Page 59 of Endless Obsession

I want her to know that I’m hers. That there’s no other woman in the world who makes me feel what she does from just a touch. Just a kiss. That I’m dangerously obsessed with her.

That as soon as she lets me, I plan to make her entirely mine.

I suck in a breath through my teeth, reminding myself to focus, that I can’t be this distracted right now. That I need to be paying attention to Sabrina, and how I’m going to get out of here.

As the music swells, I splay my hand over her lower back, pulling her closer. “Listen,” I murmur, leaning in so that my mouth is close to her ear. I force every thought of Charlotte out of my head, every impulse to think about how ten minutes ago, it was her ear this close to my lips, her scent filling my senses. The last thing I want right now is to get a hard-on with Sabrina close to me, especially considering what we’re about to talk about. “Why do you think we’re here together tonight?”

Sabrina pulls back slightly, her expression a little displeased. “Well,” she says slowly. “Frankly, I’m assuming that our fathers have come up with a time-honored way to put their rivalry to bed…by putting us in bed together.” Her smile is humorless. “I assume this is the prelude to some sort of marriage arrangement. I’ve put off all my father’s suggestions for too long, so I suppose this is the price.”

“Am I that bad?” I can’t help myself. I don’t have any interest in her, either, and this has nothing to do with what we need to talk about, but her comment has needled me anyway. And now I want to know.

She smirks. “No offense, Ivan, but bad boys aren’t really my thing. And you have edgy and dangerous written all over you. Honestly, I’d like a boring man. My life has been exciting enough. I’d like one who brings me flowers like clockwork every Tuesday after work, and who looks at me like I hung the moon. But I’ll never get that, not with my father pulling the strings.”

I raise an eyebrow, keeping my voice low as I speak. Between the music and the hum of conversation, as more couples come onto the dance floor, I should be able to ensure that only Sabrina hears what I have to say.

“Well, that’s not why we’re here tonight. But don’t be too relieved,” I murmur, pulling back just enough that I can look directly into her eyes. I mindlessly run my fingers up her spine as I speak and we sway together, putting on a show of dancing romantically rather than having a serious, potentially deadly conversation. “I’m here because something bad is supposed to happen to you tonight, and I’m supposed to help facilitate it. But instead, I have every intention of getting you out of here.”

Sabrina tenses in my arms. “What is it?” she asks tightly, and in that moment, I’m grateful both that she’s smart, and that she’s the daughter of a pakhan. The dangers of this world aren’t strange to her, and she’s prepared to face them. Her lack of shock and disbelief will make this all so much easier.

“You weren’t too far off the mark about our fathers and their rivalry. But mine doesn’t want peace. He wants revenge. And he plans to use you as the means of it.” I tighten my grip on her, schooling my face into an expression of desire, the way I should be looking at the gorgeous woman in my arms, even as I speak faster before the song is over. “He’s expanded his business to trade in flesh, Sabrina. And he plans to have you taken tonight, to be sold. I’m supposed to help bring you to the men who will take you to the next stop. But instead, I’m going to take you to the men who will get you to safety.”

She manages to keep her expression smooth, too—which is fucking impressive, in my opinion—but her eyes clearly show how frightened she is.

“What kind of men?” she asks, and I spin her in a circle, bringing her back into my arms as I lean my mouth very close to her ear again.

“FBI. They’ll get you away from here. Things will be—things will be different for you afterwards, Sabrina. I’m sorry about that. Your life is going to change. But it’s the only way to keep something much worse from happening to you.”

I look up, and I see three men in crisp, tailored suits making their way onto the dance floor, from three different angles. To anyone else, they just look like guests seeking out their plus-ones, but I know who they are. They’re my father’s men, and they’re closing in on Sabrina. I know what I’m supposed to do now. I’m supposed to come up with a reason for her to follow me into the rooms to the right of the main floor, where I’ll take her down a hallway where four other men are waiting. I’m supposed to drug her and hand her over to them.

But I don’t intend to do any of that.

“I need you to trust me,” I whisper to Sabrina, just as a heavy hand closes on my shoulder.

“What the fuck are you doing with my girl?” A tall, muscled man spins me around, his eyes narrowed, his cheeks a bit pink as if he’s been drinking too much. “You told me you weren’t going, you bitch?—”

Sabrina’s mouth is hanging open, the shock on her face entirely real, which is all I need from her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I snap, playing dumb for the Bratva men closing in around us. “But you need to get the fuck out of here, friend. She’s here with me.”

“I don’t fucking think so. That’s my girl. Sabrina, just come with me.” The man’s voice turns pleading, his eyes fixed on her. “We can work this out, baby. It doesn’t have to be like this.”

“Don’t come near her,” I growl, my hands clenching into fists. “She’s my date, asshole. Whatever you want, you can talk about later. After she and I have enjoyed our night.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see my father’s men backing down. They can’t afford to create a scene by involving themselves in this, not when it could escalate into violence and the police could be called. To them, this looks like Sabrina has been seeing someone without her father’s permission, and he’s decided to crash the party. Anywhere else, my father’s men would kill him without a thought and take her. But this is too public, which is exactly why my plan might work.

The man lunges forward, shoving me aside, hard enough that I almost actually fall on my ass. “Come with me, Sabrina,” he snaps, grabbing her arm and yanking her towards him, the picture of a jealous, angry boyfriend. “I want to know why you’ve been lying to me.”

And then, low enough that only Sabrina and I hear it, he murmurs into her ear: “Agent Brooks. FBI. I’m going to get you out of here.”

Sabrina’s face softens instantly, and my respect for her kicks up a notch as I realize she’s a better actress than I would have ever given her credit for. “I’m sorry,” she says, loudly enough that the other men can hear it. “I should have told you. It’s just, that fight—” She keeps talking as Brooks leads her off the dance floor, one arm going around her and pulling her close, his pace quick as if he can’t wait to get ‘his girl’ alone to talk things out.

I know, of course, that he’s trying to get her to his car as quickly as possible. It will be a matter of minutes before my father’s men call in outside reinforcements to go after them. Whether Brooks gets her out of here or not is in his hands, now. I’ve done all I can.

I think it will be enough. I also know which men my father sent to handle this now, at least the first few of them. That will be good information to feed to Bradley.

“Congratulations on fucking things up.”

The growl behind me is Lev’s. I know it before I even turn around. My chest tightens, because even though the plan went off without a hitch, and there’s no real way to trace the fact that the FBI got ahold of Sabrina before she could be kidnapped back to me—I still need to tread carefully. And this is still not going to be good.

Lev is angry. My father is going to be fucking furious. And nothing is going to stop either of them from taking it out on me.

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