OBSESSED

70

I stripped out of my work clothes, took a hot bath, and then threw on an oversized sleep shirt. Shuffling out to the kitchen, I popped a few rolls in the microwave and looked around.

Where was my little devil?

I hadn't seen her once since I'd stepped foot in the house and that was entirely unlike the needy beast.

"Foxy!" I called. "Foxy, where are you, little shithead?"

The lack of soft footpads gliding over to me or the ring of collar's bell unsettled me. Then the microwave went off and I almost pissed myself from surprise.

I sighed, shaking my head, and returned to the kitchen for my rolls. "Don't be so paranoid."

After sinking my teeth into one of the delicious hot rolls, I decided that food might be a stronger incentive for her. I dumped a scoop of dry food into her dish and shook it around.

"Foxy girl," I cooed now. "Come eat your dinner, fur ball."

Still, my sole companion was nowhere to be found. I embarked on a scavenger hunt to see if I'd locked her in the bathroom or closet on accident.

She was nowhere, though.

I rummaged the entire house and was just about to give up when the doorbell rang.

"I'm trying to find my cat here, people!" I muttered before shuffling across the house to the door. "Better be a sexy stripper waiting for me." More likely, it would just be the mailman.

Combing my fingers through my damp hair, I padded over to the front door and peeked through the eyehole. The porch was vacant.

Humming, I opened the door and stuck just my head out, listening for the snicker of naughty pre-teens.

I didn't hear anything, though. Just the winter breeze rustling through my fake plants. I pulled my head back inside and lock the door.

As I gravitated back towards my cinnamon rolls, wondering where my hellion cat was, my phone jingled incessantly from somewhere in the house. I jumped at the noise and then rolled my eyes.

I remembered I left the device in the bathroom. Walking into the room, I scooped up my phone.

A rather unflattering selfie of my mom—her contact image—filled my phone screen. I answered with a chuckle.

"Hey, Mom. Miss me already?" I said.

"Leah, where are you?"

Her raised voice instantly put me on high alert.

"I'm home," I said. "What's wrong?"

"You need to leave," she said. "Right now. You need to go to Ryan's or Isabelle's or somewhere you won't be alone."

"What? Why? Mom, what happened?"

I hurriedly exited the bathroom and grabbed a pair of sweats from my dresser. I tried to listen to her as I yanked them up my legs and over my ass.

"I just got a call from Captain Linder," she told me.

A pit of unease took root in the center of my chest with each passing second.