Page 175 of Plunge into Obsession

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.

“And I suppose you’re here shopping for… your baby? Should I congratulate you?” Gabriel shook his head and was about to lead us away when Melinda dropped all pretense.

“Do you really think she can make you happy?”

Gabriel paused. “And I suppose you think you can?”

She stepped closer to us. “I can. I know you. Iknowyou, Gabriel. I see you for the man you are, and she doesn’t.”

“What makes you think she doesn’t?”

She moved back a little, her eyes briefly meeting mine. Did that mean she knew about Gabriel? Knew all the dark stuff?

I remained silent. This was more Gabriel’s battle than it was mine, but fuck, I was angry.

Angry that what should have been a good day, a first date between Gabriel and me, had turned into my trying to fight off all the women who wanted what was mine.

My fists clenched.

“You’re only with her because she’s pregnant,” Melinda said, mirth dancing in her eyes as if she knew just where to hit me to make it hurt.

But no, if Gabriel was only with me because of the baby, he wouldn’t have to say any of those things to me.

All his possessive talk about owning me, about burning this world down to the ground for me… all those soft looks reserved solely for me…

I was as much of Gabriel’s obsession as he was mine.

I shook my head. “You’re so fucking pathetic,” I said.

She screeched, making me wince. “What did you just say to me, bitch?”

“You heard me. Gabriel doesn’t want you, so you, what? Followed him? And now you’re trying to get in the middle of our relationship?”

I held up my left hand. My wedding ring glinted in the sunlight. “He’s mine. With or without this baby, he’s mine. You got it? So just leave my family alone and stop doing all this crazy shit. He doesn’t want you. Not now, and not ever.”

“You really think so? Can you read his mind? Who does he imagine when he’s fucking you? ’Cause it sure as hell can’t be a mousy thing like you—”

“Enough.”

Melinda stopped talking with that one word from Gabriel.

He didn’t yell it. He didn’t have to. Even I could feel my heart racing, and his anger wasn’t even directed toward me.

“You’re going to leave, and you’re never going to show your face in front of me or my wife again. Got it?”

I didn’t missthe implied threat in his words, and neither did Melinda.

She stood there, and it seemed she was about to say something, but changed her mind at the last minute. She shot me a scathing look before she turned and stalked away from us.

We stood there for a moment, and I could only stare at the space where she’d just been standing.

She had followed us here.

She had been watching Gabriel for who knew how long.

She wasn’t dangerous right now, but who was to say she couldn’t be in the future?

Or when my baby was born?

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