Page 71 of Unholy Obsession

Andrey’s hand trails to my neck, twirling loose coils of my hair. “Because there’s no greater motivator than leverage being wagered against you. Your love for your father… Knowing I could either free him or let him rot in that horrible prison… It will propel you in ways that few other things can.” He’s bolder, his fingers shifting through my ponytail. “Besides, you are the most beautiful pawn on my chessboard right now,” he purrs. “You still have your mother’s eyes.”

His final words are said as he moves next to me, crouching down to meet me at face level. The grin on his face is so twisted and repulsive that I find myself biting the inside of my cheek to keep from emoting my disgust. I am a plaything to him, a game piece to caress, gaze upon, and use however he deems fit.

“Little pet,” he purrs, reaching to cradle my face, “There is no need to be so afraid. Look at that sweet, pitiful terror in your eyes.” He chuckles. Even though I want to deny it and rip myself from his touch, Iamparalyzed with fear.

“I-I don’t think I can do it,” I tell him, my voice almost a squeak.

“Sure you can,” Andrey smiles. He stands and props himself against the desk again, right in front of me. “You already know how the families operate and what we are capable of. So, all you have to do is act interested in him. Become his little girlfriend, or whatever you want to call it. And anything you hear you report back to me. Understand?”

It's taking effort to even out my breathing. “What if he doesn’t want me?”

There’s a devilish smirk on Andrey’s face. As though he wants to torture me with anticipation, he takes the moment to pick up the cigar. He takes a cigar cutter and snips off the burnt edge before placing it back between his lips. With a zippo lighter, he takes his sweet, sweet time to light it. He doesn’t answer my question until smoke is pouring out of his mouth. The smoke and the way he’s raking his gaze over my body like a predator, once more makes me think of a dragon. “I don’t think that will be an issue. And even if it is,” he pauses to puff again, “I know you’ll be tenacious. You want to free your father, don’t you?”

He's such a bastard. As terrified as I am, anger knots in my stomach. Holding my father over my head like this is so cruel. I know I'm going to go along with it no matter how much I argue, cry, or beg. There is no price I would not pay to keep my father free and safe. That includes my soul. We may not have always agreed… Hell, there were times when I even hatedhim. But lovehas always existed alongside hatred. And there will always be—even now, when loving him puts me in grave danger.

Sitting for a moment, I allow myself to accept my fate. I’m going to have to do what he says, even though I have no idea how the hell I’m supposed to seduce someone I’ve never met. Really, I don’t think there’s a way for me to wrap my head around it. Not right now, I need time. Digging deep inside of myself, I let out a breath and then lock eyes with him. “What do I need to do?”

“Good, little pet,” Andrey smirks. He then paces around the desk and reaches into a drawer. A large beige envelope is placed on the wooden surface, and he then leans back and gestures for me to take it. I stand up and grab it. As I open it, he explains, “You’ll need to go under a fake name to get close to him. While you’re not a Robinson, it’s better to bury any potential leads they might get. So, from now until the end of your mission, you’ll be Anna Bates.”

I have to keep my eyes locked on the things in my hand to keep from glaring at him. Of course, he would pick a surname that is as close tobaitas he could get. He goes on as I look through the driver’s license, passport, and other pieces of ID he’s provided. “I’ve managed to find a social security number with that name in the state. So if they do a background check on you, you’ll look legitimate. Though, if they ask, you were born in Georgia.”

He's even put my apartment on the driver’s license. If it had been any other situation, I might have been impressed by the thoroughness of it all. Being forced into espionage against my will sort of takes the glamour out of it, though. When I pull a cellphone from the envelope, I shoot him a questioning look.

“Must have a phone number registered to that name. Wouldn’t want him getting yourrealnumber and finding out who you really are,” Andrey answers. Great, I am literally committing identity theft to do this. Not only am I putting my life on the line, but my squeaky-clean criminal record too. I swallow the frustration and only nod. “It will be the phone I call you on. Don’t worry, you have my number. I’ve saved myself underDaddy.”

“Alright,” I mutter. He’s really trying to see how far he can push me before I hurl, isn’t he?

“If a name comes up on that phone, instead of a number, you are to answer it.”

I nod, but I’m not sure what he means by that.

He instructs me to give him my actual ID, and any other identifying documentation in my purse. It’s collateral, so the Liam guy doesn’t find anything linked to my real name. I keep my phone. Many people have two phones, and I need to be able to get to my accounts linked to it. He’s annoyed, tells me to keep it off when I don’t need it but lets me hang onto it.

Once it’s all sorted, he waves his hand in the direction of the door. “Run along, little pet. Daddy will call when you’re needed.”

Even though I’m sickened yet again by his use ofdaddy, I don’t hesitate to leave the room. As soon as I’m out in the hallway, the older maid is at my side with the same chipper expression plastered on her face. She guides me back downstairs and I have to keep myself from dashing for the door as though I’m being chased.

The moment my feet hit the sidewalk, I take in as much fresh air as I possibly can. Never before have I felt as suffocated as I did in that house. Being around Andrey…it’s like the air is sucked from the room. I take my time walking over to the town car because the fresh air makes me feel better. I don't even have to say anything for the driver to take off toward my apartment once I'm inside. The silence is too much for me, so I divert my attention by playing with my new phone. It's cutting-edge technology with a slight learning curve.

When I go into the contacts list, I am amazed to find it’s already full. There are a lot of random names, but the numbers all seem legit… I realize that it’s likely Robinson men. Drivers, bodyguards, and anyone else he could use to track me down. Not only does a full contacts list make the phone look legitimate, but it’s also an idle threat. He’s letting me know there will be eyes on me, and all it takes is one call, and any number of men could come looking for me.

Backing out of the list, I download a picture to use as a background, along with an assortment of apps, and anything else I can do to make the phone more personal and less suspicious. As I’m doing this, a text comes across the top of the screen.

DADDY: Be safe and remember to keep your phone on you.

It’s too much. I need out of that car, and I need time to gather myself to do this properly. How much time would that take though? How much time does a person like me need to get into the mindset of espionage? It doesn’t seem possible. No amount of thinking, deep breathing, or planning will help me prepare for what Andrey has asked of me. Only, he didn’t ask, did he? There’s no choice in the matter. Even if my father’s life wasn’t hanging in the balance, I would have to do thisbecauseAndrey instructed me to.

I’m trapped in this mess. I’m a fish, a little guppy, suddenly plopped down into a shark tank. Andrey and his men are circling me and pushing me through the current. They are feeding me to the mysterious monster that looms in the dark water: Liam Mullen. My head is growing light from panic. If I stay in this car any longer, I know I’ll start hyperventilating.

When we stop at a stoplight downtown, I pull on the door handle to find it locked. “Can you unlock it?” I call up to the driver as I unbuckle myself. “I’d like to get out here.”

“You sure?” he asks, half-turning to look at me.

“Yes,” I urge.

The man shrugs and I hear the distinctclickof the door lock. Opening the door, I jump out and hurry over to the sidewalk to get out of the way of traffic. The town car slides out of view. I’m almost stunned by how easy it was. However, as I turn to make my way down the street, the terrifying realization hits me.I have no idea who works for Andrey. Any person could be a client, an associate, an informant, or even a soldier. I know the families and the underbosses, but I don’t know the entire mafia. And I know because of all the contacts he added to my phone that there are people out there watching me. They could be anywhere. No,everywhere.

This is why the driver let me out so easily. I don’t have to be with that driver to be watched or make sure I didn’t run. The tank is full of sharks.

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