Ruthless Obsession

Chapter 3 — Captured

Chapter 3 — Captured

The man’s cold, eyes locked onto mine, and I knew in an instant that running wasn’t an option anymore. His grip on my arm was firm as he yanked me to my feet.

“Who sent you?” I demanded, trying to inject some strength into my voice, though my heart was pounding in my ears.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said, his father didn't give anything away. I didn't know if he was willing to kill me just as much the other guy in the bar.

He didn’t work for Victor—or at least, not directly. My father’s men were never this composed. This one exuded precision, the kind of control that made my skin crawl. It something my father's always rowdy operations lacked. Coordination.

“Let me go,” I hissed, trying to pull away.

He responded with a sharp twist of my arm, sending a jolt of pain through my shoulder. “Not a chance.”

From the alley, the man from the bar stumbled into view, his arm still bleeding from the bottle shard I’d used to fight him off.

“She’s all yours,” the suited man said, releasing my arm abruptly.

The injured man lunged for me, but I stepped back, instinct taking over. “Stay the hell away from me!”

“Enough,” the man in the suit barked. His voice was calm but carried an undeniable authority. “We don’t have time for theatrics. Bring her. He wouldn't like that you are wasting his time.”

I barely had time to react before the injured man grabbed me roughly, shoving me toward a black SUV parked at the mouth of the alley.

Panic clawed at my chest. This wasn’t about my father or the bar. This wasn’t even about the money I owed the landlord or the fake name on my ID. Someone else wanted me.

“Where are you taking me?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady.

No one answered.

The door to the SUV was opened, and I was shoved inside. My knees hit the leather seat, and before I could turn around, the door slammed shut behind me.

The interior smelled like a new car and leather polish, a sharp contrast to the chaos outside. A figure was seated in the shadows, his face partially obscured.

“Sit,” he said, his voice deep and commanding.

My heart sank and every fibre in my being clamped up. Even before I saw him clearly, I knew who he was.

Cain Marchesi.

I’d heard the name whispered in dark corners, mentioned in conversations among men who thought they were untouchable. He was a king in a world of pawns, a man who made monsters like my father seem almost human by comparison.

And now he was here, sitting across from me like a patient predator.

“I’ve been looking for you, Ava,” Cain said, leaning forward. The dim light from the street outside illuminated his beautiful features, but especially the dangerously empty glint in his eyes.

“I don’t know who you think I am,” I said quickly, trying to mask my fear. “You’ve got the wrong person.”

He chuckled, “Nice try. But we both know that’s a lie, Ms Hayes.”

I clenched my fists, every nerve in my body screaming at me to fight, to run, to do something. But Cain Marchesi wasn’t the kind of man you fought.

“What do you want?” I asked instead, my voice tight.

He leaned back, studying me like I was a puzzle he’d just started to solve. “What I want is simple: leverage.”

“Leverage?” I echoed, my mind racing. “I don’t have anything you want.”

Cain’s lips curved into a slow smile. “Oh, but you do. You’re Victor Delacroix’s daughter, aren’t you?”

The air felt like it had been sucked out of the car.

He knew. He knew. He knew. Was all my brain could come up with in that moment.

“You’re mistaken,” I said, the words were hollow even to my own ears.

Cain tilted his head, his gaze never leaving mine. “You can drop the act, Ava. Your father thinks you’re dead, but I know better. You’re alive—and you’re going to help me destroy him.”

My chest tightened, the weight of his words pressing down on me. He wasn’t here to take me back to my father. He was here to use me.

It was first relief and then a surge of panic ensued.

“I’m not helping you with anything,” I said firmly, though the tremor in my voice betrayed me.

Cain raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “You’ll change your mind.”

“I won’t,” I shot back, the defiance in my voice surprising even me.

He smirked and leaned in, his face inches from mine. “I think you will, Ava. Because if you don’t, I’ll make sure your father knows exactly where to find you. I mean he's been getting a few clues all he needs is a pointer in the right direction. And we both know what happens after that.”

The blood drained from my face.

Cain leaned back, satisfied with my silence. “Good. Now that we understand each other, let’s talk about how this is going to work. Perhaps in a more conducive environment and you in clothes that do not have grime and the blood of my man on it?”

I swallowed hard, the walls of the SUV feeling like they were closing in. This wasn’t just a nightmare—it was a trap, one I wasn’t sure I could escape.

He gave a small knock on the divider behind him and the car started moving. The city lights blurring into streaks of color outside the window. My mind raced, desperate for a way out. But the only thing I could think of was how close was my father to finding out my whereabouts before Cain found me and who else knew.

By the time the SUV came to a stop, I knew one thing for certain: whatever Cain Marchesi wanted from me, it wasn’t going to end well. On my end, his end and the end of the man who brought me to this world.

And as the door opened, the man from the bar grabbed my arm again, dragging me out into the night.

“Welcome to the game, Ava,” Cain said, his voice laced with dark amusement.

The door slammed shut behind me, and I was left standing in the shadows. And just like that Ava Delacroix was back into the world she vowed to leave behind.