Page 1 of Hidden Obsession

Chapter One

The crickin her neck was getting worse, and it didn’t improve her temper as Cleo Darwin tried to make sense of the papers on her desk. Since she had become Alliance Agency’s official caretaker, secretary, paymaster, and overall miracle worker, she had her work cut out for her trying to keep track of everyone and everything.

The trouble with secret agents, former soldiers, ex-cops, and the like was they were big babies. They didn’t think about paying their rent, forgot to take care of their taxes, and all the other simple tasks required for everyday life when they were entrenched in a mission. Maybe it was better not to be concerned with mundane things when your life was on the line, but that meant someone had to do it and that someone was her.

Their unsigned forms and half-completed requests were hers to deal with. As well as anything or everything related to the Agency or its team members. Along with the occasional unusual—or impossible—request thrown in for good measure.

Shane Rhodes and his fiancée Emme Wallace had founded the Agency and assembled the team less than a year prior. Much had happened during that time.

The team was made up of a mish-mash of different characters, all skilled and dedicated, even quirky and most definitely likable, but they all had one thing in common—they were loyal and their commitment to the Alliance Agency was absolute.

Mason Bentley’s face formed in her tired mind. One of the quietest members of the Agency, the former secret service agent and bodyguard was the opposite of the others. Calm, organized, straight as an arrow. She never had to chase after him to sign paperwork or file a report. His paperwork was always perfectly presented and on her desk when she needed it. While Mason kept to himself he was still a fierce team member and leader of men when needed.

She was attracted to him, God help her, and that was the worst possible idea ever. The fact he had been stabbed not long ago and had almost died during surgery was messing with her mind, causing her to confuse compassion for attraction. At least that’s what she constantly told herself.

He always wore a suit that fit his body like it was made for him—which it probably was. With shiny shoes, and his hair perfectly in place, Mason epitomized the James Bond look. Conforming, polite, and always by the book, he was her opposite in every way compared with her edgy look, purple hair, and outgoing attitude. He didn’t flirt with her like some of the others did, but he occupied her thoughts more than he should.

Shaking her head, Cleo chased the intruding thoughts away. The fact she was thinking about Mason like that meant she needed either a one-night stand or a fresh set of batteries. One of those solutions should take her mind off her sexy co-worker.

As she had now lost all focus for her work, there was no point in staying any longer. She glanced at the clock and was shocked to see it was almost nine. The Agency had been deserted for hours now. Time to call it a night and head home.

Emme wouldn’t be happy that she was alone, but since they were in a quiet neighborhood, there was nothing to worry about. And she had a couple of tricks up her sleeve if some dumbass wanted to test her patience.

After making sure all the lights were off, Cleo turned the alarm on and locked the door.

The night air was fresh, but the menacing clouds above signaled an impending downpour.

The empty parking lot was lit enough to verify she was alone as she walked toward her bicycle chained to a bike rack around the corner from the entrance. Shane had insisted the entire building have no dark spots, the safety of his staff a top priority. The building looked out onto a quiet road with palm trees on the pavements that still gave Cleo a kick when she saw them. The back of the large urban building was more rural though, facing flat land where the training grounds had been established.

Cleo couldn’t stop the curse that formed when she noticed one of her tires was flat. She could take the bike inside and repair it, but at this time of night, it would take too long, and she didn’t have the patience. All she wanted now was food and a warm bath.

Walking toward the street, she took out her cell phone and opened the Uber app to call a car. After seeing the wait time for the nearest driver, she realized it would be quicker to walk to her apartment. Less than five minutes into her walk, the first raindrop plopped on her face.

She could call one of the Agency’s members that lived nearby, but she felt terrible bothering them this time of night. What to do?

Her inner debate was cut off as her cell rang. She wasn’t surprised to see Emme’s ID on the screen. “Hey, Emme. What’s up?”

“Are you for real? It’s past nine and you just left the office. What have I told you about working late? You really need to get a life.”

Cleo rolled her eyes. “So says the woman who checks the alarm system’s log. Shouldn’t you be doing dirty things with Shane at this hour instead of checking on your employees?”

The laughter on the other end of the line was a clear indication she had hit the mark with her reply. “I’m letting him recover before having another go at him in a minute. And you haven’t answered my question. Why are you leaving the office so late?”

“Because your employees are lazy and make my life difficult. I’m about to turn mean and not bring coffee in the mornings if they don’t start behaving.”

A metallic clink sounded behind her, and Cleo turned but didn’t see anything. The street looked empty, but instinct churned in her belly. Usually, her instincts were on point, but maybe she was just tired.

“Be careful on that bike at night. Cars can’t see you that well.”

“Well, even my bike is against me. Flat tire. I’m walking home. And if I’m lucky, the rain will hold off for a bit longer until I get home.”

A faint banging sound behind her made Cleo turn again, and this time, she noticed a fleeting shadow and cursed under her breath.

“What? What’s going on?”

Ignoring Emme’s outburst, Cleo reached into her bag to retrieve her mace. “I think I’m being followed.”

On the other end of the line, Cleo heard shuffling before her boss spoke again. “I’m sending you someone, leave your phone on, it helps with the tracker.”