Page 59 of Deadly Obsession

She hiccups and lifts her head.

“What do you mean?”

“I killed them.”

“You did?”

Her bottom lip shakes and more tears fall.

“I did.”

“I’m so sorry, Elias. He threatened to kill my parents if I didn’t...”

I hold her head in my hands and wipe her wet cheeks with my thumbs.

“Didn’t what? What was he forcing you to do?”

She searches my eyes, as if gauging how angry I am. As if she thinks I’ll harm her after she tells me.

“He... he made me spy on you.”

I drop my hands and step back. My heart falls to my stomach. I feared this was the reason. I knew she was too good to be true—that fate didn’t bring her to me when I was so desperately lost.

Sage has given me purpose. She challenges me and stands up to me. I’ve become addicted to her.

But she’s working with the enemy.

She shrinks into herself seeing my reaction, cowering as if I’m about to strike out.

I'm going to kill that fucker for making her feel this way.

The fact that my anger is not with her is a good sign. If she were anyone else, she’d already be dead for her betrayal—forced or not.

But I can’t kill her.

I could never.

“Who is he, Sage?”

It’s clear he’s her ex; I just need the details of what he did to her.

Sage sits back on the bed, ice pack on her knuckles. She stares down at the floor and avoids my questioning eyes.

“I left him a few years ago after he used my social security number to apply for as many credit cards as he could get. He maxed them out, then targeted other people. Vulnerable people. That wasn’t enough. He started stealing cars for a chop shop. He lost his job and needed money, and it just got worse from there. He went on to deal drugs, first in New Jersey, but obviously he made his way here to New York City. Chase has always been charming, manipulative, and it sounds like that’s how he worked his way up to a leadership role.

“He found me the morning after the Christmas party. He told me how he was wanting to take out the local mobs. He wants to take over...” she waves her hand around in front of me, “...whatever the hell you do.”

I frown. I don’t think she knows exactlywhatthe Queensboro Mob does.

“I assume gun running and drug dealing, but I think he’s doing more... something worse... like human trafficking.”

My head shoots up.

“Human trafficking?”

“I wasn’t sure, but I’ve seen on the news about recent sex trafficking rings being busted, and I put two and two together.”

“Does the name Moonlight mean anything to you?”