Page 22 of Marked for Obsession

Refusing to just lay there and let this man do whatever it was he’d come here to do, Poppy flattened her palms against the smooth floor and pushed with all her might.

But it was no use. The man was much too big. Much too strong.

“I said enough!”

She felt him straddle her, his fist filling with her hair once more. She cried out when he yanked her head backward, tears pouring from her eyes as he shoved the barrel of a gun to her right temple.

“P-please,” Poppy begged. The man had a gun to her head, so ofcourseshe begged. “W-what do you w-want?”

“What do I want?” He chuckled, his laugh pure evil. Leaning in close, his hot breath hit the side of her face as he spoke again. “I’m going to show you what happens to bitches who stick their noses where they don’t belong.”

It was amazing how many thoughts began running through her head during those final, precious seconds of life.

Poppy thought of her mom and dad, and of how utterly devastated they would be when they received word of her death. She thought of her dearest friend, Cam, and prayed she’d go on to live a long and happy life.

As crazy as it was, Poppy even found herself thinking about Jax Monroe. She hoped he’d continue her efforts to uncover the truth about that night. And—ridiculously enough—she felt saddened by the fact that she never got the chance to kiss him.

There were so many more things I wanted to do with my life. So, so many.

Tears covered the smooth skin of her cheeks, and she had no choice but to lay there and wait for this man to rob her of her life. Of a future she was very much looking forward to having.

No use fighting the inevitable.

Her killer’s words were haunting as Poppy squeezed her eyes shut and waited to die.

4

Jax stoppedin front of Poppy’s door. Glancing down, he nearly smiled at the cheery welcome mat adorned with flowers and dragonflies.

“Cute,” Ivan muttered beside him, a smidge of sarcasm lacing the one-word comment.

Jax smirked because yeah. Itwascute. Just like the woman it belonged to.

“You want to do the honors, or should I?” Ivan motioned to the door.

Jax raised his hand to knock when a thud sounded from inside the apartment. It was almost as if someone had fallen down.

Both men frowned. “You hear that?” Ivan’s concerned gaze turned to his.

Yeah, he’d heard it.

Jax moved toward the door. He pressed his ear to its cool surface and listened intently.

At first, he couldn’t hear anything more, but then a man’s voice—anangryvoice—traveled to him from the other side.

“I said enough!”

“P-Please.” Poppy’s voice was muffled, but still clear enough for Jax to hear. “W-what do you w-want?”

The man’s next words sent Jax’s protective streak into overdrive.

“What do I want?” A deep chuckle. “I’m going to show you what happens to bitches who stick their noses where they don’t belong.”

What. The. Hell?

Shooting Ivan a knowing glance, Jax took a step back. He reached behind him, pulling the pistol he always carried from his waistband before lifting his booted foot and kicking the door just above the metal knob.

It flew inward, splinters of wood erupting from the busted frame. Jax expertly scanned the immediate area, fury burning through his veins from what he saw.

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