Page 149 of Obsession

It sounds so much easier than it is.

I grit my teeth. “Got it.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Violet

The rollercoaster rideof emotion I’m on today is killing me.

He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not.

It’s hard to reconcile the man I’ve fallen in love with… the man who knows me, who sees me, really trulyseesme for who I am, with the same man who confessed to me today.

I can’t get past what he told me. I can’t reconcile my need for him, forus...with the need for truth and trust. How could I ever trust a man who would lie to me like that?

But at the same time… how could I walk away from everything? From Skylar and the boys, the house on the hill and my training ground… from Cain, who’s become my best friend?

My throat aches. I swallow hard and try to stay focused.

And then finding out I’m worth so much money… I can hardly wrap my brain around it. I’m a merry-go-round of emotions.

I have enough to live on for the rest of my life.

But I have a mission to fulfill, and I won’t rest until I’ve done so. I can’t.I won’t.

My parents died because someone thought it best to seek vengeance. I grew up parentless because of someone driven to retaliation. That can’t go unpunished.

We arrive at the house, operating under the assumption that Armand… or whoever he’s working for or with… is watching us.

Pretend to be in love,Skylar says.

How can I do that? How can I let him touch me again, knowing I have to leave? Knowing the truth?

“Cain,” I say, holding myself aloof and hopefully being professional, because I can’t get personal with him right now, I justcan’t.Cain’s made damn sure neither of us is being bugged, but there’s no telling who’s following us right now, so I keep my voice low.

“Yeah?”

“He won’t come to your house. He knows that this place is a fortress and he’d never make it out alive. We have to go to a place to bait him.”

“Right,” he says through gritted teeth. “We could go to the beach…”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “He wouldn’t have the balls. He followed us on the highway, though, didn’t he?”

“Yes,” he says, stroking his chin. I want to be those fingers, grazing over the hard stubble on his jaw. Touching him. Stroking him. I swallow the lump in my throat.

I could get a two-bedroom apartment, far, far away from here. I’ll get a job teaching martial arts, and maybe a dog…

“…and he’ll have easy access to the highway or more, won’t he?”

I blink, realizing I just missed half of what he said. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. Say that again?”

Normally, when I lose focus, I get that stern look he likes to give me or anyone on his staff, or some kind of reproach. I’m used to it. I don’t like when people space out when I’m talking to them either, and I know he’s the kind of guy who values respect. But this time, he doesn’t look upset with me. He doesn’t look angry. Instead, his jaw slackens, and his voice softens when he talks to me.

“Baby, where’d you go just now?”

No.No, no, no, NO.

“You can’t…” My voice is thick and strained. I swallow, clear my throat, then push through. “Don’t call me that. I told you. I’m Miss Price now.”

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