Page 108 of Spark

“Well maybe you should have disclosed that first! I might have actually listened for once if you had better intentions other than being a controlling asshole!”

“Watch it, little girl,” he growled. “None of this would have happened if you’d gone with your guards like you were supposed to.”

“And I would have if they weren’t total dicks! Romero wouldn’t even let me go outside after you said I could and that’s bullshit! I have no one, Darren! The least they could do is be nice to me!”

Darren regarded me for a moment before his gaze suddenly intensified, his arms folding across his chest as he squared his stance.

“And what made Romero rescind on my order?” he asked, the accusation in his tone evident.

I bit my bottom lip and glared at him. “Probably had something to do with the fact that I kicked him in the ribs and knocked him on his ass.”

I could see the amusement flash in his eyes, but it was gone in a second.

“Why?” he asked.

I huffed a heavy breath, blowing a strand of stray hair out of my face before I found the guts to answer. “Apparently, he likes to exercise his smart mouth, too.”

Darren shook his head in disappointment and turned his gaze away.

“You’re supposed to listen to them, Jaden. End of. If you’re having issues with their behavior, you take it up with me, not them.”

“I tried that this morning, and you punished me for it, remember?”

“Romero and Alex had every reason to keep you off the balcony. When it comes to your safety, I will take every precaution and never budge. Get used to it,” he said darkly and left the bathroom. When I heard the bedroom door open and slam shut, I knew he would be gone for a while.

Slowly making my way from the bathroom, I collapsed onto the bed. Whatever pills Darren had given me were making me drowsy, and I was out like a light within a few minutes.

40

Rage

* * *

Slamming the door behind me, I stormed out of the room, leaving Jaden to wallow in her mess. With her injured, if I didn’t leave now, I would have hurt her more.

“She doesn’t leave this room without my direct orders,” I commanded as I walked past Jaden’s new guards.

“Yes, sir,” they both said in unison.

I needed to clear my head before I handled Romero and Alex; otherwise, if I went in there now, they wouldn’t walk out alive. I instantly regretted not bringing Clive and Owen. Aside from the one holiday, they were training with more of Scott’s men to advance their combative skills as well as their observational ones. I wanted everyone who guarded my manipulative little spitfire to be sharp and ready for anything. The only reason that security wasn’t as tight around her while we were up here was because no one really knew about this place except for my closest inner circle, and I wanted to see if Jaden could handle less security when she was treated to something as nice as this. Obviously not. She sounded like the damn younger sibling who taunted their older sibling to get them in trouble.

And hadn’t she accomplished her goal.

I could barely catch my breath when I saw the wolf had her forearm between its teeth. Scott and I were just heading back to the house to get the truck to pick up the two bears we’d shot when I heard Jaden’s scream. I’d never lifted my rifle so fast, never more grateful that my finger was already on the trigger. Jaden would have been dead, mauled to pieces in front of my fucking eyes. Another perfect fucking reason why I was always armed everywhere I went. Always.

I knew Scott would have been able to react the same way because the second my rifle was drawn, so was his. The moment I fired the first shot, the bullet drove straight into the wolf’s body, taking it down. As soon as I saw it hit the ground and didn’t get back up, I’d never run so fast in my entire life. I needed clarification that Jaden was okay, and I needed her in my arms to confirm that.

She was traumatized at first, barely able to speak, but the bite mark aside, she was otherwise alive. The anger I’d felt compared to nothing else when I realized she was alone, especially since Romero and Alex had allowed her to sneak out from right under their noses. I’d warned them about her, yet she was still able to play her tricks on the people who were supposed to be watching and protecting her. No longer.

Stepping outside for some air, I found Scott leaning against the side of the cabin, smoking a cigarette. As soon as he saw me, he pulled out another one and handed it to me. Lighting it with my own lighter, I took a long drag, inhaling the toxic smoke and exhaling my fury. I was not an avid smoker, but there were days when I felt I could smoke an entire pack with the stress of my life.

“How is she?” Scott asked, his gaze moving off toward the distance of the trees.

“She’ll be hurting for a while, but she’s fine.”

Scott released a small snort. “What is your fascination with her?” His voice proved he was genuinely curious. He found my interest in Jaden entertaining, but I never gave him much reasoning for it.

“She amuses me,” I answered, taking another drag.

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