The Price Of Love

Chapter 20

Jay's POV

I lean back in my chair, staring at the pile of paperwork in front of me that I'm no closer to finishing than I was thirty minutes ago.

All hope of ever getting this shit done goes down the drain when I hear Talia's bedroom door open.

Looking up, I see her walk out from the hallway, freezing in place when she sees me at the kitchen table. She quickly glances away.

"Sit," I tell her since we have some stuff to talk about. After she passed out yesterday, she's been asleep ever since.

Talia walks into the kitchen, not sparing me a glance.

My eyebrows shoot up as I stare at her. She reaches up and opens a cabinet, grabbing a glass. "Talia," I say, and her movements still for half a second before she puts the glass down and closes the cabinet.

I can't help but smile at the fact Talia is ignoring me.

I stand up, before purposely making my steps heard as I slowly walk over to her. Her back is turned to me, and I see her tense up, her hands gripping the counter while staying perfectly still as I stop directly behind her.

"Talia" I whisper, and her head drops, making my smile grow. I gently turn her around, and she glares up at me.

"Got something to say?" I ask amused, and she scowls, seeming more pissed off.

"I don't have time for this. You either tell me why you're mad, or get over it" I tell her bluntly, and she stands up straighter, squaring her shoulders as she meets my eyes.

"I know we're not friends- at all, but you were seriously going to just let them kill me?" She chuckles in disbelief, hurt flashing in her eyes before the glare is back.

I find myself rolling my eyes "This again?" I mumble, my amusement long gone, annoyance taking its place.

"What if they called your bluff? I would have been killed!" She yells, and I stare at her for a second. "They wouldn't," I tell her.

She scoffs. "How do you know!" She shouts, and I sigh. "Because that would be the equivalent of shooting themselves in the foot. You were blackmail. If they kill you, there'd be nothing stopping me from killing them. They knew that. And I proved that when I shot that guy and he did nothing to you" I tell her, already knowing she won't understand.

I leave out the part about how I got us kidnapped intentionally. I could have easily thought of a way to get her out of there without so much as a scratch on her head, but I couldn't give up the opportunity to blow up one of Abigail Robinsons' buildings. Something tells me she won't be so understanding if I told her that.

"You seem awfully sure of that" She mutters. "Because I am. I don't doubt myself" I say, and she rolls her eyes at my answer.

"And why are you mad? You're the one who pulled a fucking knife on me and tried to have this argument while we were kidnapped in a basement" I scold, letting some of my own frustration out.

She drops her head again, and I freeze when I hear her sniffle. She shrugs her shoulders. "You deserved it" She mumbles, her voice cracking.

It goes silent between us, while I remind myself seeing her cry shouldn't bother me. I won't let it.

I step closer to her, placing my hands on the counter on either side of her, caging her in. She snaps her head up, her wide glossy eyes staring at me while I lean in.

"You have to learn that shit like this may happen a lot. And I might say some shit, that may upset your little feelings, but you suck it up. Because that's not what's important. Staying alive is" I mutter, not caring to soften my words.

Would she have rather I got on my knees and begged and cried they let her go? That would have gotten us both killed. They don't know what Talia is to me. They may know she's my maid, but they weren't sure if that's as far as our relationship goes. Of course I'm going to lie if it means preventing her from becoming a main target.

She glares, looking behind my shoulder as more tears spill from her eyes, but I grab her jaw and force her eyes on mine.

"But if you ever pull any shit like that again, I'll-" "Kill me?" Talia cuts me off, glaring at me worse than before.

"No," I say since I've never been a fan of bluffing. I know I couldn't kill Talia. Which is a major issue, one I'm working on.

She stares at me, her eyebrows pinching together as she looks at me confused. "Then what will you do?" She mumbles, looking a bit wary as she waits for my answer.

"Want to find out? Try it again" I whisper, which roughly translates to, 'I don't fucking know, since I have a feeling hurting you will also be off the table for me'.

I take a step back from her, and she takes a massive deep breath as soon as I'm away.

I smile slightly as I turn to walk away.

"I quit".

I freeze in my spot, glad my back is turned so she didn't get a chance to see the look of horror on my face. I quickly mask it.

She can't quit.

I believe she's the only thing keeping me sane these days.

"No," I say without a second thought.

"What?" She mumbles, and I turn back around, crossing my arms over my chest. "No" I repeat.

Even if I wanted her to quit, I can't let her. She knows my address. If she were to quit, she'd just get moved to another house within our organisation. But since she knows where I live, she won't be able to. We cannot afford information like that to get out. And I'm not moving house after I'm just getting settled it.

"I'm not going to clean your house" Talia says, and I shrug. "Then don't".

She stares at me confused. "Fuck you" She whispers, and I hum, turning just in time so she doesn't catch my smile.

I walk back over to the kitchen table, sitting down in my previous spot while she storms off to her room, slamming her door shut loudly behind her.