Page 153 of Devious Obsession
“We need to call the police,” Knox says. “This is out of our control—”
Jacob grabs for me. Miles might, too. There’s a flurry of motion behind me as I lunge forward, up the steps and out of their reach.
They can call in the fucking National Guard—it won’t be in time to save Aspen.
But I can. And I will.
46
ASPEN
“Come here,” my father orders, motioning to me with the gun.
My brain has stalled out. I glance at Stephen, but he’s gone white in the face. It takes me a long moment to get my legs to work, and I stumble across the sparse living room. I stop out of arm’s reach, although really—if he wanted to hurt me, he wouldn’t have to reach. He could just shoot me.
Dad pulls a phone from his pocket.
Everything about him is soul-crushingly familiar. All the details I wanted to forget about him are still there, exaggerated by a hundred. It makes me realize that my memory did its job and dulled him. And the real him is so much worse.
“I got you a new phone, babydoll.” He tosses it to me.
I fumble for it and stare at the sleek model in my hand. It seems brand-new, an upgrade from mine.
“I moved your photos over so you wouldn’t lose them,” he continues. “There are some safety features on this one, of course. Only approved numbers you can call, app restrictions.”
He stole my phone. My music. My clothes.
“Did you watch Steele and I jump—”
“Steele,” Dad spits. “You shouldn’t be messing around with boys like him.”
Stephen clears his throat. “Messing around—”
“Fucking.” His gaze snaps to Steele’s father. “Your child and mine have beenintimate.”
My stomach knots, but Stephen doesn’t react. He just stares impassively at my father with blood trickling down his temple—courtesy of a little mouthing back on my part.
Another thing I needed to pay for, he said.
“Now.” Dad focuses on me again. “Call your mother and tell her we need to see her. That everything is fine, but you need her help.”
I stare at the phone. It lights up, revealing the same lock screen I had. I swipe it open, and it’s the same passcode. Same everything—the configuration, the wallpaper. Some apps are missing, and there’s no Wi-Fi.
“If you do anything other than call your mother, I’m shooting him.” Dad lifts the gun, aiming it at Stephen.
“No,” I whisper.
I can’t call her. I won’t drag her into this, and Idefinitelywon’t bring my sisters anywhere near his madness.
“Aspen.” Stephen has his hands up, some sort of surrendering instinct when looking down the barrel of a gun, but his voice is steady. His expression isn’t panicked. Instead, he seems oddly calm. “Don’t you dare call her.”
I nod.
The phone falls out of my hands.
Dad lunges for me. He wraps his hand in my hair and yanks me backward, and I crash into his body with a sharp exhale. The gun rises in slow motion, and my heart skips.
He’s going to shoot Stephen.
