Page 48 of Framed Obsession

unknown

I caught him.

My spine goes straight, feeling my heart skipping a beat. I’m unsure of what to do right now. I’m unsure of why Axel needs me right now.

Me

Can you drop him off at the police station? They are looking for him.

Unknown

That will be hard to do considering he’s in my basement right now.

What? Why would he be— another message from him chimes in.

Unknown

Please. Just at least come out and talk to me.

I sit there for what seems like an eternity before deciding to go to the front door. I mean he did go out of his way to catch him. I’m honestly a little terrified of what he needs to talk to me about. I’m sure it’s about Parker being in his basement but I don’t want to know what he has done to him. And I don’t know what the hell he wants me to do about it.

The hallway is dark as I creep down it. It seems like Z has already gone to bed. Should I get her? Am I stupid for opening the door alone? I guess we’ll find out. I still have the comforter wrapped around me. Leaving me to feel an ounce of safety, even though it's just a piece of cloth.

The doorknob turns and clicks open. I peek behind me, ensuring the minuscule sound didn’t wake Zoe up. I carefully open the door until I see Axel standing there. He gives me a devilish grin, and something inside me stirs. He has a hand on the frame, which makes him tower over me even more. I walk out into the hallway and gently shut the door behind me.

“I have a proposal for you,” he says.

“A proposal? For what? And why do you have Parker in your basement?” I whisper insistently. I know Axel has demons he is battling, and perhaps he has some psychopathic tendencies, but never would I have thought he would go as far as having someone in his basement against his will.

“Yes. A proposal. You can come with me back to my place where your perverted boss is tied up and you can take your revenge, or you can stay here and not have any control of what is going to happen next.” The words leave his lips effortlessly. Like a promise to both propositions that he has no issue following through with. I take a small step backward.

“Neither sound like good ideas,” I object. He steps forward, eliminating the space I just created. I tighten the large blanket around me. He shrugs his shoulders lazily and turns, giving me his back. I cock my head confused. He starts to step away.

“Have fun staying here,” he says. My jaw flies open in astonishment. He can't just—

“Hey! You can't just say that and walk away from me!” I charge toward him. His big strides make me need to take triple the amount. He continues walking, turning and glancing down at me. His award-winning smile hits me in the face, and I cower a little. I’m not sure why, but I keep up pace. We make it to the elevator and I pause.

“I-I can't go. I shouldn’t go. This is wrong,” I express with concern in my tone.

“Yeah, you're right. Wearing a blanket as a fashion statement may not go so well for you,” he jokes. The giggle that leaves my body is raw. I glance down at the oversized comforter that is being half dragged across the dirty hall floor. He is right. What am I doing?

The elevator door dings and opens. He holds out a hand, keeping it from closing. I look at the empty space and then back at him. I don’t know what forces me to move, but I do. I walk in, and he follows behind, sealing my fate.

Chapter 35

The Stalker

The silence she is giving me is deafening. She hasn't said a word to me since she sat in my car. I glance over at her. Seeing she is staring out the passenger window, cuddled up in her safety blanket. The sight burns a warmth in my chest.

Her perfect white locks spiral into wavy curls surrounding her. A light dusting of freckles kisses her nose and cheeks like the stars on a clear night. She looks better without makeup. Raw, bare, radiant. Fucking incomparable.

Her head turns in my direction, feeling my gaze. She raises a manicured brow. A blush flushing across before she turns back around. Would it be awful if I just kidnapped her? To keep her forever. I think she would learn to forgive me.

As we draw closer to my home; she perks up with curiosity. I don’t park in my garage this time, just on the driveway. I exit and round the car to her door. She opens it before I get there, and I shut it before it becomes fully open, slamming it in her face. She gives me a perplexed look through the window, and I re-open the door for her.

“You never open your door when you're with me,” I say, but it’s more of an order. She gives me a nod and drags her blanket with her out of the car.

“Do you live here alone?” she asks, examining the outside details. She stumbles, stepping on a piece of the fabric.