Total pages in book: 43
Estimated words: 40546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40546 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 203(@200wpm)___ 162(@250wpm)___ 135(@300wpm)
“PupPup!”
Gabriela pulled the cherished stuffie out of the drawer and hugged it to her chest. Rocking back and forth, she celebrated being reunited with her precious doggie. When her heart rate had slowed after the excitement, she held the stuffie out to make sure he was okay.
A blue ribbon circled his neck like a fancy dog collar. There was even a small disk on a loop like a dog tag. Her finger traced over the addition.
“I thought that was a pretty innovative way to put his head back on. I added some stuffing as well,” Sarah said from behind her.
“They beheaded him?” Gabriela said, feeling tears fill her eyes as she stared at the wardrobe assistant.
“Practically. The security guard who dropped him off said he’d been stabbed onto your door. The cut in his neck was almost all the way through. I put some reinforcement fabric underneath and added the ribbon to cover the mark. I could feel how much he’d been loved and knew he was special.”
Gabriela rushed forward to hug the woman. “Thank you so much! I’ve had PupPup forever. He means the world to me.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
“Let me tell Kole I found him.” Gabriela turned and called, “Kole! I have PupPup!”
There was no response.
“He must have had to go out the back,” Gabriela suggested, confident he’d be back in a minute. Then, addressing Sarah, she asked, “Why are you still here?”
“I got a light case of the stuff going around. I couldn’t travel for a few days. By the time I was well, everyone had left except for a few key people. I stayed to work on a few projects and get everything put back in place so we’d be ready to go when filming restarted,” Sarah explained. “I wouldn’t have stayed if I knew there was someone violent around here.”
“Will you leave now?” Gabriela made small talk as she stood at the door, looking for Kole. This is so unlike him.
“They’re starting to call people back, so I’m staying with a friend at night. Soon there will be enough people around that no one will try something weird.”
Sarah walked toward Gabriela and asked, “Don’t you think he’s been gone too long? Maybe we should go look for him?”
“I’ll go. You have things to do. Thanks for fixing PupPup. I owe you a huge favor,” Gabriela said before walking into the tall racks of clothes, hats, and other wearable bits.
The area was large—the size of a warehouse. She called Kole’s name again and shook her head when he didn’t answer. Gabriela would give him a piece of her mind when she found him. Maybe she needed to wield the belt next time. That thought made her laugh out loud.
Finding herself at a dead end, she turned around and froze as everything inside her warned her to be careful. A man stood in front of her. He wore a baseball hat pulled low on his head and she couldn’t see his face well. Leaning heavily on a cane, his body radiated anger as he loomed in front of the only way out.
“Hi. I’m Gabriela. I don’t think we’ve met. I was looking for Kole,” she said, calling Kole’s name as she said it.
“I’ve taken care of your bodyguard. He’s not going to help you.”
“Does he need to help me?” Gabriela asked, trying to be brave. “Are you the person who put the tracker on my car?”
“Flouncing around in all those bits of lingerie, playing at being a Little girl for everyone to drool over in the movie theater. No wonder people kept stealing those costumes for souvenirs,” he spat at her.
“Oh, you didn’t take them?” she asked, backing up a few steps. She wanted to keep him talking.
“No. I’m no sinner.”
“Sinner?” she repeated, trying to figure out what he was saying.
“Jezebel. Making yourself a whore for entertainment.”
She cringed back at his venomous tone. “I’m an actress. I’m paid to play a part in a movie,” she reminded him.
“I never would have allowed my Little to be in a movie. Some things should be private.”
“You’re a Daddy? You have a Little girl?” she asked as she looked for a weapon or some way to escape. That rack was higher than the others. Maybe she could scoot under there.
“Don’t even try it, Little girl.”
“I’m not your Little girl,” she said firmly, struggling to keep the quiver of fright from her words.
“Definitely not. You need to be taught a lesson, though. Little girls who misbehave must be punished. I’m going to take care of that.” He lifted the bottom of the cane to slash it toward her.
“Only my Daddy gets to punish me. That’s the way it works, right? No one could punish your Little girl but you. You’d never give someone else permission to do that.” Gabriela tried to talk her way out of this.