Page 54 of Shadows of Obsession

But before Aidan can say anything more, the guy who was on the couch lifts him by his jacket collar and drags him out of the office.

When the door closes behind the last person and I'm finally alone with Damien, I lift my head.

"I'll pay his debt, but I want you to scare him. Make sure he never comes looking for me again." I throw all the words out in one breath.

I raise my eyes and see him looking at me as if he doesn't understand where I came from.

"Please," I whisper and feel tears threatening to fall.

"We have a deal, tygrysek," he says after analyzing my face.

?

A touch on my arm startles me and I try to force my eyes open, but the lack of sleep lately makes the task increasingly difficult.

"Sorry to wake you, but it's time for your medicine.” Anuska says, still in her robe.

"You didn't have to trouble yourself for me. I could have taken it later. Haven't you slept at all?" I ask, feeling so guilty.

I'm in my boss's house, sleeping in one of his bedrooms, and now I'm making the poor people who work for him wait on me.

"I don't sleep easily when Roman is away."

It's the only answer she offers while handing me a water glass and a pill that, from what I remember, is for pain.

I take it without protest and given the dream, the memory, I just had, I prefer not to return to sleep. I look at the clock and see two hours have passed since Roman left. I know he's probably talking with the man who broke into my place.

Talking…what a joke.

If Roman has even a fraction of the madness that Igor or Damien had, I'm sure he's not just talking to him, but somehow it doesn't bother me. And that irritates me. I'm not a bad person, I never wanted harm to anyone, and although my stupid kindness brought me where I am today, I regret not being that same empathetic person. Yet I can only think about my attacker, locked up somewhere with Roman, and hope my boss makes him suffer.

"You know, I understand what he saw in you," Anuska says as she sits on the bed.

"At least one of us does."

"You have a resilience in your eyes, Luna. And sometimes that's how you recognize your other half. When your suffering complements his, when the void in you speaks to the void in him," she says and takes my hand.

I feel the void she's talking about; I've been carrying it constantly for months trying in vain to fill it with something. Work, Roxy, with hope that in the future there will be something there, not that black hole that I feel absorbs everything into darkness. I can't deny the attraction to Roman. It's there and it's the only crumb of life I've had lately. It's a feeling similar to intuition, where something in my being simply recognizes something in his.

I offer her a smile and squeeze her hand gently. I don't know what feelings Roman has for me, but I'm not naive. You don't protect someone you don't care about; you don't bring someone into your home when you don't feel affection.

"Your phone rang several times," she tells me and puts my phone on the nightstand.

It has to be Roxy. As I reach for it, Anuska mentions making me something to eat - so the pills don't hit an empty stomach too hard. Roxy answers almost instantly.

"Luna, are you at the station?"

Her worried tone sends guilt rushing through me. I can't lie to Roxy - not when she's the only one who knows everything, even about Damien and Igor.

“Don't worry,” I sigh then tell her everything.

Every single detail. When I finish, it feels like I've pushed a boulder off my chest.

“So let me get this straight. You're at your boss's house - who, by the way, looks like he walked straight out of every woman's fantasy - and he's got his people guarding you. And when he found out you were in trouble, he swooped in like some dark knight and carried you away. Please explain why you're on the phone with me instead of climbing that man like a tree? I swear to God, Luna, if my calls are cockblocking you right now, I'll kill you myself!”

Her tone's so light and casual, I almost laugh at her ridiculousness.

“How are you just glossing over the whole mafia thing?”

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