Page 60 of Bonds of Obsession

I’ve stopped struggling against Nico. I won’t go after Emmett here, not while he has the advantage of numbers on his side. But I will go after him. His own words have sealed his fate.

Instead, I hold my head high and drop my voice low and deadly. “You self-righteous fuck. You think this is about sex? About fucking territory?” I’m still nearly trembling with rage, but I’m holding it together because I want him to realize that I mean every fucking word I say. “Just so everyone hereunderstands, I trusted this pathetic excuse for a man. My gang trusted him. And he sold us out because he couldn’t stand that I didn’t love him back.”

Stefan’s hand settles on his gun, and the air crackles with tension. One wrong move and this parking lot becomes a war zone. Behind Emmett, I can see some of the former Princes of Carnage shifting uncomfortably. They know he’s wrong. And if they didn’t know before, now they’ve heard exactly what kind of snake they’re protecting.

“You want to know the truth?” I bare my teeth in something too sharp to be a smile. “I never wanted you because I saw exactly what you were. Weak. Selfish. The kind of man who’d sell out his family for a handful of cash and wounded pride.”

Killian’s fingers dig into my arm as Emmett’s face twists with rage. Let him be angry. Let him feel a fraction of what I’m feeling.

“I’m going to kill you.” The words fall from my lips like a vow. “Slowly. I’m going to enjoy it. I’m going to savor it. And when I’m done, no one will remember you ever existed.”

I feel Nico and Killian tense behind me, ready to move if this explodes. And part of me wants it to. Emmett will be the first one to go, consequences be damned.

He knows I can make it happen too. I can still see the fear in his eyes. One word from me, and the men beside me will tear through Zoey’s entire crew to get to Emmett. Atlas is already moving to step in front of me—to shield me with his injured body—and Killian has gone completely still in the way that means blood is about to flow.

But through the pounding rage, a moment of clarity hits me like a bucket of ice water. We’re outnumbered. Atlas can barely stand. This isn’t the time or place to start a war.

Especially not over a fuckwad like Emmett. I won’t give him that kind of notoriety.

“Stand down.” I say the words quietly enough that only my men can hear. When Atlas doesn’t relax his stance, I catch his eye. “It’s not worth it, Atlas. Please. Do this for me.”

He holds my gaze for a long moment, and I can see just how ready and willing he is to sacrifice himself for me.

Fuck.

That’s the last thing I want, but it makes the backs of my eyes sting with pride and gratitude and something bigger that I won’t even attempt to identify right now.

But he finally shifts back, with just the barest nod telling me he understands.

Nico’s arm is still tight around my waist, but his grip loosens slightly, then falls away completely as he takes a step back. Killian is still between us and the Tyrants, but his hands drop from where they’d been reaching for weapons.

I force myself to breathe. To think past the bloodlust screaming in my ears. Emmett will die—that’s not in question. But it’ll be on my terms, not his. Not here in this crumbling parking lot with all these witnesses and the potential for things to go badly for my men.

Zoey steps forward and positions herself between me and Emmett like she’s his own personal shield. The motion makes my teeth grind. She used to be Atlas’s girl, and now she’s protecting the rat who got him tortured.

Just one more reason to add her to my personal hit list.

“Emmett came to us,” she says, her voice carrying that hint of superiority that makes me want to slam her face into the concrete. “He was looking for real leadership. A crew who looks out for all its members and rewards loyalty above all else.” Her lips curve up. “Lucky for us, he chose to seek protection with the Tyrants. And even luckier, he knows quite a bit about how things work in Enigma.”

Even without turning to look, I can sense Nico tensing behind me. When he speaks, his voice is deceptively calm, but I can hear the steel underneath. “So the Tyrants are becoming a refuge for traitors now?” He lets out a dark chuckle. “Better watch your back, Zoey. If you keep that many snakes within arm’s reach, you’re bound to get bitten.”

The words hit their mark. I see it in the way Zoey’s face tightens, the flash of uncertainty in her eyes before she masks it. She’s new to leadership, and it shows in these little tells, these microscopic flinches that reveal her inexperience. Part of me wants to tell her that showing weakness like that will get her killed in this world. The rest of me hopes she learns that lesson the hard way.

“Is that a threat?” Stefan growls, taking a menacing step forward. Atlas shifts beside me, and I hear his sharp intake of breath—he’s in pain, but still ready to fight. The sound makes my chest ache.

“Just friendly advice,” Nico replies smoothly. “From someone who’s been doing this longer than you’ve been riding.”

Zoey recovers quickly, straightening her spine and lifting her chin. Gone is the flicker of doubt, replaced by cold determination. “Here’s some advice for you.” She gestures at her crew and they move in closer, a wall of leather and muscle. “Either Enigma peacefully cedes the territory we want, or we’ll use every bit of information Emmett has to systematically dismantle your operation.” Her gaze slides to me, sharp as a blade. “We know your weak spots now. Your safe houses. Your supply routes. Your connections.” She pauses, letting the threat sink in. “How much blood are you willing to spill to keep territory you can’t even protect?”

I feel the weight of everyone’s eyes on me, waiting to see how I’ll respond. Killian has gone deadly still beside me, while Atlas’s breathing has grown heavier, either from rage or pain. Probablya little of both. Just behind me, a low rumble escapes Nico’s chest. Is it a reminder to stay focused and keep my head in the game? Or a subtle cue that he’s ready to start shooting if I give the word?

I muster a laugh that’s all sharp edges, designed to cut. “No fucking deal. And you know what’s funny? For all his big talk, Emmett was never truly my second. Not like Killian and Atlas are to Nico.” I tilt my head, watching the way Emmett’s face twists in outrage. Good. Let him feel that burn, that reminder that he was never as important as he thought he was. “Which means whatever information he’s feeding you is surface level at best. He was never in the room when the real decisions were made.”

It’s a lie, and a dangerous one. Emmett knows plenty about Enigma’s operations. But I’ll be damned if I’ll let him or Zoey see even a flicker of concern cross my face.

“So if you want Enigma territory?” I bare my teeth in something way too dangerous to be called a smile. “You’ll have to take it over my dead body.”

“Overourdead bodies,” Atlas growls, and the possession in his voice makes something warm and steadying spread through my chest. He steps up beside me, shoulder to shoulder, even though his movements are stiff from pain. Killian moves to my other side, a wall of muscle and barely-contained violence, while Nico’s solid presence at my back makes me feel like I can take on anyone and anything.

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