Page 94 of Obsession

He chuckles against my lips when I wrap my thighs around his waist.

“Kiss me, Robbie,” I plead, breathing into his mouth. I need him more than ever.

He grabs my throat, cutting off my airflow. “You’ve been a naughty girl, keeping secrets from me.”

My eyes roll, and my nipples tingle inside my bra. I’m dying for his touch.

“You never told me you have a stalker, baby.” He tuts, making me stiffen. Then he releases my throat and grips my cheeks, forcing my lips into an ‘O’ shape. His eyes burn into me, setting me aflame with the spark of fear he elicits when I glimpse the monster hiding inside his shadows.

“Don’t make me hurt you, Savannah,” he snarls low in his throat, his fingers bruising my tender cheeks. “I’m not in control around you. And if you tempt me, I’ll tie you up and unleash the cravings inside me. The very cravings I’m trying to protect you from.”

My words come out muffled when I say, “I don’t want you to.”

Massaging my lips with his thumb, he taunts, “You want me to kill you, baby? Is that what you want? Because I will if you’re not careful.”

I really shouldn’t poke the bear, but I can’t fucking help it when he teases me like this, showing up out of the blue to work me into a frenzy, only to leave me again. I don’t fucking think so. “You seem to know a thing or two about me,baby.”I push up on my elbows and break his hold on my face, whispering against his lips, “Run, Robbie. You think you’re the only monster here?”

He nips my bottom lip with his sharp teeth. “Enjoy your gift, beautiful.”

Then he’s gone, disappearing out the door.

My head falls back between my shoulders, and I let out a frustrated groan before peering at the box beside me. I’m in such deep waters, bleeding from a cut on my leg while swimming with the biggest shark of them all.

40

DAVID

“Ah fuck!” I growl defeatedly, tossing my cards down on the table before stubbing out my cigarette in the overfilled ashtray. My bank account couldn’t take the blow of another loss.

Across from me, Michael laughs under his breath, scooping up the cash in the middle of the table. “Pay up, bitches.”

“Fucking sucks, man.” Blowing out a heavy sigh, I rub my face.

Beside me, Nicholas shoves my shoulder. A wide smile splits his face. “You need more self-discipline. Your loss is Michael’s gain.”

“Hell yes,” he agrees, kissing a wad of cash before winking at me.

Nicholas swigs his beer and then puts the empty bottle on the table. “I’m surprised Mark isn’t here.”

Michael pauses, looking up. We exchange a brief glance, and I drop my hands to the table, tapping my knuckles on the wood. “He was reported missing the other day.”

Nicholas’s eyes widen. “He was?”

Sucking on my teeth, I nod.

No one speaks.

“What the hell?” Nicholas blurts.

I hold out my packet of cigarettes, offering him one, and he slides one out, puts it between his lips, and reaches for the lighter. His hand shakes as he lights it up and takes a steadying breath. “That Hammond guy escaped prison, right? Maybe he still holds a grudge against you for all the shit you put him through back in the day.”

Michael chuckles around the rim of his beer. “You think a psycho like Hammond would bother with someone like Mark? Don’t you think he’ll be out there murdering women instead?”

Chewing on my thumbnail, I jiggle my knee. The topic makes me fucking uncomfortable. No one has seen Mark for days. His car is still parked outside his apartment building.

Michael glances my way, tipping the bottleneck in my direction. “Keith’s daughter wrote that column about him.”

My knee jiggles almost violently now. I flick my eyes up, hands clasped in front of my mouth. “What’s your point?”