The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (great novels .txt) 📕

than being in the room while Rick was having sex with Laurel, I’m not aware of any connection between Dovie Donegan and Rick. Nothing that would give rise to so much emotion.”

“What’s the relationship between Miss Donegan and Miss Radford?”

“They were sorority sisters. They had threesomes with Damon Tiger before the Fire Island party. Doesn’t sound like they were lovers outside the threesomes.”

“Before, but not after?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Fuck.

“Look, I’m not trying to be obstructive, but I need Laurel’s Dom’s consent before I disclose that to you. Okay?”

Theo rolls his eyes. “Don’t pull the brother-Dom card on me, man.”

“Sorry, mate. Let me get my phone and I’ll try to get him on the line now.” I start to rise.

Theo waves me back onto the bench. “You said you were on a schedule. When’s the interview with Miss Donegan?”

“That’s, uh, not really scheduled.”

Theo shakes his head at me, but he’s smiling. “You’re just going to show up at her door?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Okay, maybe we will make this an official visit. Be a lot easier to get through the door if I flash my badge.”

“Yeah, but she might not say as much to a cop.”

“Is she a submissive, too?”

“Not according to Laurel.”

Theo rubs his hands over his face and sits silent for a long moment. I let him think. I’ve dumped a lot of information on him in a short time. I’m not sure what he believes and what he doesn’t, if he believes anything at all. I’ve never seen Theo in cop-mode before. As a Dom and club brother, Theo’s a warm, open bloke. He’s generous in scenes, inventive when it comes to discipline, and fucking funny when shooting the shit over a beer or a game of darts.

In cop-mode, he’s anything but.

“We’ll play it by ear,” Theo says finally. “When were you planning on leaving?”

“My partner was going to pick me up at seven and drive us out to Queens.”

“You need him? I have a car.”

“No, he was just going to give me a ride and be a second pair of eyes and ears.”

“I’ll do that.” Theo checks his watch. “Probably too early to head out to Queens. We’ll hit rush hour. Seven’s a good time to go. What’re you doing until then?”

“I was going to check on my sub. Order room service if she’s awake.”

“Where is she?”

“Western Room.”

“That was you doing the punishment scene Karl was growling about missing?” Theo lifts an eyebrow at me. “I saw it on the board but figured I must have gotten your number wrong. I thought your sub was a little?”

“She is.”

“You give her real punishments? More than a spanking?”

A spanking can be a real punishment, particularly the way I do it, but not to my little girl.

“Emily’s a masochist. She needs heavy play, and heavy punishment when she breaks rules.”

“You mind if I meet her?”

“Not at all. Come and have something to eat with us. I’ll warn you, Javier and Maude are babysitting; Emily’s in littlespace after her punishment. Will that freak you out?”

Theo shrugs. “What, like baby talk?”

“No, Emily doesn’t baby talk. Her little age ranges from about six to fourteen. She does call me Daddy all the time, though.”

Theo grins. “I’ve had women call me daddy. Hot as fuck in bed. Not sure about out of it, but the idea’s not repulsive. What attracts you to the whole Daddy-Dom thing? You weren’t one before.”

“Nope, just with Emily.” I stand and pull my sweats back on. “It’s hard to explain. She’s . . . undiluted joy. I’m more when I’m her daddy. A better Dom. A better person. She needs more so I’m more. That make any sense?”

Theo rubs the back of his neck. “You rise to be what she needs. Sounds like a lot of effort.”

“That’s the weird thing. It’s not. Being Emily’s daddy is the easiest thing in the world. She gives me peace.”

“That is weird. I gotta meet this little weirdo now. You finished?” He nods at my sweats. I brought a suit for the interview with Dovie Donegan, but I’ll change into it after we eat.

“Yeah.” I toss the wet towel into the hamper by the door. “Call my sub a weirdo again, though, and I’ll kick your ass.”

Theo gives me a huge grin. “You and what army, gimpy?”

I shake my head at him as I follow him out.

* * *

As we walk down the corridor from the changing room, I’m reminded that Maude asked me to talk with Theo before I even knew about the Little Box of Horrors. She’ll castrate me for not taking this opportunity.

“You know, I took some time away from the club after Christmas,” I say to him.

“Yeah, I noticed. I figured it was because of Rachel and Sante.”

“It was, in part. I was also just burned out.”

“It’s good to have you back,” Theo offers.

“Thanks. Coming back after being away for a while’s given me some perspective. Things that maybe aren’t obvious if you’re here every day.”

“Yeah? What things?” He’s still in cop-mode because his reply is only one shade more polite than a derisive snort.

“The house subs. Some of them seem to be struggling.”

Now he snorts. “Well, you started weeding them out two seconds after you got back.”

Ouch. That news spread fast.

“I gave Rachel and Sante a month to get on top of their shit. They didn’t. I’m not going to feel uncomfortable at my own damn club. Moving them to Sanctum was the best solution.”

“For you,” Theo scoffs. Then he shrugs. “Neither of them has ever given me the time of day, so I don’t really care how you resolve your problems, but think twice before you get rid of any other subs. Most of them are better liked than Rachel.”

“Actually, I wondered if you might be up for the job of weeding them out. Or, better yet, helping them stay and be happier here.”

“Me? No thanks. Nothing against you. You did a good job when you were Master of Training. But it’s a thankless fucking task and I have better things