Page 55 of Killer's Obsession
Jade drops down beside me and wiggles her butt on the spot next to me, making herself comfortable before sighing. “I ran out.”
Well, damn. That sucks. Squeeze cheese is the bomb.
Well, at least we’ve got wine. Leaning forward, I snag the bottle off the coffee table.Barefoot Pink Moscato. I purse my lips. Never had this brand before. Hopefully it’s good.
I twist the top, then take a long swig directly from the bottle. My brows shoot up when the sweet-tart liquid hits my tongue. Holy shit.
“Pretty good, huh?” she giggles, stuffing a couple of crackers in her mouth.
“Surprisingly, it really is.” I take another big swig and snort when I come up for air.
“What?” Jade asks, motioning for me to hand over the bottle. I pass it to her.
“I was thinking how classy we are drinking out of the bottle.”
Her brows shoot up to her hairline, and bless her heart, she looks genuinely confused. “Oh! You need one?”
Smiling, I wave it off. “Nah.” We’re way past that now. The only thing I want now is to get wasted.
Shrugging her shoulders, she lifts the bottle to her lips and takes a healthy gulp.
“Okay, now that I’ve had a drink and a snack, tell me what happened,” she says, tucking one leg underneath her and turning to face me fully.
“Wow. You don’t waste any time.” I motion for her to pass the bottle back. “Hand me that. I’m going to need to be a lot drunker for this conversation.”
I take another long drink, then shove the bottle between my crossed legs. Where do I even start?
“Did you know Killer claimed me as his old lady?”
Jade’s eyebrows shoot up. “He did? When?”
Maybe it’s the wine kicking in, or that my heart’s been stomped on, but I suddenly find myself telling her things I haven’t said out loud to anyone else. “A couple of weeks ago. But that’s not even the worst part.” I laugh humorlessly as the tears start gathering along my lashes. “He’s known all along, Jade. He knew who was responsible for me ending up in that basement.” A single tear streaks down my cheek. Then another. And another. “I was beaten. Starved.” I swallow the lump in my throat and meet her eyes. “Raped.”
Her eyes go wide, and she shakes her head like she can’t believe what I’m telling her. Most days, I don’t want to believe it either. Try as I might to pretend like it didn’t, the memories are too strong, and they overpower me. It’s like they’re demons lurking in the dark corners of my mind, just waiting. And when I least expect it, they jump out and grab hold of me, trying to keep me hostage. Every day is a goddamn fight to step out of that darkness and into the light.
“He knew who put me there and didn’t say a word.” Sobs tear from my throat as the betrayal rips my heart to shreds. How could he keep something like that from me?
Pain slashes across her face as she whispers the same question I’ve asked myself for weeks. “Who put you there, Memphis?”
“My father,” I say, the word like acid on my tongue. “He sold me to the Russians to pay off his gambling debts. That’s how I ended up with the Talons.”
She dabs at her eyes with a tissue. “Memphis…”
I grab a handful of crackers, needing something to do with my hands. “And Killer knew. This whole time, he knew, and he said nothing.” It feels like the biggest betrayal. “He said he made me his old lady to protect me from the Russians. But he didn’t ask me, Jade.”
“Shit,” she hisses, taking the wine for another swig.
“Exactly. But you know what pisses me off the most?”
She shakes her head.
“He didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth.” My voice breaks, and I have to take a deep breath to steady it. “After everything I’ve been through. He made decisions about my life without consulting me.”
Jade frowns, fiddling with the corner of one of the pink throw pillows. “I’ve known Killer for years. He’s protective of those he cares about. I don’t know why he didn’t tell you, babe, but I’m sure he did it to protect you.”
I look away, staring at the wall where Jade has hung a collection of vinyl records in frames. Nothing makes sense anymore. Theman I thought I knew, the man I was falling in love with, kept massive secrets from me. Made life-altering decisions for me without my consent.
I clench my fists. That’s what infuriates me the most. He didn’t have my consent.
