Page 49 of Merciless Obsession

For years I’d searched and exposed the darkness in this city. I wondered if doing that caused some rewiring in my brain.

Instead of closing the blinds and curtains like I knew I should, I left them open and removed my bra and panties, tossing them to the side. Why I wanted to tease and egg Ezra on, I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was to show that I wasn’t scared of him. That he held no power over me. Sex was something I never really bothered to make a big deal. At the end of the day, all it was, was naked bodies intertwining for a release. The bare body was never meant to be used for anything more than that to me. I turned away from the window so my back was facing the glass and walked to my ensuite bathroom. I knew poking the beast was something a sane personwouldn’tdo, but this past month showed me that maybe Iwasn’tas sane as I believed.

CHAPTER 13

EZRA

Iscrolled through the photos I took of Ziora last night while Lucas cut the stitches from the top of my hand. We were at his private clinic in his office. It was fun texting her from an unknown place to her. The best part was knowing if Ziora wanted to find me she could but chose not to. The game we were playing was just as thrilling for her as it was for me.

Last night, when I got the notifications from that hook up app through her clone phone of the date she was heading to, I stopped what I was doing and had to process what was about to happen. I was at the office, in the middle of looking over some information one of the researchers at my firm had found to get one of my clients’ charges lessened when I saw the first message come through. The guy and Ziora messaged back and forth a couple times before agreeing to meet at the hotel later that evening.

I thought my Bumblebee would have learned from James that I was possessive over my things and didn’t like to share. Call it middle kid syndrome if you want, but knowing she was going to meet some random guy at a hotel and what the two had planned caused my stomach to boil and me to see red.Thankfully for them I was in a good mood last night and Maine got to keep his life.

Once I found out who he was, I was able to get to his address and catch him just as he was leaving to meet Ziora. While he was still breathing, it was hard with the few bruised ribs I gave him and he’d probably need crutches thanks to his kneecap meeting Wilma. I made sure he knew not to contact the girl from the app last night before busting his phone. Of course I made sure to wear a mask so he never knew my identity. After the James incident Nazai lectured me about being impulsive, especially when it concerned an innocent. I had to remind him how he cut a man’s hand off just for touching his wife, but I did promise next time I wouldtryto control myself.

“Ezra, are you listening?” Lucas called out, bringing my attention back.

“Yeah.” I swiped on my phone again.

“Tell me what I just said then.” My eyes lifted to my brother and I grinned.

“Tell me one more time.”

He gave me a level stare. “Stretch your hands and tell me if you feel any tingling or numbness.”

I did as he said. “You didn’t have trouble picking up anything or holding items did you?”

“Nope. It was like it never happened.”

“Okay good. That means she didn’t nick any nerves and there doesn’t seem to be any long-term damage.”

“I could have told you that, brother dearest of mine.”

He pressed his lips together then shook his head and started cleaning up.

The door to his office opened as I prepared to leave. I turned around and my eyes landed on Nazai. He stared at me with annoyance in his eyes.

“How’s it going, big bro?” I nodded in his direction. “What brings you by?” I shot a glare at Lucas then back at Nazai.

“We need to talk and you know that, but you’ve been avoiding me.”

“I’ve been busy, you know, being a lawyer and defending my clients and all.”

His jaw ticked. “You haven’t been that busy.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “That shit you pulled the other day. What the fuck were you thinking?”

I bit the inside of my cheek. I knew I could only avoid my brother for so long. Nazai was the head of The Bloodline now and I knew it was his job to make sure it ran smoothly, but that didn’t mean I needed him always lecturing me.

“She’s not going to say anything.”

“You don’t know that!”

“I do. She wants to bring justice to the city just like we do.”

“Just a month ago she was writing articles tarnishing our family name. How the hell do you know you can trust her? Because you’re sticking your dick in her?”

I stood, feeling a dark veil covering me. “Watch it, Nazai,” I warned lowly.

“Or what? You put the entire family in jeopardy due to your recklessness.”