Cruel Obsession (The Obsession Duet 1)

Exiting the app, I move to my contacts and scroll through them. The way I see it, I’m going to have to grab one of Christian’s men and torture them until they tell me everything they know.

I’m already going to be number one on his shitlist when he finds out in three days that Dove isn’t dead. Killing one of his men isn’t going to hurt me anymore than not doing the job, so I might as well fucking do it.

Hitting the green call key, I bring the phone to my ear. The phone rings three times before Billy’s deep voice fills the line.

“Hey, fucker!” Fucker? Who does he think he is talking to?

Swallowing my dislike for the guy, I ask, “Hey, Bill, want to grab a drink?”

“You know I can never pass on a chance to have some whiskey or beer.”

I’ve never heard a truer statement in my life. Billy is half-drunk all the time, and when he isn’t drinking, he’s beating his wife.

“Let’s meet at Oscars in about thirty?”

“I’ll be there, Zane.”

I hang up the phone without a goodbye. Billy is an easy target since he is nothing but a tech guy. That’s what he does for the mob. Finds out information through hacking computers and cellphones. If anyone is going to know something, it’s going to be him.

Clicking back into the app on my phone, I allow myself to check on Dove one last time. She’s still sitting on the couch, immersed in her book. Without thought, I find myself stroking the screen, wishing I could touch her, taste her, feel her body against mine. I want her so badly it almost kills me. Not yet. I tell myself.

Closing the app once more, I shove my phone into my pocket and drive in the direction of Oscars. Since the hit was placed, I’ve been more cautious, looking over my shoulder, carrying an extra gun. I can’t risk something happening to me and then Dove being put at risk because of it. I’ve worked so hard to get where I am. Worked my ass off to make sure Dove had the life she deserved, and now it’s all crumbling around me.

Part of me hates myself for what I’m going to have to do while the other part of me wouldn’t have it any other way. Dove is the one and only person I’m ever conflicted over. I refuse to hurt her, but my obsession with her can’t be sated. I want her beside me. I want to be inside her whenever and wherever I want. For the first time ever, I want to be able to let go completely, but with only her.

Pulling into the shitty bar’s parking lot, I suppress the thoughts of Dove and me sharing a future together. That can’t happen if I don’t get the answers I need. Which means… I need to let go. As easy as flipping a light switch off and on, I let my emotions go. Getting out of the SUV, I walk across the parking lot, the rocks crunching beneath my boots.

Walking inside the bar, the sound of loud music, laughter, and glass breaking greet me. I spot Billy in the corner of the room, looking like he’s already had a few too many. Perfect, it should make it easier to get him to talk. I don’t want to waste all my time on him.

“Hey, buddy,” he slurs as I walk up to the table. As soon as I take a seat, a waitress wearing a low-cut tank top appears by my side.

“Hey, handsome, what can I get you?” she asks in a sultry tone, utterly unaware of how futile her efforts of flirting are with me.

“Beer, whatever you have on tap,” I say gruffly without looking at her. She must have gotten the hint because she scurries away without another word.

For the next half an hour, I engage in friendly small talk with Billy, only sneaking in innocent questions here and there. I haven’t decided if I’m going to kill him yet. It all depends on how much he knows.

“I have to say, I’m surprised you called. You never just hang out, relax, or let loose, ya know?” he says with a laugh, waving his glass around, spilling half of his beer on the table.

“What can I say? I’m turning over a new leaf. Trying to be more outgoing.” The lie rolls easily off my tongue. “Especially with all these jobs, Christian has lined up for me. First, he gets into it with the Castros and now with Xander Rossi. He needs to pick his battles better; he can’t fight everybody at once.”

“Yeah, not sure what he was thinking, stealing those guns from Rossi. He should know better than to steal from him. This isn’t the first time either… he’s going to get himself killed.”