generosity, but denying how pleased she was with the dog would be a lie, and she
knew that was against my rules.
“Yeah … I do,” she finally admitted, her eyes never leaving the pup. Swoon.
“Good. Now, what do you say?” I didn’t care if she didn’t want my gifts or
attention. She’d be grateful for them because I didn’t have to be this way with her.
This was a privilege; one that she needed to respect.
“Thank you,” she eventually said, turning her head to look me in the eyes like
she was supposed to.
“You’re welcome.”
I watched Jaden for a moment as she petted the dog in her arms. This. Was.
Adorable.
“What are you going to name her?” I asked.
She squinted for a moment as she looked at the dog. “I don’t know,” she
replied. “I’ll have to think of something.”
“You should know she won’t be just a pet. That dog will also be your guard dog.
When we go home, she will undergo specific training not only to protect you but
also to kill your would-be attackers. She’ll learn discipline, basic and advanced
commands, and she will learn to anticipate danger in all forms.”
Jaden turned her eyes back to me, her brows furrowed as she took in my words.
“Jeez, will she still know how to play, at least?”
“Of course, but your safety takes precedent. If she senses a threat, she will react
accordingly and get you to safety.”
“Don’t I have enough babysitters?” she complained. I almost laughed because it
was almost true.
“No such thing,” I responded. Jaden could have an entire army with her, and I
still wouldn’t feel like she was safe enough. But once the dog was full grown and
trained, there would be one less shadow in the room.
Jaden’s face remained the same until something seemed to click in her eyes.
“She’s for all the places Clive and Owen can’t go,” she stated, like she already
knew the answer.
“Correct,” I answered with a nod.
The dog started to struggle in her arms, and Jaden released her, setting her down
on the couch, but she wanted to play and jumped down to the floor, taking off down
the hall.
“You’d better go get her,” I ordered, nodding toward the direction the pup ran
off to.
“Dammit.” Jaden cussed under her breath and went off to find the dog.
I decided to let Jaden have some fun with her new companion and headed to my
office to finish some work. The staff would take her gifts and put them in our room
where all the dog toys and things were being set up.
I passed Romero and Alex in the hall, giving them the nod to pursue their watch
over Jaden and headed for my office. It didn’t matter that it was Christmas;
something always needed to be done, and sometimes, I was grateful for it. Some
days, I wanted to immerse myself in my work because I honestly loved it, but Jaden
would never understand it. If it wasn’t work or Jaden preoccupying me, it was
training or the occasional tune-up of my bikes or cars.
Sid was the one who convinced me to get Jaden the dog in the first place, more
specifically a puppy. The dog would not only provide her the companionship she
needed without compromising her safety, but it would also serve as another source
of protection for her, which was really the only reason I agreed. She could focus on
something else that would more than likely bring her joy rather than plot her
revenge against me. She’d have another purpose besides making my dick happy,
but she always managed to do more than that, especially when she wasn’t even
trying.
I appreciated the times when she did try, when she’d put effort into listening to
me and making me happy, but it was only because she didn’t want to piss me off
instead. Whatever worked. Eventually, she’d learn that keeping me happy would
essentially keep her happy. The more she obeyed, the more I would reward her,
though I had to admit there were those special days when I wanted a fight. I did
want her happy, though. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered with the trouble of
all this shit for the holidays.
The smile on her face when she finally gave into that puppy was worth it all.
God, it was gorgeous when it was genuine. Even the look she got in her eyes as she
roamed over the view of the mountains was the exact look I’d hoped to see. It was
the look of captivation, the look of joy, even if it was only for a moment.
The dog would help; it had to. What girl didn’t melt from a fucking puppy?
I found myself wanting to create some excitement in her life, something for her
to take enjoyment in besides beating the shit out of my punching bags, but I knew
she was averse to this. Revenge was her purpose. I needed
