Dirty Obsession (Dirty 1)

“Why, Nina? Why him? Did your obsessive tendencies get you into trouble again? Is that what this is? You’re just obsessed, not really in love?”

His hand touches my cheek, and I flinch. It was the lightest touch, and I already can’t stand it.

Arlo pulls back a second, and then he pushes harder. “Do you even know what love is, Nina?”

He strokes my neck, and I can’t help the shivers going up and down my spine.

He grins. “I don’t think you do. Whatever you and Heath had, it wasn’t love. It’s not going to save you.”

He lowers his lips, and I know he is going to kiss me. I can’t take it. I can’t just let him kiss me. Not tonight.

I know it’s stupid, but I do it anyway.

I pull the gun out of my purse, and I aim it at Arlo.

The fucker grins as he slowly puts his hands up, but he doesn’t move more than a few inches away from my face.

“I wouldn’t grin if I were you. I could blow your brains out in a split second. I might still have to face the wrath of your family when I get to Italy, but I can kill you now.”

He nods slowly. “I don’t doubt that you could, Nina. In fact, maybe you should. It would make my life a whole lot easier. But I promise you, your life would become much worse if you killed me. You would no longer just be in my family’s debt; you would owe my family everything. You would never stop paying with your life.”

I feel my arms shaking ever so slightly as I aim the gun at Arlo’s heart. Shoot him, I keep telling myself in my head. I squeeze my finger tighter over the trigger, but I still can’t make myself actually pull it.

“Shoot me.”

Damn it. I shouldn’t have done this. I shouldn’t have revealed my cards so soon. He didn’t know I had a gun. I could have killed his entire family in their sleep instead of just taking out Arlo.

Heath’s face flashes before my eyes. Kill him, he says to me.

I do. I squeeze the trigger and hear the pop of the gun as a bullet explodes out. I’ve spent the last seven years learning how to shoot a gun properly, but I’ve never actually shot at anyone before.

I feel the gun being ripped out of my hands before I even have time to react. And then I feel Arlo’s body on top of me, holding me down so that I can’t move.

We both breathe heavily as he pushes me down in my seat. I expect I’m about to be punished for what I just did. I’m going to be hit and beaten until I’m barely standing when we make it to Italy. But I welcome the pain. It will distract me from the pain I feel in my heart.

“Where did you learn to shoot?”

I frown. “Why does it matter?”

“You don’t get to avoid my questions anymore. Answer me. Where did you learn to shoot?”

“I hired several different men at various shooting ranges to teach me.”

He sighs. “Well, you wasted your money. That was horrible. I’ll have to teach you how to shoot properly.”

My eyes widen. Why would he teach me how to shoot? Why would he do anything for me?

He laughs at my expression. “Your new life isn’t going to be as bad as you think it will be, Nina, no matter how short of time you have left. You will still be able to do some enjoyable things.”

“I’m not going to survive my time with your family, am I? Even if you teach me how to shoot? Even if I do everything right, I’m still going to die, aren’t I?”

Arlo lets go of my body, releasing me. “That depends on you.”

He stands up and starts undoing his buttoned-down shirt. He’s going to shoot me and kill me right here. He’s just acting calm to keep me calm.

I watch as he removes his shirt, and I think his abs might be even more magnificent than they were seven years ago. He looks even stronger, more powerful. And I thought he was strong before. Now, he looks invincible.

I suck in a breath. He’s going to rape me. I know it.