Page 118 of King of Obsession

Too late though. Once I kill the first guard, an entire army will come for me, but I won’t die until I’ll take that piece of shit to hell with me.

Inside the silent penthouse, my steps echo, memories of us assaulting me full force. I’ve cried more in these last hours than I have in my entire life, but my soul longs for him, demanding my return home.

In the bedroom, I stare at the bed longingly. I should be in his bed—another unfulfilled wish. After all that filthy and hard fucking, I loved him making love to me. If my heart wasn’t breaking this badly, I would smile at how sweet he has been yet also himself—commanding, possessive, wild.

I thought I was happy in this penthouse, but it was a lie. My true home is at the compound. At least I got to enjoy that homey feeling for a while.

Slipping inside the walk-in closet, I switch on the light, and it bathes me in a dim glow.

Looking around, I see all my belongings just as I left them. From my shoes to my clothes hanging there just like the purses displayed neatly in a row, and my jewelry next to his watches, making me an even more emotional mess.

He didn’t set them on fire. He left his penthouse as a shrine to safeguard our memories.

I look past it all to find what I came for. Rummaging through my bag, I pluck out a fake passport and some cash, then I am out and hail a cab to take me to the airport.

Considering what I will do once I land, I am calm and at peace with my decision.

I hate the Syndicate’s control. Those assholes won’t have the Council under their influence for much longer. Once Augustus dies, their hold on it will disappear. Either Enzo will lead it, or I will make sure no one ever does.

On the USB stick there is blackmail material on each of the members along with all their business dealings, bank accounts, hidden affairs, and worldwide contacts. My plan was to take them down with me after Augustus excommunicated me, but Enzo snatched me before I could enact my vengeance.

Augustus thought he was untouchable and like the subservient girl I was, I made sure no one could take the power from him. But now I’ve gifted it to the man I love. Love is selfless like that. At least I experienced it. For a short while, I had a home, a family.

It’s a blur how quickly I pass through airport security and sit my ass in first class.

When the flight attendant offers me a glass of champagne, I take it, needing to be as composed as possible. I also need to sleep because once I show my face in Italy, my arrival will cause upheaval, and I can’t afford to slack on my mission.

I want the Council to fear my presence, thinking about who I am there for. Augustus’s last hours will feel like he’s a trapped mouse—I’ll make sure he knows what it’s like having no way out until I decide he can be free for good.

I must have drifted off to sleep because a slight shake startles me, waking me up. The flight attendant says in a pleasant voice, “We’re about to land, miss.”

Good. Nodding, I am ready to get off this plane and count down till doomsday.

I take a cab to my former house. The mansion lies abandoned and left to the whims of nature—Augustus’s gift to me for my services feels now more like the biggest insult of my life, making the injury pulse and fester.

I remember how proud I was that day. How monumentally stupid I had been, but caged birds are grateful to their masters, not questioning their captivity. It took Enzo to blow the doors open so I could spread my wings for the first time and fly away.

What I once believed to be my home was nothing more than my cage.

I inhale deeply, each breath choked with desire for revenge.

Cracking the door open, my attention is sharp as ever as I move through the space to the pantry and find it untouched. Relief flows through me when I realize no one discovered my secret room. I push at the false panel, and it opens.

Stepping inside, I see all my weapons still displayed on the wall, just like another black bike and a leather suit sit untouched in a corner.

I riffle through what I need, and an explosive device catches my eye. The former caged bird will go out with a blast, leaving nothing but destruction behind.

Vindication surges through me, pumping me up. I quickly activate it, setting the timer to five minutes.

Changing quickly, I fill my bag with a silencer, ammunition, and some hand grenades. I put a gun at the back of my pants and add a rifle to my bag.

After pulling my hair into a low ponytail and putting on my helmet, I check the bike to ensure it’s ready to ride. Then I speed away, flying down the flight of stairs.

I want Augustus dead more than anything else. And if I am still alive, the others will come next. Even if I survive, I will have issues with the Syndicate for encroaching on their newly established territory. If one member of the Council survives, that person will make sure I am dealt with.

The street vibrates under me as the explosion ensues. A bang blares in my ears, deafening me with the sweet sound of anarchy. In the mirror, I watch the estate blow up. The flames and debris create a violent spiral of wreckage––wiping out my past.

The thick blanket of gray smoke settles, painting an image of demolition. I expel a sigh coated in relief. Free. I am finally free.

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