Page 25

CHAPTER 25

Z ach

Thick, hot, and very needy desire rushed up from my core. I’d found it next to impossible to prevent myself from devouring her when she’d been sleeping, passed out from exhaustion and the slight sedative I’d given her.

She’d woken up once, managing to slip from my car at a stoplight. I’d underestimated the powerful beauty. The sedative had made her movements slow, but she’d done her best to lose herself in the woods flanking the road. Fortunately, I’d easily caught up with her, easing her gently onto the passenger seat beside me. But I’d secured her differently, concerned she would hurt herself.

God, the game had been far more addictive than I’d believed possible. The rush of adrenaline through my system had kept me feeling very much alive and in total control. The predatory nature of my personality had been provided with a night of freedom without fear of repercussions. Damn if I hadn’t enjoyed the hell out of myself.

Right up until she’d almost been killed. I paced the floor, inventing new ways of killing the fucker responsible. Gutting him wasn’t enough. Cutting out the asshole’s heart wouldn’t do. Sighing, I rubbed my jaw and allowed images of her sweet face and body to drown out the other noise.

My beautiful guest had fallen into a deeper slumber, murmuring my name when I’d carried her to bed. I’d sat in the chair in the dark, watching her sleep. It had been the most peaceful moment I’d felt in a very long time.

Uncertainty didn’t look good on me.

Neither did rage, although I’d prefer the feeling of anger running through my veins.

Sara had sensed someone else was following her, but at the beginning had believed I was her stalker. I found myself jealous of the freak who’d been taunting her. The green-eyed monster was strong, keeping my breathing ragged and my mind filled with ruthless thoughts.

The truth the person existed continued to be difficult to stomach.

I didn’t appreciate the Obsidian Society being used as a subterfuge. Or that my work was being copied. It was also possible they would attempt to pin her murder on me. Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. I was ready to pitch my drink across the room. No one fucked with me.

As I waited for Sara to appear, I plotted the pieces of information I had so far. What seemed painfully clear was that individuals with no real connections to each other had been used in their twisted game.

Had it been to keep me on edge, or my wild kitty?

I checked my phone for a third time in case I’d received a text from Mack. It was no telling how long he would be on an investigation, but it felt as if time was running out. Perhaps I was going at this the wrong way.

It was late, but I made a call, catching Christopher on the third ring.

“You’re another man who never sleeps,” he said as he yawned.

“And you act like an old married man.”

“That’s because I am. You should try it. It might ground you.” He laughed. “What’s wrong?”

“I need some information I think only you and your connections can discover.”

“With all our tech, the capability of hacking into almost every database, and the fact you could easily blackmail anyone in the entire United States to get what you want, you suddenly need my help at… three in the morning?”

I laughed. “The word almost is the reason.” There were a few databases we chose not to hack into. The reason was simple. We didn’t need any shit coming down on us from law enforcement. There were enough reasons why to fill a notebook.

“Let me guess. Keep it quiet.”

“Very quiet. In case I’m wrong.”

“Does this have anything to do with the reporters nosing around?” he asked, now fully awake.

“Maybe. Or maybe this has everything to do with Sara Capshaw. Let me fill you in.”

I told him briefly about what Walker had discovered without expounding on the man’s identity. I also mentioned the night’s festivities and what Sara had mentioned while still under the influence of the sedative.

He laughed as soon as I was finished. “Wow. That’s quite a story, but we thought there might be copycats. Think about that first article. Enough truths were provided about the society that if a smart entity filled in the blanks, they could almost assume our identity. It’s honestly something I’ve worried about from a legal point of view.”

He wasn’t wrong. Copycats, whether for killers or idiots following the latest stupid social media trend, occurred all the time. Perhaps we’d been too arrogant to clearly see the possibilities.

“I hear what you’re saying. Perhaps putting a cease to the game for now isn’t a bad idea. Find out if there’s any issues with Brant’s father and the law as well as Jerry Offsinger. That might be the only connection.” I was leaving certain aspects about Sara’s life on the back burner. I wasn’t an idiot with regard to crime syndicates. They had moles everywhere.

“Blackmail is used more than you think. Now, let me ask you a question. Do you like this girl?” Christopher’s question wasn’t a surprise.

“Why does everyone feel the need to know?”

“Because I’m not an idiot, Zach. When I came to work for you, I did deep dives on you and your brothers. You might think you’ve kept me from your dangerous, rather twisted paths, but that kind of shit follows you around forever. It’s only a matter of time before your father and your past exposures to the worst part of the foster system are exposed. I’m not certain what I’ll be able to do to protect you.”

I hesitated before responding. “You won’t need to, Chris. If our pasts are revealed, we’ll simply disappear. We’ve done it before.”

“That’s my point. If you care about this woman, really care, then don’t get involved. You’re likely to drag her down with you.”

“I also hear that. Again, I’m not a stupid man and since you seem to think you know me then you realize I have no capacity for caring about anyone.”

He sighed. “I don’t buy it, but I’ll accept your answer. I’ll start working on this.”

“Don’t take too long.”

“I’m not a miracle worker, but this shouldn’t be too tough. Just watch your back.”

“Yeah.” I hung up the phone, my thoughts firmly locked on Sara. What I’d come to terms with after bringing her to my house was that I’d already dragged her into my world. My desires had turned into a weakness, which in turn had allowed me to tempt a young woman into something she wasn’t ready for.

No, this wasn’t remorse of any kind, just a knowledge that whoever was stalking her had brought me into the ploy as well.

I couldn’t care less whether the entity did their best to ruin my life. I would never allow them to ruin hers.

The fuckers had gone up against the wrong man. Soon, they would learn just how dangerous I truly was.

Sara

Love and hate were easy to alternate depending on moods and situations.

I didn’t love Zach, but I’d grown fond enough of him that I ached to be around him. I didn’t care if what I knew about him was mostly from working in the same building or by him stalking me. The time spent in the diner had allowed me to see the softer side of the man. There’d been no pretense, no lies or pretending to be something we weren’t.

We’d been in the middle of a diner gorging on food considered bad for us and being ourselves. The rest was… exciting, but not real life. Maybe he thought it was, but I’d seen how joyous he’d been in the simple acts that night.

And in saving me.

My car had been disabled. That made more sense even though it also terrified me. Had it been Jerry? Why did I think there was something very sinister going on?

The sick realization that someone else was playing the game without Zach’s knowledge was terrifying. So was almost being smashed into the pavement. I’d seen the look in Zach’s eyes. He had plans on hunting and killing.

What was even sicker? I wanted him to. No, I wanted to watch. Or maybe participate in the hunt of the twisted fuck. Oh, I was not myself at this point. Terror did that to a person.

Kyle. I had to warn Kyle. And say what? Hey, brother. Let me tell you about our past. Kyle had been told very little, as little as I could get away with. With no one else doing the talking, over time it had become easier. But now? I couldn’t keep it from him, not if there were bad men coming after us.

After throwing back the covers, I slowly eased to a sitting position, staring at the door. I half expected him to return with handcuffs, ready to chain me to his bed like I knew he wanted.

There was nothing but quiet.

Then again, something had changed. He’d saved my life from some asshole who’d tried to run me down. He was acting more like my protector than the man assigned to run me through a battery of disturbing tests.

His touch had felt so good, so… purposeful and calming. I felt close to him, or at least as close as I’d ever felt to anyone.

I took several deep breaths, pressing one hand against my head as I studied the room. Nothing about the man shocked me anymore, including my prison cell. It was a beautiful representation of the eclectic vibes of the powerful being. Beautiful. Masculine.

Sensual.

There was no refrain from expense, the room furnished in early modern wealth. Even the art was spectacular, incredible representations of the most powerful creatures on this planet.

But he wasn’t fooling me.

He was nothing but a wild predator. He was just as likely to hunt majestic big game as he was the human he’d deemed unworthy of his time or space.

Or the woman he said he couldn’t live without.

The man was a self-acknowledged killer, a murderer who’d been infected by tainted blood. I had to remind myself of that several times or I’d fall into his lure. There was nothing worse than feeling confused. Even worse, I trusted the man more than I had anyone else. Did that mean there was a screw loose in my mind?

Think. Think. Think!

Maybe the best thing to do was to tell him I wasn’t interested in the game any longer. If I didn’t go now, he’d have me thoroughly enchanted by his spell by the end of day.

But was it safe to leave? I wasn’t certain of anything, but I was determined to find out.

I gingerly placed my feet on the hardwood floor, stretching my aching muscles before attempting to stand. Wobbly, I held onto the bedpost for a few seconds before becoming determined to make it to the set of French doors.

I glanced over my shoulder, still expecting he’d be watching me like the hawk I knew him to be. There was no one standing in the shadows. There were no boogeymen hiding in the darkened corners.

There didn’t need to be.

Monsters hid in plain sight.

I moved more quickly, ignoring the aches and pains from the earlier chase. There was no way of knowing how long I’d been out, but it was still dark outside, the limited moonlight now hidden by clouds. I shivered as I placed my hand on the handle of the door, counting to five while praying it was unlocked.

When the latch turned, I was giddy inside. I hadn’t been imagining it. As soon as I opened the door, I was struck with a half dozen amazing scents. Night-blooming jasmine and coriander, lavender and honeysuckle. The fragrances infused my nostrils, leaving me with another kind of ache altogether.

One longing to be touched and tasted.

No. My thoughts were crazy, nothing a sane person would ever consider. I stepped onto the balcony, shocked to see I was on the second floor. Leaning over, I noticed the trellis positioned right under the balcony, thick bushes off to the side that could easily break the drop if I climbed over.

Even better was the car placed right there only a few feet away. And I could swear I heard traffic, which meant the house wasn’t far off the road.

I could easily escape. My mind was crazed with a half dozen emotions and I instantly moved to the railing, taking one last look before throwing my leg over.

Run, baby girl. Run. Only then you’ll be free.

As I swung my other leg over, another thought entered my mind.

Would I ever truly be free?

More important, hadn’t I craved being captured by this man, this gorgeously stunning yet wicked man?

Zach

“Welcome to my home, sweet Sara.”

Now I sensed her uncertainty as well as continued determination. The girl didn’t quit. She was a fireball and then some. The game had taken a different turn, my personal take on how it should go bypassing the established rules. While I’d never cared about rules, no one else was allowed to alter them with the exception of my brothers.

A bitter laugh bubbled to the surface. I’d already had three calls from the two men, Xander demanding I let him know what the hell I was doing.

I hadn’t returned his call.

I had talked to Wilder who’d mentioned the reporter in St. Louis was nothing special. He’d used some people he knew to put pressure on the man and had been told exactly what Brant had said to me.

An anonymous tip had been provided. But Wilder had gathered the sense the man was under duress. Just like Brant. Another person used for this elaborate game.

Christopher hadn’t completely kept his mouth shut. Nor had I expected him to. I fingered the jump drive I’d obtained from Brant, trying to determine how I wanted to handle the information. I’d know that when I learned more about his father.

I stood with a drink in my hand, staring out the set of double French doors. I sensed Sara’s tension and remained where I was, tilting my head by a few inches so I could gather her reflection in the flicker of fireside flames illuminated by the glass panes.

Sara stood silently in the doorway, her small hands fisted at her sides. She almost appeared lost, only I knew better. The beguiling woman knew exactly what she was doing, a clever girl with a penchant for embracing the exact same level of dark needs I’d grown almost bored with.

Until she’d entered my life.

Bold.

Beautiful.

Brilliant.

A dangerous yet enchanting combination that I’d found irresistible.

They were her weapons, truly more powerful than any of my firearms.

“You knew I’d attempt to escape. Didn’t you? You goaded me to do so.”

Her words were terse, laced with anger and hatred. She was a damn good actress and had been from the start. “Attempt and contemplate are entirely different. Don’t you agree? If you’d wanted to climb down the trellis, you would have. Then you would have checked the doors on my Charger, finding them unlocked and the keys in the ignition. From there, you’d have gone to the main road, which is only a half mile down a long driveway. After a little navigation, you’d have discovered the built-in GPS system where you would have easily located the nearest police station. How am I doing?”

She huffed. “Damn you.”

“The fact is that you wanted to be here. You were ready to be captured. You played right into my hands, luring the predator right to you. I do wonder why you gave up so easily.”

“Trust me. I never give up.”

“Then I overestimated your abilities.”

“No, Zach. You underestimated them. But I can truly understand why you call yourself the Seducer.”

Seducer. The name truly did suit me, only around her, there seemed to be an entirely different meaning to it.

“I am curious. How many women?”

“How many women what?”

“Have you seduced?”

She’d almost been killed by some unknown assailant, yet she was grilling me. Interesting.

I turned around to face her, momentarily stunned by the dress hugging every inch of her voluptuous body. I’d chosen wisely, the color perfect for her complexion, the material soft and pliable. Just like the woman. Sighing, I glanced away, almost irritated with myself I was so totally aroused. “I’ve been with other women as you have with other men, Sara. No one has ever been to my home. No one has ever captured my attention the way you have.”

“Why me?”

“To be honest with you, I’m not completely certain. You’re beautiful, more so than any woman I’ve ever met, but I was drawn to your curiosity and your intelligence, your willingness to keep going no matter the odds. Your beauty is also inside and out. I know that sounds cliché, but it’s the truth.” Admitting all the things to her felt… more honest than I’d been in a long time.

“It does sound cliché, but… When we were in that diner, you were so real, so different, but the same. Does that make any sense?”

“Some. I wasn’t playing with you. I had no idea who you were other than an incredible dancer. Yes, I did entertain the idea of you being an amazing candidate for the game, but I was genuinely concerned about you.”

“Because of my car.”

I nodded. “And Jerry.”

“Did you kill him?”

“No, but someone did. That someone I think hired the driver to run you down, perhaps even stalk you.”

“Pretending to be you,” she mostly whispered.

“Pretending to be me.”

She took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds. “I’m curious. What would have happened had I escaped and taken your car?”

“To your delight, you would have discovered the nearest police station is about two miles down on the left. At that point, you would have spun a perfectly plausible tale of woe and fear, leading the police right to my doorstep. They would have bought it given the recent accusations. But you didn’t. Instead, you chose to take me up on my proclamation that I’m the only man to keep you safe.” I lifted my glass, offering her a toast. “To my beautiful companion.”