All Chapters of DADDY'S LITTLE PLAYTHING : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Mark POVI got to work early, needing time to clear my head before dealing with anything serious. The drive had done little to help, and my hands still twitched with the urge to light a cigarette. My mind was too damn full. Too full of her. Sage. I had left her sleeping in my bed, curled up like she belonged there. Like she hadn’t just spent the past few days wrecking my life in the best and worst way possible. I needed to be careful. Cholo wasn’t stupid. If he had even the slightest inkling that I was hiding her, he wouldn’t rest until he had her back in his grasp. I sighed, rubbing my temples as I stepped into the building. My men were stationed outside, all alert and armed, just as I had ordered. If Cholo was going to try anything reckless, I’d better be ready. But as soon as I walked into the reception, I knew something was wrong. He was already here. Cholo. The bastardSitting in one of the leather chairs like he fucking owned the place. His dark eyes flickered up to

Sage’s POVI woke up to the smell of him. I’d always know is smell anyway, even if you drop me in the middle of the oceanWarm. Musky. A little dangerous. Mark. I stretched beneath the sheets, my body still sore, still aching from what he’d done to me last night. He wasn’t in bed anymore, but his scent lingered on the pillows, on the sheets—on me. I pulled the blanket up to my face, inhaling. God help me. I was so fucked. I turned onto my side, eyes drifting to the empty space beside me. The sheets were still warm. He hadn’t been gone long. He was a light sleeper or even barely slept at all. It had me wondering how much stress and pressure he was under to protect me, I didn’t want anything bad happening to him, never. I….I sighed I had nearly said it, nearly said it to myself. That feelingI pushed myself up, my muscles protesting. I reached for his shirt, the one he’d ripped off last night before pinning me to the mattress. It smelled like him, like us. I slipped it on, an

Mark PovSage was going to kill me.It wouldn’t be quick either. I am sure she would make it hurt, make it last. Not physically—no, she wasn’t that type, hell she couldn’t even take me on physically, I’ll break her. It’d be worse. That cold, disappointed silence. The way she’d look at me, all those unspoken words weighing on her tongue. Like I’d betrayed her trust.Like I’d lied. And maybe I had.I told her I’d come back, didn’t I? I promised her, forehead against hers, her hands had gripped my shirt like she could keep me from leaving.I promised, but right now I was staring down the barrel of a gun.Cholo’s eyes were dark, his smirk like those bastard in the movies—those fucked up villian. His men flanked him—six, maybe seven, hard-eyed bastards who looked like they’d done more than just rough up a few guys in alleys. I knew their type“Funny thing,” Cholo drawled, taking a step closer. “I was under the impression we had an understanding.”I didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. Just stared r

Sage's POVMornings had a way of feeling heavier lately. The sun would filter through the blinds, casting its soft light across the room, but it didn't reach the cold feeling that was inside me.Mark was still asleep, his breaths steady and deep beside me. The room felt unnaturally still, like the quiet was holding its breath, afraid of waking him.I watched him for a moment, the way his face softened when he slept, the boyish innocence, the way his dark hair curtained his eyes. No tension in his jaw, no guarded look in his eyes. Just Mark—unguarded, vulnerable, peaceful. The sight of it did something inside me, something that I possibly couldn’t explain in words, even to him.I wanted to reach out, to touch his face, to brush the stray strands of hair from his forehead. But I didn’t. Instead, I slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb him.The floorboards creaked softly beneath my feet as I moved through the apartment, the wooden floor was somewhat cold, seeping through my socks.

Sage's POVThe woods felt heavier today, more lonely. The air was thick and still, like it was holding its breath. Mark said this place was safe, that no one would find me here. But being hidden away like this — isolated from everything I knew — was starting to feel less like protection and more like a cage.I wandered through the penthouse, restless. The sleek, modern furniture seemed so out of place against the rugged backdrop of the forest. Mark had brought me here to keep me safe, but some days, it just felt like he was keeping me out of the way.Was he having doubts about us again?It had been days since he left. He’d just do quick, clipped phone calls to check if I was okay, if I needed anything. He made no promises of when he was going to be back, no hints about what he was doing. Just his steady, distant voice that always left me feeling comforted but more uncertain.My phone rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. I paused.Could it be?I checked the screen before answering an