Page 27 of Unhinged Obsession

Something big and goofy catches my attention, and I’m about ready to just change our names and go on the run from The Society because my nerves are shot. "Oh, fuck," I mutter, leaning back in my chair and throwing my head back in annoyance. "We've gotta make this quick. I can't deal with this shit."

Blair follows my gaze.

Callum is heading straight for the abandoned DJ booth.

"No. Please stop him. Shoot him, I don’t care," I say to Caiden, who just grunts. His cousin hasn’t started the bullshit yet, but we both know it’s coming.

A second later, Usher's Yeah! blasts through the speakers.

It literally sounds like the entire bar groans in perfect, collective disappointment.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. I am surrounded by idiots.

Callum tugs on his backward baseball hat and sighs into the microphone before saying, “Fine. Fine, you don’t want to hear my song, I’ll pick something else.”

"Your wife seems nice, Caiden." My attention snaps back to Blair as soon as I hear her speak. “You don’t seem like the settling down type, but it looks good on you.”

There's something softer in her voice than there was when we walked through the door. The tension that's been riding her shoulders all evening eases just enough to notice, and for the first time since we got here, she almost sounds... happy for them?

Caiden notices it too by the quirk of his top lip. He takes another slow pull from his beer before settling into his chair. Then he leans forward, lowering his voice like he's about to let my girl in on the world's best-kept secret.

"I'd say I've been settled," he says with a quiet smile, "since the day I laid eyes on Chapel."

Blair leans in conspiratorially to tell him, “She’s really nice. When I was younger, we used to ride together when I’d visit the mountain. I learned more from her than the instructor.” Blair clears her throat before she adds, “I trust you’ll treat her well.”

Oh, my baby is asserting her dominance to protect her friend she clearly hasn’t seen in years, and this is one of the many reasons I love Blair Winthrop—soon to be Moretti.

Caiden looks amused, and like he’s about to reply, but then a loud "Oh, fuck yeah!" comes from the DJ booth, and I can only assume that the world can now rest because Callum has found a song to play.

Sure enough, Boot Scootin' Boogie explodes through the speakers, and Callum all but launches himself out of the DJ booth. He barrels toward the dance floor with the enthusiasm of an unsupervised toddler who just heard the ice cream truck, weaving through tables until he reaches his line dancing proteges.

Two bottles of cold beer are quietly placed in front of Blair and me before the server disappears almost as quickly as she'd arrived. She just sets the drinks down and practically scurries away, which is indicative of how people usually act around the man across the table.

Caiden Grey isn't the kind of man people casually make small talk with. He's feared for a reason, and that reason is that he’s fucking brutal. If you're lucky enough to earn your place in his circle—or useful enough to stay there—you'll never find a more dangerous ally.

My brothers and I learned that years ago.

"I assume you didn't ride that sad excuse for a motorcycle all the way up this mountain just to watch my cousin butcher any dignity Brooks & Dunn might've had left," Caiden says, tipping his head toward Callum's big ass head, which is bouncing in every direction except the rhythm of the song, somehow making every step look harder than it actually is.

"I don't know," Blair says cheekily. "He's committed to his craft."

"Unfortunately,” Caiden says dryly. “When we’re done here, I’m going to pay him to go home.”

Blair bursts out with a laugh that is a blessing to my ears. It’s rich, vibrant, and I haven’t heard it in years. I need to get her away from St. Augustine more often.

Which reminds me of why we’re here in the first place. "I’m hoping you have some ideas because they moved the Choosing Ceremony up to tomorrow night."

Caiden grimaces into the neck of his beer. The expression doesn't say he's surprised, which tells me he was expecting this from The Society.

Beside me, Blair lets out a quiet breath before leaning forward. She nudges her untouched drink farther across the table as though she has no interest in pretending she'll drink it.

"They're going to give me to Bradford as punishment," she says softly. "Because I wouldn't rat out the Morettis, it’s not confirmed, but when I was taken to Onyx Dominion, it was something they threatened me with."

Every muscle in my body locks up, because we still haven’t talked about everything that happened to her there. I stroke my hand across the back of her neck.

"I don't think there's anything that can be done without major consequences," she continues, "but if there's anything you can think of..." She trails off, clearly losing her train of thought before she adds, “I know Ben was looking into some possible loopholes in the archives, but someone attacked Paris and…” I can sense she’s getting worked up, trying to get all the information out at once, so I step in.

"She won't be given to anyone,” The words leave my mouth before she's even finished speaking. "I'll burn that entire campus into ash, and I know you believe me when I say that." My eyes stay locked on Caiden's. "So we need to figure out another option."