Deadly Obsession (17 page)

“That’s up to you. Can you go inside?”

She stared at the door. No. No way at all.
Definitely not.
“Okay.”

She fisted the handle and pushed open the door,
cringeing
at the loud squeaking sound. She took one step when a loud explosion dropped her to her knees.

Chapter Eleven

Gage sat inside the van, brooding. He should be out in the store, mingling with Troy and Rebecca, watching for any sign of the creep from the hospital. But Trevor had been adamant that he and Sam wait in the van, insisting the stalker would recognise them, ruining any chance Trevor’s team had of catching the bastard.

He’d finally agreed, hoping this wasn’t yet another mistake, before confining himself to a seat near the back. Then he’d spent the better part of four hours waiting. Except for the odd pervert trying to convince Brooklyn he was her wildest fantasy come to life, nothing interesting had happened. She’d signed nearly fifty copies of her book, and had talked to twice as many people, but so far, her greatest fan was a no show.

Gage sighed, kicking his boots against the table. He was restless, agitated and so damn horny it hurt. Ever since he’d stopped in the middle of plunging inside her, he’d had a constant hard-on. If it didn’t go away soon, he was sure the head of his cock would simply explode.

Sounds like a solution to all your problems.

He snarled, shifting his legs so he could squeeze the erection away. Now was not the time to be thinking about sex. He was supposed to be listening for any sign of that bastard, but Gage knew it was futile. The guy wasn’t going to walk up to the desk and give himself up. This guy was a strategic genius. If he was here, he was hiding. And he wouldn’t strike unless he thought he could win.

“I don’t think he’s going to show.”

The sound of Brooklyn’s voice caught his attention. He turned towards Trevor, listening to the man answer her. Her voice was strong and clear, but edged with a hint of fear. He’d heard it all day. The way she’d hesitated when someone had asked her about the attack.
Or how her voice had wavered out of pitch when they’d wondered if the guy had been arrested.
Then there’d been the lady who’d gone on and on about her sister. He didn’t know how Brooklyn had refrained from screaming. But then the woman had asked about Brooklyn’s family, and her voice had changed. Even Sam had shot him an unsettled look. Gage had been forced to bite back the growl building in his chest and had merely looked away.

“Maybe I should go to the back of the store and hover around the washrooms for a while? That might be all it takes to bring him out.”

Gage was off his chair and at Trevor’s side before the man got out anything, but her name. “Not a chance in hell she’s doing that,” he barked, watching the man wince at the harshness in his voice.
“No way.”

“Gage.”
Trevor began, but then shut his mouth as Sam pulled on Gage’s sleeve.

“Easy, buddy,” said Sam.

Gage glared at Sam. “She’s not going into that washroom.”

“She doesn’t have to go inside,” said Trevor. “But she’s right. We need to separate her for a few moments to make the guy think he’s got a chance. I’ll send Troy into the men’s room and have Rebecca wait by the end of the hallway. All she has to do is stand outside for a while.”

Gage huffed as Trevor spoke into the mike, giving Brooklyn the go ahead. He turned to Sam. “This is wrong,” he snapped, stuffing his hands in his pockets before he pummelled one of the men through the wall.

“She’s got two police officers within fifty feet of her. She’ll be okay,” said Sam.

Gage swore and stomped over to the door, followed closely by Sam. “It’s not just the creep I’m worried about. Brooklyn still doesn’t remember what happened that day. What if going in there brings it all back? She’s not ready to face that yet.”

Sam sighed and cursed under his breath. “You’re right. We’ve all been concentrating on catching this guy, instead of thinking about how hard it’d be on Brooklyn.” He patted Gage on the shoulder. “We’ll call it a day. Get Trevor to get her out of there.”

Gage nodded and smiled, stepping over to Trevor, just as a loud explosion sounded from the store, knocking Gage into the side of the van. He bounced off the metal, banging his head before gaining his balance. “What the…”

He lunged forward, grabbing the
mic
out of Trevor’s hand as he pushed the man roughly aside. “Brooklyn, don’t move. Just stay there and I’ll come and get you.” He didn’t wait for her reply as he ran to the door, clipping on a transmitter, his hand cupping the grip of his gun holstered at his side. “Sam!”

Sam was already at his heels, his face so close he could feel the man’s breath against his collar. “Go!” Sam shouted to him. “I’ll follow. Make sure no one tries to come at you from behind.”

Gage nodded and ran for the store, his heart pounding so hard he could feel his ribs moving. He had to get to her. He cursed as people dodged in front of him, running from the store, blocking every path he took. He reached the door and skidded to a halt, half wondering if he should just crash through the glass. Someone bumped into his shoulder, knocking him back as he clamped his fingers around the handle. He yanked on it when another blast echoed through the room, breaking the pane off to his left. He dove inside the store, covering his mouth as a thick plume of smoke filled the air and billowed out the door.

He cursed, trying to push to his feet, when Sam grabbed his shoulder, pulling him across the floor, just as a throng of shoppers mobbed the door grazing his ribs.

“Damn, that was close,” cursed Sam, squatting down beside him. “You okay?”

“I’ll live.” Gage brushed the broken shards of glass off his jacket and stood up, swaying slightly. “
Man, that
was loud.” He coughed at the sudden inhalation of smoke and pulled his shirt up across his mouth. “Brooklyn’s at the back,” he said, pointing his finger.

“Got your back, buddy.”

Gage nodded and dashed for the rear of the building.

She’d better be all right. She just had to be all right.

* * * *

Brooklyn
felt the explosion rumble through her chest, knocking her to her knees. She palmed her hands against her head, trying to stop the loud ringing in her ears, when a hand closed around her arm. She looked up, staring at a man in a grey sweater. She could see his muscles bunching beneath his shirt, his blond hair iridescent against the bleak surroundings.

“Ms. Matthews,” he said, a thick Irish accent rolling off his tongue.

She stared at him, noting his icy blue eyes and lightly tanned skin. “Officer Collins?”

“Aye ma’am.
Seems there’s been some type of detonation. We need to get you out of here immediately.” He tightened his grip, pulling her to her feet as a second blast erupted near the front of the building, pushing her back. He grabbed her shoulders as she swayed towards the wall,
then
locked his hand around her wrist.
“Easy, ma’am.
Just hold onto my arm, and I’ll get you out of here.” He pulled Brooklyn across the hall, towards the dim outline of a door. His grasp was firm and she wasn’t certain she could’ve resisted if she’d wanted to.

“Where are you taking me?” she mumbled, coughing from the smoke.

“Somewhere safe.”

“But Gage is coming for me. He told me to wait for him,” she insisted as the officer pushed open a door and dragged her through. It wasn’t until the door clicked shut she realised an alarm had been ringing in the room. She turned to the man, tugging against his hold. “I need to go back.”

The man looked at her, a smug smile catching the edge of his mouth. “Sorry, Ms. Matthews, but I have my orders. I’m sure Gage will understand,” he noted, tightening his grip as he dragged her down a dim corridor, snaking through a low passage. His smile widened as he glanced over at her. “Besides, if he didn’t want you in danger, he shouldn’t have left your side.”

Then perhaps he shouldn’t have left your side.

The words from the hospital washed over her like a cold, unforgiving wind. Had she just imagined his accent faltering on the phrase? She stared at his features, comparing his profile to the guy she remembered from the hospital.

Brooklyn
sucked in a deep breath. It was him. She knew it. Somehow he’d changed his appearance, infiltrated Trevor’s security, and now she was alone with him. He was taking her and she was certain no one knew where they were headed. Fear struck her, and she reacted before she even realised she’d moved.

“What the…?”

The man yelled as she spun her body around, taking him by surprise. She used his hold on her and his momentum to throw him off balance before twisting his wrist and tossing him across the floor. He sailed through the air, landing on his shoulders, before sliding into a mangled heap at the far wall. Brooklyn didn’t wait to see if he’d recover. She bolted back to the door and tried the knob.

“No!” She pounded on the steel, screaming Gage’s name until her throat hurt. Oh God. Why hadn’t she listened to him? She stopped, fighting back the tears when she heard something scuff the floor behind her.

“Nice throw, Sarah. I didn’t know you were so skilled in Aikido.”

Brooklyn
whirled around, watching the man walk slowly towards her until he stopped ten feet away, his hands clenched at his side. There was no trace of the accent in his voice now, and he’d lost one of the blue contacts. She clenched her jaw, looking for a way around him.
“Jujutsu, you ass.
And there’s plenty more of that if you’re still interested.”

He laughed, his lips curled into an evil smile.
“Jujutsu.
I’ll have to remember that.” He inched closer. “Sorry, the door only opens one way, precious. And don’t get any ideas of calling for help.” He touched the unit on his shoulder. “It jams the signal. I can’t have anyone interrupting us this time.”

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“Why do you insist on lying to me? You know who I am.”

Brooklyn
moved sideways as he narrowed in on her. She’d caught him by surprise, and wasn’t sure how effective her next counter-strike would be. “My name isn’t Sarah,
it’s
Brooklyn.”

He growled and took a step forward. “You’re not thinking clearly. That man made you forget. That’s not how it’s supposed to be. You love me. I’m your hero.”

Brooklyn
stilled as his words hit home.
Hero.
He thought he was Drake—Drake Davenport—Sarah’s lover and protector in her books. The one man Sarah would risk anything for, and had nearly died to save.
“Drake?”

The word came out as little more than a wisp of air, a sound so soft and light she wasn’t sure whether she’d spoken it, or just imagined it in her head. His eyes darkened with desire as he moved towards her, only to stop as she recoiled in fear.

“That’s right, precious. It’s me.
Drake.
Finally, after all this time, I’ve found you again.”

Brooklyn
shook her head, retreating until her back pressed against the wall. He was too large, too close. She tried to look for another way out, but his shoulders obscured the background.

“No,” she whispered.

“You belong to me.” He moved, grabbing her around the waist as he pulled her tight against him. His cock lengthened along the cleft of her ass, pushing her cheeks apart as it thickened and pulsed. He pressed his lips against her ear, as he blew a heated breath across her neck. “Come quietly, and I’ll try to remember it wasn’t your fault you took him into your bed. I’ll even wait until our second encounter before I fuck you up the ass. That’s how much I love you.”

Bile coated the back of her throat as a cold sweat broke out along her skin. He was going to rape her in the name of love. She hissed, steeling the knot building in her stomach. She wouldn’t let him take her. Not without a fight.

“I already told you. Fuck you!”

Brooklyn
moved, fast and sure, dropping her weight towards her feet as she twisted in his grip, punching one arm towards his head. He gasped as she slipped free of his hold, grabbed one of his arms and pummelled him forward into the floor. Then she sandwiched his shoulder between the ground and her leg, pressing forward with her entire body. He yelled once before a loud popping sounded in the room.

She’d dislocated his shoulder.

Nausea crested again, but she fought it off. The bastard didn’t deserve her sympathy. She pushed his arm to the floor, knowing the change in position would increase the pain when something metallic flashed in the corner of her eye. She turned just as he pulled a
taser
from his pocket, pointing it at her with his other hand. Then he smiled and pulled the trigger.

* * * *

 
“Brooklyn!”
Gage ran through the thick smoke, pushing his way to the back of the store. He nearly tripped over a woman lying across the floor, but managed to catch
himself
just as he skimmed the wall. He was close.
Just a few more feet.