Page 74 of Taken By the Convicts
“It will help.”
“She’s been in the med-center over a week. She’s not coming back, not to this.”
“She’ll acclimate in time.”
“You’re not listening, Ivan. You never listen.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing,” Jayce said as he headed into the hall.
Ivan spun him around. “For two years I’ve put up with this shit from you, Jayce. Disappearing for no reason, being secretive, moody, clamming up after making a snide comment. And now you’re getting pissy, too. Is this payback because I said you couldn’t have her?”
“I’ve already had her,” Jayce shot back, shocking Ivan.
Ivan took a moment to compose himself, but Jayce couldn’t let go. “And Zev. Together, in fact. You’re the only one who hasn’t fucked her down here. Maybe you’re the reason she doesn’t want to return.”
Ivan shoved him against a wall with his arm under his throat. “If you forced her, I’ll—”
“What? Kill me? Or walk away again like last time?”
“Is this about home? You had a chance to go with me.”
“I didn’t have the skill to be a soldier. I’ve never been a good shot and can barely hold my own in a fight. That was your future, not mine.”
Ivan backed off. “Don’t blame me for your choice.”
“I’m not blaming you. But you left, Ivan. All those years we watched out for one another, and then you left.”
“We grew up. We had our own lives to lead.”
“Danning got me.” Jayce couldn’t look up, couldn’t meet Ivan’s eyes, but he felt them on him like a sonic rifle about to fire.
“Fuck, Jayce. How? You were always so careful.”
“Wes fronted a deal for him. The deal soured. Before I could fix it, Danning nabbed me.”
Ivan fell quiet. He knew what that meant. No one escaped Danning unscathed. Very few escaped. Jayce had been lucky to scam one of Danning’s guards, eventually. Three years it took to foster that relationship and put an escape plan together. Three years of mental and physical abuse.
“I wish I’d known. I would have returned.”
“You wouldn’t have left The Company and risked being lowered to a 4 or 5 just for me.”
“Yes, I would have. And considering where we are now, it would have saved me the pain of watching my men die. You got him, didn’t you, Jayce? Danning.”
“Seven years ago. Though, I’m not sure it was worth the trip here.”
“Of course it was. Because we have a woman now. Or you have. Please tell me you didn’t force her. There’s something fragile in her, Jayce.”
“I didn’t force her, but I screwed up big time. She thinks I used her.”
“Used her how?”
“I said I was taking her to the med-center because she let me fuck her.”
“Did you?”
Jayce scowled, pissed at himself more than Ivan for asking the question. “No. I saw it was something she really wanted. Needed. I wanted to make her smile.”
