Keep Me Safe

by Angela Bennet

  As Paul’s conversation continued Olivia tried to put the pieces together. She didn’t like anyone knowing where she was – not even the FBI agent he trusted. He’d given the salesman’s number to his friend in the FBI rather than making the call himself. She was thankful since Ethan was at the other end. Which meant Ethan had known she was here for the past week and so far had done nothing. She could imagine his rage from knowing she was living with another man. It wouldn’t matter that Paul hadn’t touched her. Ethan would never believe the truth since he was so irrational and suspicious. He always believed the worst of her, even accusing her of having an affair with his bodyguard, Dirken! Since he knew or at least strongly suspected she was here why hadn’t he made a move? She clenched her fists and fought to catch her breath. Just thinking about him made her panic and now he was closing in again. What was he planning? Paul was right that her first instinct was to run but she’d promised him she wouldn’t. It was difficult to force herself to remain in the office while he talked to some unknown government official who might be the one tipping off Ethan. She hugged herself as she fought to remain calm. Ethan was probably recording the call and knew everything Paul was doing to help her. He was probably laughing at their naïve efforts, believing they were safe when he was always one step ahead of them. He was going to punish her for turning to Paul, after he destroyed every good thing in Paul’s life.

  Paul slammed the phone down on the desk, making Olivia jump. He swiped his hand through his hair in irritation as he paced from one end of the office to the other. “My FBI contact working your case is being reassigned. Out of nowhere he got the orders this morning. He said the investigation of Ethan Moore will continue but for some reason his replacement isn’t as motivated to get answers. I’m sure we know why.”

  “Ethan got to him.”

  Paul nodded and kicked his leather chair in irritation. “Dammit!”

  Olivia flinched and instinctively cowered when Paul suddenly turned in her direction. Her shoulders rose high and she lowered her chin protectively. Paul stopped in front of her and she winced.

  “Olivia honey, you know I’m not angry with you, right?” She nodded but didn’t look up. She knew her fear was unnatural and she wasn’t really scared of Paul but the reaction was ingrained and she couldn’t help it.

  “Honey, look at me.” He gently tipped up her chin so she was forced to meet his gaze. What she saw was a troubled look of remorse. “I would never, never strike you. Do you understand? I’m frustrated by the case and I feel powerless at the moment but this has nothing to do with being angry or frustrated with you. You can trust me, Liv.”

  She gave him a rueful smile. She felt embarrassed. “I know, Paul, but I couldn’t help my reaction. When you yelled and kicked the chair, it made me flinch. I felt nervous. Ethan did this to me. He turned me into a coward and I’m scared of every little sound.”

  “No, you’re not a coward. You’re the bravest person I know,” Paul stated firmly. His blue eyes darkened with concern for her. “It's going to feel this way for a while and you need time to heal and process everything you've been through. As soon as it’s over, we’ll get you into therapy. There are professionals who will help you let go of the past. We’ll banish these nightmares for good. And I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

  It sounded like a dream and she wanted to feel as positive as Paul but doubt lingered in her mind. Ethan had taken over every area of her life. Even now she could hear his words, you belong to me, Olivia. We are one soul together and nothing will ever separate us. I will kill you before I allow another man to touch you. Your body and your life are mine. Never forget, you were created for me.

  “I can’t get him out of my head, Paul. His words are always whispering in my mind. He said a million horrible things and all those promises keep replaying in my thoughts.” Tears filled her eyes. She hated crying but she felt so hopeless. “I don’t think I’ll ever be free of him. When it’s quiet I hear his voice. And when I close my eyes I see him. I don’t want his touch. I don’t want any of it.”

  Paul’s hands were gentle as he carefully pulled her close. “Focus on me, Liv honey. Keep your eyes open and look at me. I’m the one speaking to you. I’m holding you and touching you. Not him. Look at me,” he ordered as he slowly lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers. Their gazes were locked as he slowly pulled away. “Do you hear his voice now?”

  “He said he’ll kill me before another man touches me.”

  “And I say he’s wrong.” Paul’s lips met hers again; his mouth took hers in a hungry kiss. She met him equally in an effort to banish the memories. She wanted to replace them with new ones. A little thrill ran up her spine as Paul’s large hands circled her waist and found the bare flesh of her back. His fingers slipped under the strap at her shoulder and eased it down. His lips followed his fingers and he pressed hot little kisses to her shoulder. His fingers swept gently down over the curve of her breast. Olivia reached for the buttons on his shirt. She shoved his shirt aside and pressed kisses to his chest. She let herself get lost in sensation. As the haze of desire grew the fear subsided. She wanted him. She wanted to forget.

  She was confused when he slowly edged the strap back in place on her shoulder and leaned away from her. “Not like this, Liv honey.” His voice sounded husky and unsteady.

  Olivia blinked away the haze of desire. “Um what?”

  His look was regretful as he brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek. “I want a commitment between us. I don’t want to be the temporary guy who helps you forget. I might be one of the rare guys who feels this way but I need more – for both our sakes.”

  Olivia frowned in consternation. She felt annoyed by his practical thinking. What was so wrong with wanting to shut out the world? “What if I can’t give you more? What if he’s broken me so badly that I can never be normal? Do you really expect me to make promises to you while I still have him chasing me? I can’t think beyond this moment. Tomorrow is too uncertain.”

  Paul shook his head. “I’m not looking for promises from you today, Liv. And I know he hasn’t broken you. You’re resilient. You have a deep well of strength inside you that he’ll never touch. But I won’t let things get carried away between us just to make you feel a little better. We both deserve more and I respect you too much to take advantage of your situation. And while I consider what you’re offering to be the most sacred gift, I ask you to save it for me. When all this is over and there is nothing standing between us, I want you to still want me. When your life is back to normal, will there be a place for me? You might look at me differently when he’s gone.”

  Olivia bit her lip in uncertainty. She didn’t have an answer for him. Right now he was the most important person in her world. He represented safety. But when Ethan was eliminated as a threat would she disappear from Paul’s life as quickly as she entered it?

  “I will always be grateful for what you’ve done for me –“

  Paul laughed but it sounded forced. “Gratitude is nice but it’s not even close to what I want from you, Liv. And that’s why I’m holding back. I know you understand. You have too many things to sort through and you don’t need me making it more complicated. Let’s keep things easy between us. Allow me to be noble here. I’ll do my best to keep my hands to myself, just like I promised.”

  “Fair enough. I’ll do the same,” she stated with a lift to her chin. The problem was, she felt like a wall was going up between them and she didn’t like it. Paul was the first man to touch her heart. Not even Ethan had gotten this close in the beginning. He couldn’t force her to love him, yet Paul had slipped in with his charm and fierce protectiveness and –

  And what, Olivia? Stole your heart? She stilled at the thought. She’d never loved anyone before yet Paul was different from any man she’d ever known. He’d slipped past her defenses and touched her inner being. Ethan was wrong. She wasn’t created for him and they weren’t one soul. No, her heart cried out for Paul Justice. Of co
urse she loved him. There was no way to know for certain, but if she’d met him under normal circumstances she still would have fallen for him. And she would do anything to keep him safe. She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I don’t like admitting you’re right in this instance, but thank you for looking out of me. I’ve never been interested in casual sex and I don’t want you to think there’s anything casual about the way I feel for you. Yet you’re right, things are too complicated right now without making them even more convoluted. Thank you for seeing that.”

  He nodded. “It’s killing me to do the chivalrous thing – you gotta realize that.” He gave her a quick peck on the lips.

  “I’ve heard cold showers are a good idea. I think I’ll grab one,” she said with a lopsided grin.

  He waved her away. “Go, before I change my mind.” He reached for her again but she slipped out of his grasp. Despite everything, he made her feel better and her laughter rang out as she left the room.

  As Olivia went upstairs to shower, Paul reached for his desk chair, righted it, then dropped down on it. With a groan of frustration, he swiped his hand through his hair. What was he going to do? Things were grimmer than he let on. Not only had his FBI contact been reassigned, another member of the investigation had disappeared. The guy’s computer had been wiped clean with only one message remaining: Agent Gomez should have known better. He should have left me alone. You fools won’t stop me. No one knew how Ethan Moore had accessed the computer through the secure network within the FBI but Paul wasn’t surprised. Olivia said he could hack his way into any system. Paul didn’t have the skill to beat him at his own game. He doubted anyone could. The entire investigation was being reassigned; thankfully they were willing to keep Paul in the loop. He had a new contact who was an old police buddy, Jeffries. He was willing to keep Paul abreast of the situation and together they would find something to trip up Ethan. Moore was a mad genius and his one weakness was Olivia. Jeffries suggested using her as bait but Paul refused. He wouldn’t put her at risk. If Olivia knew of the idea she would do one of two things, volunteer or take off again. Either action put her at risk. She was safest here. For the hundredth time that day Paul scanned the security monitor, searching for abnormalities but of course he found nothing. He had an edgy feeling he couldn’t shake. He’d gotten the same feeling when he worked undercover and that feeling never steered him wrong. He knew trouble was coming. It lurked right around the corner. The problem was, he couldn’t see it and his security cameras weren’t picking it up – yet.

  He tapped at the screen, changing the view. “I know you’re coming, Moore. I can feel it in my gut. You think you’re so clever but I’m better than you. I’m going to stop you. I won’t allow you to win this time.”

  He did one more system check then went upstairs. He needed to make sure Liv was okay. As he entered his bedroom Olivia stepped out of the bathroom. Her hair hung damp around her shoulders and she wore a tee shirt and jeans. His gut clenched at the sight of her. She was so beautiful. “You all right?” he asked gruffly as he forced his gaze away. He could look at her all day, drinking in the sight of her gentle curves, but looking led to touching and he had to keep his word.

  She gave him a sharp look. “Of course. Why? Has something happened?” She walked toward him with brush in hand. He wordlessly took the brush and motioned for her to turn.

  “Nothing new but I’m keeping a close watch.” Very gently he worked the brush through her hair, pulling out the tangles and making it smooth. She purred with pleasure. As he finished and reluctantly handed her the brush his cell phone rang. He answered the call when he saw it was his sister.

  “What’s up, Janice?”

  “It’s Chloe. Today at dance class –“

  “What happened to Chloe? Is she okay?” Paul demanded sharply. He glanced at Olivia and her eyes were wide with fear and guilt.

  “She’s fine, Paul. When she got home from dance class she told me there was a man there asking the girls questions. He wanted to know about –“

  “Janice,” Paul interrupted. He didn’t want his sister blurting out Olivia’s name and giving any information. If Ethan Moore was as crafty as Olivia claimed, then he would know how to monitor cell calls. “I’d love to chat but you know how busy I am with security work. David’s hanging with Chloe, right?” He hoped his sister would catch on and quit blabbing.

  “Paul, this sounds like –“

  He knew what she was about to say. That it sounded like the precautions he took when he worked undercover. “It’s the same, Pumpkin.” He emphasized the pet name, knowing it would set his sister’s family in motion. They’d agreed on the code word years ago when he was concerned his undercover work would threaten their safety.

  “Pumpkin? Well, crap. Okay then, I’ll see you later and I’ll call Mom and Dad. Make sure you do your own laundry, okay? Somebody’s got to look out for you,” she grumbled cheerfully but he knew it was all an act. As soon as she got off the phone she and her family would pack a bag and clear out of town for the weekend. It was a system they hadn’t put into action for a few years, but she obviously remembered. Having them safely out of town meant he could worry about Olivia and nothing else. David, a former Navy Seal knew how to keep his family safe and his parents had no problem disappearing for a mini vacation.

  As he ended the call he turned to Olivia and reached for her hand. “I don’t want to alarm you but it looks like Ethan’s closing the net. Someone was questioning the girls in Chloe’s dance class about you. It might be a coincidence –“

  Olivia nodded grimly. “But we know it’s not. He’s coming for me and he’s going to punish you in the process.”

  “He won’t have the chance.” Paul felt her fingers tremble and he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “We’re going to beat him. Trust me, Liv. We’ll get him before he gets us.”

  “How do you know he won’t harm your sister and brother-in-law, or their little girl? And your parents? I would never forgive myself.” She made a helpless gesture with her hand. “He went after my family. My sister, Marissa, took steps to protect them but I haven’t talked to her or my parents in eight months. I have no idea if they’re okay.”

  “We’ll check on them soon. And don’t worry about my family; we have an old system set in place where they drop everything and leave. Remember, I used to work with a bunch of nasty people and some were smart enough to figure out I was a cop. My family knew the risks and how to handle them. They’ll be fine. This is coming to an end – I can feel it, Liv. It’s almost over. You have to keep trusting me to keep you safe.”

  “You always say that,” she said with a slight lift to her lips.

  “Because I mean it,” Paul assured her as he tugged her closer. “Now pack your things. We need to get out of here.”

  ***

  Ethan laughed with glee as his fingers flew over the keyboard. “Very ingenious, Detective Justice. Oh, but you’re not a detective anymore, are you? You had some bad business with a drug dealer, didn’t you?” he chortled at the computer screen. “You think you’re smart with this extra security measure but I’m smarter, you annoying fool! All you’ve done is irritate me. You’ll never stop me, Paul Justice. I don’t know who you think you are, but you will never stand between me and my butterfly. Olivia belongs to me!” His fingers tapped the keyboard. In a matter of seconds he had access to everything he wanted.

  Olivia believed she could escape him and she’d led him on a merry chase these past months. It’d been fun flushing her out of the different hideaways she’d chosen. But he was growing weary of the game. It was time for her to come home. She needed to be punished for her disobedience and then they would get on with their lives. “Never separate. One entity in life and death for all eternity,” he mused aloud.

  The room was dark except for the glow of the computer screen. When Dirken stepped into Ethan’s private sanctuary, Ethan frowned in irritation. He didn’t like to be interrupted when he worked and Dirken assumed too much. He pr
etended to have an eagerness to please, but Ethan suspected he had ulterior motives. He’d always been jealous of his relationship with Olivia. She enticed every man who looked at her with her ripe red lips and her luscious body. She lured men into her trap. He couldn’t blame Dirken for lusting after her; he was a victim of her seductions the same way Ethan was. But he would have to keep a close watch on his faithful employee.

  “You found her, boss?” Dirken asked as he set a tall glass of green liquid on the corner of Ethan’s desk. Ah yes, his fortification. If it weren’t for Dirken, he would forget to nourish himself. Perhaps Dirken was still useful. He eyed the man suspiciously. He was overly interested in Olivia’s whereabouts. Why did he want to know?

  “Of course I’ve found her, you idiot. I always find her. Now it’s a matter of how I’m going to capture her this time. We won’t allow her to slip away again.” He chuckled pleasantly which drew an answering smile from Dirken. His henchman wasn’t a handsome man but he was strong and muscular. Did Olivia find him attractive? Would she want to have an affair with him? For that matter, was she allowing Paul Justice to touch her? No! She wouldn’t! The thought of another man running his hands over her body made him sick with fury. She belonged to him! He forced himself to take a deep cleansing breath before he reached for the glass of green liquid. “Thank you for bringing my meal, Dirken. You’re very thoughtful,” he said mildly before taking a sip of the drink. There was nothing pleasant about the taste but many things in life were unpleasant. It was a lesson he’d had to share with Olivia. Some things in life caused pain. She would have to be reminded.