Protecting Olivia [Fate Harbor 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Caitlyn O'Leary

“Obviously, she didn’t. Leave, that is,” Joshua said bitterly.

  “Don’t you say anything bad about Olivia. You know her, you love her. I love her. I’m the one to blame here. As soon as she realized what she had done, she left. She loves you Joshua, never doubt that.”

  Joshua just stared at him. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then turned away. Before Ian even had a moment to realize it, Joshua had turned back and hit him, and he was on his ass in the surf.

  * * * *

  For two solid days, Joshua remained drunk. He had never done that before, and now he knew why. The stench was worse than the pain. He just pulled off his clothes, threw them into a hefty bag, and knotted it shut, throwing it out onto the porch. Then he went into a hot shower for what felt like an hour. The pounding of his head finally subsided to a medium roar, and despite everything Joshua couldn’t help but wonder if Olivia Ann was experiencing similar pain with her migraines.

  There it was, one of the epiphanies that had occurred with the consumption of two bottles of bourbon. He still loved, and was in love with, the woman. God help him, he still loved his friend too. Jesus, that made him the world’s biggest sap, he supposed. But the other great epiphany was that he was damned if Ian could have her. Olivia Ann belongs to me! There was no way in hell he was letting this lady go. He was going to marry her and have a family with her, whether it was here or in Boston. He’d prefer it was here just because she needed to slow down, and he didn’t think she would if she stayed in Boston.

  Then there were the things she had begun to remember from her dreams. The snippets of conversations that made Joshua think perhaps she had witnessed more than she realized, and might be considered a loose end if those goons discovered that she had survived. So he had better get his ass to Boston.

  By the time he felt human, he decided he needed to find out what more had developed on the case, and the best person to find that out from would be Chance Reynolds. He drove over to Chance and Sam’s house. He felt sad as he made the drive, since the last time he had been there had been to pick up Olivia for a date. It seemed wrong that she wouldn’t be waiting for him when he drove up. What was even more wrong was seeing Ian’s truck when he pulled into the drive.

  He felt a keen sense of déjà vu when he saw Sam waiting on the top step of the porch, holding Lissa in one arm and a beer in the other.

  “I’m kind of in a hurry, Sam,” Joshua said as he went to step around his friend.

  “I strongly suggest you sit your ass down and listen to your younger and wiser friend,” Sam said firmly, causing Lissa to give a whimper.

  “You’re scaring your daughter.”

  “She’s strong like her Mama, she can handle a determined male voice,” Sam stated. “Sit,” he said motioning to spot beside him.

  Joshua sat, but waved off the offered beer. “I’ve had enough to drink for this year,” he explained. “Maybe even enough for next year too.”

  “Like that was it. I noticed that Ian’s looking a little worse for wear. I think you broke his nose.”

  “Yeah, well he deserved it,” Joshua said, happy to hear it had been a good hit.

  “That’s what he said,” Sam agreed.

  Joshua grunted, which just made Sam laugh.

  “Sounds like my sister has both of you with your tails in a twist,” Sam said quietly.

  “Not her fault. That’s between Ian and me.” Joshua’s gaze was steady as he looked at Sam.

  “I’m not saying she intended for it to happen. I know her. The last thing she would ever want is to come between two friends. She’s a straight arrow. This had to have knocked her sideways. As a matter of fact, I can’t remember her ever mentioning some man, let alone mooning over one like she had over you, before she left. You, my friend, were special,” Sam declared, clapping Joshua on the shoulder.

  “Thanks, that’s the way I read it too, but I really needed the confirmation.” Joshua let out a long breath.

  “But here’s the kink in the hose. I think Ian’s pretty special to Olivia, too, otherwise he wouldn’t have a broken nose and be asking Chance about the trouble she had in Boston. Nor would he have booked a flight to Boston for tonight.”

  “Ah fuck.”

  “No swearing in front of my daughter,” Sam admonished.

  “She can’t understand me.”

  “It’s one of Josie’s rules, so we obey it,” Sam patiently explained.

  “You are so whipped.” Joshua laughed at him.

  “And I love every minute of it.”

  “So, Ian’s going to Boston! I’d call him a bad name, but you’d object. After I found out what was going on from Chance, I was planning to fly out there as well.”

  “Yep, I figured as much when I saw you pulling up,” Sam said. “That’s why I came out to talk to you. Whatchya plan to do about both of you wanting my sister?”

  “I intend to win. I’ve never loved anyone more. There’s never been anything more important to me than Olivia, so I’m going to do everything in my power to make her my wife.”

  “And you’re going to hurt her unbearably in the process. That’s the reason she left. Not only does she not want to come between you two, I don’t think she can choose. I’m telling you, she would never have slept with both of you unless she loved you both. If she’s the most important thing in your life, you can’t do this to her. You can’t make her choose.”

  “Jesus, Sam. I can’t just give up and let her go to Ian.”

  “She won’t, Joshua. You’re not hearing me. She won’t choose either of you. She can’t. She loves you both. I know her.” Joshua looked down and picked up the beer, taking a long sip.

  “She’s not safe right now. She’s been having nightmares. I think she’s remembered some pertinent things to the case, that will make her a witness that someone will want to eliminate. I can’t let her be hurt.”

  Sam picked up his beer and took a long pull, then set it down firmly and looked at Joshua with a bit of frustration on his face. “I’m not asking you to leave her unprotected, nor am I asking you to let her go. Joshua, Ian is your best friend. Have you thought about sharing her? Have you thought that maybe having the kind of relationship that Chance and I have with Josie might be the answer to all of this?” Joshua just looked at Sam in shock. Sam chuckled at the look.

  “Really, is it that horrifying?” Sam asked.

  Joshua didn’t say anything for a long while. When Sam began to get an offended look on his face, Joshua held up his hand. “Just wait a minute.” Sam waited.

  “Okay, here’s the deal. I’ve been wrestling with this for two solid days. I love Olivia Ann, I’m in love with her, right this moment. And as pissed off as I am at Ian, he’s still like a brother to me, and how in the hell can I fault him for loving her? I’m even over the fact that they acted on it, I get that. The thing that’s been eating at me is the thought of losing either one of them, that’s been what has been putting me through hell. And with one sentence, a perfectly obvious, in my face solution, you give me the answer. I’m just wondering how fucking dumb am I?”

  “Language!” Sam reprimanded.

  “Sorry,” Joshua said, shaking his head in amazement. “I’ve got to go talk to Ian.” He paused again. “Is Chance bringing this up to him?”

  “Oh hell no. Chance wanted to blacken his eye.”

  “Language,” Joshua admonished. They both laughed, and Lissa whimpered.

  Joshua went into the house and saw Ian and Chance engaged in a strained conversation. It was clear that Josie was mediating.

  “Look, Reynolds, all I really needed to know is if the Boston PD were sure that Olivia’s identity had been protected. From what Joshua has told me, she’s started to remember some things they said that might have them thinking of her as a loose end. As long as they continue to think of her as a dead homeless person she’s fine. So, have the BPD screwed up in their investigation and brought her under a spotlight? It’s a simple fucking question!” Ian roared. Joshua saw Josie loo
k over at her daughter and cringe. Now was the moment to intervene.

  “Ian, let’s dial it back a few notches. We’ve got kids around,” Joshua cautioned his friend. Ian looked around the room, spotted Lissa, and winced. He turned to Josie. “I’m sorry, Josie.”

  “Chance, I know we’re all concerned about Olivia,” Joshua continued. “Let me tell you what happened before she left. She was having some fairly vivid dreams. Something about one of the guys saying that the boss wouldn’t be happy about there being a witness, and also about having copied Prescott’s hard drive. She had this dream three nights in a row. I don’t think this was an overactive imagination, I think it was a flashback, and it was scaring the hell out of me. I was okay when she was here, but with her back in Boston, now I’m terrified.”

  “Seems to me you waited a long-ass while to bring this up, Parker,” Chance said coldly.

  “I wasn’t seeing things too clearly. I had my head up my posterior.” Joshua smiled wanly at Josie, proving he was trying to obey her rules.

  Chance gave him an approving look. “Look, Joshua, I didn’t know about this. All I knew is some assho—”Chance stopped and winced at his close call, and continued. “Two men beat up my sister and almost killed her. I know they came out of the high-rise that houses AHC, but that was probably a fluke. Now it sounds like the whole incident directly relates to her, and she could be in real trouble. We need to get her into protective custody and call Boston PD, immediately.”

  “Wrong, we need to get out there immediately,” Joshua said, looking at Ian. Ian looked back at him, clearly baffled, but nodded his head in agreement. “Look, you know we have backgrounds in law enforcement, and she needs to be protected. Well, we will keep her protected. You have our word on that.”

  “Yes, you do.” Ian agreed.

  “What time is your flight?” Joshua asked Ian.

  “Seven tonight.”

  “Fine, we have five hours, so pick me up at my house in two.” Joshua turned and left.

  * * * *

  Ian arrived at Joshua’s house in an hour and a half, just as Joshua was outside throwing the hefty bag of his drunk clothes into his garbage can.

  “What the hell do you mean, we are going to protect her?” Ian demanded.

  “Want a beer?” Joshua asked with a smile. At Ian’s shocked expression, Joshua’s smile only got wider.

  “Cut the shit, Joshua, what do you mean we are going to protect her? Last time we were here, I ended up with a broken nose. I’m not saying I didn’t deserve it. But I’m not seeing how we are now at the point where we’re going to go to Boston together.” Ian just stood beside the garbage cans staring at Joshua. Joshua closed the lid and started to walk inside.

  “I know you don’t understand. Before we leave for the airport, I wanted to take some time to talk this through with you. It’s going to be a lot, and you’re not going to like it to begin with. You’re not going to like it today, and you’re not going to like it tomorrow. But I want you to really think about it.”

  “Fuck me,” Ian said, following Joshua into the house. “Yes, I want that beer.”

  * * * *

  It took Joshua four tries before Ian actually heard what he was saying.

  “Have you not been living in the same goddamn town I’ve been living in?” Joshua yelled. “Jesus, Ian, there are at least eight different polyamorous marriages I can name right now that are out in public, and that’s not even counting Chance, Sam, and Josie.”

  “So this isn’t about just sharing Livvy for sex?”

  “Well, yeah, we’ll definitely be doing that. But I want us to marry her. I want us, all three of us, to live here, to be a family.”

  “Joshua, you’re out of your goddamn mind,” Ian said in a very even and polite tone. Joshua grinned. He knew his friend, it always took him time to digest things. It was Joshua’s job to help him understand relationship issues.

  “And so begins day one. As I said, you weren’t going to like this today, and you’re not going to like this tomorrow, but I want you to keep an open mind, my money is that by day three you’ll be coming around to my way of thinking, and I can give you a few reasons why. Do you want to hear them?” Joshua asked.

  “By all means,” Ian responded in that same even and polite tone of voice.

  “One, Olivia loves both of us, and because of that, she is never going to choose either of us, so if we don’t find a creative solution to this situation we are both going to lose her. Two, she loses, because I don’t believe she is ever going to love anyone else again, and she’s a woman meant to have love, to be loved.” Joshua watched his friend carefully and was happy to see him jerk uncomfortably at that statement. Ian knew he was right, Olivia wasn’t meant to be alone for the rest of her life. “Three, if we ask her to choose, it’s just going to hurt her, and we both love her too much to put her through that kind of hurt. At least I love her, and I suspect that, in your own OCD, tight-assed way, you love her too.”

  Ian stood up and looked out the back window that overlooked the Puget Sound. Joshua knew he was still days away from agreeing to a ménage relationship, but Joshua thought Ian was beginning to see the validity of Joshua’s arguments. Ian always listened to logic, that was one of the constants of his world. Ian finally looked down at his watch.

  “We need to take off if we want to make our plane,” Ian said.

  “How about I drive? I won’t care if something happens to my Honda in long term parking.” Ian nodded. His truck was his baby.

  “Are you going to call Olivia and tell her we’re coming?” Ian asked.

  “And give her a chance to come up with reasons not to see us? Oh, hell no. This is a total shock-and-awe campaign.” Ian gave a wan grin.

  Joshua slapped him on the back. “Buck up, Ian. By the day after tomorrow, you’re going to be seeing things my way, and we’re going to have Olivia Ann exactly where we want her.”

  Chapter 7

  “I’m sorry, Adam, who did you say was outside?” Olivia’s headache must have been worse than she realized.

  “Joshua Parker and Ian Ransom. They say you know them from Fate Harbor, and that this is about your attack. They made it seem pretty urgent, Olivia. I think you should see them.” Olivia could see Adam was perplexed, and she didn’t blame him. Usually, she saw anyone who came to visit her office. She had a fairly open-door policy, so for her to seem hesitant was not normal.

  “Adam, I need five minutes to freshen up. Then you can send them in.” Adam left. Olivia closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. The tension headache she had was now headed toward a migraine. She debated taking medication, but figured she’d need it more after they left. Would they notice if I hid under my desk? She was nervously giggling at that thought when Adam brought them in.

  When she didn’t say anything, Joshua and Ian both stepped in and thanked Adam, then Joshua ushered Adam out.

  Olivia noticed the bandage on the side of Ian’s nose, but it was Joshua that she looked at, stricken. He seemed so calm, even as he looked at her, then he smiled at her so warmly that she burst into tears.

  So quickly she didn’t even see him move, he was behind her desk, turning her chair to him, crouched down in front of her, pulling a handkerchief from his suit pocket.

  “None of that, Olivia Ann.” He gently pulled her forward into his arms, and she cried harder. All the tears that had built up in the nine days they had been apart—since her dreams had crumbled, since she had destroyed everything, since she had betrayed the man she cared for so deeply—those tears came pouring out of her in a deluge. The more he stroked and soothed and murmured, the harder her sobs came. They ripped from her chest, hurting.

  * * * *

  As he cupped her head, he felt her hair getting damp with sweat. The muscles in her neck had grown rock hard, and the shudders were getting worse with every minute that passed. He looked up helplessly to Ian.

  Ian walked over behind Joshua. “Livvy, stop it!” The command in his voice seemed t
o get through for just an instant and she paused, but then resumed her crying, only now she was hiccupping, having trouble catching her breath. Joshua hoped that maybe using Ian’s approach, he could break through to her again and get her attention.

  “Olivia Ann, you need to stop now. It’s all okay, it’s all going to be okay. We’re here. I know, and it’s okay. I love you, Kitten.” He saw her look up, a look of confusion on her wet and blotchy face. He used his hands to smooth away the tears. “It’s going to be all right.”

  “You don’t understand, Joshua, you can’t be here. Neither of you can be here ever again.” Her gaze cut to Ian for the first time. Her lip trembled, and Joshua watched as tears continued to pour down her face, an endless stream, her eyes unfocused, her shoulders hunched in pain.

  “Olivia, we understand you think that,” Ian said. “What’s important right now is your safety. We want to talk to you about those flashbacks you were having. Have you reviewed the tapes from the building security? We think you could be in trouble.” Ian’s gaze was intent, and it was clear that Olivia was having trouble focusing. “Olivia, I need you to think back to those dreams you were having. Can you tell me about them?” She just stared up at him. “Livvy—”

  “Jesus, Ian, are you blind?” Joshua all but shouted. With just a slight tug, Olivia slumped into his arms, and he stood up, holding her, and strode over to the office sofa, gently setting her down. He knelt down next to her.

  “Olivia Ann, where is your migraine medication?” he whispered. He put his ear to her lips.

  “Purse, Ian, it’s in her purse,” he told Ian. She began to gag, and Joshua quickly stood and grabbed the trashcan from under her desk, getting to her just as she threw up. He deftly pulled her hair back and stroked her back.

  “Go ask Adam if he has any ginger ale,” Joshua instructed Ian.

  Olivia leaned back on the sofa. Her entire body hurt but one thing superseded that. “You need to leave. Leave, Joshua, never come back. I’m bad.” The tears started again, and he worried her body was going to fly apart. But he would do everything in his power to hold her together.