Page 78 of Brutal Obsession

But when I actually got my sister on the phone, I started crying like a child, and so did she. We just whimpered at each other back and forth. I managed to mumble some incoherent question about whether she and Finn were an item, and I could hear the stunning joy in my sister’s voice even through her tears as she told me yes.

They really are together, and they really are happy. Cian wasn’t lying to me about that.

I release a bittersweet breath. My sister’s in love. The guy she picked is a monster, but he’s the monster she desired. And at least, since they’re together, that particular beast isn’t after me anymore.

I want to be happy that my sister found the love of her life and my ex-fiancé won’t be trying to marrymeever again. But there’s a thorn sticking out of my heart. I don’t know why it’s there, but it aches.

Ignoring that, I mop sweat off my forehead with the back of my arm and gaze at the scenery around my little shopping plaza. Rundown apartment complexes built from cement blocks sit across an intersection from a new neighborhood of cookie-cutter houses. The green of the bushes and trees bounces off the bright teal of the harbor waters.

I inhale a lungful of island air.

No matter what happens next, I’ll be abandoning this place. I spent so much time fantasizing about coming here that I never imagined how to leave.

Speaking of leaving, what’s my new plan?

Finding a way to call my sister was my only objective. The reality of what happened in that motel room crushed me flat, and I needed some time to myself to decompress. Hearing Riley’s voice helped, but it didn’t solve anything.

And now, I’m in the same predicament as last night. Alone. No money. No phone. No transportation. Homeless. Helpless.

So, if you want to live, I suggest you stop trying to get away from me.

The words Cian spoke last night in the little parking lot echo through my mind.

I could just…go back to the motel.

Voluntarily return to the cage I’ve just escaped.

No, I can’t make it on my own, and no, I don’t have a plan. But going back there can’t be the right answer.

What would I say to Cian? What can I say?

That thorn in my heart gives me chest pain, like my ribs are too tight.

With a twinge, I identify the ache.

It’s about saying goodbye.

For the love of God, I’m aching for a goodbye with my kidnapper?

The scariest part is that last night changed my opinion of Cian entirely.

He’s not just some pretty blockhead enforcer who works for my dad or answers to Shane Gallagher above all else. I don’t see him as some playboy who tagged me as his next conquest anymore.

Now, I think of Cian as a man.

A man I want the way a desert yearns for rain.

The past decade of my life has been just an ongoing series of hard pills to swallow, one after the other, and the idea of leaving Cian is the worst one. Why am I so unprepared to get back to a life without him? After just two wild, swelteringly hot nights?

I cover my face as I walk. Every time I think about it, I melt a little more inside. Imagine if just the memory of the sun could give someone a sunburn.Ugh.

Walking too fast, I stride straight into someone. My heart hits the ground when I glance up.

Panic hits me like a bus.

It’s Cian.

And he’s amped.

---