Black Forever (Obsidian 4)

“Like what?” I demanded.

“Goddammit, Rome…” He paused over the line.

I waited on the edge of my seat.

“He still struggles with dominance. That’s all.”

“So…he still wants me to be his sub.”

“Rome, he’s always gonna want you to be his sub. He struggles to be what you want sometimes. I think he’s acting this way because it’s the only form of control he can attain.”

The air left my lungs. I was both relieved and overwhelmed. I thought we’d put this in the past, but I suspected it would never go away. Calloway would always be a Dom no matter how hard he tried to fight it. “Thanks for telling me.”

“Yeah, sure.”

I dragged my hand down my face and closed my eyes.

“I know you don’t want my advice, but I’m gonna give it to you anyway.”

“Okay.”

“Just do it, Rome. Be his sub.”

I didn’t want to have this conversation with Jackson. It was my personal life, not his. “No. I’m not lowering myself to that level.”

“Then you’re gonna lose him,” he said matter-of-factly. “Not today or tomorrow. But one day, you will. I can promise you.”

My blood went cold. “Calloway loves me. We’ll make it work.”

“I have no doubt he loves you. But he can’t change who he is, Rome. He’s tried a million times, and he keeps going back to his roots. Maybe he can control it for a while longer. But eventually, he’s gonna realize he has to choose. And he’ll choose dominance.”

I didn’t want to believe it because the idea was too heartbreaking. I couldn’t lose Calloway. The last time we went our separate ways, I was completely lost. I put on a brave face and did my best to stay strong, but I was absolutely miserable.

“I’m sorry, Rome. I know you don’t want to hear this, but it’s true. I suggest you reconsider your beliefs. Because when it comes down to it, you’re going to have to choose between Calloway and what you stand for. So make sure your beliefs are really strong enough to sacrifice the love of your life. Because that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

5

Calloway

Jackson asked me to come to Ruin to help him with something. I wasn’t sure if Isabella was behind it, trying to get me alone so I could dominate her. But if that was the case, I didn’t mind.

I desperately needed to control someone.

I wanted to watch someone obey my every command, not to flinch when I made an outrageous request. I could picture Rome in my mind while staring at Isabella. I’d done it more times than I could count.

I walked into his office, the same office I used to occupy every night. “Do you actually need me? Or was Isabella working your strings?” I sauntered to the armchair then fell into the cushions. I crossed my legs then rested my cheek against my hand.

Jackson looked up from his phone. He seemed to be typing a message. “I wanted to get you away from Rome.”

“Why?”

“Because she called me yesterday.” He tossed his phone to the side, finished with his message.

I stopped breathing the instant I heard what he said. “Why? What did she say?”

“She said you’ve been acting different lately. Wanted to know if I knew something about it.”

I lowered my hand to my lap, shocked she took it that far. “When I got out of the shower the other day, I could tell she’d looked through my phone. Thought she was paranoid I was cheating on her.”

“She was probably getting my number.”

I was a little relieved. I didn’t want her to think I was sneaking around behind her back. She was the only woman who brought me to my knees. It was ludicrous to think there could ever be someone else. What I did with Isabella was simply about primal instincts. I didn’t lay a hand on her sexually, so it didn’t count. “What did you tell her?” I knew Jackson would never throw me under the bus, no matter how much he pretended to hate me.

“Everything besides Isabella.”

“Which is?”

“That you’re a Dom, and you’re always going to be a Dom. She needs to be a sub, or it’s not gonna work out.”

I felt my heart race in my chest like I just ran a mile. “And what did she say to that?” Excitement burned through my veins at the prospect of her changing her mind. Maybe Jackson said the right words to make her realize she needed to submit to me—not just because it was one of my desires, but because it was one of my needs.

“Same ol’ bullshit, man,” he said with a sigh. “That she couldn’t do it.”

I shouldn’t be surprised by that answer, but I was still disappointed. “Goddammit.”

“I didn’t mention Isabella,” he said. “But I told her she needed to change her mind. Otherwise, she’s going to lose you.”