Page 123 of Daddy’s Fortitude

“Why aren’t you falling down? You should be falling down. The man on the video said that you would fall down,” Kirsten complained. “I’m going to ask for my money back.”

“Weren’t the lessons free?” Aimee asked.

“Well, yeah. I guess that’s true. Can’t really ask for my money back on something that was free, can I?”

“Not really,” Aimee told her.

“Darn it. I really thought that was going to work. You need to let her go. You can’t just come in and steal one of my employees. She’s working.”

“Not anymore, she’s not,” Ammo said.

“Hey, you can’t dictate when I work,” Aimee said.

He slapped her ass hard. Oh my God, she couldn’t believe he’d just done that. Was he kidding her?

“And you can’t spank me. I haven’t agreed to that.”

“You’re mine to take care of. That means you’re mine to make rules for, you’re mine to keep safe, and you’re mine to spank when you’re naughty and leave the house without telling me. What did you think you were doing?”

He set her down on her feet, and she swayed slightly. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of her hips, and she held onto his forearms for a long moment until her head stopped spinning.

“Did you even have breakfast before you left?” he demanded. “Have you eaten today? Have you drunk any water? How did you get here? Did Kirsten pick you up? Did she drive safely?”

“Whoa, that’s a lot of questions,” she said as she let go of his arms and took a step back. To her surprise, he let go of her. “Yes, Kirsten gave me a ride. Yes, she drove safely, most of the time anyway. And yes, I’ve had something to drink today. And something to eat.” Half a donut counted as something to eat, right?

He eyed her suspiciously. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“Well, perhaps that’s your problem. Maybe you’ve got a suspicious mind.”

“You have to have a suspicious mind around you,” he told her. “You snuck out of the house again.”

“I had to go to work,” she said.

“You knew I would’ve taken you,” he stated. “You left early.”

“That’s the time Kirsten wanted to leave to go to work. She always gives me a ride. You were in the shower and I didn’t want to disturb you.”

He moved a step closer. “Don’t lie to me, Little girl.”

“Ooh, that was surprisingly sexy,” Kirsten said.

“It sure was,” someone else said, and she glanced over to find the customer that she’d been helping had stepped outside and was watching them.

In fact, as Aimee glanced around, she saw a number of people watching them, and she felt her face grow bright red. Oh my God, what were they doing? Why were they having this argument in the middle of the parking lot?

She grabbed hold of Ammo’s hand and started to march back into the building. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t move.

“Come with me,” she said.

“No,” he replied.

“Ammo, I need to talk to you.”

“We’re not moving unless it’s toward my truck so I can take you home.”

“I’m not going home yet. I have to work.” She moved behind him and tried to push him toward the building.

But it was like trying to move a brick wall.