Page 167 of Reckless Obsession

I stare at him.

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?”

His smile falters for the first time. Something wounded flashes across his face, quick and ugly, before he buries it beneath that familiar calm.

“You’re going to end whatever this is with Maksim,” he says. “If you don’t want to lose him completely.”

“Jake—”

“If you don’t want him sitting in a cell like some reckless little criminal for the rest of his life, you know exactly what to do.”

He pushes himself to his feet. I let go of his collar only because I need both hands free to stop myself from doing something irreversible.

We stand face-to-face.

I am holding back a wave of anger so violent it makes my vision narrow.

Jake looks satisfied.

“I know you want to do something reckless right now,” he says. “Maybe hit me. Maybe call the Petrovs and threaten to bury me before I can make good on any of this.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“Trust me, Tristan.” His voice hardens, the polished charm cracking enough to reveal the rot underneath. “You shouldn’t. I don’t care what kind of armor you think you have. I don’t care how powerful you believe the Petrovs are. If you think you’re going to win this, I’ll drag you and every one of them straight down to hell with me.”

“I hate you.”

The words leave me rough and absolute.

For half a second, the satisfaction leaves his face.

There is hurt there.

Real hurt.

Then he masks it.

“As you know, my family’s Thanksgiving dinner is Friday,” he says. “The mall project has been completed. Everyone important will be there.”

My stomach turns.

“It will also be announced that we’re back together and officially engaged.”

The silence that follows is so complete I can hear the clock on the wall.

“You have three days,” Jake says. “Three days to end things with that boy.”

“So that’s what this is?” I ask. “You want an engagement? This is bullshit.”

“You can call it whatever you want.” His eyes sharpen. “His well-being is in your hands now. His freedom. His family’s safety.”

My chest rises and falls once, hard.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Jake adds.

Then he turns and walks out the door, shutting it behind him.

I stay standing in the middle of my office, fists clenched at my sides, staring at the space he left behind.