Page 71 of Obsession

And I do love her.

The fact is clear as day from the fear that enveloped my entire body at the thought of anything happening to her.

Madi’s on the floor when I enter. She scurries backwards before she even truly looks at me, reaching for a gun that’s laying on the cement and pointing it at me. Her face changes when she sees me, softening for only a moment before it hardens again.

I lift my hands. “It’s just me, Madi,” I say gently. She must be traumatized. I can’t imagine what she just went through. There are two bodies lying on the floor, one belonging to my head of security. I close my eyes, pushing down the pain of knowing he’s dead because of me, because of my vendetta.

John rushes past me, straight to Zoe who’s on the floor, panting next to the other dead body. I take in the sight. There’s something wrapped around the man’s throat, a length of wire with two small wooden rods on either end. A tool Madi uses for cutting her pottery pieces of the wheel. A surge of pride wells in my chest because she fought back. She killed a man to protect herself and Zoe.

My princess is a fighter.

“Is he breathing?” I ask John, gesturing to the man.

John lets go of Zoe only long enough to put his fingers to the man’s neck, shaking his head. “Dead. This is one of my uncle’smen,” he says, and then his arms are back around his girl, asking her if she’s okay as he holds her against his chest.

The same thing I want to do with Madi. Except she’s still pointing a gun at me.

“This is your fault, isn’t it?” She asks the question with a shaky voice. “You’re working with my uncle to take Sam out. And I’m just collateral damage.” A single tear leaks from her eye.

That has John’s attention back on me. “What?” he asks, his eyes going from me to Madi.

“He’s a liar,” Madi spits out venomously. “Tell us the truth, Adrian. You wanted us dead.”

THIRTY-NINE

Madi

“He’s a liar.” I can feel how shaky my voice is as the gun wobbles between my fingers. “Tell us the truth, Adrian. You wanted us dead.”

Concern is etched across my husband’s face, his hands still extending as he looks between John and me.

“Madi,” he says, trying to keep his voice calm. “Let’s talk about this.”

“Can you be honest?”

Adrian winces at my words.

“What is she talking about, Russo?” John is standing now, his focus on my husband as he keeps Zoe protected behind him.

I haven’t had a chance to check on her since we killed our intruder. Things are moving too fast. I pull myself up to standing, taking a second to glance over at my friend, who’s clinging to John. She seems okay for now.

Adrian doesn’t answer, his lips pursed as his dark eyes look at me pleadingly. “Madi, please. Let’s talk. Just us.”

“No,” John cuts in before I can say the same thing. “Tell me what she’s talking about now.”

“Tell him,” I press. “I heard you talking to Uncle Damien after we got back from New York. You’re planning to get Sam out, just so Damien can kill him. Aren’t you?”

Adrian looks at John. I can’t see my cousin’s face from where I’m standing, but I can only assume it’s one filled with anger. John and Sam have been closer than the rest of us since they were kids. They’re practically brothers, always having each other’s back.

“Did you just lead my cousin into a trap?” John asks.

“No.” Adrian shakes his head. “Damien doesn’t know he’s coming.”

John launches at my husband, his fingers gripping around his throat before Adrian can even try to defend himself. “Are you fucking lying?” he growls.

Adrian wraps his hands around John’s wrists, attempting to pull my cousin off him. “No.” The word is strangled. “I’m not lying. I didn’t tell Damien that Sam was out of prison or that he was coming for him. That wasn’t my plan.”

“But you did have a plan?” John squeezes harder.

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