Page 10 of Divine Obsession

“I’ll never leave you, Natalia. I promise.”

My hands held her so tight, I was convinced she’d break.

Maria’s hand cupped the back of my head. “We’re twin flames, remember? We need each other to keep our fire.”

Chapter 3

Present

I’LL NEVER LEAVE YOU, NATALIA. I promise.

I stared at the screen.

Three days. No answer.

Maria never took this long to get back to me.

Something must have been wrong. I should probably head to the Bronx later–

With my phone in my face, I’d just walked straight into someone on the street. Granted, who the fuck stopped in the middle of the sidewalk in New York City?

It was five days until Christmas; everyone was going batshit crazy over last-minute shopping.

“’Scuse me,” I apologized, raising my eyes.

A large man in a black suit stared down at me through his sunglasses. My gaze shifted to his earpiece, a wire trailing down into the collar of his shirt.

“Natalia Moretti?”

“Do I know you?”

He didn’t respond; only looked up over my head and nodded. Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed two other men closing in – all of them in black suits and earpieces.

“I’m going to need you to come with us.” The man spoke again.

I couldn’t hold in my laugh. Were they crazy? We were on a main street in Manhattan in the middle of the day, surrounded by people.

Before I could respond, I felt the other two men tower over me from behind. I was completely caged in.

“It’s not an option.”

I pushed forward, attempting to force my way through the space between them. One moment, I was lifted in the air; the next, I was shoved into a blacked-out SUV.

The two other men got in the backseat with me, one on each side, blocking my escape plan. As I was about to freak out beyond measure, the one behind the steering wheel clarified the situation.

“Mr. Salvatore Moretti has requested your attendance.”

“From the gala?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” I didn’t receive an answer as the SUV pulled off the curb and headed uptown. “Seriously? Now you’re being discreet?”

His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. “I am not authorized to discuss that, Miss Moretti.”

“But you were authorized to manhandle and grope me?”

He swallowed tensely. “I apologize, Miss Moretti. It wasn’t on purpose and won’t happen again.”

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