Page 3 of Spark

“Goddammit, Jaden, this is not a game anymore!” he bellowed at me. “There are no more compromises. You will do what you’re told, and that’s final.”

I looked at him with so much pain in my eyes I could practically feel them burning. No longer able to stand the sight of him, I shot out of my chair, ignoring the intense pain that raged through my ribs as I turned to leave the room. Hank immediately halted my attempt as he moved right in front of me, blocking my exit to the hallway. He then gently, but firmly, gripped my upper arm and escorted me back to my seat. Darren remained perfectly calm and seated as he nonchalantly took another bite of his fish while Hank forced me to sit back down. I crossed my arms and huffed an irritated breath through my nose as I stared straight ahead.

“Finish your dinner, Jaden,” Darren ordered without looking at me.

I didn’t move. Just stared out the window with hate in my eyes.

“I swear to God, little girl, you do not want to push me today,” he warned, staring at me intently, that dangerous glare back in his eyes.

Fear gripped my heart again as I felt my body shudder from the look he was giving me. Honestly, what more would he do to me? He couldn’t hurt me physically since he was so “concerned” about my recovery. If he took away any more privileges, I would definitely succumb to my depression, which would further slow my recovery. All this I had against him, yet I was too afraid of him to use any it. I no longer felt the need to test him because he would always exceed my expectations. Always.

Swallowing back my fear, I tried to keep my hand from trembling as I reached for my bowl and took a small sip from my straw, hoping to placate him. He seemed happy enough as he returned his attention to his dinner. We were silent for the rest of the evening. I managed to finish almost all of my water and most of my soup and took my evening medicine without complaint.

When we were finished, Darren gently took my hand and carefully pulled me from my chair to him. His other hand rubbed my arm up and down, softly caressing my skin as he looked me over. I kept my eyes down. I couldn’t bear to look at him anymore.

Darren tugged me along to the parlor where a fire was flickering away in the white marble fireplace. Still holding my hand, he laid down on the couch and carefully pulled me down to lay on top of him.

Even with broken ribs, I had to admit for as solid as he was, Darren was quite comfortable to lay on. My cheek pressed against his chest while he continued to clutch my hand near his heart, his other hand gently soothing me by rubbing my back and playing with my hair. I stared off into the fire, listening to Darren’s heavy pounding heartbeat.

What I would give to hear it stop…

Eventually, his hands began to travel into my hair, and I found myself lulled into a trance of warmth and comfort. Darren might be a raging hurricane, but his softer side almost made him tolerable. I craved this part of him; the part that made me feel special and cherished… even though I didn’t want to be.

Darren’s lips brushed against my forehead as he kissed me sweetly, rubbing my arm up and down until he finally exhaled a long heavy breath.

“You’re going to go for a walk on the beach tomorrow,” he suddenly said. I tensed slightly, confused at his words. “I think the sunshine will do you some good. You’re looking paler than usual,” he finished.

I nudged him slightly, letting him know I heard him. I didn’t have much interest in venturing outside my room or the island itself. I’d rather sleep my pain away than deal with it. But maybe he was right. Maybe some sunshine would do me some good. My skin was looking pretty pasty, after all.

Eventually, I felt my eyelids grow heavy. I knew it was still early, but my meds often made me drowsy, especially after I had eaten something. I closed my eyes and released a heavy sigh as I allowed myself to slip into sweet unconsciousness.

2

Soothe

* * *

Absolute calm. That was all I ever felt when I held Jaden like this. When she’d fall asleep in my arms, and all I had to focus on, at that moment, was her—her breathing—her heartbeat—her warmth. Absolute peace. I didn’t realize how much I needed it in my dark life until I almost lost her. When she escaped from me, I hadn’t known how deeply she had sunk her claws into my wretched heart; that was until she ripped them out and left me to bleed with rage in her absence.

I knew I would get her back. The GPS on her collar saw to that, but I had learned my lesson in underestimating her, and I had a feeling she had learned hers as well. I doubted she would make the same mistake twice, but it didn’t matter much since she would never be given an opportunity like that ever again.

Jaden would have round-the-clock supervision, and as soon as we returned home, she would have four bodyguards to watch her when I wasn’t there—two for the day and two for at night—twelve-hour shifts, no breaks. Until she had accepted her life, that would be the case. I already had two perfect soldiers lined up for the job. They were among my best men, and I felt I could trust them with Jaden’s safety as well as her tricks. They were sharp enough to recognize her deceptions and smart enough to remain professional at all times unless they wanted to be fed their dicks for breakfast.

Things were slowly getting back to normal back home. The damage to my house was repaired, and after some more serious damage control and blackmailing, the news tape of Jaden speeding off on my bike was now a pile of ash. The guards who had allowed her to escape had been dealt with, and new security measures were being put into place at the estate to ensure what had ensued would never happen again.

Jaden would not get away from me a second time. I was committed to her conditioning now more than ever as I realized how strict I needed to be with her. Her fragile state would make it easier. She wouldn’t fight me while she was still broken if she wanted to recover sooner, but then again, neither would I. Jaden just couldn’t know that. I was still worried about her recovery, and I didn’t want anything to interfere with that, but she still needed to accept her place.

I knew Jaden was depressed even before Sid told me. I had anticipated it. Jaden was beyond vulnerable with her broken body, and she hated it. She hated that I had rendered her defenseless and useless, but she needed to understand that her skillset was a privilege under my roof, and I could easily take it away if I wanted to. I’d made her broken body her own prison, and I could see it was destroying her inside. Vulnerability was terrifying, especially for someone like her, and I hoped the fear of that alone would be enough to keep her in line. But still, her depression did worry me. I’m not so cruel as to wish constant misery on her. I wanted her happy with me while at the same time fearful of the consequences for opposing that.

Regrettably, I knew her depression was a step in the right direction. It was a sign that she was coming to the conclusion she wouldn’t win against me, that there was no escape, and that she was better off accepting her life with me. It would still take her some time to come around, but once she recovered, I could start to show her how enjoyable life with me could be.

I looked down at Jaden, sleeping soundly on my chest, and it warmed me like the sun. She was so small yet so ferocious. How was it possible that someone could be so adorable yet so diabolical at the same time? She had honestly impressed me with her successful escape plan, but it didn’t piss me off any less. I wanted her safe. Always. And if she was able to escape, my enemies would smell weakness and come running.

If I couldn’t demonstrate my ability to control my own future wife, then how could I be trusted to control my own empire? Every decision was judged like a goddamn reality show; everyone was watching, and no one could ever afford to look weak. Otherwise, they were quickly chewed up and spit out, allowing the vultures to circle the remains until nothing was left.

And I was the shark who enjoyed eating the vultures.

Jaden stirred, and it brought my thoughts crashing back to her. My hand gently caressed the side of her face, just admiring the softness of her skin. I had to admit I was excited about the removal of the wiring in her jaw. I knew it was my own fault, but I didn’t want the headache of her screaming and arguing with me or anyone else for that matter while I cleaned up the giant shit storm she’d created.