Page 106 of Brutal Obsession

Phase two: split up. I go after Harper, find her, and extract her.

And phase three: Darren, Rory, Finn, and Riley go after Enzo.

To end this once and for all.

It took an entire hour for me to agree to this plan. My desire to end Enzo De Luca with my own hands is overwhelming, but getting Harper to safety—considering what shape she might be in—is more important.

That’s what Rory meant.Remember the plan.

No matter what state I find Harper in, no matter what we’ve walked into, my one and only job is to get her out of here.I wish I could say that if I walk in on someone hurting her I won’t go ballistic, forget the mission, and burn this place to the ground, but I can’t. I’m armed, dangerous, and liable to do anything for the woman I love.

Why did it take a fucked-up situation like this for me to understand that?

Another platoon of soldiers appears up ahead, jogging my way.Retreating farther into the alcove’s darkness, I ready myself to fire and?—

My heel hits a solid mass. I tumble, falling backwards onto the uneven cement floor.

What the fuck was that?

A figure hunches over in the darkness. Small and feeble, hidden by the shadows, untouched by the garish lights flashing in the hallway.

My heart leaps.

Harper.

Even though I just tripped over her leg, she offers no reaction. Head drooping, her chest rises and lowers in rapid, shallow breaths.

My burst of elation dies a quick death. Something’s wrong.

Her arms hug her midsection. I pull one away, revealing a forearm covered in dark blood. Even in her disheveled state, I immediately spot the chunk of missing hair.

Impotent rage whites out my vision. That sick bastard took a knife tomyHarper’s locks and nailed them to the fucking wall.

Then an inhuman amount of relief slams into me, followed by a torrential downpour of gratitude. Even though Enzo hurt her, she’s in pain, and only semiconscious, the fact that she survived this ordeal at all proves the existence of miracles.

Thank you,I want to tell her. Today and every day.

Not that Harper’s ability to remain alive surprises me.

My baby’s a survivor. All she needs to do is hang on long enough for help to arrive.

I’m overwhelmed by the precariousness of it all. Life, I mean.

How who lives and who dies is often random, bleak, and beyond our control.

Entirely by accident, I stumbled across the woman I love.

She’s bleeding, injured, and it’s my fault.

She’s still breathing, though, and that’s what matters.

I pull her into my arms without speaking a word, and all resistance seeps from her body. Finding her in this state kills me.

Harper winces and trembles in my embrace.

My muscles tighten.

Someone’s going to fucking pay.

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