Page 146 of Obsession

“Nothing,” she says, shaking her head. “Thought I saw something just now. Huh. Okay, so listen. You fucked up, dude. Big time. You watched her on video and I’m gonna guess you didn’t tell her about those.”

“You’d guess correctly.” Like I want to stand here and listen to my younger sister lecture me about relationships? Hell no. The thought of Violet leaving… and she always does what she says she will… I can’t.

I watch the door close behind Violet.

Looks like he recognized her. He didn’t send her back out here. Therefore… something’s going on in there.

“Aw, man, Cain. The most important thing in the world to Violet is trust. You know that.”

“I do, it’s why I feel like an ass and really don’t need reminding of this.” I don’t want to talk to my sister about relationships. Instead, I’m watching everything in the bank, my mind roving over the name again.Castellano. Castellano…

“So how’d you get her to come here, then, if she didn’t know you were tracking her?”

With a grimace, I tell her everything that matters. By the time I get to the end, her head’s buried in her hands. “Nooooo,” she moans. “You didn’t.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Ugh. Where the fuck are they?

“Alright, then. There’s nothing left for it but to grovel, brother.”

“Grovel?”

“Ohhh, yeah. You have to pull out all the stops. Likeallof them. She doesn’t want you to buy her things, but that monster truck she’s been eying might be nice, and perhaps a wee mini pit bull puppy would also be great. Maybe some of those killer high-heeled boots she’s wanted…”

She’ll have all of them by the time we’re back. I’m texting Joe now. I’m not sure it’ll make a damn difference.

“Noted.”

“Now, none of those things will actually get her to forgive you, though, you know that right? It’s just like an act of goodwill.”

“Right. So how do I get her to forgive me?”

She frowns. “This might be harder than I thought.” She taps her chin thoughtfully.

“I believe in you,” I mutter.

“Well… Violet really needs to know she can trust you, so I think the single best way for you to establish that trust?”

“Yeah?”

“Back off and let her handle this. You don’t need to swoop in and save her, no matterhowtempting that is. Okay?”

I groan. “Okay.”

My phone rings. Joe. “Yeah?”

“Boss, my tracking says Violet’s in the GWW bank.”

“She is. I’m outside.”

“I see that as well.”

“Something I need to know, Joe, or you just miss me?”

“That bank’s owned by the Castellanos.”

There they are again.Motherfucker.

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