Page 19 of Taeja

“Never. I love her, too,” Damon said, a far-off expression coming into his eyes before he looked at his brother. “Later.”

Zain nodded and continued his workout. He wasn’t sure how long he stayed there, but it was long enough for the sky to darken and the members of the private gym to return to the comfort of their homes.

The click of heels could be heard from behind him now. Without looking, he knew who it was.

He dropped himself from the pull-up bar and turned to face the woman. Her name was Amoy, and she was a pretty, petite brunette. He hadn’t been in touch with her for a while now.

“Hey, Zain,” she greeted, flashing him a hesitant smile.

He lifted his head in acknowledgment.

“I’ve been texting and calling you.”

Zain grabbed his gym bag and walked off with her by his side. “I know.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry about what happened… I miss you guys.”

Zain paused to look down at Amoy. His hair was pulled back, so he had a clear view of her. She pouted while waiting for his answer. Back then, her cute pout would’ve worked on him. But not anymore. Especially not right now.

A new woman was in their lives.

Zain looked away from her, his eyes settling on the darkness outside while he released his hair from the tie. The locs bounced as they fell into place, some settling a few inches below his eyes and the others grazing his broad shoulders. He took a step toward the automatic doors. “We don’t miss you.”

Exiting the shower, Zainpaused when he saw his reflection in the mirror. After two years, he should’ve been used to his new appearance, but unfortunately, this wasn’t something a person could easily get used to. He trailed a finger along the long slash that stretched from his sternum to below his seventh rib. Then, he used the same finger to trail the fading scars at his side.

Sometimes when he touched any of the many marks on his skin, he relived the moment they happened to him.

A hot blade tearing into his skin… Mocking laughs bouncing off the walls of the rancid torture chamber…

Zain balled his hand into a tight fist, forcing the memories away.

He met his eyes in the mirror and clenched his jaw before freeing his locs from the tie. The locs bounced as they framed his square face, and his body became more at ease.

He left the bathroom, dressed, then lay in bed. Now, his finger lingered above the call button of Taeja’s contact. He hated reaching out to people first, but he knew that if he wanted this to work, he needed to meet Taeja halfway. Herboldness made him know that she wasn’t the type to stick around. She knew what she wanted and if she couldn’t have it, she’d move on.

In a way, Taeja was like Amoy. She intrigued him. She wasn’t turned off by his scars. But what set her aside from Adelaide was that Taeja was a woman completely sure of herself. She wouldn’t stick around like a starving dog, waiting for him to offer a bone. She knew she was better than that.

He figured that was what kept him rooted in the room the first night his brother fucked her. The way her sultry eyes held his stare and coaxed him to come over made him understand that she wanted to be used by him.

Frankly, he’d wanted nothing more than to grant her wish. He’d wanted to be balls deep inside her, making her cry that she couldn’t take it all while begging him to fuck her more.

But he couldn’t make a move just yet.

He needed to know if she was worth it.

Looking back at his phone… he realized she was becoming worth it.

He dialed her.

“Zain?” came her angel-like voice through the line.

“Were you expecting my call?” he asked.

“Nope!”

“Don’t lie to me, Taeja.”

He heard her intake a shaky breath, and the corner of his lip twitched upward. “Taeja…” her name rolled off his tongue after a moment’s silence.

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