All Chapters of The Darkest Obsession : Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

He threaded his fingers between the strands of my hair, fisting it slightly. Not hard enough to cause pain but firm enough to drag a hearty moan out of me. My back arched as he went lower, kissing my neck like he usually did. Lapping and twirling his warm tongue at the sensitive skin there. I folded my fingers and unfolded them, pleasure shooting through me like a rocket at release. Strands of his hair fell to his left cheek, grazing the swell of my breasts. His left hand trailed the side of my body, exploring me, going lower with each breath. And lower, till he brushed the surface of the soft cotton that covered my lower body. His hand, now splayed, trailed my thighs, going around it and cupping my ass. He squeezed a little, his touch tickling the skin there, heating my entire being with a kind of fire that felt like sin. Pure, unadulterated sin. Cassien wrapped his other arm around me, and lifted me. The act made me yelp, just like it always did, making Cassien's body vibrate as he

The balcony stretched out before me, a small escape from everything happening inside those walls. My hands gripped the cool metal railing, the textured surface rough against my palms. Lush trees swayed in the distance, their leaves catching the afternoon light and turning it into a thousand shades of green. Beyond them, the city hummed quietly, a soft buzz that reminded me the world was still out there, still turning even when mine felt like it had stopped completely. Cassien's house was tucked away from the chaos of civilians, far enough that the noise became nothing more than a whisper. It was quiet here. Calm. The kind of peace that felt wrong when everything inside me was screaming.The golden ray of sunlight stayed on one side of my face, warm against my skin. I closed my eyes, letting the heat sink in, and pulled air deep into my lungs. The breeze carried the scent of pine and something floral I couldn't quite place. I hadn't let myself think about all kinds of horrible things.

The words hung in the air between us, heavy and damning. Cassien's hand had dropped from my face at some point during my confession, and now he stood there frozen, looking at me like I'd just shattered something fundamental in his world. His lips parted slightly, like he wanted to say something, but no sound came out. The silence stretched, pulling taut like a wire about to snap."Say something," I whispered, hating how small my voice sounded. He swallowed hard, his throat working visibly. When he finally spoke, his voice was rough, scraped raw. "How long have you known? That your parents were part of the Black Rose?""Years," I admitted. "I heard the name some night at home, someone said it. The Black Rose. It stuck with me, haunted me. Also one time in my uncle's house but they'd said the Italian name, La Ro—""Rosa Nera." He completed, a vein on this neck transparent."When I joined the academy, I started digging. Quietly, carefully. I found references, old case files that mention

I was seated on a swing, the metal chains cold against my palms, and Kyle was on the swing beside me. I could feel his gaze on the side of my face, burning into my skin like he was trying to read my thoughts through sheer willpower alone. A wind picked up, tossing some of my hair into my face, and I gently shoved it behind my ear, forcing the invisible lump in my throat down. I took a deep breath and turned to see his eyes on me. I was right, he'd been staring. His green eyes met mine and the back of my throat tightened, squeezing until I thought I might choke on whatever words I was supposed to say. I observed his features for a moment, his brownish blonde hair darker now as the sun went down behind the trees. I'd asked him to meet me at this old abandoned park, the one we'd stumbled upon the first day we both started at the station. It had been an accident, both of us wandering after our shift, somehow ending up here where the swings creaked and the grass grew wild. It was calm he

I don't remember how I got back. One moment I was standing in the abandoned park watching Kyle disappear into the rain, and the next I was pushing through the front door, water dripping from my clothes and pooling on the expensive marble floor. My shoes squelched with each step, leaving muddy tracks behind me, but I couldn't bring myself to care."Well, well, look what the storm dragged in," Elias's voice cut through the fog in my head. He was leaning against the wall near the entrance, a glass of something amber in his hand. His usual smirk was already forming on his lips. "Did you decide to go for a swim fully clothed or—"I brushed past him without a word, my shoulder bumping his as I headed for the stairs. The jab died on his lips."Hey," his hand caught my arm, fingers wrapping around my wrist firmly but not roughly. "Are you okay?"I didn't look back at him, because if I did I might actually break down right here in the hallway or decide to punch his face. "I'm fine," I said, my