Pass Protection (Fair Catch Series, Book Five)

by Christine Kersey

  Exasperated by her mother’s lack of communication, Olivia breathed slow and deep until a sense of calm settled over her, then she drifted off to sleep.

  She was in the back seat of an SUV with tan leather seats and a plush interior. Cool air from the air conditioner drifted over her. A man sat beside her, a man with hard eyes and a cruel smile.

  “All will be forgiven if you keep up your end of our agreement,” he said. Then his eyes narrowed. “Do not cross me or you will regret it.”

  Her heart thumped against her ribs. “I won’t cross you. I promise.”

  Lips twisting into a smile, he placed his hand on her knee and squeezed. “No need to make promises, beautiful lady. I know who you are and I know where you live.”

  Biting her lip to keep from crying out in fear and pain, Olivia remained silent.

  His grip on her knee tightened. “Remember. No cops.”

  Desperate to get away from him, Olivia nodded.

  The man’s lips stretched into a grin as he released her knee. “Until we meet again.”

  Wanting nothing more than to be away from him, she reached for the door.

  “Wait.”

  The one word command stopped her cold and she turned to look at him.

  His eyes glinted with malice. “I don’t give second chances.” Then he waved the back of his hand toward the door, effectively dismissing her.

  Without a backward glance, she flung the door open and leapt from the SUV. Seconds later the black car roared away.

  Olivia woke up in a cold sweat, the dream playing over and over in her mind, her chest tight with terror.

  As a child she’d had nightmares from time to time and her mother had always told her to rewrite the endings to make them happy dreams instead of nightmares. It was a skill she tried to use now, but each time she tried, the feeling of despair only increased.

  That’s when she knew. It wasn’t a dream. It was a memory.

  For a moment she was elated. She had remembered something! Something recent! But then the memory itself crashed over her. And a new one was added.

  The man—she couldn’t recall his name—had told her he would text her with the details of when and where to meet. That’s when it hit her. He was the one who’d sent the text earlier. He was the one she had an agreement with. He was the one who’d said she’d lied and that that was unacceptable.

  And that’s when she knew her mother was right.

  She was in danger.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Olivia knew she had to tell Greg, had to let him know he had it all wrong. This wasn’t about cheating. It was about something else entirely. Something frightening. Something that put them both in danger.

  With still no idea what the agreement was, all she knew was that they had to get away, to hide, to make sure the man couldn’t find them. He was bad news. The worst kind. The feeling of evil that filled her heart at the thought of him made her cringe, and for a moment she was tempted to burrow under the covers and close her eyes in denial. But she couldn’t. She had to face whatever was happening. She had to warn Greg.

  A spark of an idea lit her mind. Maybe there was some way to get out of this, some way to convince the man that she would follow through on whatever it was she’d agreed to. Some way to protect herself and Greg. Maybe if she explained, told him that she couldn’t remember, that she’d had an accident. Maybe then he would give her a second chance.

  A sliver of hope pierced her as she picked up her phone and tapped the screen to bring up her messages. She reread the thread from that day.

  We have a problem. We had an agreement, but you lied to me. That is unacceptable.

  I’ve changed my mind. The agreement is off.

  Doesn’t work like that, beautiful.

  You’re not hearing me. I’m no longer interested. Do NOT contact me again or there will be consequences.

  Looks like you didn’t hear ME, but if that’s how you want to play it…

  Olivia had no doubt that the man had no intention of letting her off the hook. She had to convince him that there was no reason to harm her.

  With shaking hands, she tapped out a message.

  Please. Let me explain. I had an accident and I’ve lost my memory. I don’t remember what agreement we made. Please tell me and I’ll honor it.

  With trembling fingers, she pressed Send, then she waited for his reply.

  Within ten minutes her phone chimed a notification. Anxious, Olivia snatched the phone from her lap and read the message.

  I don’t give second chances.

  Fear rippled through her chest. Those were the exact words he’d said to her when she’d met with him in the dream memory.

  Desperate for him to believe her, to understand that she would do whatever it took to end this, she tapped a reply.

  I’m begging you to believe me. Just tell me what I need to do and I’ll do it.

  He responded within moments.

  You didn’t seem so eager to follow through earlier today.

  That wasn’t me. Someone else sent that message.

  Who else knows about our agreement?

  I told you. I don’t remember anything.

  Who sent that text?

  Olivia hesitated before answering. If she admitted it was Greg, would that put him in danger too? Or was he already in danger? Finally, she typed It doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that it wasn’t me. After that was sent I remembered our meeting. That’s why I’m asking you to give me a chance to make this right.

  She tapped Send and prayed that this man, who just the thought of sent her heart racing, would show her mercy.

  When fifteen minutes had passed and the man still hadn’t replied, Olivia’s nerves stretched tighter and tighter. Was he ignoring her on purpose to send a message that he wasn’t going to listen to her plea? Or was he thinking about it? Or maybe something had happened to him in the last few minutes and everything would be all right.

  Admitting that that last idea was a ridiculous hope, she knew it was time to tell Greg what was going on.

  Sliding her booted right leg over the side of the bed, she sat up on the edge before grabbing her crutches. Then she slowly, laboriously, made her way down the hall toward their home gym.

  If this was the fastest she could go, she would never be able to outrun danger.

  Despair slammed into her and she stopped to catch her breath. The palms of her hands were sore from using the crutches and her left leg was tired from supporting all her weight. This was all too much—the agreement, the danger, the accident. Then again, everything that was happening was her own fault. From all appearances she’d made a deal with the devil. For what reason she could only fathom a guess, and that guess said this had something to do with her mother. Regardless, there was no reason Greg should have to suffer for her stupid choice, no reason for him to be in danger too.

  Maybe she could make Greg leave so that he’d be safe. She could stay there and face the consequences of whatever she’d done, face the results of whatever deal she’d made.

  Feeling miserable and kind of freaked out, she straightened and crutched the rest of the way to their home gym. As she approached she could hear the sound of a football game mixed with the clanking of weights.

  Just outside the door, she gathered herself.

  What would Greg say when she tried to convince him to leave? How would she convince him? Would he do it?

  With fear and worry clouding her mind, she stepped across the threshold to face her husband.

  And there he was, his focus on the large TV mounted to a wall, his back to her.

  Pausing a moment to watch him as he worked his impressive biceps, Olivia’s heart seemed to reach out to him in a memory that her mind was struggling to recall. But even though she couldn’t remember their relationship before she’d woken in the hospital three days earlier, she couldn’t deny that deep down she knew him and loved him. Enough to sacrifice herself for him.

  Her gaze moved
from him to the football game on the TV and that’s when she saw the name Sinclair printed across the jersey of a player who was racing down the field. The player turned as his entire body reached toward the football that was rocketing through the air. The ball seemed to float right into the player’s outstretched hands before he tucked the ball against his chest and turned to run, sprinting toward the end zone.

  It was Greg and he was magnificent.

  Olivia’s heart soared as she watched him on the field.

  Then a player from the opposing team slammed into him, stripping the ball from his hands. Several players catapulted their bodies toward the loose ball, including Greg. Several moments later a referee called the ball for the opposing team.

  Olivia’s gaze slid to Greg, who had stopped his workout to stare at the screen. With a remote in his hand, he rewound the game to the spot where he’d tucked the ball into his chest, then he moved the recording forward frame by frame, pausing on the moment when he’d lost the ball.

  Her gaze slid over his athletic body and she almost forgot the reason she’d come to see him. A split second later she remembered why, and when she pictured that man punishing Greg for her mistakes, her heart nearly stopped beating before it went into a panicked gallop.

  Needing to calm down before she spoke to him—there was no way he’d leave if he sensed something was wrong—she took a few deep breaths, then said, “Watching it over and over won’t change the outcome.” She tried to put a lilt in her voice, like she didn’t have a care in the world, but she didn’t quite pull it off.

  Greg spun around at the sound of Olivia’s voice. Seeing her there brightened his mood. “How long have you been standing there?”

  She smiled in that way that always made his heart contract with love.

  “Long enough to see that you enjoy watching yourself play football.”

  He laughed. “I wouldn’t call it enjoyment.” Pointing to the TV with the remote, he said, “In case you didn’t see, I lost the ball in that play and caused a turnover.” He frowned. “That cost us the game.”

  She came closer and the sound of her crutches hitting the concrete floor echoed into the room. “You can’t blame yourself for losing the game. There are other players.”

  “That may be true, but if I’d held onto the ball, the other team wouldn’t have had time to take the ball downfield and score a field goal that put them over the top.” He didn’t want to talk about that particular play anymore. “What brings you to our gym?” One side of his mouth quirked into a smile as he looked at the boot on her right leg before lifting his gaze to hers. “I don’t think you’re quite ready for a workout.”

  She laughed. “No, I’m definitely not. But…” Her lips tugged upward.

  “What?”

  “Well, I was wondering…”

  Her smile wavered and Greg could tell something was on her mind, something upsetting. He set the remote down and crossed the room until he was standing right in front of her. “What’s wrong?”

  Her smile collapsed as tears filled her eyes. “We have to leave. Right away.”

  Alarm rattled through him. “What are you talking about?”

  She stared at the floor, and when her shoulders began to shake, Greg couldn’t stop himself. Closing the gap between them, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and tugged her against his chest. Her body went rigid, but then she relaxed into his embrace.

  It felt so good to hold her, so right, that he almost forgot what she’d said. Almost.

  Chapter Twenty

  The strength Greg exuded as he held her in his arms sent calm cascading over Olivia. When he’d first put his arms around her it had been unexpected and she’d almost pushed him away, but it had only taken a moment for it to feel familiar and right.

  “What’s going on, Olivia?” he asked against her hair. “Tell me.”

  Defeat burned inside her. She’d meant to get him to leave, to protect him, but she hadn’t even been able to manage so much as suggesting he leave without breaking down completely. Now she had no choice. She had to tell him the truth.

  Maybe that wasn’t all bad though. He would help her. She had no doubt. Although how he could possibly help was still a mystery since neither one of them had a clue what deal she’d made with the man who’d sent the text.

  Not that it mattered now. The man had been clear when he’d said he didn’t give second chances. So now what?

  Greg released her and she immediately missed the feel of his body warming hers. His finger went under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. His eyes bored into hers.

  “Why do we need to leave?” His tone was soft yet firm.

  Exhaling a shaky breath, she looked for a place to sit and saw a bench nestled under a window. “Let’s sit down.”

  He took a step back. “Of course.”

  Olivia led the way, and once they were seated side by side, she reached into her back pocket and took her phone out, but held it between her hands. “I remembered something.”

  Greg’s eyebrows shot up.

  “While I was sleeping I had a dream, but when I woke up I realized it wasn’t a dream at all. It was a memory.”

  “Okay.”

  Then she described what she’d remembered—the man in the SUV, her terror, his statement that he didn’t give second chances.

  His eyebrows puckered. “You’re sure that really happened?”

  “No doubt.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “That text I got earlier?”

  Pain slid through his eyes. “Yeah.”

  This was the only bit of good news tied to what she had to tell him. “Greg, I wasn’t cheating on you. This person who was texting me? He’s the one I met with.” Her mouth was bracketed with fear. “He scares me.”

  It hit him all at once. She was telling the truth. He’d been wrong about her. She hadn’t betrayed him.

  Relief, sweet and sure, settled into his bones. But that was immediately replaced by worry.

  What had she gotten herself into? Why hadn’t she told him about it before? What would happen now?

  “I texted him,” she said. “After I woke up.”

  “What? Why’d you do that?” At the look on her face, like she already felt bad about it and didn’t need him to heap scorn upon her, he frowned. “Forget it. What’s done is done. What did you say and what did he say?”

  Her lips slid into a frown, then she handed him her phone. He read the texts with mounting concern. This guy sounded unreasonable, even dangerous. But was running away the right thing to do? The right way to handle this? All his life Greg had faced his fears, faced his challenges. But this was different. He wasn’t the one who was being threatened. It was Olivia. And he would do whatever it took to protect her.

  “We should call the police,” he said.

  She shook her head, her eyes bracketed with fear. “We can’t.”

  A scoffing sound left Greg’s lips. “Why? Because this guy…” He held up the phone. “This scumbag who we don’t even know told you not to?”

  Olivia’s shoulders slumped as she looked at him. “Partly, but also because we don’t know what…well, what I agreed to. What if it’s illegal? What if I did something that could get me arrested? What if I could go to prison?” Her voice was nearly breathless, and the fear and worry emanated off of her like too much perfume.

  The thought of Olivia in prison was too horrible to consider. Of course he wouldn’t let that happen. But was this something they could face on their own?

  He took her hands in his, the familiar feel of her soft skin sending memories streaming through his mind. “I won’t let that happen. But I don’t think we should do this on our own.”

  “What are you saying?” She pulled her hands from his. “Are you going to call the police even though I asked you not to?”

  When she put it that way it was harder to be certain they should involve the authorities.

  “Greg, please.”

  The plead
ing look in her eyes was unmistakable. He’d never been able to deny her what she wanted, and he wouldn’t start now.

  With Greg’s statement Olivia’s fear had magnified a thousand fold. Maybe telling him the truth had been a mistake. Was that why she hadn’t told him in the first place? Because she’d known he would want to call the police? Because she’d known she was doing something illegal? Something she could get in serious trouble for?

  The idea was horrifying. How could she have gotten herself involved in something illegal? Something that could destroy her fabulous life? What an idiot she’d been.

  Jumping to conclusions wasn’t the answer. It was just as likely that she wasn’t doing anything wrong at all. But then why hadn’t she wanted Greg to know?

  Dang this memory loss! It was a complete liability and so very frustrating.

  “If you don’t want me to call the police,” Greg said, his gaze softening, “then I won’t.”

  Relief, pure and sweet, poured over her. He really was wonderful. “Thank you.”

  He took her hands in his once again. “I’ve got your back, Olivia.”

  The feel of his large hands enveloping hers gave her a feeling of security. She had no idea if he could actually help her or protect her or get her out of this, but she was glad he was by her side. That she could count on him.

  “That’s what marriage is all about,” he added with a meaningful look. “Being there for each other.”

  Olivia couldn’t miss the love in his eyes or the tender way he stroked her hands with his thumbs. But what was she supposed to say in return? Her heart was pulling towards him so hard, but she’d only known him for a few days. Much too soon to tell him she felt the same way about him as he felt about her. Even if her feelings were rapidly growing in that direction.

  Turning her focus to the problem at hand, she was glad she’d told him all she knew. She only wished she’d shared the details with him when she’d known what those details were. Maybe then none of this would be happening. But that was just wishful thinking, nothing that would do any good now. Instead, they needed to deal with the situation in front of them.