Slipping her hand into his, she waited to see if he’d squeeze too hard or use it to pull her against him. Instead, he held her gently and studied her for a long moment.
“While I don’t like you putting yourself in danger, like hanging out of a window, I would never lock you up.”
North had though. She kept that to herself but he seemed to be some sort of mind reader as he raised his eyebrows.
“North will never do it again, either. Come on, you need to eat something. How are you feeling?”
“Wait. You’re not going to have someone bring me food? I really can move around?”
“I don’t say things that I don’t mean,” Jared told her. “We try to eat together in the dining room for breakfast at seven and dinner again at seven. I would like for you to join us.”
Right. Which meant she had to.
“Again, not my father. It’s not an order, but I want to ensure that you are eating.”
“Don’t want the prisoner to starve to death, huh?” she half-joked.
“I don’t consider you my prisoner.”
“Then I can call my sister?” she challenged.
To her shock, he nodded. “We’ll do that soon.”
Did he . . . did he mean that?
“Can we do it now?” she asked as he led her out of the room.
Jared shot her a look.
Right. Eat, first.
While he might not be like his father, Jared Bartolli still liked to be in charge. And that was something she had to remember.
They walked down the stairs.
“I don’t want to catch you risking yourself like that again, understand me?” he said firmly as they walked into a room with a small dining table.
North was already there, staring down at his phone. But he glanced up at Jared’s words.
“Risking herself?” North studied her. Was he concerned?
No, she doubted it.
“What did she do now?” North turned his gaze to Jared.
“What do you mean, what did I do now? You make it sound like I’m always putting myself at risk,” she huffed.
“She was leaning too far out the window,” Jared explained. “She couldn’t pull herself back in.”
North’s eyes narrowed. “That was foolish. You could have fallen and hurt yourself.”
Was he being serious right now? Whose fault would it be if she was injured?
But before she could say anything, Jared drew out a chair for her.
Weird. She hadn’t expected him to have manners like this. She nearly blushed as she sat. She couldn’t remember anyone ever doing this for her. How did she sit? What if she sat too soon?
Oh fuck, she was going to mess this up.
