Page 5 of Distorted Obsession (The Distorted Trilogy #1)

cooper

“The last camera is up,” I announce, stepping off the ladder before turning to survey the room.

It’s been decorated. Eva has utilized her time here, settling in comfortably. Her bed is made with a slate gray comforter and navy accent pillows.

Who the fuck brings accent pillows to college ?

Her corkboard and a whiteboard hang above her desk—papers are tacked, and important dates are circled.

Walking forward, I note her game days. We already have her schedule, but it can’t hurt to take another quick pass. I’m preparing to pull my cell phone from my pocket to take a picture when something catches my attention.

Gazing lower, my breath hitches, and I have to force my hands into fists at my side.

I don’t move until I know I won’t sweep everything off her fucking desk because— how fucking dare she?

Snatching the sterling silver frame outlined with a rose gold orchid off her desk, my vision whites out before the image comes into focus. It’s the first of four. Eva and Ra are sitting on the pier outside our beach house, their heads resting against each other as the sun sets.

I slam the frame down on the desk, shifting it slightly out of place before taking in the remaining photographs. Eva and Rah—laughing outside the diner back in Edgewood. Memorial Day weekend, when they were younger, outside of the Pierce’s Hampton home, fireworks bursting across the night sky.

My throat constricts at the sight of the last image. It was Farrah’s sixteenth birthday—just weeks before Eva disappeared without any word— weeks before Callum Pierce spewed the poison that took the sun from our lives, casting us in perpetual darkness.

“She’ll pay, Rah—they all will. We’ll ensure it,” I mumble, shifting the last photo a hair to the right.

Clearing my throat, I slide back, still far too tempted to destroy everything. Eva doesn’t deserve to have any part of my sister. She didn’t appreciate her while she was living, so she sure as fuck doesn’t get to mourn her in death—not when she’s partly responsible for Farrah not being here.

I reach for another camera, positioning it in the crevice of the first frame. It’s only fitting that Eva’s guilt aids in her downfall. Smirking, I stand—excitement for what we have in store for Eva Rose fuels me.

We’ve patiently waited two years for this moment, biding our time until she came out of hiding, returned to Edgewood, and subsequently to school. Every move is planned down to the last detail.

Part one was simple—make her believe Colt and I transferred to another school closer to home and guarantee she attended Groveton College.

Since we know first-year students have to live on campus and that, as an athlete, Eva would be rooming with other volleyball team members, we needed the privacy only a suite could provide.

Once we ensured that the first two things happened, having her housed in a suite didn’t take much effort. She needed her own bedroom and bathroom.

Can’t be creeping around watching unsuspecting girls .

A rustling noise garners my attention, pulling me from my thoughts and causing me to look toward the door.

“Eva won’t be able to pick her nose without you two knowing,” Lev quips, striding into Eva’s room. “If I didn’t know better, I’d suspect you and Colt have a thing for her.”

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle,” Colter explains, entering shortly after Lev.

“Keeping an eye on Eva Rose is pivotal to her destruction.”

Of course, Colter would stroll in, spouting a passage from The Art of War .

The Machiavellian fucker .

“I don’t think Sun Tzu had a nineteen-year-old first-year college student in mind when he wrote that,” Lev smirks. “Don’t you think this is excessive?”

Arching my brow, I retort, “Didn’t you do something similar to your girl when she first moved to town?”

Lev’s jaw ticks at the mention of Ariah. She’s still a sore spot for him and the other heirs of Edgewood.

Ariah has turned our hometown on its axis since she and her family were suspiciously extended a coveted invitation to the gated community.

“Maybe if you all had treated a certain someone like this, you wouldn’t be in this predicament with Ariah now,” Colter adds, dousing gasoline on the flames of Lev’s patience.

Tensing at the rebuke, Lev’s nostrils flare as anger flashes in his eyes.

“We’re not discussing Ariah,” he hisses, yanking his laptop open.

His fingers flit across the keyboard before he continues.

“You have access to the cameras on campus and everyone in this suite. All of them will stream directly to any device you have set up.” Then, he refocuses on the computer screen.

Color me surprised he didn’t have some witty comeback.

“How are things with Samantha?” my brother asks, poking the proverbial bear.

Refusing to be baited, Lev taps at a few more keys. “You’re all set. Now you two can kindly fuck off,” he snaps, storming out of Eva’s bedroom.

I tip my head in Colter’s direction. Neither of us speaks until we hear the front door slamming.

“You probably shouldn’t have done that. I’m quite sure we’ll need his assistance in the near future,” I sigh.

Colter smiles. “Where’s the fun in that?” he challenges, amusement dancing in his icy blue stare.

“Sometimes I question how we’re identical twins,” I mutter, and his grin morphs into a full-on laugh.

“Don’t give me that shit, Coop. I’ve seen your search history. We’re both on every government agency’s list.”

Chuckling, I shout into the room, “Hey, Chad. I promise not to do the last thing I looked up.”

“At least not until we’ve done the others first,” Colter finishes. He shakes his head and snorts. “Only you’d name a federal agent Chad.”

“It was that or Connor,” I jest, putting my tools away.

My phone beeps, and the alarm I set alerts me that we need to speed this up.

“Time to go?” Colter questions, and I nod.

“The party is in full swing. Eva should be feeling extra good right about now,” I gloat. “Let’s see what our little flower is up to.”

Colt and I pack all our shit, ensuring to leave everything as we found it, sans the picture frames. I can’t wait to see if she notices.

We’re striding to the door when I pause, peering at the room next to Eva’s. “What did we find out about the last-minute roommate addition?”

“Campus Housing error. She was always in this suite,” he replies, nudging me to keep going.

Halting for a moment longer, I weigh his words and then shake off any lingering doubt.

Colter pulls Eva’s suite door closed and locks it.

Part two begins now.