“Then I’m glad you’re here,” Carl announced. “I don’t want no harm coming to Ms. Larrson. She’s a kind soul. She’s always dropping off food for my family and brings books and gifts for my wife.” Carl looked up at him. “You take care of her.”
“I give you my word.”
They reached Carl’s apartment and the old man turned to face him. “I can’t let you into her apartment, but you can wait for her outside her door. If she doesn’t want you there, you’ll have to leave.”
“I absolutely will.” Not. He wasn’t leaving Olivia unprotected. “I’m a security agent, but Ms. Larrson and I are also old friends.” Well, not exactly friends. Friends talked and kept in touch. Not lovers either since it had been a one-time thing. Telling her doorman that she was his soul mate would probably have the man lunging for his phone to dial 911, insisting Alex was the stalker.
The man nodded slowly. “I trust you. You have an air of authority. When you walked in, I thought you was a cop.”
“Busted,” Alex smiled. “I was a detective with the Chicago Police Department, but I resigned last year to work for a private security firm.”
“Then it sounds like Ms. Larrson is in good hands. Take care of her, Mr. Mylonas.”
Alex shook the old man’s hand. “I will.”
“Would you ask Ms. Larrson to text me when she gets home? I like to know she’s safe before I go to sleep.”
#
As soon as Carl closed the door to his apartment, Alex headed for the elevator. He had no idea how long he’d have to wait so he resigned himself to a long night on the hall floor. He considered heading out to a coffee shop, but he’d have no way of getting back inside the apartment now that Carl went to bed. Plus, he wanted to be here when Olivia arrived. He knew she had a roommate and he debated whether to knock on the door and see if she was home. The question was answered for him when he heard some kind of wild, chanting drifting down the corridor. As he neared Olivia’s apartment, he realized the sound was coming from inside…and the door stood wide open. Not only that, but the stench of marijuana was strong, even out in the hall. Going inside meant risking a second-hand high.
He rapped on the open door. “Hello?”
Two people were jerking and grinding to the music. They both wore some sort of loincloth and…good grief. The woman was topless. This was Olivia’s roommate?
He decided to bolt a fraction too late. He’d just turned to leave when the woman purred, “Well hello, handsome.”
“Come join the party, man,” the guy called out as he took a puff on the source of the noxious odor. He held out the small white cigarette. “Wanna hit?”
Alex shook his head. Smoke hung in a thick haze. Apparently they’d been at this a while. He sucked in a breath and held it as he ventured into the danger zone. Picking up a remote, he turned down the music and made a beeline to the window. He needed fresh air and quick. He was one deep breath away from stripping down to his skivvies and tangoing along with the Tarzan twins.
He pried the window open and, hallelujah, sweet fresh air. Well, fresh-er. It was New York, after all. Over his shoulder, he asked, “Is this Olivia Larrson’s apartment?” He couldn’t turn and face them. He didn’t want a personal viewing of the peep show again.
“You know my roommate?” the woman exclaimed. “She’s never brought a man home since I’ve lived with her.”
That tidbit of news shouldn’t have made Alex’s gut clench, but it did. Olivia wasn’t currently seeing anyone. Did she miss him as much as he missed her? He refocused. “So she does live here.”
“Oh, yes,” the woman confirmed. “But she’s not nearly as fun as I am.” He caught the woman’s reflection in the window and cringed. She lifted her arms over her head and swayed towards him. He got a glimpse of pink nipples and armpit hair almost as long as his own. He looked at the ceiling, the wall, the floor, anywhere but at the woman’s naked chest. Awkward.
The woman was just a step away when she cried out. He turned instinctively and she fell against him with a giggle. His arms automatically shot out to catch her and suddenly he had a nearly naked female plastered against his body. She purred with approval, pushed closer and ran her hands over his biceps.
A gasp sounded behind him. He jerked his head around to see Olivia framed in the doorway, her mouth rounded in horror.
“Alex?”
Chapter Nine
Olivia was exhausted. It hadn’t taken long for the recovery divers to find Marcus Tremont’s body. The retention pool wasn’t very big or deep. They found Donald Rose next to the pond, his body in much the same condition as Purdy’s had been with no outward sign of violence. Off the record, Susannah told her it looked as if he went to sleep and didn’t wake up.
Olivia announced the findings after the next of kin had been notified. They’d bagged the bodies and carted them off and she’d had Roddy drop her off at her apartment on his way back to the station.
Two male murderers who got away with murder, mercilessly murdered. Hum, she was so tired, she was thinking in riddles. Not good. She needed sleep. She missed her work-out again today because she didn’t want to answer questions from Faye. The woman was a little too intense about the Vigilante.
Olivia feared it was only the beginning. How many more would die before he was caught? And should he be caught? They didn’t know for sure the Vigilante was a man, but it was easier to think in terms of a ‘he’ since statistically, most serial killers were male. And right or wrong, what the Vigilante was doing was the very definition of a serial killer. But women were capable of murder, too. After all, the serial murder case she covered in Vermont that brought her national attention was committed by a woman. But wait…it was actually a man dressing as a woman, so she supposed it didn’t count. She shook her head. She needed sleep.
It hadn’t taken long for fan sites to pop up all over the internet. There had only been two victims, but the Vigilante was already reaching cult status. Olivia wondered if Faye was behind any of the web sites.
She had mixed feelings on the Vigilante. She personally knew people who’d suffered from violence, only to see their attackers get away with the crime: Carl and his family, Faye, even Jonah. His sister had been brutalized in a home invasion in Dallas. But did that warrant someone taking justice into their own hands?
She used her key to enter the building. Carl must have gotten her message. Good. He hadn’t been looking well lately and she didn’t want him waiting up for her. He would have, too, if she hadn’t insisted he accept the cell phone she purchased for him. With that thought, she pulled out her phone and shot him a quick message. I’m home, Carl. Say goodnight to Mary and CJ for me. See U tomorrow.
She didn’t expect an answer. Carl wasn’t very tech savvy and he hadn’t mastered the art of return texting, so it was a complete shock when her phone chimed. She scanned the note. thank u for letting me know. night, ms. larrson. i hope what i did was okay.
Olivia frowned at the screen. What did Carl do? She shook her head. It must be a full moon or something because men around her were being frustratingly cryptic. First, Jonah muttered something about making some kind of call and now this with Carl. She inserted her key in the mailbox, almost positive she’d find another package, but only bills and catalogues greeted her. She considered texting Carl back or stopping by his apartment but finally decided against either. Mary was probably in bed and she didn’t want to wake her, and she was pretty sure she’d maxed out Carl’s texting skills. She’d just wait until the morning to question him.
She smelled it as soon as the elevator doors opened. Bonnie and Clyde were at it again. She’d planned on talking to Darla as soon as she returned from Hawaii but then the Vigilante struck and she’d been too busy. But if Darla and Arlo were lighting up doobies after she expressly told them not to, that was grounds for instant dismissal.
The smell gained strength as she neared her apartment and oh, dear Lord, the door was wide open. Darla was going to get them both kicked out. Fr
ankly, she was surprised Mrs. Copley across the hall hadn’t complained yet. Olivia made a mental note to pick her up some of her favorite cookies from the bakery down the street.
She was tired and all she wanted to do was fall into bed. She didn’t know if she had the strength to take on her roommate. Inhaling deeply to gather her strength, she charged forward.
The sight that greeted her stopped her dead in her tracks. Dressed only in a leopard print loincloth, Arlo was waving his hands above his head in some kind of freaky gyrating dance. Ah well, at least the offending body parts were covered. Darla was also half naked and she was plastered against a strong body. The man was tall with short black hair and when she gasped, blue eyes snapped to her. The mail fluttered forgotten to the floor. She had to be hallucinating. She closed her eyes and shook her head. When she opened them, it was to see Darla running her hands over muscular biceps…biceps Olivia wanted closed around her gripping her tight. Biceps she’d dreamed of every night since their passion-filled encounter months ago. Alex Mylonas in the flesh stood in her apartment in New York City with her half-naked roommate in his arms.
“Alex?”
Chapter Ten
Olivia was having a hard time pulling air into her lungs…which was probably a good thing since marijuana vapor hung like a thick cloud in the room. “What are you doing here, Alex?”
Alex looked chagrinned as he tried to extract a clinging Darla without actually looking at her. He gripped her shoulders and eased her away. She sucked right back against him like a magnet.
“You smell so good,” Darla cooed as she rubbed her bare breasts against his chest.
She should probably yell at her roommate or something, but the look of dismay on Alex’s face had her nearly doubling over in laughter. Of all the ways she pictured seeing Alex again, this hadn’t even been a blip on the radar.
He narrowed his eyes at her and stopped Darla’s wandering hand as it coasted south. “Help me,” he begged. He tried again to push Darla away and she suctioned right back against him. He held his arms straight out to the sides in a silent plea and Olivia took pity on him.
Wiping tears from her eyes, she cleared her throat and called out to her roommate. It took two tries, but finally Darla’s head lulled back and she glanced at Olivia over her shoulder. “Oh, hi, Liv. I was just welcoming your boyfriend to our apartment.”
Darla didn’t seem inclined to move anytime soon so Olivia marched over and pried her off. Alex swooped behind her before Darla could attack him again. Chicken. Then he grabbed her shoulders and she almost forgot to breathe. It’d been so long, too long, since he’d touched her. She thought the time apart would dull the chemistry between them but if anything, it was even stronger.
Darla started dancing again, her hands flailing in the air. Alex groaned and his head plunked against her shoulder. She grabbed his hand and they made their escape. As soon as she closed the door to her room, they looked at each other and burst out laughing. At some point, the laughter stopped and they stood a few feet apart, staring at each other. She wanted to close the distance and press her head against his chest. Her heart actually flipped. She could love this man. She probably already did. “What are you doing here, Alex?”
“I’m here for you.”
Oh my God, she did love him. She took a step forward when he added, “Your producer was worried about your safety. He called the offices and requested protection.”
She froze. Alex didn’t come to sweep her off her feet. Jonah called him. She took a step back, then another and another until she felt the cool wood of the door against her back. She’d almost made the colossal mistake of flinging herself in his arms and begging him to hold her for the rest of their lives. He was here for a job, not because he couldn’t live another day without her.
“Jake Kincaid wanted to come but—” His cell rang, cutting off his words. He glanced at the screen. “Speak of the devil.” He clicked the talk button and put it to his ear. “Hey, Kincaid. Yeah, I’m here with her now.” Alex listened to whatever Jake was saying and his eyes found hers and stayed. “With my life,” he vowed. She shivered at the intensity in his gaze. They talked for a few more minutes and then he held the phone out to her. “Jake wants to talk to you.”
She accepted the cell and jolted from the contact when their fingers met. She almost dropped it but managed to hang on and put it to her ear. “Hi, Jake.”
“Olivia, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Jake. Everyone is overreacting. I’m not in any danger.” She glanced up at Alex. He was still watching her closely.
“You don’t know that,” Jake protested. “This person can get to you too easily. I’m worried about your safety.”
“I’m protected now that Alex is here.” She felt her cheeks heat but she didn’t look away from his penetrating gaze. She was telling Jake the truth. Physically, she felt secure with Alex. Mentally, she didn’t know if her heart would survive intact.
“I wish I could be there, but Mylonas is a hell of an agent and I trust him with my life and with yours. He’ll protect you.”
“Give my best to Violet and be sure to let me know when she has the baby.”
“I will, and thank you again for the basket of baby goodies. We appreciate it.”
They spoke for a few more minutes and then disconnected. She’d met Jake and his wife when she was a reporter in Vermont. Violet had been targeted by a serial killer and Jake protected her, falling in love in the process. Olivia nursed a slight crush on Jake when she first met him but it died a quick death when she saw how he looked at his now-wife. Her Alex crush was nothing like her Jake crush. This one was intense and all-consuming and frightening.
Alex took a step towards her and reached out a hand but he dropped it to his side. “Your, uh, your producer…Jonah?” She nodded. “He said the Vigilante has your home address and knew your daily schedule.”
“And has my unlisted cell phone number.” She told him about the two texts with the information on the burial sites. “Both calls came from an untraceable number.”
“Yeah, burner phones are the bane of a cop’s existence. Easy to acquire and impossible to trace. Just once, it’d be nice to deal with a killer who didn’t watch NCIS.”
She smiled at him and then time stood still. Their eyes locked in place.
“I’m sorry about…”
“I should have…”
They both laughed as they spoke in unison.
“Please, you go first,” Alex said softly.
Olivia shifted her gaze from his handsome face. “I heard about your injury.” She pointed to his thigh. “The shard of glass. Is it healed?”
He nodded. “It’s fine. Just another nasty scar on this battle-worn body.”
Olivia stepped closer, her hand reaching out of its own volition. “Your body is—”
A sharp rap sounded on her door, stopping her from blurting out that his body was perfection. She lowered her hand. “What do you need, Darla?”
“It’s not Darla,” a deep voice rumbled.
Alex reached for her and hooked an arm around her middle to propel her behind his back. Somehow, a gun appeared in his hand.
She patted his arm. “It’s okay. I know him.” She moved around him and opened the door. “CJ? What’s wrong? Is your dad okay?”
Carl’s son towered over her at close to seven feet. He was bald and built like a linebacker, but he was a kind, gentle soul. Even though he’d lost most of his heart when his young daughter had been killed, he still offered what was left of it to others. Right now, he looked embarrassed.
“I’m so sorry to bother you, Olivia.” He nodded to Alex, who she was happy to see had stowed his weapon. “You must be Alex.” He held out a hand and the two men shook. “My dad told me about you. We’re grateful for you being here to keep our Olivia safe.”
Her heart lurched. He was such a sweet man, as were his parents. They didn’t deserve the violence that destroyed their life.
“Mrs. Copley c
alled. She was worried about you. She saw all of your mail on the floor in the hallway and the door was open. She was afraid something happened to you.”
Heat filled Olivia’s cheeks. She completely forgot about the letters and catalogues once she laid eyes on Alex. “I’m so sorry. I had an…issue with my roommate.”
CJ mimicked smoking a joint with a raised brow.
She laughed and nodded. “She did this once before but promised me it wouldn’t happen again. I’m going to ask her to leave.”
“Now probably wouldn’t be a good time,” he glanced across the apartment to Darla’s room and smiled sheepishly, “judging by the noise.”
Olivia dropped her head to her hands. “Oh, God.”
CJ laughed. “I’ll let Mrs. Copley know you’re okay and I’ll close the door on my way out.” He shook Alex’s hand again. “Good to meet you.” He smiled down at her. “Good night, Olivia.”
“Goodnight, CJ.”
She watched as he left the apartment and closed the door and then she threw back her head and dropped onto a chair. “That woman is a menace.”
Alex chuckled. “Can’t say I disagree with you there.” He padded in front of her and held out his hands. She looked into his eyes and then placed her palms against his, willing to follow him anywhere. He tugged her up and in the next moment, she was crushed in his embrace. She clutched him tight, tears swimming in her eyes.
“I’ve missed you.” His voice was low, gruff.
“I’ve missed you, too,” she whispered. So, so much.
His hands moved from her back to frame her face. He tilted her head up, wiped the tears with his thumbs and continued to stroke her cheeks. When his head lowered she held her breath in anticipation. She whimpered at the first brush of his lips. Or maybe he did. Then he was kissing her like he needed her to breathe. She felt both cherished and devoured. She’d been kissed before but never had she felt this overwhelming need to become one with the man. It was passionate, all-consuming, she never wanted it to end. The buzz of her cell phone took the decision away from her.
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