Page 16 of His Wicked Obsession

Staring at the man in front of me, he is blood-covered, unconscious, and unable to protect himself. Maso is entirely correct. Pace, Domino, hell, even Santi are the ones with the need to create chaos and shed blood. I’ve always been more level-headed. Clearly, Bella being in danger has set me on edge.

I can’t and don’t want to deny this need to cause as much harm as possible to the person who held her captive. “Why’d they do it?” A thought occurs. Turning my head, I stare at Maso. “Why’d they steal her and hide her away? What was the endgame?”

“If you leave the doc here alive, you might get your answers,” Maso suggests, and I agree. “I’ll call Papa. He’s always had more patience for the endgame than we have.” The options aren’t as endless as people might think.

There’s human trafficking, for sex or slavery. Experimentation could be on the list, but it doesn’t feel right. Revenge, which makes me think of Peeta Ambrose and the last man we had in here. But this isn’t his style. He’s slicker, less obvious, and he doesn’t hang onto the cargo for more than a day, two max. Except I already received word that Ambrose has been taken care of.

So what the fuck is happening?

CHAPTER 9

Bella

Eyes squeezed firmly shut, I’m buried under the blanket in Donato’s room. I don’t want to come out. I can’t face Bria after freaking out when Donato left. I wanted to tell him, I wanted to beg him to stay, but I can’t be a burden on him. I won’t bring myself down to that level. He needs a strong woman at his side.

Bella, I’m still here.

Gritting my teeth, I try to ignore the pestering voice. I’ve been trying all day. Every single time I think I’ve got a handle on it and it disappears for a while, I’m always right back where I started.

A knock on the door startles me, and my eyes pop open, but I don’t come out of the cocoon I’ve built around myself. I don’t want to see anyone.

“Bella?” Lude’s voice brings fresh tears to my eyes. The bed dips as he sits next to me. A heavy hand lands on my hip. “Can I see your face, please?” Lude sounds remorseful. He’s suffering from some guilt over what happened, but it wasn’t his fault.

“I don’t blame you,” I mutter.

He tugs the blanket, and I let him, stopping when just my eyes appear. “But I do. You were so frightened when I found you that I wanted to get you help. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

“You were. You did. It wasn’t your fault the doctor was a psychopath.” Nobody could have predicted that.

“I know. But when I realized they were going to drug you when you broke into hysterics, I thought it was the right thing at the time.” His regret is plain on his face.

“I don’t blame you,” I reiterate. “What’s done is done, and we can’t do anything but find a way to move forward from it.” I’m trying to, but the voice won’t let me.

Dragging the blanket the rest of the way down, Lude cups my cheeks and brings his head down so I’m forced to look him in the eye. “I wish I could love you. I wish I could give you everything you deserve, Bella.”

It’s nothing he hasn’t said before. Lude and I have always been very honest with each other. Before we married, he told me he’d give me the world but could never love me. He could never love anyone. Given what happened to Bria and me as children, I was prepared for that because as long as our children would always be loved, I knew our life would be okay.

Since meeting Donato, doubts have surfaced, and I think Lude picked up on that months ago when he would find us talking for hours. Licking my lips as I close my eyes, I cup his cheeks the same way he is to me.

“One day, Lude, you’re going to find a woman you can love.” He scoffs but shuts up when I glare at him. “And I need you to promise me you won’t run from the feeling. She’s out there, she’s waiting. She just doesn’t know you exist yet.” I have faith in that. I know he’s meant to love. Same with Natan. We don’t have a clue as to why the Vella brothers are so against falling in love, only that they are. I look forward to the day when they’re both knocked on their asses by the powerful emotion.

“And what about you, little one? Are you going to allow Donato to love you as you deserve, or will you continue to hide here away from him?” It’s not a question and not exactly an accusation, either.

“Something is wrong with me, Lude.” I finally whisper it aloud. My eyes sting as my body trembles with the reality that I’m not a whole woman anymore. I’m broken…fractured in my mind.

Lifting the blankets, Lude crawls into bed with me before wrapping us up again. “He’s going to kill me if he comes home to find us like this.” His eyes laugh as he draws me into the circle of his arms. Facing each other, our eyes meet for minutes before he speaks again.

“Bella, you are a special woman for so many reasons. If this scares that brute off, then he doesn’t deserve you. However, I’ve noticed the way he looks at you. The way he worries over you. And what I’ve witnessed is a man obsessed with the woman he wants to claim.” I wish I could believe that.

“What if you’re wrong?” My fear can’t remain hidden.

Brushing loose hair back from my face, his smile reaches his eyes. “You always were so sensitive, Bella. A leaf would die, and you would grow sad. I know the look of a man possessed with desire for the one thing in the world he can’t live without. You belong to Donato. Which is why I brought these.” Reaching into his back pocket, he pulls out a sealed envelope.

I swallow nervously before he reveals what’s inside. I already know. “Divorce papers?”

“Annulment. It’ll be like we were never married.” I don’t want that.

“But…we were.” Legally, I’m his.