Page 176 of Maddening Fixation

She collapsed onto her knees.

Romeo moved before anyone else could.

He was beside her in an instant, dropping to one knee as he caught her before she fell completely.

Carefully, he lifted her against his chest.

Bright crimson stained the front of his charcoal suit.

His attention remained fixed on her for only a heartbeat before his eyes lifted to mine.

For the first time...

I saw genuine emotion break through his carefully controlled exterior.

Not hatred. Not indifference.

Shock.

Raw, unmistakable shock.

I stood frozen, breathing hard.

My chest rose and fell violently.

Tears blurred my vision again. “That bitch killed my cat!”

The words ripped out of me before I could stop them.

My voice cracked beneath the weight of my grief. “She killed Raven!”

Every muscle in my body trembled. “I loved that cat...”

I swallowed against the lump in my throat. “...and she murdered her because she wanted to hurt me.”

Yarina let out a broken sob and clung to Romeo as though he were the only safe place left in the world.

“I... I woke up this morning and found it dead...” she cried, her voice trembling with practiced heartbreak.

She buried her face against his chest, smearing more blood across the front of his charcoal suit. “How could she accuse me of killing it?” she whispered between shaky breaths. “I buried the poor thing because I didn’t want her to see it like that. I thought I was doing something kind...”

Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks as she looked up at Romeo with wounded eyes.

“My sister has always hated me,” she whispered. “I can’t believe she’d accuse me of something so cruel.”

I stared at her in disbelief.

How could someone lie so effortlessly?

How could she cry on command after boasting about killing Raven only minutes ago?

Romeo didn’t question a single word.

Without taking his eyes off Yarina, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.

“This is Romeo Flynn,” he said, his voice clipped and commanding. “I need an ambulance at the Sokolov residence immediately. Female, head trauma with significant bleeding. Move.”

He ended the call without waiting for a response.