"Maybe it's your weight distribution. Ya know, from one foot to the next?"
I shook my head. "No, it's more than that. I'm not raising my knees high enough for the lift. That's what ensures the height."
Holly and I currently had our legs strapped around thick tree trunks while our upper bodies ached and trembled to hold our remaining upper body weight up. We'd been doing sit-ups earlier, and now, we were resting to see who could hold it the longest while discussing why my butterfly kicks lacked the height they usually did.
"I don't know; you're the expert. Maybe you just need more spring in your step," she said, her voice strained behind clenched teeth. She was sweating, but she was doing well. My arms were casually folded in front of me as I fought to hold my weight up. My core was burning, but I loved the pain. No pain, no gain.
A few seconds later, I heard the sound of a boat approaching and looked over to see Darren and Scott pulling into the docks with a few of Darren's men. It was then that Holly gave out.
"Okay, I quit." She gasped in pain as she clutched the tree with her arms to drop her legs. She immediately collapsed on the ground, clutching her core. "You win."
I held my position as I watched Darren climb off the boat and walk across the docks, his eyes suddenly catching mine when he looked over. I could suddenly no longer take the burn. I was low enough to the ground to bend down backward and place my hands on the ground. Releasing my grip of the tree with my legs, I folded backward with a kick over, landing on my feet and into a standing position.
"Show off," Holly muttered under her breath. I smirked as I watched Darren enter the house with Scott at his side. They were in a deep discussion over something. I was a little surprised I hadn't been warned of his pending arrival, but maybe he just didn't want me to know.
"I'll see you later, Holly," I called out as I took off in a jog. I needed to see Darren. I didn't just want to do my part and thank him for the Thanksgiving dinner; I also wanted to tell him I was finally ready to leave the island. Holly had already said it. I'd fully recovered, so there was no longer any need for me to be here. And the longer I was here with her, the more she would continue to dig, and I needed to put a stop to that.
Heading into the house, Hank and Blondie followed me while I headed straight for Darren's office. I knew that was the first place he'd go. Just when the door was in sight, I felt a hand grab my arm and pulled me back into a halt.
"Whoa," warned Hank. "Where do you think you're going?"
"I need to speak to him," I argued as I yanked my arm from his grasp.
"We've received orders he is not to be disturbed. He's very busy."
I looked at him incredulously. "But... it's me."
"You are no exception. Mr. Davis will see you at dinner. It can wait until then."
"But it's important."
"Sure, it is, kid. Now, let's go," Hank said, rolling his eyes and tugging me away from the door.
Did he just call me kid?
Hanks escorted me down the hall and away from Darren's office. Obviously, he didn't want me pacing in front of the door so I could catch Darren when he left. Dinner was still hours away, so what the fuck was I supposed to do with my time then?
I opted for some bag time in the gym to distract me from my agitation. After fifteen minutes of slamming my fists into the fucking thing, Holly came in.
"There you are," she said out of breath like she'd been running. "Where did you go?"
"I went to talk to Darren."
"Oh. What about?"
"I didn't get to see him because apparently, someone doesn't want to be disturbed even though I have important shit to discuss with him."
"Oh? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I just... I think I'm ready to leave the island," I said almost apologetically.
"Oh, that's... that's great, Jaden," Holly replied with a weak smile.
"Yeah, well, you said it yourself. I've recovered."
"Yes, and you certainly have, Jaden. It's time we get you back to the mainland."
I nodded silently in agreement.
"It's just that... I'm going to miss this. Getting to work with you was an experience I'll never forget."
My shoulders slumped a little. I almost wished she would forget. She was too innocent to ever have anything to do with Darren and his blood money. Even though she annoyed me on a daily basis, I still wanted her as far away from Darren as humanly possible.
"I'll miss it, too," I said honestly as I closed the distance between us. "Just promise me one thing."
"What's that?"
I got closer to Holly's face in hopes I could keep my voice low enough for her to hear, but no one else. "Just promise me that you'll stay on your path and not deviate again. And to never, ever accept employment from Mr. Davis ever again. I don't want him to fuck you over, and he has a tendency to do that sometimes."
Holly furrowed her brows, her face washed with confused concern. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Fuck, I went too far. "Just trust me, okay? Darren is not the kind of guy you want to work long term for. He can be... shady, sometimes."
Holly regarded me for a moment before she finally nodded her head. "Okay, Jaden. I understand."
I released a breath of relief only to suck it back in when Scott entered the gym with a mean look on his face.
"I need to talk to Darren," I said quickly, but he just strolled right past me without even a glance in my direction.
"He's busy. And so are you."
Scott headed over to the shelves on the other side of the room and grabbed the focus mitts before walking back over to me.
"But it's import—"
"Right, left, right back leg head kick, left hook, right uppercut, duck, left cross," he said, cutting me off.
I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Fine."
I followed through the combination, finally fast enough and able to complete my duck without Scott hitting me. Pride filled my heart when I saw him smirk at my improvement.
We moved around the room, changing up the combination every now and then while Holly watched from the sidelines in awe. Sweat dripped down the sides of my face while my heart beat rapidly in my chest. I stayed light on my feet as I maneuvered around the room, my arms tired from the exertion, but I kept going for the next hour until Scott decided he was done with the focus mitts and tossed them to the floor. I removed my gloves as well, tired of their bulk.
In a split second, he made a quick random advancement on me, which I gladly countered. He threw a quick reverse hook kick toward my head, which I immediately dodged, dipping low to the ground to sweep my leg over the one he was relying on to hold him up, but he jumped up to avoid it. He didn't make another move as I quickly stood back up, my hands at the ready.
And then he started the real attacks. He made quick strikes to my head and body, which I was able to block and counter with my own. For every kick and punch he made, my feet remembered exactly how and when to move, the momentum of my maneuvers capable of dodging his advances like the goddamn professional I was. Adrenaline rushed through me like the drug I desperately depended on, my strength and speed increasing with each breath I took. My reflexes were just as sharp as I began to anticipate his moves, my eyes focused on the slightest twitch of his body.
Scott's fighting style and techniques were almost the exact same as Darren's, and I imagined it was because they trained together. Scott even held back the same way Darren did. I could feel it in his strikes. Though I knew Scott wasn't going to hurt me, I didn't give a shit about not hurting him, and when my scorpion kick connected with his face, a smile left my mouth when I watched blood drip from the corner of his lips. He stumbled back a bit, absolutely stunned yet... prideful.
"I'm ready to leave the island," I stated, my shoulders square as I narrowed my gaze on him.
He smiled, a small chuckle rolling up his throat as he wiped the blood from his mouth with his thumb. "Finally," he said, and then he left without another word.
I turned to the sound of Holly clapping for me as she nearly jumped up and down with excitement. "Holy cow, Jaden! I had no idea you could fight like that! That kick was amazing!"
I took a deep breath and slowly released it, feeling the adrenaline rush through my veins. "God, that felt good," I whispered aloud.
"I'll bet! You are officially the coolest chick I have ever met!"
I scoffed. "I think you need to get out more," I said with a laugh as I grabbed my bottle of water and downed it.
"I'm serious! Absolutely incredible, Jaden."
"Thanks," I said with a small smile, unraveling the pink wraps around my hands. "I'm going to go clean up. I'll see you later."
After being escorted back to my suite, I took a long, hot shower to calm my nerves. What if I told Darren I was ready to leave, and he decided I'd stay on the island anyway? What if he never let me leave the island? I doubted it. Being out here had to make things more difficult for him to manage his organization. Returning home for good would make this easier for him, right? I just hoped Holly would be free and clear to leave, even with all of her digging. I thought I did a pretty good job at quashing it, and I hoped it stayed that way.
When I was done with my shower, I dolled myself up, knowing what I was likely to do later. I chose a white strapless layered sundress and added a little curl to my hair. I even threw on a little makeup and some perfume. In my strappy silvery-gold sandals, I paced the room, my arms folded over my chest as I contemplated how soon we might leave the island once I told him I was ready. I also wondered what kind of world I'd come back to. Would things be even more strict than they already were? Would there be new rules? Would I have to wear my cuffs again? Darren had said he had a new curriculum for me, and I feared what it might be.
Once we left the island, I'd likely be entering a whole new world compared to the one I ran from. And I was sure it was going to be far worse than my island treatment considering I'd have better access to certain resources on the mainland that I didn't have on the island.
Darren couldn't afford to give me a single centimeter to gain an opportunity to try to overthrow him. It was all about control with him, so I could kiss whatever "freedoms" I'd had before goodbye.
Fuck. This was going to suck.
Eventually, I was finally escorted to the dining room where I waited for Darren to arrive. My heart fluttered while I wiped my sweaty palms against my legs. I didn't know why I was so nervous, especially since I was sure Scott had informed Darren what he probably already knew. After a few minutes, I notice Hank turn his head as if he were listening to something in his earpiece.
Goddammit.
"I'm sorry, Miss Jaden. Mr. Davis will not be able to join you tonight. He is being held up."
I clenched my teeth in aggravation. I fucking knew this was going to happen.
"Could you at least get a message to him that I need to speak with him the moment His Majesty is available?" I growled in irritation.
"I will let him know," Hank said with a nod.
"Thank you."
After finishing my dinner alone, I was escorted back to my suite where I paced back and forth for the next several hours, waiting for Darren. I had no fucking clue how long it would take or if I would even get to see him today.
"Miss Jaden, I don't know when Mr. Davis will be available to see you. Perhaps, you can find something better to do with your time besides pacing back and forth."
"Shut up, Hank," I said, chewing on my knuckles as I ignored him, continuing my pacing anyway.
He scoffed and sat back in his chair, obviously more comfortable than I was.
Finally, after another hour of pacing, the door opened and in strolled Darren. My heart skipped a beat as I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost midnight. Darren eyed me for a moment before he addressed my guards.
"Out," he said to them, and they immediately took their leave. Darren shut the door behind them before turning to me. I felt oddly on display while his eyes traveled up and down my body. I was still wearing the same dress and sandals, makeup and hair done even though I should probably have been in bed by now.
"I understand you wanted to see me," he said, a frown line on his face as he took a few steps toward me.
I cleared my throat and squared my shoulders. "Yes, I did."
He looked at me expectedly, waiting for me to go on. I blew a piece of stray hair out of my face and continued.
"First, I wanted to thank you for Thanksgiving dinner. That was thoughtful of you, and I'm grateful that you allowed Holly to be a part of it."
Darren nodded, knowing full well the second reason he was here was much better than the first. "You're welcome," he said, his eyes narrowing in on me.
"And I also wanted to let you know," I began again, my heart suddenly beating out of control. "That... I think I'm ready to leave the island." There, I said it.
Darren's head turned to the side a bit as he raised his brow, regarding me carefully. The intensity of his eyes had my nerves quaking and my body heating up.
"You think?" he asked, his arms crossing over his chest.
"I am," I said more confidently.
"Are you sure?" he asked, all too cocky. Fuck, he was so close now; I could feel the heat radiating from his body.
"Yes," I said, almost glaring back at him to compete with the intensity of his gaze.
With one final step, Darren closed the distance between us and slowly brought his hand to caress my cheek. He gently tucked my hair behind my ear before sliding his index finger under my chin to lift my face up.
"You know what happens when we go back home." It wasn't necessarily a question, though I didn't really want him to reveal the answer. But the look in his eyes was all the answer I needed because I immediately recognized that look—hunger.
"I have a pretty good idea," I breathed, my heart pounding so loud I swore he could hear it.
With a slow torturous pace, Darren gently eased his face down to mine, his lips barely grazing over my own while his warm minty breath tickled my skin.
"I guarantee... it pales in comparison." And then his mouth was on mine.
The moment our lips connected, it was like gasoline on fire. I wrapped my arms around his neck while his clung to my hips, pulling me closer to his massive body. Darren's tongue dove into my mouth, entangling with mine and eliciting a quiet moan from my mouth. God, for someone so awful, he tasted so fucking good.
A few short moments later, Darren lifted me up, allowing my legs to wrap around his hips while his hands supported my ass, squeezing and teasing. Our mouths still interlocked in an aggressive, desperate kiss, Darren carried me over to my bed, nearly slamming me down in a hurry. Liquid heat pooled in my core as his hands traced down my arms, setting my skin on fire.
"I like this dress," he said, finally breaking our kiss, his voice strained with lust. "But I like it better on the floor." And then he ripped the damn thing off me. For like, the millionth time.
"Hey!" I shouted as I watched the poor garment tossed to the floor in shreds. "I actually kind of liked that one."
Darren just gave me his sexy shark-like grin, and his snarkiness only aggravated me more. So I grabbed his short and forced it open, tearing it slightly and causing the buttons to fly off.
"You're not the only one who can rip clothing," I sneered back.
Darren's mouth lifted in a knowing smile. "That was a four hundred dollar shirt," he drawled as his lips moved closer to my mouth.
"Buy another one," I said and grabbed his tie to yank him down to my mouth, which he eagerly obliged.
Clutching his tie tightly in my fist, I kissed him with as much force as I could, wanting him to know that I was there and unafraid. He kneeled over my body; both hands on the bed on either side of me to hold up his weight, while one foot remained on the floor and his other knee planted right between my legs. Darren's lips owned mine in every way until I felt a small twinge of pain as his teeth latched down on my bottom lips, sending the jolt right to my clit.
"Is my princess trying to take control?" he breathed against me. I couldn't tell if it was a warning or an invitation.
"Let's experiment," I replied, my lips still connecting with his. "You might find you like it."
A barely-there chuckle rolled up his throat as he kissed me.
"Well then," he said, grasping my hips. He then shifted his weight and pulled me on top of him so that I straddled his lap. "Let's see what you've got."
I smirked.
I brought my mouth down to claim his, pulling his shirt and jacket away while he rolled his shoulders in compliance to remove the clothing. Tossing his tie to the side with my tattered dress, I raked my nails down his bare chest while he gripped my hair and jerked my head to the side, exposing my neck. Pulling me forward, Darren feasted on my throat while his fingers dove into my slickness, causing my skin to tingle all over while my nails dug into his muscular shoulders. He stroked my clit back and forth, creating the most delicious friction while I bit my lip to keep from moaning too loud.
"You're cheating," I breathed huskily as I worked to keep my body from shaking from the pleasure he was giving me.
"Should I stop?" he asked against my neck as he bit down.
"Don't you dare."
And then he bit down harder, marking me with his teeth and causing me to cry out. Darren then laid all the way down on the bed, pulling my hips with him to place my aching slit over his mouth. His tongue eagerly began to lap away at my clit, sending my blood rushing through my veins as my hands dug into his hair.
"Oh, fuck, Darren," I moaned, unable to control it any longer. I was so close to oblivion I could almost taste it.
Darren's hand then smacked my ass hard enough to grab my attention as I gasped in response at his reminder. Still no cussing.
I found myself nearly riding his face as he feasted on me like a man starved. Every lick, every lap of his tongue drove me closer and closer until I was right on the edge.
"Oh, God, I'm there," I breathed. And then Darren didn't just nudge me over the edge, he fucking flat out shoved me.
His tongue dove deeper, harder, increasing the pressure on my clit until I was screaming in ecstasy; my orgasm powerful enough to cloud everything else around me. But before it was even over, Darren lifted me off him and speared me right on to his hard waiting cock. I groaned aloud as a new wave of pleasure rolled over me. I hadn't even realized he had somehow managed to shimmy out of his pants while I was on top of him.
Darren groaned as he wrapped an arm around my waist, strained lust in his eyes as he fucked me with everything he had. My hands gripped his shoulders as I worked my body to sustain his pace, my core squeezing his cock for more. Darren clutched my hips in an almost painful grip, and he slid me up and down his cock, the force almost too good to handle.
But I knew Darren wouldn't remain in that position for long.
Before I even realized what he was doing, Darren had me on my back. He stood over me, fucking me with such force that if he hadn't been holding my hips, I would have been on the other side of the bed on the floor by now. But fuck if I didn't feel absolutely amazing.
Gripping the sheets beneath me, I kept my legs wrapped around Darren's waist, feeling the rush again as the pain from his thrusts collided with my pleasure, and I screamed out as an agonizingly amazing second orgasm hit me. As my core violently contracted, it gave Darren the final push he needed to fall over the edge with me, his groans and animalistic growls penetrating my ears as he finished inside me. Collapsing on top of me, Darren's mouth rested against my ear as he held the bulk of his weight up to avoid crushing me. He was breathing heavily, enough to cause me to smirk inside. I always gave him a run for his money.
Before he was even relaxed, Darren crooked a finger under my collar and yanked me toward him.
"You are so. Fucking. Mine," he growled, and a knot suddenly formed in my stomach. His dark words of possession always scared me a little on the inside. Sealing his words with a rough kiss, Darren lifted himself from me and picked up his pants from the floor.
"So much for experimenting," I murmured, sitting up.
Darren gave me an odd look before gracing me with that sexy grin. "I didn't stop now did I?"
"Pft, like you'd ever stop on my accord."
Darren chuckled at me as he zipped his pants up. "You're right. You're too goddamn gorgeous for me to ever stop."
I shrugged. "It's a curse."
On a grin, Darren finished getting dressed, gathering his ripped clothing before leaning over my still naked and flushed body for a long goodbye kiss.
"I'll arrange for us to leave in a week. Right now, I have too much shit to do," he said getting up to leave. "I expect you to be asleep in my bed in less than twenty minutes. Understand?"
"Yes, Darren," I answered, trying to hide the annoyance in my voice and nearly failing.
"Good girl," he said and then shut the door behind him.
Once he was gone, I stood up and stretched my body, hoping to loosen my limbs a little from the strain they'd just experienced. I then cleaned myself up, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and changed into a little silk nightie before knocking on my bedroom door. Blondie answered, only cracking the door enough for me to see his face.
"I'm ready to go up to Darren's room now."
Blondie nodded, opening the door further so I could slip through. My bare feet padded against the wooden floors as we walked through the halls and up the carpeted stairs to Darren's room. Exhaustion hit me the moment my head hit the pillow, and I was out like a light.
****
Two hours later, I walked through my bedroom door, exhausted as fuck, but everything I had just been dealing with instantly melted away the moment I saw Jaden curled up in my bed. Her glossy red hair was splayed out all around her head while she hugged the pillow to her chest. God, she was so fucking beautiful and so fucking mine.
Stripping out of my clothes, I pulled the sheets down to get in beside her only to find she was still in her little nightie. Clenching my jaw, I furrowed my brows in irritation. Jaden knew better than this.
As carefully as I could, I pulled the nightie up her body, peeling it over her head before she finally woke, allowing me to remove the damn thing fully.
"What are you..." she said sleepily, but I just shh'd her.
"You know the rules," I said, tugging her thong down her legs.
"My bad." She yawned, closing her eyes.
When she was as she should be, fully naked, I pulled her small body onto my chest and eased into a comfortable position, pulling the sheet over her shoulders. Wrapping my arms around her soft skin, Jaden settled into me quickly without protest, her cheek resting on my shoulder while her tiny hand flattened on my chest. Placing my hand over hers, I focused on obtaining that inner peace that she brought me when she was quiet and cute like this. It was moments like these that I craved—moments when my world finally came to a standstill because Jaden's slow rhythmic breathing was the only thing that had my attention. Moments when I was deep inside her, and she was screaming my name while she erupted around me, and I could get lost in all her pleasure. Moments when I could burn myself in the hateful fire of her amber eyes and relish in the pain. Because it was her. Because she was mine. And no one would jeopardize that. Ever. Anyone who tried to stand between her and me would meet an end so brutal it would take days to clean up.
And I could feel that jeopardy rising. I still hadn't located my snitch, and it was aggravating the shit out of me. Another warehouse had been hit, and the moment I found the little fucker, I was going to tear him apart. Slowly. I knew it wasn't Weldimer or his little gang. I hadn't heard a peep from those fucks, and according to Ronald, the transaction had gone through very smoothly. This warehouse was in Chicago, and though the attackers were easily killed, they left no indication of who they worked for. The protocol was to keep one of them alive for questioning, and obviously, that hadn't happened, so there was no one to retaliate against. I had no leads. Nothing. Their guns had been purchased illegally with no serial number for tracking. No wallets, no form of identification, not even a single tattoo to reveal their loyalties.
Scouts had already been planted among my ranks and all over my warehouses to sniff out the little fuck divulging information that didn't belong to them. Sooner or later, I always found them. It wasn't the first time someone thought it was a good idea to betray me, but I'd make damn sure it was the last.
Jaden released a quiet sleepy moan, her eyes wincing as she fidgeted. Bringing me back to reality, I realized I had been squeezing her hand a little too tightly. Instantly loosening my grip, Jaden relaxed against me, exhaling deeply through her nose as she settled once again. I tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, feeling the silky strands between my fingers and appreciating how beautiful her angelic face was when she slept.
Closing my eyes, I eased myself back into the pillows and allowed myself to bask in the comfort of knowing Jaden was safe and peacefully asleep in my arms. Sometimes, it was the littlest of things that allowed me to sleep at night. Jaden was one of them.
ↈↈↈↈↈↈↈↈↈↈ
Do you think Darren has a good side or only evil side of him?