Page 35 of Obsession

“About fucking time,” I replied gruffly. But even as I spoke, my hand moved instinctively to brush a strand of hair from her face -- a touch so tender it almost surprised me.

“Careful, you might actually start acting like a human being,” Hollis teased, her lips twitching into a weak smile. My own mouth quirked in response, though I couldn’t quite bring myself to return the sentiment.

“Fuck off,” I muttered, though the words held no real venom. They were more an admission of defeat than anything else. Because as much as I hated to admit it, Hollis had wormed her way under my skin, and there was no denying the possessive need that had taken root within me.

I’d thought things were finally better, and we were heading back to our normal lives when the doctor arrived that day with a clipboard clutched tightly in her trembling hands. I could sense that something was off -- and I didn’t like it one bit.

“Spit it out. What’s wrong with her?”

“Riot… I ran some tests while treating Hollis.” The doctor hesitated, her eyes darting between us before finally settling on me. “She’s pregnant.”

For a moment, the world seemed to go silent, leaving nothing but the sound of blood pounding in my ears. Then, without warning, a primal rage surged through me, and I lashed out, my fist connecting with the wall beside the doctor’s head.

“You’re fucking lying,” I snarled. “Dr. Fields informed me I can’t have children. So there’s no fucking way Hollis is pregnant.”

“Riot, please,” the doctor stammered, her eyes wide with terror. “The results are clear. I only ran a pregnancy test because I realized there was more to your relationship, and certain drugs could harm a baby.”

“Get out!” I roared, grabbing her by the collar and shoving her toward the door. “Get the fuck out of here before I put your head through the Goddamn wall!”

And just like that, she was gone -- leaving me alone with Hollis and the bitter taste of betrayal.

“Riot?” Hollis murmured, her eyes searching mine for answers. But all I could do was stare back at her, my heart a twisted knot of pain and anger.

“Did you know?” I asked finally, my voice hoarse. “Did you keep this from me?”

“Riot, I swear, I didn’t know,” she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. “I --”

“Save it,” I spat, cutting her off. “Just… fucking save it.”

As I stormed out of the room, my hands trembling with rage, one thought echoed through my mind: someone was going to pay for this, and they were going to pay dearly. If she was pregnant and it wasn’t mine, then someone had dared to touch what belonged to me.

* * *

The air was thick with the scent of fear as I strode into Dr. Fields’ office, my fists clenched and rage boiling beneath the surface. This was the woman who had sworn, years ago, that I couldn’t have children -- a fact I’d accepted without question until now.

“Riot Tredway,” she stammered, her face paling at the sight of me. “What brings you here?”

“Cut the shit, Nora.” I slammed my hands down on her desk. “You fucking lied to me.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” she asked, beads of sweat forming on her brow. Yeah, I could nearly taste her fear. She either knew exactly why I was so pissed, or she’d lied to me about multiple things and wasn’t sure exactly how fucked she was right now.

“Your little lie just cost someone dearly.” I narrowed my eyes. “Hollis is pregnant, and you’re going to tell me how the fuck that’s possible when you swore I was sterile.”

“Riot, I can assure you, my initial diagnosis was accurate,” she insisted, her voice shaking. “I don’t know what happened, but --”

“Wrong answer.” I grabbed her by the collar and lifted her off her feet. As I slammed her against the wall, I could feel the rush of power coursing through my veins. “Think very carefully about your next words, Doctor.”

“Please, Riot,” she begged, struggling for breath as I tightened my grip. “There may be… other factors… I didn’t consider before. You might not be entirely sterile, just… less likely to --”

“Less likely?” I asked, my voice dripping with disdain. “You told me it was impossible. Not difficult. Impossible. And now there’s a child growing inside Hollis, a life I never wanted but won’t hesitate to protect, simply because she seems like the type who’d want to keep it.”

“Riot, I’m sorry,” she choked out. “I should have been more thorough --”

“Damn right, you should have. Or maybe it wasn’t a case of being wrong. Perhaps you’ve been lying to me all along, about this and who knows what else. Remember what I told you in the very beginning? Betray me and I’d make your life hell?”

I pulled her away from the wall only to slam her against it again. I heard her teeth snap together from the impact, and hoped I’d caused her at least a little bit of pain. Much more was coming her way, though.

I pulled out my phone and called Kane, putting it on speaker.

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