Page 50 of Conquering Oz

Oz stared up at the ceiling. The stark white paint was chipping, and the trim meeting at the wall had been haphazardly painted. It was cheap. He hadn’t had much time to inspect her space once they’d gotten inside, but now he was getting a thorough view. Elodie had an array of mismatched furniture in her bedroom and clothes hanging off the chair in the corner. It was far from orderly and the opposite of how his room looked. It was a mere snapshot but showed how polar opposite they were in life.

He waited for her to fall asleep. He’d been eyeing the alarm clock for the last forty minutes. He wasn’t sure if it had been his presence or if she was just a light sleeper. But every time he moved, she curled into him, draping her arm over his stomach and nestling her face against his chest. This was new territory for him. He wasn’t accustomed to sharing a bed with a woman, let alone cuddling. It was outside his wheelhouse, yet he found himself giving in to the intimacy and strumming his hand over her back and ass. Had she been any other woman he’d have gotten dressed and left immediately.

Her body was a work of art. Smooth, flawless skin. Long, toned legs and curves in all the right places. But nothing was more perfect and beautiful than her face. Oz glanced down, caressing his finger over her cheeks and the small patch of freckles on her nose. Rarely did he spare any time for details on a woman’s appearance, but he’d spent the last thirty minutes staring at her while she slept. He drew his thumb over her lips.

You’re not meant for my world.The thought had Oz dropping his hand to his chest over his heart. Stone-cold, black heart. It was how he was built, how he’d survived, and what made him the man everyone feared. Being king didn’t come without sacrifices. Getting close to anyone was a risk. Oz had never taken chances with it. He had Rogue and Trey. A few years later he built a strong bond with Sal, and eventually Nash. Oz had always made a point to keep people at arm’s length and trust no one until they proved themselves. Even then he was cautious. In his position, he couldn’t risk a betrayal.

Elodie turned her head, and her lips parted with a soft snore.

Oz should’ve been out of there hours ago. If he was being honest with himself, coming up to her apartment had been his biggest mistake. He had no business getting involved with any woman, especially this one.

When his phone pinged for the fourth time, he knew he couldn’t ignore his duties any longer. Oz slid out from under her, got dressed, and locked up her apartment. He walked down the stairs, unlocked the main door, and walked out, but halted when he realized a concerning risk. The main entry could only be bolted from the inside or with a key.

“Sir,” Nash said, walking toward him.

Oz pointed to the door. “I want security watching the door until she leaves.”

Nash nodded. “We’ll leave a group behind, and I’ll relay the instructions.”

Oz started through the empty lot.

“There’s been a new development with Garner. Actually, with his nephew Karl. I took it upon myself to contact Rogue and Trey when I couldn’t” —Nash cleared his throat, shifting his gaze— “reach you.”

Oz had always made himself accessible to certain people, Nash being one of them. Calls were never ignored. Until now.

“Where?”

“Safe house in Hinton.” Nash lowered his voice. “Killcreek is meeting us there. Ace called a few hours ago. It’s not good, Oz.”

Fuck!

Oz gave a subtle nod and handed his car keys to a member of security. “Drop it off at my house.”

“Yes, sir.”

Oz walked over to the open door of the SUV. As he got inside, he glanced up to the second-floor window. He hadn’t left a note or his number. There were a million reasons to walk away and not look back. Oz dragged his hand over his beard, eyeing the soft glow from her bedroom knowing he’d be seeing her again.

He closed the door.

“Let’s go.”

The ride took longer than expected. Construction delayed their arrival by about thirty minutes. This wasn’t like Oz. He was notorious for showing up early. It was safer to be the first on the scene, therefore hit with fewer surprises. As the SUV pulled up, he noticed security lining the perimeter.Not mine.He sighed as the vehicle came to a stop. Oz usually didn’t answer to anyone, except occasionally Sal. Tonight would be different. He got out and watched his brother approach, followed by Trey.

In true Rogue fashion, he made his thoughts clear.

“Where the fuck have you been?”

There was so much irony in his question. Oz couldn’t count the number of times he’d had to wait on his brother. Hundreds would’ve been a fair estimate. He rolled his shoulders, shifting his gaze between Rogue and Trey.

Oz arched his brow. “Are you your brother’s keeper now, Rogue?”

“I am when we’ve been waiting for over three fucking hours. I think that warrants an excuse.”

“I’m sure you do.” Oz started walking inside, ignoring Rogue and gave a sharp nod to Trey before making eye contact with Nash. He gestured for him to follow.

They’d driven in separate SUVs, and he hadn’t been debriefed on the situation. Oz never spoke business over the phone. It was too risky. Nash stepped up next to him.

“The least you could do is tell us why you called in Killcreek,” Rogue snapped.

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