I turned to face her. “Everything is in place, yes.”
“Good. Everyone is anxious, and excited, to see you step into your father’s shoes. Tonight will be your chance to prove yourself to the rest.”
I nodded and turned before walking out of the room.
She was right. For the first time since taking my father’s place, I would be under the scrutinizing eyes of every Fattore man and their associates. Tonight would be the night I showed everyone I was worthy of being the family’s leader.
Tonight…herpenance would begin.
***
I stared at the monitor. Tatum was sitting on the bed, huddled in her usual way. I took about ten minutes to go through the footage of what she had been up to the last few hours while I was gone. The entire time she sat in utter darkness, yet she didn’t seem rattled more than usual. Even on the footage taken earlier, all she did was sit on the bed…lie down…sit back up…lie back down.
No screaming, no swearing, no begging—nothing.
I pressed the button on the keyboard, and the lights inside the room went on. Quickly, she pushed herself back against the headboard, immediately glancing up toward the door like she was expecting me.
Well, then, let’s not disappoint.
I grabbed the bottle of water on the table, and with a push of a button, the door opened. There I was, staring at the woman still sitting on the bed, not even attempting to move.
“Hello, Tatum.”
She didn’t reply.
I stepped into the room. “Did you enjoy your time in the dark?”
Still no reply from her.
I snorted, finding her lack of response quite amusing.
I walked up and stopped about two feet away from where she sat. “Do you have no words, little mouse?”
Her blue eyes met mine. “No words I want to waste on you, no.”
I smiled. “At least I won’t have any trouble with you not knowing when to shut up.”
Her eyes narrowed, and I shot her a smug grin before tossing her the bottle of water.
She caught it before it connected with her face. “What is this?”
I cocked a brow. “What does it look like?”
“The last time something looked like water to me, it wasn’t.”
“Check the seal of the bottle. It hasn’t been opened yet. You can drink it.” I made sure I chose my words right. She needed to stay hydrated, and if I had to let it sound like I was commanding her to drink the damn water, she wouldn’t. And besides, there was still plenty of time for me to get her begging on her knees like a worthless piece of flesh.
Hesitantly, she started to twist open the cap. She first smelled the water before taking a tiny sip. The second she tasted that it was clean water, she gulped down the entire bottle like a sheep deprived of water for weeks.
Water escaped her mouth as she struggled to swallow it all, yet she refused to drink any slower. Tiny droplets moved down the sides of her mouth, over her jaw, trickling down her neck. I licked my lips. The fair, soft skin hidden beneath the dirty strands of hair hanging over her shoulders somehow enticed me, and I couldn’t miss the movement of her throat as she swallowed.
When she was done, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before placing the empty bottle on the bed.
“If you expect a thank you, you’re not going to get one.” Her gaze remained fixed on mine, and I saw the resolve swirl around in a whirlpool of hate and disdain. I loved it.
Placing my hands in my pants pockets, I continued to stare back at her. “I wouldn’t expect any good manners from a girl like you.”
“Woman.”