Page 3 of Broken Obsession

Whether it was a crazy fan or a legitimate lead, he was about to find out.

It was off-season, so the boathouse was currently filled with parked rentals. When he entered through the side door like he’d been instructed, he half expected to be greeted by a security guard, but there was nothing but silence.

A single orange glow flickered from the opposite end of the large building, and Eden carefully weaved between the rows of boats to get to it, keeping his steps as quiet as possible. Whoever was waiting for him obviously knew he was coming, but if there was a chance he could sneak up on them, give himself the opportunity to see who it was first, he’d take it.

The keys to his hoverbike were already in his left hand. If he had to make a run for it, he was prepared to do so.

The light spilled from a foot-wide gap in a door with peeling red paint, and Eden hesitantly pulled it open, wincing as the hinges creaked ominously. He wasn’t a scaredy cat typically, but nothing about this situation was normal.

Least of all, the fact that the adrenaline rush was starting to affect him inotherways.

He glared between his thighs when his dick twitched. It seemed like his body hadn’t caught up with his brain andthought this was merely another kinky play date he’d set up with a guy online. If only.

Actually…

He logged the idea away, momentarily distracting himself by picturing what it’d be like to race through this old building, a masked assailant hot on his heels.

A masked assailant he could control, of course. One who’d signed a contract, and he’d set terms and agreements with. Eden wasn’t about pain or leaving himself open to being accidentally murdered. All of the sites he used to find suitable playmates were aboveboard, even if they were only mostly legal, and had thorough screening processes for all members.

Enraptured was his current favorite, and he haunted the chat forums frequently. He’d only engaged in sexual relations with two other members so far, but the security measures went above and beyond what he’d been looking for. During a session, multi-slates were tracked, and there were check-in protocols that both parties had to follow to avoid having the app's automatic systems alert the police to a potentially endangered person.

This wasn’t a scheduled playdate though, and if whoever had called him here had found him on the app, they hadn’t admitted to it. No one was coming if this ended up being a trap.

Eden was usually smarter than this, but they’d known the one thing to dangle in front of him. The one thing he’d do anything for, including risk his own neck. It also wasn’t something he spoke about openly, which had given this contact even more merit. Since they’d known he’d been searching for his family’s killers, that had to mean they really did have some information.

Right?

The long hallway he’d been walking down finally came to an end. There were two doors, one on either side, but the one to his right had been left ajar.

Eden inhaled a shaky breath and then pressed a palm to the wood, slowly easing it inward. When nothing immediately jumped out at him, he stepped beneath the doorframe and entered a dimly lit room.

There was a click and a flash before a blinding white light illuminated in the center, causing Eden to shield his eyes and curse. After a moment to collect himself, he risked lowering his arm, blinking as he adjusted to the sudden brightness.

A spotlight shone down directly over a man tied to a chair. It left the rest of the room in relative darkness, but Eden hardly noticed, too shocked by the bound form struggling against his bonds.

“Galen?” Eden stared at the private investigator he’d been working with for the past two years.

As soon as the police department had decided to cut the investigation into the murder of his family, the lead officer at the time reached out and offered Galen Stone’s number. The monthly retainer was no small feat, but Eden’s paychecks from Astral Realms provided enough coin for him to be able to afford it and still pay his other bills.

Galen was in his mid-forties, and though he hadn’t yet found anything to incriminate anyone, he was a hard worker, always keeping Eden looped in and up to date with the investigation.

Their last meeting had been a week ago, and the older man had arrived at the Velvet Brew café in a pressed navy suit, wearing a watch even someone in Eden’s financial position wouldn’t be able to afford immediately.

The watch was still there, gleaming in the light on the man’s right wrist, but the rest…He’d seen better days. His whitebutton-up shirt was torn, and blood stained the collar and the front. His pants were covered in dirt and dust, and his gaze, usually collected, was wild as he tried speaking to Eden. The silver strip of tape over his mouth prevented him from getting anything other than rushed mumbles out, however.

Eden instinctively took a step forward, coming up short when another voice suddenly spoke from a dark corner behind and to the left of Galen.

“I wouldn’t do that,” the speaker sounded cavalier and wasn’t familiar.

Eden froze, realizing they weren’t alone and feeling stupid for not assuming that sooner. It wasn’t like Galen would call him out here and tie himself up. He strained to make out anything from that part of the room, but all he was able to catch was the outline of a man.

Broad shoulders and taller than him, if his eyes were correct.

“Who are you?” Eden licked his lips and glanced at Galen. “What’s going on?”

“I wasn’t sure you’d actually come,” the man in the shadows sounded pleased. “It appears we have a love for games in common.”

“I’m not sure I’d consider tying a man up a game.”