nodded. I didn’t like it, but she needed the warning. Better it come from me than
Darren.
“Come on, let’s go swimming. I think I need to float in the pool for a while,” I
said.
Holly nodded, a fake smile appearing on her lips as she followed me out of the
gym.
For the rest of the day, all I could think about was time. I had already been on the
island for two months and hadn’t even realized it. Darren had officially stolen five
months of my life—five months I would never get back. But it was only still the
beginning of my captivity. I would have to expect to unwillingly give a few years of
my life to my plan of destruction. I had so much more to accomplish first. I couldn’t
just kill Darren. Not without signaling my own death wish. I had to bring his
resources down first. And I had no fucking clue how I was going to do that.
Suddenly, I felt depressed again.
Tomorrow, I should sit at a table with my family, about to eat my body weight in
turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Instead, I didn’t even know what I would be
doing for dinner tomorrow. If I’d be eating alone in my suite or at the dinner table
with Darren. Again with the reminder that my life was not mine to control. It was
Darren’s, and as I floated along in my inflatable chair in Darren’s pool, staring up at
the sunny sky, I felt all the hope drain out of me again. Reality was always there to
slap the shit out of me, or maybe it was just Darren when I finally pushed him over
the edge. My monster among them all.
When dinner finally came, I felt like I was on autopilot, too concerned with the
passing seconds that would never stop. The same seconds that pulled me further
and further away from my family. I could feel Darren’s eyes on me, watching me
with that concerned, angry look on his face. He’d asked me how my first day of
training with Scott went. I’d barely answered, shrugging it off with a fine and that I
would master his duck tomorrow. Normally, I would have asked him why he
suddenly decided to have him train me, but again, autopilot.
“You’re awfully quiet this evening,” Darren pointed out.
I shrugged again, looking down at my barely touched plate. “Not much to say
today.”
“Bullshit,” he countered. “Something’s on your mind. What is it?”
I exhaled a deep breath. “For once, Darren, I don’t want to fight, so can we just
leave it alone?”
“And allow you to sit there and sulk? I don’t think so. Out with it,” he ordered.
I huffed and crossed my arms across my chest. “Fine. Is it really Thanksgiving
tomorrow?”
Darren raised his eyebrows in surprise as if it were the stupidest thing to be
concerned about.
“That’s what has you so upset? A stupid holiday?”
It was a miracle I didn’t roll my eyes. “Hey, you asked, remember?”
“Yes, I did. Now, why are you asking? And who told you that it was?”
I gulped, not wanting to give Holly away. “There is a calendar on my iPod, you
know. And I’m asking because I was wondering if there was anything planned for
tomorrow or if you’d be gone all day again.”
Darren clenched his jaw at my question. I wondered if he even remembered that
tomorrow was Thanksgiving. Did he even celebrate holidays?
“No, Jaden. Nothing was planned. I have to leave the island tonight for a couple
of days. Holidays are not given much thought in my world.”
“Okay,” I said quietly with a nod, trying to hide my sniffling. Why was I so upset
over this? There was no one to celebrate with anyway.
“But if it’s so important to you, maybe I can have the staff set up something.”
I shook my head. “It’s not. Holidays are for families, and I don’t have that
anymore, so just … forget it.”
I winced as Darren abruptly stood from the table and hauled me up from my
chair.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that,” I said quickly, fear now racing through my
veins. I was fully recovered now, which meant Darren could hurt me again if he
wanted to. And he was not one to be shy about it. But all he did was crush me to his
chest in a tight bear-like hug while he sighed heavily. I tried not to tremble, afraid
he might squeeze too hard if I moved. Instead, I rested my hands limply on his hips
and waited. He was breathing heavy but didn’t say anything for a few seconds, and I
wished he had remained silent.
“Jaden, you will never see your family again and to think otherwise will only
bring you pain. Let them go, or I will do it for you.”
I shuddered because I recognized the brutal truth of his words, the lingering
threat that reminded me that my family should
