Page 58 of Deadly Obsession

Her queen-sized bed is decked out in light pink to match the pale pink walls. Across from the bed is a vanity where I imagine this beautiful woman sitting to put on makeup or style her hair.

Sage has clearly lived a normal life. She has two loving parents, she went to high school and played in the band, she traveled and smiled all the time.

She was happy.

Loved.

I’m sitting on her bed, flipping through one of her photo albums when she returns. She pauses for a second before closing the door and walking to stand in front of me.

She holds out an ice pack. I close the photo album and set it down before taking the pack and covering my aching right eye that will definitely be bruised by tomorrow.

It matches the blossoming bruise on my left cheekbone that Lance gave me from earlier today when we brawled. The fucker taunted me at Lenetti’s before the Christmas lunch.

I won though so I’m not mad.

It was like old times. As a kid, I permanently wore a black eye from wrestling with Lance in the living room until our mom would yell at us for breaking a lamp or knocking over a coffee table. Except now Lance and I are both adults and our punches have bigger consequences.

Sage sits next to me, a second ice pack resting on her knuckles.

“Who taught you to throw a right hook like that?”

She huffs and a burst of air rushes out of her nose.

“I took a self-defense class a few months ago.”

“Impressive.”

“I guess.”

“Were you learning to protect yourself from the man I saw leave earlier? The one who kicked you?”

She nods.

“He’s the reason you’re running.”

“Yes.”

Her voice is so small and quiet. I remove my ice pack and pivot on the bed to face her. She matches my position.

I reach up my hand and brush my thumb over a makeup-covered cut along her bottom lip.

“He did this to you?”

She nods again, her eyes filling with tears. “When I refused to let him sleep here in my room with me.”

The fury within me builds and Sage places her palm on my forearm.

“Don’t worry, my mother stepped in and told him to take the guest room. I kept my door locked all night.”

“Tell me everything, Sage. Let me protect you.”

Her eyes widen, those pooling tears now falling. She jumps up off the bed suddenly.

“You have to leave... they’ll... they’ll see you. Those guys out there... Chase’s guys and... Elias, please... I can’t let them hurt you too.”

I stand and pull her into my arms.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I say, cradling her head to my chest. She’s sobbing now, and I rub my hand up and down her back, hoping the move soothes her. “You don’t have to worry about those men again.”