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“Sit.”
Ashley did as she was told, and I couldn’t help but feel a hum of pleasure rush through me at knowing she could take instructions.
It was good.
All I want to do was touch her, to feel her body next to mine, but instead, I sat back and watched her.
She was trying to hide her body.
“Sit back.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“You think there won’t be a reward for your good behavior?”
“I’m not a child. Don’t treat me like one.”
“Believe me, I don’t see you as a child.”
Seconds passed, and the heat in her cheeks built up. I loved that she was nervous about being naked in front of me.
Good.
I liked her virginal response.
She wiped at her brow.
Finally, the guard brought out a tray of food. Without waiting for my instruction, he set it up and placed it in front of Ashley without looking her way.
“Thank you,” Ashley said as the man left.
No response.
Her shoulders drooped slightly.
“No one here will help you. No one will come to your aid. They work for me. I pay them.”
“So they’re used to you taking women without their consent.”
I merely smiled at her. She had no idea.
She lifted up her fork and began to play with the food on her plate, wrinkling her nose.
“The food is not to your liking.”
“I can’t eat runny eggs.” She picked up a piece of toast and nibbled on it.
I got up, tried the eggs, and found they were exactly to my liking. “They’re good.”
“I like overcooked scrambled eggs. It’s fine. I enjoy toast.” She took the second slice, leaning back and eating it.
This shouldn’t bother me. She was eating, which was a good sign, but I didn’t like the fact she didn’t like the food I provided for her. It pissed me off.
Still, I sat back down and looked at her.
She finished off the second slice and went back to trying to cover up her body. “What if I don’t agree?”
“There’s no room for negotiation.”
“You can’t kill anyone important to me. My mom’s dead. The Monsters took care of that.”
I tutted. “Oh, Ashley. You think your mother is the only person in the world you care about?”
“Emily is protected by the Monsters.”
“True, but, I’ve been an ally to them for many years. I know their strengths and I know their weaknesses. Emily is theirs, and you see, weak people make mistakes. She’s not protected.”
I saw tears fill her eyes, and she turned away, trying to avoid looking at me.
“Emily doesn’t deserve this. Leave her out of it.”
“Then agree, Ashley.”
She laughed. “You want me to agree. This is ridiculous. You kidnap me, tell me what you want, and you think I’m going to comply. This is my body. Mine. Not yours. Not her goddamn father’s. Mine. I get to do whatever the hell I damn well chose with it.” She got up and without even covering herself, she stormed away.
I didn’t follow her.
There was only one place she was going to go.
My men tensed up, but I held up my hand. They were not to touch my woman.
I got to my feet and walked to the edge of my yacht, staring down into the water. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ocean. It provided a means to an end. I was a lover of endless sunlight, and to always be one step ahead of my enemies.
The Monsters would interfere at Emily’s insistence. I wanted time alone with Ashley. Making a deal to keep Emily safe so I could have Ashley was easy. My power reached far and wide. I was done waiting for what I wanted. The fact I’d taken seven years was a testament to the kind of patience I possessed. From the very beginning of dealing with Caleb, River, Gael, and Vadik, I intended to lie. I wasn’t going to stay close so they could keep an eye on Ashley with me.
After counting to ten, I gained control, spun on my heel, and went back in search of her. I found her in the cabin, seated on the bed, arms wrapped around her legs. She rocked back and forth, her fear of the ocean plain to see.
“I want to go home.”
“No.”
She glared at me. “You can’t keep me here.”
“I’d be prepared to deal in that wager.”
Ashley let go of her legs and sat up. “This is wrong and mean. You’re … this is … you won’t get away with this.”
“No one will ever know you’re gone. Like you said, you’ve got no other family, and if the Monsters know what is good for them, and I’m guessing they do, they’re not going to allow Emily to go to the police. There is no one out there who cares.”
I expected her to deflate. To give in.
Instead, she squared her shoulders. “You’re so used to getting what you want.”
Good. The fire was back.
