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Hearing the command coming from Colton sent a jolt through Ze and he tensed, his cock twitched in his jeans.

“Well, someone’s got the whip,” Bruiser teased Ze and took a swig of his beer.

“Who is he?” Snoopy asked, a frown on his face.

Ze ignored Bruiser and Snoopy, his thoughts on what Colton wanted.

“Are we going to have a problem with this guy? You seem on edge,” Wolf asked Ze.

Ze shook his head. “No. I’ll deal with him.” He walked off before anyone could stop him. He wasn’t sure if he could deal with him or why Colton had been so bold as to walk right into his fucking clubhouse. He stepped outside to see a few of his club brothers standing by and Colton leaning against the wall. “You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve coming here.”

“I came because we have unfinished business,” Colton said. “Let’s go to your apartment.”

Ze arched his eyebrow. “Oh, and to think I was trying to figure out how to get past your security system, Colton.”

At the mention of his name, Colton froze.

Ze smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I know all about you and your little double life. But like you said, let’s finish this. Follow me.” He opened the door to the other half of the building and Colton followed him as he led him up to his apartment. As soon as Colton closed the door, Ze kicked him in his chest and his body slammed up against the door and he grunted from the impact. Before Ze could follow it up with another move, Colton dodged, then countered with a punch, catching Ze on the jaw. The pain was jarring but didn’t throw him off his game.

“I need–” Colton tried to explain to Ze the reason why he was there, but the other man was on him again dealing out a flurry of punches and kicks that he had to defend against. Colton caught a punch to his face, but spun around with a backhand to Ze’s face. He grabbed Ze and slung him across the room. Ze’s body slid along the floor and slammed into the kitchen cabinets. Ze scrambled to his feet, his back to Colton as he faced the stove.

“Will you fucking listen to me!” Colton roared as he stomped over to Ze. “I only came–Ow! Fuck!” he cried out after Ze slammed a skillet with dried egg into his face causing him to stagger back. He could feel his blood dripping into his mouth and his lip stung. His temple throbbed, but he had the clarity to dodge another swing of the pan. Colton ducked up and kicked Ze’s legs out from under him, then pounced on the man once he was on the floor. He held Ze’s hands down, stopping him from hitting him with the pan again.

“That won’t work a second time,” Ze snapped. He released the pan and leaned over, biting Colton’s arm. Colton growled in pain and let go of one of Ze’s wrists, then punched him in his stomach, forcing Ze to release his bite. Ze groaned from the blow, but with his hands now free, Ze reached up, grabbing Colton’s neck, and dug his fingers into the man’s flesh. Colton gripped Ze’s wrist, but couldn’t get his hold off, not without risking a worse injury. He released Ze’s other wrist, then held both his hands up, surrendering. Ze frowned. “You’re fucking giving up?”

Colton nodded. “I… just… want… to talk,” he managed to say with strangled pants.

Ze’s chest heaved but as he began to calm down, he realized that Colton never came at him like he had both times they’d fought. The lethal intensity wasn’t in his maneuvers. Could it be true that the assassin wasn’t there to kill him? He released Colton’s throat. “What do you want?”

Colton coughed as he struggled to get air into his lungs. He could feel stinging from the nail marks Ze left on his neck. He knew the man would have ripped his throat out had he made the wrong move… or would he? Zaire didn’t have to stop just because Colton put his hands up.

“You’re… in danger,” Colton warned.

“From you?” Ze asked, his gaze still sharp as he watched Colton. He had to fight hard to resist his urge to push Colton to the floor and ride him hard. Even the woodsy smell of the man’s soap was like an aphrodisiac to him.

Colton shook his head. “My client hired another assassin to take you out because I failed to do so in the time frame. My brother is also coming for you to finish the job before the other assassin can so that my family gets the full fee and our reputation remains intact.”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” Ze snapped. “Who the fuck is your client and why does he want me dead?”

Colton licked his lips and looked away. Giving up client info was one of the rules that you just didn’t break in his line of work. “I can’t.”

“If you’re not here to kill me yourself, then I need to know so I can take care of him,” Ze said. “I don’t have time for this shit. As long as your client is alive, he’s obviously not going to stop until I’m dead.”

“Look, we need to take care of this assassin who’s coming for you,” Colton said. “If anyone’s going to kill you, it will be me.”

“Then do it,” Ze challenged, chin raised as he stared at Colton.

Colton stared back, then he gripped a handful of Ze’s hair, pulling his face to his. “You’re mine,” he growled.

“Your what? Mark? I’m nobody’s fucking mark,” Ze shot back.

Colton looked at his mouth and just like before in the hotel, he couldn’t help himself. He kissed Ze and something instinctual ignited in Ze and he kissed him back. This man was everything that Ze wanted, why the fuck did he have to be his enemy?

Colton pulled back and sighed. “No, you’re not my mark… not anymore. I realized the moment my brother told me another assassin was coming for you, that I didn’t want… fuck!” he cursed and looked away, releasing Ze’s hair.

Ze grabbed his chin, forcing Colton to look at him. “You didn’t want what?”

Colton huffed. “I didn’t want… you to die.”