Page 57 of Insane Obsession

He’s standing by the window in his full naked glory, the washcloth in his hand. His dark hair is still messy, but his lips are curled into an unbridled smile. It does something weird to my chest.

“The tree. The Christmas tree! Did you do this for me?”

I blink. “You’ve got to be a little more specific here, sweetheart. B put Christmas trees everywhere around this fucking place.”

“The one from the country club. The one I wanted to draw?”

“Oh, that one.” Making sure my brother is comfortable under the blankets, I kiss his temple and climb out of bed. I join Finn by the window and peer outside. Jim did a great job of putting the tree in our view. The lights flicker magically through the darkening forest, and I guess I understand why Finn loves the tree so much.

Is it evening again? I’ve lost track of the days.

“I received a message from Lea,” Finn says. He stares outside and lets me drink in his features. That small nose and puffy lips. Smooth, pale skin with a wild mop of unruly hair. His crooked glasses. If I were a more skilled artist, I’d have drawn him. “They’ve been informed of David’s death. She asked me where I was. I think she might feel I’m somehow involved.” He turns back at me.

“Well, David couldn’t forget you, flower. And he hated himself for it.” I shrug. “And because he refused to acknowledge how he truly felt about you, he attacked you with his wrath.” Pinching his chin between my fingers, I pull him closer. His gray eyes are large and full of trust. It’s fucking perfect. “You are not responsible for his desire to hate you. Nor did you provoke him to try to rape you. He was wrong.” I puff up my chest. “And we made it right.”

“Yes, you did.” Finn lets out a long breath. “Although I still don’t really understand what you want from me. You havetoldme what you want, but I just—” He gives me a tired smile. “I don’t know.”

“We wantyou, Finn. Body and soul. All your insecurity. Fuck, I want to crawl inside your head and slash your demons. Not literally,” I add when his eyes widen. “C’mere and let meshow you something.” I walk him to the alcove in the living room I’m using as my office, rolling my eyes when I see the flimsy Christmas tree Bran set up in the corner.

Another one.

Opening my laptop, I quickly found the email Jean had sent me. It fills with a dead body that lies on a bed.

Finn gasps. “Is he—” He leans in closer, frowning. “Is that man dead?”

“He is.”

“How?”

“They starved him to death.”

Finn swirls his head my way, eyes wide. “What the hell—please don’t tell me that you did this?”

“We don’t go for innocent people, flower. No, this was the work of a sick person who murders for the sake of being a murderer. The victims’ families have asked us to look into the case.”

Finn’s gaze searches mine. “What are you, police officers?”

I chuckle. “Would you like me to be?”

“No…I—” Finn looks back at the screen. “I can’t believe he starved to death.”

“It’s a cruel way to go, that’s for sure. So next to throwing money into interesting projects, Bran and I haveanotherlife.”

Finn slowly turns my way, and I don’t miss the way he swipes his tongue over his bottom lip. “Another life?”

“Yes. And something tells me that you, flower, would fit right in.” Pulling out the chair, I gesture for him to sit down. “Why don’t you read the case?”

“If you want me to.” He has plopped his eager ass down before I can say anything else, so I head back to the living room, laughing at my little nerd. With him studying our new case and Bran peacefully asleep, I go and check the video surveillance cameras.

Nothing ever changes in the asylum. Time stands still and has for seventy years. But after my little talk with some prominent people, I feel it might be time for a change.

I pour myself a glass of champagne and look at all the delicious treats waiting to be served. Jim did an excellent job spoiling us rich brats. I eye my glass and then take a large gulp. Yeah, he got us the good stuff.

I wish I could kill David all over again.

Fuck, seeing him transforming from a confident jock to a loser pissing himself was too sweet to handle. And those cries…

The champagne fizzes on my tongue when I take another drink, and suddenly I feel like getting the fuck out of here.

---