Page 28 of 5000 Nights of Obsession

Hisreserved appraisal further unseated me.Ididn’t want to impart any part of myself to a man like him, andIcertainly didn’t need him privy to my name.Whatif he told someone he had met me?Ifword got back to my friends and family about whatever this was with theDJ,I’dbe finished.Jordanand my family had given me an ultimatum.They’dbe done with me the next time aSeanlook-alike came along.Thisman might be beautiful, but he wasn’t worth losing everything over.

Ignoringhim,Ireached for the cab door after confirming the name of the driver.Zane’sarm reached out and shut the door beforeIcould climb inside.

“Name,” he pressed.

Myheart did a somersault as his intoxicating scent engulfed me once more.Silencestretched between us, neither willing to back down.Hewouldn’t remove his hand from the door, refusing to let me leave.

Thecab driver broke the silence. “Areyou getting in or not?”

BeforeIcould respond,Zanereached inside his pocket and pulled out two twenty-dollar bills.Hehanded the money to the driver through the open window. “Shedoesn’t need a cab after all.Thankyou for your trouble.”

“WhattheHell”

Zanepulled me back just as the cab driver took off at full speed, happy to be paid despite not having to give me a ride.

Itore out of his reach, spun in place, and blasted him at full volume. “Areyou insane?Whatis wrong with you?Thatwas my ride.”

CouldIkill him and bury him behind the building?

No, that wouldn’t work.Hisbody was too large to be moved by someone my size.

“Name?”Zaneasked with the calm of a sane person.

WhatifIlured him to the back first, then killed him?

No.Thatwouldn’t work, either.Theremight be witnesses.

“Whatthe fuck is your problem?Ittook me forever to get a cab to come out here.”Ijabbed him in the chest. “Youowe me a ride,”Igritted out.

Hisresponse was to nod at a blackJeepparked a few feet away.

Isnapped my mouth shut as my gaze fleeted over his car.WhileIstill wanted to kill the asshole, we were in a remote location.IfIwanted to get the hell out of here, my options were limited at this time of night.

“That’syour car?”Iasked tentatively, barely banking away my anger.

Anothercurt nod.

Ilooked back and forth between the car and him.Wemight’ve shared a beer and a few pleasantries, but it didn’t erase my trepidations surrounding the man.Physically, his mass was bulkier than anyoneIknew.Emotionally, he was unfeeling.Thenor now, he hadn’t so much as cracked a smile or done anything to put me at ease.

However,Iwas stuck since my sweet escape from my family drove away at full speed.Whatwas bigger of the two evils?DealingwithMilan’sire and ruining the rest of his special weekend, or getting in a car with a psychopath?

Atlong last,Iheld out my palm. “Showme your driver’s license.”

Iwas surprised when he reached into his back pocket without arguing and fished out his wallet.

“I’mshowing you mine, now show me yours,” he spoke without humor, handing me the card.

“Someonestole my wallet.Ihaven’t gotten my replacementIDyet,”Isaid while studying his identity card.

Twenty-two.

Gemini.

OrganDonor.

Hestared at me impassively and must’ve decided it was true.Unlikethe other times, he dropped the topic.

Itook a photo of hisIDand handed it back. “Iam sending this photo to my best friend.IfIturn up dead, she’ll know you did it.”Ihad no plans of doing such a thing.Thelectures would be endless afterJordanspecifically asked me to stay away from this man.Worse, she might wash her hands off me.Didn’tmeanZanewas impervious to empty threats.

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