Page 126 of Bonds of Obsession

I position myself so I’ll be hidden behind the door when it opens. My body is already fucking thrumming with anticipation,the way it always does before I get the chance to fuck somebody’s whole world up. I just wish I could indulge every dark impulse I have and give the bastard the slow, painful death he deserves.

Someday.

I can already taste Emmett’s fear on my tongue. It’s been too fucking long since I made someone scream or watched the light fade from their eyes as they realized just how fucked they were.

The sound of the blonde’s voice on the other side of the door makes me smile.

It’s show time.

Emmett stumbles out into the alley with his hands all over the blonde, trying to get under her shirt before they’re even fully outside. Stupid, drunken idiot. The stink of cheap whiskey rolls off him in waves.

The door bangs shut behind them, the sound covering my footsteps as I move into place behind him. I wait, following on his heels as he guides her across the alley and presses her against the brick wall. Her eyes meet mine over his shoulder and I give her a quick nod, just enough time to let her twist away as I strike.

Not many things in this world feel quite as satisfying as slamming my fist into the base of his skull. The hit is clean and precise, meant to drop a man without killing him. Emmett crumples like the sack of shit he is, his face bouncing off the pavement with a wet, satisfying smack.

Blood spreads in a small pool beneath his nose. The sight of it stirs something in me, and I’m sorely tempted to do so much more damage. I could happily make him suffer for every bit of pain he’s caused Quinn.

My boot hovers over his head. One stomp. That’s all it would take to end him. To crush his skull like the worthless thing it is. To feel bone give way beneath my heel.

The rage in my gut takes me right back to the way I felt when I was eight years old, watching my mother’s face disappearbeneath the water. When I learned how good it feels to end someone who deserves it.

But Quinn needs him alive. We all do. The thought of her is enough to make me step back and chain down the monster that wants to paint this alley with Emmett’s blood and brain matter.

Still, I allow myself one swift kick to his ribs. The crack is deeply satisfying. Just a little down payment for Atlas. I’ll make more payments—with interest—later.

The blonde doesn’t even flinch as I pull out more cash. Yeah, my instincts were spot on this time. “Extra for keeping your mouth shut,” I tell her, holding out the bills. Five of them, all hundreds. And one hundred percent worth it to keep things quiet.

She takes the money with an easy nod. “I never saw a thing.” Her eyes drift to Emmett’s unconscious body. “The scumbag was getting a little too handsy anyway.”

I grunt in agreement. She heads back inside without another word or a backward glance. Perfect.

I can appreciate anyone who has seen enough shit to know when to walk away and keep on walking.

The alley falls quiet again except for the distant hum of traffic and Emmett’s shallow wheezing. I hope I punctured a fucking lung.

My hands itch to do more damage. I’d give anything to carve into him until he’s screaming and begging. Until he knows exactly what it felt like for Atlas, being tortured while the rest of us could only listen.

The image of Quinn’s face when she heard Atlas’s screams flashes through my mind. The way she broke down afterward. The emptiness in her eyes. Yeah, I should take this motherfucker apart until all that’s left is a pile of dog meat and regret.

I crouch down beside him and run my blade along his cheek. Just enough pressure to raise a thin line of blood. “You’re luckywe need you breathing,” I tell him. “But your time will run out soon.”

Standing, I wipe my blade clean on his shirt. Time to deliver this rat to Quinn. Then the real fun begins.

I zip-tie his wrists behind his back, pulling them tight enough to bite into his skin. Quinn’s car is parked in the shadows at the end of the alley. As I drag Emmett’s dead weight across the pavement, I think about how she trusted me with her car. With this mission. With everything. It’s the kind of trust I never thought I’d have from anyone aside from Nico and Atlas.

Blood from Emmett’s broken nose leaves a trail behind us. Good. Let him bleed. Let him hurt. It’s nothing compared to what he deserves for betraying her.

I throw him in the trunk like the garbage he is. His head thunks against the metal side, and a small groan escapes his lips. He’s still mostly unconscious though.

The trunk slams shut and I slide in behind the steering wheel. My knuckles are bruised and bloody, but I can’t help smiling as I lean forward and turn up the radio. This night is turning out even better than I imagined.

Less than twenty minutes later, the luxury high-rise where we’re staying looms ahead like a billion dollar fortress. There’s no doorman at this hour. No witnesses. Just empty halls and the quiet hum of the air conditioning.

Emmett starts stirring as I haul him over my shoulder. His breath hitches as consciousness creeps back in. Bad fucking timing for him.

The elevator doors slide open with a soft ding, and I step inside, adjusting his weight. The mirrored walls reflect us back at ourselves—predator and prey. His eyes flutter open just as the doors close.

Thank fuck for these mirrors, because now I get to see the look of sheer panic flooding his ugly face when he realizes wherehe is and who has him. His legs start thrashing, trying to break free.

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