Page 33 of Obsession

“Just who the fuck are you?” Annoyance turned to anger as he whipped his head in my direction. He was tall, but not as tall as me. And I took pleasure in the fact that he had to look up to meet my gaze.

“Brad.” Lark stepped between us. “You don’t get to come into my home and treat people like that.”

“He started it.” He jabbed a finger towards us. The limb dangerously close to touching Lark. Dangerous for him because if he touched her, I’d break it off.

I didn’t understand these feelings she evoked inside me. But I learned long ago I couldn’t ignore them. They would only fester. It was one of the many reasons people gave when they said I was weird. Hard to be around.

I couldn’t hide my emotions. Or my thoughts, no matter how wrong they seemed.

But I didn’t care about protecting other people’s peace and sanity. Only my own.

Fuck them.

“What are you, five?” She shook her head.

Brad’s lips flatten. He glared as I smiled at him. Seeing he was getting nowhere with who I was, he moved on. “I came to ask if you still planned on attending the fundraising gala tomorrow.”

She groaned, and I saw her eyes roll from the corner of my vision. I wanted to turn and see her full reaction, but I didn’t trust Brad. I wasn’t taking my gaze off him. “Since my parents organized it, I have to.”

His features softened as he moved closer again, within reach of her. “Then can we agree to go together?”

He phrased it like a question, but it wasn’t. She stepped back. Heat slammed into me as her plump ass bumped my upper thighs. Her curls brushed the bare skin on my chest. With anyone else, I’d shove them away. I’d feel the touch like an assault.

But with her, I breathed deep inhaling her scent. Absorbing the sensations bursting across my body. Fighting only the urge to pull her closer.

“No.”

“Lark.” He said her name in frustration. The sound of it on his lips smacked away the pleasure of having her near. The darkness inside me reared its head again.

My palm landed on her hip, yanking her flush against me. “Don’t address her.”

I felt her muscles relax under my touch. Felt her lean into me. My chest constricted. My fingers dug into her flesh, knowing this was only feeding my obsession.

Brad’s shoulders straightened as he bristled. His gaze snapping from my hand on Lark’s body to her face, then mine. “That’s her name.”

My fingers flexed possessively. She wrapped an arm around her stomach, her palm covering mine. “You don’t get to use it.”

“This is ridiculous.” He threw his hands in the air. Giving me one last glare, he addressed her. “I’ll see you tomorrow. We can talk more then.”

He turned towards the door, but before he was gone, my free arm shot out. My palm up as I demanded, “Key.”

I watched his teeth grind together as he stared at her, waiting for her to contradict. Instead, she pressed further into my hold. Dragging my arm over her stomach so I was hugging her from behind.

I hoped he didn’t notice the shaking of my hand and think it had anything to do with him. An unoriginal asshole like him didn’t scare me. But the feelings Lark created in me did.

Brad grumbled as he snapped the key from his ring. Tossing it on the table before he walked out, slamming the door.

20

Nathan

My footsteps echoed in the barn. The sound bounced off the high ceilings, mixing with the grunts and whimpers.

The stench of death clung to the air, intensified by the warmer temperature. It brought back memories of my childhood. Of the things I’d had to learn before it was discovered what I could do with money. How I could triple it.

Then I’d suddenly had value to my father.

I had no illusions that he was a good man. That he’d stopped beating me because of his love. He was evil in every definition of the word.

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