Her Obsession (by Sheridan Hartin) novel Chapter 89

How Does This Dynamic Work?

76

Sage

The laughter rolled down the long tables again, knives still quivering in the wood, and it struck me how normal it all seemed to them. A brush with violence turned into a joke, a story to retell later. Naomi was already grinning, soaking it in like she’d been born for this. She dominated the space without even trying, her voice bright, her smile sharp. Of course she did. She’d been older when she first came to Yakov’s compound. She remembered what freedom felt like, what families acted like. She slipped into this chaos like it was her own skin. Me? I just watched. These men… they were killers, every one of them. I could see it in how they carried themselves, the weight in their hands, the ease with which they’d survived tonight’s fight. Trained, hardened and dangerous warriors. In another world, they would’ve been Yakov’s ghosts. But here they laughed and leaned on each other, passed bread across the tables, knocked shoulders like brothers.

They weren’t beaten into obedience. They weren’t starved until their stomachs forgot what full felt like. They weren’t punished into silence. They were fed meals made of love and lard, I realised, glancing toward the steam rolling off the platters. Their bellies filled, their backs watched, their loyalty bought not with terror, but with trust–freedom in exchange for faith in a family that treated them as something more than tools. It was… odd. Disorienting, even. My instincts whispered it couldn’t last, that there had to be a blade hidden beneath the warmth. But then I looked at Ma scolding a grown man for tracking mud across her floor, at Pa quietly pouring Liam a second drink, at Naomi throwing her head back in laughter while Liam rolled his eyes. I didn’t see torture. I didn’t see control. I saw something I didn’t have a name for. And it rattled me more than any gunfire ever had.

I sat there too long, staring at them like they were some strange species I’d never seen before, trying to piece together how killers could laugh with their mouths full and still call it family. My fork hovered over my plate, untouched.

“Little ghost,” Conner’s voice cut through the noise, low and close against my ear. I blinked, dragging myself back to him. His mouth curved in that half–smirk that always looked like he knew more than he should. He nudged the bowl closer. “Try the stew. Ma’ll probably get offended if you don’t. It’s her most prized recipe.”

I glanced down at the thick broth, meat and vegetables simmering together, the kind of dish that smelled like warmth itself. It was ridiculous, really, to hesitate over food when I’d faced down bullets hours ago, but something in me twisted.

Conner’s hand brushed mine under the table, steady, grounding. His eyes told me what his words didn’t: you’re safe here.

So I lifted the spoon, tasted it. It was rich, heavy with herbs and butter, the kind of flavour that clung to your ribs. My chest tightened, and I swallowed hard, because it was the first bite of food in years that hadn’t tasted like survival. It tasted like care. And that… that was

almost harder to swallow than the stew itself.

The spoon scraped quietly against the bowl as I took another bite, then another. I didn’t realise how fast I was eating until Conner leaned closer, watching me with that smug curve to his mouth.

“It’s good,” I muttered, almost grudgingly, though I didn’t stop digging in. The warmth of it spread down to my fingertips. “Really good.”

Conner’s chuckle rumbled low in his chest, the sound curling under my skin. “Aye, I know. That right there is what made me grow so big

and strong.”

He winked at me over the rim of his glass, and I actually laughed, short, sharp, but real. The sound startled me as much as it seemed to amuse him.

For a second, the hall, the men, even Ma and Pa faded. It was just me and Conner, stew between us, his grin daring me to believe that maybe things didn’t always have to be blood and ghosts.

The warmth of the stew was still sitting heavy in my chest when one of the men I didn’t recognise came striding up to the table. He looked half–strained, half–spooked, his eyes darting as if he wasn’t sure if he should be saying this in front of Ma and Pa.

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12:51 Mon, Oct 20

How Does This Dynamic Work?

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“The unconscious blonde you brought in,” he started, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. “She’s not unconscious anymore. She’s awake, and…” He dragged a hand down his face. “She’s demanding answers. Something about being owed the truth, about world domination, I don’t bloody know. She’s scaring the shite out of my lads.”

Conner leaned back in his chair, one brow arching, a smirk tugging at his mouth. “World domination, eh?” he drawled. “Sounds like a party.”

The man gave him a look that was all but begging. “Look, I don’t have a clue what she’s on about, but she’s frightening. Can you just…?” He broke off, glancing behind him as though he expected Ari to appear right there, her voice sharp enough to cut the air. His shoulders sagged, and the silent plea in his eyes landed square on me.

I felt Naomi stir down the table, restless, her grin sharp and eager. I pushed back my chair at the same time she did, both of us rising together.

“Alright then,” I said, my voice flat, already bracing for the fight of it.

Naomi stretched, cracking her knuckles like she’d been waiting for this all night. “Finally. Let’s go see what our little blonde mystery knows.”

Conner’s smirk followed us as we stepped away from the table, and I could still feel Pa’s steady eyes on my back. Answers. That’s what we needed now. And from the sound of it, Ari was more than ready to give them.

Chapter Comments

Sara Hart

3 days ago

where oh where will we go next..? can’t wait to see..

♡ 8

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