She positioned herself the way she needed to without protest and placed her topper
on the tree, adjusting it the way she wanted it.
“Done,” she said, and I lowered myself to let her down. She then immediately
stood tall and looked back to admire her work. “What do you think?” she asked me.
I took a good look at her work and found myself admiring her design. Her
strategic placement of the bulbs and lights ensured that everything obtained its fair
share of attention as the lights glowed and the ornaments glittered in contrast. I
even admired the funny Santa hat that she had placed at the top.
“It looks great,” I praised her. “But I think next time you should wait for me to
top the tree.”
“I would have been fine,” she retorted with another huff.
“It’s not you I’m worried about. Those are hand-painted bulbs. The crafters
would kill me if I let anything happen to them,” I said with a smirk.
She looked over at me with that adorable no-nonsense glare of hers. “Ha-ha,”
she said and went back to admiring her tree.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
“Not really,” she said, a yawn now escaping her lips. “Just tired, I think.”
“Bedtime it is then.”
“But I wanted to explore the house,” she pleaded.
I shook my head. “It’s late. You can explore tomorrow while I’m working.”
“You’re still going to be working, huh?”
I nodded. “No rest for the wicked.”
“Ha,” she snickered, another yawn not far behind.
Jaden then went into the bathroom presumably to wash up for bed. I took
another good look and admired her decorating skills, actually appreciating the
warm colored lights that complemented the room. Removing my clothes, I pulled
back the heavy covers of the bed and slid in, checking a few emails on my phone
while I waited for Jaden.
When she finally emerged, her hair was brushed and soft, her subtle makeup
gone, and she seemed relaxed. She even voluntarily stripped her clothing before
sliding under the covers without me having to remind her. After turning off the
lights, I reached over and pulled Jaden to my bare chest. Just feeling her against me
was enough to relax me completely, and I couldn’t help but let the pent-up
exhaustion finally sink in. I hadn’t slept much in the last few days, trying to get as
much of my work done before I brought her out here so I could actually spend some
time with her. And now that we were here, all I wanted to do was fucking sleep with
her wrapped in my arms. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, and I wanted to make this
trip as memorable for Jaden as I possibly could, but I still had so much shit to do. It
was never ending.
When Jaden’s body finally relaxed and slumped against me, I knew she’d fallen
asleep. I always waited for her to fall asleep first. It gave me a proper sense of
security. Knowing she was asleep and safe beside me gave me the assurance I
needed to relax and follow suit. Tightening my grip around Jaden’s small frame, I
closed my eyes and let the sounds of her soft breathing lull me to sleep.
32
CHRISTMASEVE
W hen I woke up the next morning, Darren was gone. And thank fuck for that.
Rolling over onto my back, I stretched out like a damn cat before pulling myself
out of bed. Noticing that the curtains had been drawn, I couldn’t help but rush over
and yank them open.
For the first time, I felt mesmerized by the sheer beauty of nature. Last night, I
had only seen the mountains in the dark, the only light gifted by the moon, but
now, now, they were in the spotlight of the morning sun. Pine trees surrounded us,
but they did nothing to hide the unbelievable scene in front of me. The mountains
of Alaska were everything I thought they would be and more. White powdery snow
continued to cover everything like a thick blanket of icy cotton. I found myself
wanting to go outside, to go out and play in the snow like I was a ten-year-old girl
again. Hopefully, Darren would let me.
I didn’t know if any of the rules had changed or what considering my damn
electroshock perimeter was still up, but it was best to assume they were rather than
break them and risk pissing him off after he’d done all this for me. I wanted to tell
him that the capabilities of his money wouldn’t seduce me, but I didn’t want to
start a fight either. He’d likely try to fuck the ungratefulness out of me after
bruising my ass for the rest of the week. I didn’t need that shit. Best to just go with
the flow and enjoy the change of scenery.
Turning back around to admire the room once again, I looked over to find a note
on the nightstand. I sighed and headed over to the little table, knowing I probably
wasn’t going to like what it said.
Jaden,
Get dressed and go downstairs to the dining room. The staff will ask you what you want for
breakfast. You may order whatever you’d like. After that, Romero and Alex will escort you through
the house so you can explore. They are waiting outside: I will see you later.
- Darren
So it looked like Darren had my day already planned for me, yet again. Yawning, I
put the note back and looked over at the clock to see it was 9:36 a.m. My stomach
immediately dropped. I felt my body shudder as I realized I was late for breakfast,
but if that were true, why wasn’t I bent over Darren’s lap at the moment? He must
be letting me sleep in for once; at least, I hoped.
Trying to calm my racing heartbeat, I headed into the bathroom for a quick
shower. Wrapping the towel around my still dripping body, I went into the closet to
see if my wardrobe had changed to more favorable outfits. They somewhat had. I
found a shit ton of fleece-lined leggings, some black, gray, dark purple, and
burgundy, along with a bunch of sweater dresses, some shorter than others, some
that hung off the shoulders, and some thicker and heavier than others were. To my
surprise, I saw mostly black, gray, forest green, dark red, purple, and blue—not
much pink at all. I even found workout clothing for me without a single skort in
sight. Now, this was more like it.
I also found thick thigh-high wool-lined socks, along with hats, gloves, coats,
and scarfs of all colors and designs. Most of the shoes at my disposal were knee-
high boots, either riding style or snow boots, but some were high heeled, and some
were actual slippers. The only thing I didn’t find in that closet were panties. No
thongs, no nothing. Just bras. Maybe it was his compromise for the leggings.
Selecting a black pair of leggings, a long gray sweater, and black riding boots, I
got dressed quickly, dried and flat ironed my hair, and headed out, but as I opened
the door, a wall of a human stood in my way. Upon hearing the door open, the wall
turned around to reveal two men; one with short dark hair, a clean-shaven face,
and the same type of sunglasses Clive and Owen usually wore, only these were
much dimmer. The other had shaggy blond hair with a little bit of fuzz on his face.
They both wore heavy black turtlenecks and black pants, and they were both so
muscled, I thought their sweaters were going to pop open. The dark-haired guy
&
nbsp; actually kind of looked a little like John Cena with all that bulk.
“Romero and Alex, I presume?” I asked politely. “Or should I just refer to you
guys as ‘Thing 1 and Thing 2’?”
They both turned around like swinging doors from the Wild, Wild West, fresh
smirks on their faces.
“Who’s who?” I asked.
“Romero,” the dark-haired one said and pointed at the other. “Alex.”
Alex nodded in acknowledgment.
I crossed my arms. “So you guys are the new temporary babysitters?”
Romero smirked. “Looks like it, pipsqueak.”
I tilted my head in shock before responding. “Best of luck, then.”
Both of their smiles practically stretched all the way to their eyes.
“I’m supposed to go to the dining room for breakfast, but I don’t know where
that is,” I said.
“This way,” Romero replied with a nod, and I proceeded to follow him down the
hall while Alex walked behind me. I tried to look and walk as cooperative as
possible so they wouldn’t be suspicious of anything. I was sure Darren warned them
of my so-called “tricks,” but hey, I was just keeping them on their toes. Someone
had to entertain me around here, and it certainly wasn’t going to be Darren.
Romero was tall, but not as tall as Darren was. Though his stride was just as fast,
it still allowed for me to keep up with him easily. Alex lacked only a few inches, but
he was still a big motherfucker.
Romero led me through the house, which contained several windows at every
turn, giving the house access to as much natural light as the space would allow. It
was definitely the most luxurious cabin I’d ever seen. The dining room was toward
the back of the house, surrounded by walls of windows and showing off the most
beautiful view of the winter wonderland outside.
“Take a seat. I’ll alert the staff,” Romero said and walked through the swinging
door to the kitchen. Alex stood off to the side quietly watching me. I sat down at the
table that allowed me the best view of the outdoors and waited only a few moments
before Romero returned with a young woman at his side.
“Good morning, miss. What would you like for breakfast?” she asked me
politely. She had dark brown hair twisted into a tight bun behind her head just
above her neck and wore a simple black dress with black flats. She was pretty and
had a nice smile. I hated that I found myself instantly liking her.
I thought for a moment about what I wanted, but there was only one true answer
to give.
“Strawberry crepes?” I asked, hoping that was an available option. Darren said I
could order whatever I wanted, which was a first, so I’d be taking advantage.
She nodded. “Of course. Anything else?”
“And a bowl of raspberries, please.”
She nodded again. “I will inform the chef. Would you prefer coffee or tea?”
“Tea, please. Green, if you have it.”
“I will be right back,” she said with another nod and turned away to the kitchen.
I returned my gaze back out the window, aware that Romero had joined Alex at
his side, his hands folded in front of him as he watched me. A few short minutes
later, the same woman from before brought out a silver tray containing my tea and
placed it on the table in front of me.
“Your breakfast will be out shortly. Is there anything else you need?”
“No, I’m fine. Thank you,” I said nicely.
See? I can be nice sometimes … when the occasion called for it.
Pouring my tea, I stirred a few scoops of sugar in it and took a sip. It was perfect.
Not long after that, my breakfast was brought out and placed in front of me, and
my stupid, deprived mouth couldn’t help but drool. I had loved crepes ever since
my high school days in French class when we got to experience French cuisine. I
hadn’t had crepes since coming to Darren’s captivity. In fact, I never really got to
experience anything that wasn’t healthy for me except for the occasional glass of
wine. I’d hoped that maybe the holidays would give me a bit of a reprieve.
Cutting into my breakfast and taking my first bite, I couldn’t help but moan in
total satisfaction. These were fantastic. I ate my breakfast in earnest, finishing my
entire plate as well as the bowl of raspberries. I felt like I was going to burst from it
all, but it was worth it. When I was done, I piled the plates up on the tray and stood
from the table to stretch before turning to my guards.
“I’m going to explore the house. A polite distance would be appreciated,” I said
as nicely as I could. I didn’t want the giant on my heels everywhere I stepped.
“I’m sure it would,” Romero replied, “but it’s not guaranteed.”
Yeah, yeah.
I grimaced at him before turning on my heels to begin my expedition. The cabin
was a lot bigger than I thought it was. There were five bedrooms, six bathrooms,
and a finished basement, complete with a gym, sauna, and showers. There was an
entertainment room, a study, a sunroom of nothing but windows looking out over
the lake, a gigantic five-car garage, and of course, Darren’s office. The rooms were
all lavish with a woodland décor and rustic interior.
Even though the cabin wasn’t as big as Darren’s estate, there were still plenty of
guards posted throughout and staff busying themselves. No one looked at me. No
one said a word. Even here, I was invisible. Some faces I recognized; others I didn’t.
But the one face I recognized the most was the guard who dragged me out of the
house to meet Darren and that poor gardener, the same one who assisted in his
deliberately avoiding me, just like mine were supposed to be avoiding him. With a
bald head and the only hair covering him being the dark patch on his chin, I quickly
figured it out. His fucking ears were missing.
I couldn’t help but commit a double take as my eyes locked onto the shredded
and scarred remains of his ears. What the fuck happened to them?
“Eyes elsewhere, Miss Jaden,” Romero ordered. I turned back around to face
them as we kept walking.
“What happened to his ears?” I asked quietly.
Romero and Alex gave me strange smiles, like it was funny but they weren’t sure
if they should tell me.
“Come on,” I pleaded. “It’ll be our little secret.”
Romero nodded for me to move forward. “Mr. Davis cut them off. Since Eric
can’t listen to directions, Mr. Davis felt like he didn’t need them.”
I stopped dead in my tracks, and the two of them almost ran into me.
“Fucking hell,” I whispered under my breath. Had I caused that, too?
“Mouth, Miss Jaden,” Romero reminded me sternly.
“Yeah,” I said, biting my lip in thought before turning back around to continue
my expedition.
Forcing Eric and his lack of ears from my mind, it took me a little less than an
hour to explore the entire cabin and learn the layout of each floor, all the while with
my guards no more than ten feet away from me. You’d think I’d be used to constant
shadows by now, but I still hated how limited my privacy was.
Looking out the wide window of the sunroom,
I loomed over the grounds and
found myself wanting to explore the outside now. I probably needed special
permission before I could do that, though. So I turned to Romero and Alex.
“I’d like to explore the grounds outside if you don’t mind,” I said carefully.
Romero shook his head. “You’ll have to get permission from Mr. Davis first.”
I figured as much. “All right. Where is he?”
“In the gym.”
“To the gym then,” I said and immediately headed that way while Romero and
Alex exchanged looks of nervousness.
Bitches.
33
ADMISSION
W hen I opened the door to the gym, I found Darren standing in the middle of an
octagon cage, his hands covered in black wraps, and his bare upper body and
hair glistening with sweat. Scott was opposite him; the exact same appearance only
he wore a tight black muscle shirt. The two were breathing heavy, and their skin
was flush from rushing blood. They circled each other only for a moment before
Scott finally advanced, throwing a fast jab toward Darren’s face, which Darren
easily dodged. Kicks were exchanged, a few more strikes, but I could see Darren was
on defense, almost like he was trying to tire Scott out. Scott was good, and I mean
really good, but Darren was just a tad bit better. Scott seemed to stiffen up after a
while, but Darren’s remained loose and relax, well-conditioned, sharp and agile.
A few more missed strikes later, Darren caught Scott’s arm, shifted his hips to
sharply pivot his body into Scott’s, and flipped him right over his side, taking Scott
to the ground. Shit, he was fast. Scott was easily two hundred and thirty pounds, so
the loud bang he made when he hit the floor almost jolted me. The impact looked
like it knocked the wind out of Scott, giving Darren the advantage to drag Scott’s
body up and pull him into a rear naked choke. It only took ten seconds before Scott
finally tapped out.
Goddammit. I hated how impressive Darren was.
Darren released him, and the two slowly staggered back to stand where they
shared a quick handshake and exited the cage. Darren suddenly locked his focus on
me as he made his way over to a weight bench and laid down.
“What do you want, Jaden?” he asked, grabbing the bar and lifting it up while