Page 86 of Blades of Obsession

“What the hell is going on here?” he demands, his eyes glaring at my mom, then softening as they flick to me.

My mom crosses her arms, lips pressed into a thin line. “What have you done to my daughter to make her so spoiled?”

Frankie, sitting next to me, leans in and whispers, “Your mom needs a damn chill pill. Send her back to Colorado.”

Blade’s jaw tightens, but other than that his face remains calm. “First things first, you’re not going to talk to her or about her like that, especially not in that tone.”

Frankie snickers quietly, leaning in again, “Right. Who does she think she is?” I nudge her with my elbow to keep quiet.

“I’m her mom, and clearly she needs it.”

“I don’t care who you are. As long as you’re in my house, you will respect her. That goes for anyone. If you don’t agree, you’re free to leave.”

My mom scoffs, and the tension in the room thickens. I gulp, my heart aching at my mom not only berating me but also arguing with him. This isn’t how I wanted things to go. It was supposed to be perfect once she finally got here.

“We have something we need to go do,” Blade says, turning to me.

“Oka—”

My mom interrupts. “Actually, she already agreed to go with me to her dad’s house this morning.”

When did I do that? I don’t want to see that bastard, especially after he tried to kill her.

Blade snaps his head to me, his eyes sharp, cutting through me with a look that rocks me to my core. I avert my gaze, feeling trapped between the both of them. “Really? That doesn’t sound like something she’d do.”

“Yeah, well.”

“Okay.” He says it, but the low and dangerous edge in his voice tells me it’s far from okay. He turns and leaves out of the room, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.

I avoid eye contact with my mom as I rise from my seat, not wanting to see the look of disapproval in her eyes. “Um, excuse me.”

When I reach the stairs, Blade is sitting on the bottom step, waiting for me. Like he knew I’d follow him.

Without a word, he nods his head towards the stairs, leading me up to his room. While we’re walking up the steps, I ask, “How come from the room I couldn’t hear all the commotion down here this morning and them eating breakfast? I usually can.”

An amused smile lifts the corners of his lips. “We might’ve had a complaint or two about all the screaming you do, so I soundproofed the door both ways.”

I slap my hand over my mouth and scrunch my eyes shut. Oh my God, that is so embarrassing. Especially having to look in their faces the morning after.

Once we reach the room, he shuts the door and turns to me, his expression suddenly hard. And… pained?

“I don’t care who is with you, I don’t care what the circumstances are, you’re not ever going to your dad’s house again. Do you understand?”

His forceful tone and the abruptness of his words catches me off guard. I know there have been previous issues with my dad, but the way Blade is talking, like something new and serious is going on, throws me for a loop.

“Wha—”

“That isn’t up for discussion. Just nod and agree.”

I slowly nod, and his eyes soften the moment I do. Which tells me something definitelyiswrong.

He steps closer, his tone gentler now. “A home doctor is on the way to check you out from your time away, make sure nothing is wrong, and give you medicine.” Before I can respond, he leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead, exhaling slowly. “I’m sorry. I’m just looking out for you. Trust me, okay?” he whispers.

•••

Whew, shopping can take a lot out of a girl. I need a warm bath and a good book as soon as I get back home. I don’t think I’ve ever been to this many stores in one day. Frankie and I walk ahead, while Blade and Asher trail behind, adding a couple of new bags for them to carry with each new store we go to.

Our good little helpers. But don’t tell them that to their face.

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