Page 54 of Ice-Cold Obsession

Panic overcomes me. I try to push past the man in front of me, but he grabs my arm. His grip is iron-tight, and I wince as pain shoots up my arm.

“Let go of me!” I shout, but he doesn’t.

I open my mouth to scream, but the man behind me moves fast. He clamps a hand over my mouth, and I feel something pressing against my face. A cloth that smells of some chemical.

I struggle, kicking and thrashing, and I try to bite the hand covering my mouth, but I fail. The first man pins my arms behind my back, wrenching them painfully, and the second keeps the cloth pressed against my nose and mouth.

I can’t breathe or think as my lungs burn. I try to fight, but my limbs feel heavy and disconnected.

Gabriel.

I need to warn Gabriel.

I need to tell him they’re coming.

I need to—

But I can’t.

Because the darkness swallows me whole.

Chapter 33

GABRIEL

SCARLETT'S BEEN GONEtoo long. I pace up and down her dorm room, and I know something's wrong. I can feel it in my gut.

Maybe she's just being careful and taking her time to make sure no one follows her. But it's dark outside now, and she should've been back by now.

What if they found her? What if they figured out what we did and went after her?

I need to find her. But going out there is risky. If they're looking for me and they've already figured out the video was fake, then I'll be walking straight into their hands. But I can't just sit here and do nothing. Not when Scarlett could be in danger because of me.

I grab a hoodie and pull it on, then put my jacket over it. I tug the hood up to hide my face and head for the door.

Once I’m outside, I keep my head down and stick to the shadows. If the mafia is looking for me, I can't make it easy for them to find me.

I check the rink first. The building is locked and dark, but I peer through the windows anyway, searching for any sign of Scarlett.

Nothing.

I slip into the library and quickly check around.

Nope. Not there either.

Where is she?

I think about calling my parents just to make sure they're okay and to hear their voices. But I can't, because if I call them, the mafia will know I wasn’t really kidnapped and that the video is fake.

For a long time, I've been doing this mostly on my own, trusting no one and keeping everyone at a distance. It's safer that way for them and for me. Every time I've let someone get close, something bad happens. My brother died. My parents went to prison. And now Scarlett...

But Scarlett changed something. She made me think it's possible to confide in people and trust them. She came here to make me pay, but she ended up staying, helping me, and believing me.

If she's in trouble because of me, then I need help.

I can't do this alone anymore.

I head across the campus toward Zyair's dorm. This could be a mistake and blow up in my face, but I don't have any other options.