Page 63 of Obsession

Lana chuckles. “Not that bad?” She laughs.

“Yeah…he’s nice sometimes.”

Val rolls her eyes this time. “Listen, I get the wholefalling for your captorthing. There’s no shame at this table.”

My eyes widen. “I’m not, I haven’t-”

She shakes her head before I can finish my objections. “I saw the way you looked at him back and my office, and I saw the way he looks at you. It’s okay to be in love. Even if it didn’t start out that way.”

I want to pry more into her story if only to get the attention off of me, but Lana interrupts before I can get a question out. “It’s okay to be happy with him, ya know,” she says softly.

I swipe a hand over my face. “I really hated him. At least, I tried to. But…he got under my skin, I guess.” Even just talking about it, my heart races and my skin feels warm. I never intended to fall for Adrian. I wanted to hate him, to make his life miserable. But I don’t hate him.

In fact, I think I’ve fallen in love with him.

The realization makes my skin feel clammy, and I reach for my wineglass again.

Val and Lana smile. Dom takes another chug of her beer, then asks, “How is he in the sack?” Her crude question has us all bursting into laughter.

I don’t tell the girls how I feel about Adrian, but when I see him again, I think I’m finally ready to admit to my husband that I love him.

THIRTY-THREE

Adrian

Madi’s in a good mood when we return to New Orleans, though I had to pry her away from her cousin to get her on the plane. She seemed to have a good time with the girls and my heart warmed at the sight of her with new friends looking happy. I make a mental note to get her out of the house more, around people who aren’t her awful family. Right after I figure out who she’s safe around.

“I’m gonna take a shower.” She rises to her tiptoes to plant a kiss on my lips. “Meet me upstairs?” she asks with a devilish glint in her eyes.

“Of course, princess.”

I move to my bar cart to make a drink once she’s off. I’ve barely poured the whiskey by the time David enters with a knock. “Boss, Damien is here to see you.”

“Fuck,” I grumble, checking my watch. It’s after eleven. What the fuck is he doing here now? “Let him in,” I tell David, who gives me a confirming nod. Seconds later, Damien strolls into my living room, dressed in a three-piece suit with a conspiratorygrin stretching across his face. I’m already on edge as he takes a seat on my couch.

“Drink?” I ask, gesturing to the bar cart.

“Whatever you’re having.” He nods.

I pour him a tumbler of whiskey and bring the glass to him before taking the seat across on the couch. “So,” I start. “What brings you here at this hour?”

He smiles, and the sight makes my stomach uneasy, not that I show a glimpse of the feeling.

“How was your trip to New York?” he asks, taking a sip from his glass, that smile ever present.

A chill skates over my skin, but I shake it off, leaning back in my seat and making sure my uneasiness doesn’t show. This man might not be as bad as Madi’s father, running around the city setting off bombs, but he’s still a cold-blooded killer. And men like him are the most dangerous when they’re trying to solidify their power. Damien might be acting as the boss right now, but he’s not been accepted as such. He needs to squash any defiance to keep his throne, and me going to New York can easily be seen as defiance.

I take another sip of my drink and meet his gaze. “Good,” I tell him simply.

“And tell me,” he says, then leans forward, watching me closely. “How does this little trip of yours help our plan?”

“Sam wants me to get him released.” I continue, staying casual in my delivery.

“And I asked you to keep him in prison.”

“No, you asked me to kill him,” I correct. “And don’t you think it will be easier to kill him on the outside?”

Damien pauses, assessing my words.

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