Chapter Fifteen

Zach

On his way home, Zach kept thinking about the meeting with Mr. Mercer and that Angelo guy. Why couldn’t Mr. Mercer be a little more indulgent? It wasn’t that he would lose anything. Zach, on the other hand, had a lot to lose.

He didn’t want to think about it too much, but because of his impatience concerning his destined, he had lost several contracts. In other words, he hadn’t always been friendly to his clients.

Which was another reason he didn’t want to come back to Rockdale that often. When he was unstable like this, his powerful instincts might destroy everything he had worked so hard for.

While his mind was somewhere else, he kept on driving. His instincts were giving him a hard time and were fighting him for control.

Everything with Mr. Mercer, the issues he had with the company and, on top of that, his destined...it was just too much. His speed was increasing. Luckily, it was late and already dark.

He drove on an almost empty highway; driving dangerously fast to let loose. Fifteen minutes later, he reached the exit to the dirt roads that led to his home.

His instincts sensed that he was getting close to home and gave control back to Zach.

Once he arrived at the compound, he parked his sedan in front of it. He wouldn’t be needing this car here. When he was in the mountains, he used his truck, which was more convenient for the dirt roads.

When he went to the city, he exchanged his truck for the black sedan.

When he stepped onto the compound’s porch, he was greeted by Ethan.

“Hey, man, back already?”

Ethan smiled and gave him a pat on the back, then sat back down on the bench he had been sitting on. “How are things? How did the meeting go?”

“Not as good as I hoped. The client really didn’t want to budge.” Zach sighed and sat beside Ethan on the bench. They were quiet for a moment.

“That’s not the only thing bothering you, is it? I know you too well, Zach. Your instincts are on the surface, and I can sense you are restless. Is there something else bothering you?” Ethan looked concerned.

Zach’s instincts were on the surface a lot lately. It wasn’t very much like Zach; most of the time he could keep himself in control pretty well. He was a boss—he was the one who controlled his instincts best. He had been trained to use his instincts, not to let them use him.

“You’re right. I sensed my destined was nearby again. I broke down in my office. Mr. Saunders scolded me; can you imagine what that was like?”

Zach rubbed his face, embarrassed when he thought back about what happened that day.

Ethan smiled. “Man, too bad I couldn’t be a fly on the wall. I would have loved to see that. You, scolded by some regular guy.” Ethan shook his head; he couldn’t believe it.

When he realized what Zach said, his head jolted up. “Wait, did you say you sensed your destined again? How?”

“She applied for a job within my company. She was all the way in Mr. Saunders’s office. I missed her by seconds.”

“Wow, that sucks.” Ethan gave Zach a worried look. That this was not good was an understatement.

“Yeah, you could put it that way.” Zach let out a frustrated sigh and looked at the stars. He needed some distraction. “So, how was the move here? Do you think Joanna will be able to adapt easily?”

“It went smoothly,” Ethan looked at Zach, concerned. “But do you really want to talk about my destined when you are so frustrated with yours? Doesn’t that make things worse?”

“I need a distraction, Ethan. I am about to explode!” Zach’s wild instincts were surfacing again, demanding to be followed. Zach got up and kicked a pillar of the porch, then turned and looked Ethan straight in the eye.

“Anything is better than thinking about my destined, who I still have not found! Help me out! I can’t handle it!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Ethan put his hands up in defense. “Maybe you should go for a run to blow off some steam. Maybe that will help calm you down a little.”

Zach’s eyes could have lit a fire.

“Damn it, man, don’t shoot me, alright?”

Zach looked at Ethan for a second, then turned around and went down the steps of the porch. “Make sure someone parks my car in the garage and drops off my cases.” He threw the keys over his shoulder to Ethan.

Then he took off his shirt and started running. Just like that, he was off.

When he came back from his run, he was visibly calmed down.

Even though he’d treated him like crap before, Ethan kept taking care of him.

He got inside, and just as he started to walk up the stairs, he bumped into a beautiful lady, a lovely female mobster.

“Well, hello there, mighty boss. Be careful where you walk.” She smiled and put her arms around his neck for balance.

He held her at the waist to help her keep her balance.

“What are you still doing up at this late hour?”

Her hands slid down, and she let them rest on his hard chest. “Were you looking for some company?” She smiled again, and pulled herself closer to him, so that their bodies touched.

He looked at her. Her scent was seductive. He loved the feeling she gave him.

“Would you like some company tonight?” he whispered, then kissed her neck.

“If it’s you, always, Boss,” she looked at him seductively. He took her hand and pulled her up the stairs. He quickly walked her to his room. When the door was closed, he wasted no time and pushed her against it.

He kissed her hard—his kisses were aggressive, demanding. His hands roamed her body from her neck down to her breasts. He looked at them as he squeezed them through the fabric of her top.

She moaned and lifted her head so he had easy access to her neck. He moved his kisses from her mouth, over her jaw, down to her neck. When he kissed the sensitive spot in the crook of her neck, he took in her scent again.

His instincts started to fuss—there was something wrong. When he looked at the girl he was making out with, he realized why his instincts were fussing. This was not right, indeed. What the hell was he doing? What was he thinking?

He backed off immediately. “Leave,” he said gruffly.

“But Boss—” the woman protested, but he cut her off.

“Leave!” he bellowed. That was a direct order, so she had to comply.

He turned around and walked to his patio doors to look at the darkness outside. When he heard the woman walk out and slam the door shut, he walked over to the dresser where his whiskey and his cigarettes were.

He poured whiskey in a glass and finished it in one gulp. He poured another and then picked up a cigarette and put it in the corner of his mouth. Then he took the lighter and the glass and took them outside to his balcony.

Maybe the whiskey would make him feel numb for a while.

Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to sleep after what he just did. How could he be so stupid? How could he just let himself go like that? Did he really have no willpower anymore at all?

What would the people think of his behavior if they found out about this? What would his destined think of him if she ever found out? He was ashamed, he was frustrated. What was happening to him? Why couldn’t he control himself?

He had too many questions. His head was spinning. He went back inside to put his glass away. He saw himself in the mirror above the dresser, but he couldn’t bear his reflection. He hated himself.

He threw the glass against the mirror with a roar. The sound of falling glass filled the room. Then he pulled the dresser from the wall. It fell forward and lay flat on the ground. Again, he roared.

He couldn’t release his frustration, it only increased. He needed to sleep. He needed to get rest. He needed to calm down.