Deadly Obsession (9 page)

“I haven’t been home in over three weeks, you know that. I just keep a bunch of stuff in my truck, and go to the
laundromat
regularly.” He sighed at the thought. “But I guess I’ll need to drop by later, or at least tomorrow. I should make sure everything’s ready for when Brooklyn gets home. I don’t suspect she’ll be able to do too much for a while.”

“Are you going to stay with her while she recovers?” asked Sam.

“You’re joking, right? The tension between us is suffocating under the best of circumstances, and these aren’t them.” He shook his head, staring at the numbers flashing across the top of the elevator. “Brooklyn’s not the easiest person to keep calm. She’ll be like a caged bobcat if she has to take it easy for a while. I’m surprised she hasn’t asked to go for a jog yet.”

Sam laughed. “Yeah, she is a bit on the stubborn side.” He elbowed Gage in the side. “But I thought that’s what you loved most about her?”

“There’re lots of things I love about her.” He cursed as the machine shuddered to a halt. “I’ll get her a nurse, and drop by until she’s stronger.”

“And then what? Take the papers over to her?”

Gage looked over at Sam as he stepped out of the small cubical and headed down the hallway. “It’s what she wants.”

“Don’t give me that crap! Did you think I wasn’t listening when Emma said Brooklyn didn’t want to sign off on the divorce? Even she didn’t hide the truth from you, and she’s been after Brooklyn to sign those papers for months.”

“But she was going to, just the same.”

“Yeah, because she thinks you don’t love her anymore. All it’d take is one move on your part, and this whole mess could be fixed.”

“Jesus, Sam. Why are you so hell bent to get us back together anyway? You know what I did to her that night. Peter made sure of that.” He shook his head. Peter had stormed into his office the morning after the party and damn near shouted out the account at Gage. “Why would you want her to allow me back into her life?”

“Because you’re a good man.
Yeah, for one night you acted like an asshole…”

“Bastard,” Gage corrected him.

“Bastard then.
But that doesn’t mean you aren’t good together. You love her and she loves you. We both know it’d be a cold day in hell before you ever did anything like that again.”

“Never,” he added quickly. “Just let it go for now. Let Brooklyn regain some strength before we start debating the living arrangements. Besides, I suspect it’ll be a few more days before she’s strong enough to go home.” He sighed and went to open Brooklyn’s door when Peter stumbled through it, his hand clenched around his neck. His brother fell against him and Gage had to grab the man’s shoulders to stop him from crashing onto the floor. “Peter, what the…?”

“She’s gone.” His words were garbled and Gage could tell the man was in extreme pain.

“Sam!”

“Already on it.”
Sam dashed into the room, reappearing moments later. “Brooklyn’s gone.”

“Damn it!” He turned Peter to face him. “What happened? Where is she?”

Peter pushed himself away, bracing his arm against the wall.
“A nurse.
He hit me with something. It’s hasn’t been long.”

Gage looked down the hall. At the far end of the corridor a man was pushing a wheelchair into the elevator.

“Sam!”

Sam was already running down the hall, his gun gripped in his hand. Gage turned to Peter. “Stay here!” He dashed down the hall.

“I’m sorry,” Peter shouted.

“Just stay put,” he yelled back, meeting Sam at the large silver doors.

“They’re going down,” said Sam, searching for the stairs. “Here!”

Gage ran through, taking them three at a time. Sweat soaked through his shirt, blood pulsed through his veins. He went down two flights before yanking the door open, looking to see if the bastard had gotten off early.
“Nothing.”

Sam nodded and kept descending, checking the next level before descending again. “Only two more flights,” he noted.

“Unless the bastard goes underground,” cursed Gage, flinging open the second floor door.
“Still nothing.”
He paused to look at the elevator numbers. “Shit! He’s already two floors below us.” He waited. He needed to know what level they were stopping at. It was the only hope they had of catching up with them. “Two below the main,” he yelled, watching the number flash then stay red.

“I’m on it.” Sam swept down the stairs, his motion so quick the constant shifting made Gage feel nauseous. Sam was four inches shorter than him and about twenty pounds lighter. But the man could fight like a badger, and had the speed of a cat. Gage caught up to him at the doorway.

“On three,” said Sam.

Sam mouthed the numbers then threw open the door. Gage barged through, his gun pointed straight out.

“Clear.” He moved forward, Sam behind him. “He’ll be heading for an exit…a loading ramp.
Anything to get outside.”

Sam nodded, following Gage down the dimly lit corridor.
“Any idea where something like that might be?”

“Hell no.”
Gage stopped at another door. He palmed the handle when a faint clanking sound resonated through the door. “Wait.” He pressed his ear against the metal.

Voices.

Chapter Six

“Easy, Sarah, don’t try to move. You’ll only pull out those stitches in your back, and we can’t have you losing more blood.”

He brushed the hair back from her face as he pushed her down the hallway. She was slumped over to one side, and the pressure on her back was excruciating. “Please,” she begged, trying to move forward in the chair.

“I said, don’t move,” he snarled, as he grabbed her across the chest, shoving her back in the seat. “Don’t make me hurt you.”

“But why?”

“Because you belong to me.
Don’t you remember? You need me to save you. You love me.”

Brooklyn
sobbed,
vaguely aware he’d pushed her into an elevator. She felt it rumble and knew they were moving. “Where…” Damn, it hurt to talk. He must have given her something.

“Home.
I’m taking you home, precious. So we can be together.” He moved his hand so it was cupping her breast again. He started massaging it in slow circles. “And once you’re stronger, I’ll show you just how much I love you.”

His breath whispered across her neck as he bent down over her, lowering his hand. She whimpered, forcing her legs together.

“What’s the matter, precious? Not in the mood?” He pushed harder and she was helpless to resist him.

“Please.
The pain.”
She heard him curse, but he stopped and stood up.

“Don’t worry. The pain will soon be gone. Just another few days and you’ll feel much better.” He rasped his lips against her neck. “I can hardly wait. I want to show you everything. All the ways a man can pleasure a woman.” He licked her skin. “I bought all the things you like…vibrators and plugs. I want you to be happy, Sarah.”

Brooklyn
cursed as the elevator lurched and stopped. He grabbed the handles and pulled her backwards out of the machine. The air was cold and there was a strong medicinal odour in the hallway. He headed towards the far end. Her vision blurred, dissolving the surrounding scenery into streaks of washed out colour. His pace was strong and steady, and he didn’t stop until he reached another door. He flung it open, pushed her through and kept walking.

“We’re almost there. One more door then we’ll be out.”

“Gage.”

“He’s out of your life.” His tone was bitter and judgmental. “I hope you didn’t take him into your bed, precious. You know how I feel about that.” His hand tightened around her neck as she shook her head. “Good.”

He stopped again, and this time she felt a whoosh of cold air blast her face. Oh God, they were outside.
Gage.
Damn it, where was he? Did he even know she was missing? Peter. The memory returned, stealing the air from her chest. What if Gage was still gone? What if Peter was dead? She felt the wheels bump down a ramp. He was taking her.

“Here we are, precious.” He stopped in front of a large car. She couldn’t tell what make it was, only that the paint was dark. “I’m sorry. But you’ll have to ride in the trunk for now. I can’t have anyone seeing you.” He moved away. She heard a door open, a chiming sound from inside the car, followed by a dull, popping noise. He’d released the trunk.

“No.” She could feel him beside her, raising the hatch.

“It’s okay. I’ve placed a thin mattress on the floor, so you don’t hurt yourself. Now
be
a good girl and just lie still, and nothing will happen.”

She tried to look at him, but her body barely moved. He grazed his finger across her cheek.

“Time to go, Sarah.”

It was now, or never. “Fuck you.” Brooklyn tensed her legs and pushed, catching him across the thighs, tumbling him back into the trunk. Then she shifted her weight and threw herself onto the ground. Maybe if she rolled under a car, he wouldn’t be able to reach her. She tried to move.

“Sarah!” His screech pierced through her head as his hands clamped down around her shoulders. She’d been too slow, and now she knew she’d pay for her disobedience. She tried to scream, but his hand clamped around her throat again.

“I told you not to make me hurt you.”

She couldn’t breathe. His grip tightened and she knew she was going to pass out. She reached for his arm, scratching his skin as something warm trickled across her waist.

“Look what you’ve done,” he hissed. “Look…”

His words got cut off as the door to the building crashed open. She heard someone shout her name before everything went black.

Gage stood at the door, listening to the voices in the other room. He nodded to Sam. Sam grabbed the handle, waiting until Gage nodded again before pulling it open. Gage dashed inside, his finger half cocked on the trigger. Sam stepped in behind him.

“Door, far end.”
It was just clicking back into place. Gage felt the air breeze by him. “He’s outside.”

Sam darted ahead, reaching the doorway three steps ahead.
“Best to get a bead on him as quickly as possible.
He might kill Brooklyn if he sees us before we can take a shot.”

Gage nodded, fear so thick in his chest he didn’t even know if he could speak. He could lose her, here and now. One slip on his part, and she could die in his arms. He looked over at Sam.

“We won’t let anything happen to her, Gage. We’ll get her back.”

“This one opens out, so we’ll go together.”

Sam pushed as Gage shouldered the door, breaking into the cold, night air. He ran forward, taking the ramp at a full sprint. He could see a man far off to his right, kneeling beside a large car. The trunk was open and there was a wheelchair lying on its side behind it.

He ran, gun drawn, heart racing. He had to reach her. He could hear the guy shouting at her, cursing her for not listening to him. He watched as the man raised his hand over her.
“Brooklyn!”

The sound of his voice stopped the man in his tracks. He looked at them, smiling a toothy grin, as he stepped over Brooklyn and jumped in his car. Gage was still twenty feet away when the engine revved and the tires squealed
,
a puff of smoke blinding him as the guy drove away, the trunk bouncing against the rim of the car as he sped down the lot. Gage ran to Brooklyn, kneeling down beside her limp body.

“Brook.” His voice was low and tender, and he didn’t even try to hide the tears dampening his cheeks. He lifted her up, cradling her in his arms, when something warm moistened his hand. He pulled it back, staring at the blood covering his fingers. “Sam!”

Sam pulled his cell away from his mouth. “Two minutes. They’ll be here in two minutes.”

Gage looked back at Brooklyn, clamping his hand around her wound. She couldn’t afford to bleed for two minutes. “Hold on, darling. Just please hold on.”

* * * *

Gage sat on the edge of the bed, watching Brooklyn sleep. She’d pulled out half her stitches, and lost another few pints of blood, but she was alive. He glanced at the marks around her neck and growled. The bastard had nearly strangled her, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d done anything else.

“Gage?”

He turned. Peter was standing in the doorway, a scrunched up bag in his hand. “Peter.”

“Can I come in?”

Gage held back the curse already formed on his tongue and merely nodded. Peter had taken quite a jolt from a
taser
, and even he knew now wasn’t the time to argue.

“How’s your neck?” asked Gage.

“Sore.” Peter shuffled over to the couch. “How is she?”

“White…cold.
But she’ll make it.” Gage glanced at his brother over his shoulder. “We’re lucky you came to, and told us what happened. Another
minute,
and the guy would’ve been gone in the elevator.”