Page 111 of His Coveted Obsession

As long as he was dead, I would have to be happy.

Ivanov took his time eating and drinking some type of frozen cocktail, overlooking the turquoise waters and small waves lapping at the shore.

If my plan didn’t work, I would need to follow him back home and kill him with the knife I had strapped to my thigh underneath my boardshorts.

I glanced behind me as someone called out to him. He turned around, smiling. Luck was finally on my side when he stood and walked over to the bar. I unscrewed the cap from the vial, pocketedit, careful not to spill the contents, and walked over toward his table, keeping a close eye on him and the other man.

The place wasn’t crowded, with most people swimming and sunbathing, giving me some breathing room and allowing me to remain undiscovered. I quickly passed his table, dumped the contents of the vial into his drink, and walked straight to the restroom in the back, where I thoroughly washed my hands.

I dumped enough oleander poison into this drink to kill three horses. It was tasteless, and most doctors wouldn’t test for it, since it mimicked a heart attack. That was the goal to keep law enforcement off my tail.

When I came out, I checked the area to be sure no one was watching me, sat back down at my table, and ordered another drink. As much as I wanted to get back to Thomas, leaving immediately raised too many red flags. I also had to stay to make sure he drank it all. It would take a couple of hours for the poison to kick in, so I planned to keep my eye on him to make sure he finished his drink, and then I could leave. Generally, it would take most of the day for the poison to kill, but the dosage I gave him would make it faster.

It would start with stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. Then he would grow dizzy, and his heart would beat irregularly. Eventually, he would suffer respiratory paralysis and fall into a coma. Death would soon follow.

As I sipped my coconut and pineapple faux cocktail, I watched him finish his drink and order another. I smiled, knowing the man had no idea he was now a ticking time bomb. His death was soon at hand.

With that, I paid my tab and left to spend time with Thomas and Annie.

When I headed over to where I parked the moped, I texted Layla on the burner.

Me: I have to leave now.

Layla: I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure Dad gets

better.

Me: Has there been word on our brothers Maverick

and Khai?

Layla: Yes, Maverick has reached out. He’s been off

the grid, and Khai has been with him. He has news

for us, but hasn’t told us what.

Me: Keep me informed.

Even though our texts were encrypted, we were careful with what we said. She planned to hack into his system and monitor Ivanov’s condition. If he lived through it, I would have to find other means to kill him.

I frequently asked about Maverick and Khai. I hadn’t seen either man since hunting down Thomas. We believed Maverick had been licking his wounds, but it had been more than that. His vanishing made us all anxious, and I was pissed that we had someone else just leaving without a word. I considered Maverick a friend.

When I returned to the States, I assumed I would learn why both men had vanished. My assumption was that they went together because theyweretogether, in a relationship.

I drove through the colorful town of Willemstad, with the Dutch homes built close together. The streets were crowded with tourists. But all I cared about was getting to Thomas and telling him his tormentor would soon be dead.

When I arrived at the resort we were staying at, I walked straight to the beach, but I didn’t see Thomas anywhere. Where was he? My instincts went on high alert. He was supposed to stay put. I didn’t like not knowing where he was.

I scanned the water to see if he was swimming, but instead, I found Annie, wearing a pink and white polka-dotted bikini, wading in the water, her blonde hair even fairer from the sun.

As I headed in her direction, I watched a man approach her and start hitting on her. Hell no. I walked through the hot white sand toward Thomas’s sister with fisted hands, itching to twirl my blade. He was chatting away, and she was smiling. They needed to be separated immediately.

I treaded the water toward them, and when I reached them, I fisted the man’s hair, yanking him back. “Get the fuck away from her,” I hissed. “She is too young for you, pervert.”

She was bitching at me, but I ignored her.

The man shoved me off, and I let him go. He was definitely too old for her, looking roughly in his mid-twenties. “Fuck off, asshole! Fucking psycho. I was just talking to her.”

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