Page 47 of Securing His Obsession

She popped her bag on her small dining room table and got her phone out, firing off a quick text to Damon.

I’m at my place. The garden is looking awful, so I’m going to give it a tidy up after I clean the house.

Immediately three dots appeared to show he was responding, and she clutched her phone tight, like a giddy schoolgirl. She laughed at herself. But she was in love, and Damon loved her back, something she never thought possible.

Sounds good. How about after I finish here, I bring us some lunch and if there’s anything you need help with, I can help you?

Given that most of the plants in both her front yard and back weren’t that difficult to manage, she didn’t think there was anything she would need Damon’s help with, but the gesture was totally him.

Lunch sounds good, as well as your help. Let me know when you’re on your way.

He responded with a heart emoji of his own.

“Right, let’s get started,” she said out loud, popping in her earbuds and finding the perfect playlist to clean her house to.

Over the next hour, Margot methodically worked her way through each room, the music keeping her motivated.

The kitchen sink shone, and she gave a satisfied nod of her head. The house was clean, and now it was time to tackle the garden. She glanced at her watch, noting that it was almost midday. Damon hadn’t texted he was on his way yet, but she suspected she’d hear from him soon enough.

Giving the countertop one last swipe with her cloth, she headed to the laundry to remove the sheets from the washing machine ready for her to hang out. She’d come back tomorrow and bring them in.

What she was going to do with her unit was something she would have to think about over the next few months. After having lived with Damon for the last few weeks, there was no way she wanted to move back here once whoever was threatening her was caught—and she fully believed that was going to happen. She loved Damon and he loved her. The chances of him wanting her to move out of his place were slim, but if she said she wanted to come back here, he would no doubt agree to it. He’d likely spend most of his time with her, because he wouldn’t want to leave her alone.

Maybe she could keep it and rent it out? The location was perfect for someone who worked in the city, and if she could get enough rent to cover her mortgage payment, then she’d be happy with that.

But that was a problem for another day. She had sheets to hang out, and gardens to weed.

Margot stepped outside into the bright sunshine and headed to her clothesline. It didn’t take long, and when she turned around, she let out a little scream at the person standing in her backyard.

“Ivan!” She clutched the empty basket close and pulled out one of her earbuds. “You scared me. How did you get in here?”

Being at the bottom of the driveway, her backyard backed onto the lot behind as well as to the side. Both had units on them as well. One side was the backyard of the unit next to her, and the other side was where Ivan lived.

“You’ve been gone a while. Must have been a good holiday.”

“I’ve been staying with a friend ever since I got back.” A feeling in her gut encouraged her to maintain the lie of her being on vacation.

“Why are you lying?” he stepped closer, and she took a step back, fear starting to coalesce low in her belly.

Ivan was acting in a way she’d never seen him act. His left eye was twitching, and his fingers were opening and closing.

“I’m not lying. I am staying with a friend.” Which was the truth, but Damon was more than a friend. “How did you get in my backyard, Ivan?”

“I don’t like that you’re still lying to me. And you’ll find out how I got in here.” He grabbed her arm so suddenly, she dropped the basket, along with the earbud she’d taken out, and yelped in surprise.

“Ivan! What are you doing?”

“You won’t need these.” He ripped the other earbud out and threw it on the ground before dragging her toward the fence, where she saw a piece had been adjusted to become a gate between the two properties. It had been done in a way that, from her side, it still looked like a piece of the metal fence.

How long had it been like that?

“Where’s Tatum?” Margot asked, trying to keep calm when everything in her was screaming to yank her arm from Ivan’s grip and get away. She wasn’t going to be a victim again, but she also knew that she had to bide her time and wait for the opportune moment to make her escape. It was something she’d caught from snippets of conversation with the guys.

“There’s no fucking Tatum! There’s never been a fucking Tatum! There’s only you!” Ivan was yelling now, and it was becoming obvious to her that he was having some sort of breakdown, because she’d met Tatum. Had talked to her. She’d been very real, and she hadn’t looked like she was with Ivan under duress. She hoped the other woman was okay, and when she got out of this, she’d get Wilt to find her.

“Okay, okay. Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.” How she was remaining so calm was beyond her. It wouldn’t help her situation if she freaked out. If she went along with Ivan, it might make her escape easier.

“Come on, we’re going for a drive. But you can’t be seen.”