Page 28 of Unhinged Obsession

He tips his head back with a sigh because he does believe every word I’m saying.

I lean forward, lowering my voice. "Because Plan B sounds just fine to me."

Deep down, I'd enjoy watching St. Augustine burn and the Black Crown Society right along with it. My hand slips beneath the table, and my fingers wrap gently around Blair’s thigh.

She freezes for the briefest second before relaxing beneath my hand. I don’t think this girl realizes how strong she is, and how she’s single-handedly kept me from losing my mind over the years.

God.

She feels so perfect in my hands, like every part of her was made to fit against me.

Across the table, Caiden clears his throat. Whatever softness had settled over his features while his girl was making a scene in the DJ booth has disappeared completely.

The businessman is back.

The man who built Castlebrook Falls into what it is.

"I assume you're willing to take her as your Chosen." A humorless laugh escapes me at his words.

"I'm telling you right now..." I lean back in my chair, shaking my head once. "If anybody else tries to take her, you'll hear them screaming from your rocking chair on top of this fucking mountain."

The corner of Caiden's mouth threatens to lift. Barely. But just enough for me to know he appreciates the jab. But then his next words make me feel like all the blood has drained out of my face."You'll need to claim her publicly."

"Excuse me?" The question comes out sharper than I intend, and I feel Blair's back go rigid.

"Not on a fucking stage, you dipshit," Caiden deadpans. "You know as well as I do that Black Crown, your precious Saints, the Sinners, and Onyx Dominion have eyes and ears all over that campus." He gestures between Blair and me.

"Little dick Bradford wants her because he knows you want her." His gaze settles on mine. "And because you haven't had her, I’m assuming, to avoid trouble with The Society."

“And then they’ll punish her, probably send her back to Onyx Dominion for disobeying Society rules,” I say, because this plan feels far from foolproof.

"First, and no offense,” he says, looking at Blair and then back to me, “You need to take away the prize he thinks he’s winning, and then you’ll need to commit to signing these,” Caiden says, snapping his fingers toward the bar. It seems like mere seconds before one of the staff members appears with papers and hands them to Caiden.

Caiden leans back in his chair, his attention drifting away from us almost immediately. His eyes sweep across the room before settling somewhere over the top of Blair’s head.

Chapel.

She's weaving through the crowd toward the mechanical bull with that same carefree confidence she had when she hijacked the DJ booth, completely unaware—or maybe completely unconcerned—that every cowboy in the place has noticed her. I don't think I've ever seen Caiden look at anything the way he's looking at her now.

Blair’s gasp is what catches my attention. She’s shuffling through the papers and her hands are shaking. “I can’t ask him to do this,” she says, and I can only assume I’m the ‘he’ in question even though I haven’t had a chance to read what she’s already processing.

Caiden clears his throat as he pushes to his feet, never once taking his eyes off Chapel.

"I’ve already signed them, and I suspect seeing my name will be enough of a deterrent for the Saints to deny it," he says evenly, but his mind is elsewhere. "This is the loophole you need, and the only one you’re going to get." Then he's walking away without a goodbye.

Blair and I both watch him disappear into the crowd just as Chapel reaches the bull. She's wearing a short denim skirt and pink cowboy boots that match her flowy top. She smiles at the employee running the bull, waiting patiently for her turn.

The frat boys are standing nearby, and one of them makes the mistake of smiling at her. We should really be seeing ourselves out if we want to stop for ice cream, discuss these papers, and still make it home in time to check out the barn. Unfortunately, this is going to be a train wreck, and I can’t look away.

Caiden doesn't say a single word. Someone has turned the music off from the DJ booth, and I can't help but think it was in anticipation of whatever is about to happen.

He reaches over, plucks the beer bottle right out of Smiley's hand, and then drives his fist straight into the guy’s jaw.

The frat boy hits the floor so hard I actually wince. Caiden calmly pours the beer over the man's face until he sputters back to consciousness, then plants the heel of his boot squarely against his throat.

"Don't ever smile at my wife," he says, his voice carrying through the now silent room. "Now get the fuck out of my bar."

Chapel plants a hand on her hip. "What are you doing?"