Page 68 of Broken Obsession

“Cull the unnecessary,” Ares replied, the line sounding rehearsed and somehow out of place, even though it technically made sense.

Not that Eden wasted too much energy trying to decipher the why of that. He was too busy being blown away by the drawing in his hands.

He’d been working on it for less than fifteen minutes, and yet it was probably the nicest sketch Eden had ever seen. He was depicted lounging back, wrinkled sheets covering his lap, hair mussed, lips twisted in a scowl that somehow made him appear haughty and not bitter.

Sexy.

“What he do to you anyway?” Ellery only sounded partially interested. “It’s going to be a shame losing him from the team. He’s our best lefter.”

“Better than Souvi Glass?” Ares quipped, and the silence on the other end clued Eden in that this person was important to Ellery somehow.

“Souvi plays for East Row Uni.”

“For now.” Ares shrugged even though his friend wouldn’t be able to see it.

“You're saying you can make him switch schools and join my team?”

“Just clear the path.”

“How slowly did you want this to happen again?”

Ares chuckled. “I’ll need the rest of the semester to get things in order and plant the seed for your rival. Things like that can’t be rushed anyway. Take your time. If we play this right, we both come out winners at the end of the game. How’s that sound?”

“Like it’s always a pleasure doing business with you. Oh, speak of the poor sap. Your target just entered the gym. Later, War. I’ve got work to do.”

Eden heard the click signaling the end of the call and then asked, “Why did he call you that?”

“Because Ellery has only ever seen me destroy.” Ares stood and then motioned to the sketchpad. “Well?”

“You can’t have it back.”

He seemed surprised by that, but Ares nodded. “Okay. Would you like anything else?”

“Anything else?”

Ares moved to the end table tucked between the bed and the wall and lifted Eden’s multi-slate, which had been resting there. He held the screens together until there was a beep andthen put it back down. “My card is stored on your device now. Feel free to use it as you see fit. There’s no limit.”

Eden didn’t know how he felt about that, setting the sketchpad aside and clutching at the sheet in his lap. “Why are you giving me money? That wasn’t part of the agreement. In fact, none of this is. I said I would sleep with you in exchange for what you did to Zonnie. But that was all. Now you’ve got me locked up in a room you claim is mine, and you’re giving me your card details?”

“The door isn’t locked,” Ares corrected. “Not to you.”

“So I can use this card to buy myself a ticket—”

“Don’t.”

Eden huffed. “What happened to you playing fair?”

“I am.” Ares slid his hands into the pockets of his pants. “This was all part of the contract. The one you didn’t bother reading? Yarrow’s mentioned the creation of another studio in my city. Yours had details of the professor position, and that your lodging would be here, with me, in Castle Black.”

Of fucking course it did.

“And the money?”

“The money doesn’t have any connotations, Eden. I’m giving it to you because I want you to have it. Use it or don’t, that’s entirely up to you. However,” the vibe shifted, and Ares set a knee onto the mattress, leaning in close to cage Eden against the headboard, “if I discover you’re even thinking about using it to try and escape me, I’ll catch you and lock you on my cock for a week straight.”

That was not a turn on.

Because that would be messed up.