Page 114 of Shadows of Obsession

Then Aidan comes toward me and lifts me up.

"Maybe if you see what happens to disobedient women, you'll be nicer to me, sweetie."

His arms lock around my waist, lifting me off the chair—the perfect opportunity to work my wrists against the restraints, feeling them give just slightly. My gaze drifts across the room where Roxy kneels on the cold concrete, her head bowed before a stocky man with salt-and-pepper hair. His hushed tones carry through the room, the lilting cadence of his words unmistakable even if the meaning escapes me. But I would bet all my money that’s Irish.

Roxy's eyes meet mine as the man unzips, exposing himself. I give her a subtle nod - our silent code. My pulse pounds in my ears, sweat breaking across my skin as adrenaline kicks in. We need chaos. Just enough time to reach the gun.

Roxy leans forward, the man's head tilting back in anticipation. Then comes the scream - raw, primal - as Roxy's teeth sink deep into his erection, crimson droplets of blood spattering the concrete between them.

In that second, when everyone is in shock and the man's scream echoes through the factory, my gun is already in hand. And before Aidan realizes what happened, I've pulled the trigger.

Immediately an explosion sounds from behind me, but I'm too focused on Roxy, who takes advantage of the chaos and pushes into one of the men, making him lose his balance.

I'm instantly beside her, shooting the man on the ground.

"You fucking whore—" says the third man, but a bullet disfigures his face. Literally.

I turn and my eyes meet gray ones.My gray ones. Roman crosses the distance between us in seconds and takes me in his arms.

He's here. He's here and seems to be okay.God, thank you.

I'm still holding Roxy's hand, and when I turn, I see Damien approaching her as if she's a small animal caught in a trap.

Roxy has blood on her mouth, disheveled hair, and her dress is torn in several places, but when I look at the Polish mafia boss, I could swear the man is smitten. When his hand lands on my friend's shoulder, she gives him the "I'll kill you and your family won't be able to identify your body" look, and Damien laughs.

"I love you," he whispers, looking at Roxy as if she hung the moon.

Normally I'd be worried about his reaction, but Roxy is quicker than me.

"Get in line, buddy," she tells him and pats his shoulder while letting go of my hand.

I break from Roman's embrace and follow my best friend, who has moved to sit in a chair with her head in her hands.

"Roxy? I'm so sorry…," I start and can't stop my tears from escaping. I'm a terrible friend. It's my fault she went through all this trauma, and she probably hates me.

Roxy raises her gaze, and when she sees me, she looks at me so angrily that I want to fall at her feet and beg for forgiveness.

"No! Don't you dare blame yourself for everything that happened!" she tells me as she hugs me. "You're family, Luna. You're like a sister to me, and if I have to get kidnapped occasionally to have you in my life, I'll do it," she says, and we both laugh because only Roxy could make a joke after destroying a man's penis, being kidnapped by another, and almost being proposed to by a third.

In the background, there are still some gunshots, but somehow I know we're fine. When I turn with Roxy, I see Aidan trying to get up. Apparently my bullet didn't do enough damage.

Roman moves toward him and presses on the wound with his boot. Aidan's scream is...soothing.

I suppose there are moments when you know you're about to change. An event that you feel will shape you as a person. This is that moment because, as I approach Aidan, I take Roman's hand and make a confession.

"I want to be there."

I know he understands what I'm saying. I want to be there when Aidan takes his last breath because it’ll be by my hand.

?

After things calmed down, Damien offered to drive Roxy home, but we had to remind him that he's suspiciously limping on one leg and that my friend has had enough craziness for today. Surprised to see Maksim there, I asked if he could take Roxy home. Roman and Damien coordinated with Niko and Anton to clean up the leather tannery where we’d been taken. Devin is apparently still alive and will be kept alive by Damien. Something about, and I quote, "a long-awaited skinning," and I clearly don't want to know more.

Aidan was taken to the warehouse Roman uses for interrogations. There won't be any interrogation, just a cleansing of the soul.

Before Roxy gets in the car with Maksim, I hug her.

"Call me when you get home. Or when you need to talk to someone, or if you feel sick or scared or I don’t know…just call me," I whisper.

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