Page 26 of Survival

“What,” I said with a little more attitudethan I had meant, but I was fucking busy right now.

“I know what you're doing,” he said angrily.“And you better knock it the fuck off.”

“The fuck are you talking about,” I said,trying to keep focus, but my body was starting to waver.

“You think I don’t know what you’ve beendoing?”

“You said I could work out.”

“Yes, I said you could work out, nottrain.”

I let out a small laugh. “So I am a threatto you, after all.”

“Don't flatter yourself," he retorted."You're training because you think you have a shot at escaping me.This is the kind of thinking that warrants punishment, Jaden, and Iwon't have it.”

Shit, he was on to me already.

Just play dumb, Jaden.

“No idea what you're talking about. This ishow I work out, and I am this close to beating my record, so can webe done here, already?”

Yeah, that little bit of attitude wasprobably a bad idea, but I hated being interrupted when I wastrying to focus on something. Fuck, thirty-five seconds.

Darren was silent for a second, and Ithought he was going to hang up, but then my wrists were suddenlypulled together and I was completely thrown off balance. Luckily, Itucked into myself as I fell and rolled down before landing on thecarpet with a grunt.

“What thefuck!” I shoutedatthe phone,pissed that Darren had screwed up my focus. “Thanks for fucking upmy concentration, asshole!”

“One more unwarranted word and I will setoff your collar. Do you understand me, Jaden?” he seethed from theother line.

I hesitated for a moment, afraid if I spoke,he might activate it anyway, but I knew he wanted a verbalanswer.

“Yes,” I said tentatively, my wrists tightagainst my chest. I really didn’t want to relive the pain ofyesterday.

“I don’t give a shit what you’reconcentrating on. When I address you, I expect all of yourattention, not half of it. And if you want to continue to avoidthat shock from your collar, I suggest you keep your smart mouth incheck before you open it. I won’t tolerate that kind of disrespectfrom you, little girl.”

My mouth stretched into a tight line.

Bitch, call me little one more time and I’llshow you just how little your brain is.

“I also hope next time you'll think twicebefore lying to me again. I told you before that I will know if youare, and I can only tell you how lucky you are that I am not thereright now.”

I heard someone say something to Darren on his sideof the phone. Someone must have come into his office. “Hang on!” heshouted to whoever it was.

“Just so you know, Scott has been authorized to useforce if he has to, so don’t push him. I don’t want to have to comehome any earlier than I already am.” He hung up before I had achance to reply.

I sat thereonthefloor and glanced over atScott,who only glared back at me before pocketing his phone and headingback out into the hallway.

Asshole.

I remained on the floorand waited several minutes for Darren to release my hands andankles. When it never came, I finally decided, fine, I would showhim I still wasn't completely immobile. I pressed the back of myhands flat against the top of my head and pushed off the floor withmy feet, essentially somersaulting to the bathroom to clean myselfup.

In mid-somersault andabout three feet from the bathroom door, my hands and ankles werereleased from the force that held them together and I stood up as Irolled out of the somersault. I turned back to the bedroom for onlya second to glare into the room and then headed into the bathroom,my workout effectively ruined.

Remembering my hair was going to need to bewet anyway if I was going to get it cut, I took another shower andfigured I would just reapply my makeup anyway. By the time I wasdone, it was 12:30 and I hurried over to the table to eat my lunch.It was a simple salad with lots of veggies and Italian dressing.Not much for carbs, but it would haveto do. After I finishedthe salad and downed the bottle of water, I hunted down thesimplest dress I could find. I found one that was a bright oceanblue with a flowing skaterskirt,slipped thaton,and changed mythong and bra again. Ten minutes had passed and I heard anotherknock at the door.

Right on time.

I walked over to the door, not bothering toput shoes back on and slowly opened it, afraid it might just beScott again. When I did, there were two much older women standingin front of me, with Scott standing right fucking behind them, anasty warning glare on his face.