Page 30 of Deadly Obsession

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

He’s fucking delusional.

Chase snarls, his dark blue, rage-filled eyes piercing through my soul. He huffs out a breath, booze stinging my nose. Something tells me he hasn’t been to sleep yet if he smells like a bar at six in the morning.

“Elias took something from me. He’s getting in the way of my... business ventures. I need him gone and sinceyou’re opening your legs for him like a desperate fucking whore, you’re going to help me take him down.”

“I don’t know how—”

“You’re going to be my spy. Listen in on conversations. Gather intel on the QBM and the Empire and bring it back to me.”

“You’re insane.”

He kicks me in the shin, hard enough that I know it’ll leave a bruise. I bite my lip to stop myself from crying out.

I can’t show him how much he hurts me.

He cocks his arm back, preparing to back-hand me, then drops it. The moment I relax my shoulders; he lashes out and grabs a chunk of my hair.

“If you don’t help me, I will go to your parents’ place. The cute little green home on Willow Street in New Haven? In the suburbs?”

Oh, fuck. He wasn’t lying. How did he find them? The entire time we were married, he never let me go see them. He’s never been to their house, and I was confident he didn’t even know their names. He met them once at our wedding, but he barely spoke to them. Plus, anytime I talked about my parents, I’d say Mom or Dad.

Not to mention that he’d tune me out during those conversations.

“I will torture them, cut off their fingers, let you hear their cries and begging until you comply. If you run to thecops or tell your boyfriend or the mafia princess bestie, Mommy and Daddy go bye-bye.”

“I don’t even know Noah that well.”

“Don’t lie to me! I told you; I’ve been keeping tabs on you for a while now. I watched your friendship with that woman grow. Then last night she reveals to the world that she’s Noemi Lenetti, Empire heir? Imagine my surprise when you managed to land the QBM boss too. How lucky am I that my ex is a fucking slut?”

He releases me, and I fall off the bed, barely catching myself with my palms on the floor.

“And now Noemi is engaged to Lance Carter. I can’t have the Empire and the QBM uniting. They’ll be too powerful, especially if they dissolve the Lords of Staten Island.”

The Lords of Staten Island? So there’s a third mob in New York City? My head hurts. This is too much information. I want to go back to yesterday when I didn’t know about New York City mafias. When my ex was just an idiot low-level criminal not some wannabe crime boss.

Chase shrugs. “Actually, this is good. If the Empire and the QBM take out Finn O’Connor, and I take down Lenetti and Carter, then I’ll claim the mafia throne.”

Fucking delusional.

“I’ll call my crime syndicate, the Elite,” Chase says, waving his hands in the air as if the name is flashing in neon lights in front of him. He points at me. “And you’ll be mylittle rat, giving me all the intel. I need names: their associates, their law enforcement sources, safe houses, business dealings, everything.”

“I don’t have access to that type of information. I’ve never met Noah’s father... I don’t know anything about his organization. I swear. Noah and I met at work. She’s always been Noah to me. I just learned about her secret life last night.” Chase stares at me as if waiting for me to break and tell the truth. “My parents, Chase. I wouldn’t lie.”

His fists clench at his sides. He’s seconds from taking out his anger on me again. Thankfully, his phone vibrates, and I’m saved. Chase curses and angrily taps at the screen, then shoves it back into his pocket.

“Then you better figure out how, for your parents’ sake.”

He gives me one more snarl before stalking out of my apartment.

I curl up into a ball on the ground and shut down.

Icried until I had no more tears left, then I showered, dressed, and put on makeup to cover my puffy eyes and the bruises Chase gave me.

They’re not as bad as the ones he used to give me.

I call a ride share and head to Brooklyn where Noah is holed up.