Page 26 of Worth

I force the memories of my mother from my mind. I don’t waste time on her anymore; not after what she did by killing herself and leaving me to fend for myself.

I’m facing the door as I brush my hair, sitting on my bed cross-legged. I’m locked in again, of course; brought back here after I taught Aiden how to make French toast and we ate yesterday. Considering I had almost died, I was glad for the reprieve he gave me in offering to postpone starting my training one more day.

I hadn’t really expected him to stay with me the rest of the day, but Aiden had, hopping around the room like a nervous cricket as he tried to anticipate my every move, need, and want. I’d finally snapped and demanded he come sit on the bed with me just to settle him, and it had worked like a charm. He not only calmed down but, when we both fell asleep, I was surprised to wake up completely encased in his arms and not freaking out about it.

Especially since he had strangled me until I’d seen black spots.

I have no doubt in my mind that if a few more moments had passed, I would have died under his grip.

The lock slides and I smile, hopping to my feet. But when Zander walks through the door, not Aiden, a growl rumbles through me at the sight of him.

“What do you want?” I snarl.

“Good morning, Blake,” he answers, smirking. “How’s your throat?”

“Fine, no thanks to you.”

I feel my gaze harden as Zander’s smile grows. “You handled it on your own,” he dismisses.

Yeah. I did. But, you know, considering Zander had been standing just behind Aiden the entire time he had tried to choke me to death, the asshole could have tried to help.

“You’re a dick,” I huff, perching on the edge of the bed. “I think you wanted me to get hurt.”

Zander goes oddly still, his eyes locked on me. Then, before I can react, he’s on me, flattening me out atop the bed as his hand closes around my throat the way Aiden’s was—though not as hard, allowing me to still breathe. He presses on the fingertip-sized bruises I saw in the mirror earlier, with a dark look in his eyes. Despite the flare of panic I feel, I narrow my eyes at him with a dare.

His fingers flex and I can feel my pulse throbbing against them. “I don’t want you hurt,” he hisses. “I want you destroyed. You’re useless and your worn-out cunt is only going to make Aiden lose his shit. You’ve been allowed out for less than a week and you caused him to have an episode.”

“I also brought him out of it,” I retort.

“You got lucky,” he sneers. “When your luck runs out, he’ll kill you and we’ll move on like nothing happened; like you never existed at all.”

I’m surprised by the sucker punch of hurt I feel in response to his words. I don’t know why—I should be used to being unwanted at this point in my life.

I shoot him a vicious smile to cover my feelings. “Except you’ll always remember that you had your fingers in this worn-out cunt.”

Zander’s eyes darken with heat and his eyes trace down my body before snapping back up like he hadn’t meant to do it, but the damage is done. I saw it and now my body is responding in kind, remembering how he good he made it feel.

“I could put my fingers in any whore,” he says, so arrogantly that I wish I wasn’t pinned to the bed so I could smack the shit out of him.

I laugh coldly. “Try harder, Zander. I’ve been called worthless and a whore more times than I could even dream of counting. You’re not going to hurt my feelings by calling me names.”

His fingers tighten and, for a moment, I’m genuinely worried he’s going to finish what Aiden started yesterday. He only grips tight enough to jerk me back into a sitting position, though. I don’t know why a shiver races through me at that. It should piss me right the fuck off that he’s manhandling me. It’s the total opposite. I just want him to do it some more.

“When I’m through with you, you’ll be begging me to end you,” he hisses in my ear, his lips brushing the shell of it and making me shiver again. “Damien will look like a saint compared to how I’m going to ruin you for fucking up our lives.”

He shoves so that I fall back onto the bed and stalks toward the door. Even though he isn’t looking back, I’m under the impression that he’s hyperaware of my movements as I slowly sit up.

His words ring through my head, inciting a rage in me that had only existed deep down until I’d killed Jack. If Zander thinks he can intimidate me with words and threats, he’s got another thing coming. He hasnoidea what I endured with Damien. The scars on my skin are nothing compared to the ones on my soul.

“Don’t underestimate me, Zander,” I call, my voice a dangerous sort of calm. “The last person who did ended up dead.”

Zander pauses, stiffening, but never turns around before he locks me back in once more. When Aiden enters a few minutes later, I’m still perched on the bed, trying to understand why my body is pulsing for Zander’s touch when he’s clearly decided he hates me.

“Good morning,” he chirps, dropping a kiss to my forehead. “Ready to get started?”

“Food?” I ask, letting him pull me to my feet.

Aiden scoffs. “Of course. Like I would forget to feed you.”

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