Page 80 of Plunge into Obsession

How could I have ever thought of Gabriel as something more than what he was?

Because looking at him now, all I could see was a powerful man with connections to the cartel, a man who’d killed another man because he—what?

Messed with me? Forced me on stage to perform naked in front of other men?

And that had been before Gabriel and I slept together.

Everything felt hot.

I had been cold earlier, but now, looking at Gabriel…

A thin sheen of sweat coated my forehead, and it seemed like I wasn’t getting enough air.

Fuck.

I rushed out of the bed and straight to the bathroom, losing what little food I might have had in my stomach into the toilet.

Vaguely, I heard Gabriel move closer to me, but I couldn’t bring myself to care about that now.

Tears stung my eyes as I started dry-heaving into the toilet. Gabriel gathered my hair and held it away from my face.

He was saying something to me in Spanish that I didn’t understand, but unlike before, there was nothing soothing about the tone of his voice now.

I closed my eyes and tried to tune him out, but it was impossible.

When it felt like I wouldn’t lose it anymore, I rested my cheek against the cool porcelain seat. It felt good against my flushed skin, and I wondered if I could just stay there for a while longer.

Gabriel had other ideas because he wrapped his arms around me and helped me up.

I didn’t stop him or fight him.

It wouldn’t have done me any good, so I didn’t bother.

He sat me down on the bathroom counter and placed the toothbrush in my hand.

I quickly brushed my teeth while Gabriel waited nearby. Once I was done, he took me back into his arms and walked us back into the bedroom.

He sat on the edge of the bed with me on his lap. I tensed and pushed away from him, trying to put as much space between us as possible.

I was scared to say or do anything that might make what little kindness he had shown me go away and cause him to finally reveal his true colors.

Perhaps I just wanted to keep the illusion a little while longer.

I didn’t want to remove the mask of a monster.

He killed Corey.

I didn’t need him to tell me so—Iknewit.

Somehow, in my gut, I knew it.

I blinked and bit my lip.

“W-why am I here?” I asked.

He regarded me with those dark eyes of his that seemed to have only gotten darker. I worked hard not to shift in his lap, aware of all the places where we touched.

“Didn’t I tell you? You’re here because you’re mine.”

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