Chapter 23
Jared paced up and down her bedroom while she bathed.
What should he do?
She was meant to be safe with Zander. Tucked away where no one could reach her.
“You’re going to send her back to Zander?” North asked as he leaned against the wall next to the door.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. If he makes stupid decisions, like letting her live on her own, then he obviously isn’t taking care of her properly.”
“In fairness, no one has ever gone after her. He likely thought that she was safe after all this time.”
“I don’t care what he thought! She was kidnapped because of his incompetence.”
“Yes, I didn’t think you’d like that part.”
“I still feel like you’re hiding something from me.” Jared stalked toward North. He leaned his hands on the wall on either side of North’s head. Then he bent down close. “What is it, North?”
North didn’t blink.
“You can tell me. Whatever it is, I’ll take care of it for you.”
“I’m not helpless. I don’t need you to take care of stuff for me. I explained why I took her. Aren’t you glad she’s here?”
It wasn’t that simple.
“I know you’ve always wanted a Little. Always wanted her.”
Jared grasped hold of North’s chin. Hard. “Remember what I said. She is not a replacement for you. You are enough.”
“I have the emotional capability of a tea bag. I am not enough.”
“What?” That was a bizarre thing for North to say.
“That’s what Angie told me.”
Jared shook his head. That shouldn’t amuse him, but it sort of did.
“Regardless of what you think, boy. You are enough.”
“You deserve more,” North said. “I brought you more. You’re welcome.”
Exasperation filled him. “Why didn’t you tell me straight away that you’d kidnapped her? When you came home smelling of her?”
“I guess I wanted her to submit to this. And then she became ill. And the brat refused to bathe.” Something flitted across North’s face. Too fast for Jared to read it.
What was he thinking about?
“I suppose I also wanted a chance to get to know her . . . to ensure that she was right for you.”
“And what criteria were you basing that off?” he asked.
North shrugged. “I have my ways. You know that.”
“You traumatized her. You said it yourself. She refused to bathe or change clothes.”
“Yes, I thought I was going to have to drug her again to get her undressed.”
“You were going to drug and then undress me?” she asked suddenly.
Jared turned to find her wrapped in a towel with another one around her head.
She looked far cleaner but still worn out.
“Shit. I left your pajamas out here,” Jared said, walking over to grab them. “Go get dressed then we can hook you up.”
“I don’t want an IV,” she said stubbornly, glaring at him then North.
“You’re getting the IV. No arguments,” Jared told her.
She’d get tough love if that’s what she needed to be healthy and safe.
Well, not love.
Angie narrowed her gaze at him. “No arguments?”
He handed the pajamas to her but she just stared down at them.
“Would you like some help putting them on?” he asked.
“No,” she said, snatching them up and disappearing into the bathroom and slamming the door.
“She’s going to be a handful,” North told him.
Jared shot him a look. “Just as well I have you to help.”
North held up his hands. “Nothing to do with me.”
“You brought her here.”
“I’m just the mode of transportation. You were always the final outcome. Not me.” North turned to leave.
“I know there’s something more. I’m going to get to the bottom of this, North. And when I do you’re going to regret keeping things from me.”
There were two reasons that Jared hadn’t gone after her when she’d left after his father’s death. Because he knew she was better off away from him and his family. And because if he saw her again, he’d want to keep her.
He walked back over to North, placing his hand behind his neck and holding the other man tight. Jared pressed himself close so his lips were only an inch or so away from North’s.
“You locked her up and scared her. I would never allow someone to hurt you like that.”
“The difference being that I can’t be hurt,” North told him.
“Don’t start that bullshit with me,” Jared told him in a low voice. “With everyone else you can act the part. But not with me.”
North’s breathing started to grow faster before he visibly took a deep breath in, then let it out slowly
Jared moved his finger along the other man’s lips. “To think that you came so close to being able to come again.”
“Did I?” North asked dryly. “I’m pretty sure that a person can be permanently injured from orgasm denial.”
Nice try.
Jared opened his mouth to reply, but before he could say anything, Angie spoke up.
“Wow. Is that true? How long would you have to be denied an orgasm for it to cause a permanent injury?”
Jared frowned and turned toward her. What the hell? And how had he not heard her re-enter the room?
“Who the hell has been denying you an orgasm?”
Oddly, that question didn’t come from him. He half-turned so he could see North.
But he was just as interested in the answer.
“Did I say that out loud? Crap,” she muttered. “Never mind.”
“No, that’s not the right answer,” Jared told her quietly. “Who have you been involved with? One of Zander’s team?”
“God, no!” she said. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
Hmm.
Time for a reality check.
“It is while you’re under my roof. My house. My rules. Remember?”
She suddenly looked nervous which he didn’t like. Yeah, he could be an asshole. He could be dangerous.
But he’d never, ever harm her.
“I didn’t agree to any of that, remember?” she said with a bravado that he was certain she didn’t feel.
He ran a finger down her cheek. “I’m going to take good care of you while you’re here, Angie. But I am a man who likes to be in charge. You’d do well to remember that. I’m always the boss. And if I’m not around then North is the boss.”
“Ah, no, he isn’t,” she countered. “And I’m not doing what either of you say.”
“Then you’re going to find yourself in trouble,” Jared told her.
“What will you do? Beat me?” she asked.
“Never,” he vowed. “Like I told you, I‘m not my father. I’d never hurt you. What I want to do is very far from hurting you.”
“Unless it’s a hot bottom,” North pointed out. “I told her that I would keep track of her transgressions for you.”
The look she gave North would have fried a lesser person. But North just stared back at her calmly.
“No one is spanking me for what I did while I was kidnapped.”
“You’re right.” Jared nodded. “I won’t spank you for anything you did before I was in charge of you.”
“Grr. You’re not in charge of me.”
“She talked badly about herself,” North said.
“Someone needs to gag you.” She pointed at him.
“Even gagged he has a way of getting his point across,” Jared told her. “And no more talking badly about yourself. I’ve already told you that. If you keep doing it, I might need to gag you.”
Her face shut down.
A trigger.
His fucking father had a lot to answer for.
“We’ll put that on the No list,” he told her.
“No list?” she asked.
“Something you absolutely won’t allow us to do to you,” Jared explained.
“You might as well add spankings to that list. And anything else you come up with.”
“Spankings scare you?” he asked.
Her eyes shot to the side. “Yes.”
Oh, she was so naughty. That was definitely a lie.
“She’s lying,” North said.
“Thank you,” he said dryly. “I couldn’t tell. Lying isn’t allowed, Angie.”
“But kidnapping is?” she cried.
“Under the right circumstances.” Also, North had already been punished.
“What about these circumstances make it right?” she asked.
“I thought you were in danger,” North pointed out.
“I wasn’t!”
“You were living alone, walking around the streets of that town without protection, of course you were in danger,” Jared said, getting upset all over again. “You weren’t being taken care of properly. North was right to take you.”
“You . . . you can’t just steal people who you think might and I stress the word, ‘might’, be in danger.”
“Not people,” Jared said. “Just you.”
“Lucky me,” she replied sarcastically.
God. This was the most alive he’d felt in years.
Could he keep her? The more time he spent with her, the more he didn’t want to let her go.
“You guys can’t keep me. No matter what you think.”
He begged to differ, but he wasn’t going to argue.
“What if you wanted to stay?” he asked.
“What? Why would I want to do that?” she asked as she leaned against the doorway.
Shit.
She needed that IV.
“Because I can keep you safe.”
“Um, that’s rather arrogant to assume, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Have we met before?” he retorted.
She snorted. “Good point. Arrogance is something you wear like a cloak. That doesn’t mean that your supposition is true. I can keep myself safe just fine.”
“Sure you can,” North said. “That’s why you managed to fight your way free when I kidnapped you. Oh, wait . . .”
She frowned at him.
But Jared could see that she didn’t know how to reply.
“What do you have to go home to?” North asked. “What was really there for you?”
She glanced away from them both, swallowing heavily. “Freedom.”
Fuck.
“Freedom is something not everyone in this life gets,” Jared told her gently.
He thought he’d had it, but he’d always been a puppet on the end of a string for his father to manipulate. Sure, you could say he was free from his father now, but the truth was that he was loaded down with responsibilities.
“No one is truly ever free from their responsibilities,” Jared told her. “And what if you could trade your so-called freedom for happiness?”
She rubbed her temple tiredly. Shit.
“We can discuss this later. Once you’re feeling better,” he stated, picking her up and placing her on the bed.
He took it as a sign of how bad she was feeling that she didn’t argue.
“This isn’t necessary,” she said.
“You’re dehydrated,” North stated.
“You’ll feel better once you have the IV,” Jared told her.
“No, I won’t.” She attempted to move away from North, across the bed.
“What’s wrong?” North asked. “There’s nothing in here that will harm you.”
“Says the man who loves to drug me.”
“That was only once. Twice,” he amended.
“Twice?” Jared questioned.
“He gave me sedatives to make me sleep once I was here.”
North shrugged. “You needed to sleep. I did what was necessary.”