Set free

Chapter 17 Niko POV

I watched her walk back off in shock. I didn't expect that from her. She had been so meek and timid. Even though the words were spoken barely beyond a whisper, they were a shot back, a daring thing for her to do, to talk back to me. But what p*ssed me off was that she had just compared me to him.

Had she really just stated I was like her father ?

I shot from my chair, anger lacing through me as I chased after her. I walked through the kitchen and saw Janey there, her brows lowered as she looked off in the direction that she would have just disappeared in. I went to march past her, to go confront the little thing about what she had just said when Janey appeared in front of me, her hand on my chest stopping me in my tracks.

" What did you just say to her ? " She asked me. I looked down at her nose flaring as my anger radiated from me, but Janey looked nowhere near intimidated or impressed. She just looked at me with a steady gaze, waiting for my answer. Janey had never flinched at my anger, not once. " Nothing " I hissed out, and at that she just raised a brow at me and sighed.

" Niko, why did you bring that girl here ? " She asked instead.

I looked at where she had gone, wanting to, I don't know what I wanted to do, scream at her, punish her, push her against the f*cking wall and smash my lips on hers until I had taken all of her breath away. Strip her bare and destroy that air of innocence she carries around everywhere with her.

Instead, I took a deep breath and looked back at Janey.

" She is leverage" I told her instead.

" So you kidn*pped her , to use her against her father ? " She asked me. When I nodded, I saw a look of disappointment on her face. She stepped back and shook her head.

" Boy I have seen and watched you do some questionable things over the time I have known you, but I know your heart, so I know whatever you did was to bad people. Even though your career choice is not the most ethical, I know you have morals, and you have limitations that most don't. I know you would never have hurt and innocent, not intentionally you have a savior streak in you, " She stated, and when I looked at her in confusion and disbelief, she laughed and shook her head.

" Me, Nick, Tarrick and most of the men in your inner circle all rescued from one messed-up life or another. Whatever " she waved her hand at me when I just glared at her.

" My point is that the girl is not her father, and from what I hear, she is as much a victim of that man's evilness as you are. She is innocent Niko in all of this. She seems like a sweet girl. k********g her tsk" she shook her head and tutted at me. " Just don't punish her for him being a monster " she stated, and then walked out of the room.

I stood there for a moment , then growled and carried on my path to her. Either way, she just accused me of being him. I couldn't stand for that. I went into her room and saw it empty. The shower was on, so I stormed to the door and just as I was about to turn the handle there, just under the sound of the shower, I heard her sobs. My hand paused, hovering over the handle, I felt my teeth snap shut and my eyes close. Her sobs seemed to magnify and that was all I could hear now, no running water. Just her. Something deep down inside of me cracked and splintered, something that had been hollow and bottomless for a long time thumped against my chest.

Blowing out a frustrated breath, I dropped my hand and turned from the room, marching over to the control room. I saw Tarrick there. When he looked up at me, he looked a little sad, then I saw on the main screen was her room. The sound was on and even over the sound of water on the audio you could hear her faintly.

" WHAT ? " I snapped at him, he flinched back, the look he was giving me I didn't like. It was near the same look Janey had given me.

He cleared his throat and turned away, muting the sound. " Nothing boss " he stated.

" When she comes out of there, take her a computer with a catalog of clothes on it, let her order whatever she needs. Keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't try to use it to make contact with anyone. When today's supplies come, there are things on the shopping list that are for her. I'll send you the list, make sure she gets them and remove all other soaps and stuff from her room. Those will be what she uses from now on "I hiss at him, and then I urn to leave.

I paused at the door, not turning to look back at him. " And Tarrick remember who she is. Don't get soft on her, I see you do anything to jeopardise this. Your head is on the line "I snapped, then marched off to my room and changed into my running clothes.

I bolted out of the house like I was running from something and headed to the beach. My feet pounded the sand as I took my anger out on it. She had been here for such a short time, and already she was turning my own people against me, making them pity her. Sweat dripped down my bare back as I pushed my body hard, my anger wasn't disappearing. Her words echoed in my head and only made me madder. Then the sound of her sobs and what that had made me feel started to fuel my anger. I shouldn't feel anything towards her pain. Nothing, I should wallow in it, enjoy it like I will when I hear her father plead and beg for his life. It should sound like the sweetest thing in the world, so why the f*ck did it not ? I had gotten too close to her, it was her. She was a siren of some sort, she had to be. On my way back, maybe an hour or two later after I felt like I had truly punished my body, I stopped my hands on my hips and looked towards the house, breathing hard, my skin slick, and looked towards the house. More like towards her window, I saw her there staring at me, but as soon as she saw I was looking, she moved.

Without thought, my feet moved on their own accord. I should have just left it, cooled down and stayed clear, but of course I didn't.