Page 60 of Carved Obsession

Chapter 16

Carter

I almost gave up on finding Scarlet after she left me worked up and confused in front of that coffee shop. I’ve been keeping myself busy by studying the man who put Diana in the hospital, and formulating a plan of action with Vincent, Finnigan, and Maddox.

Katya joined us too, though most of her contribution has centered around the many ways she would like to kill the man.

None were quick. Or clean.

Or sane, for that matter.

And none of us questioned her.

The escorts are hers and, no matter how stern Katya is, she would give her life for each and every one of them. She feels responsible, probably because of the time she spends with them. Maybe she cares for other reasons too, though I never felt the need to intrude and find out.

Katya left Midnight not long ago. Off to a meeting with her team, after which she’ll take them into hiding at a secure location. She’s worried the rest of them will be in danger too.

Vincent and Finnigan have left as well. Paying a visit to one of ourfriendsto do some homework on Duval.

We have to do damage control. Or rather,Ihave to do it, since Maddox is currently downstairs in The Fightclub’s gym, burning through the frustration that seems to be plaguing him more and more these days.

My tech team is on it, though, sinking their nimble fingers in all the right keyholes so we can monitor the situation. Duval has a choice—render our escort business useless by spreading the word that it belongs to us or keep this precious information to himself and use it.

The second option can actually do so much more damage, depending on what his approach would be. A smart man would attempt blackmail. An even smarter one...a takeover.

The escort business was never ours to begin with. It was Katya’s long before we became The Sanctum, but at a much smaller scale. Finnigan’s brother, Ronan, who laid the foundation for our operation, helped her. Stood by her. And eventually, they joined forces to elevate that side of the business to benefit both them and us. It’s been years since those ownership lines blurred, and though Katya leads them and we respect her wholeheartedly, the escort business, as it stands today, fully belongs to The Sanctum.

Which is why damage control is necessary. But it’s the last thing I want to do right now, and I’m so goddamn distracted.

The velvet softness of her skin.

The feel of her pressed tight against me.

That intoxicating rose-and-lemon scent.

It’s haunting. So much so that I’ve been checking her bedroom camera feed every thirty minutes. At first. It turned into twenty. Then ten.

Fuck, I must be going mad, but I can’t get Scarlet out of my head.

I want to see her. Touch her. Breathe her in.

I want to make her scream and cry. Whimper and beg.

I want to consume her.

Yet, one question constantly blares in my mind: is she or is she not the person who dared break into my car, my bar, and my motherfucking house?

Two questions, actually—why?

I need those answers as desperately as I need to lay eyes on her again. If only I could fucking find her.

But I need to stay focused, take care of our business. Duval is hurt now. I anticipate an escalation soon, since I truly don’t believe he’ll leave things as they are.

He’s too proud. Too competitive. We’ve been watching him for years, since he interfered in a real estate purchase that would have granted us a second legal business in Queenscove—a grand hotel. Hospitality is great, especially in this touristy city, but it would have been another way for us to spy on people. Observe. Find out precious information we can use against them or that we can trade.

But Duval was desperate to get his hands on it. He greased too many hands, played too many of his cards, and we stood no chance. He bought it instead.

Nothing looks more suspicious than a politician being able to afford something like that, but that’s what happens to people in power. They don’t get questioned.