Page 65 of Arran's Obsession

For a long moment, I stared at the broken stone, lost in the sense of being trapped. Tied up and in horrible discomfort. No one was allowed to help me for fear of retribution, but they did.

Audrey did. My mother.

I’d had no idea who she was until it was too late. My recollections of her were just as twisted as anything else from my childhood. She’d been a broken woman, conditioned to serve and obedient to a fault. Until she wasn’t. She’d stood up to Dad and lost her life because of it. Not once had she ever told me who she was.

My stomach curdled, and I strode out of the ruin and into the woods I could navigate blindfolded.

Near Audrey’s grave and on silent feet, I stopped, concealing myself in darkness. Then I sent the short message I’d recorded for Jamieson, asking him to bring Genevieve back to the car.

In a minute, they appeared in the darkness, on track to pass me.

“You’re wrong about him,” Genevieve was saying. “He thinks I’m a gang member.”

“Are ye?” Jamieson asked.

“No! I hate the gangs with everything in me.”

“Why?”

They were right next to me now, passing only a couple of metres away. So close, I couldn’t miss the genuine, unhidden hurt in Genevieve’s features.

“They killed my mother.”

Then they were gone, and I slunk to my mother’s grave.

As I always did, I hopped the fence and laid out on the stone, staring at the starry Scottish sky. I spoke to her in my head, never out loud.

Hey, Audrey. Thank you for looking after Genevieve while I was busy. I wonder if you would’ve liked her. Jury’s still out as far as I’m concerned.

Just so you know, Dad’s still in jail. One day, I’ll kill him, and I’ll do it in your name. Sorry you can’t be around to see it.

I wish I could say I loved you, but fuck you for what you did to me. Fuck you for fucking me up just as badly as he ever did.

Chapter 21

Genevieve

In silence, Arran drove us away from Kendrick Manor. I couldn’t hold my tongue. “That used to be your home back there.”

He kept his gaze forward but awarded me a tiny inclination of his head.

“You destroyed it,” I pressed.

A slight tweak of his lips told me I was on the money. “Burned it down. Jamieson helped.”

For a moment, I held my breath. “Why?”

“My father killed my mother there, but then you knew that.”

Hurt bubbled up in me. “I didn’t even know your name until ten days ago. Would you stop with the crap that I’m some gangster’s mole trying to infiltrate you?”

“Gangster’s mole?” He uttered an infuriating laugh.

“I believe you about your business setup, can’t you return the favour and accept I am who I say I am?” I snapped, yelling at him for no other reason than I had no idea how to treat him now. His mother haddied. Like mine. Except his father had murdered her rather than mourned her. God.

He worked his jaw. “Tell me everything you know about the gangs in Deadwater.”

“I know about yours.”