy said they were a temptation, so I should keep them covered as much as possible. He only let me go around bare-legged when I wore a onesie and stayed in little mode all the time.
“Are we almost there yet?” I bounced in the seat. While I didn’t look forward to this part of my job and doing what Daddy said, I couldn’t wait until after. If I did well, Daddy sometimes took me for a chocolate treat on our way home, and he never told me how many carbs I was stuffing into my body. Not like on other days when I had to follow a strict diet.
We drove through the heart of town, then left the twinkling lights behind. The nearer to our destination we came, the more my heart thudded. Close to Winter Glade Park, Daddy pulled over to the side of the street.
Without a word, he stretched into the back seat and brought out the wooden safe. He lifted the lid and opened the case. The gun and silencer were almost like an extension of me.
“You know what to do with it.”
I did.
I took out the gun and assembled it, then slipped in a round of bullets, all on autopilot. I’d done it so many times I hardly thought about what I was doing.
“You’ve gotten so much better at that than I am.” He tucked a lock of my hair behind my ear. “The student has definitely surpassed the master.”