Page 33 of Abundance of Obsession

What if she loved him?

That changes nothing.

My subconscious mind has been unusually vocal lately. But it’s right. My jaw is tight and sore, a physical manifestation of the burning rage simmering just beneath the surface.

She wants to do it with you.

A hint of relief creeps into my dark soul. It’s right again. At least, I hope so. She might have said it on a whim. Or worse, under the influence of alcohol. Maybe she didn’t even remember it the next day? Perhaps she regretted it?

I don’t know because, like a coward, I haven’t spoken to her and have even avoided any contact with her. The promise I made to Ryker could go to hell.

But if we assume that she’s aware of what she proposed and doesn’t regret it…

Then I could get her out of my system once and for all. We could both go back to how things were before, minding our own business.

It could stay just between us. Exactly. It couldn’t get back to either Ryker or Ash. They would skin me alive and feed me to the hyenas.

Do we have hyenas in this country?

Focus!

Right. It could be our secret. And no feelings. No romantic feelings. Purely sexual, with no emotional involvement. I don’t make love.

She would have to accept my terms. If that’s what she wants.

It could work.

“I’ll be roasting in hell,” I say into the void.

In short, I’m going to be there no matter what. The difference is now I’ll make it pay off.

Getting out of bed, I grab my phone.

It’s time to share my plan with Zoe.

Chapter 9

Zoe

“Jeremiah, keep an eye on Ashley and Zoe while I’m gone.” Rick’s words ring in my ears, followed by the slam of the front door. Though I’m in our room upstairs, his words—and the meaning behind them—are crystal clear.

Rick is our foster parent. Since his wife, Ingrid, passed away, he has been running this house on his own. Let’s not kid ourselves—he only cares about the money he gets for us. I’m under no illusion that I’m here because of the goodness of his heart.

And Jeremiah is his favorite for many reasons. Not just because he sells weed for him at school and fills his pockets. Because they’re the most alike. Almost like father and son. Like an actual family.

Rick turns a blind eye to almost everything Jeremiah does. Sometimes I think he could kill me, and Rick would help him hide the body. And he’s as unpredictable as the weather. Some days he ignores me, and it’s like I never existed. Other days unfold like a nightmare.

“Little Zoe,” Jeremiah sings as he calls my name, drawing it out. “We’re home alone…”

A shiver races through my body.

It’s one of those days.

My heartbeat picks up, my breathing too, and my palms sweat. This is what it means.

“Little Zoe! Come out, or I’ll find you and I’ll have to punish you!”

The frustration is building inside him. It’s audible in his voice. All too familiar. I’m also aware he’s not joking. Still, I have to take the risk. He might not find me. Perhaps Ash will come home sooner.