Descent (Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell)

you, but I need to be looped in. I tried to touch on this earlier, but I was being a brat, so we didn’t get
anywhere. When I was asking about the rules and limits. It was a real question, I was just mad, so I
wasn’t approaching it in a level-headed, communicative way. But I do need to know exactly what it is
you want out of this, because… I mean, that’s the only way I can adjust my own behavior and
expectations accordingly.”
He’s following me, which isn’t surprising. The man is a lunatic, but all signs indicate he must
also be intelligent. “All right. What specifically are you asking?”
I feel like an absolute idiot asking are we dating? like I’m a hair-twirling high school girl, but I
need to know. “I’m yours as long as I have to be. I get that. But what does that mean exactly? Am I
your prisoner? Your girlfriend?”
“Why not both?” he jokes.
At least, I think he’s joking.
“You’re not free to leave,” he says, “so in the strictest sense, I suppose you’re my prisoner. If
you choose to think of it that way, I can’t imagine you’ll be very happy. If you’d rather be happy, then
consider yourself my girlfriend.”
“But girlfriends are free to leave.”
“Then you’re my girlfriend, asterisk.”
I crack a smile. “Your girlfriend, asterisk?”
He shrugs. “It’s the best I’ve got for you.”
“All right. What sort of rights and freedoms does an asterisked girlfriend have? Will I ever get
my phone back?”
“Yes, when I decide you’re ready to have it back.”
That’s annoying, but I’m picking my battles tonight. “I don’t understand why I’m not allowed to
have it. I need it for work. I need it to talk to my friends and family. There’s this stupid mobile game I
like to play and you are seriously threatening my daily login streak. These are my imperative reasons
for having a phone. It’s not like I’m going to call for help. You’re blackmailing me, that’s the whole
point. And what would I even say? ‘Help, help, a gorgeous rich guy is holding me against my will in
his beautiful penthouse where a private chef cooks all my meals and I’m free to work if I want to and
snuggle my cat all day long!’ No one would believe me.”
Calvin smirks. “I’m not worried about that.”
“Then what’s the deal?”
“I have my reasons,” he says vaguely, but doesn’t bother to elaborate on what those reasons are.
“Anything else, or is your phone all you’re worried about?”
“Well, my login streak. Obviously, it’s a valid concern.”