Page 45 of Sick Little Devotion

I try to brush it off as the scent of breakfast hits my nostrils, I head for the stairwell to the kitchen, picking up my pace as my stomach growls. As soon as I get to the bottom, I freeze, surprised to see the curtains are pulled across the windows that look out at the courtyard.

“I don’t want anyone getting a view of what’s mine,” that familiar voice says from the kitchen to the left of me. “I have to protect you.”

I turn to see Aiden, standing there, dressed in a suit.

“Why are you always so dressed up? You never dressed like this before.” I motion to his freshly pressed black pants and designer dress shoes. I look like a mess in comparison, not even having brushed my hair this morning.

“It’s a habit now,” he says, glancing down at his outfit. “Do you not like it?”

“No,” I shake my head quickly. “There’s nothing wrong with it. You look very nice. I’m just used to… I…” I struggle to get the words out, suddenly worried that something I say might remind him of all the bad.

“You’re used to me dressing like a bum,” he laughs, eyeing me with a glimmer in his eye. “I probably would still dress like that, but Grenado burned it into my head that if I don’t at least look powerful, no one will think I am.”

“Ah, right…” My voice trails off at the mention of his captor. “Do you like him?”

His brows furrow as he picks up a plate of eggs, toast with avocado, a mandarin, and two strips of bacon. “I don’t know what you mean by that.” He sets the plate on the bar and then nods for me to take a seat. “You’re going to have to explain, Sara.” There’s a hardness in his voice suddenly, and I swallow my nerves as I slide into the seat.

“Thank you for breakfast,” I mutter.

“Explain what you’re asking.” He sets a second plate down on the other side of me and then slowly moves around the bar, keeping his eyes on me. “Well?” he adds when I don’t answer him immediately.

“Grenado kidnapped you and held you against your will, but you talk about him like you admire him,” I blurt out the truth, letting my confusion show.

“I kidnapped you, and I’m holding you against your will,” Aiden reasons, smirking at me as he slides into the seat beside me. “That didn’t stop you from instigating a good fuck last night.”

My cheek flush with heat. “But we have history.”

“And by the time Grenado was done with me, we had history—not the same kind,” Aiden chuckles. “But he was only harsh for the first couple of years. He wasn't my family, but he became my family, and then he took me in as his understudy. He saw the potential in me, and he forced me to focus on what I could be for myself… And for you.”

“Does he know about me?”

Aiden shoves a piece of bacon in his mouth and nods. “Yeah, he does now. I didn’t want him holding a gun over your head, so I kept my mouth shut for the first five years. He’s not the kind of man to play games. He’d have taken out my punishments on you, just because he knows you’re my weakness. My only weakness.”

A smile tugs at my lips as I turn to my breakfast. “You’ve always said that.”

“Because it’s the truth, Sara. You’re the only one who’s ever mattered to me. No one else has or ever will. I’ll always do what it takes to protect you. And if you’ll listen to me, you’ll always be safe.”

“Because you’ve locked me in this house.”

Aiden’s shoulders drop. “It won’t be like this forever, Sara. I had no intention of forcing you to stay inside here, but you’re not proving to be trustworthy, and there’s the issue of security right now.”

His comment about his lack of trust in me stings, though it’s stupid for me to let it. Of course, he doesn’t trust me. Do I really trust him? There’s a dynamic between us that I’m not sure will ever change.

Because I’m not here out of my own free will.

I purse my lips and force myself to bite down on the toast, using it as a way to not have to say anything more to Aiden about trust. If he were to ask me, I wouldn’t be able to lie to him—and I don’t think he’d like the answer.

My life has revolved around caring for others and tending to their needs. I've never had the opportunity to simply enjoy life's simple pleasures or prioritize my own desires. And although Aiden is giving me a glimpse of a life that holds more potential than I once believed I could achieve, the need to protect those who depend on me is too deeply ingrained in me to feel comfortable.

“Anyway, don’t open the curtains,” Aiden continues at my silence. “I know that you saw the trespasser, and I’m dealing with the matter, but until I have it figured out, I need you to stay inside.”

I nod, choosing not to argue.

“There will be more men around. I’m bringing some of my team here for added security measures.”

“How many men do you have?” I blurt out the question, so incredibly curious about this new Aiden, who’s powerful and mysterious.

“As many as I need,” he quips, narrowing his eyes at me. “But they won’t bother you. If they do, I’ll take care of it.”