All Chapters of The Darkest Obsession : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

"I don't give a fuck," I said to Elias, as I skimmed through the ledger in front of me. They were all the recent records from each and every warehouse the black rose controlled. The casinos at the south had been declining, customers coming in less and some of the workers had quit, which meant instant death. I'd walked into one earlier, just after my conversation with the Lieutenant and Jude. The thing about money laundering was that, it was most effective when done in the open. Poker was by far the best way to launder money, that and online games. Art galleries worked too, but it was too tiresome to set up and trust in your coworkers was very essential. I trusted no one, the possibility of being turned on was too large, and risky. Poker was simple, draw in some addicts, some rich idiots and have someone to do the dirty work and you're set. The probability of getting caught though, was also a major thing to put into consideration, and that's why we made sure to lace the drinks. Fewer

Night had fallen completely by the time I gave up on trying to sleep, the darkness outside the windows matching the restless energy that wouldn't let me stay still. I knew I was being stupid, knew that wandering around someone else's home in the middle of the night was asking for trouble, but I did it anyway. My feet hit the floor with a slight thud as I climbed out of bed, the cool surface sending a shiver up my spine.I didn't know where I was going exactly, just knew that staying in that room for another minute would drive me crazy. Maybe I'd find that book Elias had given me, the one I'd dropped somewhere near the balcony when everything had gone to hell. Maybe I'd just walk around until exhaustion finally caught up with me and I could sleep without nightmares.The apartment was quiet as I moved through it, my bare feet silent on the expensive floors as I made my way toward the balcony. But then I noticed something that made me stop in my tracks, a light coming from Cassien's stud

My pulse quickened as he stared at me, his eyes glinting with that mischievous glint I've come to know since Drogo's place. He went lower, to my belly, raising the shirt I wore to expose the skin there and placed a soft kiss on it. The action made my body tingle, sending a rush of pleasure through me. "What?" I whispered, though the words barely made it out."I love that you always choose this. You always choose me." He breathed, sucking on my skin and dragging a moan out of me. My back arched as I clung to the sheets beneath me, holding on to some of my sanity.My mind was too foggy to understand what he was saying. I always chose him? Wha-what did that mean?His face was in front of mine now and he was smiling, a broad beautiful smile stretched across his lips and I couldn't deny the way my heart skipped. "I love the way you pretend," He murmured, dipping to catch my bottom lip in his mouth and letting it go with a wet smack. "Like you don't want this."I swallowed hard, searching

Jude left the office, and the moment the door clicked shut behind her, I felt the weight of everything pressing down on my shoulders like a physical thing. My jaw was clenched so tight, the muscle in my cheeks were jumping with a tension that refused to let go. We were running out of time, I could feel it deep in my bones. It was like a bell going off in my head, prompting me to run quickly, faster. The meeting I'd had with the position holders some days back had been completely fucking useless. I'd watched them shiver and stumble over their words when I walked into the room. Every single account they'd given aligned perfectly with what Elias had put together from the records, which meant either they were all telling the truth or they were all in on whatever was fucking happening. My temple throbbed with a headache and I resisted the urge to rub it. I'd been so busy lately I hardly slept anymore, spending every waking hour going through files and surveillance footage, trying to find

I was alone. The house felt colder than usual, quieter, in a way I could not quite fanthon. Shuffling with my poorly pedicured toes and the heels of my feet, I reached the door and turned the knob. The hallway was in its usual condition. White, empty and quiet, the portraits that lined one part of the wall serving as the only thing of thrilling comfort. I moved through it, my breath slow and unsteady as my feets made low sounds as I padded across the space. I knew he wasn't in here, neither was Elias. I'd fallen asleep after having finished reading the book Elias left for me.My heart thudded against my chest as a slight and only sense of caution went through me. I was being reckless, stupidly so. There could be and definitely was hidden cameras in his apartment, but I made sure to evade any I'd seen afar. The memories of where the ones I'd seen when I was back here, still visible in my head. After a lot of, bending and crouching to evade what I'd classify the space that had the came