A Deadly Obsession: Dark Romance Suspense (The Obsessed Duet Book 1) Read online

  “So did you find out about Vicky?” Jessie asks, keeping her voice low.

  “I’m sorry.” I shrug, knowing I’d failed to find out about her. My mind is consumed with a kiss when it shouldn’t be.

  Disappointment drapes both their shoulders.

  “I don’t think she’s hurt. I think she was just sent home.”

  “But you don’t know that for sure,” Hannah speaks quietly.

  She is right, I don’t. Jessie’s soft brown eyes are filled with worry. It isn’t meant to be like this for us girls. None of us deserved to be worrying or upset or even afraid. This is meant to be a time of love and laughter.

  “You’re right, we don’t know. I think that’s why we should find out.”

  Hannah perks up. “How?”

  I grin. “We snoop.”

  Hannah’s smile is instant. “I knew you were trouble the moment I saw you.”

  Her words have me laughing. “Me? Trouble?” I quiz and she nods. I didn’t consider myself trouble, but since arriving here, I seemed to be in the middle of it all.

  It didn’t matter, what mattered right now is finding out what happened to Vicky, and I will find out even if that meant playing nice with Master Lucas.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  LUCAS

  My heart pounds as my father enters the study. I hold the rag to my nose, hoping he doesn’t see the uncertainty on my face.

  “You had company?” He closes the panel and while his back is to me, I try to switch off my emotions.

  “It was nobody,” I answer. I don’t sit down in my seat in case he wants to.

  “It was definitely someone. Female. A gentle voice. She is familiar with you, she didn’t call you, Master Lucas.”

  Calculating eyes focus on me.

  “One of the ladies. Yes, but it’s unimportant.”

  I decide to sit, to give myself something to do as he scrutinizes me.

  “I hope she isn’t responsible for your face.” He waves his hand in the direction of my face. There is a tug of his lips. “I could have her hands for that.”

  Blood pools in my shoes as I imagine Ella being hurt. “No. It was Henry. You can take his hands.” I offer.

  My father narrows his eyes in warning. “What were you fighting about, a girl? Is that why one of them was sent home?”

  Nothing gets past him. But the irony that he thought we were fighting over a girl isn’t lost on me. I wonder what he would do to Henry if he found out that he is gay. It would most certainly have Henry out of his favor. The thought of telling him is enticing.

  “No, it was about Alex.” I stick as close to the truth as possible. He is bound to have heard about Ella being re-tested, nothing got past my father, so I could use that to my advantage. “I caught him with one of the ladies who I had re-tested. I just wanted to extend the warning to Henry. But, you know Henry, he doesn’t like to be told what to do.”

  My father’s cunning eye never leaves my face and my heart rate picks up. Can he detect the half-truths?

  There is a deafening silence. I steal the moment by placing the rag to my nose, which feels like it’s stopped bleeding.

  My father releases me from his stare. “Declan’s wake is today, so I will return officially then. I’m looking forward to meeting all these ladies that seem to be causing quite the stir.” The last part is said with a smile. I didn’t want my father to meet them. I didn’t want him to meet Ella.

  “It will be their pleasure, father. They might find you more enticing than me.” I throw the rag in the bin.

  “You have your father's charm. I think it’s time you turned it on.” He walks to the panel. “I’ll see you at the wake.” My father disappears and I sit for a few moments staring at the wall.

  Declan’s wake might be an opportunity to see if someone doesn’t arrive. Maybe see if there is a bad feeling amongst people, but first I need to do something.

  I ring the lab that we have on our payroll. I’ve never used them before, I’ve never had to, and I hope whoever I get to speak to doesn’t tell my father. But it’s a risk I’ll take.

  “Yellow Grange Laboratories.”

  “Master Lucas Andrew O’ Faolain the third speaking.” I ramble my title and I can hear the shuffle of the phone.

  “Master Lucas, one moment.” I hate being put on hold.

  “Master Lucas, what a pleasure to be a service to you.” A male voice speaks into the phone.

  “I have a finger that I would like analyzed. Can I send it today?” I keep it short.

  “Of course, is it just the finger?” He sounds a little unsteady now.

  “Isn’t that what I just said?”

  “Of course, Master Lucas. I will wait personally for the delivery.”

  “Good. One final thing. This is between us.”

  “Yes, Master Lucas.”

  We will see how loyal he is. I hang up feeling pretty certain he will run back to my father, I just hope I have some time to figure out who the finger belonged to before he did that.

  I leave the study and go straight to my bedroom. There are no giggling ladies in the hallway for once. Kicking the door closed I start to strip as I make my way to the shower.

  The cold water has my body taut as it hits my back. It’s freezing and I keep the cold water pounding onto my body until it nearly becomes unbearable.

  Switching over to hot, I tremble and shake. I stay in the one spot until it subsides. The warmth replaces the chill in my bones.

  Blood from my face swirls at my feet before disappearing down the drain.

  A grin grows on my face as I picture Ella watching me when I sucked my fingers. She was shocked but turned on too. My body hums when I think of the kiss, it wasn’t much of a kiss, yet I felt it. My shaft grows and thickens as I fantasize about her, wanting me and touching me. I picture her as I take my cock in my hand, and start to pump slowly. My free hand shoots to the shower tiles as I hold myself up.

  I pump harder and faster picturing myself inside Ella, she would be so tight and sweet around my cock. Her whimpers and moans have me jerking faster until I release across the tiles of the shower. Coming down slowly off the tips of my toes, I give my cock a few final jerks, emptying it before finishing my shower.

  ***

  Declan’s estate sits on the outskirts of Brownstown. My stomach churns as I enter the property. This isn’t just about the wake. My father will arrive and with it, I will return to just Lucas. Brendan will make sure to rub it in. I tighten my hands on the steering wheel as I follow the direction of two men who wave me to my parking spot.

  Two large greyhounds roam near the front door. Declan is a betting man and had his own greyhounds in the races. They were such an ugly dog. They always looked half fed. They don’t come near me as I make my way up the four steps and push open the red front door that’s been left slightly ajar.

  Signing my name in the book of condolences, I follow the soft chatter into a large sitting room. The décor is what you would expect for an Estate house. It’s a smaller scale than our own, but just as expensively decorated.

  Debbie is the first to see me. Her blond hair is pinned in a tight bun on top of her head. The black dress she wears is fitting. Her neck is decorated in pearls.

  “Mr. O’ Faolain.” She takes my hand.

  I smile at her. “Please, Debbie. Call me Lucas.”

  Her smile grows. “Thank you for coming, Lucas.”

  “Declan was a good man.”

  She nods, but her makeup stays on perfectly. Money kept her here, not Declan. Money kept us all in our place. No one is going to marry me for anything other than power, a position. That’s how it went.

  Debbie still hasn’t released my hand. “He’s over here.” She brings me to the coffin like I might not have noticed it or known where Declan was.

  I want my hand back, but I also want information. Leaning in, my eyes go straight to his hands. One is placed over the other, hiding the missing finger.

  “I’m sorry about h
is finger,” I whisper but glance at Debbie.

  Her nose curls. “Would you notice it missing? I had them rearrange his hands three times.” She sounds annoyed.

  “No, you wouldn’t notice at all. You did a fantastic job.”

  She beams. Thank you. Lucas,” she says my name slowly and I carefully detangle her from me. Someone else arrives, taking her attention off me. I turn to see Brendan, Aine and Sean seated against the wall on high-back gold chairs, like they were the most important people in the room.

  “Master Lucas,” Aine greets me. That told me that my father has not reappeared yet. He would use a wake to make his return loud.

  “Aine, Brendan, Sean.” I greet all three. Brendan barely says Master Lucas, but he manages to get it out. The only other people in the room are some younger people, on their phones. settled on a large couch near the double windows. Most people would be in the kitchen. Where there is food, there is people.

  I return to Declan, picking up the palm that I brush on his forehead. My eyes snap to his hands again. They really had covered up his missing finger. I could see the tiny gap, but that’s only because I knew what to look for. Peeking out of the sleeve of his jacket is a small black dot. Glancing around the room I make sure no one is watching. Of course Brendan is. While Debbie is greeting a lady I make it quick, moving the white sleeve. Three black dots are tattooed on his outer thumb. Just like Henry’s.

  The air in the room changes and I step back from the coffin.

  “Master Andrew.” My father has arrived.

  The wake ended up turning up nothing. No one spoke ill of the dead. So if he had enemies, they sung his praises. I needed to approach this from a different angle, the tattoos would be one. Why would Declan and Henry have the same tattoos?

  I arrive back at the house and as I step into the foyer, I find Ella alone and pacing. When she notices me, I can’t figure out what passes her features.

  Fear?

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” She steps forward, hands held tightly in front of her. She’s wearing a white summer dress, it doesn’t hug her curves, but she looks angelic. Black hair falls into her face and she pushes it back behind her ear.

  “Thank you.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise like she isn’t expecting me to respond.

  She forces a smile, but it looks just that, forced. She’s up to something. I will let this play out.

  “I need a drink.” I did. I step away from Ella but she doesn’t follow. Let’s see how eager she is.

  “Are you coming?” I ask but don’t turn around. I smirk when I hear her soft footsteps behind me. She is definitely up to something.

  She looks awkward as I step behind the bar and take down a bottle of scotch.

  I pour out two glasses. She’s standing a few feet away from the bar looking around the room. I place her drink on the counter.

  “I won’t bite,” I say.

  She gives me a questionable look. She looks ready to run. But she straightens and walks with her head high to the bar. Picking up the glass, she stares at it and I watch her as I sip my own drink. She raises the glass to her lips, her eyes shoot to me and my trousers tighten. What she could do with one look.

  She pulls a face and I grin at her. “That’s disgusting.”

  I nod, walking around to her. “I agree, but it’s a taste you get used to.”

  She has that deer in headlights look as I walk around to her. She places the glass on the bar and puts her hands behind her back, but I see the tremble that she is trying to hide.

  What is Ella up to?

  I lean against a stool, not fully sitting on it. “Do you want to tell me why you were waiting in the foyer?” I ask before placing my drink on the bar and removing my black suit jacket.

  Her eyes roam across me and I let her take me in. When her eyes travel up to mine, a splash of pink coats her cheeks and I want to kiss her.

  “I wasn’t. I was actually about to take a walk in the gardens.” She lies and tries to cover it up by taking another drink of scotch. Her face twists in disgust and I smile again at her small turned-up nose.

  “Really?”

  She bites her lip and I think she’s trying to stop a smile.

  “I hope you aren’t keeping secrets from me, Ella.”

  Her face flames. It’s too easy. “No. I was only going for a walk.”

  I finish my drink. “Are you sure you weren’t meeting Alex?” My temper flares like a match striking a box. I don’t know why the feeling erupts, but she flinches and I know I’m scaring her.

  “No.” Her bark is loud and she curls her little fists tightly at her side.

  This is my fault, I started this, but I feed off her fear and I can’t seem to help myself.

  “If I find out you are, I will punish you.”

  Instantly her eyes flicker to my lips. I grin. “I think you like when I punish you.” My trousers tighten painfully.

  Her temper is rising, I can see it, she’s ready to lash out but at the last second something changes.

  She takes a step closer to me, her eyes flicker up to mine. I don’t move as I wait to see what she’s going to do. A hand that I can feel tremble through my shirt touches my chest. The heat of her hand worms its way beneath my skin.

  Her pulse flickers wildly in her neck as she reaches up on the tip of her toes and presses a soft kiss to my mouth. Her lips are soft and warm. Placing the glass on the counter, I grip her waist and she leans out, green eyes focus on me and she’s swimming in lust. I’m strong, but right now she has weakened me.

  I take her face in my hand and kiss her. It isn’t soft. It’s urgent and harsh. Ella surprises me when she meets my kiss with her own harshness that matches mine.

  The soft groan from her lips has my cock twitching painfully. My tongue enters her mouth. The taste of scotch and mint fills my own. She’s perfect.

  A knock on the door has me breaking the kiss. When I look at Ella, she’s dazed, her eyes overcast like someone who’s drunk. I release her face as George steps in. He saw us kiss, I can tell from the light in his eyes.

  “Sorry for disturbing you Master Lucas, but your father requests your company.”

  “I’ll be with him in a moment.”

  George gives Ella a quick glance before leaving. I turn to her now. She looks more put together, but still a little flustered.

  “I have to go, but maybe later you might decide to tell me the truth.” I speak while putting on my jacket.

  “The truth?” She sounds confused, like her mind isn’t focused.

  “Yes. Ella. The truth. I told you before, your eyes give you away.”

  I pause in front of her. “You were waiting for a reason.” I touch her swollen lips with my thumb. “Maybe you could tell me tonight at dinner.”

  “Dinner?” Her chest rises quickly and I think of her breasts in my hands. I release her face.

  “Yes, Ella, dinner.” I step away. I needed to meet my father. “Oh,” I pause at the door. “Wear something tight.” I wink and her temper flares.

  The spitfire that I’m used to seeing returns, and I laugh as I leave the room. Tonight should be fun.

  For the first time in a long time, I had something to look forward to.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ELLA

  I’m angry with myself for getting so sucked in with Lucas. It isn’t like he is charming, no; he is disarming.

  That’s how I feel when he’s around me, like everything logically flees and all I’m left with is a jumble of emotions. I pull my lip between my teeth. That kiss. I catch myself smiling and scold myself as I leave the bar with a taste of scotch and Lucas on my tongue. I liked both.

  Wear something tight. The way he had said it had my body flaming. His kiss had gotten under my skin and I felt it in every cell of my body. What would having him touch me do? I sigh and catch myself smiling again, as I make my way back to my room, where no doubt Hannah and Jessie are waiting on a report of my findings.

  They kne
w I was going to wait for him. Guilt swirls in my stomach, I had nothing for them. But tonight at dinner would be a great opportunity. I’m only going to the meal for Vicky, I tell myself. The lie scorches into my cheeks.

  “What happened?” For the second time, Hannah and Jessie scare the life out of me.

  “I thought we discussed you waiting in the room,” I say as I hold a hand over my racing heart.

  Hannah looks sheepish. “Sorry we were just worried.” She chews her lip.

  “Is that scotch I smell?” Jessie leans in and sniffs me.

  I swat her away and glance around the hallway. “Anyone could be listening.”

  “Are you drunk?” Jessie fires another question as we start to walk.

  “No. I had one drink.”

  Hannah squeals. “You had a drink with Lucas?” Her face lights up.

  “He’s the enemy, Hannah, he killed Vicky.”

  I want to clamp my hand over Jessie’s mouth. “We don’t know that,” I whisper as we walk up the stairs.

  We all pause, Sandra is standing on the landing, hands on her hips, eyes trained on us.

  I continue up the stairs. “Sandra,” I greet her.

  Her blond hair is loose and falls in those perfect curls that are fit for a commercial.

  “Where were you?”

  Hannah and Jessie join me on the landing.

  “Out for a walk,” I say.

  “Having a drink,” Jessie replies at the same time as me and Sandra raises a brow.

  “We are allowed around the house.”

  “Only the designated areas ladies.” She has such authority in her voice that I haven’t heard before.

  I frown. “We did,” I respond.

  She forces a smile. “Good. I just wanted to give a friendly reminder.”

  She moves past us and down the stairs. We say nothing until we are in my room.

  “What was that about?” Hannah asks what I am thinking.

  “I don’t know. Is she normally like that?”

  “Up in herself? Yes,” Jessie answers, while sitting on my bed.