Obey (The Protocol, #2)

by Lasairiona Lewis

“I am not happy with Harry. I don’t love him, I don’t want to be with him, and you should certainly not want me to be with someone who cheats on me and disrespects me like that.” I turn to Daddy. “I know there’s business tied up in this Daddy, but honestly, I’ve done a lot of thinking, and I’m sorry, but I don’t care. That’s your problem, not mine. I’m not signing myself away to a cheating scumbag in the name of your business. And while I’m at it, it’s despicable that you’d ask me to.”

“And you.” I turn my attention back to Harry-the-butt. “I don’t belong to you. I never did.” He counters. “You wore my promise ring, which I so happened to notice hanging around your new fling’s neck.” “I didn’t need it anymore, Harry. I kept up my side of the promise. I wasn’t the one who broke it. You did. That’s on you, not me. If you want the ring back...” I shrug, a smile tickling the corners of my mouth. “You’ll have to take it up with Jagger.”

“You get a haircut and whore yourself at the first asshole you meet, and suddenly you’re a mouthy slut.” A number of things happen at the same time. Dad jumps to his feet muttering protests and knocking over a glass full of water, Mama gasps, fanning herself with her hand like the S-word has made her so uncomfortable she feels queasy, and Jagger appears beside me and grabs Harry by the throat, picking him up out of his seat like he weighs nothing.

“That was your freebie. If I ever hear you speak to her like that again, your life is over. Are we clear?” He snorts. “If it was up to me, you’d be done already.”

“Say whatever the fuck you need to and then leave. I don’t care that your parents work together, I don’t care that you might see each other at holiday parties or wherever the hell you might cross paths. From now on, her name stays out of your mouth, you hear me? Period. You don’t talk about her, to her, or come within fifteen feet of her.”

“I want my promise ring back.” Harry’s voice is small. “Tough shit. It belongs to me. You want it, come and take it.” The challenge hangs heavy in the air. “Just as I thought, chicken shit.”

“You never talk to her again, you hear me? Delete her number, delete that Find My Friend shit, and stay the fuck away from her. Even if I never see her again, you’re done with her.”

Harry hands over a little red, velvet box. It’s grandma’s engagement ring. I guess he thought giving me a family heirloom would make me forget the fact he slipped his eggplant into another woman’s vegetable patch. Jerk.

“Girls like you don’t date guys like me.” He glances at my parents a few feet away. “You’re too good for both of us, like I said.” He doesn’t wait for an answer, he plants a chaste kiss on my temple. “Take care of yourself, okay?” His voice cracks, but he’s not backing down.

“Has he still not said anything?” “No.” “Has he left the club?” “No.” “Still hasn’t showered yet, either. Pretty sure that funk in the air is him.”

“Growth is painful, my friend.” He stands up and pats my chest. “But if we aren’t growing, then what’s the fucking point?”

It’s been a week. Instead of going back to Kentucky with my parents, I chose to extend the lease on my apartment by another year. Thankfully, no one had picked it up.

It takes twenty minutes after we settle at our new table, and a second round of non-alcoholic drinks before these three women know everything about me. They know the entire story of Jagger and I, well, aside from the dirty pieces. They know the Harry Chronicles, and Kenzie in particular seems sympathetic to my parental issues.

“So I’m pathetically here to give him back his shirt, and a piece of my mind.” I shrug. “Or I was. Now, I’m going to have to leave it with y’all to give back to him.”

Kenzie gasps, Paige looks like she might rip his throat out.

Is this guy for real? He doesn’t get to just... dismiss me because he’s done with me. My face burns with embarrassment in front of these glorious, strong women I just met, and all that righteous indignation and anger bubbles over inside me.

“Listen here, you hulking great brute. You don’t own the universe. I came here to return something to you out of the goodness of my heart. And now, I’m half inclined to keep it because you’re being rude. And I don’t like rude.”

I take a step toward him, pointer finger outstretched. “You don’t deserve me returning your shirt, Grumpasaurus Rex. Maybe I should hold onto it until your attitude changes.”

“Bless your heart.” “Uh oh. He’s activated the southern woman.”

My trembling hands are on my hips. I’ve never been one to air my dirty laundry, it’s not the southern girl way. Mama would spank my butt if she were here, not least of all because I said hell, out loud, but it actually felt pretty good, and if I’m honest with myself, the situation calls for much worse.

“Half-Pint if you don’t agree to give me another shot at this thing between us, and you go out that door to play with Archer, I will straight up kill my friend and colleague in front of people. Prevent a murder, say yes.”

“Wow. Because that’s not at all manipulative.” I maneuver myself around in his grasp. “And they say romance is dead.”

“I dunno who you’re talking to, but from what I’ve heard, those books you read glorify those... What are they c...

“Bet you’re soaking those pretty cotton panties of yours right now with all my caveman talk.” “You didn’t.” He nods. “I did. I read the one you had on your eReader in the hotel. And let me tel...

“I hate my friends.” “I don’t. I like them all already. Maybe even more than I like you, Grandmaster Thunderpants. Let’s go sit with them so I can hear all the dirt on you.”

The urge to follow Archer down to the dungeon, and rip his arms off his body is strong. I know he has nothing to do with any of this, from how quickly his face paled it was clear it was Paige’s idea of a joke. But still.

Talia slips into the hoodie as she walks, which somehow, she pulls off. Why an accident-prone woman would compromise her vision by putting a sweater on while in movement is anyone’s guess, but I supposed that’s just Talia.

Half-Pint pulls her legs up under the hoodie on the chair. She looks like she’s ready for a movie and chill, not to sit and sip expensive non-alcoholic champagne in a kink club, but she makes it work.

I can’t take my eyes off my girl, though. She has captivated my friends. They’re leaning forward, asking probing questions, and laughing like she’s been here for years. Fuck, she fits in with my social circle even better than I do.

I shouldn’t be surprised, she is clearly a witch. She manages to bring people under her spell before they even realize she’s trying.

“We are a safe space.” Paige points to Addison and Kenzie. “You’re a dick.” “I could be your dick if you stopped fighting me, Paige.”

These women are so sweet they could melt my teeth.

Slade’s looking at my woman like she’s growing horns in front of his face. “What?” He shakes his head. “She must be special. You don’t do vanilla. You don’t do relationships. And turns out, you had a wife. Who the fuck are you, man?”

“I don’t know how you didn’t know that about him, Slade. He’s such a chatty Cathy, I can’t ever get him to shut up.” Talia’s sass is dialed up to three hundred right now. Kenzie bursts into another fit of giggles as Slade wags his finger. “Yeah. I really like her. Well, Ms. Vanilla, let’s talk Protocol. It’s a semi-casual space for people to come and express and explore themselves.”

“Intense is probably the best word. I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life.”

Slade takes a slug of his drink right at the same time Talia finds her voice. “I’d like to be double penetrated.” Slade sprays his drink, coughing and spluttering having seemingly breathed the bubbly liquid in. Kenzie raises her hand to hi-five Talia, and when he’s done recovering the ability to breathe, he raises his hand too. “I volunteer as tribute.”

It’s been two days since Talia announced she wanted to be double penetrated at the club in front of Slade. Have to admit, I wasn’t expecting my little Half-Pint to come out of her shell as quickly as she did. But at the same time, Protocol does that to people. Slade’s built such a comfortable space that we lean into it across the board.

“You’d have more chance of fixing your heat with a toothbrush than getting this man to listen.”

Talia beams, and Devin smiles back at her. “That’s her, my Bessie.” She puffs out her already well puffed out chest. “Talk nicely to her, and she’ll treat you well.” She throws a glare my way. “Come on, Grumpasaurus. I’m hungry.”

She digs into her purse and pulls out a Manilla envelope. “I brought documents.” “I see this. To what end?” “Negotiations.” She waggles her eyebrows. “Sex negotiations?” “Yes, sir. Sex negotiations.”

Would you look at that? My Half-Pint’s growing up. She said sex, out loud, without stuttering or her face going the shade of a tomato. The newly familiar tingle of pride sweeps through my body.

She laughs. Will I ever get sick of that tinkling sound?

She’s sunshine, and I’m chasing a hit of heat.

“You made assumptions about me based on my career.” She nods, pressing her bottom lip against her teeth with her index finger as I unlock the door. “You’re right. I did. Your oil covered, grumpy butt self, came across like you didn’t have your life together. I admit, I completely misread you.”

“I bet you have four bedrooms, don’t you? Four rooms for just you. How do you clean it all? Is there a thick layer of dust over everything?” She feigns a dramatic gasp, clutching her chest. “Is this where you buried the bodies?”

Fucking hell. Her assertiveness speaks straight to my dick, and while she’s pouring food out, my dick’s trying to pierce a hole in my pants. Visions of sweeping the food on the floor and fucking her senseless on the table flicker across my mind. It’d be way too far, too fast, but it’ll happen at some point, and I can’t wait to fuck her when the mood strikes.

“I do. I feel like waiting for this big thing to happen is making me anxious. I want to get it over with so it’s no big deal. I’ve done it before. I mean, it’s been a while, but I have. It’s hanging over me, and I’m getting more and more nervous about it.”

“Would I prefer to know you’re eating right, sleeping right, and drinking enough water? Absolutely. Kink scenes are draining mentally and physically and if you don’t start off in the right space, it could be dangerous, or lead to injury. But it’s not from a place of bossing around, it’s because I care about you and your wellbeing.”

“Same reason I really wanted you to let me fix up Bessie. I don’t want to expel energy worrying about the fact your car isn’t going to get you to where you need to be, when a simple tune up in my garage would put my mind at ease. It’s not about controlling you, it’s about making sure you’re safe, healthy, and happy. Those are my primary concerns in a relationship with you.”

“If you’re not happy, I’m not happy. If you’re not healthy, I’m not healthy. And if you’re not safe, I’m no...