Page 57 of Divine Obsession

“Two-fifty. Unless it’s for the Italians. Then, I bump it up a notch to half a mil.”

“Double. And they still want you out of every contractor out there.”

“Who doesn’t want the best, at their level?”

I scoffed. They’d pay ten million for Zane to handle their mess. He was the best of the best – not only in New York, buteverywhere.“So… Fight Club, huh?”

“Hey, man!” Zane walks by me and smacks my shoulder. “First rule!”

Chuckling, I followed the idiot to a table near one of the thirty-feet tall walls, and glanced up at the high ceiling. “What about upstairs? You can’t just leave it and pretend it’s abandoned.”

Smirking, Zane rolled open blueprints of renovations and design plans. For a fancy, upscale gym with full amenities, from spa and saunas, to combat rooms and even a restaurant.

One word, written in fancy capital letters at the top.

PYTHON.

“What do you think?” He glanced at me, a stupid smirk on his face.

I wiped a hand over my mouth to hide my smile. He’d been talking about opening his own gym for years; he was finally doing it. “I like it.”

“Seriously?”

“Fuck yeah. Using your code name? Cold.”

Zane Takashi became known by many names over the years.

Killer.Aniquilador.Macellaio.Shi.Palach.

Though only two ever stuck. In the West, he was known asSamurai. In the East, asPython.

I glanced at him. Black hair. Black eyes. Black clothes. Black, traditional Japanese tattoos stopping right at his jaw. Both ears pierced and a nose ring.

I’d always found Python to be more fitting.

Zane turned to look at the cage, causing me to do the same. “First event is tonight.”

“Who’s fighting?”

A dark smile curved his lips. “Python.”

I got back to Columbia at around four in the afternoon. Just in time for basketball practice before the Home Game. We were playing against Harvard and it was our most anticipated match of the season.

After a full day of not being able to get Natalia out of my head – or the way her soft brown eyes had lit up on me – I could use the distraction.

I could control the twisted desire in my veins when all she did was blow me off. It was good. I need it to keep me in check.

But when she returned the sentiment? Pouted those glossy pink lips and rolled her hips back into me, begging me to domore? I was fucking done for.

It had taken everything in me not to throw her over my shoulder, lock her in my car and drive until we were alone and I took whatcouldbe mine.

What I could make mine. Whenever I wanted.

There was a thought.

I pushed through the college gymnasium’s door, immediately catching the team’s attention and receiving some variant of a nod, wave or greeting from each of them.

“A’ight. Run plays four and seven,” Zach ordered them before walking towards me.

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