Black Promise (Obsidian 3)

I didn’t see the end because Calloway woke me up.

Thank god.

I got ready the following morning and had a little pep talk with myself. Last night, I was weak and let that vulnerability show when I shouldn’t have. I admitted I was scared, and that confession made Hank the victor. I’d been taking care of myself for a long time, and so far, I’d managed to keep my head above water.

I would continue to do so.

Even without Calloway by my side, I wouldn’t let Hank get to me. I wouldn’t allow him to take something that didn’t belong to him. If I had to, I would kill him and suffer the consequences later.

Calloway and I rode in the back of his car on the way to work. He moved his hand to my thigh and rested it there, his palm heavy from pure masculinity. He kept his gaze outside of the car and didn’t question me about the night before. He never asked what my nightmare was about—probably because he figured it out on his own.

We arrived at the building, and Calloway opened the door for me like he did every morning. He didn’t take my hand or put his arm around my waist now that we were outside the office.

Together, we walked to the entryway, practically a mile apart. Calloway wore a dark suit, looking magnificent like always. His face was cleanly shaven, and his exposed chin made me want to trail kisses all down his jawline.

But I kept my hands to myself.

As we approached the door, I felt a malicious gaze fall on my body. The look was scorching, evil. Deep down inside, I knew who it was before I even looked. I turned my head and locked eyes with the man who was committed to ruining me.

That fucking asshole.

Calloway kept moving to the door, but my rage took over and I did something stupid. I marched over to Hank with my hand balled into a fist. If he thought he could do something on my way to work, he was an idiot. I’d kick his ass right in front of the building for the whole world to see. “You fucking asshole.”

Hank smiled like this was a game. “I was just in the neighborhood and wanted to stop by. Nice to see that you cleaned up well.”

I launched my fist at his face immediately.

Hank caught it and lowered it back to my side, using his strength to overpower me. His eyes were absorbed in my expression, so he didn’t notice Calloway behind me, who was probably about to murder Hank right this second.

A shadow passed over me, and that’s when I knew Calloway was officially in the mix. He moved right past me, forcing me to the side when his massive frame squeezed me out of the picture. He was taller than Hank, so he had to look down at him slightly, his eyes brooding and threatening. He didn’t say a single word to Hank, just warned him with a simple look.

Hank didn’t back down, but he didn’t make the mistake of throwing a punch. He eyed Calloway, sizing up his opponent before he determined what to do next. He was in his suit, probably on his way to work at the DA’s office.

Calloway took a step forward.

Hank automatically took a step back, his arms tense by his sides. Calloway was a much bigger adversary than I was. His punches couldn’t be easily stopped with a simple block. When Hank’s face paled to a milky white color, it was obvious he didn’t like the turn of events.

Calloway knew better than to attack Hank right out in the open like this. There were witnesses everywhere, and it would be easy to control the narrative and say Calloway started an unprovoked fight. Since Hank was an experienced lawyer, it was a path Calloway couldn’t take.

Hank stepped back again, obviously uncomfortable by the maniacal gleam in Calloway’s eyes. I’d been the victim of that stare before, and I knew how terrifying it was. Calloway didn’t have to say a single word to express his feelings. They were quite clear. Yet he let one slip. “Run.”

Hank faltered backward as he tripped over his own feet. His hand caught his body on the concrete, and he quickly got up again, dirtying the back of his suit. He didn’t run like Calloway recommended, but he definitely didn’t take his time getting to the road and waving down a cab.

Calloway watched him the entire time, his shoulders tense and his arms tight. His eyes followed the car until it was completely out of sight. Even then, he kept searching for Hank like he might return. His jaw was clenched tight, and his eyes were full of imminent threat.

I’d never seen Hank take off like that. Every time I threatened him, it just spurred him on. He clearly didn’t see me as a threat, but when it came to Calloway, it was a completely different story.