20. Max
Chapter 20
Max
I lean forward, adjusting another camera. I’ve been watching her now for the past two days. The bank of monitors before me flicker with different angles of Ava’s room.
I’ll always be watching.
My fingers drum restlessly on the armrest as I recall how she broke one camera, launching the lamp from her bedside table with surprising force.
The screen went to static, then black, and I had to suppress the flare of annoyance that I didn’t want her to feel.
Somehow, I think she’d have liked that.
I was more annoyed because it was the camera with the closest view of her face, the one that let me see every minute expression that crosses her features.
Despite her being here for the short term, I still like to know how she’s feeling.
I don’t know why I care.
I don’t know why I want her to be the one who wants to stay.
To choose me.
After kidnapping her and the anger she is sending through the bond. I doubt that will happen.
She's defiant whenever Silas or one of my staff enters her room. Her back straight, chin lifted, eyes flashing with anger. But when she thinks nobody is watching, she breaks down, silently crying.
In those moments, when her shoulders are slumped, her face crumpled, and her silent tears track down her cheeks, I feel a tug in my chest, an urge to go to her.
An urge I ruthlessly suppress.
I stand, pacing the length of the room, my reflection ghosting across the wall of windows overlooking the sea.
The vast expanse of blue does nothing to calm the storm brewing inside me.
Returning to the monitors, I see she’s standing by the window, her forehead pressed against the glass.
Her eyes are fixed on Silas’ daughter Lily, who sits playing on the grass with her nanny.
Every time Ava sees Lily, her gaze rarely leaves the child.
I rub my chest as a wave of sadness seeps through our bond. Though it’s hard to discern if the feeling is for herself or the child, its intensity takes me by surprise.
Leaning closer to the monitor, I study her face and try to read the thoughts behind her eyes.
Then I tear my gaze away.
I don’t want to see it.
I press my hand on the monitor, and abruptly I turn the camera angle to search the rest of her room.
Anger blooms and my fist clenches at my side, my fingernails digging into my palms as frustration wars inside me.
The tray of healthy food sits untouched on the side table. Another day without sustenance, she’s getting weaker.
Though, that surprises me.
I thought Ava would build her strength. She doesn’t strike me as someone who will stay on this island without at least one attempt at escaping. This passive resistance is unexpected, unsettling me more than I care to admit.
I scrape my fingernails over my stubbled jaw before I reach for the intercom, my voice sharp as I bark out orders.
“Make her eat,” I tell Silas. “And check her temperature while you’re there.”
Minutes later, Silas enters her room and I hope he can make her see sense.
Because until I understand what’s going on in that stubborn, beautiful head of hers, I can’t be sure of anything. And in this game we’re playing, uncertainty is a luxury I can’t afford.
“You need to eat,” Silas says as the door opens to her room.
I lean back in my chair, ankles crossed on my desk, fingers steepled under my chin.
She turns away from the window. “I’m not hungry,” she replies.
Silas sighs. “I don’t want to feed you like a child. Now fucking eat.”
Her back shackles as she glares at him. “No. I’m not eating until you set me free.”
“If you’re pregnant, you’ll be freed in nine months.”
“I don’t want a baby!”
He shakes his head, mystified. “You’re an omega. All omegas want babies.”
Ava’s behavior is a puzzle, one I’m determined to unravel. My eyes flick between the screens, taking in every detail of her posture, her expressions, searching for clues.
“Not this one,” she replies.
Silas chuckles. “That’s fine. You’re only a surrogate, anyway. Then you can go on your merry, thieving way.”
She hisses at him. “I hate you and tell Max that I hate him, too.”
“I don’t care what you think about me.” Silas strides to the table and takes the pregnancy test and hands it to her. “Use it. If you’re already pregnant, you can start counting down the days.”
“And if I’m not, is he going to keep me here until my next heat?” Her voice lifts in fear.
Silas sighs.
“Why are you doing this to me?” Her voice is suddenly much softer, almost scared. Her eyes are almost pleading. “There are plenty of omega agencies. He could have done this with a willing omega.”
“I don’t know,” Silas says.
“Because I want the one who rejected me,” I say to the screen. “The one whose scent matches mine.”
I look at my face on the one black monitor. The crows feet, the glint of silver at my temples. And then I look at her.
Long dark brown hair, bright blue eyes surrounded by luscious thick lashes, pink lips that are turned up at the edges, making her look permanently happy.
And when she smiles, her face lights up like nobody else’s—not that I’ve seen it much.
I can see why she rejected me.
Why would she pick a man twenty years her senior?
I rub at the ache in my chest before I stand once more, moving to the window.
As I gaze out at the rolling waves, my mind races with plans.
If Ava doesn’t want me, I'll still get what I want.
Nothing, including her, will stand in my way.
An hour later, the door to my office swings open. Silas strides in, a rare, enormous smile stretching across his usually stoic face.
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued by his uncharacteristic expression.
“She’s offering you a deal,” he announces, his voice tinged with amusement.
I lean back in my leather chair and pinch the bridge of my nose. “The omega is offering me a deal?” I repeat, my curious tone is mixed with disbelief.
For a moment, I’m completely dumbfounded. The sheer audacity of this woman never ceases to amaze me.
Here she is, my captive, and yet she has the cheek to barter with me. A part of me wants to laugh at the absurdity of it all, while another part admires her spirit.
I school my features into a neutral expression. “What does she want?” I ask, trying to keep the interest out of my voice.
Silas’s smile widens slightly. “She’ll eat her food if you let her out of the room.”
I tap my fingers against the polished surface of my desk, considering. A proposal forms in my mind. “If she eats all her meals with me,” I counter, “she can have the freedom to roam the island whenever she chooses.”
Silas’s smile fades, replaced by a look of concern and a furrowed brow. “Is that wise?” he asks.
I’ll let Ava have this minor victory, but I intend to stay several moves ahead.
I stand, moving to the large window that overlooks the island. “I’ve had cameras placed at every exit point and strategically placed around the island,” I explain, gesturing to the lush landscape before us. “Every angle is covered.”
“And Seb,” Silas reminds me, his voice low and cautious.
I turn back to face him, my expression hardening. “He’s being watched.”
Silas nods, but I can see the doubt in his eyes. “But he's in Ibiza,” he points out. “There’s only one reason he is here. And that's to rescue his omega.”
“My omega,” I correct him sharply, a growl underlying my words.
Is she though?
Silas holds up his hands in a placating gesture. “Of course,” he agrees quickly. “Do you want me to take the offer to her now?”
I move back to my desk, picking up a small box. “I also want a pregnancy test as part of the deal,” I add, tossing the test to Silas. “If she snaps this one, there’ll be consequences.”
I’ll get what I want one way or another, but I never got to where I am today without being ruthless.
Silas catches it deftly, examining it for a moment before tucking it into his pocket. “Anything else?” he asks, his hand on the doorknob.
I pause, considering. “Tell her I look forward to our meals together,” I say finally, a small smirk playing at the corners of my mouth.
As Silas leaves, I turn back to the window, my mind racing with the possibility she might like me.
Although Ava will fight me at every turn, I quite like the push and pull. I know because she’s unwittingly done it with me for over four years.