Page 15 of Sadist

“Younger than. Forty-five?”

This little minx.

I glared at her as a second pepper crumb flicked my way, knowing damned well she was baiting me but barely able to keep my teeth clamped firmly shut.

“Do Ilookforty-five?”

She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, humming softly under her breath.

“I’m still in my thirties and that is all you’re getting,” I said through clenched teeth.

Her lips tilted in the hint of a satisfied smile, fanning the ember that had lit with her presence into a slow burn.

Does she know what fire she plays with?

6

OCTAVIA

In all the ways my father has fucked me over the years, this had to be the worst yet.

Of course.Of course,I’ve been dragged into one of his questionable business deals the first time I return to this god-damned country. Even cutting myself off from the Vanguard name, disinheriting myself, and running from everything to do with them, I was still not safe. No matter how long my leash is, all it took was a yank on it to have me right back here. And now I was sitting across the table from the woman who had ripped me from my life and held the key to my cell…and she was smirking at me.

I had never wanted to punch someone in the face so badly in my life, and I couldn’t even throw a punch to save myself.

She had answered the phone twice since we had been sitting here, while I tried to draw out the time that I could spend outside of that infernal cell. Each call, her tone had been clipped, her replies short, and she had hung up without a goodbye. Meanwhile, I had been enjoying watching her trying to ignore the fact that I had been creating a beautiful work of art with pepper—and now salt—on her clean table.

God, I loved fucking with her.It gave me a little feeling of control over something in a situation where I had none. That and after a few days in isolation, any amusement was welcome. I had savored the Coke, taking small sips as the sugar hit my system and woke my brain up from the dark little corner it had been cowering in. It was the confinement. I hated it. The walls seemed to be closing in on me with every hour I spent in there, the fist of anxiety that had taken up residence in my chest was steadily squeezing harder as the lack of stimulation had begun to wreak havoc. My mind had begun that horrific racing, bringing up memories and voices that I was usually great at ignoring.

Getting up, Theo picked up the bowls and cans, taking them to the bin where she threw them all out just as lights flicked on above my head, startling me. I peered up at the fairy lights that were neatly woven into the huge open sun umbrella that slotted into the picnic table, which served as the dining area.

“Solar,” she said as she returned and beckoned me to follow. “They come on as it gets dark. Let’s go, I have work to do.”

Glancing up at the huge windows high up on the walls, I looked longingly at the warm dusk light, the long shadows on the walls deepening. Watching the fading rays of sunlight brought some comfort, and I wanted desperately to prolong it as much as I could.

“Can I…” I trailed off, every part of my pride hating me for lowering myself to this. I should be fighting her. Kicking and screaming, even though it would get me nowhere.

“Can you what, Sweets?” she asked.

“Can I stay here for a bit?” I asked. “I won’t move. Just…let me watch the sunset.”

Theo frowned, blinked, looked up at the windows, and then back at me.

“You want to watch…the sunset?” She seemed amused, and it stirred my irritation immediately.

“Look, I’d rather be out here with a psychopath than left in there with my own thoughts, okay?”

That earned me a raised brow, and she appeared to contemplate for a moment. Then shrugged.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” I blurted.

“Did you want me to say no?” she asked, sounding even more amused. “I am a reasonable person, Octavia. As long as you don’t try anything stupid or start finger painting with ketchup, I really don’t care if you stay out here.” She gestured around. “The kitchen and my screens are off limits, otherwise…you can roam during day hours when I am here.”

I blinked at her for a long moment.

“Every day?”

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