Page 30 of My Sweetest Obsession

“Then he’ll humiliate her by stripping her naked.”

My heartbeat picked up its pace.

“He’ll have his guards rape her?—”

My blood boiled as I rushed toward him, using the butt of my gun to strike the back of his skull. I unleashed my fury, delivering blow after blow, each strike fueled by the torment he’d put me through. He raised his arms in a frantic effort to shield himself from the blows, but his efforts were futile against my rage.

The Puppet Master had my Angel, and the thought of what he could be doing to her was like poison coursing through my veins.

With a furious growl, I lifted the gun and unleashed a barrage of bullets, emptying the magazine into his skull. Blood sprayed across the room, covering my face, but I didn’t flinch. I watched as his face became disfigured beyond recognition.

“Nico! Fuck! He’s dead,” Matteo shouted, tugging at my arm. I glanced down at the lifeless body, my lips curling into a sinister smile.

A faint sound from behind the desk caught my attention. Gabriel, that fucker, was still breathing. I tucked my gun away and reached for my knife, sliding it out. I strode over to Gabriel, seizing his hair and forcing his head back. His eyes widened as I stood over him.

I raised the blade and plunged the knife into his neck, again and again, silencing his pathetic gurgles. The warm spray of blood only pissed me off more.

Matteo’s worried gaze met mine, but I ignored it.

“Let’s move,” I snarled, my voice dripping with contempt as I turned and stormed out of the trailer, but not before I snatched Smiley’s cell phone.

Striding toward the exit, I could feel Gigi’s presence haunting me. Her laughter echoed in my mind, driving me forward to find her.

Matteo and I trekked through the snow until we reached the others at the car. I looked at Miguel and said, “Blow it up.”

He took position and launched the rocket, the trailers exploding.

“Luca, I want you to hack into this phone. This could be our way to finding the bastard.”

Luca's eyes darted from the phone to my bloodied face, his own expression a mix of shock and alarm. “Nico... Jesus, what happened in there?”

I looked up and met the wide-eyed horror etched on Lo’s face as he took me in. Blood was smeared across my face and soaking through my clothes.

Suddenly, two blackout vans pulled up to us, tires crunching on the snow. The passenger door opened, and Enzo stepped out.

“What the hell did you do now?” he snapped, striding toward us. But then he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide. “Holy shit, Nico. What the hell happened?”

Ignoring his question, I pointed at the cars. “Take the girls somewhere safe.”

I opened my car door when he asked, “Nico, what the hell did you do? You can’t keep going off half-cocked and expect me to pick up the mess.”

“I didn’t ask you for shit!” I yelled. “Just do your fucking job and get them somewhere safe.”

Turning my back on him, I climbed into the car, the door slamming shut with a force that could shatter glass.

As I revved the engine, the tires screeched against the asphalt, and we peeled away into the darkness, the city lights flashing by like fleeting memories. I had a woman to save, and nothing would stand in my way.

“What was my mom like as a teenager?” I asked Valarie as we sipped our water, trying to stretch out every drop.

Valarie turned to me, a smile brightening her expression. “She was rebellious and stubborn, especially when things didn’t go her way.”

I chuckled, imagining her moments when she was defiant. Like mother, like daughter.

“She was a prankster, too,” Valarie continued, her eyes sparkling.

I raised an eyebrow. “Really? What kind of pranks?”

She leaned in, her voice a hushed whisper as if she was sharing a secret. “One Halloween, she painted her face pitch black and snuck up on Mom when she was getting ready for bed. The only thing Mom could see were her eyes and teeth, glowing in the dark.”