Page 14 of Obsession

My lips open, ready to tell him if he wasn’t such a jerk, I wouldn’t need to always have a comeback, but the words die on my tongue when I see John.

I should probably be angrier at my cousin, as he was the last one to see my brother. Or at least that’s the line I heard from the family gossip tree. I can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s gauging my reaction, waiting to see if there is enough love left in my heart to be mad at him for what he might have done.

If John did kill my brother, I’m not mad at him in the slightest.

The opposite, actually. As horrible as that sounds.

My relationship with Marcus was all dried up. Dead roses on the vine. He took and took from me until I had nothing left to give, and then he kept going. Love doesn’t thrive in that type of relationship. It withers and dies.

But Marcus is gone now. A thought that shouldn’t make mehappy.But his death felt like chains were being cut, freeing my body.Freedomfeels good.

Only, I’m notreallyfree. I’ve just traded one jailor for another. Despite my brother’s death, the marriage he arranged for me still stands.

When I see John, there isn’t an ounce of anger lingering inside me. Instead, there’s hope. Maybe he can rescue me like he did with Lana. Showing up on my wedding day and helping me escape.

Adrian sees me staring and turns, facing my cousin.

“John,” he greets. “Wasn’t sure if you’d make it.”

“She is my cousin.” He nods toward me. “I can’t miss her wedding festivities.” Zoe, his girlfriend, stands beside him, wearing a pretty floral-printed halter dress and pale pink heels. The two of us hit it off immediately. I never expected to see my cousin committed to a woman, but I knew the moment Zoe saw a dead body at his feet and didn’t run away crying that she was the perfect fit for my psychopathic cousin. Even now, she stands by his side, holding her head tall.

Adrian plasters on a fake smile. He probably has too much practice sucking up to judges and juries. “It’s nice to have you.” He claps a hand on John’s back.

“I was hoping I could get a moment with Madi. To talk.”

Adrian chuckles with a knowing grin. “I was told not to leave her alone with you.”

John helped Lana run away from her arranged marriage, and Adrian’s afraid he’ll do the same for me. Apparently, Costello girls are useless if they’re under the protection of the Colombofamigliain New York City.

“It’s not like that.” John smiles as he raises his hands in anothing to worry aboutgesture. “I just want to talk. We’ll stand right here in the hallway, and when I’m done, she’ll go inside and hang on your arm just like the doll you want.”

Adrian barks out a laugh.

“I’ll go with you,” Zoe adds, moving from John to my fiancé. She extends her arm for Adrian to take, and he eyes it suspiciously, moving his gaze between her and my cousin.

“Fine,” he relents. “Five minutes. Andprincess”—he turns his gaze onto me—“just remember, tomorrow you marry me.Nothingis changing that.”

His words rattle my bones, but I nod in agreement, watching him walk away with a satisfied grin. As soon as he’s gone, I whip my head back to John, praying he has a plan, some good news to get me out of this arrangement.

“Don’t get too excited,”

I immediately deflate. “Marcus isgone, John.” It takes effort to keep my voice low and steady, preventing it from shaking. “Why am I still marrying him?”

“I talked to Sam.”

“And?” My fingernails bite into my palms, impatiently waiting for my cousin to spit it out.

“He thinks Adrian could be useful.”

An icy sensation rushes through my veins. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“Madi, I know you don’t like him-”

A rush of air burst through my lips. “Don’t like him?” I scoff. “He represents the scum of New Orleans. He’s the reason rich assholes think they can get away with whatever they want. Notto mention, he’s a prick, John. It’s more than just me not liking him.”

“And what are we, Madi?” He shakes his head. “We’re therich assholeshe’s representing, thescum. Aren’t we?”

I press my lips into a thin line. I know my family’s reputation, but we do good too. Does that fix it? Does that make it okay that when everyone has their heads turned, we cheat and lie and steal? That our money is just as dirty as the rest of it? There’s a blurry line between where my morals begin and end.

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