Her Obsession (by Sheridan Hartin) novel Chapter 135

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The light creeping through the curtains was soft and golden when I woke. That in–between hour where the city hadn’t quite shaken the sleep off yet. For a second, I thought Sage was still asleep beside me. Then I noticed the empty space, the rustle of paper, and her silhouette sitting cross–legged at the end of the bed. She had the stack of documents spread out across her lap, the morning light catching the edges. Her hair was a mess of tangled silver strands, and she was chewing her lip as her eyes moved over the words. The adoption papers. I leaned up on one elbow, rubbing a hand over my face before reaching out to rest my palm between her shoulder blades. She startled slightly, then relaxed when she realised it was me.

“You’re up early,” I murmured, my thumb tracing slow circles on her back.

“Couldn’t sleep any longer,” she said quietly. She turned the papers in her hands, eyes still focused on them like they might change if she looked hard enough. “Are you sure about this?”

I sat up, shifting closer until my knees brushed her back. When she looked at me, I smiled, small and certain. “Never been more sure about anything in my life,” I told her honestly. “I’m honoured to do this. For both of you.”

She stared at me for a long second before leaning forward to press a kiss to my forehead. It was soft, barely there, but it hit somewhere deep. My stomach flipped, and my body reacted in ways that didn’t give a damn about how serious the conversation was.

She pulled back, lips curling in a faint smile. “Now we just have to get them to sign it.”

“Yeah,” I said, running my fingers through her hair and resting my forehead against hers. “We will. It’ll all work out the way we want it

to.”

I let out a small breath and brushed my thumb across her cheek. “Go have a shower, sweetheart. I’ll order us some room service for breakfast. You’ve got a big day ahead of you.”

She nodded, set the papers carefully back on the table, and stood. I watched her walk toward the bathroom, the sound of running water starting a moment later. I leaned back on the bed, the faintest smile tugging at my mouth as I reached for the phone. Breakfast first. Then we’d get those signatures. Then we bring our boy home.

By the time there’s another knock at the door, the room smells like coffee, toast and bacon. Liam, Matteo and Naomi pile in with that ragged, bright energy guys get when a job’s on and the plan’s taking shape. They drop onto the extra chairs and the floor like they own the place. I pour another round of coffee and slide plates across the little table; the paper with Diego’s birth certificate and the adoption forms sits between my elbow and hip.

“What’s the plan for today?” Matteo asks, stabbing at his toast.

Sage sits opposite me, the adoption paperwork folded neat beside her coffee, and when she speaks everyone leans in like it’s the only thing worth hearing.

“It should be simple,” she says, voice flat but steady. “It’s the weekend so they’ll be home. Conner and I walk right up to the front door. I tell Lucia who I am, I tell her we’d like to take Diego with us. We give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they do the right thing.”

Naomi snorts, then looks up, eyes sharp. “And if they don’t?”

Sage meets her without flinch. “Then we push inside.” She says the words plain, lets them land. “You take Diego upstairs. Make sure he’s calm, keep him in his room. Don’t let him see us if it gets ugly. I’ll make sure they sign those papers, one way or another.”

Matteo’s fork pauses mid–air. Liam’s jaw tightens. For a beat the only sound is the hum of the kettle in the corner and the distant city outside. I watch Sage, the way her fingers drum the table, the exactness in her tone and something in me goes steady. This is the woman

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12:33 Wed, Oct 22

Ready To Go?

who will do what needs doing. This is my woman.

“All right,” I say, folding my hands over the documents. “We go clean first. We give them the out. If they choose otherwise, we make it simple for them to do the right thing under pressure.” I meet each of the lads‘ eyes in turn. “Naomi, you keep Diego safe. Matteo, you watch exits. Liam, you keep an observant eye on the parents and be ready to step in If we need a hand.”

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They all nod. I let the responsibility settle where it belongs. The plan’s blunt, but it’s honest, and that’s what Diego deserves: a clean path to a life that can’t be yanked away by drunk men or frightened mothers.

Sage folds her palms together and looks at me. “We do this for him.”

“For him,” I echo.

The last of the breakfast is cleaned up, and we pack our bags, check out and head to the cars. We don’t plan on coming back here today. We know what we want and we’re going to go and get him and take him home. I wonder what Ma and Pa will say…I probably should have called them by now. Maybe I’ll fly us all out there for a little surprise once we have Diego. I’m sure he’d love it out there with the wind in his hair and grass in his toes. I wonder if he’ll like the horses. If he does I’m buying him one. Or a dirt bike if he’s into that. I think back on my own childhood and all of the fun and freedom that my cousins and I had and I can not wait to be able to see Diego expierence that for himself.

“We ready to go, darling?” Sage asks climbing into the passenger seat next to me. I give her hand a squeeze before bringing it up to my mouth to kiss the back of it.

“Ready, sweetheart.”

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