Page 32 of Blades of Obsession

“But it’s supposed to be a girl’s…” His eyes narrow, and the words die in my throat. “Why can’t I get any—”

And then it hits me. He doesn’t want me to be able to get any cough medicine. I wish he’d never found that stupid bottle at my dad’s house. I admit, it crossed my mind to skip my lecture and sleep for the rest of the night after taking some, but I wasn’t actually going to do it.

“I’m not getting any NyQuil, I promise.”

He wraps his arms around me and kisses my forehead. “You’re not a whore, and you’re not a gold digger, you know that, right? And even if you were, you’d still be the same amazing person you are now.” I nod. “No. Say it out loud, pretty girl.”

I let out a breath. “I’m not a whore or a gold digger… and even if I were, I’d still be the same amazing person I am now.”

Saying the words out loud feels like peeling away layers of doubt my dad wrapped around me for years. It’s strange how something so simple—an affirmation spoken into the world—can be so powerful, drowning out the echoes of my father’s criticisms and replacing them withmytruth.

“Good girl. Let me know if that teacher gives you any more trouble. And you don’t have to worry about your father anymore, I’ll take care of him.”

“Thank you.”

“Now. Let’s skip that fucker’s class and go get your favorite gluten-free snack. And maybe hit the bookstore and pick out a few new books for you?”

Chapter 13

BLADE

“You don’t listen to warnings, huh?” I storm into Harvey’s office without knocking, my words slicing through the air with a sharp edge.

He whips around to face me, his expression twisted with his own rage as he grits his teeth. “This is none of your business. Stay out of it.”

I laugh, the sound bitter, sharp, and meant to cut. His scowl deepens—good. I want him angry, just like I am. He’s lucky he’s not already on the floor bleeding out.

Does he think I can’t playback the audio of every single call he makes to her?

“None of my business? I think Amelia’s well-being, and therefore her mental state is every bit of my business. And that seems to be affected when her own father calls her a whore.”

“Well, she is one! Just like every other woman on this fucking planet. And she—”

I don’t let him finish, because if he did, I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself from ending his miserable life. Before he even sees it coming, I draw my knife from its holder and slam it down. The blade sinks deep, pinning his hand to the desk and embedding itself into the wood underneath.

His piercing scream—one of my favorite sounds—cuts through the haze of my anger, melting it away until I can breathe easy again.

“You know what? You’re right, she is a whore.Mywhore.” He’s too busy wincing, eyes squeezed shut in agony to respond. “You’re such an idiot. You played right into my plan.” I shake my head in mock pity, tsking.

“What plan?” he grits out between clenched teeth, eyes snapping open.

I fight to keep the smirk off my face. “Every move I make is calculated, you should know that. I weigh the options, predict the outcomes, and then strategize my next move based on all the information. Something John taught me.”

I wrench the knife from his hand, and he screams again, biting into his fist to muffle the sound.

“You don’t think I didn’t notice your guys following her? You don’t think I didn’t know you’d call her after they caught us on a date? Now she hates you, and guess what? It’s driving her right into my arms. Plan worked. Just earlier, she texted me that she’s all in. Probably because she doesn’t see any other way to get away from you.”

“You manipulative son of a—”

“I’d watch what you say.” I wave the knife in front of his face, taunting him. “I haven’t even put this away yet. There are plenty of other body parts it could piece through.”

He groans in frustration. “I’m telling her everything you just said, and everything that you do with the Serpents. She’ll find out the kind of guy you really are. A sick fucking killer.”

“That’s if she even picks up your call. She was pretty hurt by everything you said. Bringing up her mother? Now that’s a low blow. Even if she does pick up, who’s she going to believe? You, who’s been berating her for years, or me, who comforts her from your verbal abuse. Twice now.”

“I’ll find a way to stop this. They’ll find something to use against you. Trust me, they’re the best of the best.”

“Oh, you mean those guys you had following her? Yeah, they’re dead. I didn’t quite like the audience. And if you hire more, I’ll have no choice but to tell Amelia your little secret.”

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