2. Yara

Chapter 2

Yara

A fter a long day of nonstop meetings, I was finally back in my office.

“Izzy, come on. You need to visit me before our stupid as fuck reunion in two months, I haven’t seen you in too flipping long.” Time had slipped by and I was currently changing into my outfit for the dinner with Liam tonight, my phone cradled against my ear. “I miss you and we need to catch up.”

“I know ,” Izzy dragged the word out, her voice pitched with emotion even through the phone. “I just… ugh. I don’t know what’s going on with Harry. He’s been acting extra shady and I know he’s fucking up, but I need the proof. You know? So he can’t fucking lie to me.”

I readjusted, quickly tugging my dress over my head as my office door opened. I went to yell at the intruder, but it was just Kazi.

I gestured for him to shut the door. He obliged before leaning back against it. Sometimes I think he forgot he was my assistant, not my personal guard.

“Well, we can agree Harry isn’t shit. Did you want me to have Emil look into him?” I asked. Emil was the head of my investigation team for Darkest Desires ; if there was dirt, I trusted Emil to find it.

Izzy’s boyfriend, Harry, didn’t seem like a good guy when they met, but you can’t tell a woman who to date, they needed to figure it out for themselves.

I knew all about not listening to outside advice .

Izzy was the reason I was brave enough to skip town. She was always there when I needed her. Especially after my break up back home with Daniel.

Now it was time for me to return the favor.

“No, it’s okay. I’m going to ask Oliver,” Izzy huffed out.

Uneasiness swam in my gut. Shortly after I met Izzy in high school, Oliver started showing up. He was always around, lingering in the background, watching her. It was creepy, and she was oblivious. Their friendship had never been healthy, but again, she wouldn’t listen to me on any of it. “Okay…” I finally agreed, unsurely.

“I know, I know. We’re too close, blah blah blah. On that front, any news on your love life? At this point, I always thought you would be the one married with kids,” Izzy joked.

I thought so, too. My mind flipped back to the man on my database before my fingers moved on their own to a scar along my forehead. It had been left by the man I thought would be the father of my children one day.

The man that had kept me from wanting to start a family.

The scar was one of many I had, just another imperfection. I was littered with them.

I could feel Kazi’s intense gaze on me as I brushed over the puckered skin, but he had long since stopped asking where it came from. Where any of the scars originated. I gave a different answer every time.

Because the truth?

Well, I hadn’t admitted that out loud to anyone besides my therapist.

I wanted to tell Kazi, and I knew I would one day, but not yet.

“Funny. You know I’m too busy being a boss ass bitch. Just like you are.” I steered the conversation to safer waters, swallowing down the bile that had made its way up my throat .

I was incredibly proud of Izzy. Her company had grown exponentially over the last few years, and she worked her ass off for it.

The image of the older man from my database flashed into my mind again. This time it was specifically his sage green eyes. Besides my instant attraction to him, there was something about the color that had thrown me off.

They were unsettlingly familiar.

In fact, they looked exactly like Izzy’s.

“Random question, you don’t have any relatives in California, do you?”

Izzy went uncharacteristically quiet for a moment. “Not anymore,” she eventually whispered. “Well hey, I got to go. Love you girl.” Her voice took on a fake cheery tone.

Odd .

But I could understand not wanting to talk about family. Izzy and I were close, I would trust her with my life, but even she didn’t know the darkness that shrouded my childhood.

And on the flip side of that, I had never even met her mom or step-father.

Izzy never wanted me to come over to her house back in high-school, and I didn’t press the matter.

“Love you. Talk soon.” Dropping the phone onto my desk, I bent down to slip on my heels. I hated them, but this client had provided my outfit for the evening. All a part of the discretion package.

I attempted to put one shoe on but lost my balance. Before I could fall, strong hands were there to catch me.

“Here, let me.” Kazi gently guided me to the velvet couch in my office, pushing me down softly. He turned back grabbing my heels before kneeling in front of me. He had done this before, but watching him in this moment caused my heart to beat rapidly .

Now that I had plans to delve into my own desires, I had opened my mind up to other thoughts. Specifically my interest in Kazi. I had always been drawn to Kazi but never wanted to cross that line. I wouldn't ruin our decade-long friendship over my infatuations.

No matter how strong they were becoming.

Kazi tapped my left foot, and I lifted it up for him. He carefully secured the heel in place, tightening the strap, his fingers leaving a trail of scorching fire. He gently placed my foot onto the ground before repeating the actions with my right.

This time, he didn’t let go immediately. Instead, his long gentle fingers wrapped around my ankle, covering the scars there. Another flaw. He looked up, concerned eyes meeting mine. “You haven’t been eating again.”

I turned my head away in shame. He knew more about me than any other living being, including Izzy. He left me reeling and feeling more vulnerable than I cared to admit.

“I have been, I’m just trying a new diet.” The lie clouded the space between us.

His grip on my ankle tightened, causing me to wince in pain. He dropped his hold on it suddenly, standing. Offering me a hand, he carefully lifted me up. Even with the heels on, he still had a few inches on me. However, we were now much closer in height, it made it easier to watch his face as he spoke. “I can’t join you tonight, but my cousin is in town and he works in security. He will be there if anything happens.” His gaze hopped around the room as he refused to meet my eyes.

Kazi was being uncharacteristically shifty, but I decided not to push it. We were all allowed our secrets.

“Kazi, you know I don’t need protection. And even more so, I hate strange men watching me. Just let me go on my own. I’ll be at a public restaurant, it’s perfectly safe. ”

“Another letter came in, but I know it won’t stop you from your plans tonight.” His lips curled up, but his annoyance was palpable. He let me go to grab a folded envelope out of his back pocket. It was already open.

They were always signed the same. The letter D. I could guess who they were from, but I didn’t have any proof. Even if I did, I wasn’t sure I would tell Kazi my suspicions.

“I told you to stop reading those. They are empty threats. They’re from some asshole that doesn’t like my company, and you’re right, I’m not going to let this stranger dictate how I live my life.” I was no longer that little girl crying out in fear or that teenager who didn't know any better.

I was nearing thirty years old and I wasn’t going to let another man’s cruelty affect my life.

Not again.

“If it was nothing to worry about, you would have talked to Izzy about it. You only keep the concerning things from her.” He raised an eyebrow in challenge.

I didn’t bother arguing. He was right, but it didn’t change anything. I may be terrified of eventually coming face-to-face with this stalker, but I was doing my best to not allow it to affect me.

I reached for the envelope, but he held onto it.

“Let me read it.”

“What good will that do?” He snatched it back, returning it to his pocket. “The sentiment was the same as all the others.”

Which meant a slew of insults calling me every disgusting name under the sun while simultaneously confessing their undying love. I knew the person writing the letters was escalating, but the police didn’t care; they practically spewed that I deserved it due to my line of work. As if owning a dating service justified any and all unwelcome advances.

It was certified bullshit .

When I tried to push the issue, showing the authorities a folder of letters and pictures going back years , they pointed out that, so far, nothing had actually happened so they weren’t threats exactly . I couldn’t prove I was being followed, the only evidence being the prickle of goosebumps whenever I was out.

Useless. They would only come once a crime was committed, but at that point, it would be too late.

I shut down that line of thinking, containing the full body shiver that threatened to take hold.

The one blessing was that the letters only appeared at the office. They hadn’t made their way to my home… yet. But I knew it was only a matter of time. It would only take one slip up.

“Where are you going to be tonight?” I picked up my phone, shoving it into my dress’s pocket, the only redeeming feature of this entire ridiculous outfit.

Kazi stayed silent as he took me all in, his full lips now curved distinctly downward into a frown. “I wish you wouldn’t let them pick out your clothes. It’s bad enough you meet them on these fake dates .”

I folded my arms across my chest in exasperation. Kazi’s dark eyes tracked the motion, but he remained silent.

I didn’t want to rehash this argument. Our clients were all thoroughly vetted and these “dates” took place in public establishments. I required all potential clients to have one in-person meeting prior to being matched because background checks didn’t exactly work to weed out the assholes. I wanted to ensure all parties that used my services were as protected as I could possibly manage prior to any activities occurring . Thus far, we hadn’t run into any issues or complaints, and I planned on keeping it that way.

But if the new clients didn’t want to be seen at my office? That was where the discretion package came into play .

Additionally, if the initial meeting went sideways, I had learned enough self-defense to take care of myself. “Fine, don’t answer my question of where you’re going to be tonight. I need to get going anyways. Tell your cousin to leave me be, unless he’s needed.”

Kazi hummed his agreement, leaning forward, close enough that for a moment, I thought he might just kiss me.

My eyes shut on their own accord in anticipation, but instead, his sturdy hand cupped my cheek softly. My attention found his, he was staring at me with a dark critical intensity, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“Car is waiting for you.” His fingers flexed, the rough digits pushing into my skin.

I leaned further into his touch. It snapped him out of whatever trance he was in, causing him to drop his hold and jump back as if I had shocked him.

I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t . I walked swiftly from my office, leaving Kazi behind, attempting to control my breathing and the static that was shooting across my skin in anticipation. Kazi wasn’t someone I should ever cross the line with, he was the only constant I had in this city. I needed him, no matter what.

At least that’s what I kept telling myself.

I felt his gaze as I made my way to the elevator. Sure enough, when I stepped into it and turned around, he was still standing in my office doorway. His penetrating eyes watched me. It did nothing to quell the building desire that churned in my belly.

My resolve wavered, but then the elevator doors closed.

I stamped down the feeling and shut my eyes to avoid my reflection.