Page 109 of Abundance of Obsession

Mason looks down at the ground and leans forward to get a better look at what he’s dealing with. “Ron, bring the car,” he says to the other guy. “Same as always?” he asks me.

“Same as always. No clues,” I say. “I’ll just check him out.”

The body doesn’t faze me or the guys at all. We’ve known each other and worked together for quite a few years now.

Approaching Owen, I crouch down. I check his shorts, but there are no pockets. I reach into the pocket of his sweatshirt.

Bingo.

I turn on the black iPhone and am surprised when it doesn’t even ask for authorization. Who doesn’t secure their phone with a passcode, fingerprint, or face scan these days?

Owen, that’s who.

That’s enough for me, so I step aside to let the guys get to work. My attention is on the phone. The photo gallery offers little content. A few pics in the ring and a few naked girls.

Messages? Also a dead end. Nothing interesting here.

Opening the contacts list knocks the wind out of me. “Fuck,” I curse under my breath.

This can’t be!

“Wait,” I say to Mason and walk over to the open van. Owen’s already lying in the back, ready for transport.

Turning his head to the side, I pull back his hood.

There it is.

Behind his ear.

A small “V.”

“V” for Veirix.

Chapter 27

Eli

We spend the next two nights at my apartment.

Still, it feels like a stranger’s place. Like it doesn’t belong to me anymore.

Maybe it’s because, ever since Zoe came into my life, I only feel at home when I’m with her.

She’d be better off at her own place, my conscience suggests.

Until I’m certain she’s safe, until I figure out what to do next, we’re staying here. Protections of various kinds guard the building, which gives me some peace of mind.

Zozo turns my way and lets out a quiet whimper. Like last night and the night before, I lie next to her and watch.

I can’t sleep.

Two, maybe three hours of shut-eye is enough for me. The rest of the time, I stay awake like a fucking guard.

Zoe thrashes in her sleep.

Every so often she rolls from side to side, furrows her brow, and mumbles something under her breath.

Sometimes she moans with such a hushed sound that if I weren’t lying next to her, I probably wouldn’t hear it.