“It’s called a compromise,” I replied positively.
“A compromise?”
“Yes; they’re heels, but they’re much more comfortable than stilettos.”
Darren’s eyes narrowed at me. “Why don’t you ever wear any of the heels I’ve
provided you?”
I took a sip of my water before answering him. “Several reasons. One—because
they’re impractical and uncomfortable. Two—I prefer to be as stable around you as
possible, and three—it’s much safer for you.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “How’s that?”
I couldn’t help but smirk. “Because I might be too tempted to stab you in the
throat with the heel. Best to keep me away from temptations like that,” I said
plainly.
Darren regarded me for a moment before he tilted his head to the side and
laughed. I loved how he found my violent side funny.
“You take the meaning of ‘killer heels’ literal, don’t you?” He chuckled.
I shrugged. “The right ones can be dangerous. I once kicked a frat boy in the
stomach for getting too touchy with me while wearing heels. He had to go to the
hospital that night for stitches.”
Darren positively grinned. “Impressive, but I think you know by now that killing
me will only serve to make things much worse for you.”
I waved him off. I’d heard this speech before. “Yes, yes, Mexico and all that. I
know.”
The idea should terrify me, but I didn’t plan to kill Darren until I’d eliminated all
my other smaller threats first; until no one was left to avenge his death. Then I
would strike.
“You need to stop thinking like that,” Darren said dismissively as our dinner
was served.
I shot him a glance. I hadn’t thought that out loud, had I? “Thinking like what?”
“Like you’re going to find a way out of this. That this isn’t permanent. Like you
will successfully kill me one day.” His voice was dark, his eyes hooded by his brow,
giving him a sinister look that made me shudder.
I returned his gaze with the same challenging fierceness. “Everybody dies,
Darren. I’m just curious as to how long you think you’re going to survive me in all
this.”
Darren suddenly seemed to relax, a tight smile forming in the corner of his lips.
“You know; I can’t help but notice that you can’t seem to keep your game straight.
One minute, you’re pulling for my trust, claiming to make peace with your life, and
the next, you’re back to threatening me with your miscalculated ideas of revenge.
You’re not very consistent with your plans, Jaden. You might want to work on
that.”
I felt my fists curl until my knuckles turned white. Son of a bitch.
“Well, you could just let me go, and then we wouldn’t have to worry about the
threats anymore,” I said through gritted teeth.
Darren chuckled. “Your threats are cute and oddly creative. I think I’d miss
them.”
My nails began to dig into my palms, biting into my flesh and reminding me not
to give in to his push.
Don’t give him the satisfaction.
“Well, you’ll have to get used to missing them at some point,” I retorted.
Darren laughed again as he took a bite of his dinner. “Careful, princess. Your
fuse is showing. Don’t make me light it.”
There it was—my bait. And I fucking took it like a prized swordfish.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“I would,” he said simply.
Bingo.
“And there’s the admission I was waiting for. How badly do you want to light
that fuse, Darren? How bored are you with my constant robotic submission?”
“How bored are you?” he countered slyly.
I scoffed at his rebuttal question but quickly recovered. “This isn’t about me. It’s
always been about you and what you want.”
“And I always get what I want, don’t I?”
“Until the day it finally backfires on you.”
Darren shook his head at me. “The longer you continue to tell yourself that, the
harder it will continue to be for you,” he warned. “Pretending to be submissive
isn’t helping you either.”
I rested my elbows on the table and leaned toward him, practically combat
ready. “I’m just a little curious, Darren. In what universe do you think I’ll feel
anything but absolute pure hatred for you? That I won’t fantasize about your death
every minute of every day?”
Bait and hook.
“The same one where I spare your family,” he nearly growled. “The same one
where I grant the ones you love mercy from a horrific and bloody future. One that
you’d have to watch.”
I felt myself blanch at the truth in his words. He was sparing them for me, and I
was pushing him.
“I do not care whether you love or hate me, Jaden. The only thing I care about is
loyalty. I can ensure that through either money or fear, but since your loyalty is the
only thing about you I can’t purchase, I will acquire it through fear. Money and fear
both work the same way. I can spend more, or I can terrorize more. I told you things
could always get worse. I have barely shared with you a glimpse of how
