Page 86 of Shadows of Obsession

"I was hoping for an opportunity to catch you alone and ask for your help, but when I saw those cars running you off the road, Julia was already loading the machine gun," he says, and I turn toward him.

It's a confession I didn't ask for and that he offered willingly, so I nod for him to continue.

"Julia says that in my subconscious I chose you precisely because of the connection you have with him, and I suppose she's right."

"Why haven't you tried to contact him until now?"

I understand that in adolescence he didn't have resources, but now he clearly does, and if I had to guess, he's had them for along time. You can see these people are loyal to him, and that's not won in a few months, but over years.

When he looks at me now, in the sunset light, I see every nuance and feature of his face. Full, slightly pink lips, light gray eyes accented by a small scar, raven-black hair falling in short waves over his forehead.

The same features I've studied for minutes each morning in bed with Roman before starting our day.

And yet, if I ever thought what I have with Roman is just physical attraction, Max's presence has clarified the situation.

I feel absolutely nothing when I'm near him. He's an attractive man, but somehow my heart knows he's notmyattractive man. He has the same eyes in my favorite shade of gray, but they don't make my knees weak. And the way he looks at me now, with a half-empty gaze, provokes unwanted emotions in my chest because just the thought of Roman looking at me like that, with a cold gaze, seems inconceivable.

"You're staring," he tells me, and I notice his smile.

It's not a complete smile, but I think for this man it's the equivalent of laughing.

"I'm thinking about how identical you are yet so fundamentally different."

My answer seems to make him think.

In the distance, tires crunching over gravel and leaves can be heard, and my heart starts beating faster. I know I saw Roman this morning, but the whole experience of the last few hours has made me feel like a lifetime has passed since I was with him.

I see a large gate about five hundred feet from the house, and Max signals his men to open it. A black SUV nearly takes the gate off at the speed it's coming, and I'm sure a soldier said a prayerin the background. I smile as if seeing Santa Claus, and the car barely stops before I rush to the driver's side. The moment Roman opens the door, I take him in my arms and hold him so tightly I practically merge with him.

He smells of oranges and something woody. I don't want to lift my nose from his neck, but his hands cradle my face and I see those gray eyes, my gray eyes, assessing me, looking for even the smallest sign of injury. I nod slowly and I know he understands the message.I'm okay.Now I'm okay.

I'm still in his arms when I notice Niko, who stares straight ahead with an expression as if he's seen a ghost. The next second, I feel Roman's body suddenly tensing. When I look up at his face, I see him frowning at the man in front of us - his carbon copy dressed in a leather jacket and jeans, who fixes us with the same neutral gaze.

Julia comes out of the house just as Roman speaks.

"Who the fuck are you?"

Chapter 29

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Roman

I look at what appears to be my own reflection, if I had ever been a reformed rock star. I can feel the shock rolling off Niko too and try to think of a logical explanation. This man doesn't just resemble me, he's identical. I never heard my parents mention a twin brother, but damn it, I should have known something.

"Let's go inside. It's cold and Luna's been standing out here for quite a while," says the woman standing in front of the door to the A-frame cabin.

She has black hair tied in a top knot, cargo pants, and a white off-the-shoulder sweater. She looks completely harmless, but I see the faint outlines where she’s hiding two knives and a Kolibri pistol.

Luna's shoulders slump, dark circles shadowing her eyes, but her gaze remains steady as her fingers wrap around mine. She tugs me toward the house with quiet determination, a small gesture from her free hand beckoning Niko to follow. My mind races to make sense of the situation—her unexpected composure, the guns that remain holstered, the tension hanging in the air. Logic whispers that bullets would have already found us if death was their intention, yet questions swirl through my thoughts with each step we take.

Who the hell are these people?

I know backup will arrive soon, but the reason I've survived this long is because I've always relied on instinct, and right now there’s no alarm sounding.

The house is more like a renovated barn, with tall windows and computers and monitors everywhere.

"I'll go prepare coffee for everyone, and, Roman, you might want to radio your boys before they decide this place needs redecorating with explosives," says the woman.

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