Page 86 of Stand: Part One

I sighed at her recovery attempt, pondering on how I wanted to relay my preference in death. I’d considered my own mortality many times over the course of my life, my father instructing his sons to make peace with death a long time ago. To get comfortable with the fact that death would be following us everywhere we turned.

I’d never feared it. As long as I was the smartest one wielding it, I had no reason to. But eventually, death comes for us all, and when that day comes, it had better come prepared.

“I’d prefer to be taken out by passion,” I answered.

Jaden cocked a brow at me, her eyes sharp with intrigue.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

I smirked, my thoughts becoming more volatile with each passing second as the scenario played out in my head.

“I’ve obviously never been an easy man to kill, Jaden. But that doesn’t mean others won’t keep trying,” I replied, cracking my neck to ease the growing tension. “I wouldn’t want my death to be a fluke or an accident. I’d rather be pursued by determination—cornered by obsession—and outgunned by spirit. My death ought to be the hardest fucking thing anyone has ever managed to accomplish, which would merit a title they wear with pride. So for the one who actually succeeds, I’ll make sure my death is well-earned for them.”

Jaden was quiet for a moment as she took in my words. She then shook her head as she adjusted her hips in the seat, smirking to herself. “So you want to be a trophy kill,” she stated thoughtfully, and then shrugged. “I’m sure you’d be a nice decoration on your killer’s mantel.”

I smiled at her condescension. “That’s one way of commemorating me. Maybe they’ll pass me down from generation to generation,” I replied, chuckling to myself at the thought.

She hummed in response. “Afraid of being forgotten, are we?”

“No. I’m quite certain my story will live on for a very, very long time, regardless of how it ends.”

She nodded. “You’ll live on even longer when the world eventually discovers the truth behind your wealth.”

I scoffed at that. “I would never live to see it, Jaden. And neither will you.”

I didn’t entertain those possibilities because they would never happen. My connections were too strong and wide for me to ever see the inside of a jail cell—as if one could even hold me. My arsenal of blackmail and favors was too great to overcome. If I went down, the whole world was going down with me. And the world damn well knew it.

“Turn into this next parking lot up on your left,” I said.

Jaden immediately pouted. “But it’s only been twenty minutes.”

“Relax, I’m not shortchanging you. We have dinner reservations. It is our wedding anniversary after all.”

She furrowed her brows but did as I’d asked.

“Pull over toward the back of the building.”

She huffed a breath, shifting gears as she slowed into the parking lot. “Can’t have the valet see a woman driving your car?”

I grinned. “Actually, I wanted to see if you can parallel park.”

She rolled her eyes as she slowly made her way through the parking lot. “What do I get if I can?”

“I’ll give you an additional ten minutes.”

She smirked. “You know, you don’t have to create easy bets to prolong our time. You can just say you like letting me drive.”

“Don’t get too cocky,” I warned. “Pull in right there.” I pointed at a spot near the back of the restaurant between the two parked SUVS of my stationed guards.

Jaden pulled up next to the spot and smoothly backed right in like she’d done it a thousand times. After putting it in park, she turned to me with a knowing expression and then theatrically flipped her hair over her shoulder with a dramatic sigh to boot.

“Nicely done,” I praised her, patting her thigh. I could endure another ten minutes on the way home for her if she was willing to remain this playful. It was too adorable not to indulge while I still could.

She nodded at the wall beside my car door. “I hope that’s enough room for you to get out. Or do you need to crawl over my lap?”

I cocked a brow. “Can you even open your door? You just might be the one crawling over my lap.”

She snorted and then turned to reach for the door. I chuckled as I watched her visibly struggle for a good ten seconds to lift the door on her side of the car, but she finally managed with a good hard shove with her entire body. I opened my door and stepped out with barely three feet of clearance, my body barely fitting through the small space to move around the car.