Obsession and Sacrifice (Alaska #2)

by Tiffany Carmouche

  “Let me help you clean it up.”

  “No!” he screamed. He couldn’t believe the tone of his voice- – He snapped at her. “No, wait right there.”

  “Don’t talk to me like that! What is wrong with you? Why would you raise your voice at me? What did I do to you?”

  He balled up the notes and stuffed them in his pockets. They haunted him, but now they became an addiction- – he needed to read them. Steve was taunting him. Why? Why did he want to taunt him? She couldn’t see these. No one could.

  An uneasiness set inside him like a poison. Why should I let Dylan win? Why should he always win? I met her first. Steve’s sick thoughts were seeping inside him, asking him some of the things he’d already asked himself a thousand times. He realized his edginess and went over to her.

  “I don’t get you, Brad. I really don’t get you. One minute it feels like you are going to kiss me. The next you’re pushing me onto Dylan. Now you’re yelling at me. Can you just bring me home?”

  He didn’t know what to say. It was all true. How could he tell her he would sacrifice his happiness because of his loyalty? But it wasn’t getting any easier. Every time he looked into her eyes…anytime her skin brushed against his, his desire for her increased. And Steve’s words made him question his decision. It sparked his obsession for her and for a moment nothing mattered but making her his.

  Chapter 49

  *Bradley*

  They finally arrived home, Brad sat on his bed. He had called the police to make sure they were safe as they left The Lodge, but the truth was, they were not safe at all. He couldn’t sleep--his mind occupied with all of the chaos that surrounded his life now. He was the last person to see Katie alive. Surely he would become a suspect. Three people who had been at his bar, who he had seen regularly, were now murdered. And Nikki, Nikki was almost slaughtered in front of him.

  He tried not to think back to that night, tried not to see the blood. Why hadn’t the police caught Steve? He was in my home! He was here in this house! An officer’s car sat right in front. Why didn’t he stop the strange woman?

  Brad knew they had to leave. He knew they had to get Nikki some place safe. But everything--his home, his club, his boat--was here. He already had to stop talking to his sister. His sister, Karen, lived in Wasilla but Brad was afraid to visit her since Nicole’s attack. He worried Steve was watching him and he couldn’t risk putting Karen’s family in jeopardy.

  Brad was sick to his stomach. What if he had done that when he asked her to watch Jess so that Nikki could go to work? God, what if Steve had done something to them? Thank God they were safe. They had to leave, Brad had to give up all he knew, but Nicole was worth it. He had to keep her safe.

  He pulled the notes out of his pocket and read the little pieces of paper. Steve’s thoughts haunted his mind. He stared at the ceiling trying to make sense of it all and his eyelids grew heavy.

  He stood behind the bar with Nikki, the phone interrupted them and he reluctantly answered it.

  “Brad, just listen.” The eerie voice sounded--quiet and controlled. A feeling of hate and curiosity filled Brad. “I am going to help you, Brad. I like you. You and I both know that Dylan is not right for her. She needs someone who will love her like she deserves to be loved. I don’t like Dylan. He is going to suffer, Brad. But I want to protect you. I am going to help you. You need to do exactly what I say. I am doing this for you, Brad. I am doing this so you will finally get the girl.”

  “What are you talking about? Where are you?”

  “Let’s not worry about that, you need to listen or you will cause another murder. You don’t want that, do you? I want to see her breasts again. I want to see her moan.” Brad slammed down the phone. Sick bitch! Walking away from the bar as the phone rang and rang and rang. He didn’t answer it. It began again and again until the ringing haunted him. He walked back around and picked it up.

  “If you hang up again, Brad, someone will die. You better listen, Brad. Do you want someone to die?” Steve kept repeating Brad’s name over and over as if it was some kind of method to build confidence.

  “No, of course not. I am not going to let you touch her!”

  “Listen carefully. It is up to you. We can help each other, Brad. In the bathroom I left you a key. A key to a motel room. I want to see you take her. If you take her tonight, I will not kill my next victim. It is all up to you. You can save someone’s life. I have a camera set up in the room. All you have to do is let me watch you and I’ll let this pretty little thing go.” Brad heard the shrill cry of a girl pleading for her life. The scream made him cringe. “I am doing this for you, Brad. I am doing this, so you will have the balls to fuck her. Bring her to the motel room Brad, take all her clothes off. Feel her satin skin and fuck her—let her see the man you really are. The key is waiting in the bathroom for you. Fuck her Brad or there will be another dead body tonight because of you.” He hung up the phone and stood silent, his stomach nauseous. He couldn’t even look at Nicole, afraid she would read his thoughts—Steve’s words—his threat.

  The bathroom. The bathroom seemed to pull him toward it. The key. Someone would die if I didn’t make love to her. Do I tell her? Do I tell her what he threatened? He couldn’t speak. He walked past her as she questioned.

  “I’ll be right back.” He went into the bathroom. Spinning around, he examined the room. Hundreds of photos and words spread like graffiti on the walls. His hands covered his face. Each photo of him—each photo of Brad gazing at Nicole. You could see his longing in each picture. You could see his desire. How did he get these? Was it so obvious to everyone how much I wanted her? He ripped the photos from the walls frantically, trying to deny how much he craved being with her. He wanted to deny that he did want Dylan to disappear. A big arrow pointed to the key on the ledge. He picked it up in his hands examining it. A sick piece of him wanted to use this as an excuse to touch her. He wanted to use it as an excuse to be man enough to make love to her.

  They entered the hotel room. His heart pounded as he closed the door. The musky smell filled the room and he searched for the camera. He saw nothing that resembled one and it put him more at ease.

  She stood in front of him, looking like an angel. He reached out his hands and took hers, gently pulling her toward him. As her body got closer, he held his breath. She was so beautiful, he forgot how to breathe.

  “Nikki.” His hands wrapped around her body, pulling her next to him so he could hear the accentuated beating in her chest. His fingers grazed her gently and he took her face in his hands. He looked deep into her eyes as their heads drifted toward each other. Oh my god, her lips. Oh my god they are so soft. So moist. Their breath became deliberate and heavy as each kiss became more intimate. Each kiss became more passionate. Her lips captivated him, her luscious red lips, his heartbeat more pronounced. He gently caressed her face again. As if she was under his spell, their clothes fell to the floor.

  His fingertips grazed her body. He couldn’t believe it. She stood before him naked, sensual, breathtaking. He pulled her close, her silky skin pressed up against his body and his lips began to worship hers. He gently sucked on her lips as his hands explored her curves, cherishing each stoke of his hand. Oh my god, she felt so good, he picked her up into his arms and laid her delicately on the bed. Slowly sliding on top of her, it felt incredible.

  To kiss her, to touch her, “Oh, Nicole,” he whispered as they caressed each other.

  “Bradley,” she sighed. He could feel her legs open to let him enter her. She was finally his.

  “Thank you Brad,” A man’s voice startled him. “Thank you, you got her ready for me.” Steve hovered over the two of them to watch. Brad realized--Steve had a knife. He played with the blade in his hands. “I’m sure Dylan will like a copy of your little show. It’s a shame I’ll have to let you go Brad. I was really starting to like you.” He s
tabbed Brad over and over, the blade slashed through both of their naked bodies, blood seeped all over the white sheets as they took their last breaths.

  He jolted out of his dream covered in sweat. “Shit, oh my god.” His body shook and he grabbed his head. “It was just a dream, oh my god it was just a dream.”

  Chapter 50

  *Bradley*

  As Brad came out of his room the next morning, still a little shaken from the dream. Nicole called out, “What is this?” He walked over to see what she was talking about.

  “Isn’t this your house? And isn’t this the bar? What do the carnations mean?” Brad realized he left the map on the table. He grabbed it out of her hands.

  “Let me see that—Shit.” He had to call Dylan. They had to get out of the house.

  “What’s going on Brad? Why are you acting so weird? Why did the police come last night? Please tell me. You are acting so strange.”

  He had to tell her. He had to explain. “That was Steve, that man who came into the club last night. It was Steve—the man who attacked you before. He was wearing another disguise. I don’t know how that could have been a disguise, I have no clue. The carnations, I think, are places he plans on killing people. We gotta get out of here. I’ll call Dylan. Grab whatever stuff you need. We need to leave fast. I don’t know when we’ll be able to come back.”

  Brad opened the door to the hotel room. All feeling of arousal killed by the thought they were being used as pawns. They were in danger. We have to leave town. We have to get Nicole to safety. Dylan finally showed up, knocking on the door to the room.

  “I’ll stay at Pete’s tonight; I have to talk to him about running the bar while we get out of town. It’s not safe for her here. Steve’s watching everything. I went to three different hotels before coming here and left my truck at the Ramada in case he was following us. I hope I finally lost him. This is the only room this hotel had available.”

  Dylan looked around and realized there was only one room and a sitting area outside it. “Nicole, you can take the room. I’ll sleep on the couch.” He seemed cold, and matter-of-fact.

  She walked into the room, aware they didn’t want her around when they talked about Steve.

  “I got everything I could out of your house Brad. My sister arranged it so we can take my family’s jet tomorrow. Apparently Mardi Gras is late this year and my folks are all down in New Orleans. So I guess we need to go to New Orleans instead of Seattle.”

  “I can’t leave right away. You take Nikki to Louisiana, I’ll fly down on Thursday. It should just take me about a day or so to work things out so I can leave Pete in charge. I have to go back to the club to get a few things done so everything goes smoothly. I just have a few details I need to work out.”

  “You didn’t know it was him?”

  “I only realized it when I saw the carnation. Dylan, his bone structure, the color of his skin, his height, his accent--everything was different.” He pulled out the map and showed it to him. “Nikki noticed the house is marked with a carnation.”

  “Brad, so is the bar. You be careful going back there. Let me go with you.”

  “You have to keep Nikki safe. I’ll leave as soon as I can. I can’t lose my house or the bar. That is all that I have. It’s Nikki he’s after. She was bartending. I’m pretty sure that is why the bar is on the map. I called the police to warn them of Steve’s threats and they will have an officer at the club so no one gets hurt. I just hope it’s not that red headed one.”

  “Well, be careful. Brad, I found this in the house, I didn’t want to shake you up even more but… you know that day Nicole let that woman into the house.”

  “You mean Steve?”

  “Yes , well I found a purse, a purse I had given Nicole but figured she left it at Steve’s house. It was left in the living room that day, when I opened it I found this.” He pulled out a piece of paper. “It says, ‘Yes, the carnation means disdain, rejection, and you have disappointed me. You have disappointed me. I study it every day and I wait and I get ready. You never strike when they expect you to, but you prepare for the right moment. You will get yours, I promise you. You will get yours. Rejection—you think you are in control. I just watch. I wait. Do you hunt, Dylan? You must remain invisible till you attack. Like a leopard.’ ” Dylan could picture the day Steve spoke these words about his ex, now they were directed at them. “ ‘I just watch…I wait…’ He’s been taunting us Brad, but he’s getting ready for something, something big.”

  “We have to make sure he doesn’t follow us.”

  “He won’t find us in New Orleans. If we take my family’s jet, there is no way he can get the info from the airlines. It’s going to be alright.” He put his hand on Brad’s shoulder. “I really don’t like you going to the bar alone.”

  “He’s after her, not me. I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure you don’t need me…You know I…”

  “I will be careful, I promise. I’ll bring Pete, or make the cops are there.”

  “You are sure?” Dylan waited till Brad nodded. “You’ve been to my dad’s hotel in the Quarter right?”

  “Yeah, I’ll meet you there. Then we can head out to Maryland. Good luck with everything.” Brad brought his voice down to a whisper. “Be nice to her, Dylan. I snapped at her. This Steve thing has really got me shaken up. She needs us. I’m worried she’ll try and leave again. It isn’t safe. Please be nice to her.”

  Chapter 51

  *Nicole*

  When Bradley left, I peaked my head out of the room. “So we are going to New Orleans instead of Seattle?” I asked Dylan.

  “Yeah, I guess plans have changed, that’s where my folks will be.”

  I walked over to him, sitting in the chair next to the couch. “Why didn’t you show up? Are you still mad at me?”

  “It really didn’t make sense to me. What were you going to remember, Nicole? A moment me and you were together? I think it’s better you just move on with your life. You’re better off with Brad. I’m not going to be around. I’m going to be broke. It’s better you don’t remember what we had. Brad’s a good guy. He’ll take care of you.”

  “He says the same about you. I almost feel like a tennis ball, the two of you keep hitting me onto the other guy’s court.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, when I’m with him, he is trying to pawn me off on you. When I’m with you, you’re trying to get me to go out with him. It’s getting old. The two of you give me these signals and then when I’m attracted to you, you turn me away. I think I’m better off alone. I’m sick of being a yo-yo.”

  “Brad hasn’t tried anything yet?”

  “Are you kidding, anytime I think there may be a connection with either of you, you freeze. I think it’s better we’re all friends.”

  “Brad hasn’t tried ANYTHING?”

  “Not even a kiss. The two of you treat me like I have a disease.”

  “What an idiot.”

  “No, the idiot has been me. I’ve been the ping pong.”

  “I don’t understand him. He’s in love with you.”

  “That is what he says about you. All I know is, if you all loved me so much, why would you keep pawning me off on the other guy.”

  “It’s nothing like that, Nicole.”

  “Dylan, whatever. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Don’t worry. I know this trip means nothing. I’ll do whatever I need to do to get my daughter back and you can have your space. I just don’t understand why you didn’t play. Did you think I’d get a crush on you again and not leave you alone? Don’t worry, you cured me of that. I just want to remember Dylan…you don’t understand, even little glimpses help me. I promise I won’t act stupid. I wish you would consider playing with Justin in New Orleans. He’s playing at a club down there during Mardi Gras. He gave m
e his number in case you don’t have it. Here’s his flyer. I wish you’d at least think about it.”

  “I’ll think about it Nicole, but it’s not just about you. That’s a part of my past. I’m not sure I want to revisit that part of my life.”

  “It is only a few songs, Dylan. I’m not asking you to do a world tour.”

  Chapter 52

  *Bradley*

  Brad left the hotel to stay with Pete. The next day they went to the club together. The police would be there soon. The delivery truck showed up as they pulled in the parking lot.

  “I got this. You can get what you need Brad, I will be right inside.” Pete nodded over to him.

  The lights were out. Brad walked toward the light switch to turn them on.

  “You have proven to be a surprise secret weapon.” A voice rang out from the darkness, startling him. He froze, pivoting in the direction of the sound. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you …not yet at least.”

  The gun. He pulled the gun out from under his shirt. He listened to the words. They were coming from one area. Steve wasn’t coming toward him; Steve sat in the darkness waiting for him.

  Brad called out toward the voice “You were in the house, you’ve been at the bar, you have had several opportunities to kill us. Why haven’t you?”

  “Oh Bradley, that wouldn’t be any fun now, would it? I have only just begun. By the time I am through with your friend Dylan, he will wish I had just killed him. He took her from us, Bradley. You should have heard them laughing together in my house. He reminds me of my brother. He got all the attention. I showed him. He thought he was so tough but he screamed like a little girl.” It sounded like he took a sip of something. Brad could hear the ice cubes clanging on the side of the glass.