Page 34 of Twisted In Obsession

Taking a sip of his drink, he lowers the glass, eyeing me. “It’s a concern, sure. But once we know more about what they want with her, we will have a better idea of what we are dealing with.”

My body tenses. What do they want with her? I will kill every last one of the bastards before they put a hand onmywoman. Staring at the tumbler in my hand, I don’t look at Dante when I speak my next words. “The Russians don’t know it and never will, but they did me a great service killing Papà. If it wasn’t for keeping face in front of the commission, I wouldn’t even go after them. I would be buying them drinks and thanking them for taking his life.” Lifting my head, my gaze meets his. “You know how bad things had gotten with Papà. He was becoming unpredictable, unhinged. He was blood. But he had to go.” Dante knows my feelings about my papà, but it is considered blasphemy saying them out loud. If the commission knew how I really felt, my loyalty would come into question and no doubt they would issue a bounty for my death.

“Nic, we both know he would have only gotten worse. Look at the shit he has got your sister locked into. His own daughter. Selling her off to the highest bidder, knowing full well she will never survive a man like Riccardo. You’ve heard the stories just like I have. We knew Lorenzo was losing his mind, but to even consider signing an agreement with the Romanos. It’s fucked up and scary to think what he would have done next. He already mentioned fucking trafficking women before he died.” Disdain laces his voice, his face full of disgust. Revulsion is a living, breathing thing inside me when I think about the direction my papà was taking thefamigliain. At what he did to Ocean. At missing her pregnancy and my son’s birth. Anger surges through me, but I tamp it down. He is gone. But if he wasn’t already dead, I would without a doubt have killed him myself.

“No one can ever know what we just talked about. Especially not my mamma.” I pin him with serious eyes.

“I would never say anything,” he vows honestly, and to be completely transparent, I don’t know why I even said it. I trust Dante. More than I trust anyone else.

Just as I’m about to speak, there is a small, soft knock on my door. “Mio figlio?” Mamma calls, pushing the door open. She smiles. “Dinner will be served in thirty minutes.”

I nod, draining the rest of my drink. “I will be there.”

“Dante?”

He chuckles. “You don’t even need to ask, Valentina. I’m starving.”

“Good.” She glances over her shoulder, and I don’t miss the way her eyes light up. “Ocean wanted to see you.” The object of my obsession appears with our son in her arms.

“I will give you some privacy.” Dante stands, leaving my office in the next second.

Ocean steps inside, and I hate the way my heart beats faster at the sight of her. Pushing out of my chair, I close the distance between us, taking Romeo from her. The soft click of the door alerts me to the fact that we are now alone. Clearing my throat, I say. “You wanted to see me?” I’m pretty sure I know the reason behind her visit, but I want to hear her say it again.

She wrings her hands together, nibbling on that full bottom lip. I want to bite down on it, suck it into my mouth. Play with her until only pleasure consumes her body. “I know you are busy, but I thought I could call Patty before dinner?” she blurts, snapping me from my Ocean trance.

After the shit show today has been, I want to say no. Tell her that she can call her another day. But I promised her over a week ago and it still hasn’t happened. She deserves this. Sighing, I maneuver Romeo to my left arm making sure he is comfortable.

Grabbing my cell from my desk, I hand it to her. Jerking my head to the couch. “Sit. And remember I want it on speakerphone.”

She rolls her eyes in exasperation. I shoot her adon’t test melook as I drop down on the plush leather couch. Deciding not to push me, she sits on the other end. “It’s locked,” she points out, holding up my cell as if to prove her point.

“Zero, one, one, one, zero, five.”

Her brows furrow as she punches in the code, recognition crossing her features. She gasps, her eyes snapping to me. “That’s my birthday. January eleventh, and the year I was born. Two thousand and five,” she squeaks, her lips parted in shock, disbelief in her tone.

I nod confirming that she is correct. It is her birthday. I would never tell her, but as soon as I saw her real birth certificate, I wanted to honor it in some way. I don’t have tattoos so the code to my cell had to do. Every time I entered it, it reminded me that she was real. That I hadn’t made her up in some fucked up part of my brain.

“Get on with it. Mamma has prepared dinner. You have,” I glance at my watch. “Twenty-five minutes.” She blushes, her eyes dropping to my cell. “Do you know the number?”

“Yeah. I memorized it in case of an emergency.”

“An emergency?” I repeat.

She glances at me, nodding. “Yeah. Like if I was out and my cell died, I could use a payphone.” Her eyes twinkle. “Or you know, I was ever kidnapped by a mafia boss.”

I glare. “I didn’t kidnap anything. I just simply took back what’s mine.”

She shakes her head, mumbling, “Same difference.”

Dropping the phone to the couch, the dial tone rings out. On the third ring, Patty answers, her southern twang filling the silence of the room. “Hello?”

“Patty?” Ocean whispers, tears filling her eyes.

“Lyra? Oh my God. Is that really you? Are you okay? Is my boy okay?” She rushes out, her voice borderline hysterical. But I ignore that. All I can think about is the way she saidher boy.I shouldn’t be jealous of a sixty odd year-old woman, but I don’t like it.

“It’s me,” Ocean chuckles before it trails off, and a frown wrinkles up her smooth forehead. “I lied to you Patty. My name is not Lyra. It’s Ocean.” I hear the shame in her confession.

Patty tsks, laughing softly. “Honey, I don’t care what your name is. I’m just happy to hear your voice. I have been so worried about you. About our boy. I thought...” she pauses, before clearing her throat. “I thought that I would never hear your voice again.”

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