Page 21 of Stand: Part One

She needed me to release her. Warm her. Bathe her. Feed her. Fuck her. Command her. Love her. And I craved giving her all of it, watching her body long for the things only I could give her. And when she’d been fully cared for, she turned into a kitten in my hands, purring so proudly just for me.

I missed that need in her. Missed the dependability she had in me. And suddenly that opportunity to relive it had returned to me. Now that it was here, I decided to capitalize on it for just a little bit longer.

It wasn’t like Jaden needed to go anywhere anyway. Her duty to satisfy my needs didn’t stop just because she was injured, and this was how she’d do it. By letting me take care of her the way I wanted to.

But before I could get any more lost in my little paradise than I already was, I had an agenda to complete before the water turned cold.

“I have a surprise for you,” I drawled, reaching back to grab the ring I’d hidden in the corner ledge of the tub.

“Oh?” Jaden asked, her voice low and sleepy.

Taking Jaden’s left hand from under the water, her entire body stiffened almost instantly as I slipped the ring on her finger to join her matching wedding band.

“Look what my men found,” I said with enthusiasm, trapping her hand in mine so she could see what had finally been returned.

I watched all the color drain from Jaden’s face, and a blaze of anger washed over me. Her chest was motionless as she held her breath, her eyes mimicking the sparkle of the exceptionally large diamond dwarfing her finger.

Finally, she spoke. “Where did they find it?” she asked, her voice small and quiet.

“It was traded at a pawn shop in Arizona, then sold to another couple before it was retrieved,” I answered, my eyes calculating every fraction of her face. “The shop owner said it was traded by a pretty blond girl.”

Jaden’s jaw clenched as she focused on not curling her left hand into a fist, the other one reaching under the water to rest against her hip.

Stress could cause inflammation, and as of right now, Jaden should not be feeling stressed. She should be relieved to have her ring returned to her, but that was clearly not the case.

“The couple—they’re still alive, right?” she asked.

I narrowed my eyes at her attempt to deflect. “Does it matter?”

“Yes, it does,” she exclaimed quickly, her slim fingers curling around my hand. “They shouldn’t have to suffer because they unknowingly bought a stolen ring.”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” I snapped, glaring down at her. “You said Tony’s men took your ring, but some girl sold it to one hell of a shady shop.”

Jaden’s brow furrowed as her mouth turned into a scowl. “What are you implying? Are you calling me a liar?”

I growled at her instigation. “I’m telling you that your story still has yet to be substantiated.”

I allowed Jaden to yank her hand from mine as she scoffed at my implications. “I don’t know what to tell you, Darren. Maybe she was a girlfriend, or maybe she stole it from them. I have no other explanation, and I don’t know why you’d even expect one from me.”

I took in a breath to ease my anger. The point of this was not to start an argument with her—just to observe her reaction. And I had my answer.

“Regardless, I will find the ones responsible for its loss. I imagine it’ll be difficult to continue stealing with two severed hands.”

“I imagine it will,” she agreed, her voice taking on a note of agitation.

“I imagine it will also be in your best interest to ensure it never leaves your finger again. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Attempting to quell her obvious distress, I gently dragged my knuckle up and down her arm in a soothing manner. She sagged against me with a drawn exhale, her attempts to disburse the panic from her body a noticeable struggle.

The sound of the bedroom door opening announced our dinner had been delivered. I decided to have it brought up here so Jaden could eat comfortably in bed.

“That’s dinner,” I said, nipping her earlobe lightly with my teeth. Her body shivered against mine, making me smirk.

After carefully removing myself from behind her, I dried off and wrapped a towel around my waist. I then laid two towels down on the end of the bed and turned back to retrieve Jaden.