Page 108 of His Darkest Obsession

There are still complications, obviously. Mayor Bennet. The Volkovs. My past.

Everything I haven't told Anatoly yet about that summer.

But that can come later. Right now, in the soft morning light filtering through the curtains, I just want to exist in this moment.

I wrap myself in the sheet and pad over to the window. The sun is just starting to rise over the distant water, painting everything in pinks and golds. It's beautiful in a way I haven't allowed myself to notice in years.

Just then, a shrill sound hits my ears. I recognize the familiar ringtone coming somewhere within the room.

It’s my phone.

I follow the sound to a nearby dresser, pull the drawer open, and find my phone—fully charged—ringing inside.

And my heart jumps to my throat when I see the name on the screen.

"Amara?" I answer immediately, clutching the sheet tighter around my body.

"Indigo?"

Warmth from moments earlier evaporate like morning dew. Something's wrong. I can hear it immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"I... I think someone's following me." Her voice drops to a whisper. "There's been this car parked across from school for three days now. Same guys. They watch me when I come out."

My blood runs cold. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! I'm not stupid. I know when I'm being watched." There's a tremor in her voice that scares me more than her words. "And yesterday they followed me all the way to the library. Stayed outside until I left."

Shit. Shit. Shit.

It might be cops on Bennet's orders. Or Volkov men. Or even people sent by Valentina to dig up more information on my own past. My mind races through the possibilities with every passing second, and each one sounds worse than the last.

"Where are you right now? Are you safe?"

"I'm still at Demaris's place, but…" She pauses. "I'm scared that they'll start following me here. And if they do, I don't know where else I can go."

The guilt rushes through me. Amara is scared, and here I am, falling into bed with Anatoly.

"I think." I rake a hand through my tangled hair. "I think there's a place you can go. Somewhere you'll be safe."

"What are you talking about?"

I take a deep breath. Things have changed now, haven't they? Anatoly and I... we're different than before. This marriage isreal. He's certainly proven that. And if I trust him with my body, with even the glimpses of my past, then maybe I can also trust him with keeping my sister safe.

Maybe I can trust him to make sure that we don't have to keep hiding anymore.

"I'm going to send someone to pick you up," I tell her. "And bring you to me."

"Pick me up?" Amara asks, her voice small and uncertain. "What are you talking about? Where are you?"

"Things have changed," I promise. "Trust me."

"But what if it's dangerous?" Amara asks, her voice catching. "What if whoever's following me follows me there too?"

"They won't," I say with more confidence than I feel. "The person I'm sending... she knows how to handle situations like this."

There's a long pause on the other end. I can practically see Amara biting her lip, weighing her options.