Page 28 of Obsessed

"No, Blake is an all around sweetie. Not the bodyguard type, although he was pretty protective of Tawny when he worked as her personal assistant. The rest of us don't get personal assistants. But then we don't really need one." She pulls her arms out of the bath. There's a patchwork of bubbles on her skin. "As you can see, I have everything Iwant."

I glance around the bathroom. It looks similar to the master bathroom in the overpriced penthouse we rented for my billionaire character. "Nice livingconditions."

"Nice?" she giggles. "Considering I was living in the garage of a nice old lady who felt sorry for me, it'sspectacular."

"Do you have tostay?"

She purses her lips in question. "Have to? Why would I want to leave? I've got nothing out there. In here, I have my family. I'm safe. There's even a full-time nurse on staff if I get a sore throat. It's home. This is my home." Cathy seems irritated with my interrogation. Can't blame her. "And in answer to your first question, I can leave any time I want. I'm not a prisoner. If you are here for a year, you get to leave with ten thousand dollars to restart your life. I've been here for eighteen months and I'm not goinganywhere."

The irony about this whole damn thing is that Freestone seems to have some scruples. He takes care of his people. A strange contradiction to the two brutal murders that brought him to the investigator'sattention.

Warm water moves like a frothy wave toward me as Cathy swims my direction. "Now are we going to have some fun or are we just going to chat?" She settles snugly over my lap and presses her mouth againstmine.

27

Kane

Imovethe mouse and click open the file on the new member. I've let my guard down again. Wanting to rid myself of the tedious task, I allowed some of the more senior club members to screen new applicants. They did a sloppy job. There are enough holes in Rick Haverton's story to raise a dozen red flags but he got through. In the end, it was my fault. The interviewing club members had reservations about the new guy but I brushed it off as envy and worry that a strikingly handsome new member would cause a frenzy with the women. I considered it a good way to fire up some enthusiasm. It sure as fuck did that and then some. Butherreaction to him wasn't just a red flag, it was an entire forestfire.

Jason walks into theoffice.

"Is she sleeping?" Iask.

"Yes, the medicine did its work. She'll sleep until morning." Jason stays in the doorway, looming insilence.

I glance up inquestion.

"Just want to make sure you haven't changed your mind," hesays.

"Nope."

"Right." He walksout.

It shouldn't surprise me. I should have known someone would come looking for her. I sure as hell would have moved mountains if I'd lost her. And it seems that moment has come for me. I knew from the start that she would be my downfall. I have only myself toblame.

28

Maddox

Ipullon my shirt and button it. Cathy is fast asleep in the bed. There's a knock on the door. I wondered when they'd come for me. The warning bell rang a half hourago.

The door beeps and opens. It's both of Freestone's big goons. They don't look exceptionally friendly as they walk into the room. Their loud, heavy footsteps wakeCathy.

She sits up with a shriek. "Oscar! Jason! You guys are supposed to wait in thehallway."

I look pointedly at them. They stare back at me with masks ofstone.

"Why do I sense that you're not here to take me to thecar?"

Oscar glances quickly at Cathy before motioning slightly with his head to the door, telling me to move in a quietly aggressiveway.

"Well fuck," I mutter as I walk pastthem.

The second Cathy's door shuts behind them, they are on me like horny fucking grizzly bears. My face is smashed against the wall as they secure my hands behind myback.

"I'm complaining to the fucking club owner about this," I say. "I was told the girls could tie me up if I asked—" A large fist shuts me up fast. My jaw snaps sideways and blood streams from a nasty gash on my chin. It trickles a bright pattern on my shirt. "I'll have you know I just picked this up from the drycleaners."

They flank me and grab hold of my arms to drag me to my next destination. I'm gearing up for a good old-fashioned, torture-filled interrogation or maybe I've misjudged Freestone from the start. Maybe he just wants totalk.

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