Read Online Deadly Obsession by Katie Reus - Free Book Online

in front of the door. “You’re not real,” she whispered, the three words scratchy and barely audible.
    As chills snaked through her veins, she stared at the sight before her. Black mask, black sweater, black jeans, black shoes and…her heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she saw clusters of dirt by his foot. This wasn’t her imagination. He wasn’t some shadowy figure in her dreams.
    Instinct kicked in and she let out an ear-piercing scream as she dove for the display stand. She’d left her gun in her purse and it was the only thing she might have been able to use as a weapon.
    She was fast, but so was he. Surprise registered in his dark eyes, but the second she opened her mouth, he catapulted into action. She barely made it one step.
    Strong, beefy arms clamped around her upper body as he tackled her to the ground. She struggled, thrashing around, trying to get a punch in, but his grip only increased, cutting off her air supply.
    “Get off me,” she yelled.
    Using what little strength she had to shout was a mistake. When the rest of the air sucked out of her lungs at the effort, he squeezed tighter, rolling her so that she was face down.
    Fear and bile filled her mouth as her face scraped against the carpet. The smell of cleaning products and tobacco filled her nostrils. Something primal inside her screamed as she struggled.
    She managed to free one of her hands. Using raw adrenaline, she clawed at the carpet and tried to find a hold or some way to wiggle free. She might have been trained in self-defense but this guy outweighed her by at least seventy pounds. He slammed his hand on hers, gripping her wrist with brutal force as he shoved himself tighter against her.
    His body smothered hers, making it increasingly harder to breathe or think. When she felt his erection prodding at the small of her back, she bit back a cry. He was turned on by this! The realization made her want to vomit.
    She opened her mouth to scream but he pressed harder onto her back, pushing all the strength from her. “Help.” The word was a whisper. Coughing and struggling she tried to shriek, but it was impossible. Where was Braden? Her mind screamed for him.
    “We don’t have time now, but later I’m going to enjoy every inch of you,” her attacker whispered in her ear, the vile meaning echoing in her brain.
    She dry heaved at his words, but before she had a chance to react, he shoved something over her face. He kept his hand there until she couldn’t fight him any longer. Sweetness filled her nostrils before blackness engulfed her.

Chapter 4
    Lilly fought through cobwebs, trying to clear her brain and open her eyes. A deep throbbing fractured through her skull. She raised a hand to massage her temple, but her knuckles hit something hard.
    She blinked a couple times, but everything was pitch-black. Writhing around, she tried to sit up and move her hands, but her skull cracked against something solid. Pain splintered through her head. Oh my God! She didn’t know how she knew, but that maniac had locked her in a coffin. Her throat threatened to close up as panic set in. She clawed around until her hand clasped on silky material and she started pulling and ripping.
    Lilly pounded at the lid with the heels of her hand. “Help! Braden! Somebody help me!” Screaming and pitching her body around, she tried to push on the top but it was useless.
    Struggling to use her knees and feet, she continued kicking at the lid. The harder she kicked, the more her lungs seemed to shrink in her chest. As she gulped in musty air, she forced herself to calm down and think. If she didn’t stop thrashing, she might run out of air. Think, don’t react. She chanted the words over and over in her head.
    When she heard her name being called as if through a tunnel, her heart leapt. “Help! I’m in here!”
    The sound of Braden’s voice calling her name immediately calmed her nerves. Her entire body jostled as the coffin shook. Fear and panic