Page 54 of Savage Obsession

But I won’t.

I’m not going anywhere.

Slowly, his breathing evens out, the weight of exhaustion settling over both of us.

I feel the exact moment he surrenders—not just to sleep, but to me.

Wrapped in each other’s arms, we drift off, the darkness no longer something to fear.

Because tonight, for the first time in years, Aithan Vasilios is not alone.

I am right here with him.

25

Aithan

Finally, the bastard is on his knees, arms tied behind his back, his blood soaking the warehouse floor beneath him. He’s whimpering now, the sharp scent of piss filling the air. The second I walked into this place, I could smell his fear. It thickens with every agonizing second that passes.

I crouch in front of him, my knife glinting under the dim industrial lights. “You know who I am?”

The man nods frantically, his busted lip trembling. His face is a mess of bruises, his eye swollen shut from Leon’s earlier handiwork. But that’s just the warm-up. The real punishment begins now.

“Good.” I grip his chin, forcing his terrified gaze to meet mine. “Then you know why you’re here.”

“I—I was just following orders,” he stammers, voice shaking. “Please—”

I slam my fist into his gut, cutting off whatever pathetic excuse he was about to spit out. He gags, gasping for air, his body doubling over before Leon shoves him upright again.

“You poisoned my wife,” I say, voice deadly quiet. Visualizing what would have been the outcome of his attack if I hadn’t gone looking for my wife. “You tried to take what belongs to me.”

“I— I didn’t know! I swear, I didn’t know it was your wife!”

A dark chuckle escapes my lips. “That’s your defense? That you would’ve poisoned some other woman, but not my wife?” I shake my head, clicking my tongue. “Wrong answer.”

I stand, rolling up the sleeves of my crisp black shirt. I took off my jacket before entering—no need to ruin it with this rat’s blood.

Leon hands me the bolt cutters. I balance them in my hands, testing their weight. “You know what happens to traitors?”

He’s sobbing now. “Please, I—I’ll tell you everything. Lazaro hired me! He paid me to do it, I swear!”

“What did you just say?” Leon lets out a dangerous growl. “Do you know the weight of this accusation?”

“Yes, I know. He wanted your wife out of the way.”

"But you said you did not know she was my wife."

"It was after the attempt. He angrily contacted me to let me know I did not complete my job."

My blood turns ice cold. How could Lazaro do this? Why would he do this? Is it because I did not marry his daughter? But the financial boost and business security he has enjoyed over the past two decades courtesy of theEllinikiis a fit he would never have managed on his own. Even in ten lifetimes.

My father would feel this betrayal to his soul, as Lazaro is not just a member of theEllinikicouncil, but his lifelong friend.

I ask Leon to get a recorded confession for proof. When he was done, I nod at my men. One of them shoves a cloth into the guy’s mouth and secures it with a gag. While another two tighten their grip on his right hand, restraining it in place.

I take my time positioning the bolt cutters around his right wrist. “Since you tried to take something from me, it’s only fair that I take something from you.”

His muffled screams tear through the warehouse as I crunch through bone and sinew, severing his right hand clean off from the wrist.

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