Page 117 of Brutal Obsession

“Good news.”

Her eyes darken. “Enzo De Luca is dead.”

I didn’t think there was anything inside me left to break, but something splinters open anyway when Riley utters those five little words.

I force myself to keep my shit together and push forward. “And the bad news?”

“Shane, Donal, and…Dadsent a summons.”

I inhale sharply, my heart freezing into a solid block of ice.

“They want to see you.” Riley drops her eyes to the duvet between us, resigned and unhappy with this turn of events.

She knows it as well as I do.

Somehow, we managed to survive this debacle with the De Lucas.

But just because I escapedthemwith my life intact doesn’t mean I’ll be so lucky up against the Kings.

The real fight for my life begins right now.

Chapter 34

Cian

I pace a hole outside the door to Shane’s office.

Haven’t slept, haven’t eaten.

All I’ve done is worry over the countless ways tonight might pan out. The truth is, I’m unprepared to face most of the scenarios my mind came up with. That’s how topsy-turvy I fucking am on the inside.

It’s like I’m in a car with no brakes, barreling toward a brick wall.

I’ve never wanted the power to stop time so badly.

Stallwas the best I could do yesterday when Finn told me that his father, Donal, and Thomas want to see Harper ASAP. It was a little after six in the morning then, and Rory and Darren were already talking about leaving the rendezvous spot and driving home. And I couldn’t let that happen.

I convinced Finn it was too soon to move Harper because of her injuries, but all that accomplished was getting our meeting with the powers that be pushed to tonight. Which is still no good.

What I expected—though now I realize it was only wishful thinking—was that Shane, Donal, and Thomas would want to see me. That would have made sense, and that would have beenfine. I’m prepared to disclose what happened and leave out the fact that while I was gone, the earth shifted and I’m not even the same person I was before I set foot in Hawaii.

But they don’t want to see me.

They want to see Harper. My brain hasn’t shut off for a single second since Finn told me as much because they’d only demand to see Harper for two reasons.

They’ll expect an explanation regarding her disappearance. Why she decided to run, why she made the choice to betray the family.

Then, once they’ve heard the story, the second reason for bringing her in will come into play.

Punishment.

And that’s the part that’s eating away at me. Because while I don’t know much, I do know that Harper Brennan is mine now.

Mine.Every square inch of her, inside and out.

I know for a fact that I’m fully ready to kill anyone to preserve her safety. When I promised I’d keep her safe back in Hawaii, I knew it then too.

That I would say anything for her.

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