Page 2 of Hidden Obsession

“Emme, don’t. I’ll just wait until he gets closer and spray him.”

“Cleo, that won’t work if he has a gun. I’m sending someone. It’s not negotiable.”

The rain started to intensify and promised to be an intense downpour of biblical proportions. Accelerating, Cleo looked back and saw the person following her—a tall figure wearing a hoodie. That was so cliched, she would have laughed if she wasn’t so pissed and more than a little scared. Keeping her head was her priority, so she crossed the empty street. Maybe her imagination was playing tricks on her. Perhaps he wouldn’t follow.

“Cleo, talk to me.”

She looked back again, and the hooded man was still following her. With the rain soaking through to her skin, her mace wouldn’t work. “I’m definitely being followed, and whoever is following me is getting closer. I may have to stop talking for a while. I’ll need my breath for running.”

Emme said something, but Cleo decided to pocket her phone and put her bag over her neck to free her hands. Whoever Emme had called may not arrive in time, so she was on her own. As always.

At this time of night, most of the stores and factories were closed, so she tried to bring up a map of the surroundings in her mind and debated whether to head toward a business that might still be open, or head toward the residential area.

A car passed by, but she didn’t have time to flag him down. She made another quick turn at the end of the street, and from the corner of her eye, saw that the man had picked up the pace, now almost jogging. He was massive, and she wondered if she had any chance of defending herself if he were to attack.

She started to run hoping all those times she’d jogged in the last few years would now pay off. Grateful for her flats, Cleo started sprinting around the corner and darted between a couple of buildings hoping her memory served her well, and there was a bar and a convenience store a couple of streets down.

Lungs burning, she pushed her violet hair out of her face, trying to clear her vision from the rain. As she passed another building, Cleo caught sight of a bunch of metal rods beside a dumpster.

When she turned to head in that direction, a body rammed into her from behind, causing her to fly into the metal side of the dumpster.

Her shoulder and arm took the brunt of the impact, and her knees scraped along the pavement.

A shadow came over her and grabbed her by the vest, swinging her into the dumpster again.

Screaming even though nobody could hear her, Cleo tried to get her bearings, willing her body not to let fear consume her so she could reach the rods. Maybe then she’d have a chance to take the fucker down.

When her attacker reached down, she rolled out of his grasp managing to kick his chin in the process. The angry growl from her assailant was definitely male.

Her hands reached blindly for anything she could get to throw at him. A piece of brick at first, followed by several blocks of wood that were too light to do much damage.

A cold hand captured her ankle and pulled before she could react. Her fingers scraped the pavement, but there was nothing to hang on to.

As he picked her up with his hand around her throat, Cleo tried to kick and punch, not wanting to believe it was the end.

“Leave her alone. Now!”

She recognized the familiar English accent just as her attacker turned, using her body as a shield, and she saw Mason with his gun out, standing in the pouring rain. The injured idiot was trying to save her. She’d never been so relieved to see someone in all her life.

He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and she had never seen him in such a relaxed outfit unless he was working out. It was so unlike him and yet he still had an aura of menacing command that made her want to strip him naked and make him lose control.

The three of them were so close she could feel her attacker’s warm breath against her neck and Mason stood less than six feet away.

Everything happened blindingly fast. Cleo didn’t have a chance to blink before she was thrown toward Mason. Closing her eyes, she braced for the fall, but a strong, hard body caught her instead as her attacker’s footsteps retreated.

“Cleo, look at me. Are you all right?”

Shivering from the cold and shock, she looked up at his handsome face but could only nod. She was a strong woman, but she felt shaken, and tears pricked her eyes as she fought to blink them away, thankful for the rain that hid them.

Mason ran his hand gently along her face, pushing her drenched hair out of the way. He was breathing hard, his blue eyes looking deep into her soul. She guessed he was trying to decide if he believed her.

He was so close she could feel his breath against her lips and Cleo thought he would kiss her. Instead, he helped her back on her feet. Looking her up and down, before scanning the area, he kept his gun ready while guiding her back toward the road.

His car was at the curb, and he whisked her quickly inside. He must have noticed she was shaking as he reached out to turn the heat up even though it wasn’t truly cold.

Mason pushed a button on his steering wheel, and his phone started to ring. She wasn’t surprised to hear Emme’s voice on the other end when it was answered.

Mason shot her a quick glance before speaking. “Emme, you’re on speaker. I’ve got Cleo. We’re on our way to the hospital.”