Page 57 of Obsession
I just stare at him and then the small velvety box. There’s no way there’s an actual ring in there as Saint continues to tell my father off.
“The fact that you’re trying to drag information out of him while he’s literally standing on our turf moments after the wedding? That’s stupid as fuck even for you.”
Canon opens his mouth, but no answer comes out fast enough.
Saint laughs softly. “That’s the problem, isn’t it? You’re a sore loser because you’re realizing how valuable the thing you lost is. Too bad. You had twenty-seven years to know what he was worth, and you wasted every one of them.”
Varina steps forward. “You’re a little bitch who couldn’t handle the original agreement.”
Saint turns so quickly the air seems to move with him. I catch his hand, my fingers wrapping around his. His hand closes around mine at once, squeezing tight.
Then he smiles at Varina. “Varina, it would never have been you in my clubhouse.”
Her face goes still.
Saint’s voice remains calm, which makes it worse. “We’re two raging fires. We clash, we burn, and everything nearby would pay for it. I can see now you had a plan for Obsidian. Smart enough on paper. Get inside, learn the structure, find the seams, feed your father what he needs to turn alliance into takeover.”
Varina’s jaw locks. “You don’t know shit.”
“I know enough.” Saint’s hand tightens around mine. “If anything moves against us in the near future, I’ll assume it was Rogue. If a shipment goes soft, if a buyer starts talking, if someone gets curious about a door they shouldn’t know exists, I won’t waste time asking who whispered first. I’ll come to your table and start removing people until the whispers stop.”
The lot goes very quiet.
Canon’s face has gone red under the control he’s trying to hold. “You threatening an allied club on your wedding morning?”
“No,” Saint says. “I’m clarifying the terms.”
He turns without waiting for dismissal and guides me back toward the clubhouse. Bricks stays behind us long enough to make sure Rook doesn’t get ambitious, then follows with a low, pleased laugh.
Every conversation dies as Saint pulls me through the door. Sol looks up from his seat with one brow lifted, cigar now back between his fingers like the room had finally become interesting enough to deserve smoke.
Saint doesn’t release my hand. “Party’s over.”
Moth sets his coffee down. “Issue?”
“Seems the Rogues are using this alliance as a way to take over Obsidian.”
The room erupts in murmurs before Sol laughs.
“I told you, son.”
Saint looks at him, and the laugh fades from everyone else before Sol’s does. “Actually, myhusbanddidn’t say shit. Canon and Varina, though? They’re the ones you need to be wary of.”
Sol’s eyes flick briefly to me, then back to Saint. I don’t know what my face looks like. I only know my hand is still in Saint’s and my heart is nearly beating out of my chest.
Saint’s smile sharpens as he drags my hand up to his lips. “Now, excuse me. I’m going to go enjoy my wedding afternoon or whatever bullshit the kids are calling it these days.”
I don’t speak until we’re inside his room again, the door shut behind us. Then my mouth catches up with my fear. “You’re going to fuck me right now?”
Saint bursts out laughing as he meets my gaze but there’s no brutality in it. He releases my hand, drags both palms over his face, and drops onto the bed like the morning has finally put weight in his bones.
“No. I’m too tired for that shit.”
I stare at him, thrown so badly that I forget to be embarrassed. “Oh.”
His eyes move over me from the bed, dark enough to make the relief in my body turn traitorous. “However.”
My stomach flips. “However?”
