Every Breath You Take (Oasis Book 1) (19 page)

“Go down to Paige’s place and lock yourself inside with her,” he whispered, drawing out his gun.

My heart thudded hard, and I nodded mutely, turning for Paige’s. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dustin peek into the apartment. Worried for him, I angled back. He saw me and shook his head once. “
Go
.”

Halfway down the hall, Paige stood outside her door, key card still in hand. Her door was already open as well.

“Paige,” I hissed, trying to keep my voice down. “Did you open that?”

She shook her head. I waved her to me. “Don’t go in. We have to–”

My phone buzzed. I pressed the answer button, hoping it was Finn or even Powell, before computing it was an unfamiliar number.

“Hello?” I said.

The voice stopped me cold. “Hi, Charlotte.”

My hands shook, and words caught in my throat. It was Mark. He had my number. Paige gripped my arm, eyes full of concern, and even a flicker of fear.

“I know you can hear me,” Mark said, his voice soft. The musical tone he’d always used when he was about to teach me a lesson. “How’s your friend?”

I glanced at Paige while my heart raced out of control. She squeezed my arm, mouthing
Who is it
?

Backing against the wall, I leaned against it to support my weight. Then I scanned the hallway. How did he know I was with someone? The cameras?

My lungs constricted. Or he was here. Somewhere.

“Mark,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “You have to stop calling me.”

“I just want to talk, Charlotte. No harm in that, right?”

“Where are you?” I asked, my voice shaking.

“In Portland. Where else would I be?”

Then who opened the doors? How did he know what was going on?

“I don’t believe you,” I whispered.

There was a smile in Mark’s voice when he answered. “Just a little motivation for you. We should talk. I’ve changed, Charlotte. Give me a chance.”

“Hang up the phone,” Paige hissed.

Dustin left my apartment, frowning when he saw me and Paige in the hallway. I hung up the phone and pointed. “Her apartment was open, too.”

His gaze whipped to her door, and he lifted the hand still holding the gun. He pointed with his free hand. “Stay here.”

Paige met my eyes, huddling with me against the wall while Dustin checked her apartment. “That was him? On the phone?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“He wants to talk.”

“Hell, no!” she burst out, then slapped a hand over her mouth. “Did he do this?”

I looked to my apartment and then to Paige’s. “I think so. To scare me. But…how?”

Paige’s eyes widened. “You think he’s in there? Or he was in one of our apartments?”

I shivered, but shook my head. “He would have had to check in downstairs. They wouldn’t have let him up without our permission.”

“Then what’s going on?”

After another moment, Dustin returned, his gun holstered and phone pressed to his ear. “I’ve got Powell on the line.”

“He just called her,” Paige told him, anger in her eyes. “The son-of-a-bitch just called her on the phone.”

She said it loud enough for Curtis to hear. Dustin listened for a moment, and then confirmed the order before hanging up.

“Let’s get inside,” Dustin said, gesturing to my apartment. “Powell is on his way up.”

Paige linked her arm through mine as my phone rang again. Dustin tensed, automatically reaching for it.

“Wait,” I said before he could grab it. “It’s Finn.”

“Inside,” he answered, touching my arm to get me moving.

Paige guided me back to my place as I spoke with Finn.

“How was class?” he asked.

“Fine. Finn–”

“I forgot. Sorry about Dustin.”

“No, it was good he was here,” I said.

“What happened?” Finn asked, voice turning serious in an instant. “Is he with you now?”

“Yes. It wasn’t–”

“Dammit,” Finn said. I heard shuffling on the other end of the phone. “I knew I should have been there. Are you okay? I’m coming down.”

“You don’t have to. Curtis is coming–”

“I’m coming down.”

He ended the call, and I stared at the phone for a long moment before dropping it in my pocket. Inside the apartment, I set my bag by the door and pressed my hands over my face.

Paige rubbed my arm, concern in her voice. “Charlotte?”

“I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have to deal with this.”

“This isn’t your fault, and don’t be silly. I’m your friend. I’ll be here for you,” Paige said. She pulled me toward the living room. “Come on, let’s sit.”

But we’d barely made it to the couch before Finn and Curtis arrived. Finn strode inside and walked straight to the couch. His hair was wet like he’d just gotten out of the shower, and he wore sweats and a T-shirt.

“Are you okay?” Finn asked, eyes pinning me. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

I couldn’t answer before he pulled me off the couch and into his arms. My voice was muffled against his chest when I said, “I’m fine, Finn.”

But he still ran his hands over my arms, and let his gaze roam my face like he didn’t believe me.

“Her door was open when we got up here,” Dustin said, addressing Curtis.

Curtis looked around, eyes sweeping the space. “No one inside?”

Dustin shook his head. “Ms. Hammond’s door was open as well.”

Finn kept his arm tight around my waist when he turned. “No one in there either?”

“No, sir,” Dustin said. “No damage that I could see either.”

Curtis nodded and addressed me and Paige. “I’d appreciate it if you’d take a look around. Make sure nothing is missing and nothing has been moved.”

“I don’t think anyone was in here,” I said.

Curtis’s eyes met mine. “Why do you think that?”

“He was doing it to scare her,” Paige said. “He called her after Dustin went inside.”

Finn’s gaze whipped to mine. “He
called
you? Mark?”

I winced at his name, and nodded. I eased back from Finn as much as he would allow, my breath feeling tight.

“What the hell?” Finn said.

Curtis stepped up to me. “May I see your phone?”

I fished it out of my pocket. “It was a short call. An unlisted number.”

He continued to hold out his hand. “Still.”

I gave him the phone, and he started pressing the screen.

“How the hell did he get her number?” Finn asked. “Or get a key to her apartment? I thought you’d stepped up security–”

“He might not have had a key,” I said. “Or even been in here at all. He said he was still in Portland.”

“And you believe him?” Finn asked, looking incredulous.

“She might be right,” Curtis said, interrupting our conversation, but keeping his eyes on the phone. “There are other ways to unlock the doors.”

“How?” Paige asked.

I swallowed. “The computers.”

The room was silent a long moment before Curtis handed me back my phone. “We’ll look into it. I need to know exactly what he said to you.”

() () ()

After another hour talking to Curtis and getting Paige situated for the night in a separate apartment, I stood in the spare room of Finn’s place with my bag after he insisted I stay the night.

It didn’t feel like home. But hardly anywhere did these days. Stripping down in the bathroom, I turned on the shower and stepped inside. Finn was on the phone the minute we walked inside the apartment, and I left him to his calls.

I trusted Curtis would figure out the problem. Tonight, I was ready to let him. I mentioned going to the police, but he said short of filing a report, there wasn’t much else they could do unless something more happened.

The thought made me shiver. Was I ready to go that far? Letting Mark into my life just so I could have proof that he was really behind all this?

But once the police were involved, there really was no going back.

My muscles were a little sore from the self-defense class, and the last thing I wanted to do was speculate how Mark knew where to reach me. Or where my apartment was. So I tried to put all of that behind me and turned the water hotter. It burned my face and neck, but I barely noticed. I closed my eyes and breathed in the steam. My hands went to my neck. That had been the last straw. The tie. After I’d woken up, terrified I’d passed out, I’d made the plan to leave for good.

Maybe I should have gone to the police then, but I’d been too scared.

I heard a noise behind me and whipped around. Finn got in the shower with me, his body one long line of muscle and strength.

“Is this okay?” he asked.

I nodded even as my heart slammed against my ribs. “I thought you had some calls to make.”

“I wanted to check on you.”

He pulled me close, tucking my head against his shoulder. The hot water rained down on us and mixed with my tears. Finn didn’t notice until I sniffled. He pulled back, eyes full of worry. “Charlotte…”

I smiled at him, and even though it wobbled a little, it felt good. “It’s okay.”

“What can I do?”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

“But–”

“Not now,” I whispered, pressing against him. “I just…need a distraction.”

He instantly hardened against me, pressing into my hip. But he eased back. “I don’t know–”

“I do,” I murmured, wrapping my hand around him.

A low groan escaped his lips, and in an instant, he hauled me against him. His mouth found mine, as hot as the water as he thrust his tongue inside. “Charlotte,” he said, the word just a low rumble.

“I want to forget,” I said, closing my eyes. “Just for now.”

He spun me to face the wall. My eyes flew open, and then closed again when he traced his lips over my shoulder while trailing his hands down my back. My breasts pressed against the wall and I leaned my forehead there as well, reveling in Finn’s touch. When I reached back for him, he captured my hands and held them to the wall with his, using the moment to whisper in my ear.

“I love you, Charlotte.”

The words I wanted to say to him filled my mouth, but wouldn’t come out. Finn didn’t say anything, only released my hands and reached around me, fingers sliding along my abdomen before he touched my breast. The nipple puckered against his skilled hand, and I moaned when the other hand slid lower, reaching between my legs.

“Oh, God. Finn,” I said, but he wouldn’t let me turn around.

“Let me do this for you,” he said.

And I couldn’t argue, because my knees were already weak as he worked one finger on me, and then another until my body started to tense up.

“Let go,” Finn said, breath hot on my ear. “Just let go.”

And I did. My body exploded, eyes squeezing shut as a shower of colors fireworked behind the lids. I sagged against Finn and he held me up, pulling my hair to the side so he could caress my neck.

When I turned, his eyes were still filled with desire and I pulled him to me. “I want you inside of me,” I said, nipping at his lip.

He captured my hands against the wall again, and slowly slid inside of me until I was full of him, my body pulsing all over with my rushed heartbeats.

His fingers clenched on mine as he moved in and out, increasing the rhythm when I hissed his name. Breaking free of his grip, I clasped my fingers around his neck and ravaged his mouth. A sound of pleasure escaped, and he pumped even faster.

“Yes,” I told him, my voice almost hoarse. “Just like that.”

His eyes held mine, capturing them with love and lust. And then his body shuddered. He moved in and out a few more times and then clutched me close as he emptied inside of me. I squeezed my arms around him and said the words in my head, the ones I was too afraid to say out loud.

I love you
.

() () ()

I collapsed on the bed once we were out of the shower, and Finn followed along, sitting next to me. He was still gloriously naked except for the towel at his waist, and it was hard not to look, but my eyes were so tired.

I lay on my stomach, cheek mashed against the pillow. Finn rubbed my back, pushing down the towel so his fingers could trail along my spine.

“We should eat. You didn’t have any lunch,” he said.

“I’m too tired.”

His hand traced my ribs, making me squirm. “You’re going to waste away. Let’s eat.”

I swatted his hand. “That tickles.”

He was silent so long, I opened my eyes and saw a gleam in his. “Don’t do it,” I warned.

“If I tickle you, you’ll wake up and then we can eat.”

Rolling over to my side, I snagged his hand before he could attack. “Why don’t you get something, and I’ll take a nap?”

He frowned, and brushed his thumb along my jaw. “I’m sorry. You’re right. You can nap if you want.”