Page 16 of Brutal Obsession

After that, Riley’s jobs seemed to change, but mine never did.

Mine always involved using my face and body to get people extorted, hurt, or even killed. To be given a normal responsibility, like seating guests or taking over as a server for a colleague who just slipped and fell, seems surreal.

Now when I welcome people, I wear an authentic smile. Not a phony one used as a distraction so a King can put a bullet between someone’s eyes.

“So sorry for the wait. What can I get for you?” I almost sing to the women at table five, whipping out the notepad I keep in my pocket.

The women appear to be in their early forties and are likely sisters, based on the resemblance.

“It’s our birthday.” The blond one beams. “We’re turning forty-one on Saturday, and we decided to spend our birthday week together in Hawaii.”

Birthday.

Mine and Riley’s birthday just passed a short while ago.

A rock forms in my gut. This is a sign. I need to call my sister.

After I put their order in with the bar, I step out to the patio. There’s a quiet, secluded little nook on one side where some of the kitchen staff take their smoke breaks.

As I head in that direction, the phone in my pocket gets heavier with every stride. A bead of sweat forms on the back of my neck.

Even though I knew it would kill her, knew it was the cruelest way for her to find out I was marrying the man of her dreams, I invited Riley to my engagement dinner six months ago. At the time, we hadn’t spoken in over three years. And I broke our silence by inviting her to a big dinner party without mentioning the occasion.

Though she tried to hide her reaction, I could tell the announcement of my upcoming marriage to Finn hit her hard. I felt awful about engineering that moment, but I needed to watch her to know if her crush on him remained alive and well.

Her expression, while fleeting, left no doubt. My twin was still hung up on the man, while I had no interest in him whatsoever.

Ultimately, that knowledge played a role in my decision to flee.

Three months ago, I called Riley again for guidance while on the cusp of making the commitment to run away. The plan consisted of spilling my guts, telling her that our father forced me into the marriage, and apologizing for hurting her over and over again since we were teens, even though causing her pain was the last thing I ever wanted to do.

But when she picked up, I could hear the betrayal in her voice. In the end, I couldn’t speak a word of the truth. Instead, I babbled about my wedding dress and a diamond-studded hairband, acting exactly like the selfish person she thinks I am.

My feet stop walking.

What if I’m thinking about this all wrong? When Thomas Brennan has it out for someone, he spares no expense when it comes to getting even.

What if he’s monitoring Riley’s calls,hopingI might be foolish enough to call my sister? What if I call her and we both wind up facing Thomas Brennan’s wrath?

An afternoon breeze blows my hair around my face. I brush it over my ear, my focus draining away from my own problems and flowing instead toward a large party of patrons directly ahead of me. They’re arguing about something, and a burly man on one end of the semicircular booth seems drunk as hell when he lurches out into the aisle, swaying in broad daylight.

“Say that again,” he slurs at someone still seated.

My anxiety ratchets up a few notches. Where I come from, bar fights end with drunk enforcers drawing their weapons and shooting each other.

Another dude stands from the table. “Steve, calm down?—”

“Just because you’re getting married, you think you’re better than me.” The one called Steve shoves the other guy back.

I’m frozen to the spot. I need to run inside and grab Mike and Paul, since we’ve clearly got emergency number two unfolding back here, but my legs don’t move.

Pedestrians walking by our patio stop to peer in and see what the fuss is about.

I’m so focused on the onlookers, it takes me too long to notice Steve lumbering my way with crazy, chaotic eyes

“Right here, beautiful.” His hand arcs toward me like he’s going to reach around and grab a handful of my ass.

I brace for an impact that never arrives and blink at the scene in front of me.

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