Page 174 of Volatile Obsessions

“Oh, but it is,” she stressed.

“It’s most definitely not. You wanna chase me down for the rest of our days because I killed your precious Leo, then go right ahead—be my fucking guest. You’ll never have me, though.”

“I don’t give a fuck about Leo!” She laughed cynically, manically almost. “I’ve been after you for you. Sure, it may have started out in Leo’s honor, but I had a change of heart recently.”

I rolled my eyes, continuing my sweep of the perimeter. “I’m sure you did.”

“It’s true. Seeing you with Lux made me realize how much I missed you. Seems like you subconsciously missed me, too.”

Disgust etched itself all over my face, my head rearing back. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Lux, Roman. She looks an awful lot like me, don’t you think?”

The satisfaction coloring her stone knocked me stock-still a second time.

Knocked me sick.

“At first, yes, there was a resemblance—but it faded over time. She’s different, better than you,” I sneered with purpose, intending to wound her.

Not that it wasn’t true, though. Lux was better, and after the initial shock of their similarities, the more I got to know her, the more they became uniquely her own.

But Liza wasn’t fazed, a scoffed laughed bursting through the line. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, baby.”

I cringed a third time, the abhorrent feeling now settling deep within my gut, churning it in revolt. “Fucks sake, stop calling me that!” I barked.

“Get used it, baby. We’ll be together real soon. As a matter of fact, your bags are already packed and ready to go. You should probably run home and fetch them. Your flight leaves soon.”

I’d heard every bit of that.

Every single part.

But the severity of what it meant didn’t sink in for several moments.

“What?!” I snarled in disbelief. “You’re bloody-fucking-insane if you think I’m going anywhere with you, much less getting on flight to God knows where.”

Liza hummed in earnest. “I’m afraid you don’t really have a choice, Rome. You see, either you come willingly, or in about sixty seconds, an expert sniper has been instructed to pull the trigger.”

Eyes bulging, my heart-rate skyrocketed.

With my chest heaving, I pivoted around slowly, scanning every roof top at my level. I couldn’t see shit, or rather, anyone. Everything was clear, bathed by warm rays of the Miami sun.

“How do I know you’re not lying?” I questioned, spinning around faster and faster.

“You don’t, and you won’t either. Just get on the plane,” she ordered.

“Goddamit, Liza!” I roared, feeling a sense of hysteria consuming me.

How could I have been so fucking foolish?

She’d caught up to me. She’d made it clear as day.

And when nothing else happened, when all resumed to normalcy, I dismissed all thoughts of her to the recesses of my mind.

I lived my life without borders, like she hadn’t been chasing me for almost two years straight.

“Plane. 2 p.m. Will I be seeing you there?” she pressed, as everything around me spun out rapidly.

“I’m going to kill you!”

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