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CHAPTER 35

J essica

“You’re mine.”

Xander’s words had reverberated in my mind several times since our night of passion. I’d been consumed by his act of possession, constantly quivering whenever I thought of him. The night had been amazing, the conversation we’d had so different than anything I’d believed could occur between us.

Yet the man was still a mystery, the darkness enshrouding him providing a perfect backdrop for the obsession I felt.

In the world of shadows, the art of make believe was vital.

I’d read that somewhere many years before. Xander was masterful as a visual artist, capable of making his consumers believe anything he wanted them to believe. He was a strong, dominating figure and not only women gravitated toward his intense personality. So did men.

Granted, I had a feeling most men were terrified of him not only because of his large frame, but also his powerful persona. I wasn’t frightened of him, other than being caught up in the reality of his games.

The way I felt about him was all encompassing, but whatever horrors he’d endured in his past had shaped him much like a Hallmark-type family did to someone else. I was somewhere in between, appreciating the light and the dark sides of morality. My father would call me crazy, but from what he’d admitted, he’d challenged the concept of morally gray more than once.

I finished my makeup, eager to meet the girls for a nice lunch. It might be my last if the schedule I anticipated came to pass.

I’d gotten my dream job.

I couldn’t believe it. I hadn’t expected the offer and I wasn’t entirely certain how I felt about it. Xander hadn’t been forthcoming about the details as he hadn’t been about his life in general. That only made me want to know more about him.

Whatever he’d endured had shaped the darkness, the violence, and his desire to protect those who couldn’t do so for themselves. It would be called admirable if his actions didn’t include…

Murder.

I shuddered as I headed into the kitchen, pouring the remainder of my cold coffee down the drain. There was no rationalizing what he’d done, but I felt empathy. Our connection was so strong, but could I ever live with the understanding in the back of my mind that he might go off again? Mulling over the answer had cost me yet another night’s sleep.

My mind drifted to two nights before. He’d stayed until early in the morning, but I’d known the moment he’d left, standing by the window and watching the taillight of his motorcycle as he drove away.

And I’d swooned.

Who did that when the man in question was so… merciless?

I wasn’t certain of the correct adjective to use to describe him. All I knew was that I was starting to like the man hiding behind the mask almost as much as the masked man himself. That was the craziest aspect of all.

After placing the mug into the empty dishwasher, I grabbed my purse and keys, checking the time before heading to the door.

Monday loomed, only a couple of days away. I’d yet to process I’d be walking into the hallowed halls of the Blackwell Group. Hopefully, I’d get an email from someone at the company over the weekend, but if not, I’d arrive bright and early at their corporate headquarters. HR was handled there. I knew I’d be working at the production facility and that was fine. Separation of work and pleasure was the right thing to do for any relationship.

Although did I actually have a relationship?

I noticed the mail person arriving at my mailbox just as I walked outside. I waited until she drove away before heading to the box, taking the slim stack of items and shoving them into my purse. It was a beautiful sunny day, barely a cloud in the sky. It was funny that a part of me couldn’t wait until nightfall.

Why?

Because I never knew what to expect from the man who’d awakened my senses. I almost felt like his captive just like he wanted me to feel. He certainly controlled my thoughts and desires, igniting or crushing them as he saw fit.

I scanned the streets and smiled. There was a black vehicle parked on the other side of the street. While I couldn’t see the driver’s face, I was pretty certain the person behind the wheel was my… lover. At least that was a label I could place on what we were sharing.

The man was more passionate than any I’d ever experienced. I tingled all over just thinking about it.

After strapping in with the seatbelt, I turned over the engine, giving myself a quick look in the rearview mirror. I’d been a bad girl, asking for one more favor from Stephanie. I would owe her bigtime. I was indeed cunning, but more than finding any dirt on the Blackwell brothers, I simply wanted to know what had happened to keep them separated for their entire childhood.

Yes, the system was fairly fucked up, but wouldn’t social services attempt to keep the brothers together?

As I drove down the street, a little thrill tore through me. He was following me. Xander has insisted he needed to protect me. I’d sensed he believed danger lurked in the shadows we both enjoyed. I wasn’t certain what to think, but I did enjoy having my own private security.

A laugh bubbled to the surface as I turned on some music, humming the entire time I drove to the lovely café only a couple of miles from my house. Even though I lived in a big city like Chicago, there were still small boroughs that allowed you to feel as if you were in a small town.

That’s the reason I’d purchased my little house. The entire area was quaint.

The dark car was still following me, keeping enough of a distance I couldn’t see the driver given the sun’s rays reflecting off the windshield. But I knew. There was such a sizzle of electricity coursing through me and only one man brought me that kind of thrill.

After pulling into the parking lot and one of the last open spaces, I waited, keeping my eyes peeled on the road. The car slowly drove by. I couldn’t tell the make or model, but it was older, completely black with tinted windows. I could only imagine the adventures if Xander used his car.

As I climbed out, I laughed softly to myself. I was one twisted woman if that’s the way I was thinking. Life was an adventure. Xander had just kicked it up a notch.

Ashley and Stephanie were already inside, both laughing at something while I approached.

“There she is,” Ashley told me and squeezed my hand. “Steph told me you got the job with Blackwell.”

“I did,” I said, grinning as I sat down. “You ordered wine. You two are incorrigible.”

“Well, it’s a celebration. You do have a hot new job. And without all the trouble you expected too,” Stephanie said. There was a strange look on her face. She’d found out something. I was certain of it.

“You know what? I was looking forward to the last contest. I know it sounds crazy, but to be able to test my skills in real-life scenarios is rare.”

“And terrifying,” Stephanie added.

“Not if you know what you’re doing.” I glanced over my shoulder, noticing the same dark vehicle. Was he planning on staying across the street the entire time?

“What are you looking at?” Ashley pushed.

I glanced from one friend to the other. “Nothing. Just my own private security team.”

The two women glanced at each other. “Maybe you ought to rethink working for Blackwell.”

Stephanie obviously had discovered some details. I’d asked her to grill her father and see if he knew more. “What did you find on the brothers?”

“Their records are locked down tight. No one can get to them,” Stephanie answered.

“Not even the boys?”

She shook her head. “Some court order that has already been challenged by Wilder Blackwell. He got nowhere.”

“Except for finding his brothers. Right?” Ashley asked.

I nodded. “Xander mentioned something like that. Why can’t they find out anything about their birth parents? There must be a logical explanation.” I toyed with my white wine, swirling the liquid in the glass.

Stephanie leaned forward. “After Dad told me to drop it, I pushed on that question. He said the only reason the information would be locked down was that something horrible either happened with the children involved or one or both of the parents were… well, either criminals or worse. There is no way to break the court order that he knows of.”

“So Xander will never know why he’s the way he is.” I was musing and almost regretted my words instantly.

“I, um, did find one thing,” she said. The flush on her face was surprising.

Ashley and I looked at each other. “Okay. What?” The tone was demanding, but if I needed to learn something about Xander then now was the time.

She grabbed her purse, pulling something into her hand. “I did a deep dive on Xander’s name. There was pretty much nothing I could find until after the Blackwell Group began to become successful. Except for this.”

As she slid whatever she had across the table, I took a deep breath. Stephanie curled her fingers when she removed them as if whatever she’d found had driven her to anger or sadness. I couldn’t tell which. When I unfolded the paper, I realized it was a copy of an old newspaper article from over twenty-five years before.

There was very little information about a little girl who’d been killed except for the person who’d found her. A very young Xander Blackwell, and the girl had been his foster sister.

Poor Amy. I couldn’t imagine what she’d gone through.

A chill coursed down my spine. “He tried to save her,” I said absently, not really talking to either of my friends.

“Are you sure about that?” Stephanie asked, wincing as soon as she did.

“Yes, I am. That’s what…” That was why he’d taken upon himself to become judge and jury. And why he was determined to protect me. I looked away as a swarm of butterflies made their home in my stomach. He wasn’t a bad man after all, just… Just misunderstood. What in God’s name had he suffered?

“Aren’t you terrified of the man any longer? Didn’t you hate him?” Ashley asked and gave me one of her tough girl looks.

“Things change. He’s not as bad as I originally thought. I’m not afraid of him. He inspires me.” That was the truth.

“Wait a minute,” Stephanie mused as she sat back in her seat. “From what I remember, you were out for revenge, which was your reason for you going after this job. Now, you like the man?”

Shrugging, I lifted my glass of wine, finally taking a sip. “As I said, things change. He’s… amazing.”

The two of them stared at me for a full ten seconds before we all started laughing.

“Our girl finally met the man of her dreams. And she’s in love.” Stephanie was far too excited, but I could easily see the continued concern in her eyes. She lifted her glass as if for a toast.

“Don’t embarrass me,” I chastised and leaned forward so we could click our glasses together. When I did, I knocked my purse off my lap. Half the contents spilled out, including the mail I’d picked up. “Shit.”

“Aww. He makes her nervous. You need to tell all, girlfriend. Is he good in bed?” Ashley continued to laugh.

I couldn’t help myself, giving her the finger as I placed the wineglass on the table and reached down for the contents of my purse. As soon as I snagged the mail, I realized there was another black envelope I hadn’t noticed.

A rush of excitement tickled my system as I retrieved it.

“A love letter?” Stephanie teased.

Exhaling, I turned the envelope over to see the return address. “It’s from the Blackwell Group.”

“Well, open it. Maybe it’s some invitation to a fancy party.” Ashley’s grin was mischievous.

A slight hint of nervousness drifted over the initial excitement. But when I opened it, the excitement returned.

A reset. A dark moment. A necessity in time.

You’re invited and don’t be late.

The time of your life awaits.

Test your skills, your resolve as well.

Once completed, your competence will tell.

You can use the tools provided for a dance with the devil.

But beware of untold trials.

Make your way to the other side and you’ll be deemed the winner.

If not, you’ll be labeled a sinner.

Come prepared…

For if you win, you’ll become a member of a very special society.

The invitation was for tonight, the time listed. Well after dark. I sat back and Stephanie grabbed the card from my hand. The location was different from before, but exactly what Xander would choose. Plus, this time it was very private.

I was also being directly invited to the Obsidian Society.

Excitement surged through me. I did so adore his games.

“I thought the contest had been postponed,” she said.

“Yeah, so did I.” There was no reason for me to feel as nervous as I did, but the anxiousness had returned and I nonchalantly looked out the window. The car from before wasn’t anywhere in sight. “But it’s not just for the job, but entrance into this special society.”

Had Xander sent a private invitation? That was entirely possible. I slowly turned my head.

“If you ask me,” Ashley said as she placed the invitation in the middle of the table, “the whole thing is creepy as fuck. Why are you going through hoops when you already have the job? This society sounds crazy too. Besides, don’t you know terrible things happen in the dark?”

Her words broke the strange spell. “Ha ha. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken you to see the movie. Come on. It’s a game. That’s it. I assure you Xander won’t allow anything to happen to me. It’s all in fun.”

“Why don’t you call Xander and tell him no. If he cares about you, he’ll understand.”

I glanced at Ashley. “That’s not how the game is played. I’m not supposed to know who’s involved. Remember? Plus, if what we all suspect is true then I’ll have some very nice perks by being in the society.”

Stephanie sighed. “Maybe so, but I don’t think you should do this. Anything could happen to you. I agree with Ashley. It’s creepy.”

“Oh, come on. This isn’t new for them. Do you honestly think the company would allow anything bad to occur? They vet out their sites and have staff working on this. My guess is that location will be the most highly secured place in Chicago.”

My statement was true enough except if the game only had two participants.

How could I explain to my best friends that events just like this one had brought Xander and me together or that our strange fascination with dark and depraved activities fueled the raging fire between us?

“You’re probably right. I don’t need to do this. It’s silly. I already have the job.” I snagged the invitation, shoving it into my purse. They didn’t need to know all my business. They’d only continue worrying or try to stop me.

I was barely able to contain my excitement. Xander was one wild man. My thoughts drifted to the article I’d just read. I understood so much more about him and why he’d done the things he had. While I still couldn’t condone his actions, a small part of me admired him.

“I’m glad to hear you say that,” Stephanie said.

“Me too,” Ashley piped in. “Xander Blackwell is hot, but this is just… weird. If this is his idea of romance, you need to run far away. There are plenty of hot guys out there.”

I took a deep breath, still uncertain about what I wanted to do. What I did know is that the invitation was exactly the kind of romance Xander enjoyed.

Me too.

Yet I was still asking the same question.

Was I completely out of my mind?