Page 35 of Divine Obsession

The decorations, the balloons, the cake. Even the goddamn punch.

Natalia’s birthday party was the event of the year.

Every single one of the elites was here. People I didn’t know she already knew. People she was thanking for coming who she’d never met before, Salvatore introducing them.

They were all dying to meet Don Moretti’s mystery daughter who he’s kept hidden for so long. The story of the past had been sweetened to seem more socially acceptable. She hadn’t just been discovered. No, she just chose to be in the shadows until now.

Bored, I watched from the bar as Natalia welcomed billionaire after billionaire guest. The event was hosted at the Plaza, in their Grand Ballroom – a New York City landmark. I’d come in through a different entrance, so she hadn’t seen me yet; had no idea I was here.

I had no idea what I was doing here either. But it had everything to do with the honey-brown-haired girl standing on the other side of the room.

Silvia and Enzo DeMone showed up. Not only were they too in the one percent, they were also heads of one of the other five Mafia Families of New York. Natalia turned her back to the entrance to hug Silvia as they greeted each other.

The moment they pulled away and wavedsee you later, Natalia’s soft brown eyes found me at the bar. She froze, shock – and slight horror if I’m being completely honest – on her face.

For the first time in avery long time, I felt my coal eyesburn.

When she blushed, something rewired in my brain. Like a new code that changed the direction of everything in my being.

But then my eyes snapped to the man heading straight for her. Someone I knewvery well.

He grabbed her upper arm.

Gìovannitouched herand I saw black.

When she turned around, I expected her to slap him. Instead, she smiled and threw her arms around his neck.

Blood roared in my ears. My heart rate decreased, slowing down until it was almost as if I was forty meters under freezing water.

Something dark, twisted and possessive – something that had no place being there – coiled beneath my skin like a black viper. It wrapped around the hand I was holding my tumbler in, squeezing tight, ready to strike at any point.To clutch onto his throat and rip it apart.

I wasn’t a violent man.

But in that moment, I was one second away from taking the knife out of my jacket and slicing his throat open in front of everyone.

The only thing that stopped me was realizing how happy Natalia was to see him.

He wasn’t touching her. She was touching him.

They pulled apart and he offered her a large bouquet of red roses – like she was his girlfriend or something. Not only was it Natalia’s birthday, it was Valentine’s Day. They both laughed at something before Gìovanni walked away with Salvatore to join his parents.

The fire in my eyes simmered, before cracking back to ice.

My feet pulled me to her before I could stop myself.

“You made now or something?”

“What?” Natalia faltered, noticing me by her side as she looked after Gìovanni.

“Last time I checked you weren’t deaf.”

That got her attention.

She turned her full body towards me. Even stepped closer to deliver her words with more viciousness. “What is your problem?”

“Youare my problem.” I stepped into her at the same time I faced her, causing her to take a few steps back and out of the main room.

We stood alone in a hallway, hidden from the rest of the party, though anyone could have walked past at any moment.

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