Page 16 of Obsessed

Clark puts up his hand. "No, Maddox, no plotting. We've put a lot of money into this. Let's just see what happens first before you go tunneling underground into the secret compound. Which reminds me, the crew staking out those coordinates haven't seen anything unusual. Just a lot of desert landscape. No cars rising up from underground garages or helicopters lifting out from behind hills. I think the coordinates arewrong."

"Fuck. That makes plan B that muchharder."

"Did you fuck up too manyanswers?"

I shrug. "Not sure. They were mostly wondering why a guy like me needed to join a club to, as they so eloquently put it, enhance my sociallife."

"A guy like you? You mean a big mouthedrooster?"

"Yeah that, and as people like to point out a lot. I'mpretty."

"Uh huh, I believe Hannah refers to you as that smokin' hot detective guy with the green eyes. What did you tellthem?"

"Told them I wanted the sex without the commitment, and I wanted to avoid women who were always trying to corner me for my money. That answer went over well. I guess we'll have to wait andsee."

"Uh huh." Clark rests his arms up along the soft leather couch. "Well, waiting and seeing is costing the department a small fortune, so if you don't hear from them in two days, this assignment is over." Before I can protest he puts his hand up. "That's what I came here to tell you. I think the feds will be moving in on this soon. The death of the undercover private investigator has moved this up the chain of command. The pharmaceutical company had to turn over documents with the data they had on Freestone's special drug. It's some powerful narcotic basedshit."

"Fuck. That's not good news. What ifTen—"

"Don't start with the what ifs, Maddox. It doesn't help move us forward to speculate. It only adds to our worry." Clark drops his arms. His lumpy, big face droops like a bloodhound's. I know what's coming next because I've seen the same face every day since Tendisappeared.

With it looking less likely that I'll get into the club and the coordinates not panning out, the last thing I need is his downer moment. "I'm not giving up until I find her, so wipe the frown off, Clark. I will findher."

16

Kane

"Mr. Freestone."I turn back to Oscar in thehallway.

"Yes?"

"I've got Robson on the phone. He wants to know if you watched the interview tapes for the two prospectivemembers."

"No on the first one. He's far too old and out of shape. I don't need a heart attack victim on my hands. The second one was the opposite. Makes me wonder why the hell he wants in at all. But tell him yes. We need some new members. The women look bored during club activities. He looks like an asshole, but something tells me he'll spark a little competition between the women. They are all getting a little complacent andlazy."

"All right. I'll let Robsonknow."

I continue down the hallway. After her runaway stunt, I decided to let her have five days of solitude. I've visited only to give her injections and left each time with her flushed with arousal and looking as sad as a lost kitten when I walkedout.

It's been pure fucking torture for me. It takes all my will power to walk out of the room each time without touching her. But my nerves of steel have melted into hot molten metal. I need her. The punishment phase is over and thepunishmentphase begins tonight. After nearly a week without her, I'm ready to tear the whole fucking compound down around ourheads.

I flash my key card and walk in. The fragrance of bubbles along with a sudden, almost rushed splashing sound drifts past the ajar bathroomdoor.

Her plate of food is untouched, and her wine glass isfull.

I push the door open. She sits up and peers over the bubbles. "Oh, I didn't hear you come in," she says with big, innocenteyes.

"Yes you did. That's why you jumped into the bath." I sit on the bench at the edge of the tub. "Apparently you thought a bath would be the perfect excuse for me to cut my visitshort."

She shrugged her thin shoulders. "No, you're perfectly welcome to sit and watch me bathe. I'm just getting started." The last dose of nectar is wearing off, revealing that other, more defiant side of her. I've come to enjoy it almost as much as the sweet, submissive angel who purrs so eagerly when she's naked beneathme.

I lean back on my hands to watch. She lifts up her arm and takes a comically long time to run the washcloth over it. I don't know if she's trying to seduce me or boreme.

"Is it clean enough yet?" I say after a few more strokes. "I can't imagine you need too much scrubbing, sitting here in this room allday."

"Yes, about that." She lifts the second arm and gives it the same surgical nurse style attention. "I'm going stir crazy, which I know is your plan. So that is working. I should be ready for the asylum by the time you send me on myway."

"Is that what you want?" A tuft of bubbles floats up and coasts down to the floor. I stomp it with my shoe. "To be sent on your way? I suppose you've already answered that. And bravo on your ability to survive out in the world on your own. Maybe next time you could find a band of four freshly released ex-cons in a van to give you aride."

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