Page 100 of Sweet Obsession
His eyes softened when they landed on me, the smile on his lips a small but genuine thing that made my heart stutter despite the anger still boiling beneath my skin. “Breakfast,” he said, voice low and rough, setting the tray down.
I sat up, blanket slipping from my shoulders, the thin fabric of my nightgown clinging to my skin.
His eyes lingered, heat flashing in them. I flushed, shifting uncomfortably. “You didn’t have to,” I murmured, taking the tray.
“I wanted to,” he said, his voice steady, but there was an edge of something deeper in it, need, hope.
He sat beside me, close enough that I felt the pull of his presence. His hand hovered near mine but didn’t touch.
The restraint in his gaze hurt more than I expected. “I want to take care of you, Luna. I want a future where we can do this every day. Where you don’t hate me. Where we build something.”
I reached for the juice, my hands still weak, and the glass slipped, orange liquid spilling across the tray, a small accident that made me gasp, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Misha laughed, a low, warm sound that sent a shiver through me, and he grabbed a napkin, his hand covering mine as he wiped the juice from my fingers, his touch gentle, lingering, his eyes meeting mine, a softness in them that made my heart race. “You’re a mess, Malyshka” he said, his voice teasing, his smile genuine, and I found myself smiling back, a small, broken thing, a step toward something lighter, something real.
But the moment shattered when I heard Nikolai’s voice in the hall, his words muffled but clear, he was talking to someone on phone about Gabriella still missing.
Gabriella is missing? I froze. Misha had told me three days ago that Gabriella was in Colombia, sick and needing rest. I hadn’t questioned it, too weak to think straight. Foolishly, I’d trusted him.
My blood went cold. I jerked my hand away from his, eyes wide with the sting of betrayal. “Gabriella’s been taken again?” I hissed, my voice trembling with fury and fear. “Why did you lie to me? Was this your plan to make me trust you?”
Misha’s face darkened, his eyes pleading. His hands reached for me but stopped short. “I didn’t want to distress you,” he said, voice raw. “You were sick, Luna. I couldn’t bear seeing you hurt again, not after everything I’ve done. I’ve got men looking for her. I’ll get her back. I swear.”
I jerked away, my body trembling with rage. “You’ve already lied to me once. I can’t trust you anymore.” The words ripped from me. “I have to save her. On my own.”
I pushed myself to my feet, my legs unsteady, my mind racing to the burner phone.
When Misha finally left, I reached for it, my fingers trembling as I unlocked it. As I’d feared, there was a message from Chernov:Your sister is here. If you want her out alive, come quietly to Nordic.
A cold chill ran through me. I knew what I had to do.
That night, I slipped out of the compound, defying Misha’s orders. I’d spent days watching the guards, learning their routines, the gaps in their patrols. I knew when to move, when the shadows were my ally.
I found an exit rarely used, tucked behind the maintenance area where the cameras didn’t reach.
I’d seen the shift change earlier, and the guards were distracted by the commotion in the main hall. It was my chance.
I grabbed one of Misha’s cars, barely a second thought before I slid into the driver’s seat.
My heart was a drumbeat in my chest, but I’d never felt more determined. The burner phone burned a hole in my pocket, its weight a constant reminder of the dangerous path I was about to walk.
Once I arrived at the location, I noticed it was a warehouse district with a maze of shadows, its air thick with the scent of oil and rust, the buildings looming like ghosts as I met Chernov atthe rendezvous point, his slick smile a contrast to the danger in his eyes, a danger I recognized too late.
“You came,” Chernov said, voice smooth, eyes gleaming with something feral. “I knew you’d choose freedom. Misha doesn’t deserve you, Luna.”
I clenched my jaw, forcing down the nausea. “I’m not your pawn, Chernov. Just tell me where my sister is.”
His smile twisted. “Still so naive.” He stepped in, close enough to smell the rot on his breath. His men circled behind me, weapons drawn, shadows closing in. “You think this is about your sister? I’m working with the Vargas cartel to crush Misha. Your father handed Stepan over, but I was the one who sealed his fate.”
My heart slammed in my chest, but I held his gaze. “So this was never about helping me.”
He chuckled darkly. “No. But you can still be useful.” His hand gripped my arm, hard. “If I can’t convince you, maybe I’ll take what I want.”
Then he lunged, trying to kiss me. I jerked away, but his slap cracked across my cheek, blinding me for a second.
“Hold her,” he growled to his men. “I’ll fuck her right here, and Misha can choke on the scraps.”
They moved toward me, two of them.
