Page 134 of Blades of Obsession

“And also…” He clears his throat, and I squint my eyes suspiciously. Whenever he clears his throat, he’s about to say something way out of left field, the craziest thing I’ve ever heard, and he’ll say it so casually.

“I want you to drop out of school and live here full-time now.”

And there it is.

“I won’t be at the other mansion, and no one will be there to watch you anymore.” He takes my hand in his.

“And how will I support myself without a degree if this—” I gesture between the two of us. “—doesn’t work out and you leave me?”

“I’ll sign one of the casinos over to you right now. It’s worth two hundred million. You can sell it whenever you want.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m serious. But that’s just an offer to ease your mind.” He grabs a fistful of my hair, angling my head back to roughly kiss me. Against my lips, he mutters, “Because make no mistake, I’m never leaving you.Per sempre.”

The kiss is dizzying. There’s a hunger in the way his lips move against mine, trying to prove a point. It’s more than just a kiss—it’s a promise, a desperate need, a silent vow that no matter what happens, we’re endgame for each other.

I’ve been learning a little Italian here and there, and I think I know what he said.Forever.

He rests his head against mine when we pull apart. “Besides, either way, you don’t have to worry about finances. Your floral dress collection launches next spring. By this time next year, Amelia Moretti will be a household name in the fashion world, and you’ll have your own income.Bigincome.”

“Amelia Moretti? And what if I want you to take my last name instead?”

“Then I’ll take your last name.”

I was joking, but he’s dead serious. “Just like that?”

“Just like that. For you, at least.”

“Why do you always do that? Give in to whatever I want without even a second thought? No matter how ridiculous?”

“Because my favorite thing in the world is seeing you happy, baby. If it’ll put a smile on your face for me to take your last name, I’ll take your last name. It’s that simple.”

“Aiden Ellis… Hm, I kinda like the sound of that.”

“I like the sound of it too. Because it signifies that I’m yours just as much as you are mine.”

Chapter 51

BLADE

The silence in John’s old office is thick, almost stifling. I lean back in the leather chair, letting my fingers tap idly on the polished mahogany desk. The office is mine now. Thankfully it didn’t take more than a few days to push the image of John and Jackie dying in here out of my head. Everything has been replaced and redesigned, including the old blue carpet that had blood splattered everywhere.

Courtesy of Amelia. Yes, I let her decorate my office too—she was so excited about it, and how could I say no to my angel? She did a good job of keeping it masculine, yet refined, with my favorite color, black, as the focal point.

A knock sounds, breaking the silence, and I call out, “Come in.”

The double doors swing open, and my personal guard, Voss, steps inside, his expression as neutral and unreadable as always. “Harvey’s here.”

A smirk tugs at my lips, a twisted satisfaction curling inside me. “Send him in.”

The door opens wider, and Harvey saunters in, a smug look plastered on his face. He exudes arrogance like it’s his second skin. It’s time to shatter his faux confidence—because I know it’s all a facade—and deal with him once and for fucking all, something I’ve wanted since I met the bastard. He plopsdown in the chair opposite me, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on the armrests. I love that he’s so calm, it’ll hurt that much more when I crash his world apart.

“Are you finally ready to hand over my bitch of an ex-wife? Or did you call me here to apologize for kicking me in the nuts?”

“Alright, Harvey,” I say, my voice dripping with disdain. “Two options. The feds are currently looking for you—they finally caught up to the millions of dollars you stole from a politician. That’s a pretty steep federal prison sentence for a crime like that.”

His eyebrows shoot up, and he perks up in the chair. “Stole millions of dollars? Bullshit.”

---