Spark, стр. 14
then returned to his position against the wall just in time for Hank to return.
My fists curled so tight my palms burned and my knuckles turned white till my
hands shook with rage. I wanted to flip the table. I wanted to rip the walls down
with my bare hands and shatter every window with the wrath blistering in my vocal
cords.
Worthless whore.
Well, fine then. I would show Benito exactly what this whore was worth.
6
LUDACRIS
I didn’t know how I did it, but I managed to finish half my bowl of soup, even with
a stomach full of rage and violence. I was then taken back to my suite, where I
watched movies for a while, waiting for my opportunity. I sipped on some tea at my
table, Hank and Benito quietly chatting at their designated chairs, until Hank was
called away again.
After a few minutes, I caught Benito watching me. On a whim, I took my teacup
and gently pushed it right off the edge of the table and watched it shatter and spill
all over the floor.
“Goddammit, Jaden! Come on!”
I shrugged. “Whoops,” I said and got up to head to the bathroom, which was
only a few feet away from the door to the hallway.
“Ugh! Do not move! I’ll be right back,” he shouted and then walked out of the
door. But as soon as he was out of sight, I quickly snatched the door handle before
the door could shut and lock me in. Bingo.
I slowly pulled it open and peeked out. Benito was long gone, and now so was I. I
snuck around the corner quickly, managing to avoid all eyes until I found my way
back to the parlor, shut the doors, and locked myself in.
Oh, Benito. You fucked with the wrong bitch.
Smiling to myself, I walked over to the wet bar, grabbed a bottle of Jack and a
shot glass and sat on the floor behind the bar where I could hide and finally enjoy
some well-deserved whiskey.
Let the fun begin.
W ith Jaden now secured back in her suite, I summoned Hank to my office for the
meeting I had called him about earlier. I was able to return to the island a half a
day early thanks to some serious micromanaging and three dead drug dealers. Turf
wars were always messy, but give them an inch and an entire city is taken … or
attempted, I should say.
Sid was sitting in the black leather chair across from my desk, waiting with an
anxious look in his eye. I was currently flipping through Jaden’s medical file,
looking over her latest updates and considering her current medical status.
I was pleased to discover that Jaden’s jaw and wrist were healing nicely, along
with her ribs. I hadn’t planned extensive damage when I broke them; just enough
to remind her of what I could do and who she was fucking with. She should be fully
restored in the next month, assuming she followed her recovery plan.
Hearing her voice over the phone felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders, even
if it was clipped and angry. I missed my name on her tongue and the way her voice
shook when she was afraid. I planned to hear it again very soon. You never really
realize how much you miss something until it's gone. Of course, I only missed her
sailor’s vocabulary or her argumentative mouth a little bit, but that was something
that would diminish in time. The only thing I ever wanted to hear was her moaning
my name in brutal ecstasy.
Much to my irritation, Jaden had, in fact, been diagnosed with depression, which
wasn’t much of a fucking surprise. All she ever did was sleep and mope around like
it was the end of the goddamn world. But it wasn’t the end of the world; it was the
beginning of a brand new one, one I was very much looking forward to.
But I had been watching her while I was away. She had been much more difficult
with her guards and staff than I had anticipated now that she could voice her
frustrations. I had been so enraged, I wanted to turn around and fly right home to
deal with her, but I had to handle my own shit first. And that shit was now officially
handled.
When Hank finally gained access to my office, he quickly took the empty seat
next to Sid and sat down, unbuttoning his suit jacket and tugging on his uniform
black tie.
“Mr. Davis,” he said with a nod.
“So,” I said, closing Jaden’s medical file. “How productive has she been?”
Hank cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable.
“Not very, sir,” Hank said with disappointment. “She’s been far more difficult
than usual. Lashing out, causing fights, and raising all kinds of hell. I don’t know
what to do with her anymore. She just won’t listen.”
I looked over at Sid, knowing I wore a disapproving scowl across my face as I
glared at him, waiting for an explanation. He was the brains behind her recovery.
He shrugged, looking down at his knees before finally answering. “This is
normal. People with depression experience different symptoms all