Page 112 of The Art of Obsession

He doesn’t let me cover myself.

“Hmm…I think we will keep these.” He touches a finger along my nipple, the red diamonds at each end of the barbell. I hiss, shutting my eyes from the action.

When he lowers his mouth to my breast, I buck, but he forces me against the glass, forbidding any struggle as he plants a tender, manipulative kiss upon each nipple.

A brush of his knuckles on my cheek has me cringing. Bile swirls in my stomach at his proximity, at the taste of him on my lips, and the countless degradation collages of myself.

His strong hand palms my pussy above the cotton underwear. Tears streak down my cheeks because…

“You’re wet, my darling.” He smirks, his green eyes gleaming.

His other hand releases my wrists, too assured in his effect on me. But the second I’m free, I swing my hand and strike him as hard as I can on his cheek. Oh, god…his head doesn’t snap back. Because if

there’s one thing he has in common with Cal, it’s his brute strength, honed from all his performances. But his gaze turns darker than ever upon me, the fury in his clenched teeth.

“You will regret that, Everleigh,” he growls, eyes narrowing. “Acheron is not the only one who will punish you.”

My heart sinks as he steps back, slowly…too slowly. I hold my arms over my chest, covering my flushed skin. That’s when I see it. He picks up a dress draped over the bed. White but sheer with a long lacy train.

My heart breaks. My stomach plummets. It’s a wedding gown. He holds it out to me, his smile widening.

“Put it on or I will do it for you,” he commands, his tone leaving no room for argument. “We’re getting married.”

49

“A true god knows he’s nothing without his goddess.”

Chapter Playlist:

“Blood in the Water” – Grandson

“No Time to Die” – Billie Eilish

“Bad Guy” – Billie Eilish

“The Dark of You” – Breaking Benjamin

CAL

My footsteps hammeron the wood beams as I run down the boardwalk, gun in my hand, knife in my belt. All I hear is my heart pounding in my eardrums.

Warm blood still wets my shirt from the government official I interrogated to learn Dorian’s location on this island. From there, me and my team took a boat. As much as I wanted to run off half-cocked, I knew Dorian would have his own security. We came by boat vs the airstrip. By now, my manager and security have taken control of Dorian’s compound.

It took a few snapped fingers to learn of his goddamn beachsideexhibit.

I pause at the end of the boardwalk, stepping onto the sandy beach with tropical foliage hemming me in on each side. Waves crash against the nearby rocks. But then…the muffled scream of a woman pierces the air from the west side of the beach. Not just any woman—Everleigh.

I charge forward, pushing harder beyond the clusters of fronds and trees, my chest burning, until the glass-paneled structure comes into view.

Through the glass, I see her. Dorian’s hands are on her, forcing her into a white gown that clings to her trembling frame. Her face is streaked with tears, her eyes burning with defiance even as her body shakes.

Rage ignites in me, hot and blinding. Without hesitation, I raise my gun and f

ire. The shot shatters the glass, a clean, precise break that sends shards raining down.

“Dorian!” I roar, stepping through the opening, ignoring the crunch of glass underfoot. “Let her go.”

Everleigh’s head snaps toward me, her eyes widening. Relief floods her face as if the weight of the world lifts from her shoulders.