Page 85 of Onyx Realm

He was my person.

I knew, even without having tested the theory, that he would walk with me at the zoo, hold my hand, share a popcorn with me.

Next time, I would bring him.

“Mother of God, I’m falling for him,” I whispered.

Just when I was about to head back to the administrative building to find a phone and begin the process of tracking Markos down, a familiar voice called for me.

“Maria!”

That single word had the capacity to sap the life from my stunt of freedom. My blood turned to ice.

“Maria, is that you?” The voice was closer.

There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

Summoning every ounce of bravery, I turned and plastered a smile on my face. “What a surprise!”

Alexios stopped before me. While his smile appeared friendly, it didn’t reach his eyes—his hard, calculating eyes.

Quaking under the weight of his scrutiny, I fumbled for the right thing to say. “I came back.”

“I see that,” he said coolly. “Everything okay?”

“Yes.”No, not at all.“Tampa is my home, and if I didn’t come back, he would win. So here I am.”

Alexios nodded. “I guessed you were a fighter.”

The note of praise was more than I deserved. Swallowing past the hammering lump in my throat, I changed the topic. “What brings you here? To the zoo, I mean.”

“I own it.”

My heart stilled, making it impossible to get a response out or even a proper breath.

“Are you enjoying the exhibits?” His question was laced with a more friendly smile.

I needed to get the hell out of here. I could figure out how to call Markos from a different location.

“Yes, but I have to go to work,” I hedged. “I was just on my way out.”

“Let me walk you,” he offered.

There was no good reason to refuse the mobster. We began to push through the crowds, and I scrambled for anything mundane to talk about.

“So...animals? What makes a man want to run such an enterprise?”

Alexios slid his hands into his pockets, the picture of casual. “Family business—”

Oh, shit.This was a mob front.

“—but personally? I enjoy knowing that I can give these creatures a better home than the wild.”

“In cages?” I countered, instantly wishing I bit my tongue.

Alexios shrugged. “They don’t have to fight to survive.”

“But they’re not free.” Why?Why!What madness possessed me to die on this hill? “Such pretty cages, I’ll grant you, but they aren’t living to their fullest potential.”

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