by Edwin Dasso
Apollo’s Other Daughter Gaia Parnassus reads palms in back of her father's Greektown pizzeria, when a chance encounter with Detroit Homicide Detective Joe Young guides Gaia to help solve a murder he’s investigating, and to romance.
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Boxed Sets
After Hurricane Nina the Series - Eight Strangers. Eight Unique Stories. All Stand-alone Novels.
Hot Hunks
Irresistible Boxed Sets
Invincible Boxed Sets
Sweet and Sassy Boxed Sets
She’ll Remember Boxed Sets
Unforgettable Boxed Sets
Love, Christmas 2 - 25 stories Sprinkle a little Christmas magic into your life with 25 ALL-NEW, never before released romances, including Suzanne’s Christmas with the Clouds, exclusively in the set!
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The Burn District Science Fiction Series
Burn District: The Short Story Prequel A neighbor warns Laura and Mike that their town is next as the destruction moves inland.
Burn District 1 The family flees to Steve Hayward’s ranch in the desert at the Mexican Border, outside of Yuma, Arizona to build an encampment.
Burn District 2 After the New Year, Jenna Hayward regretfully accepted that she had waited too long to leave Jacksonville for her father’s Arizona ranch.
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Stronger - Karen Calder’s FBI ex Michael puts a mobster behind bars and no one in his family is safe. Will she be able to forgive him when his job threatens her life?
The Jade Emperor After a stranger appears on their doorstep, a picture-perfect family takes a side trip to crazy town in this story of a soldier's last chance at love.
Perfect for Him . Perfect for Him is a tale of two lovers whose lifetime romance sustains them, as an unwanted ending looms in the near future.
Alice’s Summertime Adventure
We meet Alice Bradshaw when she is at a crossroad.
Someone Like You
Life gets in the way as upstate NY sisters, Marley and Abigail cling to each other and their young children.
Slow Dancing After midnight, a mysterious stranger appears at the edge of the woods and the peaceful life fifteen-year-old Ellen Fisher has with her beloved stepfather Frank is turned upside down.
The Liberation of Ravenna Morton Captures the small-town dynamic of a family’s private secrets being exposed to the world.
Ravenna’s Dream As Christmas approaches, family discord upsets Ravenna Morton’s plans for the usual holiday gathering at her cabin on the Kalamazoo River
Friends to Lovers Gorgeous Pipi Wiener’s family changes forever when their dad is tragically killed in the Vietnam War.
Mend Me Mend My Heart A sweet, clean story. Charlotte Baker, a thirty something widow raising two children, is holding on to the memory of her late husband, Steve. The idea of dating again has never crossed her mind, until she takes a fall at the cemetery where Steve is buried which brings the handsome caretaker to her rescue.
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www.suzannejenkins.com
Fatal Obsession
A Novel
By
Casi McLean
Contents
Author’s Content advisory
Preface
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Casi McLean
Author’s Content advisory
Fatal Obsession
Language intensity
No or mild profanity
Sexuality intensity
Possible sexual references with no details
Violence intensity
Violence but no gory details.
Fatal Obsession is dedicated to my son, Andrew,
who’s love for NFL football inspired me to
broaden my horizons.
Preface
Shoes clapping against the cold linoleum floor, Daryl Quinn walked room to room, making sure he hadn’t left a single shred of evidence he’d ever lived in this dump. He smiled at how his footsteps echoed through the emptiness. Opening the front door, he paused and scanned the great room one last time. “Good riddance,” he grumbled and slammed the door behind him. Never again would he have to spend another night in this hellhole.
Most people would feel a tug of sentimentality at leaving their childhood home, but not Daryl. The pale gray walls had closed in on him since his momma’s death and, after two years, her dying words still haunted him. Now, he would finally have revenge.
1
Thursday Evening, February 25––Day Five QB NFL Combine,Indianapolis, Indiana
“Nailed it.” Lowering his head, Deke Madigan leaned a hand against the wall and closed his eyes while the warm water cascaded through his sweat-dampened hair and swathed his naked body. He’d never worked harder for anything in his life and left nothing on the table. Adrenaline still pumping his muscles, he stretched his neck to one side then the other to loosen the tension.
“Great workout, Deke. You’re a lock for a first-round draft pick.” Matt chuckled, his voice echoing through the empty locker room.
Peering under his arm to see his friend, Deke raised a brow. “You’re hangin’ right there with me, buddy.” He straightened, reached for the soap dispenser, and pressed a glob into his palm.
“I wish. Seriously, bro, you’ve been golden all season. Winning the Heisman in December. Convincing Elise Sloan to marry you on Valentine’s Day. And now this…you slayed the entire NFL Combine.” He shook his head. “Whatever you’re drinking, save some for me.”
Deke raised an arm and slathered soap under his pit then onto his chest. “It’s called working your ass off.”
“Ha. You better save some of that ass for your hot fiancée.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m outta here. My interview starts in a half hour.”
“Damn, I had no idea it was that late.”
“As usual, you’re the last to leave, Deke. I’ll catch you later.” He turned and paced toward the door.
“Hey, Matt,” Deke hollered. “You’ve got this. Kick ass.”
He called over his shoulder, “I plan to. Later, buddy.” The door slammed behind him.
Deke pressed a few squirts of shampoo onto his hand and scratched his fingernails through his hair. The suds slid over his face and he rubbed them into the stubble around his mouth and chin. Matt was right. The last few months, Deke’s life had played out like a dream come true. Winning the Heisman not only fulfilled a childhood fantasy, the trophy created a springboard toward a prime NFL pick.
His mind swirled to thoughts of Elise and the look on her face when the Heisman Trophy Trust announced Deke as the winner. If he had to choose between an NFL career he’d spent years working to attain and having Elise in his life, he’d be seriously torn. When he met her, he won the lottery. The sight of her running across the football field straight toward him, a microphone gripped in her hand, was etched in his mind.
The game against South Carolina was tied. But with twenty-three seconds left in the fourth quarter, Deke threw a Hail Mary right into Hershel’s arms in the end zone. After the game, he gave a few interviews then jogged toward the locker room…until he saw Elise from the corner of his eye. Her long, deep-brown hair, crystal-blue eyes, and a beautiful, dimpled smile mesmerized him the first time their gazes met. And her love for football iced the cake. She had a body guys fantasized about and a no-nonsense personality that set her apart from any girl Deke had ever known. Smart, sexy, thoughtful…an in
tense heat swirled into his groin at the thought of her soft, pink lips pressing against his.
How his dream woman fell for him had him thanking God every day. He couldn’t imagine a more perfect wife. Remembering he’d promised to call her after the workout tonight, he picked up his pace, lathered his legs and feet then stepped into the rain-shower to rinse off.
Thoughts on Elise, he barely heard the click of a locker closing behind him. His mind drifted between Elise and wondering where he’d land after the draft played out…until the hairs on his neck rose. He sensed someone watching him and spun to see a water-blurred image only a few feet away. Rubbing his eyes to see more clearly, he stared…but his mind refused to accept who he saw. “What the hell?”
In a blink, an arm wrapped around his neck and a hand clamped over his mouth. The chokehold pressed against his neck. Soaking wet and completely unprepared, he couldn’t react…couldn’t counterpunch…couldn’t breathe. Again, Deke flashed on his assailant’s face in utter confusion…until his surroundings faded…blackness enveloped him…and he slid into a deep, dark abyss.
When a soft, purring hum vibrated next to her ear, Elise Sloan rolled over and buried her head under her pillow. But the sound refused to silence. Instead, the whir intensified until it grew into an intolerable droning noise. Now, awake enough to realize the abrasive whine emanated from her phone, she forced open her eyelids and shot a groggy gaze toward the clock. Six twenty-three a.m. Who on Earth would call her this early? She ran a hand through her pillow-scraggly hair and rubbed her eyes. Snatching her cell from the side table, she stared at the number. A cold chill bristled down her back. Pressing Accept, she shifted her weight onto an elbow.
“Matt? What’s wrong? Is Deke hurt?”
“Damn, Elise, are you psychic?”
“No…you just never call unless it’s an emergency.” She tightened her grip on the phone.
“Right.” He paused and drew in an audible breath.
“What happened? Was he injured during his workout?”
“No, nothing like that. He’s okay, but he was involved in some kind of…a skirmish.”
“Oh, God. I worried something was wrong when he didn’t call last night. How is he? Do I need to come––”
“Slow down and take a breath, Elise. I haven’t seen him yet, but the coach said it looks like he was in a struggle of some kind…or maybe mugged.”
“Mugged? Why…I mean…how could that even happen? Deke said security was tight. Besides, why would anyone want to mug Deke? It’s not like he carries a lot of money to the workouts.”
“I know. All great questions, and I don’t have any answers…at least, not yet. The last time I saw him, he was showering in the locker room. He had a helluva workout, and I figured he’d go back to his room and crash.”
“Who found him…and where? Was he still in the locker room?”
“That’s the strange thing. Security found him wandering the concessions at street level around ten last night. The coaches informed us around eleven p.m. They said Deke doesn’t remember what happened, but he had bruises on his neck and was disoriented.”
“Is he in the hospital?”
“Nah. The NFLPS physicians whisked him away for observation. They’re the best, Elise. They gave us all thorough exams before we could participate in the workouts.” A long moment of silence ensued before he continued. “They haven’t told us anything else. I just thought you should know.”
“Thanks.” She sat up straight and leaned against the headboard. “This might sound like a conspiracy theory…but…do you think someone…I mean…what if one of the competitors…wants him out of the competition?” A knot fisted in the pit of her stomach as she considered the possibility. “I’ve interviewed a lot of great quarterbacks this season.” She bit the corner of her lower lip. “What if one of them decided his chances would increase dramatically if Deke was injured?”
“Damn, Elise. You could be right. The competition here is brutal. And after today’s workout, Deke definitely tops the QB list for number one draft pick.”
“I never mentioned the idea to Deke, for obvious reasons, but I have to admit, the thought crossed my mind more than once. What if some desperate competitor––or someone close to one…like a coach––targeted Deke? If they hurt him or take him out of play, other contenders rise to the top.”
“That sounds a lot more reasonable than a mugging. I wonder if the coaches considered the possibility.” He paused a long beat. “But Deke was right about the security around here, it’s hard to believe someone could walk in off the street.”
“I just hope he’s okay.”
“The docs wanted to watch him for a few hours. He might be back in his room already. Although, I tried to call him a few times, but my calls went straight to voicemail. Still, he doesn’t take his cellphone to workouts. Maybe his phone is dead or in his suitcase. I’m sure he’ll be okay.”
“Yeah. That makes sense.” She slid down into her covers. “Thanks for calling, Matt. I know he’ll contact me when he can, but will you please let me know if you hear anything else?”
“Of course. And feel free to call me if you don’t hear from him soon.”
“Fingers crossed I won’t need to.” She pressed End and dropped her phone onto her lap.
Thoughts spinning, she snuggled back into bed and drew the covers to her neck. As a fledgling sportscaster, she’d been trained to probe beyond surface information. She couldn’t help but question who might have targeted Deke. She stared at the ceiling, her curiosity flying into overdrive with myriad what-if scenarios, until dawn crept through the window and cast eerie shadows across the bedroom.
With a sudden thud, an intense weight crushed against her stomach and chest, followed by a series of slobbery licks across her face. “Geez, Jaz. I’ve got to teach you a gentler way to wake me.” She gave the golden retriever pup a strong hug, then ushered him off the bed and shot a gaze at the time, six forty-eight. “I guess it’s time to get up.” She scratched Jasper’s head. “Let me throw on some clothes, then I’ll take you out, okay, boy?”
She ambled into the bathroom to start her day. It wouldn’t hurt to get to work a little early. Fridays were always busy, especially when she covered a nighttime basketball game, like tonight. And her lunch date with Britt would take a bit out of her time. For that, she was thankful, though. Brittney Gordon had been Elise’s best friend forever. They’d known each other since childhood, and they were practically joined at the hip. Both with long brown hair and a similar build, they looked like sisters, if not twins… except Britt had emerald-green eyes and Elise’s were blue. Now that she and Britt landed career-oriented jobs, they had little girl-time together. She looked forward to bouncing off her concern over Deke’s attack with Britt. As a DNA crime scene analyst, Britt was in a much better position to give Elise an objective point of view.
2
The NFL Combine participants stayed at The Crown Plaza Hotel, located on West Louisiana Street in Indianapolis, adjacent to the Convention Center and the Lucas Oil Stadium where they performed workouts. The Combine provided breakfast, lunch, and dinners in various locations and times, depending on the day’s activities, and sports nutritionists created menus to maximize performance. But if players missed scheduled meals, hotel room service and dining were offered on a cash-only basis, and each player was responsible to foot his own bill. Needless to say, Deke made sure he didn’t miss a meal––even if he felt like shit.
Tanner Wells pushed open the hotel room door. “Last call for breakfast, Deke. You comin’?”
He rolled over and eyed his roommate then glanced at his watch. “Damn. I didn’t get a bit of sleep last night with the doctors hovering over me. I just got back to the room. Why the hell can’t we get lunch through room service?”
“Rules are rules.”
He harrumphed. “Right.” He rolled to his side. Dragging his feet around, he hung them over the side of the bed and hauled himself into a sit. “My entire bod
y aches.” Elbows on his knees, he dropped his throbbing head into his palms.
“Do you remember anything more about what happened last night?”
Lifting his gaze, he flattened his lips. “Nah. The whole evening is a blur. I remember showering…and then nothing until I was wandering through the concession area.”
Tanner shrugged. “Lucky you finished the program before you got jumped.”
Pinching his brows together, Deke frowned. “Yeah. Lucky.”
“I’m outta here this afternoon. You leaving tonight or tomorrow?”
Deke shot him a stare. “My flight leaves tomorrow night. I wanted to stick around and watch the final workouts.”
“Well, it’s been nice getting to know you, Deke.” Tanner grasped his gym bag from his bed and slung it over his left shoulder then held out a hand. “If I don’t see you again before I leave for the airport, good luck with the draft.”
“Yeah. You, too.” Deke extended his right arm and gave him a firm shake.
When the door slammed behind his roommate, Deke stood and raked a palm through his hair then padded toward the bathroom. He had a lot to do before his flight tomorrow night. Smiling, he thought about how hard he’d worked to get here. He was a shoo-in for a first-round draft pick. All his diligence was finally paying off. He’d locked in his future, and he couldn’t wait to get home to see Elise. He’d call her this morning, before he got too involved in the day’s activities.