all about it.
“I have a question for you,” she said carefully.
“Hmm?” I responded, slightly intrigued.
“Why did you approve a stir-fry for my lunch today?”
I couldn’t help but let the corners of my mouth curve. I had wondered how Jaden
would react to Holly’s diet plan for her, especially today’s menu. And I was right in
believing she’d be pissed. I didn’t even know why I allowed myself to torture her
with traumatic memories, but maybe I just wanted to know where her mind was at
and what she would and wouldn’t tolerate.
I wiped the corners of my mouth before answering. “Got a disdain for stir-fry
now?”
Jaden’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you said we were done playing games,” she
said sharply.
“We are,” I affirmed without looking at her. “I just wanted to see where your
mindset is.”
“You mean you wanted to know if I was still haunted by the warehouse? You
could have just asked. And the answer is yes.”
I groaned. “You would have never owned up to it, so don’t even try to suggest
otherwise. If I want the truth without an argument or struggle, I will find other
ways of extraction.”
“I just don’t understand why you care if it still affects me or not. I thought you
were beyond sympathizing with me.”
“I am, but I still have to make an effort in understanding why you react to
certain things the way you do. It’s part of your psychology. For example, why you
couldn’t care less if the men I assign to protect and watch over you are dead
because of you, yet the life of someone with no benefit to you is somehow more
important. You place value on the lives of others even though you have no business
making that determination.”
“Oh, and you do? If you can place value on the lives of others, then why can’t I?”
I chuckled. “I’ve already made that determination more times than I can count.
The difference is I eliminate people who have lost their value to me. You try to
eliminate people with value and protect those who lack it.”
She scowled, but I just found it cute. “Your idea of value and my idea of value are
two very different ideas.”
“That’s why mine is the only one we’ll be relying on,” I said.
“Shocker,” she replied and leaned back against her chair, looking out the
window. I expected that to be the end of the conversation, but I should have known
better.
“What happens when I no longer remain valuable to you?” she asked.
That, I flat out laughed at.
“It’d probably be the best thing to ever happen to me,” I said honestly while
taking a sip of my wine. Jaden’s eyes went wide, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Though I doubt it will ever happen. You are quite simply the biggest pain-in-the-
ass liability I have ever risked, but for some fucking unexplainable reason, you are
worth it to me.”
She was silent before she replied again. “I’ll grow old someday,” she said
blankly as if I had no idea of the sort.
“As will I.”
“And you’re going to tell me my value will remain the same when I’m old? I’d
bet my left hand that your future youthful mistress will have more value to you
than I will by then.”
I rolled my eyes at the ridiculous idea. I doubted I’d even live long enough to see
Jaden grow old. Most men in my position didn’t simply just die of old age. Our
deaths were met by the bullets that bore our names and called us home. Another
reason I made sure to keep my body in perfect fighting condition at all times. Even
in my sixties, I planned to deliver as much hell and chaos to my enemies as I did
now. Nothing would slow me down until I was dead and in the ground.
Jaden would be no different. She would follow my philosophy, and in return, her
body would reward her and, eventually, me as well. She was kidding herself if she
thought I was so trivial that I would just fuck anything with a pretty face after her.
I’d had enough women in my life to the point where I couldn’t even see their faces
anymore. They were meaningless, dull in comparison. She didn’t know it, but she
had officially ruined me for anyone else, and the idea of having anyone else but her
had my blood boiling. There was no one but her. Always and forever. But still, her
comment disappointed me. I furrowed my brows as I answered her question.
“Have I really led you to believe the only thing I value in you is your beautiful
face?” I said sincerely.
Now that threw her for a whirl. She furrowed her brows in confusion, almost
looking dumbfounded. After chewing on her tongue for a moment, she finally met
my gaze.
“Don’t pretend that men like you don’t exactly appreciate age in their wives,”
she said cautiously.
“And what do you know of men like me?”
Her eyes narrowed again in challenge. “I’m not stupid, Darren. Don’t think I’m
so quick
