Page 33 of Dark Obsession

I’m pulled down hard onto the cold dirt, the air knocked from my lungs.

The man towers over me, gun in hand, his eyes gleaming with a dark satisfaction. He pulls off his balaclava, revealing a face I’ll never forget—scarred, with a jagged line running from his left eyebrow down across his cheek, splitting his lip in a permanent sneer.Definitely Claudio Sanchez.

His eyes are cold and dead, the kind that tell you he’s not the type to leave survivors.

I try to scramble backward, but he levels the gun at me, his voice low and menacing.

“Move one more inch, and I’ll make this little park your graveyard.”

I freeze, my mind racing. Behind him, I can hear the other men catching up, their footsteps pounding closer through the trees.

Claudio smirks, eyes glinting. “Took some doing but I finally found you. And now that you’re in my possession, getting to my real target will be a piece of cake.”

My blood boils despite my fear. “I’m no one’s possession.”

He laughs, an evil, unsettling sound, then squats down in front of me, close enough that I can smell the metallic tang of his sweat.

“I like your spunk.” His grin is sickening, his face too close, eyes trailing down my body.

Grigori’s voice echoes in my head.Never hesitate.

Without thinking, I slam my palm into his nose. He curses in Spanish, doubling over. I’m on my feet in an instant, kicking him square in the face before he can recover.

With a burst of adrenaline, I vault over the brick wall, my feet slamming hard into the pavement on the other side. Pain shoots through my ankles and I stumble, barely catching myself as I hit the sidewalk.

My legs feel like jelly, my breath ragged, but I can’t stop. Not now.

Behind me, I hear faint shouting in Spanish, the gunmen finally reaching the spot where I’d been just seconds ago.

Too late, assholes.

But I know they won’t give up that easily.

I limp down the sidewalk, trying to move as quickly as my throbbing feet will allow. Every step feels like fire shooting up my legs, but I push through it, glancing around frantically. I spot a taxi cruising down the street, and without thinking, I wave my arms, practically throwing myself into the street to get its attention.

The cab screeches to a stop, and I yank the door open, climbing inside as quickly as I can. I collapse into the back seat, my heart still pounding, adrenaline coursing through my veins like wildfire.

“Where to, lady?” the driver asks, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

I give him Luk’s address and close my eyes.

Grigori’s gone, my brothers are clueless, and Claudio’s got me in his sights.

But one thing’s clear—I’m in deep now, and there’s no escaping.

Chapter 15

Elena

Istand at the window, staring down at the madness unfolding on the front lawn.

All of my brothers are out there, talking to a squad of policemen with a couple of detectives in tow. The rain falls in steady sheets, soaking everything, turning the grass into a muddy mess. It feels like the rain never stops in this city, like it’s always hanging over us.

I shake my head, snapping out of the daze. What the hell am I doing up here? I almost died today. I need to be involved in the conversation, not hiding away like some delicate princess in her tower.

Throwing off the blanket I’d wrapped around myself, I head downstairs, the sound of the rain pattering softly against the windows. I grab an umbrella from the stand near the door and push it open, stepping outside into the rain.

The moment I walk out, all eyes land on me. Everyone freezes, even the detectives turn to look. The rain splatters onto the umbrella, and I can feel the tension rise instantly.

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