She’s halfway to the door before I catch up. I don’t have to do anything more than lay my hand on her arm to get her to stop.
“Saturday night. I’ll text you the address to meet me.”
She glances down at my hand then gives me a look I can’t mistake. She doesn’t want me to touch her.
Tough shit. I’ll touch her whenever and however I want. I’ve already decided she’s mine and I want her for more than just a few nights.
Pulling her arm away from my hold, she doesn’t say anything, just continues on her way to the door. Her back ramrod straight, she opens the door, walks through, and closes it behind her. Doesn’t slam it, just pulls it shut.
I want to go after her. I’d planned to keep her here all night, to make sure I got my fill of her.
I’m not sure that will ever happen. And that’s a problem.
As I stand at the door, I hear her car start and walk to the window. She drives a vintage muscle car, a yellow Mercury Cougar that looks like it’s seen better days but whose engine rumbles with perfectly tuned precision. Her brothers’ work, I’m sure.
From everything I’ve learned about them, they’re loyal to a fault to family. Mess with one of them and you mess with all of them. That had trickled down from their dad. If it’d been any man other than Patrick Maloney, I might’ve understood. But they’d given their loyalty to a man who didn’t deserve it.
The man who’d killed my grandmother.
No, Maloney hadn’t killed her with his bare hands, but he was responsible. When he’d stolen this same information twenty years ago, he’d given it to my granddad’s competitors, who’d used it to try to ruin my grandfather.
Granddad was no saint and that file had held his sins, sins that made men just like him come after them. A dark night. A deserted road. My grandfather’s car forced off the road and into a ditch.
All because of that damn file.
After the accident, I lost the only person in my life who’d ever loved me unconditionally. And my grandfather became a different man. Bitter, harder, meaner. And he’d molded me in his image.
Back in my office, I pick up my phone and make the call.
“Is it done?”
Granddad’s hoarse, frail voice reminds me that he’s close to ninety years old. He doesn’t sleep much anymore and his mind is sometimes addled but, in this, he’s clear.
He wants Maloney to pay as much as I do.
“Not yet.”
“Why?” he demands. “We know he’s responsible for your grandmother’s death. What are you waiting for?”
I’m waiting until he knows about me and Olivia. I need him to know that I’ve taken away something of his. Then I’ll let Vincenzo take care of the rest.
“The right time. If we rush this, the wrong people will ask questions. We have to let this play out like we discussed. And when he winds up in a ditch, no one will think twice about him. Nothing will come back to bite us in the ass.”
Silence from the other end. I know he’s not happy but he’s not screaming so that’s good. At his age, he could stroke out if he overexerts himself. I swear the only reason he’s still alive is because Maloney is still breathing. When Maloney goes, so will Granddad.
Then I’ll be able to put all this shit behind me.
Including Olivia.
“Don’t let me down, Aiden. I’m counting on you to handle this. That man needs to pay. You owe me this. You owe your grandmother.”
I can hear the fervor in his voice, the rising anxiety and the fury. When he gets like this, there’s nothing anyone can do to calm him until he gets it all out so I let him go. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.
“If that bastard hadn’t stolen from me, my Ellen would still be alive. She loved you more than anything in the world, Aiden. More than your worthless mother or your weak father. Without her, you would’ve ended up on the street like your mother, an addict. You would’ve been dead by twenty.”
All true, which is why I keep silent.
“She deserves your loyalty. Don’t let your dick do your thinking. Get this done. And when I go, everything will be yours.”
He doesn’t bother to say good-bye. He never does. The phone clicks in my ear and I set it back on the desk.
I wait for it to ring, for him to call me back and remind me again of everything I wouldn’t have if it weren’t for him.
When my grandmother died, I was twelve. My mother had dropped me on my father, who’d dropped me on my grandparents. If my grandmother hadn’t taken me in, I’m sure I would’ve been shuffled into foster care.
I know exactly how much I owe my grandparents. Still, when this business with Maloney is finished, my debt is paid.
But I’m starting to wonder if the price to pay is too high.
Chapter Four
Olivia
I’m shaking by the time I reach my car, the effort of holding my emotions in check beginning to overwhelm me.
There’s absolutely no reason I should be this affected. And yet I can’t control my reaction. It makes me want to scream. And break down in fury.
I manage to get the car started and head back out the lane. I have to keep my attention focused; otherwise, I could end up veering off the road and into the trees.
Nothing about tonight went the way it was supposed to. The only good thing to happen was the fact that I got his name. If he was telling me the truth.
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
Christ, I’m reverting to a child. And my pants aren’t what’s on fire.
I want to bang my head against the steering wheel, but that won’t end well while I’m driving.
I can’t believe I make it home without wrapping myself around a tree or taking out another car on the road. I manage to hold myself together long enough to park my car in the garage and start the two-block walk back to my apartment.
My heart hasn’t stopped racing since I left his home and I’m trying hard not to hyperventilate. It’s close to midnight and hopefully my brothers won’t be waiting for me because I’m so messed up right now, I might tell them exactly what’s been going on.
And that would end badly. For everyone.
I’m halfway to my building when I realize there’s a car tailing me. I’m not even surprised, not after everything that’s happened.
And I’m not amused when someone jumps out of the car and runs toward me.
I glance over my shoulder as I start to run. The man chasing me is bigger and stronger but I’m pissed off and I’m no damsel in distress. My dad and brothers have taught Maylyn and me how to take care of ourselves.
I run because that’s the first line of defense. I’m fast but the guy on my tail has long legs and he’s motivated. He catches me just a couple of steps from my front door.
I open my mouth to scream, but he claps a hand over my mouth before I can do more than suck in air. And even if I do manage to make a sound, in this neighborhood, I’m not sure anyone would come to my rescue anyway.
Except my brothers. They’d be here in a heartbeat…if they knew I was in danger. The way this is going, they won’t even know I’m in trouble until they can’t find me tomorrow.
Kicking and squirming, I use my nails to scratch at his skin as he tries to drag me to the car. He barely flinches.
Now, I start to struggle in earnest. I can’t let him get me in the car. Once he’s got me contained, my chances of surviving this go way down.
With one hand over my mouth, he’s only able to hold me with his other arm around my upper body, holding my arms against my sides.
Which means my legs are free. My heel connects with his right shin, hard, and I hear him grunt. He pauses and my next kick is aimed at his left knee.
“Sonuvabitch.”
He curses and his hold on my body slips a little, just enough for me to twist and loosen it even more. I keep struggling, whipping my head back and forth, moving his head far enough for me to get a decent angle to bite his hand.
“Motherfucker
.”
He pulls his hand away and I suck in air. I’ve got an opening and I’ll be damned if I don’t make it count.
He bends down just as I ram my head back. Yes. I hear the crack of his nose as my skull connects. Pain radiates through my head but I can’t stop now.
Howling with pain, his arm loosens enough for me to get a little leverage. I smash my foot as hard as I can into the same knee I nailed before and now he’s in some serious agony.
With blood rushing in my ears, I twist and break free. Falling to my knees, I scurry forward until I can get on my feet. Then I’m up and running.
I know I won’t have time to get my front door open before he catches up with me so I don’t stop. There’s a bar two blocks away that’s open until two a.m. If I can get there—
Footsteps behind me and the adrenaline rush gives me added speed. I cut into the nearest alley even though I know there’s a fence at the end. That fence has been part of my practice runs through the neighborhood for the past two years. I can scale it in seconds. I’m betting on the fact that my would-be kidnapper won’t be as fast.
Not stopping to look behind me, I lay on speed and leap for the fence, grabbing at the links several feet off the ground. I dig the toes of my sneakers into the chain-link and pull myself up. My jeans and shirt snag at various spots but I ignore it and climb. The shirt shreds but my jeans slow me down. I yank my leg up, tearing into my skin. Sharp pain makes me cry out but the man is right on my tail.
He reaches for my foot but he grabs the shoe just as I’m swinging it over the other side.
His triumphant grin turns to fury as I smash my foot into his neck and he loses his grip. Scrambling over the top, I drop to the other side of the fence. I don’t pause to gloat. I run like hell and don’t look back.
I don’t stop until I’m back at the garage. My hands shake so badly, it takes me three tries to get the key in the ignition. Gunning the engine, I get back on the street and head away from the city.
I don’t know where I’m going. I should head to my dad’s but that man could follow me and I don’t want to lead him to my dad or sister. I could go to my brothers but they’d put me under lockdown.
Obviously, I’m not thinking clearly because my car is already headed back the way I came earlier tonight.
Anger boils in my blood because I can only think of one man who would try something like this.
Aiden must have something to do with this. He’s not the kind of man to take rejection sitting down, and I’d pretty much slapped him in the face with it tonight.
Half an hour later and I’m back at his place, skidding to a stop in front of his door.
I’m icy calm and anyone who knows me knows this is when I’m most dangerous. Because I’ve had enough time to get well and truly pissed in the time it took me to drive here.
I barely make it to the front porch when the door opens and he steps into view.
My right hook is less dangerous to him because of our height difference but he doesn’t see it coming so I take him off guard. He only has time to take a step back, which minimizes the blow but not enough. It still hurts.
“What the fuck!”
He raises his hand to rub at his jaw while I cradle my now-throbbing hand to my chest.
But he doesn’t raise a hand to me.
“I don’t know what game you’re playing, but if you want to talk to me, don’t send your fucking goons to collect me. I’m not easy prey.”
His gaze narrows as I stand there, glaring at him. “What the fuck are you talking about because I don’t have a goddamn clue?”
“Bullshit. You know exactly what I’m talking about, you bastard. I’m not some stupid socialite you can order around however you want. I’m fucking you because that’s what you want in return for your fucking information. Not because I want you but because I have to. Don’t send your goddamn hit men after me again. Next time, I won’t go easy on them.”
I turn to leave but he grabs me by the arm. My fist is already on its way back to his face, but this time he’s ready for me. He blocks my punch and holds my hand away from my target, which was his nose.
His grip is tight enough that I can’t escape and I’m too far away to kick him. Instead of struggling, I stay still, knowing eventually he’ll have to release me and then I’ll leave.
I already realize what a huge mistake I’ve made by returning. I’m too pissed off, too upset, too frightened. And that makes me even angrier. Because I don’t want to be frightened. It dredges up memories I can barely remember. More feelings than memories, really. Nightmares I’d had as a teenager after I found out how Reese and Bryant had found me.
“I want you to tell me what the hell happened. Every detail. Now.”
His words hold a command that pisses me off. As if he has every right to my response. “Why should I when you already know exactly what happened?”
His mouth flattens. “I don’t have the first damn clue what you’re talking about. Why the hell are your clothes ripped?”
He sounds pissed and I examine his expression carefully. I don’t know if he’s telling the truth or not, but he’s certainly selling it if he isn’t.
“Jesus, you’re shaking. Come in and have a drink and tell me what the fuck is going on.”
I look down at my hands. My right one throbs with pain. His damn jaw is hard as concrete. But he’s right. They’re shaking; my fingers look like they’re playing a phantom piano.
Actually, my entire body’s shaking, worse than it had been when I left here an hour ago. I’m not sure I could drive now if I tried.
The angry tone of his voice grates on my already shredded nerves. But the hand he wraps around my upper arm is surprisingly gentle. And when he tugs me closer, I take a step forward. I immediately stop but he tugs again.
I want to go. I want to wind myself around that big, strong body and let him wrap his arms around me and keep me safe.
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
What the fuck have I done?
I take a step back, panic making my skin pebble. “I need to leave.”
His brows lower. “No fucking way. Get in the goddamn house and tell me what the fuck is going on.”
“This was a mistake.” I raise one hand as I continue to back away. “My mistake. I have to leave. I can’t be here—”
He puts his arms around me without warning and lifts me, holding me against his chest as he strides back through the front door.
I make a token struggle, which dies because I’m shaking too badly. I hold myself as stiffly as I can, even though I want to lay my head on his chest. Which is so totally wrong, it makes me gasp in air, as if I’ve been punched.
“Christ, don’t hyperventilate. Olivia, breathe.”
His command snaps through me like an electric shock and I freeze as he makes his way through the house.
I’m trying not to notice how solid his chest is against my arm. Or how much heat he radiates. It’s mid-June and the night air is warm but I’m chilled to the bone, probably due to the adrenaline leaching from my system.
A sense of safety creeps in, which is so stupidly ridiculous, I feel like an idiot. But I don’t insist he put me down. No, I just let him carry me through the hallway toward the back of the house.
We wind up in the kitchen, where he sets me on a padded chair at a table. I miss the warmth of his body immediately and curl my hands into fists so I don’t reach for him.
But I can’t stop myself from staring into his eyes, so dark, they’re mesmerizing. The intensity of his stare should be frightening.
Instead, I’m calm. And that should be terrifying.
“All right, tell me what the hell happened. Every detail.”
He leans forward, hands on his knees. He looks ready and able to rip someone’s head off and that makes me feel safe.
Jesus, it’s been a fucked-up night and I’m back where I shouldn’t be. But for some weird reason, I don’t want to be anywhere else.
Still, I can�
�t just give him what he wants. It’s not in my nature.
“I already told you. Are you going to hold me here against my will?”
“If I have to, yes.” His dominance is like a force of nature. “Now talk.”
I bite my tongue for several seconds but he doesn’t move and he doesn’t look away. And the urge to let everything out is strong.
And the more I think about it, the more I think I was totally wrong to believe he had anything to do with my attempted kidnapping.
“I was two blocks from my apartment when I noticed a car behind me. A man got out, grabbed me, and tried to drag me into the car. I got away, climbed a fence, which is how my clothes got torn, and drove back here to confront you. End of story.”
A muscle in his jaw flexes and I have a hard time drawing my gaze away from it. All those hours over the past two weeks watching him are coming back to bite me in the ass. I was already captivated by the damn man. Now I might be downright obsessed.
Blinking, I drop my gaze but now I’m staring at his hands. They’re clasped together, his elbows propped on his knees as he leans forward slightly. He’s had those hands all over my body and I’ve loved every second of it.
“What did he look like? Can you describe him to me? Identify him?”
If I start stripping, will he take the hint and fuck me? I don’t want to think about—
“Olivia.” His sharp tone makes my gaze snap back to his. “Can you tell me what the guy looked like?”
“Why do you care?”
“Because while you’re mine, no one is allowed to harm you.”
My mouth drops open at the blatant dominance in his voice. “Are you fucking insane? I am so not yours.”
“While I’m fucking you, you’re mine. No one’s allowed to touch you.”
I want to laugh but he’s clearly not kidding. “You are insane. Seriously, you are out of your mind. You’re blackmailing me so you can fuck me. You don’t own me.”
His expression holds steady. “I’ve never held you against your will. You’re free to leave whenever you want. Maybe you need to ask yourself why you haven’t.” He pauses, as if to let that sink into my hard head. “Now, tell me what you remember.”
Devastated (Aiden & Olivia Book 3) Page 3