Page 81 of Depths of Obsession
Luca snatches the case from Carl’s hands before I can react. His face is a mask of fury, his eyes blazing. “Who is the seller, Carl?”
Carl shakes his head, his confusion evident. “I’m not privy to that information.”
“Calaba?” Luca calls, already striding toward him, his expression darkening further. “Who organized this whole mess?”
“I did,” a voice answers behind me.
I turn sharply to see Ria Tailor—her presence as cold as the wind biting through my thin dress. A shiver of fear runs down my spine. Something about her eyes, the coldness there, makes me want to back away, to disappear into the night.
Ria steps closer, her gaze never leaving mine. “The necklace is for Pippa,” she says, her voice steady and unnervingly pleasant. “I would very much like to see it around her neck.”
“What is this?” I whisper, stepping back, my breath catching. Her smile is glacial, and terror spikes through me.
“I hold your father’s debt, my dear,” she says, her voice almost soothing. “He set up a holding company with the necklace as its sole asset, and you are the beneficiary. Now that he’s dead, everything passes to you. You’ve owned the necklace since the day he died.”
The smile she gives me is nothing short of venomous. “I’d guess you’ll be next, my dear. The necklace tends to work quickly. You might want to say your goodbyes.”
“Why?” I manage, my voice cracking. “Why would you do this?”
Ria pats my arm, her touch as light and condescending as her words. “You’ve never been more than a pawn, Pippa. A pretty nuisance, nothing more. I needed you to get to him.” She nods toward Luca, her eyes sharpening. “Hurting him is my ultimate prize.”
The rooftop suddenly feels too small, the world closing in. I glance at Luca, feeling the raw fury radiating from him. He meets my eyes, a silent promise in his gaze—he will fight, and he will protect me, whatever it takes.
But as I look back at Ria, her cold eyes watching me, I realize I have just been thrust into a battle much older and far more dangerous than I had ever imagined. “Snowman,” I mutter.Help.
I stare at Ria, trying to comprehend. “What did I, or any of the Valdicis ever do to you?” I ask, bewildered.
What’s going on?Nico’s voice demands in my mind, sharp and insistent.
I have no earthly clue, I respond, my own thoughts chaotic.
“Chatting with your brother, are you?” Ria laughs—a light, tinkling sound that sends a shiver down my spine. Something about that laugh, the way it rings in the air, drags me back through memories I thought I’d forgotten.
I study her more closely, searching her face for a sign. “Vittoria?” I say, disbelief washing over me. “You’re… Vittoria?” Her eyes are a similar shade, but her face—her features are different, altered.
“Cosmetic surgery works wonders, love,” she says, her smile widening. “Quite helpful in many ways.” Her laughter rings out again, the familiarity hitting me like a punch.
“Vittoria Sartorre,” Nico says aloud, stepping closer, his eyes wide in realization. “Ria Tailor. Shit. None of us even saw it.”
Ria’s smile turns sly. “Sometimes the most obvious things are the easiest to overlook,” she says, her gaze shifting back to me. “Isn’t that right, darling? You never noticed how madly in love with you I was. You turned me away and sent me to a living hell.”
“Vittoria, I?—”
“Look,” Calaba says, stepping forward, his face lined with tension. “We need to wrap this up. You all need to leave now—take this elsewhere.” He gestures sharply, urging us toward the exit.
“Wait, this was all a sham?” Natalia erupts. “The necklace was never really up for auction?” She lets out a yell and then rips off the bottom of her dress. She is wearing boots. She grabs the box from my hand and runs off the end of the platform onto the sloped roof. Her two brothers whip out guns and keep them pointed at us as Natalia runs to the edge of the roof.
“No!” Vittoria screams as she lunges after Natalia. Natalia’s brothers open fire. I immediately cover Pippa. Carl starts screaming and Nico pushes him to the floor. The sound of gunfire erupts above us.
“Stay down,” Rocco yells through my earbud and then I hear more gunfire.
I push Pippa to the floor and cover her with my body. Nico heads toward Dimitry who fires at him, but Nico doesn’t stop. “Stay down,” I tell Pippa and then I go after Nico.
Constantine fires at me and the bullets find their mark but I am at full strength, so I don’t stop. I get to him and pull the gun from his hands and then hit him so hard I break his jaw and he’s knocked unconscious. I look around and find Vittoria fighting with Natalia at the edge. Natalia pushes Vittoria back and she falls just as Natalia disappears over the side of the Duomo with the case in her hand.
I’m struck from behind. The impact of the hit sends me skidding backward across the rooftop. The hard stone tears at my clothes, and we slam into the side wall, knocking the breath out of me. For a moment, all I can hear is the pounding of my own heartbeat, echoing against the cathedral walls. I don’t waste any time catching my breath; I roll, just in time to avoid a knife. The blade flashes under the moonlight, missing my throat by mere inches. Who the hell is this and where did he come from?
I spring to my feet, my senses on fire, the scent of sulfur stinging my nostrils as I take my opponent in. The man—no, not a man, the demon from the club—is almost unrecognizable now. His features have twisted, the illusion of humanity peeled away. His eyes burn an unnatural molten orange, and his skin seems to ripple, a deep black that blends into the night. His grin is feral, teeth too sharp for anything human, and his laugh—a low, guttural sound—sends a chill down my spine.
