Fetish

Chapter 28

✳✳✳Owen Carter✳✳✳

I smile as I walk down the hallway. I never thought I'd fall in love again. The feeling is something I never want to go away. When I turn the corner, I spot my father talking with Dominic. I take a deep breath as I walk towards them. They both look up at me and my father places his hand on my shoulder. "Son, it's time."

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. "Time for what?"

"You to take over. I'm taking you on a trip to meet all of the important people you'll need to know," he says. "We'll stay at each branch for a week and I'll give you the chance to make a few deals along the way."

No. This isn't what I want. But maybe Madison was right when she suggested I should just do what he wants until he dies. With the way he acts, it shouldn't be long. "How many branches are there besides these two?" I ask, knowing the number has likely increased since I last checked.

"Six. I'll give you a few days to make plans for Bryant. We leave Monday."

Six weeks. Without another word, I turn and walk away. Three days to make plans for Bryant. Three days to spend with him and Madison. And three days to convince her to stay... to trust me enough to be away without her. He turns his head and begins giving Dominic instructions for when we leave. He'll be taking care of bkth houses while we're away. Taking a step back, I quickly turn and head back to my room. When I left, Madison had just gotten into the shower so I stop into the kitchen to pour myself a small glass of scotch before heading into my room. I pull my tie slightly to loosen it before sitting on the edge of the tub. As I take a sip from my cup, I hear the water shut off. She reaches out for a towel before stepping out. Jumping slightly, she places her hand over her heart. "Oh my gosh. You scared me. I thought you had to meet your father," she says, adjusting her towel.

She begins drying her hair with a smaller towel and I watch her carefully. "I already spoke to him."

She frowns. "That was quick. What did he want?"

I take another sip of my drink. "I'm taking over, Madison. We're going away for six weeks."

She freezes, her eyes wide and her lips parted. After what feels like forever passes, she straightens. "Six weeks, huh?"

I nod slowly. "Six weeks."

"What about Bryant?" she asks softly.

"Well, I was hoping you could look after him for me whenever you can. I already have someone who watches him regularly but I don't want him to be bored or worried," I explain. "I'll get you a phone by the end of the day so we can talk whenever. You'll have access to my cars and money."

She looks overwhelmed so she takes a seat beside me, staring down at the floor. "What about us?"

"Nothing will change. Things will go back to normal as soon as I return."

"So we're still together?"

"Yes. And we'll continue seeing only each other," I say. "Unless you decide otherwise."

Glancing at me, she shakes her head. "You're the only one I want."

My lips twitch up slightly. "The feeling is mutual."

She leans to the side, nudging me. "So when do you leave?"

"Monday. I figured we could spend today and tomorrow together with Bryant." She nods but I can tell she's hesitant. "What is it?"

"I just feel like you're going to meet someone else and forget about me," she admits. "Six weeks is a long time."

"We'll talk everyday," I say, attempting to reassure her. "I would never cheat on you. If I even thought about being with someone else, I'd break up with you first. But that won't happen because I am in a committed, loving relationship. You're the girl of my dreams."

She smiles. "You're sweet."

As much as I'd like to kiss her, I resist, knowing I'd probably take advantage of her current state of nakedness. Instead, I take another sip of my drink. "When you're finished we can leave. I'll go get Bryant."

"Where are we going?" she asks.

I shrug, thinking. "We could go to my family's cabin for the night. There's a lake and playground."

"Okay," she nods. There's a moment of silence before she turns to me. "Do you really think Michael is dead?" she asks softly.

I look down into my almost empty glass. "I hope not."

That would make all of this a lot more difficult. If he was still alive, I'd just hand it over to him once my father dies. She kisses my cheek. "I love you."

Turning towards her, I smile a little. "I love you too, baby."

She presses a chaste kiss to my lips before standing up. "I'm going to finish getting ready. Let me know when you want to leave."

Standing, I follow her out of the bathroom. I quickly pull her towel away and she shrieks. Winking at her, I exit our bedroom. After placing my glass in the sink, I head to the daycare to get Bryant. He seems to be in a bad mood because he's leaving way earlier than usual but when I tell him we're going to swim and play at the park, his mood visibly brightens. The three of us grab a few pairs of clothes, along with our swim trunks before leaving. Madison doesn't have a swimsuit so while I'm getting her phone, her and Bryant search for one.

After the store, we head to the cabin. As we're taking our things inside, I hear a noise that immediately puts me on edge. Making eye contact with Madison, I signal for her and Bryant to wait. Withdrawing my gun, I quietly enter the cabin. The wooden floors creak beneath my feet as I move further into the room. I see a shadow from one of the rooms so I cautiously make my way into the room. Sitting in the corner with his hands up is Michael. We both drop our hands in relief and he stands. Meeting him halfway, I hug him. "Are you okay?" I ask, pulling away to get a good look at him.

He appears to have been beaten pretty badly but his bruises are already fading. "I'm alright," he shrugs. "Don't tell anyone I'm here. I was supposed to disappear."

I shake my head. "We'll talk about it tonight once Madison and Bryant are asleep. They're waiting outside for me."

I put my gun back in its place before turning around. He follows me out of the room and to the front porch where Madison and Bryant wait. Gasping, Madison throws her arms around Michael. "Michael!"

He chuckles, patting her back. "It's okay. I'm fine."

"I'm so glad you're okay," she says, pulling away from him.

Seeing them that close has me feeling a some way but I push it away. "Let's take the stuff inside so we can go to the park."

"Yay!" Bryant yells.

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