Fifteen minutes go by, and she says nothing.
Another five.
The silence becomes heavy until she surprises the hell out of me by making a new demand.
"Fine, then you owe me another adventure," she scoffs.
"Excuse me? How do you calculate that?" I say, amused and curious.
This girl should be scared, not trying to broker deals foradventuresof all things.
"The way I see it, you have me in your control, and my entertainment is your responsibility. You owe me another adventure for inconveniencing me by waking me up in the middle of the night… and for kidnapping me in general."
She stares at me as though her logic is so tight I don't stand a chance.
I snort a laugh and shake my head.
"And? When I give you another adventure, then what? When does it end? Endless adventures while you're my captive?"
"It seems fair to me," she says boldly.
It's hard not to be impressed with her.
Thinking it through for a few moments, I decide there is nothing bad about doing my part to keep her happy. It'll make her an easier person to manage, and as long as I keep a watchful eye on her, there's no harm in it.
Nikita's eyes are locked onto me from across the car.
She's waiting for an answer.
"Fine," I say, keeping my voice neutral.
The truth is, I like the idea of going on an adventure with her. The hike was amazing. It took my mind off things and helped me clear my thoughts. It even made me forget about all the shit for a brief time and relaxed me.
Yeah. I can do with some more of that. As long as she doesn't try to escape again.
"On one condition," I say.
"OK?"
"No escape attempts. If you try even once, I'll throw you in the basement and chain you to the wall. That way, I won't have to give you a second of my time. The choice is yours."
Her eyes flare in horror, and I can see her trying to work out if I'm being serious or not. I throw her a stern, cold, piercinglook, and she bites her lower lip. The sight sends a shiver of delight down my spine.
"Ok," she agrees. "No escape attempts," she nods.
Chapter 12 - Nikita
Bardil drives us to his mansion in the city. According to him, it's hidden and not even his family knows he owns it because he purchased it under a fake name.
I don't particularly care.
At some point, when we were driving away from the cabin, I made a choice.
You see, at home, I have zero chance of going on adventures. I have zero chance of traveling or going out at night, and especially now, after being kidnapped, my brothers are going to be a nightmare for me. Lockdown 101. Never to see the light of day again. All in the name of keeping me safe.
When Bardil told me we were going back to the city, the very first thing I felt was panic. Panic because the idea of going anywhere near home and that boring, trapped life…
That's why I made the deal.
