Page 102 of Shadows of Obsession

No. Control. Maintain control.

He was so achingly tired of this game of cat and mouse. Of chasing shadows and dead ends. Of searching for the woman who should be with him. The woman who belonged with him. Where she'd always been meant to be. Where she'd been happy, before that voice in her head convinced her otherwise.

It wasn't supposed to be this hard, this much of a convoluted struggle. He'd planned everything so meticulously, down to the last contingency: the tracking app on her phone, the monitoring of her accounts, the careful documentation of her movements and habits. Even the fallback plans in case she tried to leave.

But she'd proven far more elusive and cunning than he'd ever anticipated, more stubbornly defiant than he'd given her credit for.My Anna. So much smarter than I realized.

Her unexpectedly adept maneuvering and escape tactics only made him burn for her more, stoking the flames of his obsession to a fever pitch that consumed his every waking thought and haunted his dreams. She was magnificent in her defiance—truly. A worthy opponent. And when he finally got her back, when she finally understood that they were meant to be together, it would be all the sweeter for the chase.

Seething with barely contained violence that made his muscles tremble from the effort of restraint, Daniel turned on his heel and stalked out of the barn with long, ground-eating strides. He stayed close to the building's outer edge to avoid detection, his shoulder nearly brushing the metal siding.

The walls felt as if they were closing in, the cloying smells of horse and hay suddenly overwhelming, suffocating. His collar was too tight despite being unbuttoned, his chest constricting as his breathing quickened. He needed air. He needed to think.

He retreated into the relative chaos and anonymity of the milling crowd outside, letting the relentless brightness of the sun and the constant motion of bodies distract him from his rising fury. The heat was almost painful now, pounding behind his eyes, but the open space helped him breathe again.

Daniel made his circuitous way back to his staked-out vantage point by the show ring, positioning himself with clear sightlines to multiple areas, just in time to see Connor exit the barn and head in the same direction, his stride purposeful but unhurried.

Daniel melted into the churning sea of spectators like smoke, allowing Connor several paces of lead. He tracked the man's cowboy hat bobbing through the crowd, watching every move with hawklike intensity and anticipation.

Come on. Lead me to her. Show me where you're keeping her.

But Connor merely rejoined the tattooed man by the ring as if he'd never left, picking up their interrupted conversation without missing a beat. Both men fixed their attention on the arena, leaning casually against the fence, completely oblivious to Daniel's scrutiny.

Whatever remained of his composure shredded beyond repair.

A red mist of uncontrollable rage bled into the edges of his vision as his pulse thundered in his ears like crashing surf. His breathing grew harsh and fast through his nose, his jaw clenching so tight his teeth ached. Pressure built behind his eyes, throbbing in time with his racing heart.

She wasn’t here.She's not fucking here.

His patience, already frayed by weeks of fruitless searching, had eroded to nothing. The iron grip he'd maintained over his temper was unraveling into gossamer threads with every second Anna continued to outwit him.

He couldn't afford to waste any more precious time on this futile chase, not when the ticking clock screamed in his mind, reminding him that every day she remained away was another day she could be poisoned against him. Another day she could slip even further beyond his reach.

He needed a new plan. A better plan. A foolproof plan.

He had to regroup. To tear up the old playbook that had failed him and craft something new—something inevitable. A strategy that would draw her inexorably out of hiding and back into his arms where she belonged. Once and for all. No matter how drastic the measures required. No matter the collateral damage.

I'll dowhatever it takes.

The incessant ticking of his watch echoed in his head like a doomsday clock, marking each wasted second. Every tick was another moment she was out there without him.

Daniel slipped away into the crowd, his brilliant, ruthless mind already calculating his next move. The pieces were aligning, forming a pattern he could work with. Connor's presence meant Anna was somewhere on that ranch, probably alone, or with minimal protection.

Vulnerable. Exposed.Mine for the taking.

A cold smile curved his lips as he made his way toward the parking lot, already planning his route back to that isolated ranch in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming. He could already picture her face when she realized there was nowhere left to run.

One way or another, no matter how far he had to go or what lines he had to cross, he would find Anna and end this infuriating game between them.

Once and for all.

No matter who he had to go through to reach her.

CHAPTER 28

Anna

The leather on the saddle looked pristine, if I did say so myself. I'd spent the last ten minutes cleaning, conditioning, and oiling it. My hands moved in practiced circular motions until the leather gleamed under the barn lights. Watching dull, dried-out tack transform into something supple and well-maintained never got old.