Page 32 of Dark Obsession
"Nate," Tamren walked up to me and put his mitt of a hand on my shoulder, "you know who that woman was tonight?"
"What woman? I thought you said a dude died down here."
"Naw, man. The woman you took up to the top of the club."
"Jenna?"
"Yeah, man. I've seen her before."
"Around this dump?" I ran my fingers through my hair as he released his hold on me.
"I don't know." He brushed his fingers against his lips and glanced past me. "I can't place her to be honest, but I know one thing."
"What's that?" It wouldn't go unnoticed that she was the most beautiful thing in the whole fucking building that night. I didn't expect it to.
"She's powerful, Nate." He turned his attention back to me. "I can't remember where her power is wielded, but she's important to the city."
"To New York?" I snorted. He had my girl mixed up with someone else. She worked at a fucking hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. She shook like a leaf while I fingered her. She wasn't powerful or important, at least not to anyone but me. And I planned to keep it that way.
"Yes. Just tread lightly dude, all right? We kinda like you around here."
"Is that a joke?"
"That we like you?" He laughed.
"No, asshat. That you're worried about my safety because of me being with Jenna."
"No, I'm telling you to be careful."
"All right, well, if you remember where you saw her and where she's powerful from... help a brother out. I plan on marrying that girl one day."
"No, you don't." He lifted his eyebrow. "You're taking this playfully, but I'm fucking serious."
"All right. I getcha man. Thanks for the warning." I turned and jogged back up the stairs, letting the conversation go. He had the wrong woman. Plain and simple.
* * *
I must have passed out when my ass hit the couch that night because I woke up the next morning with someone beating down the door of my apartment.
"Fuck." I jumped up, still half-asleep. "I'm coming. Shit."
"Open the door, goddamnit." Ashley. Great. Something was wrong.
I fumbled with it as my adrenaline spiked. "Just a second, Ash. Shit."
"Open it now!" She pounded on it harder, rattling my nerves.
I pulled it open and stepped back as she walked in and reached up to slap me. I caught her hand and pushed her backward.
"Don't hit me again, or I'll tie you up and take my belt to you in ways you'll not like."
"No, you won't." She came at me again, and I gripped her wrists and pinned them behind her.
"What the fuck is wrong with you? What happened?" I walked toward her, pushing her backward with my body until she slammed into the wall behind her. "Did the cops figure something out?"
"What?" Confusion filled her pretty face for a minute. "No. I'm not pissed about that."
"I'm going to let you go, but you swing at me, and I'll fucking swing back. You understand?"
