The Art of Discipline: Running Toward Trouble (The Mockingbird Chronicles) (21 page)

Dani sighed with relief. “Did you put…”

“Yes, Danielle, diet soda was on the list,” Emma chuckled. “How could I forget that?”

“Thanks, Emma,” Dani breathed as she felt her eyelids droop. “What about my grounding from you?” she whispered.

“I don’t want you leaving the main house or our house without someone with you. Preferably me,” Emma answered. “We’ll have to work out all the other logistics as we go. And before you ask, I am still planning to spank you every day for the rest of the week.”

“Okay,” Dani whispered, already falling asleep.

“Okay,” Emma echoed. Holding Dani close, she watched her partner’s breathing level out as Dani drifted off. Looking back up at the ceiling, she let out a long controlled breath. It was obvious her father was somehow behind the shooting, she just never believed that he’d actually try to kill her. Maybe he was just trying to scare her, but still, if Dani hadn’t pulled her down… Emma paused as a shiver coursed through her. It was too real.

Looking back down at Dani, she gave her a gentle kiss on the brow. She was so thankful for her brat. She smiled at the word. Even the little things, like letting Emma continue the spankings, were out of love. Dani could have easily stopped it, but they both knew that the routine was good for Emma. Honestly, it was good for Dani too. In the end it made everyone feel better; well, for the most part, Emma thought with a smirk.

Yawning, Emma covered her mouth with her hand before rolling back over to face her partner. She kissed Dani’s cheek one last time before finally closing her eyes and allowing sleep to claim her.

* * *

“
Zia
Toni?” Dani asked, looking around the kitchen counter full of grocery bags. “Where’s my diet soda?”

Toni huffed as she looked up from the bag she was emptying and produced a liter of the requested beverage. “I got you this. Nobody needs to drink a case of that stuff, Dani.”

“But I’ll get headaches,” Dani protested as Emma joined them from the bedroom.

“Why will you get headaches?” Emma asked, rubbing her hand through her hair and yawning.

“Because
Zia
Toni only got me one liter of soda.”

“Ah,” Emma nodded as she walked to Dani and hugged her. “We’ll work something out, don’t worry,” she said as she helped pull the remainder of the items from the bag.

“
Zia
Toni?”

“Yes, Dani?” Toni returned, figuring she knew what the next question would be.

“Where are the chips and chocolate?”

Toni walked over to her goddaughter and put her hands on her shoulders. “At the store, where they will stay. You don’t need that junk, Dani. I put raw veggies in the fridge along with some string cheese and a few better options for snacks in the cupboards.”

“I like my chips,” Dani whined.

“And I like my kids healthy. No more discussion, Danielle,” Toni finished.

Looking surprised, Dani took a step back. Toni had never called her Danielle before. It put her a little on edge, but she quickly decided to figure a way around her godmother’s rules before the day was out. “Okay,
Zia
Toni,” Dani responded, relieved when her godmother let go of her shoulders and gave her a kiss on the cheek before doing the same to Emma and returning to the main house.

After Toni left, the day continued to drag by. Toni’s reaction to Dani’s grocery list only seemed to further Dani’s darkening mood. It was bad enough being grounded, but to not even have her basic comforts was too much. She’d been working on a plan all day, but between Emma’s constant vigilance and her other limitations, she’d hit a brick wall. As a result, she’d been reduced to whining and complaining.

“Emma, can’t I go for a run?” Dani asked for the fourth time in twenty minutes.

“No, Danielle, you cannot go for a run, you can’t go out to get a caffeine explosion soda, and you cannot get out of your spanking today.”

“It’s not fair!” Dani whined, throwing herself into an overstuffed reading chair. “I’m bored, Emma.” She looked out the window and watched as a squirrel scurried up the tree. “I can’t even work,” she whined.

Emma looked up over the cover of her book. “I am aware of the limitations, Danielle; however, I would suggest you find something to do before I find an activity you may not enjoy.”

“But why can’t I work, Emma?” she continued.

Sighing, Emma put her book down and faced her girlfriend. “You don’t have any work to do right now, Dani.”

“Damn Morgan and the gang have almost completely shut me out,” Dani mumbled. “I’m the boss, damn it, and I can’t even go down there to kick their asses.”

“You aren’t going to be the one doing the ass kicking if you don’t stop whining, Danielle,” Emma threatened.

Dani frowned. “Maybe you could entertain me,” she tried.

“What would you have me do, Danielle?” Emma said, putting her book down again. “Juggle? Breakdance?”

“Can you do either of those things?” Dani asked, a little too interested.

Emma rolled her eyes. “No, I was being sarcastic.”

“Oh, I can juggle,” Dani replied quietly. “I’m also rather flexible.”

“Well, I knew that,” Emma smirked. “I suppose if you wanted to show me one of your tricks, least I could do is watch.”

“Wanna go up to the bedroom?”

“Bedroom? I think I saw a lock on the study door.”

“The study, huh?” Dani mused. “There is a sofa in there.”

“Among other things,” Emma teased.

“Oh,” Dani grinned. “The study it is.”

* * *

Four days had passed, bringing a new week, the end of the daily spankings, and Dani desperate for some diet soda and junk food. Her godmother had made it perfectly clear that she would buy no more than one liter of soda a week, and chips and other junk were forbidden to enter the grounds.

Opening the door of the carriage house, Dani yelled to Giuliana. Smiling as the girl came over, she left the door open and shivered as the fall air hit her.

“What do you need, Dani?” Giuliana asked.

“Are you heading to school?”

“No, I’m going to my office job at the Tribune.” Giuliana rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’m going to school.”

Dani placed a wad of cash in her hands along with a sheet of paper. “Do you think you could stop at the store for me and bring me a few things without letting your mom know?”

Giuliana looked at the list and whistled. “This is major contraband around here, Dani.” She then looked at the cash in her hand. “However, I can overlook that when I’m so well paid. I’ll meet you back here at 4:30 today with the goods.”

Sighing in relief, Dani pulled the girl into a hug. “Thanks, kiddo, and just so you know, I’d be happy to help you with your math.”

Giuliana grinned. “I’d like that; better get going before I’m late.”

The day seemed to drag by. Dani was hovering next to the window and whooped with joy when she saw Giuliana approach. Opening the door, she invited the girl in and took a large sports bag from her.

“You are so lucky my gym clothes needed washing. That’s the only way I managed to transport your soda.” Opening the bag, she pulled out twelve loose cans. “I can’t carry any more than this. I’ll bring you more later in the week.”

After pulling Giuliana into a hug, Dani immediately placed the cans in the refrigerator. “Thank you so much, Giuliana, you’re a lifesaver.”

Laughing, the girl pulled out two bags of chips, a sack of mini chocolate bars, and a large bag of soft nut cookies. “I had to leave a couple of my books in my locker, so I had enough room in my bag.”

Smiling, Dani opened a cupboard next to the oven and placed the new snacks on the shelf. “Wait until I tell Emma that I got her favorite vice.”

“I figured her favorite vice was you,” Giuliana quipped, throwing herself on the couch.

“Ha, ha,” Dani said as Emma joined them, another book in her hand plucked from the small study.

“Hey, Giuliana, I didn’t hear you come in,” Emma said, sitting down.

“Well, I was on a mission. By the way, I should warn you, tonight’s meal is an experiment; some new way to make meatloaf. If it’s a bust, I’ll go in with you on a pizza.”

“Sounds good, but how will we get a pizza?” Dani asked.

Giuliana smirked. “I have my ways. I’ve been doing this for years; you, my dear cousin, have just begun.” Grabbing her bag, the girl waved and headed toward the main house, leaving a very interested Dani in her wake.

“Don’t even think about it, Danielle Ryan,” Emma warned.

“Think about what?”

“Whatever it is you are thinking. I know that look and it always means trouble.”

* * *

Emma opened the door, inviting the teen in. “Oh, thank goodness, we’re starving.”

Putting the pizza boxes on the counter, Giuliana took off her jacket and gloves. “One extra-large cheese with veggies, and one sausage and mushroom,” she announced as Dani entered the room.

Taking a slice of pizza, Dani pulled a diet soda from the refrigerator and grinned. “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. You are a lifesaver, Giuliana,” she said again, opening the soda and taking a rather large drink. “Nothing better than pizza and soda.”

They had just gotten settled and put a movie in the player when Giuliana pulled out her phone. “Shit,” Giuliana jumped up. “Quick, Ma is on her way down,” she hastily explained. Then with obvious practice, she grabbed the pizza boxes, running up the stairs, and coming back down a few moments later empty-handed.

“Don’t just stand there,” she chastised, snatching the half-f can of soda from Dani. “Emma, get the veggies and dip out of the fridge. Dani, popcorn!” she instructed as she grabbed the two other soda cans and ran into the study and once again returned with nothing.

Emma shook her head, but complied, finding the veggies and three bottled waters before placing them on the table in front of her. “I never thought I’d have to hide a pizza at my age,” she mumbled.

“Trust me, hiding it is safer all the way around.”

They had just managed to make it back to the sofa when a soft knock sounded. “It’s open,” Dani yelled, not surprised when Toni walked in, her eyes immediately focusing on the snacks laid out on the coffee table.

“Hey,
Zia
Toni,” Dani greeted. “We just started a movie. It’s okay if Giuliana stays, isn’t it?”

Toni sat down and scanned the room. “I suppose, as long as her homework is done,” she asked, looking at her daughter.

“It is, Ma. Dani helped me with my math.”

Toni smiled. “Good. Bed no later than eleven,” she instructed.

“Okay, Ma,” Giuliana agreed.

Toni sniffed the air for a moment. “What is that smell?”

Emma grimaced. “Dani burnt some popcorn. Leaves an awful smell, doesn’t it?” She wrinkled her nose at the stench.

Toni nodded and stood. “Well, I’ll get back to the house, and Dani, I suggest you lock this door. You don’t want to be in trouble with your
zio
,” she warned.

“Yes, ma’am,” Dani answered, escorting her godmother to the door and locking it behind her.

Turning, Dani found Emma taking the smoking bag of popcorn from the microwave. “I can’t believe you can’t even pop popcorn; all you have to do is hit the button that says popcorn. Is it really that hard?”

“There is the reason why I buy the bags already popped. It’s not just for the candy or cheese covering,” Dani deadpanned, causing both Emma and Giuliana to giggle.

“I’ll go get the pizza, and I need to make sure to take two slices back to the house,” Giuliana informed them. Getting a puzzled look, she held up her cell. “Pop didn’t care much for dinner either. It’s his price for the warning.”

Chapter Twelve

Dani and Emma had enjoyed their daily walk around the grounds. The fall colors were bright and the sun was still shining. The temperature, though dropping, was still pleasant and Dani couldn’t believe a week had passed since the shooting. Frankie had told them they were no closer to finding Sampson, but that he’d gotten some inside information and would continue his search.

Entering the carriage house, both women stopped to find four cans of soda, as well as the remaining bag of chips and half-eaten package of cookies on the counter. Toni was sitting in an overstuffed chair, facing the door.

“What are you doing?” Dani asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously at her godmother.

Toni tapped her fingers impatiently on the arm of the leather chair. “I was restocking your cupboards and I found a number of things that I know I didn’t buy. Putting aside for a moment that I have no idea where these things came from, I believe that I remember telling you that you didn’t need all this junk food.”

Dani took an angry step toward her. “How dare you…” She trailed off as Emma placed a restraining hand on her arm. Looking back at Emma, Dani’s eyes were pleading. “She can’t, she just…” Dani broke off again.

“Danielle,” Emma’s voice was firm as she turned Dani toward her. “Listen to me. I want you to go upstairs, close the bedroom door, and wait for me, okay?”

“But, Emma,” Dani protested.

“Danielle, I promise you, I won’t let her take it away.”

Dani shifted nervously, her lip suddenly quivering. Finally, with a nod, Dani whispered, “I trust you, Emma.”

“Good girl,” Emma whispered back, standing on her tiptoes so she could place a kiss on Dani’s forehead. “Now all the way up, and close the door.”

Dani nodded, leaving to follow Emma’s instructions.

Turning back to Toni, Emma ignored the surprised look and sat down on the sofa across from her.

“What was that all about?”

Emma sighed, wondering how much she should tell Dani’s godmother. “Dani has issues with food. It’s hard to explain. I don’t even understand all of it, yet. But we are making progress and you are hampering it by giving her grief about it.”

“I don’t understand. What do you mean?” Toni, now concerned, leaned in closer to Emma.

“I’ve only known Dani a few months, but in that short time she’s made huge progress. When we met, she was drinking cases of soda a day and eating nothing but junk and fast food. I’ve been able to get that down to a tolerable level, but it’s been a long road, and one that she slips on often.”