Page 173 of Risky Obsession

Taking another step back, I tried to picture the items on the kitchen counter behind me. Was there a knife I could use?

His wild eyes darted left and right. “Fuck you! Start the boat, or I swear to God, I’ll kill her right here!”

Behind him, Archer and Kane raced down the stairs.

Cooper spun around and released a demonic roar.

Rosalina screamed.

I grabbed the heavy frying pan, charged at Cooper, and smashed it over his head. He crumpled to the floor like a cadaver, his limbs splayed out awkwardly.

The plate shard skittered across the floor, and Rosalina fell to her hands and knees.

Kane and Archer ran across the room.

Archer scooped Rosalina into his arms, dragging her away from Cooper.

But Cooper didn’t move. He stared at nothing.

Tears swam across my eyes as Kane hugged me to his chest. Agony cracked my heart in two as I pulled myself from his fierce grip. I leaned over Cooper and my fingers trembled as I felt for a pulse.

There was nothing.

“Oh my god.” A painful sob burst from my throat as guilt and horror crashed over me. “I killed him.”

CHAPTER 35

Lacey

In the ten days since Cooper Apollo’s death, I had been hauled over the coals by Berlin police, Australia’s Internal Affairs, and Captain Watts. The rest of my time was spent in hospital having my wounds checked, including my fractured eye socket that made my left eye so red, I scared myself every time I looked in the mirror. Nothing could be done for that fracture other than rest, but when I did go to bed, it was nearly impossible to sleep.

When Captain Watts instructed me to attend his office this morning, I’d been so petrified by his tone that I’d thrown up. Yet as much as I dreaded this meeting, I needed to hear the verdict on my career.

My heart thundered in my chest as I knocked on Captain Watts’ office door.

“Enter,” he called.

I opened the door and was surprised to see Aria.

“Hello, sir. Aria.” I nodded at them.

“Sit.” My captain’s gruff tone scraped nails up my back.

The sterile smell of his office mixed with the faint scent of Aria's perfume, creating an odd contrast that messed with all the other crap swirling through my brain.

I sat straight, gliding my sweating palm across my jeans.

Captain Watts pulled on his glasses. “Lacey, I have good news.”

I just about melted into the chair.

“Thanks to the video footage from inside Archer Mahoney’s yacht, the Berlin police have concluded that you acted in defense of Rosalina when you killed Cooper Apollo.”

“Oh, thank God.”

Aria leaned forward in her chair, leveling her dark molasses eyes on me. “Thanks to you, we have obtained proof that Cooper Apollo is the brother of Thomas Apollo, who went under the name of Grant Hughes.”

Relief washed through me. “Good. Has he been located yet?”