Obsession by Traci Hunter Abramson Read Free Book Online Page B

weren’t any vehicles parked outside the cabins that his map identified as belonging to the Blake family.
    He edged his vehicle down the narrow road and parked near the cabin that he hoped was his temporary quarters. He climbed out of his SUV, trudged through the snow to the front door, and tried the key Elias had given him. The key turned smoothly, and Charlie narrowed his eyes.
    If he was in the right place, then where was Kendra? He breathed in the smell of burning wood and turned to look at the cabin across the road. Then he saw it: the smoke coming from the chimney.
    * * *
    Kendra heard the knocking but didn’t bother to open her eyes. Dustin or her butler would answer the door. When the knocking continued, she forced her eyes open and looked around. It took her a few seconds to get her bearings, to remember where she was and why she was there.
    Her heartbeat immediately quickened as questions raced through her mind. Had she been followed? Had that bomb backstage really been meant for her? And who would want to hurt her?
    Fear pulsed through her, irrational and strong. She pushed herself out of the chair, her grandmother’s afghan pooling at her feet as she slipped on her shoes. She didn’t consider the snow on the ground or her lack of transportation as she started for the back door, already planning her escape.
    Then she heard a man’s voice penetrate the closed door. “Kendra, are you in there? It’s Charlie Whitmore. I’m a friend of your grandfather’s.”
    Kendra stopped and turned to look at the front door as though staring at it would explain everything. Then the rest of Charlie’s words sank in. Her grandfather had mentioned that a friend of his was staying in the little cabin.
    Obviously, if Charlie had been in Phoenix yesterday getting the keys from her grandfather, he couldn’t have been involved in the incident at her concert. Not to mention, her grandfather must trust this guy or he never would have suggested Kendra come up here by herself, knowing that he was around.
    Still cautious, she drew in a deep breath and slowly crossed the room. Pulling the curtains back, she peeked out the window beside the door. The man standing in the falling snow was younger than she’d expected, probably only a couple years older than she was. His hands were tucked into his ski jacket; his Georgetown University sweatshirt visible beneath it. He pulled a hand free of his pocket and brushed at the snow accumulating in his short blond hair.
    Again, Kendra wondered what he could be doing here, debating for a moment if she should really open the door. He turned toward the window and saw her. The corners of his lips twitched as though he was fighting back a grin.
    Suddenly feeling ridiculous for being so paranoid, Kendra stepped back, pushed her hair back from her face, and tried not to think about the fact that she still didn’t have any makeup on. Her curiosity humming, she forced herself to pull the door open.
    “You must be Kendra,” Charlie said the moment she opened the door. “I’m Charlie Whitmore, a friend of your grandfather’s. I don’t know if he mentioned that he’s letting me stay in the cabin across the street.”
    “Yes, he mentioned it.”
    “Sorry to drop by on you unannounced,” Charlie continued, his tone more professional than friendly. He motioned inside. “Do you mind if I come in?”
    Kendra hesitated. The manners her nannies had ingrained in her demanded that she let him in, but she didn’t know this man. She was also now acutely aware of how disconcerting it could feel to be without a bodyguard. When Charlie fought back a shiver, her manners won out over her trepidation. She let her confusion show on her face as he walked inside. She closed the door behind him. “How do you know my grandfather?”
    “Actually, it’s my father who knows him. I guess they met in DC a few years ago.”
    Her earlier conversation with her grandfather replayed in her mind, and she looked at him