I swallow a swig of the water. “I’ll fight more, then, but I’m not going to wreck them. That’s only going to get the entire operation found out, and you know that as well as I do.”
Noah smirks and leans against the counter. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
“Is there anything else?” I want him to get the hell out of my home so I can go check on Jade.
My little minx is going to be wondering where I am soon, and she’s likely going to be hungry.
I don’t want her to think that I’m a complete monster. Not yet at least.
Noah clears his throat, pushing up and stepping closer to me.
I tower over him, but there’s something about the look in his eyes that makes him seem all the more imposing.
“You’re going to want to watch the way you speak to me, Ezra. You might be family, but like I said, my patience is wearing thin. Win the next several fights properly, or else.”
He doesn’t bother to specify, and I don’t ask as he turns and walks out the door, slamming it shut behind him.
That could’ve gone better, but it could’ve gone a hell of a lot worse too.
Jade is sittingin the middle of the bed, her long legs crossed and the shirt I gave her swallowing her whole. She looks like she wants to kill me, which is just the way I like her.
That fire burning in her eyes is always a turn on.
The chain still runs from her ankle to the bedside table. It’s moved, like she’s been pacing around the room.
There’s a loose corner of the board that’s hammered to the window, not that it matters. If she manages to get the board off, she’s only going to find the bars on the other side.
She could do some damage with the nails, though. So I’ll have to take the board off the window and have the glass replaced with plexiglass. Less chance of her being able to do any real damage.
Jade glares at me as I lean in the doorway. “Come to tell me what the fuck it is you’re going to do with me?”
I toss the bag of food in my hand into her lap. “Figured you could use something to eat.”
“Bastard.” She isn’t too proud to eat the food, though.
Unwrapping the burger like she thinks it’s going to be her last meal, she starts shoving it down. She takes a big bite of the burger, still watching me like she doesn’t trust me.
I can’t entirely blame her for that. I wouldn’t trust me either.
She polishes off the burger and reaches into the bag for the other one, unwrapping that as well. This one, she eats slower.
“What do you want from me?” she asks between bites.
I thought she’d never ask.
“I just want you to be happy.” I study her for a moment, knowing that happy is the last thing she is at the moment. “But how can I do that when your family is at war with mine? When you and your siblings took Zoe from me?”
“Zoe?” Jade looks at me like she’s even less sure of me than she was before.
“She’s my cousin. Gia, too, though I haven’t spoken to her in years.”
Jade takes another bite of the burger, chews it, and swallows it down. “You’re not going to be able to make me happy if you keep me chained up like this. You know that, right? Nobody wants to be chained. I certainly don’t. I have things I’m supposed to be doing with my life.”
“Sure, sure.” I nod to the bag. “There are fries in there, too.”
She pulls out the container of fries and stuffs a couple in her mouth. She analyzes them like she’s just now checking to see if I poisoned them.
I didn’t. Killing her isn’t part of the plan.
