Felicity screamed, aiming a desperate kick at Luke Holloway.
But the moment she moved her injured foot, searing pain shot through her, stealing her breath.
“Help! Somebody, help! Let me go! Harrison! Save me!” she shrieked, her voice echoing off the trees.
“Let her go!” Harrison’s shout rang out, hard and commanding.
Luke Holloway, still gripping Felicity by the arm, dragged her to the edge of the slope. He turned to look at Harrison, nodding once.
“Sure.”
With that, he let go. Felicity tumbled down the slope again, her scream trailing behind her.
She hit the ground hard, like a sack of flour, her mouth full of dirt and grass. She lay sprawled on the incline, too battered and exhausted to move.
Luke didn’t spare her a glance as he strode toward Dames.
He stopped in front of the trembling boy. “So, Dames. Do you want me to throw you down, or will you go yourself?”
Dames backed away in terror, shaking his head wildly. He crouched behind Harrison, wailing, “No! Please, no!”
Harrison shielded his son, his voice cold with fury. “You have no right to lay a hand on my boy.”
A new voice cut through the tension, calm and chilling. “Then perhaps I should handle his discipline myself.”
Harrison stiffened, recognizing Leo’s voice. He glanced around, but Leo was nowhere in sight.
A plainclothes security officer approached, holding out an iPad. Leo’s striking, almost ethereal face filled the screen.
Harrison inhaled sharply, surprised the guard had reached Leo so quickly.
Even through the screen, Leo’s presence pressed down on him, cold and unyielding. Harrison, a man used to being the predator, felt his claws retract in Leo’s presence.
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“Don’t worry, Uncle. Altair is safe,” Harrison managed.
“I’m not worried about Altair,” Leo replied, his voice gentle but laced with ice. “It’s you I can’t trust. Who would’ve thought the greatest threat to my godson would come from your son–and your so–called friends?”
Harrison’s face hardened, anger and shame mingling in his eyes.
“Damien,” Leo commanded, his tone ringing with finality.
Harrison guided his son forward, gesturing for Dames to face the screen.
Dames kept his head down, too afraid to meet Leo’s gaze.
“Kneel,” Leo ordered.
The word hit Dames like a gust of icy wind. His legs buckled. He shot a desperate look at his father, but Harrison’s lips pressed into a tight, grim line.
“Kneel,” Harrison repeated.
Dames crumpled to his knees, tears already welling in his eyes.
“Tell your great–uncle you know what you did was wrong,” Harrison instructed.
Dames sobbed, voice trembling. “I–I know I was wrong.”
Leo’s voice was distant and cold. “You’re not sorry, Damien. You’re just afraid of being punished.”
Leo shifted his attention. “Harrison, this is on you. You’ll carry out the punishment. Ten strikes to your son’s palm.”
One of Leo’s men handed Harrison a small wooden rod.
Dames stared at the thin switch, confusion and dread mixing on his face. He’d never been spanked before. Seeing Harrison’s stern expression as he accepted the rod, Dames felt panic rise.
“Left hand out, palm up,” Leo’s assistant instructed.
Dames hesitated. Leo’s voice, cold as steel, cut in again. “If you don’t want your hand punished, we can always choose somewhere else.”
The assistant added, “Young Master Vaughn, if you prefer, Mr. Vaughn can give you a spanking instead.”
Dames shuddered at the thought. He’d already knelt in front of everyone–if he was spanked now, he’d never live it down at school.
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Trembling, he finally held out his left hand, pleading, “Dad… please, not too hard.”
Harrison knew full well that if he showed mercy, Leo would only mete out a harsher punishment. Leo missed nothing.
The first strike landed with a sharp snap.
Dames screamed. His cry startled a flock of birds from the trees above.
Selene, watching all this for the first time, felt her breath catch in her chest.
Harrison didn’t pause. The rod landed again, then again, pain building with every blow.
There was no point dragging it out; the longer the punishment, the worse it became. The strikes came in rapid succession–seven, eight in a row–each second drawn
out and unbearable for Dames.
Leo’s man kept Dames‘ arm pinned, and the boy’s face turned blotchy red as he sobbed, snot and tears streaming down his cheeks. “I won’t do it again! I promise, never again!”
Harrison delivered the full ten strokes, swift and unrelenting.
When it was finally over, Leo’s assistant released Dames’s arm.
Dames kept his swollen left hand raised, staring at it through his tears as his sobbing grew louder.
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