Secret Obsession Read Online Free Page A

finally be good for her.
    “Sweetie, are you okay?” Camille asked, and Paige slightly opened her eyes and gazed at her.
    Paige sniffled and wiped forced tears. “Yeah, I guess so. But I still can’t believe this has happened. I feel so violated.”
    “I can only imagine, but we’re going to be here for you no matter what.”
    It wasn’t quite daylight, but Paige still saw Pierce looking in her direction through his rearview mirror. “We’ll be here for as long as you need us.”
    “I really appreciate that. I appreciate you both.”
    “And don’t you worry,” he said. “They’ll find this guy eventually.”
    “I hope so. Because if they don’t, I doubt I’ll sleep peacefully again.”
    “Well, in the meantime, you’ll come stay with us.”
    “Absolutely,” Pierce agreed.
    Bingo. This was the invite Paige had been waiting for and the reason she’d played the woe-is-me bit ever since Camille and Pierce had arrived at her condo. She had to pretend, though, that she didn’t want to be a bother to either of them.
    “Are you sure? Because I would never want to be an intrusion.”
    “Of course we are,” Camille answered.
    “We wouldn’t hear of anything different,” Pierce added.
    Paige did her normal bursting-into-tears routine again and reached over and hugged her sister. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you guys. This is truly very kind of you.”
    Pierce stopped at the red light and said, “You’re family, Paige, and you can stay for as long as you need to.”
    “You’re my sister, girl, and I love you,” Camille said. “I always have, and you know I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
    “I know that, but if you want, I’m sure Karla wouldn’t mind my staying with her,” Paige said, referring to her best friend.
    “Yes, I’m sure she wouldn’t, but I’d feel a lot better if you stayed with us so we can protect you. And it’s not like we don’t have room.”
    “I’m sure I could also stay with Mom and Dad, too, if it came down to it,” Paige said, knowing she would never spend one night with those people and only mentioned them because she wanted Camille to believe she really was trying to find other options and didn’t want to invade their lives and privacy. She wanted Camille to think that her coming to live with them was solely Camille’s idea and not hers. That way when Paige broke her and Pierce up, no one would be able to say that Paige had weaseled her way into their lives on purpose and then caused the downfall of their marriage. It was true that she was doing all of the above, but no one would ever be able to prove it.
    “We even have an extra room with a desk where you can set up a temporary office,” Camille went on. “So how can you possibly say no?”
    Paige smiled. “I’m so blessed to have you, Camille. I’m blessed to have you both.”
    “Everything is going to be fine,” Camille told her.
    Paige leaned against the headrest and closed her eyes again. Her plan was still running smoothly and right on schedule, and now all she had to do was get through this rape kit examination. As she’d told the detectives, she doubted they would find anything, but she figured she’d better do whatever they asked so as to eliminate any unnecessary suspicion.
    They drove maybe another ten minutes, and when they pulled into the parking lot of Covington Park Memorial, Paige saw the two detectives parking right next to them. She’d hoped they’d possibly changed their minds about meeting her at the hospital, but since they hadn’t, Paige was ready to provide them with another award-winning performance. She would do whatever it took to fool them.
    When she opened the car door, Pierce rushed around the vehicle and helped her outside of it. Gosh, was his hand soft and warm, and she wished she could hold on to it forever. What she wouldn’t do to hold him tight the way any wife ought to be able to hold her husband—and she could have, if it hadn’t been