“Aiden?”
More silence, but his strides turn wider.
Did I mention how much it sucks to be on his bad side? Who thought someone like Aiden would use the silent treatment?
I jog and stand in front of him with both my arms flung wide.
He halts and cuts me a glare so harsh, it’s like he’s slicing me open with knives. His knuckles tighten around the tray.
“W-what is it?”
This side of him always puts me on high alert. Aiden isn’t the type who parades his emotions so freely. The fact that he seems close to combusting means something disastrous is bound to happen.
“Say something.” I push when he remains silent yet again.
“Stay away from my father.” He enunciates every word in a near growl.
“I didn’t approach him, I —”
“I don’t give a fuck about what you did or didn’t do. You don’t speak to Jonathan. You don’t shake hands with him, and you certainly don’t fucking talk to him. When you see him, you turn and walk in the opposite direction. Is that clear?”
My head spins. “Why?”
“Because I fucking said so.”
“I’m sorry, your majesty, but I don’t do things because you fucking said so.”
“Elsa…” He growls, deep and low.
“Tell me why.”
“This is one of the times where you just say yes and don’t argue with me.”
“Or what?”
His metallic eyes turn calculative. “Or I’ll get Reed drunk and let Knight take her home.”
“You… wouldn’t.”
“Watch me.” He brushes past me into a room.
My heart skips a beat.
I just provoked the ugly, monstrous side of Aiden. The side who doesn’t care who he hurts as long as he gets what he wants.
For him, Kim is just a means to an end — which is me. He used her before and will use her again to prove he can make me agree to whatever he wishes.
He knows how much Kim means to me and that I won’t hesitate to protect her.
What he doesn’t know is that two can play this game.
This time, Aiden isn’t going to win.
Chapter Forty-Two
I should’ve known that this night will be a disaster the moment Cole and Kim walked into the theatre room together.
Or when Xander’s jaw ticked.