Survival

handy with my later attempts of coming and going unnoticed.I would definitely be testing my ninja skills here.
But as I looked atthe walls and ceilings, I noticed little black bulb-like objects stationed in the corners.Fuck, he had cameras everywhere. I thought I had even noticed a fewin my room. I suppose that was to be expected.
Descending the stairs, I looked over the portraitshanging on the wall—family ancestors, no doubt. This sadistic fuckmay actually be a family man. But then I saw him, only it wasn’t;he was young in this portrait, maybe eight or nine years old. Irecognized the hard features of his face immediately as he stoodnext to an older man with dark brown hair and a full beard. Afrail, beautiful woman with longblack hair sat in a chair in front of them while an even youngerchild, maybe four or five, stood beside her as she held a toddlerin her lap; another boy maybe one or two years old. They lookedlike the perfect family.
As I looked them over, I wondered what kind ofmother raised a monster like the one dwelling in this house. Wherewas she? Where was his father? Was he the true responsible partyfor all this? And what about the younger brothers? What were theylike? Questions spun in my head as I continued my way down thestairs, questions I wanted answers to.
Turning the corner at the bottom of the stairs, Ifound the dining room. It was spacious and full of natural lightingas it brought out all the soft chocolate browns and creams of thewalls and pictures. Plants decorated the corner by the large, bay window, and a beautiful dark oaktable sat in the middle of it all with seating for eight people. Agrand chandelier lit the remaining shadows as it hung beautifullyabove the table. A vase of fresh white roses completed the pictureand their scent filled my nose making me feel a little at ease.
That was until I noticed him sitting at the head ofthe table with a newspaper in his hand. He was staring directly atme, and I stopped in my tracks.
“Wow,” he said, looking me up and down. “You lookabsolutely stunning.”
The compliment caught me off guard, and I didn'tknow what else to say but what I truly wanted to.
“I know,” I said with a nonchalant tone, deciding toown his compliment and then shrug it off. It’s not as if I putthat much effort into my appearance, but I knew I cleanedup nice.
“You're welcome,” he said narrowing his eyesat me. Perhaps, I should be alittle more gracious the next time he paid me a compliment. “You’reactually a little early, though.Dinner won’t be ready for another fifteen minutes,” he said lookingat his watch and returning to his newspaper. “But if you’d like, wecan discuss some more pending topics we have yet to shed lighton.”
“Okay,” I drawled, still keeping my distance andplacing my hands on one of the chairs furthest from him.
“Why don’t you have a seat first?” He gestured tothe place setting at his right. I pursed my lips in protest, butslowly made my way and sat down, pushing the chair slightly awayfrom him and crossing my legs.
“Where would you like to begin?” he asked me,amusement gleaming from his eyes.
“I think it’s only fair that you shed some light onyourself,” I said as I eyed the silverware next to the plate, morespecifically the giant steak knife. “I don't know anything aboutyou, and if I'm here to please you, I think I should be wellinformed.”
“A fair point.” He nodded in agreement. “What wouldyou like to know?”
“How about a name?” I replied, turning my eyes awayfrom the knife.
He smiled at me then, entertained by my question,but why the fuck wouldn’t I wantto know his name? I needed it so I could mark it on his gravestone unless he preferred “Here LiesScum of the Earth.”
“My name is Darren Davis,” he said confidently. “Butyou may call me Darren.”
Darren Davis. For whatever reason, I kind ofliked it. It suited him.
“How old are you?” I continued.
“I’m thirty-one.”
Damn, I had to admit, he was doing well forthirty-one.
“Were you born here? Wherever here is.”
“Yes, this is my family’s home. It belongs to menow.”
I was hoping he would give up our location, but Imay have to be more direct with that later.
“What’s your educational background?” I wanted toknow what kind of education he had; if he had even participated in normal civilian liferather than only leading a life of simply selling women to thehighest bidder.
He gave me an odd look but answered my question. “Iwas homeschooled by some the best tutors around the world until Iwent to college.”
“You went to college?”
“I did. I went to Stanford.”
California?
“What did you study?”
“Business, political science, and psychology.”
So he was hot and intelligent. This was a badduo.
“And you graduated?”
“Of course.” He glared at me as if I were accusinghim of dropping out. “My father expected perfection, and he gotnothing less from me. I graduated top of my class with a Master’sin Business and a minor in Political Science. I also have aBachelor’s in Psychology.”
“Congratulations,”I said. “I was in the midst of obtaining my Juris Doctoratefrom Wayne State, so thanks for putting a pause on that.”
That was bold of me, but he deserved to know what heruined for me back home.
“I’m aware of where you went to school. And debtwould have smothered you for the rest of your life. So you’rewelcome.”
I pursed my lips. Ofcourse, he knew what school I attended.
“Yes because Stanford is so cheap,” I countered.What the fuck did he care about my debts?
“Don’t think I went to Stanford with my father’smoney. I was there on an academic scholarship,” he said, leaning inon his forearms as they rested on the table.
“Good for you,” I replied irritably.
He just smirked at me. I was quiet for a few secondsbefore I realized I had an interrogation to finish.
“How about siblings?” I asked, even though I alreadyknew that answer.
“Yes, I also have two younger brothers just likeyou.”
Great, more shit that we have in common.
“Would they happen to be in the same kind ofbusiness as you?”
“More or