Page 47 of Obsession

She gave me a slight smile, and I noticed the exchange of glances between the sheriff and mayor. I hoped I wouldn’t have to visit them individually and make sure they didn’t cause trouble. It would be a hassle to put new people in their places, but I’d do it if necessary. And they damn well knew it.

“I understand, Riot. We’ll make sure she’s safe and comfortable,” Sheriff Dalton said.

“Good. I’d hate for either of you to cause problems for me,” I said, making sure they understood the underlying message. Both men nodded.

“Now get the hell out of my house,” I said.

The mayor and sheriff left. Crash and Kane watched Hollis. I didn’t see animosity in their eyes. Only questions. I knew there was a lot they didn’t understand about my relationship with her. I didn’t either for that matter.

“Did the two of you consider what I brought up before?” I asked. They both seemed confused. “About finding your own women?”

Crash shrugged. “I’m not actively looking. Maybe I’ll run across someone who piques my interest like Hollis did with you.”

“Same,” Kane said. “Although, I like the idea of each of us starting families.”

Hollis had a startled look on her face. “You do?”

Kane nodded. “The three of us can’t live forever. We’ll need to turn this town over to someone else one day. Might as well be our own flesh and blood.”

Her jaw dropped open. “Are you saying you need heirs like a royal family or something?”

“Can’t think of another reason to need a kid running around,” Kane muttered. “Noisy pains in the ass, if you ask me.”

“Do me a favor,” Hollis said. “If you do approach someone, you might want to leave out the part where you intend to turn her into a broodmare.”

Crash scratched his neck. “I don’t know. Might make her fight more. Could be fun.”

Hollis rolled her eyes. “I give up. The three of you really are psychos, you know that?”

I leaned in and nipped her ear. “Yes, but you seem rather fond of this particular psycho.”

She smiled and kissed me. “Yes, I am. And I suppose the other two may grow on me. I’ll just think of them as your pesky brothers. I’ve heard siblings can be quite annoying.”

Crash reached for the gun tucked into his waistband and I shot him a hard look, freezing him in place. He slowly put his hand down. If he hadn’t, I’d have beaten the hell out of him. However many times it took until he learned his lesson.

Hollis was off-limits to everyone but me.

Epilogue

Hollis

Four Months Later

I leaned back against the cold stone of the mansion’s balcony, my gaze heavy with resignation. Raven’s Vale, a place as twisted and dark as the man who ruled it -- Riot Tredway, The Butcher, my captor turned perverse protector. This Godforsaken town was a trap, but in its cruel embrace, I’d found a sanctuary for me and the life growing inside me. The irony wasn’t lost on me. The safest haven for my child was under the wing of a psychopath.

“Safer with the devil you know,” I muttered to myself, a bitter chuckle escaping my lips. Riot’s reign was unchallenged, his brutality the only law we knew. And in this hellhole, his word was gospel. In the end, he had carved a place for me here, in the heart of darkness. It was a twisted affection, one that promised death to any who dared harm me or mine.

Violence was as common as the whispered prayers for salvation in this place. A scream in the night didn’t summon help -- it only drew the curtains tighter across windows. If someone was lucky enough to survive the night, they didn’t take chances by interfering in the matters of Riot, Crash, or Kane.

“Damned souls,” I whispered as I watched a scuffle break out at the corner. Two men, both looking like they had more scars than untouched skin, were locked in a battle. Knives flashed, catching the faint glow from the flickering streetlamps. Blood spilled onto the ground, an offering to whatever gods still bothered to look upon Raven’s Vale. No one intervened… intervention meant death, or worse, the ire of Riot.

“Survival of the foulest,” I corrected my earlier thought, my hand subconsciously resting on the slight swell of my abdomen. The air was thick with the stench of fear. The town was a beast, and Riot… Riot was its beating heart -- a heart devoid of mercy, save for the oddities of his twisted affections.

Here’s where you belong, Hollis. The truth was a bitter pill, and in swallowing it, I secured a future for my unborn -- a future shrouded in shadow, yes, but alive. And in Raven’s Vale, life was a precious commodity.

I made my way inside and into the nursery beside our bedroom. Once I’d made it through the first trimester and the doctor assured Riot everything should be fine, he’d let me choose a room. Aside from the safe room in the basement. The baby needed a place near us without being in the same room.

I leaned against the doorframe. Riot stood in the center of the room, his presence nearly overwhelming. He was constructing a crib, each movement methodical, deliberate -- a stark contrast to the chaos that was his usual signature. The wood groaned under his strength, but he handled each piece with a touch that was almost reverent.

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