Page 106 of Arranged Obsession
“How much do you know about it?”
“We’re chasing some leads, but I was thinking you might want to be involved in taking it down. I figured you’d come up with a way we can turn it to our advantage.”
“Aside from stealing it and selling it?”
“If that’s the play—” He shrugs, brushing his shoulder. “I’ve got my guys waiting and ready. You know the customers can’t ever get enough.”
“You know I’m not usually a team player.”
“We can work around that.” Seamus nods and lightly squeezes my shoulder. “You’ve been on the outside for too long, Cormac. It’s time to come back.”
I shake my head. “I never went anywhere.”
“You know that isn’t true. You pulled away into your own little world a while ago. Ghosting became your whole life. But ever since you got married, you seem… different. More grounded. More open. I don’t know, it’s hard to say. But I think you’re ready to come back, that’s all.”
He lets me go and turns away. Something grinds in my chest, a strange fluttering. It’s my heart, but it’s something else. An emotion.
I want to be a part of the family again. More than just their creepy, psycho killer brother. It’s never been easy for me, and maybe Seamus is right. Maybe I really have been digging myself deeper and deeper into the darkness in my soul.
“Send me the details on the shipment,” I call as he walks away. “We’ll take it down together.”
He waves a hand. “Glad to have you back, brother.”
Chapter 35
Bianca
Istare in at the strange shrine room, trying not to look at any one object in particular, but taking them all in as a whole. It’s total chaos. Strange pieces of a life I barely remember. Seven years, and this is all I have to show for it. An obsessive psycho stalker’s idea of what’s important, or at least of what’s not important enough that I wouldn’t mind if he stole it.
Everything in here is me. It’s perfectly preserved and strangely catalogued. I bet Cormac could tell me where he was when he touched each object for the very first time and who had to die for them to end up here.
That’s what scares me the most.
This is a crime scene as much as a testament to his obsession with me. Each piece represents a life. There are hundreds of them. Maybe even thousands. Cormac has to be the most successful serial killer of all time.
And I’m falling in love with him.
How does that make any sense?
Everything I’ve done to this point has been in an attempt to balance out my family’s evil. But how can I possibly do anything against a sin like Cormac?
He’s the ultimate hell.
Trying to make a dent in all his transgressions is like trying to bail out a sinking battleship with a teaspoon.
There’s nothing I can do against all this.
My phone rings. I almost don’t remember making this call. But Kate’s voice answers a moment later, sounding happy to hear from me. “You should’ve called sooner. I was really missing you.”
“How’s everyone at Grace House?”
“Oh, you know. We’re hanging on by a thread, the guests are doing their best to survive, and I’m one more problem away from snapping for good.”
“About average then.”
“Yep, basically.” Kate laughs lightly, and I feel better. But I can’t seem to pull myself away from this room. Like if I turn my back on it and let myself talk with Kate, I’ll forget what’s at the heart of my life.
I can’t distract myself from how everything’s so damn rotten.
