Obsessed Page 20

  “If it takes away his skills, he’ll be of no less use to us than he is now.”

  “We’ll start slowly, injecting daily, taking him in and out of consciousness and when we can, we’ll question him, test his knowledge of strategical issues as well as language. His linguistics skills were superb. Even now, sometimes he screams out in other languages.”

  “According to his records, his ability to learn has always been one of his assets.”

  “So we’ll reteach him if we have to.”

  Laurel

  Present day

  Days passed in our bubble. The snow outside melted, uncovering a world of greens and browns. When we weren’t working on Kader’s assignment—me—we ate, slept, and made love. He didn’t refer to it that way, yet I did in my thoughts and even dreams. While uncovering more and more evidence of deceptions that I’d blindly allowed to take over my life, I craved the intimacy Kader and I shared. In a short time, he’d become my anchor.

  My life was similar to a kite, flying fervently in the spring wind. And through it all, this handsomely beautiful, sometimes confusing, mountain of a man held the string.

  Without him, I was certain I’d float away.

  One afternoon after we’d eaten lunch, I went with Kader into the office to check his sales listing. The bids hadn’t come as quickly as he’d hoped, but within the last forty-eight hours they’d steadily increased.

  “I’m worried about the other listing,” he said, “the first one. There haven’t been any recent bids. I think I should make a higher bid.”

  My eyes grew wide. “Higher than 1.2 billion? I can’t let you spend that kind of money.” I sat straighter. “Do you have that kind of money?”

  “Not sitting around the house, if you’re planning on killing me in my sleep.”

  I shrugged. “For 1.3 you’d be a goner. For 1.2 I think I prefer your company.”

  I couldn’t help glancing at his lower arms. Since the day in the kitchen, he’d kept them exposed. Other than a few glimpses—from a distance—of his legs or torso, I hadn’t been shown more of his color. That was okay. Each day I saw more of the man. While sometimes he’d turn all business and other times get broody, there were more sightings of emotions—smiles and smirks. I even accepted his anger. It wasn’t directed at me, but usually at himself. There were times when he’d learn something and blame himself for not sighting it earlier or perhaps grow agitated when a camera ceased to transmit.

  Any emotion was a breakthrough.

  We all had good days and bad. To expect to have more of one and less of the other was irrational. My moods too had pendulum swings.

  Happiness would come as Kader would smile or cook. It was obviously something he enjoyed.

  Overwhelming sadness settled over me as I followed the happenings at the university.

  Dean Oaks and a university review board voted to shut down our research. In an effort to recoup their losses, attorneys were negotiating with Sinclair Pharmaceuticals. The filed documents showed no sign that they had any knowledge of the illegal sales. Dr. Olsen was scheduled to meet with Dr. Oaks regarding his future.

  The FBI had visited my parents and my sister as well as other university employees such as Dr. Olsen and Stephanie. It was now official. They’d issued a worldwide missing-persons bulletin on both me and Russ. Our pictures would occasionally flash over Kader’s screens.

  I couldn’t bear to think about my parents and sister.

  Most members of our staff were being reassigned. The patients in our clinical trials were given the option to continue their treatment with Sinclair or leave the study.

  I pointed to an unusual symbol at the top of Kader’s screen. “What’s that? I haven’t seen it before.”

  “It’s a message.”

  “Are you going to look at it?”

  “Not with you here.”

  “Why?”

  “It might be about you or it might be another job offer. Either could have accompanying files you don’t need to see.”

  “Kader, how much were you paid to kill me?”

  His green stare came my way. “Not enough.”

  I smirked. “What does that mean?”

  “I took you as an assignment because I was drawn to you and the circumstances of the project, not for the money.”

  “How much?” I asked again.

  “750K.”

  “Have you received the money?”

  “Yes, it was deposited the day after I reported you dead.”

  I sighed, leaning back. “Have you asked yourself who would have that money and spend it on my death?” It was an odd question to state aloud.

  “I’ve determined that whoever it was believed you were the weak link.”

  “You mean that I was the one who wouldn’t sell. What about Eric? He’s still there. He wasn’t part of that group.”

  Kader leaned back and crossed his arms over his wide chest. “I’ve thought about him. I’ve thought about the conversation where Cartwright told you to lie about the Sinclair offers and that Sinclair threatened Olsen because Sinclair thought he was standing in the way of getting the compound.”

  “And?” I asked.

  “I don’t believe him. What he said doesn’t fit.”

  I stood and walked around the office. “It doesn’t. Eric is still there, even if Oaks wants him to retire. Oaks wasn’t involved in the meetings, yet Pam was. So perhaps he was by proxy.” I had a thought. “Isn’t that the way it’s done?”

  “What?”

  “Like crime bosses don’t get their hands dirty. Russ said Oaks was greedy. Maybe he’s the real brains behind this?”

  “I’m looking into him,” Kader said.

  “And then there’s Sinclair. Damien isn’t hiding his company’s desire for the university’s information, no matter how incomplete it is.”

  Turning, I saw that Kader wasn’t listening. Instead, he had leaned forward and was reading from a screen I’d never before seen. I waited as he typed back a message.

  “Curiosity got the better of you,” I said with a smirk. “What was it?”

  The screen went black as Kader stood and came toward me. “We’ve been cooped up in this house for too long. I sent Jack on a food and supplies run. I think we should get out of the house and see the land.”

  “Are you going to leave me to freeze?”

  The rough pad of his finger skirted over my cheek and down to my neck, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake. “I much prefer you warm and breathing heavily.”

  “So I finally get to see this magical playground?”

  Kader’s head shook as his lips flattened.

  My cheeks rose as they filled with warmth. “Okay, but I don’t have boots.”

  “You won’t need them. We’re not going to walk.”

  Wearing one of Kader’s large sweatshirts over my clothes, I followed him out onto the front porch. The sensation was indescribable. It wasn’t that Kader’s home wasn’t large and lovely. It was that stepping outside, I was besieged with stimulation—the fresh breeze, the sounds of birds, and the warmth of the sunshine.

  I spun in place, allowing my hair to be tossed about. “I didn’t realize how much I missed fresh air.”

  Kader nodded as he took my hand and led me down a crushed-stone path.

  He’d said he’d show me the other buildings on his property with time. As we passed one after another, my curiosity grew. “What’s in all of these buildings?”

  “Nothing as important as where we’re going.”

  We came to a stop near a large pole barn. There was a regular door and three large garage doors. Next to the regular door was a sensor, like on Kader’s house. He leaned forward, allowing the sensor to scan his eye.

  Unlike his house, this one only beeped as the door opened inward. The small room within was filled with tools and workbenches, reminding me of a mechanic’s garage.

  “What’s in—” My words disappeared as I turned.

  What had three garage do
ors on one side had one large door on the other. Inside was a blue and white airplane. The wingspan extended from one end of the room to the other, and yet the fuselage appeared small. On the very front was a propeller.

  I shook my head. “No, I think I’ll go back to the house.”

  “She won’t let you in,” Kader said with a smirk as he tugged on my hand.

  “I’m not a big fan of flying, and when I do, I like planes that hold more than two people.”

  “Technically, this one holds three. There’s a jump seat in the back.”

  My feet didn’t move as my skin coated with perspiration and my knees stiffened. “I don’t think so.”

  “Give it a chance.”

  “Can you really fly this?” I asked.

  “No, Laurel, this is plan number four for your demise. I’m taking the kamikaze approach and going down with you.”

  “You’re not funny.”

  Kader tilted his head as a small grin appeared. “Give me a break. I’m new at this.”

  “Piloting?”

  “No, Doc. I’ve been piloting longer than I remember. It’s the talking that’s new.” He pulled again on my hand. “It won’t take long to get her out. The sky’s clear and it’s a good day to show you around.”

  If Kader didn’t look so damn excited to show me his land, I would have protested more. Nevertheless, I tried one more route. “Won’t Jack or someone see me?”

  “No one can see who’s in the plane. He’ll assume it’s me. It’s not unusual for me to take her out on a day like today.”

  Once the plane was pulled out by a small cart-like vehicle onto the cement, Kader opened the doors. They opened upward—wing doors—such as I’d seen on some Teslas. Before I knew it, I was seat-belted into the copilot’s seat with strict orders not to touch anything.

  “No worries,” I said, tucking my hands into my lap. “Do you have little bags, you know, in case I throw up?”

  “You’ll be fine. Statistically, you have a better chance of crashing in a commercial aircraft.”

  “That’s because there are more people on a commercial flight and more commercial flights per day. Your data is skewed.”

  Kader placed earphones over my ears before donning a pair.

  “Can you hear me?” he asked through the earphones.

  “I can. You didn’t answer about the bag.”

  His deep baritone chuckle filled my ears. He pointed upward. “Hold on to that strap if you want. Just don’t touch the door or anything on the instrument panel.”

  The panel before us was like a fancy car on steroids with screens, gauges, lights, and levers.

  “You know, you tell me not to touch a lot.”

  “And you don’t listen.”

  Memories of not listening came to mind. While Kader continued to wear a shirt, soft pants, and socks in bed, his decree for me not to touch him had been widely breached without protest.

  “Oh!” I squealed into the microphone as the whirl of the propeller vibrated the plane and filled our ears, even through the earphones.

  Between flipping switches and adjusting a lever, Kader reached over to me and splayed his large fingers over my knee. “How are you doing, Doc?”

  “I don’t know.”

  He grinned as we began to move. After a bumpy ride down a dirt-packed runway, the wheels lifted off the ground.

  “We-we’re flying.”

  “No wonder people want your research. You’re fucking brilliant.”

  I could have hit his leg or made a production out of pouting, but I didn’t. I was too busy taking in the gorgeous scenery below as well as the mountains in the distance. Patches of green and brown created a quilt below. As we passed over a different grouping of buildings, Kader pointed out Jack’s house as well as other housing for seasonal ranch hands. He also showed me what seemed like miles of corrals.

  “I could make it to his house,” I said into the microphone.

  “Don’t even think about it.”

  I really wasn’t.

  I didn’t like to think about the real world. With each passing day I found the probability of my regaining my life lessening.

  I sat as far forward as the seat belt would allow, taking in the glory of the land below. As we flew, Kader told me more about the ranch hands that will soon be about his property, shoring fences and checking for damage from the winter snows and spring thaws. He talked about the horses and why he bought the property.

  For a time while in the air, I listened to his words, recalling something he’d said before we boarded the plane. He’d said that talking was new to him. I wasn’t certain how that was possible, but I believed him. Since the first night I woke in the basement, there’d been a change, making him communicate more.

  As we were heading back—his words not mine, because I had no idea where we were—in the distance, I spotted a trail of dark smoke.

  “What’s that?”

  Kader’s neck stiffened. “Looks like a burn. It might be controlled, but I’ll make a call when we land.”

  “Is that on your property?”

  “No, but fire has a way of disrespecting boundaries.”

  Laurel

  Later the night of our plane adventure, after dinner, we each took a drink into the living room.

  Mine was a glass of red wine while Kader’s tumbler contained two fingers of bourbon, neat. I’d seen him drink a glass of wine or two, but the stronger liquor was new. I wasn’t certain who he called about the burn in the distance. Nevertheless, he’d seemed a bit on edge since we’d returned. I couldn’t put my finger on it.

  I wasn’t in a hurry for the relaxed feeling to end. If I asked him about his mood or the bourbon, he’d accuse me of analyzing. Instead, I stared up at the giant fireplace. “Do you ever build a fire in the fireplace?”

  “No.”

  “Oh, I had fires at my place all the time. I love fires especially on a night like tonight. You know when the warmer day gives way to a cooler night.” I smiled. “Today was fun.” When he didn’t respond, I went on. “I was scared about flying, but your plane was amazing. It was nice to get out.”

  He nodded. “And come home to some new fresh food.”

  “So you were just hiding me?”

  “Not just,” he said.

  I turned back to the stone fireplace, taking note of the wood piled within. “So is this gas?” The wood didn’t look real. “Where’s the switch?”

  With a sigh, Kader reached into the fireplace. Something clicked, sounding as if he’d opened a flue. Slapping his hands against one another, he shrugged. “I’m honestly not sure it works. I guess we’ll see.”

  Anticipation grew. We both stood back, our eyes on the stack of unburnable wood as he pressed a button on the side of the stone hearth.

  Swoosh.

  Blue at first, a bubble of gas gave way to orange and red flames filling the interior of the giant fireplace. I saw it all but only for a split second. My glass of wine and his tumbler of bourbon fell to the floor as we did too.

  “N-no!” Kader’s one-word roar echoed throughout the house as his large body covered mine. Within his embrace, we rolled as one to the giant rug near the sofas.

  I looked up, pushing his large shoulder. “Kader, what happened?”

  He didn’t answer as his breathing came faster. His eyes were closed and yet his grip of me tightened.

  “We’re all right,” I said as calmly as I could.

  I could barely move within his vise of a hold.

  Stretching my neck, I attempted to peer beyond his massive body out at the room around us. To one side were the spilled glasses. The puddles of wine and bourbon seeped between the slats of the wood floor.

  Everything else was normal.

  The crackle of the fire filled the air and the windows were dark.

  Nothing was unusual.

  I couldn’t fathom what had just happened.

  Kader’s entire body trembled while his heart raced against my chest.

&nbs
p; “Kader,” I repeated his name.

  Slowly, he lifted his torso until he was sitting at my side. His eyes stayed focused on me until they closed and his hands came to the side of his head.

  I reached up. “What’s happening?”

  Kader’s eyes began to blink as he lowered his hands. His head tilted as the green orbs opened wide. “You’re Laurel. Laurel Carlson.” The inflection in his voice was as if he were seeing me for the first time or for the first time in a while. “You’re Dr. Carlson’s daughter.”

  I nodded. “Yes, Kader, you know that.”

  His large hand came to my cheek and his expression darkened with remorse. “God, I was a dick. I fucking should have written. I knew it was a shitty move. I didn’t want you to wait. You’ve always been too good for me. I knew that the first day I saw you.”

  Confusion came in waves as my body stiffened.

  “What are you talking about?”

  He sat taller and pulled me to sitting, his gaze continuing to scan me as if he were reassuring himself I was safe or maybe that I was real. He ran his hands over my hair and down my arms. “Fuck, it’s really you.”

  I reached up to his cheek until his gaze met mine. “Kader, tell me what’s happening.”

  He sat taller, his tone clipped. “Don’t use that name.”

  Had I been right about DID?

  Was this a psychotic episode isolating one personality?

  “You know who I am.”

  Blood swished in my ears and my stomach knotted. This couldn’t be happening. It didn’t make sense. Though my mouth had grown drier with each passing second, I forced my tongue to vocalize my question. “What name should I use?”

  He cupped my cheeks with his large hands and pulled me toward him. His scented breath skirted my skin as his lips captured mine with a new sense of urgency, passionate and needy. Bourbon and wine created an intoxicating concoction as our tongues sought one another.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful. You always have been.” His praises came as he continued his adoration. The warmth of his hands splayed under my shirt as he unlatched my bra. “I want to see you.”