Deadly Obsession Read Online Free Page A

him about her flashback but her throat clenched and she changed her mind at the last second. “Thanks for calling.”
    “Of course,” he grunted.
    As soon as they disconnected she rechecked her gun and laid it on the dresser so it would be close. The weapon wouldn’t help her fight nightmares, but it would protect her against a real killer.
     
    Braden wiped sweaty palms on his work pants as he cruised down the highway. A decade had passed. He shouldn’t be reacting like a randy teenager, but there it was. Lilly’s long jet black hair had been pulled back into a ponytail and she hadn’t been wearing a scrap of makeup. Not that she needed it. Her ivory skin was soft, touchable and damn near perfect. And those big green eyes of hers were just as intoxicating as he remembered. Seeing her brought back too many memories. Memories that should stay dead and buried.
    He pounded his fist against the steering wheel. Why the hell had he comforted her like that? It had taken years to dull the memory of feeling her body against his. She was still on the slim side, but she’d filled out in all the right places. When her soft breasts had pressed against him, he’d thought his heart would explode from his chest. Even now his heartbeat hadn’t returned to normal.
    “You’re a damn fool,” he muttered to himself.
    Ten years ago she’d walked out on him with a half-assed goodbye and she’d never looked back. She’d discarded what they had without shedding a tear. That had been his first real lesson in life and love. And he’d been dumb enough to touch her like she’d never left.
    Hating the desire he still felt for her, he slammed a hand against the steering wheel. He flipped on his lights and increased his speed as he headed back to his place. Even if what they had was long over, someone was watching him and that someone wanted him to suffer.
    Lilly might get pissed, but he was going to switch vehicles, then stake out her place for the rest of the night. Hurting her would be one of the most obvious things the killer could do. He’d lost too many people in the past few years and he refused to let something happen to the one woman who still haunted his dreams.

Chapter 2
    Lilly snapped her laptop shut and slid it into her carry-on bag. After glancing around the shabby room one last time, she rolled her carry-on and suitcase to the door. As she placed her hand on the door handle a thunderous explosion ripped through the air.
    The ground shifted beneath her. Pain fractured through her skull. She rocked back on her feet to keep her balance but it was useless. Lilly tumbled over her carry-on and slammed into the dresser, stomach first. As the wind rushed from lungs, she shook her head. A low buzzing rang in her ears and she tripped again. This time she landed on the floor, face first. Trying to steady herself, she sat up, but weaved back and forth.
    She pressed an unsteady hand to her head. A bomb must have gone off. Shit! Before she could contemplate getting out of there, shouting and staccato gunfire erupted outside her room.
    Everything sounded as if it was in a tunnel. Since she couldn’t stand, she fell to her belly and crawled toward the bed. Find a weapon! Hide! The words echoed in her brain. Before she’d made it two feet, her door burst open.
    Two men in black ski masks and guns stormed the room. They shouted at her, but she couldn’t understand what they were saying. With incredible force, one of the men slammed the butt of his gun onto her thigh.
    A piercing sound reverberated through the room. She finally realized it was her own screams. He lifted the gun again. She covered her face, knowing what was coming—
    Lilly jolted upright in bed, choking on a scream. Despite the cool temperature, sweat rolled down her face and back. She shoved the heavy cover off and forced herself upright. Would these nightmares never end? Sitting on the edge of the bed, she practiced the breathing techniques her counselor had taught her