Obsessed

by Aleatha Romig

  Now the corpse lying in the morgue was without a family ring, and after what Sparrow showed us, without a finger. Sparrow’s willingness to wear that ring, openly and this soon, was another example of his power in this city.

  “I’m relatively certain she had dinner though,” he said with a brief smile. “That detective won’t be back, but I want everything out of this house, anything that could be a threat to my mother. She’s a bitch, but she’s a Sparrow. We protect what is ours.”

  “Let’s get busy,” I said as we walked the hallways of the Sparrow mansion to join Patrick and Reid in the back office.

  Sparrow stopped at the threshold, looking inside the dark paneled room. “I fucking hate this office almost as much as I hated him. Maybe we should burn it.”

  Reid looked up from where he was crouched on the carpet with a file drawer in front of him and stacks of files to his side. “Not until we scan this shit. Holy hell, the names...”

  Laurel

  Present day

  Wearing Kader’s button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, I walked silently down the staircase, ignoring the door to his room on the way. It wasn’t only the fear that he’d carry out his threat—literally—it was that after he’d wakened me, I realized that I was hungry. I wasn’t certain what food he’d have here, seeing as we’d recently arrived. Nevertheless, I was willing to find out.

  The boxer shorts were a joke. I would need a belt of some kind to keep them from falling to my ankles, and as it was, the shirt I wore went to nearly my knees. The shoulder seams were near my elbows and the bulk of the sleeves were rolled over itself. The clean material held the lingering scent of his cologne, the aroma permeating everything within his closet. Even though I wasn’t happy with the man in the kitchen, I appreciated the gesture.

  I’d combed out my hair and reapplied the small amount of makeup. The way I told myself to approach this command performance was that we were stuck together, and now that I had been declared deceased—that was a thought I refused to dwell upon—we needed to learn how to coexist.

  I also assumed that Kader had information from Indianapolis, and I would only learn what he knew by coming downstairs willingly.

  At the bottom of the staircase, I stilled. Even if I couldn’t hear him, I was certain I could find the kitchen from the amazing aroma alone. A loud growl came from my empty stomach as I crossed the wood floor in my bare feet and stopped within the archway to the kitchen.

  The room before me was big and beautiful, something out of an architectural magazine on kitchen design. There was a large fireplace that took the expanse of one wall with a raised hearth. Windows above a sink and counters filled another. The walls and ceiling were covered with weathered wood planks. White cabinets contrasted the black glossy hard-surface countertops and the red-brick backsplash that matched the fireplace. There was a large island in the middle of the work area with a breakfast bar and tall stools as well as a long wooden table with eight chairs where the windows went from the floor to the ceiling.

  The view beyond the windows was lost to the darkness. It was the view within the kitchen that had my full attention. Kader was attending to two steaks sizzling on the surface of a grill in the middle of his large range. On a side burner was a frying pan emanating the delicious scent of onions. On the island there was a glass bowl with lettuce and other fixings. On the long table were two place settings complete with wine glasses. And on the table was a bottle of wine, the cork removed.

  If this was his way of apologizing, I would accept it.

  Just when I didn’t think he could be handsomer or sexier, Kader blows off his dangerous persona to don that of a master culinary artist.

  A good cook and pretty damn great between the sheets.

  That thought had me considering more than food.

  My stomach again made a noise demanding me to move forward.

  Flipping the steaks, Kader turned my way, a small smile threatening to break his stern facade. “Damn, I was almost ready to carry you down.” His green stare scanned from my bare toes to the top of my head. “We need to get you some clothes, but I like what I see. Maybe I should let you wear more of my shirts.” With a large barbeque fork, he checked the meat on the grill, the large stainless-steel hood above the range taking away the delicious-aroma-filled smoke. Laying the fork on the counter, he took two long strides and then we were inches apart, his arm snaked around my waist as he pulled me closer. “I swear you’re fucking hotter in this shirt than you were at the gathering, and you were smoking that night.”

  Warmth filled my cheeks as a twinge of sadness reminded me of the life I’d lost. Pushing that emotion away, I concentrated on the hard body before me. My nipples tightened against his chest. My body was at war over which sensations should dominate. While there was no doubt I was hungry, being this close to Kader had other needs coming to mind.

  Looking up, I concentrated on nutrition and said, “This all looks delicious.”

  “I can say from experience, you are too.”

  I closed my eyes, my thoughts of his expertise between the sheets sending a bolt of electricity to the part of me that was currently without panties.

  “Stop.” I pushed myself away and took a step around him, inspecting the contents of the frying pan.

  Kader appeared at my side, moving the steaks from the grill to two waiting plates and spooned sautéed mushrooms and onions over each one. “I hope you’re not a secret vegetarian.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t eat a lot of red meat, but after all the junk food in the basement, this is a feast.”

  When he started to lift the plates, I stopped him, laying my hand on his arm, mindful of touching his sleeve. “You were an ass.”

  His eyes opened wide. “You purposely defied me.”

  “Do you think that makes us even?”

  “Do you?” he asked.

  “I guess it makes us human.”

  Kader shook his head. “Give it up, Doc. That doesn’t describe me. It describes you. Let’s eat and figure out what’s happening next.”

  I wanted to argue, to tell this beautiful man that he was human. Lashing out, yelling, fighting, and even saying hurtful things were all part of the humanity. They weren’t the pretty parts, but without them, there wouldn’t be a whole.

  Watching him carry the plates to the table, I gave that more thought. Without those parts, there would be a hole.

  It was the premise Russ and I had been working on with our research and development, removing and redirecting the traumatic memories so they wouldn’t incite their usual psychological and physiological responses, without taking away all responses. If we removed response to stimuli, we would leave a hole.

  Did Kader have that hole?

  Why?

  “A 2012 shiraz,” he said, redirecting my thoughts as he lifted the bottle. “I’ve been letting it breathe. Would you like a glass?”

  A feigned smile came to my lips. “Sure, thank you.”

  After carrying the salad to the table, I sat and took another look out the dark windows. “Is that snow?”

  “Yes, we’ve gotten three or more inches since sundown.”

  I shook my head. “Isn’t it late in the year for snow?”

  “Not at this elevation. I’ve seen blizzards in June. The accumulation won’t last long. That mud near the ravine means the ground is warming during the day.”

  Blizzard in June.

  Where would I be in June?

  I refocused my thoughts on the food before us. “How did you get this food so fast?” I asked as I scooped salad from the bowl to my plate. “It’s fresh. Did you stop somewhere and shop while I was asleep?”

  His gaze found mine. “I told the house we were coming.”

  My cheeks rose. “The house bought you fresh food?”

  “No, that would be Jack.”

  “Someday, I would like to meet this Jack of all trades.” I plucked a grape tomato from the salad and put it in my mouth.

  “Sorry, Doc.
Remember, you’re dead.”

  Laurel

  Exhaling, I lowered my fork to the table. “I’m trying not to think about that. I’m worried my parents will hear.”

  “That’s the thing. If they do, they’re in contact with my employer. It’s not like they’ll find your body.”

  My pulse quickened. “What do you mean in contact with?” My stomach churned with the little bit of food I’d eaten. “I’m so scared for them.”

  “In my experience, I can tell you that you don’t need to be. I was the one hired to kill you. A threat to them would have come from me. I didn’t threaten them.” One side of his lips curled upward. “I took you instead.”

  “I told you it was kidnapping. What happens next?”

  He nodded toward my plate. “Eat.”

  “You do know that I’ve managed to survive for most of my life without starving.”

  “You weren’t my assignment then. Now you are. Eat and drink. The wine will help you sleep.”

  “Are you trying to get me tipsy to take advantage of me?”

  Kader didn’t answer, but the gaze he sent my way told me that it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility. I could tell him that getting me tipsy wasn’t necessary. Instead, I scoffed and said, “Well, it’s better than that sleeping pill.”

  “Don’t worry. There’s no way I’m giving you another one of those.”

  “I wouldn’t take it.” I lifted my fork and took a bite of the salad. “After eating and drinking...?”

  “We’ll check the recent feeds from the university, your house, Cartwright’s, and anything else we can find. We’ll check the local news outlets, and we’ll get some sleep. For the next few days, our job is to watch. It will be more efficient if we divide and conquer.”

  “My parents, sister, and niece?” I asked again. “I don’t mean to keep bringing them up, but Kader, you have to understand, they’re my family.”

  “Logically I understand. Being without one myself, I think your concern is unfounded, ill-timed, and emotionally biased.”

  My eyes widened. “I’m emotional because I’m worried?” I tilted my head. “Tell me, what makes you emotional?”

  Kader lowered his fork to the table. “You’re doing it again.”

  “What?”

  “Analyzing.” Kader lifted his hand, revealing a small bit of color near his wrist. “Back to your family, I’ve been thinking about your request—for logical reasons. Do they have any set schedules or routines?”

  My lower lip slid under my front teeth as I gave his question some thought, wishing I had been closer to them. “I’m not sure, but I’ll think about it. Why?”

  “Without leaving you—which I won’t do—and seeing that they’re safe with my own eyes, I had an idea to hack into traffic cameras, stores’ security, school security...hell, doorbells or home security systems—anything that could find them and ease your mind that they’re safe.”

  My head was bobbing. “Yes,” I answered excitedly. “My dad has cameras on his property. It’s weird because he always talks about how safe Iowa is, and that’s why they moved there. He claims the cameras aren’t for security but to see the wildlife.” I tilted my head. “He’s into birds.”

  “Why did you go to school in Indiana if you were raised in Iowa?” Kader asked as we were continuing our meal.

  “I wasn’t raised in Iowa. I’ve never lived there.” My gaze narrowed. “I thought you knew everything about me.”

  “Everything for the assignment. Most of it recent. Where did you grow up?”

  “A neighborhood in Chicago and moved to Indiana for school. They offered me the best scholarships. From there, my grades and studies funded my education.”

  “Impressive. What neighborhood in Chicago?”

  “Wicker Park.”

  “High rent,” Kader said, cutting another piece of his steak.

  I shrugged. “Both of my parents were psychiatrists. They had a small practice in Wicker Park. Mom also had privileges at a hospital downtown, and Dad volunteered at a couple of not-for-profit organizations. Sometimes I thought he enjoyed donating his time more than working at their practice.”

  “Why did you and your family leave Chicago?”

  “It was weird and sudden. I honestly don’t think I was told the real story.”

  “What does that mean?”

  I thought back to a time when I was in graduate school. “My sister and I had already moved away. I was in grad school. Ally was finished and recently married. Out of the blue, my parents sold their home and their practice and moved to Iowa. It was after my uncle died. He was my dad’s brother. It was weird because my uncle was quite a bit older than Dad.” I shrugged. “They were never close. It wasn’t like we would go over to their house or they would come to ours. My mom always said it was because they never had children.” I shrugged. “Mom even told Ally and me not to worry about his funeral.” I gave that some thought. “Yeah, we weren’t close. I haven’t spoken to my aunt in years.”

  After we’d both eaten, we carried our dishes to the sink.

  “Does the house wash the dishes?” I asked, the little bit of wine and delicious food erasing my earlier displeasure with the man beside me.

  “After I put them in the dishwasher.”

  “If it would help, I’ll put them in the dishwasher. Then tell me where to meet you to begin watching.”

  His chest expanded. “My office but only in my presence. I will set up another computer system, but there is too much on mine. You click on the wrong tab or icon and let’s just say, you can never unsee what you saw.”

  My eyes opened wide as the thought of what he could have on his computer knotted my now-satisfied stomach. “I promise. I have one too many gruesome images in my memory. I don’t want more.”

  Kader took a step toward me and ran his finger over my cheek. Curling his thumb under my chin, he lifted it higher, bringing my gaze to his. “Laurel, for that I’m sorry. And know that I don’t apologize...ever.”

  I reached for his hand. “I know it wasn’t your intention for me to see him and that you tried to stop me.” For a moment we stood silently, perhaps moving on from our earlier argument or maybe moving forward. I wasn’t certain. Finally, I let go of his hand. “I’ll clean up. Where is your office?”

  He tilted his head toward the archway I’d entered. “Through the living room, take the hallway to the left of the fireplace.”

  “Okay.”

  With the dishes in the dishwasher, the kitchen wiped down, and the remaining salad in the refrigerator, I turned off the lights and followed his directions. The path before me was illuminated with a hue of golden lighting. The large living room had more windows that looked out to the swirling snow. For a moment I thought about my house, how my old windows rattled with the wind. Though the snow swirled in cyclones near these panes, there wasn’t a sound.

  The fireplace in there was larger than the one in the kitchen and made of sand-colored stones of various sizes, its chimney extending skyward. Looking upward, I noted the ceiling was high. If I were to guess, I’d say twenty feet or more.

  Once I entered the hallway on the left, the partially opened door came into view as the clicking of a keyboard came into range. I’d found him.

  Although I was barefoot and my steps were silent, Kader seemed to be warned of my approach. Maybe it was the house that told him. Now that I thought about it, I probably had the house to blame for him finding me in his bedroom.

  Thanks a lot, Missy.

  The voice was only in my head. I found it difficult to be upset at a house with the same name as the girl who a long time ago I’d considered a friend, the one who introduced me to her brother, my childhood crush.

  Kader looked up at me from the many screens, his green-eyed gaze momentarily stilling my steps, reminding me a little bit of that older brother.

  That was ridiculous.

  I hadn’t laid eyes on that boy since we were teenagers, and he went off to serve our country, an
d I headed to college. We’d said we’d keep in touch, but after my letters went unanswered, I stopped sending them. I still wrote letters, but instead of mailing them, I threw them away until eventually even the writing stopped.

  My lips flattened as the teenager’s image came to mind, nothing like the man before me. Not necessarily scrawny, my first love’s body was still that of a boy’s. Fighting for food day and night for him and his sisters—when he had two sisters—didn’t exactly allow for excess calories.

  I recalled the sadness when I received the letter from his sister telling me that he was gone. I never knew how she found me or why, and there was no return address or way to contact her.

  Swallowing, I took a deep breath and did my best to send the memories away.

  Maybe it was talking about my childhood with Kader that had stirred these melancholy recollections. Now wasn’t the time. My life was on a collision course and needed my full attention.

  “Is everything all right?” Kader asked.

  I scoffed. “Grand scheme—no. Now, yes, I guess.”

  “Come sit down,” Kader said, his voice much deeper than the one in my memory and his body bigger than the other boy with green eyes.

  That was it.

  I simply liked green-eyed men.

  Kader pointed to a chair beside him. “Over here, there’s been a few developments.”

  Laurel

  The pleasant effect of the wine and dinner had been tempered by my recollections. That was nothing compared to how the good feelings disappeared as I stepped over the threshold into Kader’s office.

  He’d told me to be afraid of him.

  I wasn’t.

  The cold reality that grew within me was that I was frightened of what he had learned, might learn, or what he would tell me.

  It wasn’t like me to avoid answers. Hell no, for most of my life I’d sought answers.

  Now, as I approached Kader, my fingers and toes cooled with each step as a chill settled over my skin. In a short period of time—since the gathering—I’d become a woman who would rather forget than remember.