Page 57 of Dangerous Obsession

Maybe he was just being paranoid about Cliff.

He stared across the street at the store and thought about the pretty girl. The idea of her getting caught in the middle of whatever that asshole had planned pissed him off. He slammed his thumb down on the screen and called his mom. She would know what to do—she always knew what to do.

Her phone when straight to voicemail, and he vaguely remembered her saying something about being with a client most of the day. He closed his eyes and listened to her voice and was struck with a flashback of her reading his favorite book to him every single night before bed for, like, a year or whatever. The pleasant memory was interrupted by an annoyingbeep,and he left her a message.

“Hey, Mom. It’s me, Greg.”Duh. Like she doesn’t already know that.“Um … can you call me back? I … um … I need to talk to you about something. It’s about Cliff, and it’s super important. Please?” He ended the call, and his hand dropped to his lap as he continued watching the store.

Right then and there, as he sat in his car like some creepy stalker, hoping the girl would come back out one more time, Greg was overcome by a need to make things right. With his mom and his sister, but mostly, with himself. If he could manage to do that, then maybe someday, he’d be deserving of a girl like the one across the street.

“Yeah, and someday pigs will fly out of my butt.” He put the car in gear, drove out of the parking lot, and headed straight to his dealer.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Vikingstoodtotheside of the window and watched Greg Hartnett pull out of the pet store parking lot. He’d spotted the kid sitting in his car and decided to let Sammy deal with him. She could track his phone while Calliope kept watch over Barnum at Deborah’s house.

An exaggerated “Ahem” came from behind him, and he turned to find Marigold, arms crossed, tapping her foot.

“Would you like to share with me what you find so fascinating out there?” She craned her neck to see around him. “You’ve been staring out that window for five minutes, and I don’t think you blinked the entire time.” She stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Is that some kind of sniper trick or something?”

“You’re funny.” He tapped her nose and headed back to her office.

“Well?” She hurried to catch up with him.

“Deborah’s son was parked across the street, and I wanted to make sure he left.” Viking saw him holding up his phone, likely taking pictures or a video of them. The kid was about as close to being a master spy as his mother.

“Is he still—” She started to move, as if heading back to the front door.

“Nope.” He got hold of her hand and reeled her back in.

“Hey!” Marigold let out a cute littlehuff.

“You know the drill.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, trapping her folded arms between them.

She scowled, thumped his chest, and fiddled with a button on his shirt.

Marigold prided herself on her independence, so when he’d first been assigned to protect her—back when her best friend’s life had been threatened—he’d laid out the dos and don’ts very clearly.

Dowhat he says, without question. That was a tough one for her.

Don’tgo off on her own. Another one that took her some getting used to.

Dotell him if she notices anything suspicious. With her history, her instincts had become pretty well-honed at spotting things that seemedoff.

Don’ttrust anyone outside of her friends and him. When he first met her, she already trusted her friends. Unfortunately, thanks to the hell her ex had put her through, it had taken longer for her to trust Viking as more than the guy who was just doing his job.

“You do not go charging toward possible danger. Ever.” He set his index finger beneath her chin and tilted her face up to him. “Got it?”

“Oh, but it’s okay for you to go charging into danger?” Her bottom lip plumped out, and she thumped him again.

“You’re worried about me?” Viking covered her hand with his to keep her from assaulting him again.

“Duh,” she mumbled.

Normally, her misguided concern might be a bit insulting, but he recognized it for what it was—concern. She cared about him, maybe as much as he cared about her. And he was unequivocally and eternally one hundred percent in love with her. Neither one of them had said the words yet, but it was there in the way she trusted him with her body, her heart, and her soul. All gifts not given easily.

“I’m specially trained. You, my strong, independent, beautiful woman, are not.” He lowered his head and settled his lips on hers.

A desperate little moan escaped her, and she wrestled her arms free to wrap around his waist. She shuffled forward until they were fully pressed together and spread her hands across his upper back.

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