Page 12 of Blades of Obsession

“What? No.”

“I… don’t like that word.” He furrows his brows as if the concept of hearing the wordnois entirely foreign to him.

“Your friend just threatened me with a gun and you want me to put a necklace on? What, is it laced with roofies that’ll absorb into my skin or something? My dad told me about those.”

His head snaps up to me so fast I’m surprised it doesn’t give him whiplash. “He didwhat?!”

Before I know it, he’s storming out of the room, fists clenched and jaw set in a rigid line. His footsteps echo his anger, sounding like thunder against the hardwood floor.

What the hell just happened?! I’m floored as I sit here, replaying the last ten minutes over in my head. From being cornered outside with a gun to Blade saying he wants me.

Wait. Never mind all that! I’m alone now—I can escape.

I race to get up from the bed and start heading towards the door, tiptoeing as quietly as I can. But just my luck, Blade comes up the stairs just as I make it out to the hallway. Trailing behind him is… Rhett? No, no mole. Rhett’s twin.

“Apologize,” Blade’s voice rumbles.

Jesus Christ, when did he have that voice stored in him? Does he always have the ability to talk like that or just when he’s mad? I just want to know for… research purposes.

And my legs aredefinitelynot closing on their own, trying to steady the heat building.

I look at Rhett’s twin, bloodied and bruised, then immediately back to Blade. I can’t stand the sight of blood. My stomach churns the moment I catch a glimpse, and he’s in a pretty bad way.

“I’m sorry,” Rhett’s twin mutters, and I can store his apology under fiction because it’s clearly fake.

Before I can even process what’s happening, Blade shoves him down the steps with a force that sends my heart racing. Did he just kill him?! The thud of his body hitting the floor beneath echoes in my ears.

Blade smiles. “Go back to the room.” He nods in the direction behind me, but the thought of being alone with someone who could so casually push another down the stairs has me reeling. And the body hasn’t moved yet.

“D-did…”

“He’s not dead. Just knocked out.”

Oh, like that’s just some casual thing. “I-I want to go home. Please.” My breath comes fast and shallow, each one feeling like it could be my last. What if he decides to do that to me?! I’m spiraling, the walls of the hallway closing in, and I feel like I might suffocate.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Blade’s voice cuts through the chaos in my head, practically the only thing anchoring me to reality. He steps closer, reaching out to touch my arm. “Look at me,” he commands softly. I force myself to meet his eyes. They remind me of a storm, like the times my mom used to tuck me in during them. “I could hurt anyone in this world, except for you. You’re safe. You don’t have to go back to the room if you don’t want to. Breathe.” I let out a shaky breath, and he nods, encouraging me to do it again. “That’s good. You’re doing so good.”

I did something right.Idid somethingright. Can you believe it?

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“Always. Just take the necklace for me and Rhett will take you home.” As he hands it over, I notice a few drops of blood dripping over the skeleton tattoos on his fingers and clench my mouth shut to stop the nausea. “Don’t take it off, ever. So no one will bother you around the campus.”

“Fine. But I’m sending you the bill for the Uber I had to cancel and still got charged for.”

He chuckles. “Triple it and send it to me.”

Before I leave, he grabs the sides of my head and presses a kiss to my forehead. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this moment, angel. I can finally sleep a happy man tonight.”

Okay, he’s solidified it for me. He’s gone crazy. I just met the man.

•••

“I looked for you at the party!” I yell to Skye from the bathroom of our dorm while I’m changing out of my dress.

“I was upset, so I went outside and sat by the pool. You know I love to stargaze when I’m down.”

“Upset? So I’m guessing that means no luck with Rhett?” I’m hoping she says she’s magically over him. It’s no coincidence he invited her to the partyandhelped in a plan to kidnap me. Does he even really like her, or was he just being a wingman? I don’t know. But I sure don’t want to see her hurt.

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