บท 15: Choices and Consequences

(TYLER)

Sasha's growling voice gives me a tinge of unease. He is one touchy sensitive person that takes offense even in the littlest of things, which explains why he is mad I didn't call him exactly at midnight. Or perhaps he just hates being told the truth for what it is. But with how things are taking route, we are going to have to be honest, one way or the other. "I'm not lecturing you. All I'm trying to do is level with you so that you see we both need this."

"You need to do whatever I tell you when I tell you. I expect you to follow my instructions to the letter." He says harshly. But who knows, maybe this is just another front to intimidate me. They work though, well, for the most part.

"Okay." I make sure to sound calm even though I hate how entitled he feels that he even gets the idea that he can begin to order me around. I only just accepted his proposal!

"Okay? That's it? No smart-ass reply?" he quirks a brow.

I am silent for a few stretched seconds. I'm burning with rage, and after what he did today, he sure can't expect me to have good answers for him. I'm sure he knows I'm summoning all my willpower to stay calm right now. "I didn't know you were this literal. But now I know. When you say no later than midnight, you mean no later than midnight."

There's another uncomfortable silence for a bit. "So, why did you change your mind?" he finally asks.

I'm not sure if that is a question he wants me to answer. He knows damn well what he did, and that I have no place to go. He made sure to sabotage all my options. Maybe he just wants me to admit it out loud. But I will not give him the satisfaction. So, I lie. "The idea of regular meals and a warm bed sounded good."

He laughs, and that makes me grow gooseflesh. What's there laugh about? "You're sure it has nothing to do with the cops raiding the shelter?"

I grit my teeth as anger surges through me, but I push it down. He already did enough to humiliate me back at the camp, and as if that wasn't enough, he still wants to humiliate me here right in his face. "That was a nice way to say hello." I smile tightly.

"You sound more insolent rather than grateful." He says flatly. "I gave you a fair warning out of the kindness of my heart."

Fair warning? This man is unbelievable. This time I have to slap my palm over my mouth just in case I blurt out something insensitive or cuss at him. Once I'm sure that I'm more I'm control, I nod curtly. "Yeah, and I received the message."

"I know my guys didn't make you popular nice they left, or did they?" he says amusedly, which I find odd. Why does he take pleasure in taunting me?"

"Sadly no." I sigh. "Why did you have to go after people who have no idea what your deal is with me?"

"Easy. I needed you to fall in line. You decided to prove stubborn and I knew threatening you wasn't enough, which is why I went after them. That's what I knew it would take to get you to cooperate. Threaten the people around you."

I feel irritated at the mention of that. Was he stalking me? How does he know that about me? It's all hard to comprehend because Sasha seems to not run out of these bizarre acts. I brush it off. "You already did, so here I am. What now?"

"Do you mean if I accept your fawning apology?"

"I'm not fawning. And I don't remember apologizing." I'm trying so hard to be conciliatory with him but he is making it difficult because he keeps mentioning insensitive things. "I'm only agreeing to this because I see the need to and we'll both benefit from it. So can you tell me what happens next?"

He hesitates and then clears his throat. "I'm sending Miles to come pick you up."

"Now?" I yelp, "Why so fast?"

Of course, I understand that it was a matter of urgency. Not that I have better options or a place to lay tonight, but that was fast. For starters, things would be awkward if I met him right away. I don't fancy him seeing me this desperate. Maybe I'd groom a little better and do something to hide my burst lip and the bruises all over my body. Sure, I'd still look desperate, but not like I do now.

"Unless you prefer to spend the night in that stinky bathroom, I'm giving you an option."

"How the hell do you know where I am?" The fact that he seems to know everything doesn't sit tight with me. It makes me even more uneasy. I kept glancing around when I was on my way here, just to make sure I wasn't followed, yet somehow, he still tracked me.

"I know where you are and what you do at all times, Tyler. The sooner you accept that the sooner you'll stop fighting me. And we can focus on how to work out this arrangement. From today onwards we are going to do things my way."

From today onwards. That's too much entitlement even for him. "Haven't we been doing them your way since?"

"Miles will be there in 30 minutes." He answers, ignoring what I asked him.

Even though he is now relented, I'd be lying if I said it gave me relief. But I'm well aware that the alternative is worse. I have no idea what my life will be like from this point on, and in all honesty, it makes me nervous. I just said yes to living in a viper's den, but then I glance around at my filthy, stinky surroundings, the smell of sewer gas and bleach wafting up my nose and decide that I have made the right choice after all.