Page 3 of Darling Obsession

I’m not a mastermind like Damian.

I’m not utterly dependable like Graysen.

And Savannah? She’s our only sister. Every one of us would kill for her. She’ll never lose her place among us, whether she realizes it or not.

She reads the name written on the envelope.

“Harlan.”

Her eyes meet mine. I can’t even tell if that’s pure trepidation or sympathy I see.

I know Jamie’s smiling. I was merciless with him during his challenge.

“Go ahead, open it,” I say blandly. I refuse to appear fazed by any of this. “I’m sure we’re all dying to hear what it is.”

Savannah cracks the red wax that bears our family seal. V for Vance. Then she slips out the card inside. She reads it in silence. I don’t like the worry that etches across her features or the way she seems to deflate.

“Well,shit.” She blows out a hard breath. “You guys… I think we have a problem.”

“We have enough problems,” Damian says lightly, smoothing his tie, as if that changes anything.

“We have one year, collectively, to complete our challenges, right? But with this…” Savannah holds up my challenge card by one corner, barely touching it, like the ink on it is poisonous. The blank side is to the rest of us. “I’m getting concerned that we’ll run out of time.”

“Well, Jamie’s challenge only took three months.” Damian gets to his feet. “We still have nine months left.” He moves to stand at her shoulder, reads the card, and chuckles under his breath. “Harlan could do that in one day. One minute.” He gives me a look. “He could do ittonight.”

“He could.” Savannah meets my eyes again. “But he won’t.”

I say nothing. I won’t bark at them to read me the damn card or hand it over, because that would suggest I care.

“The thing is…” Savi sighs. “The challenge I chose is going to be a long one.”

Graysen sets the cigar box down. “How long?”

“Six months.”

Jamie groans. “Savannah. What the fuck.”

“I didn’t know it would be used in this game, or that there would be a one-year deadline! Granddad never told any of us about the game before he died. How was I to know?”

“Does it have to be six months?” Graysen asks her.

“Yes. Just like Jamie’s challenge lasted for a ninety day period, and we had to wait it out to see if he completed it… the one I chose will last for six months.”

We all look at each other in the ensuing silence, wondering how fucked we are.

“Unless, of course,” Savi adds softly, “the person who receives the challenge fails along the way first.”

No one seems to know what the hell to say to that.

Savannah shows whatever’s written on the card to Graysen, then Jameson. Graysen’s jaw hardens at whatever he sees. Jamie kind of rolls his eyes.

And still, no one tells me what the hell it is. I slug down the rest of my drink in one go.

Damian eyes me, silently assessing.

Graysen’s gaze razors over us, like he’s deciding how best to wrangle a heard of wild animals who threaten to shit all over his living room. He has a habit of looking at us like that. “Okay, let’s just think about the remaining challenges,” he says. “This one, plus the three that are still in the box. Ask yourself, does the one you devised specify a length of time?”

“No,” Damian offers. “Mine can be finished quickly.”

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