Black Thorns (Thorns Duet #2) by Rina Kent

She never paid much attention to those, anyway, so I didn’t hold up much hope in finding her through them.

For months, I searched.

For months, I fucking obsessed.

My violent tendencies took the front seat and drove my life up the wall. I lost count of the number of times Nate had to stop me from punching someone to death and then got them to settle before they sued me.

After months in that state, I realized I was slowly killing myself and I needed to stop or I’d end up giving my grandparents the satisfaction of saying ‘I told you so.’

And in order to move past the asshole I was at the time, I deleted my search history and let the bloody knife fester inside me with its blood.

I didn’t search for her again. Didn’t google her name. Didn’t even talk to Lucy except on the rare occasion when we bumped into each other for the games we attend for Owen’s sake—who’s now a hotshot NFL player.

So why the fuck am I staring at a thousand tabs with her name on them again?

Why the fuck can’t I step on the brakes?

Maybe because I saw her face again and I sure as fuck know her last name now.

Naomi Mori. The wife of Akira Mori.

I want to jam my fist through my laptop screen and somehow yank his last name from hers.

The more I read about them, the thicker the red mist that covers my vision gets, and I can feel myself relapsing into old fucking habits.

The Mori couple is known to be private, classy, and have a general regal presence that rivals my grandparents.

She’s smiling with her hand on his arm in all the pictures of them together. There’s a shot of them at a temple in the New Year’s festivities in Japan. She’s wearing a white kimono with dark blue flower motifs and he’s in a yukata that matches the color of her motifs.

Her favorite fucking color.

Naomi laughs, tipping her head back as he whispers something in her ear with a smirk. I jam my laptop shut so I don’t throw it against the wall.

I run a hand over my face and take a few deep breaths. But nothing I do is able to chase away the haze.

Nothing is able to dispel the fucking curse. Except for maybe beating Akira Mori to death and bathing in his blood.

There’s a knock on the door and I grunt, “Come in.”

Candice appears in the doorway and jams a hand on her hip. “You need to see this.”

I stand because I’m ready to indulge in any type of distraction.

My assistant walks beside me as we head to the open office area that’s designated for interns and junior associates.

Daniel and Knox are gathering all the interns and standing on a small pedestal. The females look at them with awe and the males regard them as if they’re role models and they want to follow in their footsteps.

“Beautiful ladies and honored gents.” Daniel grabs an imaginary microphone. “We’re gathered here today to pay tribute to my legendary looks. And, ladies, I know my accent is irresistible, but don’t faint just yet. Because, unfortunately, my Adonis appearance and killer dimples are not, in fact, why we’re here. Disappointing, I know.”

Many interns giggle and the others smile, playing straight into his manwhorish hands. Some would call that charming.

I was that once. Charming.

Now, interns are just as scared of me as they are of Nate.

Knox places an arm around Daniel’s shoulder. “What’s more disappointing is that it’s time we split you guys up. Those who want to be on Dan’s side, raise a hand. Those who prefer me, raise two. No pushing, please. As much as I want to, I can’t accept everyone.”

Chaos ensues as interns split themselves up between Daniel and Knox.

“Do something,” Candice chastises in her stern voice. “They’ll leave you scraps again.”

I check my watch since it’s close to my lunch appointment with a judge. “And we care because…?”

“The load of work on your desk, maybe? My going home to my family at a reasonable hour, maybe? Also, maybe not settling for the choices those two make anymore. They gloat about it in front of the other partners and make a drama out of it.”

“I don’t care about any of that.”

“Well, I care about my reasonable working hours and you promised to get me some help. It’s perfect timing for that.”

“Fine. Who are the best interns?”

She points at a tall girl and a lean guy who aren’t making as much of a fuss as the others but are veering more toward Knox. His twisted obsession with high-profile criminal cases makes many interns flock to him.

“Kate Bukowski and Omar Taylor, Jr. Both top of their class,” Candice tells me.

“Grades only mean they spent all-nighters studying or cheating. I need them to be smart.”

“They’re the best interns we have. Now, do something.”

Sighing, I approach the scene. The chaos halts for a bit and the interns watch me with eyes wide and mouths agape.

They aren’t used to me getting involved in things like this.

“What are you doing here?” Daniel jumps down from his pedestal.

“Aren’t we picking interns?” I ask, casually running my gaze over the interns, who’ve suddenly grown silent.

“We’ll send yours later.” Knox waves me away. “No need to waste your time.”

“I’m going to personally pick mine.” I stare at the two interns Candice pointed out to me. “Kate and Omar. Follow me.”