Page 15 of His Wicked Obsession
I don’t know what’s happening with her, and it fucking terrifies me. The voices she was hearing that sent her to this asshole are what worries me the most because I can tell it’s eating at her. And if I had to guess, that’s what happened this morning.
“You can’t do this,” Dr. Aimes shouts as Maso shuts the door, blocking out the sunlight and fresh air. If he only knew what we’d done in this barn.
At the hospital, I wanted to kill this guy immediately, but the girls had already been subjected to so much already, I didn’t want that image to push them past the point of no return. Not to mention, he deserves more pain than just a shot to the head, so now, here we are.
“I wish Bella could be here for this,” I reply instead of rebutting his demand. “She deserves to see you suffer the way she did.” He swallows roughly. “See, I’m big on the whole free-will thing, and what you did to my Bella was not what she wanted or asked for. Nor did her husband.” Much as I hate saying it, I know Lude never would have put her in a situation where she would be in danger. He may not love Bella like a husband should, but he certainly cares for her. He’s proven it many times.
“She needed to be sedated, she was freaking out. A danger to herself and those around her,” Aimes tries to defend.
I shake my head, hands pressed into my hips as I blow out a breath. “She wasn’t. My Bella would never hurt a soul, but you”—I point at him as Maso drags over a chair and takes a relaxed seat to watch the show—“you made everything she was feeling worse.”
His head moves slowly back and forth as he attempts to pull on the chains dangling him from the roof. Everyone we’ve ever brought here does this. Grabbing another chair, I take a seat next to Maso, watching Aimes squirm under our scrutiny.
“Remember the guy Domino brought here the first time? Gutted him like a pig, didn’t he? Intestines fell to the floor like slop.” I didn’t see it, but I was told what happened later.
“Was that Dom, or was it Santi?” Maso scratches his chin, thinking about it.
“What about Pace? Punched a hole right through that asshole's chest when he took Isa.” That I’d have really liked to have seen.
“You guys are sick,” Aimes whines.
“Not really, we just don’t take kindly to men hurting our women. It’s an unwritten rule in organized crime that women and children are off limits,” I explain.
“Especially ours,” Maso adds. “You recognize the Cardarelli name, don’t you, doc?” Leaning forward, Maso drapes his arms over his knees as the doctor nods his head. “So then you knew Bella was associated with us. Hell, her twin sister is my wife.” There’s a growl in his tone now that makes me snicker. “Not knowing where her sister was or if she was safe, my Bria cried. A lot. More than I’d ever like to experience again.” Getting to his feet, Maso’s intimidating stance moves forward. “More than she ever should have, and it was all because of you.” The first fist lands in his right kidney, the second in his liver, and the third breaks his nose.
He sits back down, and I ask, “Feel better?”
“Not even fucking close.” I didn’t think so.
“You ever have something belong to you, doc? Something you treasure above all else in the world. Nothing would make you ever give it up?” He doesn’t answer me, and that’s okay; I don’t need a response. “That’s what the women in our lives are to us. Precious little gems that deserve to be nurtured, treasured, held above all else in our world.”
His groan is my only response as he spits blood out of his mouth. Standing, I cock my head to the side and watch him for a few moments before silently stepping closer.
“You took what belongs to me, doc. I have four brothers; I never did learn to share too well.” His eyes slowly lift to mine, and whatever he sees makes his flare with terror. “Bella Marino is mine. She wanted help for what she sees as a problem, a character flaw if you please, but the thing none of you seem to understand is that my Bella is perfection, meant to be worshipped as she sits on the pedestal I put her on. You took the light from her eyes, and now, I’m going to take yours.”
My fist flies, hitting his temple in just the right spot so he goes out cold before the pain registers throughout his synapsis. “Shit, D, didn’t see that coming.”
“Neither did he.” Moving away, I search through one of the toolboxes for the scooper I saw a few months ago. “There you are.” Maso’s gaze focuses on me as I hold up the tool. The rusted handle is rough in my hand as I stride back to Aimes.
“Fuck me, you’re going to do it.” Maso comes up next to me, holding the doc’s head in his hands as I peel his eyelids open.
Digging around the edge of his eyeball, I feel the moment he begins to rouse. “Hold him steady,” I say as the scooper clamps around the organ. With one quick yank, I’ve pulled it from the socket, long optic nerve and all dangling in front of his remaining wide-opened and stunned eye before I drop it to the ground and stomp on it.
His screaming takes a minute and lasts just as long before he passes out again. Crimson liquid leaks down his face as we step back, and I debate on taking the other eye now or waiting until he’s awake again.
“That’s disgusting.” Maso is looking down at the orb I stepped on. The gooey mess isn’t appealing, but it did what I needed and freaked the doc the fuck out.
“For what he did to Bella, to Clara, and all those other girls there, it’s well deserved.” Every person we found in the hospital went to Natale and Posy Morello’s orphanage in Catania for the help they would need and for the underage girls, hopefully, to find a home they deserve. I have the feeling Clara wanted to stay with me, though, and once Bella is better, I might bring it up. I know the two of them bonded on the flight back to Sicily, but they each need help before making any important life decisions.
“What do you want to do now?” Maso asks as he rinses his hands in the basin sink against the wall.
“Bleed him fucking dry,” I hiss. My thirst for his blood is unquenchable and a bit terrifying, but it’s not going anywhere. Not any time soon.
Bella is… exceptional. To me, she’s fucking perfection. Every smile, every sigh, every twinkle in her eye feeds my obsession for her. But she doesn’t see herself the way I do. She is convinced she’s broken, unworthy of love, and I can’t have that. Not when I’ve just gotten her in my home.
The plan was always to give her anything she wanted; whatever she asked for, I would make it happen. And the only thing I wanted in return was the ability to nurture my obsession with her.
“Maybe you should take a step back, D.” Maso’s concern is warranted. “I’ve never seen you like this. You don’t go to these lengths.”