Page 7 of Saved from Obsession

“And I’m Leo Wilder. It’s nice to meet you.” The other man, who is at least half a foot taller than my own five feet ten inches, gently takes my hand in his. My first impression of him is that he’s huge—not just tall, but big and muscled all over. His shirt pulls at his broad shoulders and chest, and his arms are easily three times the size of mine.

His sizecouldbe intimidating, but something about him reassures me. It could be the way he holds my hand so carefully, like he’s afraid of breaking it. Or his soft half-smile, friendly with a touch of shyness. Or it could be his warm hazel eyes—gold with a green ring around them—silently promising that he’ll protect me.

“Hi.” The word slips out in a whisper.

As Leo pulls his hand away from mine, his fingers brush along my palm, leaving little tingling trails behind. He keeps standing, watching me, until it hits me that he’s waiting for me to sit before he does.Duh. In my months of isolation, apparently I’ve forgotten how to behave in public.

Even though Leo’s expression is kind, I can’t help wondering what he thinks of me. What hewouldhave thought of me in my old life, before everything came crashing down around me?

I wonder what all three of the men think about me—do they pity me? I’m sure they saw photos of me before the attack, which makes the reality of what I look like now even worse.

I drop down into the leather chair behind me, feeling overwhelmed and self conscious and sick with nerves. I don’t realize I’m tugging my hair across my face until Hayden kicks me in the shin and whispers, “Stop hiding. You look fine.”

Easy for her to say.Shedoesn’t look like the Bride of Frankenstein.

Now that all the men are seated, Leo opens the folder in front of him. Flipping to the back, he picks up a pen and jots something down. Then he runs a hand through his short blonde hair and raises his eyes to me. “Georgia,” his voice is low, almost soothing, the opposite of what you’d expect from a man of his size. “I’m just going to ask you some questions about everything that’s happened.”

Hayden leans forward. Her eyes move to Leo. “Sorry to interrupt. It’s nothing personal, but…” Her gaze shifts to Cole, “Aren’tyouthe lead on this case?”

Cole’s eyebrows go up, but Leo doesn’t react. There’s no flicker of irritation at Hayden’s interruption or what I’d consider a slightly rude question.

“Hayden.” I hiss her name, kicking her just like she did a minute earlier.

She turns to look at me, her brows winging down in a V. “It’s nothing against Leo. But Cole and I have worked together, and I just…” Her voice cracks. “I just want to make sure you’resafe, G.”

“I specifically asked Leo to take point, Hayden.” Cole leans forward, resting his elbows on the dark, glossy wood. “Not only do I trust him with my life, but Leo is our lead investigator. We need to look into every aspect of Georgia’s life, try to figure out who’s behind all of this.”

Cole glances at Leo, giving him a tiny chin lift. “Not only will Leo be taking care of the investigation, he’s also the most skilled in surveillance. He’s the better choice for this case, for making sure Georgia is safe.”

Hayden stares at Cole for a second and her cheeks go slightly pink. “I’m sorry, Cole. This is your company, your team. I shouldn’t be presuming to know what’s best. I’ve just been so worried about Georgia.”

I hate seeing the lines of worry etched on her face. It hurts my heart to know that she’s suffering because of me. “I’m sorry, Hayden.”

She looks at me with glassy eyes. “Don’t be sorry, Gigi. This isn’t your fault. And Leo…” Her gaze shifts to him. “I’m sorry. I was out of line.”

Leo’s eyes darken to a deep greenish bronze, and he gives a little shake of his head. “It’s Okay, Hayden. I understand.” He pauses, then looks back at me. “So, Georgia, can you start at the beginning?”

I can feel everyone’s eyes on me as they wait for me to answer. But I have to steel myself to go back to the start, to remember how all of it began, back before I knew how bad it could truly get. Back when I still had hope that it was all in my imagination, or it was just some harmless admirer who would give up, eventually.

Taking a deep breath, I go back to the start of everything.

Looking down at my hands, I say, “It was almost five months ago when I got the first letter. At first, I thought it was a prank. Even though I couldn’t imagine who would send something like that. But it wasn’t threatening, just creepy.”

Leo asks, “What did the first letter say?”

“It said…” I take a deep breath. “I’m watching you. Which is creepy, like I said. But it didn’t seem dangerous.”

Hayden lets out a little huff that lets me know how little she agrees with me.

“It didn’t. Not then, at least.” I glance up at Leo, and he gives me a tiny smile and a nod, his eyes silently encouraging me to continue. “But then the letters kept coming. And the messages got more… ominous.”

“Like what?” Leo’s pen is poised over paper, but his gaze is fixed on me.

My chest tightens, the now-familiar fear and anxiety closing in. My voice is strained as I repeat the messages I’m unable to forget. “They said…you’ll be sorry.You’ll pay for your sins.You’ll never escape me.”

“And then?” Leo’s voice is still calm, but there’s an undercurrent of tension to it. “What happened aside from the letters?”

“I was getting hang-ups. Then texts with the same messages as the letters. I wanted to change my phone, but all my employers had my number.” There’s a weight on my chest now, pressing the air from my lungs.

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