Page 55 of Hidden Obsession

Chapter Twenty-Five

Cleo was lostin paradise and didn’t want to ever let go of that feeling. With Mason’s strong heartbeat beneath her ear, their naked bodies intertwined under the covers, their own private fortress where nothing else mattered, she was happier than she’d ever been.

She snuggled up, trying to get even closer when Mason’s hand started to trace her spine, a sure sign he was awake. Cleo searched for something to say but finally decided to keep silent. What else could be said? After they had said the words, their lovemaking had been another marvelous form of confirmation, one she had freely given and received many times throughout the night.

Mason started playing with a strand of her hair and caressing her scalp, and she purred. His chest moved a little in a silent bout of laughter. Cleo was about to lightly bite his chest, inevitably starting another round of lovemaking when a pounding resonated throughout the apartment.

Immediately Mason tensed, and Cleo scrambled up as he hopped out of bed and grabbed a pair of pants, quickly slipping them on. She put on one of Mason’s shirts and was glad it covered her almost to her knees.

Mason took a quick look at his phone and frowned. “Shane’s tried to reach me several times. Don’t know why my phone didn’t ring.”

As he left the room, he grabbed his gun. Cleo’s swallowed hard, anxiety creeping higher. What was going on? Who’s at the door?

Mason told her to stay behind, but when they got to the door, Shane’s loud voice instantly reassured her. However, even though Shane being at the door meant it was safe to open, it also meant something had gone wrong.

Mason put his gun in his waistband and opened the door to Shane and Malco.

“Damn, Bentley! Don’t you ever fucking answer your phone?”

Air seized in her lungs when she saw Malco. “Weren’t you supposed to be watching Nana?”

When she approached the man, he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “I was. I dozed off on your couch, and when I woke, she was gone. Left me a note on the kitchen table saying she had unfinished business to take care of.”

Cleo looked at Shane and then Mason, and it was easy to follow their train of thought. “She went after Spears. My grandmother went after Jeffrey Spears.”

Several emotions fought to get out and stopping herself from lashing out at Malco was a feat in itself. “I’m not sure how well she knows Miami. I need to get dressed. Did she take her cell? Do you know where Spears is right now?” Mason touched her lower back, a silent sign to calm down. She realized that with each question, her tone had increased almost to a yell.

Shane nodded. “I already have some of ours manning the coms, trying to triangulate her location with her cell as soon as we find her signal. During the final stage of the Travis incident, I redirected all our resources, and now we’re blind to Spears’ whereabouts. I have already dispatched people to find him.”

“Is his sister still in the hospital?”

Malco shook his head. “That’s the first thing we checked. She’s been transferred to a convalescence home for the next phase after her surgery. Spears hasn’t been seen with her and there’s no sign of him on any of the surveillance cameras so far. We’re checking the flight manifests at the airport and he’s not listed there either. He’s also checked out of his hotel.”

Cleo’s first instinct was to run outside calling her grandmother’s name, although she knew it wouldn’t do any good. Her logical side knew the chance of her finding Spears in a couple of hours was low. It would be the worst kind of luck if that happened.

“Does she know where Spears is? Malco, did she say anything to you?”

“No. When we arrived at your place, she acted normal. She never mentioned Spears or anything else. She cooked enough food to feed an army. I helped her out, cleaned up afterward, and she went to her room for the night. I didn’t see her on the phone, but she may have used it when I wasn’t there.”

Without letting the poor man finish, Cleo turned and headed back to her room. She threw off the shirt and quickly grabbed underwear. Behind her, she heard a deep curse and loud footsteps scurrying away.

Mason entered the room and closed the door with a sigh. “You should have closed the door. Shane and Malco were following you, and you gave them quite the show.”

Her naked bottom wasn’t on her list of priorities. With her bra on, she searched her stuff for a pair of jeans and sneakers. “I’ll say sorry later. Right now, I want to get Nana back.”

Just saying her nickname had her throat closing with emotion. When would this hell be over?

Cleo sat on the bed to put her shoes on. Keeping her head low and swallowing reflexively, her laces blurred before her eyes. Fingers fumbling over her laces, Cleo almost repeated Shane’s curses.

Big, warm hands covered hers, forcing her to look up. Mason’s worry and love were etched on his beautiful face. “We’ll get your nana back, baby.”

A tear escaped when she tried to smile. “I believe you. It’s just…”

The man who held her soul wiped her cheek. “Just what?”

How could she put what she felt into words? “Last night you told me I didn’t deserve you. This morning, I feel like all I bring you is danger and problems. I don’t want to be your problem, Mason.”

His fingertips lingered on her face, tracing its contours before caressing her cheeks. ”I know you’re fully capable of taking care of yourself. But deep within my soul, I know we’re stronger together. You’re not a problem. You may see it like that because of Spears, but our meeting was the opportunity for you to resolve your past and not have it dangling over your head anymore. That’s something I can shoulder with you, the team will help as well. Nobody should ever be left to fight alone. Let me help you shoulder that burden, get rid of Spears, and get your grandmother back. I’ll be right here to help you whenever you need me. And I’ll be there for you. Always.”