Page 43 of Dark Obsession

“I still don’t understand.Why don’t you feel I should get one?Is it because you think I’m emotionally unstable?”

Conner cringed and was quiet for a moment.“I never said that, ma’am.”

“But you definitely thought it, didn’t you?”

“My captain ordered me to inform you about the statistics of how dangerous it is for inexperienced people to use firearms.”

She paled, and tears burned her eyes.“Or you told him I was unstable, and I shouldn’t have a permit?”Keira gritted her teeth against the pain that ripped through her.

“No, that’s not the way it went.”

Keira moved shakily around the counter until she could sit down before she fell.An ugly laugh tore through her.The arms she had around her waist tightened as if to hold herself together.“So, you’re telling me, I have no way to defend myself?You’re taking away any chance I have to protect myself?”

“I’m sorry, Miss Walker.I want you to know we have people on your case.”

Keira shook her head before she lowered it.The breath left her in a slow release.“It doesn’t matter anymore.I’m going to get raped or worse, and no one is listening or cares.”

“That’s not true at all.”He flinched when she looked up at him.He’d never seen the face of someone who’d just given up.“Listen to me.We are not giving up on this case...”

Keira waved a hand at him.“You need to go.”

“Let’s tal—”

“No.Please leave.”She stopped him before he got to the door.“I do have one more question.Does Daniel know about this?”

Conner hesitated before he nodded.“Yes, I told him.”

“And what did he say?”

“He didn’t like the idea of you having a gun either.”

She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer.“I see.Thank you.”

“We only want what’s best for y—”

Keira held a hand up.“Please go.There is no more damage the two of you can do to me.”

Conner flinched and opened his mouth.

“Go!”she shouted.

After he left, Keira walked to the door, locked it, and turned off the overhead lights.She started laughing when she thought,Why am I bothering to lock the door?The guy can get through locks.The laughing quickly turned to sobs.Her feelings of despair were so deep that she could do nothing.She slid down the wall next to the door and wrapped her arms around her knees as the sobs tore out of her.

It was the ringing of the phone that roused her.Keira looked around, confused for a second.She had cried herself to sleep sitting up against the wall in the shop, by the front door, for God’s sake.

The shadows were so deep a spike of terror ran through her, and her only thought was to get to her purse where she had the pepper spray—the only thing she had to defend herself with.She managed to pull herself up and move toward the back.Her steps were getting quicker the closer she got.She took a breath only when she had the spray in her hand.

Keira sat back in the office chair and rubbed her hands over her face.She didn’t want to go home, but she knew she had to.She could probably sleep on the couch in the office, but if he got in here and she screamed, there would be no chance of anyone hearing her since all the businesses were closed at night.At home, she had neighbors who might hear and call for help.

She had to somehow find the guts to meet the situation head-on.She knew she was on her own, at least until Layla got home, but she wasn’t giving up.It wasn’t in her to give up.She’d carry knives with her, maybe get more pepper spray and put it everywhere, so she always had some within her reach.

Keira jumped when her phone rang again.Daniel’s name popped up.She groaned, she didn’t want to talk to him right now, but knew if she didn’t answer, he’d come looking for her.She couldn’t look at him right now and knew he was setting her up to have to deal with the violence she knew was coming.

“Hello.”

“Where the hell are you?”he yelled.

She cringed at the anger in his voice.“Listen, Daniel.I don’t think we should see each other right now.I’ve got a lot on my plate...”

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