Page 10 of Depths of Obsession (The Emerald Dagger Mafia #2)

CHAPTER 10

“ I can’t fucking believe this,” I snarl, my voice filled with frustration as I pace back and forth. “Five more, and this time in Dubai. What the fuck is going on?” The words feel like they’re ripped from my throat, raw and jagged.

Rocco stands there, shaking his head, his brow furrowed. “I wish I had an answer. Abdullah is still with the cops. They took him to the police station to question him further. As the club manager, they want to lay blame for the deaths on him.” His voice is edged with tension, and I can tell he hates not having control of the situation.

“Fuck.” I clench my jaw and run a hand through my hair, tugging slightly as if the pressure might help me think. Everything feels like it’s spiraling, just out of my grasp. “Get him a lawyer. The best one possible.”

“I already did,” Rocco replies, his eyes steady on mine. “The guy is heading to the station now. His name is Zayed Aziz. He’s one of us.”

I frown, my head snapping up. “One of us?”

“He’s from the magick realm. A wizard, but not a powerful one. Just enough to help him win cases, from what I understand. Anyway, he says they’ll question Abdullah and push him for names, but as long as he wasn’t involved, he’ll be fine.”

Fine. I won’t be fine. The anger, the helplessness—it's all bubbling under my skin, and I can’t get my brain around it. Someone is gunning for me, and I have no idea who or why. “Do we have anything? Anything at all to go on?”

Rocco nods. “I asked all the managers to install more cameras, but to keep it quiet—not even tell the staff. Abdullah just put the new cameras in three days ago, and we got lucky. I sent a clip to your email.”

I quickly turn to my computer, my fingers moving with a sense of urgency. I bring up my email and click on the link. Rocco comes to stand beside me, and together we watch the screen flicker to life. The image is grainy but clear enough. A man dressed in a white abaya and a keffiyeh stands in a hallway, talking to someone, his gestures animated. The hallway is dimly lit, shadows lurking in the corners.

The man in white disappears from view, and a minute later, a woman steps into the frame. She’s draped in sequins, shimmering under the dim light, and her long dark hair hangs loose, covering part of her face. She looks like she belongs in a different world, adorned with glittering jewels that catch the light with every movement. She holds out a wad of cash, and from the shadows, a hand emerges. They exchange money for a small packet. I pause the video and zoom in on the packet, my heart sinking as I see the symbol of a black heart printed on it.

“Is she one of those who died?” I ask, my voice tight.

“Yeah,” Rocco says, his tone dark. “Her and two of her friends. Two others who seem to have no connection to this woman also died. I’m not sure where they got the drugs, because the man in white didn’t complete the buy.”

“Son of a bitch,” I mutter, my fingers clenching as I hit play again. The video jerks forward, the woman disappears from the frame. There’s nothing, and I’m about to stop it when suddenly, a man steps from the shadows. He moves quickly, almost out of the shot. I rewind and play again, pausing as the man enters the frame.

A chill runs down my spine. The man on the screen has dark hair, and he’s wearing a black button-down shirt with a long, black leather trench coat over it. He’s tall and well-built, but what really catches my attention—the thing that makes my blood run cold—is that he looks exactly like me.

“Jesus, he could be my brother,” I breathe, staring at the screen in shock.

Rocco nods, his expression tense. “I know. It’s fucking scary. I’m running facial recognition on him, but I’m not getting anything.”

There’s something in Rocco’s eyes—something he’s not saying. “What?” I ask.

He hesitates, then looks at me. “I think he’s from the magick realm,” he says slowly.

“And?” I raise an eyebrow, my patience running thin. “What else, Rocco? What else can you possibly say that would make this worse?”

Rocco shifts uncomfortably. “And I think maybe he’s altered himself to look like you. I don’t think he looks like that all the time.”

I stare at Rocco, my mind spinning. “You think he uses magick to make himself look like me when he’s selling the drugs, and then when he leaves, he goes back to his normal face?” It’s insane. The idea is so far out there, so ridiculous, I almost can’t believe it.

“It makes sense,” Rocco says, his voice steady despite the craziness of what he’s suggesting. “I can’t find a damn thing on this guy. Not anywhere. But if he only looks like this for a short period of time, then that could explain it. I’m sure he looks like you in passing anyway. I think he just enhances it when he sells in your clubs. And I don’t know if he’s doing it himself or if someone else is doing it for him.”

I close my eyes, my mind reeling. “Who hates me this much? Who wants to destroy me so badly?” The question is a knife in my gut. I open my eyes and look at Rocco, my chest tightening. “Seriously, who hates me that much?” I ask, my voice almost a whisper.

Rocco’s expression is grim. “I have no idea, but I’m working on finding out.”

I stare at the screen, the image frozen on the man who looks so much like me. “But why bother to look like me?” I ask, my voice filled with confusion and anger.

“Because it lays the groundwork for you to get blamed,” Rocco says, his eyes dark.

“Yeah, but I’m not at that club, and I can prove my alibi, so why bother?” I demand, frustration lacing my words.

Rocco shrugs. “Because up until the last couple of months, you were running all over the world, checking in on all your clubs. The overdoses happened at clubs you were either at or had just been there. You were supposed to be in Dubai this week. You canceled it. It makes you look like you are the dealer, and you could easily take the fall for the overdoses. It’s only since…” Rocco trails off, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

“Since what?” I demand, my patience fraying.

“Since Pippa entered your orbit through Mia and Renzo’s engagement and subsequent marriage that you’ve stuck around here. You haven’t left town in a while. I’m guessing that eventually, he’s going to realize that you keep canceling and head back this way.”

“I fucking hope so because I’ll be ready and waiting for that fucker,” I growl, the anger boiling in my veins, ready to spill over. “You know what, though? That means he has access to my schedule somehow. Someone has to be feeding him information.”

“Fuck I missed that totally,” Rocco says and swears again.

“Find out who ASAP.”

Luca , Renzo’s voice comes through the open channel, but I ignore him. I just don’t have it in me to deal with him right now.

Luca, he says again, more insistent. Answer me. It’s about Pippa.

My heart stops, and my stomach twists. What’s wrong with Pippa? I ask, my mind suddenly filled with dread. I turn back to Rocco. “Did you send Paolo and Vic to watch over Pippa?”

Rocco nods, but his expression is concerned. “Yeah.”

“Call them.” I switch back to Renzo, my heart pounding. What about Pippa?

“She’s on her way to her parents’ house. She thinks her father will hurt her mother, and I’m afraid she might be right.”

I’m on my feet in an instant, my heart racing. What do you mean on her way? When did she leave?

She’s almost there by now. Mia’s been in negotiations all afternoon. Apparently, Pippa was supposed to call her and ask for help, but Mia’s phone has been off. Luna called her father to try and get him to talk to Danillo, but he couldn’t reach that asshole either, so she finally called me. I sent Tony and Rafe over to check on Connie, but now I can’t raise them. Their phones just go unanswered.

“Vic and Paolo are at your place,” Rocco announces. “They just realized Pippa isn’t there. The door to the spare room was closed, and they assumed she was in there sleeping.”

“Fuck!” I growl, my voice filled with anger and fear. I’m heading there now, Renzo.

Luca, it’s not dark out yet, so you can’t move across the sky. People will see you. You’re going to have to drive.

Fuck that , I mutter. I’ll go through the magick realm.

Silence from Renzo as I storm out of my office. I head out of my club, moving as quickly as I dare down the sidewalk, my pulse racing. I get in my Porsche and drive, the engine roaring as I speed toward Castello Sforzesco. The old stone fortress looms in the distance, ancient and imposing, a testament to another time. I will kill Dominici if he hurts one hair on her head. I will kill him.

Luca. Renzo’s voice is back, his tone urgent.

Have you heard from anyone? Does anyone have eyes on Pippa? The fear is back, its icy fingers wrapping around my heart, squeezing.

No, he says. Just wait another half hour or so, and it’ll be dark enough for you to go.

I can’t wait, Renzo , I snap, my voice sharp. This is the only way I can get there. If anything happens to Pippa, I won’t forgive myself. It’s my job to keep her safe.

I don’t add that after last night, I’m never letting her go. It doesn’t matter that we didn’t have sex. We will. She is mine. I’ve claimed her. All that’s left is for her to find out what I truly am and accept that I am a monster—but I am her monster. I am coming for her. I will always come for her.

Going through the magick realm so quickly, it will make you ill when you come out the other side. You will be weak for a bit.

I’ll be fine.

I pull up and park outside the castle, the ancient stone walls towering above me. I race to the side door. It’s close to closing time, but I know Kendrick will let me in. He knows all of us, and he won’t refuse me entry. I knock on the door, and Kendrick looks up at me through the glass. He hasn’t aged a day—he’s the same as when I first met him several hundred years ago. I don’t know what kind of creature he is, and I don’t ask.

“Kendrick.” The urgency in my voice is grating and unmistakable. “I need to get to Genoa in a hurry.”

He nods, the lights glistening off his bald head, his eyes holding the weight of centuries. “I understand. You do know the consequences.”

“I do.” I’m trying not to rush the man, but I need to get to Pippa.

“You may proceed,” he says, pressing a button to open the door beside him. I start forward, but he calls after me. “Luca,” he says, his voice softer. “Love is very important, but so is family. Be sure you are not sacrificing one for the other.”

I stare at Kendrick for a beat, his words lingering in the air, and then I proceed through the door. I have no idea what he’s talking about, and I don’t care. I hit the hallway almost at a run, the stone walls cool and unyielding. There are tourists up ahead, admiring a display, oblivious to the urgency pounding in my veins. I hate that the fort has become a tourist attraction—it was better when it was a fortress, a place of power.

I round the corner and push open a door to a smaller, darker hallway. The air is damp, the stone walls rough under my fingertips as I close the door behind me. I move halfway down the hall and stop, facing a stone wall on my right. I take a deep breath, my heart pounding, my muscles tensed.

Luca? Nico’s voice echoes in my mind, his concern wrapping around me like a lifeline.

Can’t talk now. I’m about to cross over.

Do you want some help? I can be there in a few minutes.

My heart swells with gratitude, but I shake my head. No, I can’t wait. I’ll reach out if I need help.

Okay. Be careful. Stay safe.

I break the link and reach out to touch one of the stones. It moves under my fingers, shifting with a muted groan, and a portal opens before me. The air ripples, shimmering with magick, and the energy pulses against my body, alive and ancient. I take a deep breath and brace myself before stepping through the doorway into the magickal realm.

The air changes immediately. It’s heavier, charged with magick, and the sky above is a swirling tapestry of colors—deep blues, purples, and streaks of gold that seem to move and dance. The ground beneath my feet is not earth but a pathway made of smooth, iridescent stones that glow faintly, lighting my way. The magick realm is both beautiful and treacherous, a place where anything can happen, where danger lurks around every corner. And it’s ever changing. One time it will look exactly as earth looks and you will not be sure you actually crossed over and the next time well it looks like this.

“Luca! What are you doing here?” a voice calls out, and I turn to see Nuala standing on the sidewalk a few feet away. Her long, silvery hair flows around her, her eyes sharp and curious. She’s one of the strongest witches I’ve ever met.

“Nuala,” I call back, urgency in my tone. “Sorry, I don’t have time. I have to be somewhere.”

Without waiting for her response, I start running, my feet pounding against the glowing stones. I dodge creatures of all shapes and sizes—some with wings, others with multiple arms or eyes that seem to follow my every move. I shout apologies as I weave among them, praying I don’t anger anyone. Nothing is worse than having a magickal creature pissed at you—they can turn your entire life upside down with a flick of their wrist.

I need to get to Pippa. The thought of her in danger drives me. Fear and determination push me forward.

She’s mine, and I will protect her—no matter what it takes.