Obsession (Sinners of New Orleans #3)

Chapter 38

THIRTY-EIGHT

Adrian

J ohn’s black Porsche already sits outside of Orleans Parish Prison when I pull up. Langston made good on his word, dismissing the case and promptly having Sam released from prison. John grins as I step out of my car.

“Good work. You might have a place with this family, after all.”

I try to act honored, even though my place within this family is watching it burn.

A buzzing noise directs my attention to the gate in front of us right as the chain-link slides open, allowing passage to the prisoner.

Sam is wearing a wrinkled suit, likely the one he was picked up in, the jacket slung over his shoulder. His dark hair is slicked back and there’s a few days’ worth of stubble covering his jaw. He pauses at the entrance, his eyes going to John.

“Johnny,” he says, grinning before going to his cousin. They hug, Sam clapping the psychopath on his back. If I didn’t know better, I’d think this was a lovely family reunion.

But I do know better.

“I have a fresh suit for you in the car.” John gestures to his backseat.

Sam grins and shakes his head. “Perfect. I’ll change after I get this one dirty.” There’s an ominous undertone to his words, and I have an inkling I know exactly what getting his suit dirty means.

He’s going to kill Damien.

Normally, I think Sam would send someone else to do his dirty work, but this family war has gotten personal, and I have a feeling Sam wants to end it himself.

Which is perfect for my plan.

The second they pull out of this lot, I need to follow them. Either no one needs to make it out of their fight, or I need to catch it on camera and put the so-called winner back in prison.

After Sam greets his cousin, he turns his attention to me.

“Good work, Russo.” He walks toward me, extending his hand to shake mine.

I nod, shaking his hand amicably. Before another word is uttered, my phone begins to buzz in my pocket. Sam watches as I take it out, seeing Damien’s name on the caller ID.

“Answer it,” he tells me, nodding to the buzzing device.

“Hello?” I answer the phone, expecting it to be a normal call from Damien.

What I don’t expect is to hear his growling voice filled with anger on the other side.

“You’re two faced, Russo,” he says with venom. Sam must be able to hear his uncle on the other line because one eyebrow lifts. “I know about the club. You working for Sam now?” He scoffs like the sentence he just spoke is vile. “Lucky for you, I have no intention of hurting my niece. But John’s girl, I have no problem killing her. Count your days, Russo. Sammy boy can’t protect you forever.” The phone clicks, ending the call as my blood runs cold.

Immediately, my thoughts go to Madi and making sure she’s safe. She’s at her studio today with David watching over. Quickly, I dial David’s number. Just because Damien said he wouldn’t kill Madi doesn’t make me believe him.

“John.” I look to the psychopath as my phone rings, no answer. “Where’s Zoe today?”

Concern washes over his features, and for once, they look genuine.

“With Madi,” he answers.

“We need to go,” I say, right as David’s voicemail picks up. The lack of an answer from my head of security has my blood running cold. “The girls are in trouble.”

I’m rounding my car as Sam tells John to go with me.

“I’m going to find my uncle,” he says.

There’s a crossroads laid out before me. Sam is about to go kill his uncle, and if I go to Madi, I won’t get the video evidence I need to put him back in prison.

But if I follow Sam…Madi might get hurt. Or worse, Madi might be killed in the crossfire of this war.

Dread churns in my stomach. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to fall for her. But somewhere along the way, I did. Visions of her bleeding out on her studio floor fill my mind as my chest tightens.

I don’t want her dead.

I want her in my arms.

I want to make sure she knows how much I cherish her.

I want to love her for the rest of her life.

The decision feels easy as I slide into the driver’s seat, John getting into the passenger's side.

There isn’t time for goodbyes as we fly out of the prison lot. My heart is thundering a mile per minute as I race back to the French Quarter. John has his phone out, calling Zoe repeatedly, even when she doesn’t answer a single call. He calls his goons next, ordering them to Madi’s studio as we enter the quarter.

I barely have my car in park before the two of us are flinging the doors open and running to the studio.

There’s blood on the sidewalk where David should be standing, specks of it on the doorframe.

I get to the door first, swinging it open. John’s behind me, a gun gripped in his fingers, both of us on edge and ready to kill anyone who might come near the women we love.

And I do love her.

The fact is clear as day from the fear that enveloped my entire body at the thought of anything happening to her.

Madi’s on the floor when I enter. She scurries backwards before she even truly looks at me, reaching for a gun that’s laying on the cement and pointing it at me. Her face changes when she sees me, softening for only a moment before it hardens again.

I lift my hands. “It’s just me, Madi,” I say gently. She must be traumatized. I can’t imagine what she just went through. There are two bodies lying on the floor, one belonging to my head of security. I close my eyes, pushing down the pain of knowing he’s dead because of me, because of my vendetta.

John rushes past me, straight to Zoe who’s on the floor, panting next to the other dead body. I take in the sight. There’s something wrapped around the man’s throat, a length of wire with two small wooden rods on either end. A tool Madi uses for cutting her pottery pieces of the wheel. A surge of pride wells in my chest because she fought back. She killed a man to protect herself and Zoe.

My princess is a fighter.

“Is he breathing?” I ask John, gesturing to the man.

John lets go of Zoe only long enough to put his fingers to the man’s neck, shaking his head. “Dead. This is one of my uncle’s men,” he says, and then his arms are back around his girl, asking her if she’s okay as he holds her against his chest.

The same thing I want to do with Madi. Except she’s still pointing a gun at me.

“This is your fault, isn’t it?” She asks the question with a shaky voice. “You’re working with my uncle to take Sam out. And I’m just collateral damage.” A single tear leaks from her eye.

That has John’s attention back on me. “What?” he asks, his eyes going from me to Madi.

“He’s a liar,” Madi spits out venomously. “Tell us the truth, Adrian. You wanted us dead.”