Divine Obsession (GodHood #2)

Chapter 13

Present

THE NYPD SMELLED THE SAME as it always did when I came in for the past five or so months – coffee, cheap cologne, and something metallic I couldn’t place. It made my stomach turn, but I pushed the feeling away as I entered the station.

I didn’t bother to wait for anyone to acknowledge me. All the cops knew me by now. The girl in pink heels, who showed up like clockwork every week, demanding answers no one seemed to have.

Since the last time I’d shown up like this, they’d placed a new front desk in homicide. I squinted at the buzz-cut’s name tag. Officer Kendrick.

“Natalia, I assume?” When I nodded, he continued, “Chief Johnson’s in a meeting.”

“He’s always in a meeting,” I shot back. My white fur coat – a statement piece I’d splurged on last week – waved slightly as I leaned against the counter. “Get him. Or I’ll get him myself.”

Kendrick hesitated only for a moment, before pushing a buzzer under his desk that unlocked a door to my side, allowing me to enter the hallway. “Second office on the left.”

“ Thank you ,” I replied, my tone sharper than I intended.

As I walked down the hall, I felt the familiar tightness in my chest. I’d done this too many times. Sat in that stuffy office and heard the same dead-end answers too much to count.

Today was going to be very different.

I didn’t knock.

The door swung open, and Johnson’s head snapped up from the paperwork cluttering his desk.

“Natalia,” He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Clearly,” I said, stepping inside and closing the door behind me with a muted click. “I’m surprised you’re not better prepared, considering I show up whenever I feel like. Which, at this rate, is about as often as you fail to do your job.”

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “We’ve been working–”

“Don’t,” I cut him off, taking a step closer to the desk. “Don’t say you’re doing everything you can. Because if you were, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Johnson rubbed his temples like I was causing him physical pain. “I understand you’re frustrated–”

“Frustrated?” I interrupted, my voice lowering dangerously. “My sister has been missing for five months. Five . And the best fucking detectives on the East Coast – the ones my family is so generously funding – have nothing . That isn’t frustrating, Johnson. It’s unacceptable.”

His jaw clenched, and I saw the flicker of fear he was trying to suppress. “It’s not for lack of trying, Miss Natalia.”

“Then explain to me why you’re still sitting here like you’re running a desk job at the DMV.”

“There’s been a… Development ,” He said cautiously.

“What kind of development?”

“We recovered something earlier this week.” He flipped open a folder and turned it to me. “A fisherman near South Beach reported finding an item caught in his net. Our team identified it as a gold chain. Masculine, but similar to the one you described Maria wearing.”

I stared at the chain.

The chain Maria had ripped from a guy’s neck three years ago in high school, after beating the shit out of him in front of everyone for disrespecting me.

“You’re telling me,” I spoke slowly, “That all you have to show for five months of work is a chain? Something anyone could have dropped anywhere?”

“That’s not all, miss.” Johnson took a deep breath before continuing. “The chain had traces of blood on it. Not visible to the naked eye, but the lab confirmed it. We’re running DNA now, but it could take a few more days for the results.”

“Blood?” The word felt foreign in my mouth.

“It’s not definitive,” The Chief said quickly. “We’ve also traced the area, searched the docks, spoke to people who work there. It’s a long shot, but—”

“You think she’s in the water,” I said, cutting him off.

Chief paused, his silence answering for him.

I stepped closer to the desk, settling my hands on the edge and leaning in. “My family has gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure this case is a priority for everyone in this building–”

“We’re not stopping,” He interrupted me, his own frustration starting to show. “You think I don’t want to close this case? You think I don’t know how much pressure I’m under? I got all these dead bodies all over the city making it look like we got some type of bat-shit crazy serial killer on the loose, shooting people in the eyes!”

“ Pressure? ” I mocked him, laughing bitterly. “You don’t know the meaning of the fucking word . Let me make something very clear, Chief. My family isn’t patient. And we don’t like loose ends.”

His jaw tensed; face already multiple shades paler. “Is that a threat?”

“No,” I replied sweetly, straightening. “Just a reminder.

Walking away, I pulled the door open, throwing one last threat over my shoulder. “ Find her. Or someone will find you .”

I didn’t wait for his response. I walked out of the office, my heeled boots clicking against the tile as I passed the wide-eyed officers who were undoubtedly eavesdropping. They averted their gazes, pretending to be busy with whatever mundane tasks they were doing.

Outside, the early spring air was cold against my flushed cheeks, but I barely noticed. My mind raced, replaying the conversation over and over.

The gold chain. Blood.

I told myself that maybe the chain had been in her bag they found last time. That maybe it managed to wash out when in the sea, and then was found separately.

Maria felt closer than ever, but the weight of the unknown still hung heavily over me.

I wasn’t giving up. Not now. Not ever.

A whole week passed by without me seeing Trevor.

If it wasn’t for the trail of dead bodies being scattered all over the city, I would’ve thought he was avoiding me. Should’ve known better.

Apparently, by Kali’s assumptions, Trevor and his men were taking care of whoever breached into the Dynasty’s underground operations – AKA fucked with their imports and exports of weapons.

Every morning, I woke up, turned on the TV, and a new homicide was getting covered on national morning news.

Each victim was murdered with two bullets; one in each eye.

I recently came to understand that that was how the Su family marked their hits.

失明.

Blindness.

In other words, mind your goddamn business.

I was in a different class.

Yet in the same shitty circumstances from last week, and the week before that.

Trevor sat next to me in Davis’ coding class, taking more of my space than necessary. Just like he did in the library last week, and Communications two weeks ago.

The reason – unknown. But I would’ve bet my pink Birkin it was to simply bug me.

I tapped my pen against the desk, a steady click-click-click that was the only thing keeping me from snapping at Trevor.

His elbow was halfway over the invisible line between our desks.

His mess of a notebook was tilted so far toward me that I might as well have been the one taking the notes for him.

Not that Trevor ever actually took notes. He was all confidence and no effort. And somehow still managed to score top of the class.

His knee bumped mine under the desk.

I shifted in my seat. My pulse thrummed in my temples, a steady beat of irritation. My lips pressed into a thin line as I clenched my jaw.

There was nothing except this persistent, gnawing awareness of him. The faint scent of cologne that clung to him – too smooth, too overwhelming.

God, he made me want to scream.

His presence was larger than the world, and I couldn’t focus on anything other than the feel of him against me – let alone Davis explaining some complicated codes on cyber security and demonstrating it on the large blackboard.

I bit on my lip as my eyes fell on Trevor’s huge arms; his forearms resting on the desk. His biceps must’ve been the size of my head, and there were several veins I could make out, travelling down his rich, dark skin.

The bezel of the Omega watch on his wrist was white diamonds, and if I knew anything about him, the rest must’ve been platinum, rather than just white gold.

His hands were big; big enough to hold basketballs with ease. It was a natural advantage that made him one of the best defenders in the NCAA’s Division One.

Trevor readjusted his position in the seat, and I suddenly felt very pissed off again.

His whole intimidation act was starting to seriously piss me off.

The Christmas Gala. Kali’s sleepover. My birthday. Communications class. His car. The library.

Now.

He couldn’t keep doing this.

He was manspreading. Invading my space and taking it away from me like an asshole.

I intentionally bumped my knee into his – if for no other reason than to piss him off and get him to move away.

It was almost unidentifiable. No one would have noticed I really did it on purpose; just that I was trying to sit comfortably in the space provided.

Except Trevor, of course.

He saw everything.

He noticed everything.

His hand grabbed my thigh, his fingers digging into me almost painfully, immediately sending waves of unexplained sensations through my body.

My heart jumped into my throat and I froze, waiting to see what he was going to do.

I waited for him to push me away or something, my skin turning hotter by the moment, but his hold on me only tightened under the desk.

My heart beat abnormally fast as his fingers dug into my jeans.

“What are you doing?” I whisper-yelled. “Let go.”

“Every action has a reaction. You should know,” He murmured calmly, as his hand moved higher up my thigh.

I was breathless. “Meaning?”

Without warning, his rough hand forced my thighs apart before cupping me between the legs.

I jerked unexpectedly, my chair slightly scraping against the floor. I felt my cheeks turn pink with shock and embarrassment.

The lights in the classroom were turned off for the projector. We were the only ones in the last row, at the back, several rows between us and the rest of the students. Davis was busy writing on the board about the end-of-the-year project, and everyone else was busy listening. Our faces were hidden by the large desktop computers, and the desks had modesty panels.

No one noticed.

It didn’t lessen the anxiety in my chest.

Out of instinct, I placed my hand over Trevor’s, digging my nails into his wrist.

But his hold was iron-clad.

“Meaning, if I put my hands on you, you’ll never be the same.”

“ Trevor .” I meant it as a warning, but his name left my lips in a whimper.

He pressed the pad of his palm into me, causing my jeans to rub against my clit, and forcing me to sway forward and grip the edge of the desk.

An amused breath escaped him, fanning over my cheek. “I bet I could make you come just from this.”

“Trevor, please…”

“Tell me to stop and I will.”

I opened my mouth but the words didn’t come out.

“You’re not as innocent as you pretend to be, little Miss Perfect…” A lingering, wet kiss on my neck. “You’re a bad girl, aren’t you, Natalia?” His teeth pulling on my earlobe. “And I’m the only one who knows.”

His other hand, which had been around the back of my chair this whole time, snaked underneath my pink sweater and around my naked waist. Trevor pulled me into him, his warm hand resting over my lower stomach.

I felt his strong, muscled body around me, comforting me with his body heat. I released his wrist, and instead brought my hands up to dig my nails into his biceps.

He seemed to like that because the next time he rolled his wrist and pressed the pad of his palm into my clit, he did it in such a way I started to come.

Biting my lip, I leaned back into him, hiding behind my monitor, and rolled my hips. I came silently, shivers rolling through me one after the other as Trevor’s rough fingers dug into the soft skin of my waist.

Stars exploded behind my eyes, and I hated that he’d just made me come better than I’d ever been able to make myself.

When I was done with my wave, he moved his hand out from between my legs and settled it back over my thigh. His touch always felt so heavy and secure.

As I tried to regroup, I heard Davis head back to her computer and speak about the new slide on the screen.

Shame chased away the remaining pleasure in my core. Shame because I didn’t feel any shame in regards to what I’d just let Trevor do to me.

I’d wanted it to happen. Had hoped it would.

I’d gotten what I’d wanted him to finish on my birthday. Fuck everything else.

I knew it. He knew it.

And now that I’d shown him all my cards, there was no way I was escaping him.

Glancing up, I saw the assigned pairs for the end-of-the-year project.

My heart beat abnormally, and I wasn’t sure of the reason.

“Would you look at that, amai ? You’re stuck with me for the rest of the year.”