Read Online Deadly Obsession by Jaycee Clark - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jaycee Clark
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Brayden and for this family, which you seem to be a part of more or less, I can’t help wondering why you’d keep this from them." His dark eyes narrowed in their study of her, until she looked away. "The Kinncaids all love you, from what I’ve seen. I’ve got two sisters, and I’d be pissed as hell at one of them for keeping something like this from me. Or my parents."
She didn’t say anything, just turned around and busied herself with making coffee as she filled the carafe.
"There is someone out there doing their damnedest to terrorize you." She heard his footsteps as he walked toward her. "He’s letting you know he’s watching you. He knows everything about you. He’s starting to send you gifts. He’s calling you. Cases like this only escalate."
Escalate? To what? An attack? She already knew what this monster’s worst was.
"Have you changed your locks?" Gabe asked her, the switch in topics momentarily catching her off guard.
"The locksmith is coming Monday morning. I couldn’t get anyone sooner and had to pay extra to bribe my way to Monday," she admitted to him.
Gabe ran a hand through his dark brown hair.
He grinned at her then, a small, half-grin. And if she were interested in him, she might find it attractive.
But she was only interested in one man. Had only felt safe with one man. Brayden. At least ‘that’ kind of safe.
"You are a stubborn woman."
Christian shrugged but couldn’t hide her grin. "So I’ve been told."
He shook his head. "You need to report this. No one can help you if you don’t. And you’re going to hurt your family by keeping this from them."
He was right. Brayden was already wondering what was going on and... Oh, hell. The computer.
She hurried out of the kitchen. Brayden would be so pissed. The stairs were cool under her feet as she dashed up them. Her computer sat on her bed silent and waiting. She saw that Oldshopkeeper was no longer on line.
Quickly, she scrolled back through his messages.
Oldshopkeeper: "Don’t answer it."
Oldshopkeeper: "Dammit Christian it’s three a.m."
Oldshopkeeper: "Are you back? Who was it?"
Oldshopkeeper: "If you’re not back on in a few minutes, I’m calling you."
Oldshopkeeper: "You didn’t answer. I’m coming to town."
That was the last message. Hell.
Why hadn’t she gotten his call? Unless Brayden called while he left a message on her machine. What was the time of the last message? Well over half an hour ago. Hell, he’d be here soon.
She whirled around and saw Gabe standing in her doorway. "Problem?"
"Yeah, Bray’s coming. I went to answer the door and well.... I never got back to instant message him, so he’s coming."
"Maybe he’s not so dumb after all."
Men. She rolled her eyes. "Could you do something else for me?"
"Well, I could wait around and piss off a wealthy powerful guy and his brothers because I’m here with you in the wee hours of the morning. That ought to be fun. Or I could let it slip some twisted man is staking a claim on you. But what did you have in mind?"
Christian shook her head, brushed past him and hurried downstairs. She had to get rid of the painting. If it was here when Brayden arrived, there would be all sorts of questions.
"I was wondering if you could use those muscles of yours to take that-that thing." She pointed to the entryway.
He stepped beside her and stared at the object she was referring to. "You mean the artistic masterpiece?" Gabe scratched his jaw. "On one condition."
"What?" She twisted the cuff on her sweatshirt.
"You tell me what you see in the painting. Because you saw something the rest of us didn’t. And then I get to take it and do with it what I want, no questions asked."
Christian met his gaze directly. Her muscles tensed and she thought about what it meant, what he wasn’t telling her. But then realized how hypocritical that thought was.
"You want that in your house? What the hell are you going to do? Hang it over the stairwell?"
His eyes narrowed.
She didn’t say anything, just turned around and busied herself with making coffee as she filled the carafe.
"There is someone out there doing their damnedest to terrorize you." She heard his footsteps as he walked toward her. "He’s letting you know he’s watching you. He knows everything about you. He’s starting to send you gifts. He’s calling you. Cases like this only escalate."
Escalate? To what? An attack? She already knew what this monster’s worst was.
"Have you changed your locks?" Gabe asked her, the switch in topics momentarily catching her off guard.
"The locksmith is coming Monday morning. I couldn’t get anyone sooner and had to pay extra to bribe my way to Monday," she admitted to him.
Gabe ran a hand through his dark brown hair.
He grinned at her then, a small, half-grin. And if she were interested in him, she might find it attractive.
But she was only interested in one man. Had only felt safe with one man. Brayden. At least ‘that’ kind of safe.
"You are a stubborn woman."
Christian shrugged but couldn’t hide her grin. "So I’ve been told."
He shook his head. "You need to report this. No one can help you if you don’t. And you’re going to hurt your family by keeping this from them."
He was right. Brayden was already wondering what was going on and... Oh, hell. The computer.
She hurried out of the kitchen. Brayden would be so pissed. The stairs were cool under her feet as she dashed up them. Her computer sat on her bed silent and waiting. She saw that Oldshopkeeper was no longer on line.
Quickly, she scrolled back through his messages.
Oldshopkeeper: "Don’t answer it."
Oldshopkeeper: "Dammit Christian it’s three a.m."
Oldshopkeeper: "Are you back? Who was it?"
Oldshopkeeper: "If you’re not back on in a few minutes, I’m calling you."
Oldshopkeeper: "You didn’t answer. I’m coming to town."
That was the last message. Hell.
Why hadn’t she gotten his call? Unless Brayden called while he left a message on her machine. What was the time of the last message? Well over half an hour ago. Hell, he’d be here soon.
She whirled around and saw Gabe standing in her doorway. "Problem?"
"Yeah, Bray’s coming. I went to answer the door and well.... I never got back to instant message him, so he’s coming."
"Maybe he’s not so dumb after all."
Men. She rolled her eyes. "Could you do something else for me?"
"Well, I could wait around and piss off a wealthy powerful guy and his brothers because I’m here with you in the wee hours of the morning. That ought to be fun. Or I could let it slip some twisted man is staking a claim on you. But what did you have in mind?"
Christian shook her head, brushed past him and hurried downstairs. She had to get rid of the painting. If it was here when Brayden arrived, there would be all sorts of questions.
"I was wondering if you could use those muscles of yours to take that-that thing." She pointed to the entryway.
He stepped beside her and stared at the object she was referring to. "You mean the artistic masterpiece?" Gabe scratched his jaw. "On one condition."
"What?" She twisted the cuff on her sweatshirt.
"You tell me what you see in the painting. Because you saw something the rest of us didn’t. And then I get to take it and do with it what I want, no questions asked."
Christian met his gaze directly. Her muscles tensed and she thought about what it meant, what he wasn’t telling her. But then realized how hypocritical that thought was.
"You want that in your house? What the hell are you going to do? Hang it over the stairwell?"
His eyes narrowed.
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