Page 33 of Twisted Obsession

Mika gives both Kaiden and me a long look, undoubtedly remembering my earlier call and Kaiden’s admission in the warehouse, probably wondering if either of us are to blame.

Ares steps to one side and Sal barges into the room. A moment later, Vito and Salvatore’s sister, Therese, comes hurrying along with a white-coated doctor by her side. While Ares apparentlysent everyone else away before I got here, he seems content to let us stay outside the door… possibly in deference to Kaiden’s relationship with Vito.

Maricela must have finally regained consciousness, because Sal’s blustering, angry voice reaches us where we stand, and all three of us cringe. “Was it you, girl? Did you shoot my brother?”

“Really, father?” It’s Mika who comes to Maricela’s defense. “She was out cold, beaten bloody and virtually pinned beneath him. Never mind that there was no gun at the scene. How do you imagine she killed Vito?”

The Don simply grunts in response.

“It could have been anybody,” Mika continues. “I already told you, father. Vito’s been out of control. He’s been moving on other territories behind our back. Siccing the feds on us with that ridiculous vendetta that saw him abducting the Duke of Buckingham’s fiancée in the UK, murdering a woman associated with one of the heads of the Irish mob. Never mind kidnapping their goddamn sister! I told you he was a liability. Looks like he finally got his comeuppance.”

“Did you see anything, woman?” It sounds like Salvatore is changing tactics, but I can’t help but breathe a silent sigh of relief that Maricela is out of the firing line.

“You won’t get any information by frightening the poor girl to death,” I hear Therese admonish.

Then, for the first time, I hear Maricela’s voice and strain to hear what she says.

“Th-there was someone…” she croaks, her voice raspy and almost inaudible.

I freeze where I am, wondering if she was aware of me when I went in there, after all.

“Who was it?” Salvatore demands, and I hold my breath, wondering if I’m about to be given away. Thankfully, Kaiden and Ares are also straining to hear, so neither of them witness my momentary lapse before I pull myself back together.

“I-I don’t know… It was a-a woman. She wore a red d-dress, and her heels tapped on the floor. She had a gun… with a silencer, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her before.”

All three of us in the hallway startle, straighten up, and look at each other in shock.

What the fuck?

“Knowing Vito, it was probably some hooker he invited over,” Mika replies, a sneer in his voice.

“Mika!” Therese admonishes with a hint of censure.

“Check through all the video footage,” the Don orders.

“I’ll do it personally,” Mika reassures his father.

And now I know I’m fucked, because whatever else the footage shows, it only covers the hallway, and it’ll also show me going in and out of there with a gun in my hand.

Chapter

Sixteen

ROISIN

Isuffer through the examination my brothers insist on, grateful that the majority of my bruises have healed, after I managed to put it off seeing the doctor for another few days by saying I was too exhausted and needed a little time to regain my equilibrium.

Thankfully, they’re both feeling sufficiently guilty that they give me that much. They also proved they’re not entirely oblivious by arranging for a female doctor to visit me at home… although I did have to put my foot down at them being present, which they only agreed to after I consented to the examination report being emailed to them.

“I can see evidence of trauma, Roisin,” Doctor Margaret says as I stand before her in my underwear. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

No, I really don’t, but I also know my brothers won’t accept that as a response without jumping to all the wrong conclusions.

“I was abducted, Doctor. Yes, I have the bumps and scrapes to prove it. It wasn’t a bed of roses, but neither was I badly hurt or mistreated.”

She narrows her eyes as if she’s trying to judge my sincerity.

I huff out a breath and throw my hands up in the air. “Why are you looking at me like that?” I demand. “I’ve no reason to protect anyone in the Cosa Nostra.”

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