Page 48 of Broken Obsession
“Look,” Eden turned in his seat so he could face Ares, “let’s get something straight before we continue whatever this thing between us is. I keep saying it, but you’re not hearing me, so let this be the last time I lay it all out there, yeah? I’m not Ransom, and I’m not Starling. I’m just me. I’m Eden. If that’s not going to be enough for you, or ifI’mnot what you’re looking for, just tell me now. We can still end it here.”
“That’s not what I want.”
“Relax, I’ll put out tonight, a deal is a deal, but we can forget about the rest. You got me my first lead in years, and despite how you went about it or the way you’ve swept like a tsunami into my life, I’m grateful for that. I’m sure I can take this information tosomeoneand—What?” He glared when Ares chuckled.
“It’s interesting you haven’t figured it out already,” Ares replied.
“Figured what out?”
“With your daddy kink, you really should have realized just what kind of force you’re up against here.”
“Okay, I don’t have a daddy kink, asshole. Explain.”
He shrugged a single shoulder. “Zonnie Dephik is the sole heir of InDepth United. His father owns half this city and even has several businesses in Aeternus. A single investigator in his pocket going missing is one thing, but that’s his son’s corpse currently rotting in the boathouse. You made a choice, Eden, and choices have consequences.”
Eden was quiet for a moment and then said, “You think Daven Dephik will come after me.”
“If he can figure out you’re partially responsible for Zonnie’s death? Absolutely.”
“And how would he do that?” The suspicion in his tone was impossible to miss, and Ares didn’t bother pretending to.
He smirked.
“You’re threatening me right now,” Eden stated incredulously.
“Those types of people aren’t above using violence to get what they want. Zonnie was an idiot kid who didn’t know what he was doing, but I assure you, his father has more finesse. If he wanted to erase you, he could, possibly to an extent that would make it hard for even me to find out what happened.” Good thing Ares planned on killing them first.
Too bad Eden wanted it slow and painful. Ares would prefer to just get it done and over with, but he could acknowledge that he couldn’t relate to what Eden was going through.
Hell, when Ares’ family had been murdered, he’d felt nothing short of relief.
“This was your plan all along,” Eden accused. “Turn me into your accomplice to force my hand.”
“There’s no reason to be angry. My way, everyone gets what they want. Well, except for the Dephiks, of course. You could leave me if you want to,” Ares said. “Don’t act like you haven’t been considering it since I started hitting Zonnie. Reality doesn’t always align with our imagination. Sometimes it can be too overwhelming. We have some control over things in our head, but—”
Eden scoffed. “Can you control the things in your head? Really?”
“Is that your nice way of calling me crazy, babe?”
Eden didn’t answer, undoing his belt when Ares brought the car to a stop in his driveway. “I’m curious about something, but I’m unsure if I should ask it.”
“You’ve got nothing to fear from me.” He’d just threatened to leak his involvement, but aside from that…
“Yeah, it’s that.” He stabbed a finger into the center of Ares’ chest, almost as though to test him. “That right there. I heard Black Harts are all spoiled rich bastards who take what they want without asking.”
“Am I not doing that?” He quirked a brow. “I bought out your company and initiated a relocation process that your CEO isn’t fond of. I called you in the middle of the night and ordered you to meet me in an obscure location.”
“Both of those things required my compliance. If I hadn’t signed the contract, you wouldn’t be able to do shit. Same thing if I’d refused to come tonight.”
He snickered and leaned back in his seat. His Starling really was adorable—not at all what he’d imagined, but adorable nonetheless. “Your definition of ‘take’ is interesting. Would you like to hear mine?”
Eden hesitated and then nodded.
“I am taking what I want. To truly own something, you have to have full control over it. People aren’t like objects. They have their own goals, wants, and desires. I could take your body, but that’s just a shell. I don’t want a shell, Eden. What would I do with that? If your head isn’t in it, eventually your body will give out, and I’ll be left with nothing. But if I use control…” Ares shifted closer, noting the way the voice actor’s breath caught in his throat. “If I manipulate you into feeling like you’re the one with all the power, you’ll eventually decide to come to me all on your own.”
Eden’s eyes widened slightly. “You make it sound like I never really had a choice at all.”
“Did you?” He clicked his tongue. “You’re easy, babe. Easier than I thought you would be, but that’s all right. I kind of like it. I like how you’re walking right into my traps, how you keep offering me your body. How badly you want me to be buried deep inside it.”