Deadly Obsession (The Obsession Duet 2)

Dinner is served, and as her bodyguard, I watch the surroundings while she mingles and eats with her father. Jealousy is like a whip, landing against my skin every time another man takes her hand and presses a kiss to it.

MINE! She is mine. I want to scream from the heavens. Forcing myself to look away, I scan the crowd. None of the faces look familiar, and I’m thankful for that. I wouldn’t be surprised if Christian sent some of his men here. Then again, maybe that was Matteo’s intention, after all, to bring him out of hiding.

As my eyes pass over each face, something off to the right side of the room catches my eye. It’s only a split second that I see him. I can’t be too sure, but I swear Xander Rossi disappears through the door at the back of the room.

Why is he here? Has he come to take Dove again? Fear pumps through me at the speed of lightning. I’m not sure if I should say something to Matteo or not. If I can find him, maybe I can strike up a deal with him instead.

Before I can think too long on it, Matteo is shoving out of his chair and moving to the front of the room. He holds a flute of champagne in his hand and smiles out into the crowd like he isn’t a shark willing to shred anyone who stands in his way.

“Good evening, and thank you so much for coming to celebrate the return of my long-lost daughter, Dove back into my life,” Matteo exclaims, and the room erupts in joy. “After her mother’s disappearance, I never thought I would find her, but here she is. At last, home… where she belongs.”

I roll my eyes because the only other option is barfing, and I don’t want to make a scene. My gaze darts between Dove, Matteo, and Alberto, who not so casually slides his hand onto the back of her chair. Dove doesn’t seem aware of it, or she doesn’t care, which only enrages me further.

I’m going to kill him. Murder him. Rip out his intestines and strangle him with them and cut up his body, and use it as shark bait.

As I’m envisioning this, Matteo continues talking, but I’m too far gone to care what slimy bullshit he’s spewing. None of it is true anyway.

“Tonight isn’t just about the return of my daughter though. It’s also about the legacy of the Castro family. As we all know, I’m not getting any younger, and my daughter returning to my life just happened to come at the best time.”

My brow furrows as the thoughts of Alberto’s death slip from my mind. My attention is once again back on Matteo.

What is this fucker doing?

Looking back at Dove, I see that she’s just as confused by his speech as I am, though she could be acting the part. With her, it’s hard to tell which side she’s playing and when she’s playing it. The room falls quiet, and my stomach twists into tight knots. I’m bracing for whatever to come, but I don’t think anything could prepare me for Matteo’s next words.

“I would like to announce the joining of my daughter, Dove Castro, to my finest and most fierce second in command, Alberto Salvatore, in marriage.”

My vision blurs for half a second, but the bloodthirst fog over my eyes turns to mist when I feel Alberto’s eyes on me. Our gazes clash, hate and venom spewing out of me, and snaking across the floor. I will make him pay. I will make all of them pay if it’s the last fucking thing that I do. A shocked gasp falls from Dove’s lips, but that’s the only response I get letting me know that she knew nothing of this incident. Matteo blindsided both of us.

Before anyone can see Dove’s shocked face, she skews her expression and pulls her lips up into a tight smile. Like the perfect fucking couple, Alberto wraps an arm around her and tugs her into his side, his lips grazing her ear.

To anyone, they look like the perfect couple, together and in love, and that’s the last straw for me. I won’t sit here and watch this. I can’t. I already feel the bile rising up my throat, the anger in my veins fueling my rage. I have to leave before I do something stupid.

Tugging off my tie, I toss it to the ground and exit through the doors. Anger ripples through me like a seismic wave cracking through the earth. Rounding a corner, I clench my fists and try and breathe through my nose, but nothing is helping me at this point. I’ve left Dove back there with Alberto and Matteo, even though I didn’t want to because I just can’t stomach seeing it. Watching her act as if she doesn’t love me, as if that shouldn’t be us getting married.