Page 75 of Total Obsession

A small voice inside of me tried to argue that this was unacceptable.

Even if she was an extremely good fuck.

One that I couldn't, for the life of me, seem to stop craving. Every time I went down on her, I knew I was becoming more and more addicted to her taste, her scent, and her sounds. I was trying to wrap her up into my web, but as of a few nights ago, she had managed to wrap me tightly in hers instead.

The sound of the icemaker turning on had me about ready to reach for one of the many weapons I'd hidden strategically around the apartment. It was at that moment that I realized I could not continue to live like this.

I'd never actually had anyone hunting me in my entire career. I was a man that lived in the shadows. No one knew my name. I was just the axe that came down on them when Johnny willed it. You never knew who the executioner was. They were always hooded for a reason. So, this feeling of being hunted, of being prey, of being on edge, was entirely new to me.

I hated it.

It needed to stop.

And I had the means to stop it.

I pulled my phone out and went to stand out on the balcony. It was freezing cold, but I didn't care. The shades were pulled tight in the bedroom, and I knew that the glass was soundproof. I didn't need Zoey listening in on any more of my conversations.

"It's me," I said when Will picked up the phone. It was just before three in the morning. I was fairly certain that the man didn't sleep.

"Yep," he replied, not sounding tired at all. "What can I do for you?"

"I've got a new target."

"Do you now?" he replied. "Who is it?"

"Primo Maldonado," I said without hesitating.

"You're shitting me," he said, a hint of surprise coating his voice.

"Not in the slightest."

"Are you sure about this, Axe?" Will asked. "A hit on Johnny's own son? I'm not even sure I should be involved in this."

"Who do you work for, Will?" I asked him. Will knew a great deal about the Maldonado family and the other inner workings of families the Maldonado's did business with, but that was only because of his connection with me. I was the one to find him and hire him. He had no direct connection with any of the families and his salary came from me and me alone.

"You, boss, duh," he replied.

"So, I'm telling you what we're going to do."

"Okay," Will replied, not needing any further coaxing.

"I want a meeting set up between Beau and Primo. They're obviously working together," I said. "As Beau inartfully disclosed on Thanksgiving in his little temper tantrum."

Will chuckled on the other line. "Yeah, he's so dumb sometimes."

"I want you to hack their phones. Understand how they talk to one another. We're not going to do anything just yet. We need to study their interactions for a month or so, so we don't draw any suspicion when we make our move."

"And, what's our move going to be?"

"A good question," I replied. "When we feel confident we understand their interactions, we're going to spoof their numbers and set up a meeting between them. That way we can get them together in one location and take them both out."

"Seems like it should work."

"You're the critical piece in all of this, Will."

"Is this the right time to ask for a raise?" His tone was lighthearted.

"Do this and we'll talk for sure," I replied. I hung up the phone. I didn't want Will to suspect that I was losing it. People who worked in the criminal underworld weren't particularly loyal. Because I'd been the one to elevate Will from the poor little hacker that he was to, well, still a hacker but a significantly wealthier one, I knew that I'd at least earned an ounce of trust from him.