Page 10 of Sadist

She opened her mouth and shut it again, indignation winning the war as she simply glared at me for a long moment.

“What the actual fuck? Am I…hungry?”

I shrugged, turning and strolling to the kitchen.

“I’m hungry. I assumed you would be too, considering most of your food is spread around the walls of cell three.” I contemplated my neatly organized cupboards for a moment before grabbing a couple cans of soup and eyeing her over my shoulder. She hadn’t moved. “No?”

“I don’t want your food,” she hissed. “I want out of whatever bullshit my father has gotten involved in.”

I hummed noncommittally, searching for a can opener.

“I can’t help with that one, Sweets.”

“You could let me go,” she said, her tone changing.

I glanced at her with a raised brow as I dumped the congealed mess of soup into a pot.

“Could I?”

“Yes.” She got up from her stool, eyeing me with more than a little calculation as she crossed the space between us.

Leaning against the counter, I folded my arms and waited.

“You’re not like them,” she said, her eyes searching mine for what I assumed was any sign of leniency. “You wouldn’t letthem hurt me. Let me go—you know this is wrong, Theo. I never wanted to be caught up in his drama. I won’t say anything…or even let William know I have escaped. You can do whatever you need to do with him, and I will just disappear…”

I let the silence stretch between us, chewing my lip as I eyed her.

“Please,” she murmured, those pretty eyes of hers widening a touch. “I’ll be so good. No one will know. I’ll leave the country today.”

Oh yes, she would beg beautifully given the chance.

“Octavia…I can’t. Even if I wanted to.”

“Yes, you can,” she pushed, reaching to rest a hand on my arm. “Just leave and don’t lock the door.”

“And tell my employer I let you slip through my fingers?” I countered.

“No one has to know,” she pushed. “You could tell them I couldn’t take the stress, and I ended myself…You got rid of my body.”

I let my gaze rest on that warm touch for a moment. The heat of it slowly seeped into my skin and I forced myself not to drop my arms, though it was an effort. The intimacy of touch was something I was never comfortable with, even when it was being inflicted on me by something as pretty as her. “I think Daddy Vanguard would guess very quickly we no longer had you in our possession,” I said quietly.

She scoffed. “He won’t know.”

“No?” I studied her face.

“N—” She cut off suddenly, her gaze sharpening as her hand fell away from my arm.

I gave her a slow smile.

“It’s not that he doesn’t believe the validity of your capture, is it, Sweets?” I asked softly.

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

“What is it?” I pushed. “Your mother wanted her inroad to the Vanguard fortune? A little security deposit in the form of an oopsie baby? Does daddy not love you like he should, Octavia?”

“Oh, get fucked,” she hissed.

“Are you offering?” I let my gaze run appreciatively down her body as the soup began to bubble behind me, ignored.

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