Page 35 of Hidden Obsession

“I didn’t get away and stay in the shadows for so long because I’m stupid. And I didn’t get away without taking some precautions.”

The glee in Spears’ voice dimmed quickly. “Are you threatening me?”

“Would that keep you away from me and mine?”

“You’re flinging empty threats.”

“And if I wasn’t? I may have left in a rush, but I didn’t go empty-handed.” As soon as she said the words, Cleo knew full well she was unleashing a dangerous beast.

“You’re bluffing.”

“Am I? The last time we talked, you had taken me into your office. You shouldn’t have left those statements out in the open on your desk. Last time I checked, bank statements from the Caymans were a sure sign of a tax haven. I wonder what would happen if the IRS found out? You’ve tiptoed around the FBI for a long time, but those money guys are another type of guard dog. Don’t you think?”

“Be very careful with your threats, Cleo darling. You’re biting off more than you can chew.”

“It’s simple. You disappear from my life, stop stalking me, and I won’t send those papers anywhere.”

Cleo heard rustling and voices in the background but couldn’t make anything out of it until Spears came back on the phone. “I didn’t want to go this far, darling Cleo. But you leave me no choice.”

The line went dead. She looked at her phone, thinking she’d kicked a hornet’s nest. She did have those papers they were locked safely away for when she needed them. It was her ace in up her sleeve if she needed one.

What should she do now? With her cell still in hand, she was still debating her next step when it started ringing again. The unknown number wasn’t a good sign.

When she answered, she could hear crying in the background followed by Spears’ voice. “Sorry for hanging up on you, darling, but I messed up trying to do a conference call. Just wanted you to know there are advantages in having a lot of time. When you’re looking for someone, sometimes you get a lead on something completely unexpected. Say hello to your grandmother, darling.” The world started spinning. From a distance, she heard a slap, and the female started sobbing harder.

“Let me talk to her! Put her on the phone!”

Spears snickered. “My dear, I don’t have to do anything for you. You’re lucky I haven’t already killed her. You’re pissing me off, girl. Don’t push me.”

“You are a monster.”

“No, love. I’m a planner. I located her years ago, and when I met your boyfriend last night, I knew it was time to get my baby back.”

“Don’t you dare touch her!”

Her control was slipping, and the situation she had thought would solve everything was turning into a full-fledged nightmare.

“Now I have your full attention, love, and your full cooperation, here’s what’s going to happen. I’m a simple man. All I ever wanted was you, and you’re a good granddaughter. You want your sweet grandmother to live a long life, so you’re going to follow my directions starting now. You’re going to leave your cell, get those papers you stole from me, and get to the address I’m going to give you within an hour. You fail and I’m going to ask my men to start cutting your grandmother bit by bit. One word to your boyfriend or anyone else you work with and she dies.”

Cleo felt like a zombie when she wrote down the address on a notepad and heard the line cut off again. She had to go back to her old apartment where she had hidden the papers in a safe spot. She should have thought of scanning them as a safeguard, but she hadn’t and there was no time to do so. It was time to act. Her body moved, but the rest of her was huddled deep inside, crying, unable to think.

There was no way she could risk her grandmother’s life. It didn’t matter that her parents were technically still alive, they had been dead to her for a long time. Her grandmother was the only family she had left.

She braced her shoulders and went back to her desk. The reception was still calm and peaceful. She didn’t waste a minute. She grabbed some money from her bag under her desk, but left everything else behind, including her IDs. Without them she wouldn’t be able to fly and it would buy her more time.

Cleo wished she could tell her friends, tell Mason, but she had dug herself into a hole, and there was no way she would bring them down with her. This was her problem to fix.

Sitting at her computer, she went into the security settings and shut off the alarm for the back door. Without a word, her eyes filling with tears, Cleo walked into the backroom and disappeared.