Page 115 of Shadowed Obsession

My alarm blares and yanks me out of my sleep. The ringtone is excessively loud and makes me want to scream. I’m lying in a puddle of sweat, and I’m in excruciating pain. My body feels as if a steamroller ran over me, and I can feel the impending headache as too much sunlight shines into my bedroom window.

Somehow I manage to get out of the bed, and thankfully I’ve been wearing period underwear so I wouldn’t have another repeat since César invaded my life. There’s no way I’m going into work, so I text Brian to inform him then Darius.

My brother being overjoyed that I am taking a few days off even if I am not feeling well proves that I work entirely too damn much. There is nothing more for me to do besides read and go back to sleep. Sleep it is.

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stranger danger

César

2:36 p.m. | 8 hours before ‘the last, last incident’

Dara Hale has been calling me non-stop today, and I have no idea why, but I’ve had enough. I swipe the screen to answer.

“What is it?”

Um—hi, César? It’s Dara. Why haven’t you been answering? Are you all right?” she asks, her tone laced with worry.

“I’m all right, but I am out of office. Myabuelapassed away, and I’ve been in Puerto Rico with loved ones for the past week,” I tell her with added bite in my tone. Her brother is apendejo, after all.

“Oh heavens, I am so sorry for your loss. I don’t mean to be a bother, but this is important and I have to warn you. It’s not about workper se,” she adds in a hushed tone.

“Okay, so what is it?” I urge, hoping she gets to the point soon enough.

“You have to believe me. Dax has been off his fucking rocker, and I’ve been trying to prove that to my father, but I fear it’stoo late. He had a meeting yesterday, hired some shady fucker, wired a large sum of money this morning and won’t say what it’s for. He wants to win this bid so badly, he’s willing to harm her for it. If you’re nothere, then Deirdre is unsafe.”

I have to get to her.

I swallow the rising bile in my throat. I am hours away from home and need to find a flight immediately.

“I am sorry to spring this upon you at such a bad time, but you had to know. She doesn’t fancy me, but I will try to get a hold of her in the meantime.”

“I gotta go, Dara. Thank you for telling me,” I state calmly, despite the rage boiling within.

“Of course,” she says, disconnecting the call.

Deirdre? Please call me. It’s important.

Wake up, Deirdre. Get out of the house.

Deirdre. Fuck. Answer the phone.

I manage to find a nonstop flight to Austin and book it immediately, but I have to be at the airport in the next hour and a halfifI stand to make it.

I scan my room and shove everything I brought with me in my luggage, but it isn’t neatly folded so it’s not zipping up.

Not now. I don’t have time for this shit now.

Please?

It’s not safe there and you need to leave.

Call me back?

I call and text profusely until I board the plane. Even leaving voicemails, but I find no luck. She doesn’t respond to any ofthem. Thankfully, she hasn’t blocked me, but she hasn’t read any of my messages today. But she did last night.

Read: 10:04 p.m.

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