Page 125 of Carved Obsession

I wanted the pretty metallic-silver baby ripped right out of the ‘50s, but thought the vintage Mercedes would turn too many heads. I went for the BMW instead. The M2 drives like a beast, and it did a decent job at centering my nerves during the angry phone call with Bernard.

So here I am, doing more digging into the man. I taught him too much during our time together. Too many countermeasures to protect himself from online attacks. I made my own damn life hard. But I think I’m getting close.

I know he wants the jewels I used to give him, but I haven’t found out why heneedsthem. That’s where I’ll find my leverage on him.

Fingers flying over the keyboard and mouse, I finally see a small light at the end of this tunnel I’ve been navigating for months, eyes widening with each step that takes me closer to it.

“Fuck yeah!” I shout. “This is what I’m talking about!”

I’m finally in the Camoras’ bank accounts. One by one, I manage to get into the brothers’ personal and joint accounts where clean money is thrown into. Most of their business is conducted in cash, and their ledgers are kept under lock and key, but what I’m seeing here still paints a confusing picture.

“This doesn’t look right.” Bernard is . . . penniless.

Not just that, but the joint accounts look odd.

“Been busy, darling?”

I jump in my chair, whipping around just to be met by the asshole himself.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Bernard? And how did you get in?” I rise, trying to glance around for anything that could be used as a weapon. My hand glides over a pen and I clutch it in my palm.

“I didn’t like the way you talked to me last night. I thought it was time for this game to get serious.”

“Get the fuck away from me!” I shout, jabbing the pen in his side when he rushes toward me.

He recoils in pain, and I take the moment to push him off and sprint away. I’m barely out the door when I’m flung backward by the collar of my hoodie, and he wraps his arms around me. I grab onto his sleeve, clutching his cufflink and pulling at it to get him off me, but I just rip it in the process. I reach for the back of his neck, slamming my other elbow into his ribs, but the pained grunts don’t weaken him when I try to flip him over.

“You’re gonna pay for this, Bernard!” I rage at him, jabbing him over and over in his side.

“Not if you pay first.”

A cloth appears in my line of sight, and I whip my head around, trying to get away from the sweet-smelling thing. He forces it onto my face and covers my nose. Holding my breath only keeps me away from its effects for so long. Eventually, I take a breath, and my muscles lose their strength, my limbs tremble, and my vision blurs. Darkness pulls me in.

Carter

Something isn’t right. My last three texts to Scarlet were left unread. She hasn’t done that once since we met.

Now, as I stare at the camera feed from her bedroom and call her, I can hear the faint ringtone far in the background. She doesn’t answer. Maybe she’s just in the garden. Or her parent’s house.

Maybe.

Tension builds in my brow as a strain pulls behind my ribs with breaths that start to weigh me down. I knew I should have put cameras throughout her whole goddamn house.

“What the hell are you looking at?”

Maddox.

I don’t have time to hide Scarlet’s bedroom feed or lie to him. Closing down everything as fast as I can, I rise and hurry out the office door, headed straight toward Midnight’s parking lot.

He’s on my heels, his heavy, booted steps unmissable as he follows me out. I’m too focused, too busy running through various scenarios in my head, each one more vomit inducing than the other.

I climb into the car, starting the engine as I hear the passenger door slam shut. A towering shadow sits next to me.

Maybe she’s in the shower. Or out for a swim in the pond. She could be hanging out with her family. Maybe I’m panicking for nothing.

Or maybe Duval found out she broke into his house.

My pulse rings in my ears, hands clutched painfully tight around the leather steering wheel as I drive over there. I don’t even register the traffic lights. Did I pass any reds? Honks blare around me. Deep colors that remind me of her name flash. Maddox mutters curses under his breath. That feral creature inside of me rages, clawing at my insides to come out and shred this city to ribbons so it can find her. The gas pedal is maxed out, the world is a blur around me, but through it, I see my target.