Page 109 of Deadly Obsession

I glance around the kitchen where we just emerged from the basement. Mold and mildew cover the walls, and the cabinets are nearly rotted away.

I remember waking up to the smell of Mom cooking us pancakes and bacon. I remember late nights when Percy was busy with QBM business and Mom would let us help her make pasta from scratch.

She was the perfect mom who did everything she could to protect us from the devil himself.

Percy.

“A part of me never believed Percy died,” I say. “Him getting sick and refusing to let us see him on his deathbed always rubbed me the wrong way. Then there was one night a year ago when I swore I saw him. I thought I was losing my mind, seeing ghosts.”

I booked a session with my therapist the next day to talk about it, and she convinced me it was my trauma, which could be triggered by anything... a smell... an object that reminded me of my childhood.

“So, when I found out this is where Noah was being taken, I sent in a few soldiers ahead to scope out the place. One of them spotted Percy through the basement window.”

“Fuck,” Lance whispers. “At least you were mentally prepared. They drugged me, and I woke up thinking I had died and gone to hell and Percy was the devil.”

Sage brings her best friend in for a hug, and I glance around the home while they speak to each other.

“Are we sure none of these people are traitors?” Lance asks.

I shrug. “I think they would have made their move by now.”

Sage and Noah are done with their reunion and myfiancéelocks eyes with me.

Fiancée.

I have a fiancée.

“Thank you for saving them,” she says and tucks her blonde hair behind her ear.

I want to bring her into a hug and announce to the world that I’m going to marry this woman, but I know she’ll want to tell Noah first. Now’s not the time.

Is that why she’s being so shy right now? Because now’s not the time to celebrate?

We might have ended a lot of lives today, but ours is about to begin.

I clear my throat again because my emotions are all over the place. I’ve been on the edge of breaking out into tears ever since killing Percy and letting the relief of closure wash over me.

“Cops are on their way. You two should go,” I say to Lance and Noah.

As much as I want to know what the fuck went down before I showed up, including everything Percy said to them, Noah and Lance are contract killers who donotneed to be on the police’s radar.

I have cops and the mayor on my payroll. They’ll help me cover up this mess.

I can follow up with Lance later. He needs to be with Noah right now.

“I’ll stay with you,” Sage offers, and I widen my eyes.

I expected her to want to go with her best friend.

I’m honored that she chose me instead.

Noah and Lance slowly make their way toward the front door, and I walk with them.

“Your father called me after he couldn’t get a hold of either of you,” I say to Noah. “He told me about the strange call and text, which I assume came from Percy.”

“Yeah, he was trying to lure Gio here. I bet that’s what the explosives were for,” Lance concludes. “He was going to level this place with him inside.”

“He was in the Bronx, and it was going to take him too long to get here so I told him I was closer, and I’d check it out.” I nod my chin at Noah. “You should call him back. He’s worried.”