Page 52 of Depths of Obsession
Luna stumbles, and I steady her. “My car?” she squeaks.
“It was a write-off anyway. Rocco is taking care of having it reported stolen. In a few hours, they’ll run the VIN number and call you about your stolen car. They’ll be sad to tell you it’s been burnt beyond all recognition. You’ll file a claim with insurance and be paid for your car. When the police ask, you’ll tell them you were going to the club to meet your friend, and a man jumped inside and took off in it.”
“Oh… well, that part is true,” Luna says with a small smile.
We reach the far corner, and I stop. A Porsche SUV pulls up in front of us, one of my men driving. I help Luna into the front seat and then slip Pippa into the back. I come around and sit beside her. We roll forward a block and stop to pick up Rocco. He’s carrying two large bags and two purses.
My chest tightens. I want to hear the whole story of what happened with the mystery man who looks like my twin, but I also want to know what was really going on. Luna is wearing dress pants and a sweater. She’s not dressed for clubbing, and those suitcases are filled with clothes—luggage. What exactly was Pippa up to? Icy fingers grip my heart. If she thinks she can run, she’s sadly mistaken. I warned her before. There is no escape—not now, not from me. She is mine.
We pull up in front of an apartment building. “What are we doing here?” Pippa asks, her brow furrowed. “This isn’t your place or mine. It’s not even Luna’s place.”
“No, it’s a spare apartment my family keeps in Milano. Luna will be safe here. Building security will make sure of it. I don’t want Luna going back to your place on her own until we have a better idea of who the mystery man is and what he wants.”
“Um… I think I should be fine at my own place,” Luna starts, her voice trembling.
“Perhaps, but your family would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you.” I offer her a smile, trying to reassure her. She tries to smile back, but her gaze darts to Pippa’s. That looks communicates something, but I can’t settle enough to decipher it. “Rocco will take you up and get you settled. Call us if you need anything.”
Rocco hops out and opens Luna’s door.
“Um… sure.” She glances at Pippa. “I’ll call you.”
Pippa just nods, but they share another look, something unspoken passing between them. Luna heads up the stairs and into the building, Rocco beside her, carrying the bags.
Twenty minutes later, we’re sitting on the couch in my living space, and I’m fixing the cut on Pippa’s cheek and the one on her forehead. I clean the wounds, then apply some of the magick cream I have left from before. The cut should be healed by morning. I catch Pippa’s gaze, her eyes wide, uncertainty lurking there.
“So,” I say as I stand, then moving to sit in my chair by the monitors. “How about you tell me the truth?” I can’t sit beside her—not when my emotions are this close to the edge. If I sit beside her, I’ll lose control.
“The truth?” she asks, her voice attempting innocence. “What truth?”
“Pippa, I don’t have the patience for—” I break off, my head snapping to the window. The sound of cars arriving in a flurry has me on my feet, my gaze narrowing. “Fucking Gazzago. He’s here with a bunch of his goons.”
“Fuck,” Pippa says, coming to stand beside me. Fear rolls off her in waves, the acrid tang almost suffocating. “What do we do? He’s not going to back down this time.”
“No, probably not.” I glance down at her. She’s still in the dress and boots, the black fabric hugging her curves. “Come with me.” I grab her hand and lead her to the stairwell. We take the stairs two at a time, racing upward until we’re on the roof. The cold night air hits us, the wind whipping her hair around her face. “Get on my back. Do not let go.”
“What? Why?” she asks, her eyes wide with confusion. “What are you going to do?” She glances around, puzzled. I’ve turned the space into a rooftop deck, with chairs and a firepit. There are flowers and even some trees in pots. The dining table and chairs are at the far end. There’s also a gazebo of sorts. “Wow, this is amazing.”
“We don’t have time for this. I need you to listen to me very carefully. I can move very fast, and we’re going across the sky. If you let go, you will fall.”
Her eyes grow even larger, her mouth forming a perfect ‘O’. She blinks, disbelief written across her face. “You can fly?”
I wince. “Not fly exactly. I don’t have time to explain.” I squat down, but Pippa stares at me, frozen. I stand again, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Pippa, we do not have much time. I need you to get on my back.”
She starts backing away, shaking her head. “I’m good. I’ll stay and face Gazzago. I have no interest in dying.”
Rage flares in my chest, and I step closer, my voice low and dangerous. “I’m going to tell you this one. Last. Time. I will protect you. I will keep you safe. I am a vampire. I have certain skills that humans do not possess. You will get on my backnowso we can get out of here. We don’t have much time.”
She still hesitates, her eyes darting to the edge of the roof, the sounds of slamming car doors and raised voices growing louder.
“Pippa, if you do not get on my back, I will throw you over my shoulder. Traveling as we need to, you’ll find that way will be a lot less comfortable for you.”
She stares at me, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. The voices grow louder, echoing off the building.
“It’s now, or I throw you over my shoulder,” I say, squatting down again. “One.”
Pippa doesn’t move.
“Two.”
