Page 72 of Blades of Obsession

I should burn this whole fucking place down, with her and whoever is stupid enough to touch her still inside.

Using the tracker, I navigate through the hallways until I zero in on the exact room. I want the element of surprise, so instead of knocking, I head to the small room behind the front desk for the key. There’s a scrawny guy, probably in his late twenties, who looks like he smokes more weed than he eats food.

“Key to room 2B,” I demand.

“Name and ID?” He’s chewing on something as he talks, and it annoys the fuck out of me.

“You won’t have a name or an identification yourself if you don’t give me the fucking keynow.”

His head snaps back in shock, eyebrows shooting up. “Uh, I’m gonna call—” he stammers, reaching for the phone in front of him. It’s a stupid mistake to put a limb in such a vulnerable position. I seize the opportunity to grab his hand, feeling the resistance as I apply pressure, bending his fingers back one by one. His high-pitched shriek fills the air, accompanied by the sickening crack of his ring finger.

“Are you going to give me the key now? Because this is just phase one. Phase two involves blood.”

“Yes, yes, o-okay,” he stutters, fumbling for the keys on the desk with his free hand. “T-that room doesn’t seem to havean extra key. I have to give you the master key. It’s up at the front desk.”

“Hurry up. And if you try anything, I’m breaking the rest of your fingers.”

When he comes back, I practically sprint to the room, my pulse racing in anticipation of what I might find. I slide the key into the lock, and the click that follows echoes in my ear. I kick the door open, ready for anything.

Except this.

Skye is sitting on the bed, her head buried in her hands, sobbing. For a split second, I freeze, caught off guard. Then my shock transforms into pure. fucking. rage.

“Where is she?!” I roar, crossing the room in two quick strides.

Her head jerks up. Her mouth falls open in shock, eyes widening as a stream of tears spill down her cheeks. “Please… Pl—”

I grab her by the hair and fling her to the floor. “I didn’t ask for your fucking tears. I asked, where is she?!” She lands with a yelp, her sobs growing louder, but still no answer. “Where. Is. She?” I step before her, pressing my boot into her back. “With the right angle, I can kill you right now with just my boot on your back.”

“Jacob! Jacob made me do it. Please, I didn’t want to.”

The mention of his name sends a wave of nausea ripping through my gut, twisting into a painful knot. The intensity of it nearly makes me topple over, but I grit my teeth and stay standing, fighting through the suffocating wave of dread that threatens to swallow me whole.

He’s a dead fucking man walking, and I mean that with every fiber of my being. The second I see him, he’ll have to meet the devil and tell him all about how he was stupid enough to touch my girl.

“Where did he take her?” I push harder on her back.

“I don’t know! I just did what he said. He told me to lure her here and stick her with a sedative so he could take her. Please, he said he would kill me if I didn’t.”

“You’re lucky you’re the only one with insider access to Jacob.” I remove my boot. “Get up and call him. Ask for any information you can. And where’s Amelia’s necklace?”

She sits up, pointing shakily towards the nightstand. When I glance over, I spot Amelia’s necklace sitting beside her cellphone, the silver chain tangled slightly, and next to them, a small pink hair bow.

I feel like I’ve been stabbed in my chest, the air ripped from my lungs, leaving nothing but raw, burning fury and…fear. Crippling, paralyzing fear.

She’s really gone.

Chapter 27

AMELIA

I feel like I’ve just been hit by a bus. Now I know whatRegina Georgefelt like. A dull, throbbing ache pulses through my head, and my limbs feel so heavy it’s like dragging cement through quicksand. Am I in heaven or hell? This has to be hell—those few times I went to church, they said heaven would be painless.

I blink against the darkness, disoriented, and slowly, fragmented memories of the motel room begin slipping through the fog.

Oh my God, I’m not dead.

I was so sure when Skye stabbed me it was the end of life as I knew it. As I took my last breath, the thought that clouded my mind wasI’ll see you soon, mom.

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