Page 92 of His Coveted Obsession

“All of us. Every single one has been hurt horrifically, one way or another. We all have tragic pasts. That’s what unites us.”

I guess I could understand a group of people finding understanding and solace together.

He stood and smiled sweetly. “Finish eating. I can’t wait to get to know you more, Thomas. You seem really nice.”

Not long after he left, Easton came back and sat down with me. He pressed the backs of his fingers to my cheek. Despite everything, I felt loved. Easton would do anything to keep me safe. I knew that with all my heart and soul.

I ate half of my sandwich and drank all my juice, leaving my bag of potato chips unopened.

I turned to face him and pressed my hand to his cheek. “Who are you, Easton?”

“I’m a hired killer.”

“I know.”

“Then why did you ask?”

I dropped my hand, resting it on his leg, smiling softly at his usual pedantry. It was always endearing to me. “I mean, who are all of you? What do you do exactly?”

“I trust you not to tell anyone beyond these walls.”

“I would never let any harm come to you, Superman.”

“Are you still calling me that?”

I huffed a laugh. “More so now. Yes.”

Easton looked away, his brow furrowed. “I would assume there would be a shift between us.”

“There definitely is. It’s hard to look back after what I’ve been through, right?”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Instead of answering him, I pressed my hand to his face again because he always focused on me when I did. “Please tell me about this place.”

“We’re called The District, but only in the underground world. We’re hired killers. Everyone here but me has been hurt or nearly killed for being queer, but Malik and Sid established The District for those who are from that community. What started as outright killers for money, we ended up killing for righteousness when the judicial system fails us. Some of us, like Dante, only kill those who deserve it. Others, like Sully, don’t care.”

“Sully scares me.”

“And he should. He’s very dangerous and manipulative, but he won’t hurt you. In the end, we only kill those who deserve to die. Dalton, with his expertise within the FBI, helps us track sex traffickers, organized crime syndicates, and eliminate those who were never caught and have no function in society.”

I took his fingers and played with them. “And who decides they deserve to die?”

Easton tilted his head and looked at me strangely. “We do, of course.”

I chuckled inwardly as my philosophical question went over his head. “I mean, why do you have a say?”

He thought for a moment, resting his head on his hand, his elbow on the back of the couch. “These people have escaped the system. The system is intricately tied up in red tape. There are too many loopholes, and law enforcement is often overwhelmed by crimes that are easier to process. Organized crime requires money, time, effort, and substantial evidence that isn’t built around legal loopholes. That’s where we come in. These are the dregs of society, Thomas. They have no purpose. Sometimes people just have to die.”

I was processing his words when he asked. “Why did you kill, Little Rabbit? You made a decision to end a man’s life today.”

I knew why, but I couldn’t answer him. I wasn’t ready to talk about that because I wasn’t sure he would understand how terrifying that had been for me, and it was something that I had to carry for the rest of my life.

“Can I get changed now? I need to clean up.”

He looked at me for a long time, and I knew he wanted me to answer, but I had to get away for a bit. My heart was hammeringtoo much at the memory of feeling that knife go into that man’s body, and each time, it killed him a little more until he was dead.

My eyes watered, and I took a shuddered breath. “Please?”

---