Page 63 of Their Stolen Obsession (Phantoms and Obsession Duet #2)

Their Universe

Liv

T here was a battle inside of me that I had no control over and no way of escaping.

I was being pulled in two opposite directions.

One route was to run straight back to my phantoms, and the other pointed for me to stray.

To remain on the course I had chosen because life with Sin and Saint had changed me into someone I didn’t know.

Someone I wanted to understand, but I was afraid of being, considering I’d be as menacing and destructive as them.

I hated myself for wanting to be with them after everything they had put me through, but not all things, since Sebastian had been the reason for much of my suffering.

The love I had for these overbearing men confused me and made me doubt the feelings I had, but I didn’t want to confess my affection without being one hundred percent honest. Otherwise, I’d be dishonest and only hurt us all.

Sin and Saint deserved the truth, and I owed it to myself, too.

We were worthy of happiness, in whatever fucked up way that might be.

My phantoms had saved me and got me out of the most traumatic time of my life. Those men were my heroes from the shadows, and I owed them all of my body and every broken piece of my soul. They were there to help me mend all that the Pitrones had shattered, but I still fought them.

My father had gotten into my head and made me second guess my choice to live within their dangerous world and let them pull me in further until there was no chance of return.

My phantoms were suffocating me, clouding every thought, all judgment, and everything was too much.

I wasn’t sure of anything anymore, and I couldn’t stay because not knowing without a single doubt hurt too damn much.

I needed to move on and try life my way.

Without my phantoms, without anyone, and see if I was better off, but every creak in the loneliness made me wary.

Any screwed up dream I had made me awaken and frightened to go back to sleep without their arms around me.

The absence of their embrace made me more alone than I had ever been while in captivity.

I was completely alone until my cell phone chimed, making me jump and peer down at my device.

Unknown:

These days without you are absolute hell, sweetheart. Come back.

I sighed out loud. Sin. He was the only man to call me by that nickname, and my heart skipped a fucking beat.

Don’t let Sin get to you, Liv.

Me:

No.

Unknown:

I wasn’t fucking asking.

Me:

Don’t you ever tire of bossing people around, Sin?

Unknown:

Nope. Especially when I know I’m right. Get your pretty, tight ass back where you belong.

I got out of bed.

Me:

Can’t you find someone else to bug?

Unknown:

Nope. Never. Because all I want is you and Saint does too.

I threw a fresh blouse over my head, and a citrus scent made my nose itch. A sneeze escaped, followed by another achoo until the repetitive outburst ended.

Another text came through.

Unknown:

I bet my best friend is watching you as we speak. Maybe I am too.

I peeked out of my window. My heart beat faster, eyes searching through the busy street, as I expected to find both men watching over me.

Sin and Saint were nowhere in sight, but they were there.

Somewhere, somehow, following my every move.

My gut screamed at me that it was true, and my mind knew they would be because they were stalkers through and through.

They had gained a thrill for the hunt as they stalked my every move, and their predatory tendencies were in their blood.

These possessed men understood no other direction, broke all the rules, and didn’t give a damn about who they hurt.

Even I was at risk of their malicious antics and their destructive, irrational behaviors.

I found myself caught in the middle of everything as I desperately tried to escape, but I didn’t think I’d succeed.

Especially with Sin and Saint unable to back down.

They had let me leave them, but they wouldn’t go away.

Their invisible chokehold on me grasped tighter with each passing day, and I had to loosen their death grip.

Frustrated with each passing moment, I typed.

Me:

Fuck off. Go away.

An instant response.

Unknown:

Liv, Liv, Liv… You know we can’t do that, little obsession. The heart wants what the heart wants. We’ve had you one too many times to stop. You’re in our blood, seeping through every vein, and we won’t give up on you being with us. You’re ours, remember?

I combed my hair, threw it up into a messy bun, and brushed my teeth.

Me:

How can I forget?

Unknown:

We’ll never fucking let you.

I sighed as I hurried down the stairwell, and I grabbed a light coat.

Ready to get out of this goddamn condo with too many creaks everywhere I went.

I was far too on edge and in need of my morning caffeine to become more vigilant.

Last time I resisted Sin and Saint, they had forced me to comply with their aggressive compulsions.

They made me unearth pleasures I had never known I desired until I met them and they compelled me to give a damn.

Not only about them, but about myself. They made me realize I could have a better life, and right when that awareness struck me, Sebastian’s past came and bit me in the ass.

Now I was free, with two unhinged phantoms breathing down my neck at every turn as they tried to keep me for all of eternity.

Me:

Then I’ll have to make this shit end.

Unknown:

Try us, little obsession. Push too hard and you know we love to shove back.

Me:

I’m betting on it.

I ignored any further infuriating text messages and pushed the front door open. I didn’t bother to lock the condo because a bolt wouldn’t keep these men out. Sin and Saint had bunkered down inside of my soul and wouldn’t leave me alone.

With Sebastian dead, my phantoms were sure to leave no trace of him anywhere, but time was against me for staying under his roof.

I couldn’t live at his condo forever. The bank froze his assets, and I couldn’t access his cash, but I wasn’t a dummy.

I had kept an emergency fund secretly stashed away in case our engagement didn’t work out and the arrangement blew up in my face.

And it did—straight into a damn death trap.

I still saw Sebastian’s dead eyes every time I closed my eyes, and the cruel memories we had shared had resurfaced, living under the roof we had once shared.

A fresh start was required for me all around, and I needed to be away from the violence I had survived as I freed myself from everyone’s control over me.

It was time for me to make my own choices and decide where I wanted to be.

I turned away from the condo, the fortress Sebastian no longer locked me away in, and I was freer than I ever was. Excited for a brand-new beginning, but nervous all at the same time. I had doubts as anyone else would in my particular situation, but who the hell had circumstances such as mine?

I bet no one had a Mustang parked directly outside of their condo with an unhinged man behind the steering wheel. Hidden behind dark tinted windows doing God knew what while he waited, watched, and stalked me. I’d wager one hundred fucking thousand dollars that no one was in this exact predicament.

The black vehicle was cruising for a fine. That son of a bitch had taken up two parking spots directly outside of my front door. Pretty obvious if anyone asked me, done intentionally, only to get my attention .

I should report Saint Sullivan’s sorry ass to the police, but first I had to ensure it was him.

With every furious bone in my body, I walked up to the car and held a hand up to the glass film.

I glanced in and saw Saint, as expected.

However, to my surprise, he laid on his side, snuggled up with a pillow and blanket. Fast asleep.

Goddamn, the cute-ass fucker wouldn’t be snoozing for long.

Rapidly, I knocked against the window of Saint’s vehicle. Nothing. He didn’t stir. I banged my fist against the glass, and he made a faint movement. One eye shot open, dazed from sleep, and he casually rolled down the window yawning at me.

“Morning, darling.” A slight streak of drool was on the side of Saint’s mouth. “What can I do for you?”

“Get the hell out of here before I call the police.” Unimpressed, I placed a hand on my hip and glared at him.

“Jesus, Liv, we both know you can’t call the cops because, baby, you killed someone,” Saint replied as he stretched in his seat and locked eyes with me. “I can’t have you getting in trouble.”

I sighed. Saint was right. I couldn’t draw any more unwanted attention to myself with a missing fiancé looming over my head. I needed to keep a low profile and hopefully put Sebastian’s death behind me.

“Fine. Point taken.” I made an air quote with my fingers. “What part of ‘I need space’ don’t you get?”

“What can I say Liv…” Saint shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m a man who’s lost without his girl, and I’ll do anything to make sure you’re okay.”

“Well, take a good look.” I backed away from Saint’s vehicle and let his eyes roam down my body. “I’m fine. Now fuck off.”

Saint’s stare shot up to my face. “No. I’m not leaving. I’m not going fucking anywhere. I’ll stay right here, parked outside of your door until you come back where you belong.”

A deep sigh escaped my parted lips. I was frustrated with Saint, but I couldn’t help wiping the drool from the corner of his delicious mouth. He grinned up at me as he bit at the air and almost caught the end of my finger.

I gasped. My reaction only made Saint smirk wider, and I wanted to hate him for that, but he simply enticed me. Goddamn it.

“Screw off, fucker,” I grumbled.

“See? You can’t get enough of me, can you, darling?” Saint raised a confident eyebrow.

I ignored the need to smack Saint directly across his face. He’d either catch my wrist because he was faster than me, or I’d worsen the sexual tension already brewing between us. I hated wanting him.

“Fine,” I huffed, slightly pivoted away from the car, and glanced over my shoulder at him. “I’ll leave.”

Saint had a devilish glint in his eyes. “And I’ll fucking follow you wherever you go for old time’s sake.”