Page 109 of Spark

“Lots of women have amused you in the past.”

“This one is different. She’s stronger than the others.”

Scott nodded. “And is your intention to make her stronger… or weaker?”

I raised an eyebrow at his question. He didn’t often question my methods and usually agreed with them, but he was most unfamiliar with this method.

“The only thing I wish to weaken is her quest for rebellion and revenge,” I replied, exhaling another puff of smoke.

Scott chuckled. “I have a feeling your patience will be the thing that requires the most strengthening then.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle in turn. “You’re probably right. Jaden is exhausting it as it is.”

Scott smirked, his eyes full of agreement as he nodded. Jaden would come around eventually. Once she realized she would get nowhere with her games or attempts at manipulation, she would give up her fight and succumb to her life.

Finishing the last of my cigarette, I snuffed it out and threw the butt in the nearby ashtray.

“Ready to crack some heads?” Scott asked, flicking his butt into the same ashtray.

“Stop me if I go too far. I don’t need them dying on me so Jaden can think she won.”

Scott nodded and opened the sliding door back into the cabin and followed in after me. Storming into my office, the door slammed against the wall as I immediately went for Romero and Alex’s throats and slammed both of them into the wall behind them.

“What the FUCK happened?” I bellowed.

They were smart enough not to bother fighting me. One snap was all it would take for me to kill them both.

“I-I don’t know, sir,” Romero started. “One minute, s-she was there; the next, she’s g-gone,” he said, his voice panicked and afraid. His hands were up in surrender so I could see them, but it didn’t matter whether either of them surrendered. They were both fucked regardless.

“Do you know how long she was gone before either of you noticed?”

“Uh- no, sir, I don’t.”

“A half fucking hour, you stupid incompetent fucks. Do you know the kind of shit that girl can get into in thirty minutes?!”

“No, sir. We’re sor—” Alex tried to pipe up, but I wasn’t having any of it.

“She was almost eaten by a pack of fucking wolves! Do you realize that! Your job was to watch her, and she managed to get away from the both of you and nearly got herself killed! Her arm was torn to shreds because of you!”

I didn’t wait for another word from either of them before gripping their throats even tighter and tossing their useless asses across the room. They landed in a heap on the floor across the room but were able to roll up onto their shoulders like they were trained to do. And that was when I commenced in beating the ever-living shit out of them. Two on one made no difference to me. I could easily take four, and I’d honestly wished these ass clowns would try to defend themselves, but they didn’t bother. Instead, they’d only hoped I wouldn’t beat them to death. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d done it.

Scott stood in the corner, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed with a fresh smirk on his face as he watched. He knew this would happen, and he loved the violence just as much as I did.

By the time I was done, my fists were sore and covered in blood while Alex and Romero laid on my office floor, covered in my brutality and barely moving.

“The only reason the two of you are still breathing is because Jaden very clearly wanted you dead, and she was betting on me killing you. I will not be giving her the satisfaction. But neither of you will be going near her again. You’re being transferred out. You should be fucking thankful.”

The two of them mumbled something unintelligible, but I shook my head ignoring it.

“Get someone to clean them up and out of my fucking sight. I want them in New Mexico in twelve hours.”

Scott nodded and spoke into his tech watch that doubled as a communication device. “Eric, get your ass in here,” I heard him say as I walked out the door and down to the gym. I had some serious fury to unleash, and if I found another body, it probably wouldn’t last much longer than Romero and Alex did.

41

Regret

* * *

---