Page 99 of Obsessed with Her

"I think so."

"You said he wanted us to get married so he could have access to my inheritance. The plan was to kill me later, then?"

"We will never get all the answers, Serenity. How can you know what's going on in a criminal mind? JeAnne said she didn't know at first that Edgar Hazen would hurt the Blanchets' daughter. I don't believe that, but also, despite her alleged love for you, I'm sure she was aware that your life was also at risk."

I nod. "God, all this in the name of revenge and money?"

"Apparently so." He pulls me into his arms again. "The past doesn't matter. All I want is our future together. No rush or pressure. I will never let you go, Serenity. You are mine."

Ares

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Three Days Later

I leavethe room where she is sleeping again. Serenity hasn't returned to her routine yet, and I'm starting to worry. She doesn't seem angry, only apathetic.

Yesterday, two police detectives came to take statements about the events surrounding Elmer's death, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. In the meantime, JeAnne confirmed her confession and declared herself an accomplice in the death of the real Serenity Clementine Blanchet.

I know Beau is on the hunt for Edgar Hazen, and I'm sure he'll catch him soon. I don't care what becomes of him; my only request to the King of New Orleans is that he finds the body of the child that Edgar killed. She has the right to a grave and to be remembered. Serenity asked me for this, and there is nothing I wouldn’t do to give her peace.

Plus, without a body, just JeAnne's confession, I don't think there can be a conviction. She finally appears willing to pay for her crimes, but several killers have allegedly confessed tokillings they didn't commit, and I doubt the state will waste taxpayer money by starting a trial based solely on a confession from a woman who has lied her entire life.

I know that that day on my office terrace, Hades purposely let Elmer fall. My brother doesn't know the concept of the word forgiveness. I wouldn't have acted any differently. I wish I had killed Elmer with my own hands for the years he spent tormenting Serenity, for daring to have filthy thoughts about my woman.

I hear Eleanor's voice talking to the maid, and I smile at the thought that Madison's stepmother has taken it upon herself to be the family matriarch. Without any planning, through our weekly lunches, conversations, and complicity, the woman has become a type of loving glue, solidifying our family union. Since Serenity came back from the hospital, there hasn't been a day that she hasn't come to visit.

I walk to where she is, and as soon as she sees me, she opens her arms. For a long time, my brothers and I resented the concept of an older female figure because of the lies that had been made up about our mother. Eleanor came to the rescue. Reminded us that we are a unit.

"I got the phone number of a psychologist who can help her. She was highly recommended."

"Do you think that’s necessary?" I'm not the type to open up, so I can't imagine how anyone could pay weekly to tell a stranger their secrets.

"I think so. She may seem fine at first, but at some point, she will break, Ares. The life she thought she knew didn't exist. Serenity only has you and ballet." She pauses. "And our family, of course. But sometimes there are things we can't share with those closest to us. We need someone from the outside, who is not emotionally involved with us, to listen to us."

I nod. "Okay. Are you going to talk to her about it, or do you want me to?

"Don't worry. I'll talk to her," she says. "Another thing: Serenity wants to see her ex-nanny . . . I mean, her aunt . . . I don't even know what to call that unfortunate woman. Anyway, she wants to talk to JeAnne one last time."

I don't like the idea, but I can understand the need she feels to be face-to-face with the woman who, for much of her life, was her only frame of reference for love.

I believe that somewhere in her selfish mind, JeAnne really loved her. In a twisted way, but still, it was love.

"I'll arrange that."

Beau

NEW ORLEANS

"You are fucked. I have ties to the Sicilian mafia. They owe me fucking favors. They will finish you off."

Damn, I'm getting too old for this kind of shit. That son of a bitch won't stop whining, and the only reason I don't cut out his tongue is because I need to know where he buried the girl's body.

He's resisting more than I expected. For the last four hours, I haveworkedon his interrogation patiently, but the unfortunate man still has hope that he will get out of here alive. It's time to show him his options.

"If you really had a serious connection with any criminal organization in my city, you would know that the Sicilians ask me for my blessing on a daily basis. Everyone here does. A tip for your next incarnation: when you make friends with someone influential, make sure you’re talking to God and not His disciples. Now, no more wasting time. I'll give you a choice."

"A choice?" I can see his one good eye shine with hope. One foot is broken and sitting at a completely abnormal angle, he has no nails left, and he’s lost some teeth along the way. One of his eyes is swollen and closed, and yet he still believes he will get out of here alive?

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