Page 24 of Broken Obsession

“Right now, I’m playing the part of the healer.” He shifted onto his knees and set his multi-slate to the side, pulling the box over and popping the top open.

Ares got to work, careful to keep his gaze from wandering to that tempting spot between Eden’s slightly parted thighs. He’d tied him to the chair around his middle, and had secured his ankles to the front legs, and of course had caught a few peeks while doing so, but…

“In another reality,” he gave voice to his tormenting thoughts as he dabbed one of the cuts on Eden’s palm with disinfectant, “maybe I play the role of the villain. Maybe I break in, and I take you on the floor, in the glass and blood splatter. Maybe you’re a virgin, and I break through your tight, unwilling hole, and I—”

“What are you doing?” Eden whispered, but it was obvious he hadn’t heard any of the words Ares had been muttering to himself. Slowly, his eyes blinked open, and he frowned when he found Ares kneeling before him. He tried to get up, hissing when he realized he was bound.

“Relax,” Ares instructed.

“What is this?” Eden did not listen, continuing his struggles so that Ares had to stop tending to the cuts and wait.

“I restrained because I knew you weren’t going to behave,” he said. “Would you like to rethink that, or will I have to knock you out again?”

“You drugged me!”

“Yes.”

“This is my house,” he hissed. “Just because you’ve taken over the company, doesn’t give you the right to show up here unannounced and sneak in!”

“Unannounced?” Ares forced Eden’s hand to open, splaying his fingers so he could dab antiseptic at the smaller cuts. “I told you I was coming. Don’t you remember?”

Eden’s brow furrowed, then it seemed to click. “You can’t be serious?”

“I said I’d see you later.”

“I thought that was a pleasantry!”

“So the idea of seeing me again was pleasing to you?” Ares smirked. “What about the other time then? When I told you I would be in touch?”

“You never—” Eden went quiet, and then his eyes widened, and he took a shaky breath. “You really are him, aren’t you?”

“Who?”

“Lucifer.”

There was that damn name again. Ares scowled. “I don’t know who that is, but it’s good you brought it up. Tell me.”

“The masked stranger from the boat house,” Eden rushed out. “You. Don’t deny it, I know it was you.”

He cocked his head. “My name isn’t Lucifer.”

Eden inhaled slowly as if trying to gather patience. “That’s not…You didn’t exactly tell me your name after you murdered Galen Stone. Whatever. What are you doing here,Mr. Major?”

“Ares,” he insisted. “I’m four years younger than you.”

His eyes narrowed. “Is that really important right now?”

“You don’t think so?” Ares beamed. “It’s good you’re into younger guys. Or do you believe age is just a number?” He hummed. “As long as everyone’s legal, why not, right?”

“I’m going to be honest here. I’m pissed off, freaked out, and I really want to punch you. Again. So just tell me what the hell you’re doing here. Did you come to kill me?”

“Kill you? Don’t be absurd.” Ares finished with his hand and then grabbed a clean swab and stood, intent on working on the man’s face next. “Would I be patching you up if I wanted to kill you?”

“You didn’t come here to take my life then?”

“Of course I did.” Ares pressed the swab to the corner of Eden’s mouth, clicking his tongue when the voice actor snapped and pulled away as far as he could. “Behave.”

“You just said you were going to kill me!”