Page 32 of Their Stolen Obsession (Phantoms and Obsession Duet #2)

Her Predator

Sin

Z ane sidestepped into sight. Smoke clouded his gun.

He had fired at Preston’s weapon, a clear as fuck shot.

Sparks flew as he winced at his injured hand, but scurried for his gun.

The asshole didn’t know when his fucking time was up.

We had him surrounded, our guns all aimed at him, but I waited for my bestie to do the honors.

Saint cracked a blast right at Preston’s left shoulder and he fell to his knees.

Pure agony took over his face, veins popped out, and I bet he suffered a severe headache.

He panted; the sound was loud and spit flew out of his mouth.

He was in a lot of pain, and I loved every second of his torment, but he didn’t deserve my full attention right now. Liv did. Preston’s time would come.

I turned around to find Liv cowered against the wall, clinging to the plaster full of bullet holes.

Her eyes were closed. She was afraid to open them, scared to see who had suffered, and she was fragile after everything she had been through.

All I wanted to do was fucking hold her, ease her pain, and never let her out of my sight again.

I wanted to make every bad moment she had experienced in this hellhole fucking disappear, but I knew I couldn’t do that.

She needed time. Space to rebuild, to grieve, and we’d be there to help her mend all the broken pieces. Her healing began right now.

Gently, with as much care as I could ever give to our obsession, I touched the arm she held over her head.

Liv flinched. “No, please.”

The sight broke my heart. No pain should’ve ever come to her, only hurt from us, but we didn’t find her in time. We had failed our girl, and we had a lifetime to fix our mistakes.

“Shh… Sweetheart. It’s me.” I reached for her again.

“Sin?” Liv whispered, lowering her defenses.

Liv let me take her arm, and it was there I saw a wound on her skin. A weeks old injury turning into a scar. She needed me to exact revenge full of carnage. I wanted to know who had fucking hurt her .

“Where did you get this from?” I brushed the jagged flesh and grit my teeth. “Who did this to you?”

Liv kept her gaze low, and it was hard to see those beautiful brown eyes I loved so damn much.

All I wanted was to see her sass, her spitfire, but I only saw tears.

Her eyelashes were wet, her cheeks crusty with dried dirt, and Saint gently brushed it all away.

His touch caused her to glance up once, twice.

She was unsure it was actually him until I saw a flame ignite in her stare, and she glanced from Saint to me.

Liv blinked repeatedly, and her eyes locked on something in between us.

“Preston…” Liv pointed with hatred. “He did this to me, along with his fucking mutts.”

“Are you sure?” Saint asked as he grazed the cut on Liv’s bottom lip.

“Yes.” Liv trembled, her mouth vibrating.

Liv was in terrible shape. Thin, unbalanced, and in shambles.

I fucking hated seeing Liv damaged, bleeding, and barely hanging on to sanity. We were supposed to be the psychos, never her. She was the light.

Fuck.

Liv was every fucking thing we weren’t, and I despised seeing her flame burned out. I’d give anything for a flicker, to bask in her goddamn brightness, and to have her illuminate me .

Because I was angry, I gave Liv to Saint to hold. I required time to think, and it was his turn to feel her tucked away. Trapped safely in his arms where he’d protect her from all the brutality that was to come.

I walked away from my broken obsession, unable to resist the beast inside of me. The monster was ready to come out. I was prepared to bring havoc on Preston as I went to him, and he hung his head low.

Bastard. Preston damaged our girl. He’d pay the ultimate price, but first, he’d suffer. Big fucking time.

I grabbed Preston by his hair.

“I heard your hound dogs bit our girl.” I yanked his head up. “Where are they?”

Preston only grinned. I rubbed my chin with irritation, which only made him laugh. He was a sick son of a bitch. Oh, I’d change that.

I kicked Preston’s head.

My laughter rang out as his noggin bounced like a basketball, and I wished I had a net to dangle him from by his feet.

The blood would rush to his head, and I’d torment him.

I yearned to cause this motherfucker utter chaos and decapitate him, tossing his severed head into the basket for the winning point. A slam dunk with tons of blood.

The picture-perfect scene.

Instead, I grabbed Preston by his face and pulled him upward until he stood before me on his two feet.

I pressed on his cheeks until his lips puckered together like a swollen fish.

His mouth had swollen, and the blood had rushed to leak out of his open wounds.

Fucker was a puffer fish with no spikes to save his life.

He was defenseless, the only way I wanted him.

Slowly, I heaved out each word. “Where. Are. The. Dogs?”

Preston whispered something I couldn’t hear. I kneed him in the dick, and he winced in pure agony. His unsteady breath puffed on my face, but I didn’t give a fuck. I wanted an answer. Now.

Preston grinned again. I cursed at him. Loud. I held nothing back as my voice echoed off the walls and shot back into my eardrums.

“I hate to intrude on the fun, but I know where Preston keeps his dogs,” Zane voiced from behind me.

“And you’re telling me this now?” I was extremely annoyed.

“Yep,” Zane replied .

I let go of Preston. Without my strength, he fell straight to the floor with a hard thud.

I spun around and threw my hands up in the air. “Why?”

“Well, you were having a blast. I’m simply appreciating all the suffering this asshole is going through after seeing him inflict months of mayhem.” Zane shrugged, lit a cigar, and the stogy dangled from his lips. “I wish I had a bag of popcorn. I’d sit back and enjoy the fucking show.”

I nodded. “Fair enough.”

I dusted off my hands. Zane revealed the Pit Bull’s location, but I was confused as fuck. I didn’t know my way around this place, and he knew this shithole like the back of his hand.

“Come on…” Zane said with a flick of his hand to follow him, and he blew out a puff of smoke. “I’ll take you guys to them.”

Suddenly, Preston got up from the ground and charged straight for Zane.

His eyes were bloodshot, his face unrecognizable, and he was probably fucking concussed.

He resembled a raging bull, but a drunk one as he weaved from side to side.

Zane didn’t move a muscle, didn’t budge. He didn’t even blink an eye.

“Damn traitor!” Preston shouted at Zane.

Zane sidestepped, flicked his cigar at Preston, and punched him in the face.

He stumbled backward, hot ash sprinkled on his skin, and he fell to the ground.

He shut up real quick with a busted nose, burns and fat lips.

The pain must be excruciating, and a grin spread across my mouth at the fact I’d helped him experience that .

“Saint. Bring Preston along.” I tilted my head at the poor excuse of a human. “I don’t want him to miss this.”

“What about Liv?” Saint asked, holding her fragile body up.

Liv took baby steps. “It’s okay, Saint. I can—” she stumbled and Saint caught her.

“Easy,” Saint whispered.

“I’ve got her.” I rushed to her side and lifted Liv into my arms. “You handle Preston in whatever way you want.”

“On it,” Saint said as he stalked toward Preston and loomed over top of him.

Preston couldn’t see with his eyes swollen shut. All the blood had rushed to his injuries, and he’d require cuts to let the blood drain, but he wouldn’t get off so lucky. Let the bastard swell. I’d allow him to bloat into the fucking sick pig he had proved he was.

“Zane. Bring me to the kitchen,” I commanded.

“But I thought—”

“Change of plans. I want to give the mutt’s a treat before they have a feast,” I interrupted with a grin.

Saint grabbed Preston by his hair and yanked him by the strands.

He spun him around in a circle while Preston tried to claw at his grip.

He was panicking, scratching at Saint, hitting his forearm, but he wouldn’t stop.

Along the floor, he dragged him, kicking and screaming in pain.

The sound of pure agony was bittersweet, but Liv didn’t need to hear it.

Instead, I hummed her a tune on the way to the kitchen, and she rested her pretty head on my shoulder.