Page 68 of Depths of Obsession
Mia lets out a laugh, her eyes lighting up. “I know, right? And witches, too. Oh, and demons.”
“Demons?” I squeak, my eyes widening. “Shit, are you serious? That’s unbelievable. Have you been to the magick realm?”
Mia shakes her head. “Not yet. Renzo says he’ll take me there at some point. Apparently, since I’m not exactly human anymore?—”
“What did you just say?” I stare at her, my mouth hanging open.
Mia swallows, her cheeks flushing slightly. “Okay… well, I’m still human, but… I’ve changed.”
“Changed?” I echo, my voice rising in panic. “Changed how? Is it because you’re sleeping with Renzo? Does screwing a vampire turn you into something else? Holy shit, I hadn’t even thought of that!” My mind spins, trying to make sense of this new information.
Laughter peals out of Mia, her shoulders shaking as she gasps for air. I stare at her, and soon I find myself laughing too—hysteria fueled by days of pent-up fear, tension, and sheer disbelief. Finally, we wipe the tears from our eyes.
“It’s not really funny,” I say, struggling to catch my breath. “It’s just that the tension has been so much for so long, I need to let it out.”
“I get it,” Mia says, her eyes soft with understanding. She reaches over to squeeze my hand. “But, to answer your question…sleeping with a vampire doesn’t change you into something else. There was… an incident.”
“Okay, hold that thought,” I say, jumping up and heading to the bar area. I open the wine fridge, pulling out a bottle of champagne. “We’re going to celebrate my marriage to a hot vampire, and you are going to tell me everything.” I release the cork with a satisfying pop and pour two glasses.
“Cheers,” I say, handing Mia her glass.
“To you and Luca. May you be as happy as Renzo and I are.”
I grin, clinking my glass against hers. “I’ll drink to that.”
Just then, the electronic lock clicks open. My head swivels toward the door, and I see Renzo entering the suite, his face serious. He strides across the marble-tiled foyer into the living room.
I look behind him, expecting Luca. “Where’s Luca?” I ask, my voice tinged with concern.
Renzo exchanges a glance with Mia, then turns to me.
My heart pounds, a sudden sense of dread rising in my chest. “What? What is it?” I manage to say.
Renzo sighs, his shoulders heavy. “Luca’s been arrested.”
The room tilts, the edges blurring. I lose my balance, collapsing onto the sofa, spilling champagne on my wedding dress. I barely notice. “Tell me,” I whisper, my voice cracking.
Renzo runs a hand through his hair, looking tired. “I don’t know if Luca shared this with you, but there have been overdoses at his clubs. Someone is selling a drug called Black Heart, and people are dying. It looks like someone’s targeting him specifically. There’s a man who looks like Luca—he’s the one selling it.”
“Not exactly like him,” I mutter, my throat tightening. “More like a reasonable facsimile.”
Renzo frowns, his gaze sharpening. “You’ve seen him?”
“Mia can fill you in later. Just… tell me about Luca. Is he going to have to stay in jail? Can you get him out?” My hands are trembling, my voice barely a whisper.
Renzo takes my glass and Mia’s, and refills them. He pours himself a scotch before settling into an armchair. “We’ve got people working on it. I’m hoping we can keep him out of jail. The arrest was more symbolic, a show of force. Rocco’s working on getting footage of the guy who looks like Luca—his name’s Robert.” He pronounced it with a French accent, dropping the T.
I try to process Renzo’s words, but everything feels overwhelming. “How do you know his name?” I ask.
Renzo leans forward, eyes serious. He recounts what happened on the rooftop, how Gazzago had been forced to admit the truth under pressure.
“So, you’re telling me Gazzago never really wanted to marry me? He just wanted me for this Robert person, whoever he’s working with, to get to Luca?” I ask, my voice wavering.
Renzo nods. “That’s it in a nutshell. They also seem to want the necklace very badly. Not sure why.”
“We had all the pieces,” I say, frustration bubbling inside me, “but we just didn’t put them together.”
Mia tilts her head, looking puzzled. “What do you mean?”
