Page 32 of Ruthless Kings of Obsession

The memory hits with such force that I have to pause, pressing my back against the wall to stay upright as it consumes me:

*The sheets were tangled around our legs, still warm from lovemaking. My phone cast a blue glow across our skin as I studied the warehouse schematics one last time, making sure every detail was perfect.*

*Zander's arm snaked around my waist, pulling me closer to his chest. His chin came to rest on my shoulder, his breath tickling my ear. "What's got my Sweet Dynamite so focused at this ungodly hour?"*

*My heart skipped – it always did when he called me that. My thumb swiped quickly across the screen, replacing the blueprints with a mindless social media feed. "Just can't sleep."*

*"Liar," he murmured, but there was no accusation in his voice – only that deep understanding that made me fall more in love with him every day. "You know you can tell me anything."*

*Turning in his arms, I found myself drowning in those forest-green eyes that saw straight through every mask, every pretense. "Maybe I'm planning to change careers. Become an architect or something less... bloody."*

*His laugh rumbled through his chest, vibrating against my skin. "You'd be brilliant at it. Those analytical skills, that attention to detail..." His fingers traced patterns on my bare hip. "You could be anything you wanted, Sweet Dynamite. Design skyscrapers, build bridges, keep killing assholes who deserve it – doesn't matter. I'd still be completely, stupidly, dangerously in love with you."*

*"What if I decided to become an exotic dancer?"*

*His grip tightened possessively, a growl rising from deep in his chest. That dangerous glint appeared in his eyes – the onethat reminded me he was just as broken, just as deadly as I was. "That wouldn't work."*

*"No?" I teased, enjoying the way his jaw clenched. "Why not?"*

*"Because," he said, rolling us so he hovered above me, his body caging mine against the mattress, "I can barely handle sharing you with Matteo and Ares. The idea of strangers seeing what's mine?" He lowered his head, teeth grazing my neck. "No. Absolutely not."*

*"Bold of you to assume I even know how to work a pole."*

*He pulled back, studying my face with that intense gaze that made me feel completely exposed. "Do you?"*

*"Maybe." I let my fingers trail down his chest, feeling his heart race beneath my touch. "Wouldn't you like to know?"*

*In one fluid motion, he had my wrists pinned above my head, his body pressing mine deeper into the mattress. "Will I get a private demonstration someday?"*

*"Only if you let me blindfold you first."*

*That laugh – God, that laugh. Manic and beautiful and completely uninhibited. It was followed by a kiss that tasted like promises and danger and home. "Anything you want, baby. You want me blindfolded? Done. Tied up? Just say when."*

*"Actually..." I bit my lip, watching his pupils dilate. "I've been thinking about seeing Matteo in handcuffs."*

*The way his eyes lit up, that devious smile spreading across his face – it was everything. "Now that's an interesting thought. Think we can convince Ares to help?"*

*"Pretty sure Ares would do anything if we asked nicely enough."*

*His laugh turned into a groan as I arched against him. "Fuck, I love your mind almost as much as I love your body."*

*"Almost?"*

*"Equal amounts," he corrected, lowering his head to kiss me. It was deep, passionate, full of promise and possession and?—*

The memory shatters as I slam into a dead end, the impact jarring me back to the present. My legs give out, and I slide down the wall, a sob tearing from my throat before I can stop it. The tears come hot and fast, blurring my vision until the darkness becomes absolute.

*He's gone.*

The reality of it hits me like a physical blow, forcing another sob from my chest. My forehead presses against the cold wall, seeking something – anything – to ground me. But the chill only reminds me of what I've lost. Of how Zander's touch used to send electricity through my veins, how his presence made me feel alive in ways I never knew I could be.

***"Get up. Keep fighting. Make them pay."***

The voices in my head try to rally me, but they're drowned out by the tidal wave of memories. The way his fingers would map my skin like he was memorizing every inch. How his kisses left me tingling for hours afterward, little reminders that I belonged to someone who saw all my darkness and loved me anyway.

"I didn't know," I whisper into the void, my voice cracking. "I didn't know what love was supposed to feel like. Not until you showed me that broken things could be beautiful too."

Another sob echoes off the concrete walls. I should be quieter – there are still people hunting me in this darkness. But the pain is too raw, too overwhelming. My heart feels like it's being shredded, each memory another knife twisting deeper.

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