Page 14 of Blades of Obsession

This is the last place I want to be right now. But I need to make my relationship with Amelia official with the Serpents, and that can’t happen without the proper paperwork. It’s always struck me as weird how they make the members’ spouses sign random documents—NDAs, severance agreements, liabilitywaivers. They act like we’re some covert sector of the FBI or something.

“May I ask why you’re here?” Harvey questions, raising an eyebrow. “You usually only show up here when I text. And sometimes not even then.”

“You told me to find a girlfriend. Well, I found one. Draw up the paperwork. Can’t have her running off with any secrets now, can we?”

He blinks, caught off guard for a moment before shaking his head. “Wow, you really took the initiative.” Swiveling in his chair, he pulls a stack of papers from a nearby file cabinet, thumbing through them. “Didn’t expect you to take it so seriously, especially after you flat-out refused last time.”

“I already had a girl in mind last visit.”

“Hm. So you said ‘fuck you, Harvey’ and ‘don’t tell me what to do’ for no reason then.”

A slow, mocking smirk spreads across my face. “I guess I just like saying fuck you to people I don’t like.”

“Well,” he clears his throat, “John will be glad to hear you’re cooperating.”

Cooperating? I never said I was having kids anytime soon. But, I’ll play along if it gets them off my back.

“Oh, and I also need—” I’m cut off mid-sentence by the sound of the door creaking open. I turn, ready to reprimand whoever is interrupting, only to be met with my favorite pair of hazel-green eyes. “Angel? What are you doing here?”

Her eyes look like they’ve been caught in headlights, widened and darting between me and Harvey. “What… What areyoudoing here?”

“Why are you answering my question with a question?”

Behind me, I hear Harvey freeze. The papers he’s holding crinkle as his grip tightens, and then out of nowhere, his eyes almost pop out of his head. “No. No no no.No!” He’s practicallyin the midst of a panic attack, staring at Amelia, his face pale, breathing erratic.

And that’s when the realization hits me like a punch to my gut. I pinch the bridge of my nose. “He’s your dad, isn’t he?”

Amelia responds with a slow nod, and I slump in my seat, sighing at the news. The man I hate, the man I’ve daydreamed countless times about killing, is going to be my fucking father-in-law. I know Harvey—the first thing he’s going to try to do is get me away from his daughter. Keyword,try, because he’s not going to be successful, not while I’m still breathing.

“Blade,” Harvey clears his throat. “Could you excuse us for a moment? I need to speak with my daughter alone.”

I turn back, narrowing my eyes at him. He’s planning something. I can see it in the twitch of his fingers, the way his gaze keeps darting to Amelia. “Don’t do anything stupid,” I warn.

“Just give me five minutes to talk to her. I’ll owe you one.” He forces a smile, fake as hell. He’s lucky I’m in a decent mood, even after finding out the worst possible news of him being her father.

I head for the door, but something catches my eye, stopping me dead in my tracks. Amelia’s bare neck. “Where’s your necklace?”

She didn’t fucking listen. My blood runs hot, creeping up the back of my neck. I tap my finger on my thigh, trying to rein in the irritation.

Her eyes widen. “Um, I-I didn’t know you’d be here… right now.”

“I see. Stupid me, I thought I told you to never take it off. Let me guess, you were coming here to ask your dad for help getting away from me, right?”

Being this close to her makes me want to melt into a puddle on the ground and kiss her feet, forgetting all about ourcurrent conversation. But wearing the necklace isserious, and she needs to understand that.

It’s a mark. It lets everyone know she’s mine. And it doesn’t hurt that I can yank on the chain, pulling her towards me whenever I want. Or even pullreally tightto choke her with it. Watching her gasp for air until she realizes she has to give me whatever I want, or else she’ll run out of breath.

Fuck, this isn’t the place to get hard.

“Blade…” Harvey trails off, trying to come to her defense.

“Shut up, Harvey,” I snap. Turning back to her, I soften my tone. “Do you have it with you?” She nods. “Take it out and put it on.”

The anticipation courses through my veins, I’m finally going to see her wearing my necklace. Amelia was mine from the first day I saw her, but knowing she’ll have my claim around her pretty little neck stirs something primal and possessive inside me.

Her eyes dart to her father again, desperate, but I step in front of her, blocking her view.

“He’s not going to help you,” I rasp. “Nobody is.” And those words extend past just putting the necklace on. He can’t do anything about me making her mine, no one can, and that thought sends a wave of satisfaction through my veins.

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