Work dragged, providing no distraction for Molly’s worry about that night. She hoped Rodney would drop it once he received the rest of his money, but she suspected he’d try something shady, or worse. His behavior towards her was confusing, but who could explain how a criminal like him thought. Though, she reminded herself, she was a criminal too.

After clocking out, she boarded the bus back to her old neighborhood, the ride much different from the one to Max’s house. The abandoned storefronts and rotting houses that somehow people still lived in, were in stark contrast to the other side of the city where property values were on the rise and people couldn’t wait to move in. It was like night and day, and the reminder of everything Max gave to her made tears well up in her eyes.

She wouldn’t let him down ever again. Once this day was over, she was never coming back here. Never straying from the path she was on now. As long as she had Max in her life, she didn’t need anything else. He was a natural drug, making her feel good with a word or a look or a soft touch.

He’d given her hope that her hard work would pay off. That there was something more out there than what she’d had before and what she’d been before and that it was within her reach. She wasn’t there yet, not by a long shot. But she could see the future clearly now, where before her vision was filled with murky unknowns.

As her stop neared, her palms grew sweaty. The envelope of cash sat in her purse like a brick, the uncertainty of the upcoming confrontation weighing her down.

The bus pulled to a stop and she got off, heading down the street towards her old apartment. There were people around her, but she felt more lurking in the shadows. Rodney was here; she knew it in her bones. Waiting for the right moment to approach her.

The crowd from the bus thinned out as everyone went their separate ways, until it was just her on the sidewalk, walking past the liquor store, until she came even with that damn alley.

“Hey, Molls. You’re a tough broad to get ahold of.” His slimy voice slithered over her skin. Skin that Max had caressed and held all through the night. It felt wrong to be back here, dealing with this shit, when she had so many better things she could be doing. But she had to snip the final threads tying her to her old life.

“I’ve been around, Rodney.” She tried to search the area for Max but didn’t see him. Fear rose in her chest, threatening to choke her. He wouldn’t be late, would he? He wouldn’t have abandoned her just when she needed him most?

Then she saw a non-descript blue sedan flash it’s headlights over Rodney’s shoulder and the tightness eased. Max was here, keeping her safe.

“Where you been? I’ve been looking for you,” he asked, approaching her and getting into her personal space. She took a step back and pulled her purse in front of her, trying to gain some distance.

“I’ve got your money,” she replied, ignoring his question. Hoping the thought of cash would distract him.

“Really,” he drawled, not seeming as impressed as she hoped he would be. “That’s great, Molls. But you have something else I’m more interested in.”

She reached in her purse with a shaking hand and retrieved the envelope.

“Here, it’s all there. Take it.” She thrust the envelope towards him and took another step back. She glanced behind her and saw a car idling at the curb. Realizing too late that he was pushing her back towards the vehicle, she stopped retreating.

He snatched the money from her hand and tucked it in his back pocket. “Thanks, doll. But I’m going to need you to come with me.”

He reached out to grab her arm, but she stepped to the side, avoiding his grasp.

“I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m done with that life. Leave me alone.”

She tried to step around him, but he moved with her.

“Now, I can’t do that, Molls. See, I’ve had a bit of trouble lately, lost my whole stable of girls, and you’re just what I need to get back on my feet.” He reached out again, but she dodged him. Unfortunately, she moved in the wrong direction, and now she was only a few feet from the car.

“I’ve never hooked, Rodney, and I’m not starting now.” She saw Max get out of the car, along with another man, and start running down the street towards her.

“Don’t you worry about that. I’ve got some medicine that will make it all okay,” he sneered. And just as Max predicted, Rodney pulled out a gun and pointed it at her. “Get in the car.”

Molly took a deep breath, her gaze flicking behind Rodney. Max and the other guy were almost there. She didn’t know why they’d parked so far away, but she only had to hold out for a few more seconds. The gun was terrifying her, but she held tight to the knowledge that Max promised she’d be okay.

She willed every bit of strength contained in her small body and said just one word. “No.”

Rage contorted Rodney’s features and he raised his arm over his head, the one that held the big metal gun.

“Get down, Molly,” Max yelled at the same time his friend shouted, “Stop, police!”

Rodney twisted to look at the men only a few feet behind him, then took off running to the car. Molly took the opportunity to run the other way, towards Max.

“Gray, get him. I’ve got her,” Max called to his friend seconds before he scooped her up in his arms. She buried her head in his chest and clung to him for dear life. Molly heard a scuffle behind her but didn’t turn to look.

“Are you okay? Are you okay?” Max asked, running his hands over her body.

“I’m fine. I’m so glad you’re here.” She couldn’t stop shaking though she was far from cold. “I didn’t see you at first and I thought you were late.”

“I decided to bring Gray with me and we borrowed an unmarked car since I was hoping to arrest Rodney. And I wasn’t sure if he’d seen my truck before.” He held her as she brought her breathing under control. “Did you really think I wouldn’t be here?”

Uh, oh.

“Just for a second,” she stammered. “But then I saw you flash your lights and I was okay.”

Max pulled back and looked down at her. “We’re going to be addressing your lack of trust.”

Molly gulped and her stomach flipped over. Max didn’t look angry, more hurt and disappointed, but that bothered her more. She’d let him down already.

“But not now. Now we’re going home and I’m going to hold you for a while because I need to make sure you’re really fine. And reassure myself that you’re here. How’s that sound?”

Even with the promise of an upcoming punishment, it sounded like the best thing Molly had heard all day.

* * *

They spent the night cuddling on Max’s couch, eating take out Chinese and watching a movie. Neither said a word about the incident—by unspoken agreement. Max didn’t want to be far from her, and Molly didn’t mind. She wanted to keep his strength close.

After the movie ended they went to bed, where Max made love to her, slowly and gently, in complete contrast to the night before. There were no words said, but she didn’t need any. The way he looked at her, and touched her, told her everything she needed to know.

The next morning, she woke to an empty bed and the smell of bacon and coffee. She hadn’t had bacon in forever because it cost a fortune, and the scent of it propelled her out of bed. After a stop in the bathroom, she found Max in the kitchen, looking yummy in a pair of pajama pants and nothing else.

“Good morning,” she said as she entered the room.

He glanced over his shoulder from where he stood at the stove and gave her a smile. “Morning, sweetheart. How are you feeling today?”

She fixed herself a cup of coffee and took a seat at the breakfast bar. “Good. Much better than yesterday. I’m so glad that’s over.” She took a sip. “What happened with Rodney?”

“We got him on possession of a firearm, assaulting an officer and felony drug possession with intent to distribute. You won’t be seeing him for a long time.” Max transferred the bacon from the frying pan into a waiting casserole dish, and then slid it into the oven. “Can you wait a bit to eat or are you starving?”

He leaned against the counter appearing casual and relaxed but there was something in the firm set of his jaw that told Molly he was anything but. While she was tempted to lie to postpone what she suspected was about to happen, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words.

“No, I’m fine to wait.”

“Good. Let’s go into the living room.” He approached her and stuck out his hand, which she accepted without hesitation. She might have been nervous about what was coming, but she wasn’t scared. Not of Max.

He steered them into the living room and took a seat on the couch, pulling her onto his lap, sitting up.

“I know we’re getting to know each other, and things between us are brand new, and on top of that there’s some not so great history there, but I was hurt that you doubted my promise to you. I promised to be there, and I don’t like that you worried that I wouldn’t be, even for a second.”

His last comment eliminated her only defense. She had doubted him, questioned whether he’d actually come through.

“The only thing I can say is that I haven’t had a lot of people I can count on in my life, and I’ve had many who said one thing and did something else.” She took a breath and looked him straight in the eye. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings, that I questioned your commitment to me. I’ll try not to let it happen again.”

He met her gaze, taking in her words and digesting them.

“That’s all I can ask for then, sweetheart. I understand people have let you down before. Hell, I let you down in a major way, but it won’t happen again. It’s going to take time for you to unlearn those bad habits, and I’m going to prove to you that I’m dependable, and that you can trust me with your life.” He looked like he wanted to say something else but stopped.

“Thank you, Max. I know I’ve said it before, but I appreciate everything you’ve done for me so much. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.” It felt good knowing that he understood where she was coming from and wasn’t mad at her, but something was missing. It felt unfinished.

“You don’t have to thank me, Molly. I’m not doing anything I don’t want to do.” He kissed her cheek and then they sat there, uncomfortably, with the missing thing hanging in the air between them.

Finally, Max broke the tension. “I have to tell you something and I want you to hear me out.”

She nodded, uncertain what would make him look hesitant, but it was there, written all over his face.

“I called a friend this morning and told him about yesterday and asked for his advice on how to handle the situation. I feel like we need to clear the air between us, but you didn’t break any rules. I don’t like that you questioned my promise, but I know you reached the right answer. He suggested we do a different kind of spanking, not a punishment but one to reestablish our roles. To reset things and reaffirm that I’m in charge.”

Molly turned that over in her mind. Would a spanking make her feel better? Is that what she felt was missing to resolve everything?

“So it wouldn’t hurt?”

“I didn’t say that. It would hurt, just not as much as a punishment. Though I don’t think the other night was really on the level of a punishment spanking either. It was my first time and I wasn’t sure how hard I could go.”

“You could go harder,” she assured him, then clapped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she’d said.

“That’s good to know.” He chuckled and pulled her close to plant a kiss on her lips. “So, what do you think?”

Molly considered her words carefully, knowing if they did this now, it would probably happen again in the future. She knew what he was talking about, having read about it during her research. The question was, did she think she needed it? Occasional reminders of who was in charge in their relationship?

“I think it’s a good idea. It feels like there’s something unfinished between us and maybe that will help put an end to everything that happened yesterday so we can move forward.” It was scary admitting that out loud, but she’d promised Max not to lie, and promised herself to own up to her feelings, whatever they might be.

He rewarded her bravery with one of his signature grins, then helped her to stand. “Take your pants off, Molly, and get over my lap.”

The words made her stomach erupt in butterflies, but she obeyed, getting into position as instructed.

Max didn’t hesitate to begin as soon as she was settled, starting with light slaps while he told her exactly why she was being spanked.

“I’m doing this to make sure you remember who you answer to and who cares about you. I’ll never break a promise to you, Molly. You need to remember that always.”

His force began to increase, becoming drastically more intense. Her butt quickly heated, everywhere. Max made sure to cover every inch of her skin with spanks.

Over and over again his hand came down, all the while telling her how much he cared about her and that he never wanted anything bad to happen to her ever again. When she struggled to get away from his punishing hand, he simply wrapped an arm around her and kept going. Smack after smack, til she was sure she couldn’t take anymore.

“Max!” she cried. “It hurts. Please stop!”

He ignored her pleas and continued. “I can’t stop, Molly. Not until you realize how much I care about you.” Smack. “How much I love you.”

His last words did her in, unleashing the tears that had been swimming in her eyes for the last five minutes. It wasn’t the pain, though her ass was on fire, it was knowing he loved her and wanted her to trust him and rely on him. It was his promise to take care of her and be there for her. And it was everything that happened yesterday, and over the last week, bubbling up and boiling over.

As soon as she let loose, Max lifted her up and onto his lap.

“There you go, sweetheart. Get it all out. I know you were afraid yesterday, but you did so well. You were so brave. And now we won’t ever have to do anything like that again.”

He stroked her hair and spoke soft words to her. Words of reassurance and love. Molly sobbed against his chest, unable to get a word out until the torrent slowed.

When she calmed and was able to speak, she said the most important thing first.

“I love you, too.”