stretched. It might as well run as far as the gates of Hell since I’d sent so many
there already. She had no idea the distance I’d go, the things I would do, the
number of bodies I would stack to keep her mine. I’d become so damn obsessed it
was like a toxin, poisoning my mind, my heart, and even my cock. She was my drug,
and it infuriated me how easily I’d become her junkie. It almost made me hate her
for creating such a weakness for me.
I’d catch myself thinking about her in the middle of a gun fight, zero concern for
the bullets blazing past me in the dead of night while I took comfort in the fact that
I knew she was safe and sound, tucked away within the confines of my fortress and
sleeping peacefully in my bed. Even when I’d gone to Vegas to visit Dom for three
days, I still couldn’t get her out of my head. I watched him discipline Dalia for her
loose mouth and yet barely paid any attention to it, too concerned with Jaden and
her request for friendships. I’d actually almost considered it.
After all the shit I dealt with just to try to keep her happy, she still thought to
betray me. She still thought her loyalty belonged to her vendetta. She was dead
fucking wrong about that. I owned her, and that fierce possession meant owning
everything that she was. Her hopes, her dreams, her fears, and her faith all
belonged to me, and I would uphold that custody with an iron fist.
I headed over to the thermostat and lowered the temperature even more than I
usually kept it. I was going to make Jaden desperate for me, and forcing her to need
my body heat would compel her to accept me for comfort. I’d tried to take the easy
route with her, tried to give her a simple way to accept her life with me, and now, it
was clear I was going to have to revert to the extreme measures I had hoped to
avoid. I was going to use her own body against her until her mind accepted how
much she truly needed me. I was going to force the dependency until it pained her
to be away from my touch, from my love.
I didn’t care how long it took. We would be down here for months if that was
what it meant. Until I saw the truth in Jaden’s eyes that she honestly and
wholeheartedly believed that she was mine forever, that displeasing me was a
personal failure, and that her plan for revenge was hopeless and unwarranted, she
would never leave this room. I was done playing games. It was finally time for a real
breakdown.
When Jaden finally stirred a half hour later, I felt excitement rise up again. Soft
panicked gasps left her throat as she struggled against her restraints. She needed to
get used to them. They’d be in place for a while.
When she realized she was getting nowhere, her eyes finally found mine as I
remained relaxed in my chair with an open book in my lap.
“W-what are you doing?” she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty as her
naked body began to shiver from the cold.
I glared at her and closed the book on my lap, placing it on the nightstand as I
stood up.
“Waiting for you to wake up,” I replied.
“Waiting for me to w-wake up like t-this,” she said, tugging against her
restraints again. “It’s fucking f-freezing in here.” I could see the goose bumps
rising on her skin as her limbs shook to keep warm. It put a smile on my face.
“You’ll be waking up like this for a while. How long will depend entirely on
you.”
“What are you t-talking about?”
“Who do you belong to, Jaden?”
She looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. Like I was stupid for not knowing this
answer.
“You,” she said, her eyebrows narrowing.
“And what else belongs to me?” I asked her, my arms folding across my bare
chest as I regarded her.
Her confusion was evident as her eyes searched me for the answer.
“I … I don’t …”
I knew she was struggling with what I wanted her to say. She knew exactly what
else belonged to me, but she didn’t want to say it. She could admit that her body
belonged to me, but that was nothing compared to her mind, heart, and soul. And
I’ll be damned if they weren’t in my pocket before I let her leave this room.
Sunlight would not touch her beautiful skin until she gave me what I wanted.
“I’ll give you a hint,” I said. “It starts with the letter L.”
Fear had
