by Karen Kirst
Olivia closed the file. “How can you be so calm?”
Apology turned his eyes an opaque gray. “Because I’ve lived with this revelation for more than a year.”
She digested his words. “More than a year, huh?”
“Olivia—”
“When?”
He grimaced. “About a month before he died.”
She closed her eyes. “I don’t know how to feel, other than numb.”
He touched her sleeve. She shrank away, shoving the chair back and jerking to her feet. She ripped off his jacket and tossed it his direction.
“I promised him, Liv.”
“You helped him perpetuate a lie. To think, I married an imposter—” She clapped her hand over her mouth.
“I’m sorry,” he intoned. “If I could go back and change things—”
Olivia whirled and sought the solitude of the guest bedroom. Engaging the lock, she carried the file to the bed and began ripping the pages into shreds.
Brady knocked on the door. “Olivia, don’t shut me out. Please, let’s talk about this.”
Feeling hollow inside, she stretched out on the mattress atop the misshapen shreds and waited for tears that didn’t come.
* * *
The doorbell woke him the next morning. Disoriented, Brady glanced at his watch and groaned. He’d overslept.
Hurrying through the house, he looked out the window and saw the car of his friend Julian’s fiancée, Audrey, in the driveway. Right on time. Disabling the alarm, he swung the door open and bid her to follow him.
“Hey, Audrey. Thanks for agreeing to stay with Olivia.”
“I’m happy to help,” she said, sliding a pink box on the kitchen island. “Julian will bring lunch during his break.” Still wearing her surgical scrubs from her overnight shift, she watched him pop a coffee pod into the machine and shove a mug under the drip spout. “You slept in your tux?”
“I dozed off on the couch and slept right through my alarm.”
His gaze drifted to the hallway, his chest tight with helplessness. Had Olivia managed to get any rest? She hadn’t agreed to speak with him. Not that he blamed her. He’d made a mess of things.
“Julian told me what happened in the commissary. You should’ve gone to the hospital for treatment.” Her blue eyes were full of sympathy. Having been through her own nightmare, she could relate. “Be sure to keep it clean. They gave you antibiotic cream?”
“Yes.”
“How’s your hand? How many stitches did you get?”
Brady splashed milk into his coffee. “No time for the nurse routine,” he said. “I’m running late.”
Opening the box, she selected a glazed doughnut and held it aloft. “Julian had more of his sister’s doughnuts shipped from Hawaii. You can’t say no.”
“I’ll take it to go.” He hesitated, uncertain how much to reveal. “Olivia’s been under a lot of stress. Last night was rough.”
She replaced the doughnut and cocked her head to one side, her long ponytail sliding over her shoulder. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
Brady shouldn’t be surprised at her insight. He’d spent a lot of time with her and Julian in recent months. “Yes.”
She considered that. “I’ll be here for whatever she needs.”
Brady wished he could stick around, but considering Olivia’s reaction last night, maybe space was a good thing. “I appreciate it, Audrey.”
At her odd look, he said, “What?”
“You didn’t say that you owed me.”
“Huh?”
“You tend to view things in terms of repayment. Someone helps you out, you plan a way to return the favor. This time, you expressed gratitude. That’s progress.”
“I suppose.”
“Being around Olivia has been good for you.”
“But can she say the opposite is true?”
He walked to the end of the hallway and stopped before her door. He debated knocking. If she was asleep, he didn’t want to wake her. It didn’t feel right leaving without speaking to her, however.
Brady lifted his hand, only to realize the door wasn’t completely closed. Odd. She’d made sure it was locked last night. He nudged it open a couple of inches.
“Olivia? Are you awake?” In the ensuing silence, he said, “I’m coming in.”
Slowly, he pushed the door all the way open. The bed was empty, the covers smoothed and pillows plumped.
His heart slammed against his chest. Adrenaline spiked. He tore through the room, searching for clues. Her things were gone. The window was locked, the alarm system tabs in place. Surely if someone had breached the house and taken her, he would’ve heard something.
Then his gaze snagged on a piece of paper on the carpet. A sense of foreboding closing up his airway, he read the brief message.
Olivia was fine, if the note was to be believed. She simply couldn’t remain in his home. She’d taken a cab to the air station sometime during the night and didn’t wish to be contacted.
Brady crumpled the paper in his fist. She knew the alarm code. He must’ve been under a heavy blanket of fatigue not to hear her.
Fishing out his phone, he typed out a text asking if she’d gotten home safely.
“Brady, there’s someone pulling in...” Audrey’s voice trailed off. “Where is she?”
Scowling at his phone, he waved the note. “Apparently, she took a taxi to her place, but she’s not answering. I have to go and check on her.”
“She could be asleep,” she pointed out as he brushed past her.
“Or she could be in the hands of a killer.”
Her enemy hadn’t been afraid to try to run them off the road before. He wouldn’t balk at doing the same to a taxi.
Brady pulled on his shoes, retrieved his weapon and opened the garage. He was leaving a message with the next in the chain of command, Major Falk, letting him know he’d be late, when he noticed the visitor.
“Lieutenant Colonel.” He left the garage just as a brisk breeze whipped around him. “What brings you here?”
Lieutenant Colonel Russell’s astute gaze swept over Brady, taking in every single detail. Stubble on his jaw, rumpled, bloodstained shirt and wrinkled pants.
“You’ve been grounded, Johnson.”
“Sir?”
“This isn’t a punishment. Your safety, and that of the marines under my command, is my chief priority.”
“You heard about the commissary incident.”
“The squadron’s abuzz.” Nodding to Brady’s bandages, he said, “You have vacation time. Take it. Figure out what’s best for you and Olivia while you’re waiting for law enforcement to nab this guy.”
“Sir, I—”
“You’re a reasonable man,” he interrupted, clapping him on the shoulder. “You’ll agree this is best for everyone.”
Brady pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt a headache coming on. Grounded. He finally understood why Olivia fought to stay at the aquarium. This felt like giving up, like letting the enemy win.
“Putting anyone in danger is the last thing I want,” he said at last.
“Give it time. I have faith it will all work out in the end.”
“Yes, sir.”
The older man returned to his vehicle. Halfway into his seat, he paused. “Keep me updated.”
“Will do.”
Brady went inside and informed Audrey that she was free to go. She attempted to cheer him up by forcing a doughnut into his hands. He took it and his coffee on the road. Right now he couldn’t dwell on his work status. Olivia’s well-being was all that mattered.
The marine at the main gate gave him a stern look when he caught sight of his unshaven state, but he waved him through. The ride through the base seemed to take a lifetime, thanks to the morning rush hour and t
he restricted speed limit. Finally, he reached the housing area.
At the sight of the military police cruiser in her driveway, the vise around his chest eased somewhat. Corporal Baker exited the car and waited for him to park.
“Good morning, Captain. I’m supposed to inform you that she isn’t taking visitors.”
Brady shut his door and engaged the lock. “I appreciate that you’re doing your job, but I’m not leaving until I see her.”
Baker’s chin was set at a defiant angle, but beneath her cover’s brim, her eyes were searching. He sensed she wasn’t simply following orders. She liked Olivia and empathized with her situation.
“Were you here when she arrived?” he said.
“No, but I’ve spoken to her this morning. She looks about like you do.”
“Oh? How’s that?”
“Like you both need a long vacation.”
He didn’t bother telling her his had started half an hour ago. She had spunk, this one. A helpful trait in a male-dominated career.
“I need to see for myself that she’s okay.”
The corporal’s eyes narrowed before a sigh gusted out of her. “Don’t make her day any worse.”
He kept his mouth shut because he couldn’t make that promise. In the time it took for Olivia to answer the doorbell, his palms grew clammy, and he wished he’d taken the time to freshen up.
Then the knob was turning, the door swinging inward, and Olivia stood before him. Close enough to touch. To pull into his arms.
“Brady.” Her voice was flat, her expression guarded. “Didn’t you get my note?”
He nodded. “You didn’t respond to my text, so I hopped in the truck and came straight over.”
“My phone’s on the charger. I didn’t hear the notification.” Still blocking the entrance, she gestured to the airfield’s general direction. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
“The lieutenant colonel paid me a personal visit this morning. I’ve been ordered to take my vacation days.”
Her posture lost some of its starch. “I’m sorry, Brady. I really am. You should tell him that you’re no longer my personal bodyguard. Maybe he’ll reconsider.”
“That would be a lie.”
Her lips pursed, and her fingernails dug into the door frame. “I don’t have the energy to debate the issue.”
She started to close the door. Brady’s arm shot out. “Olivia, please. Give me a chance to explain.”
Frowning, she turned and retreated. He let himself in, closed the door and stared at the mess. Where before there’d been relative order, the cardboard boxes were now in disarray and belongings strewn on the couch, coffee table and dining table.
She rifled through stacks of papers. “I’ve spent the last several hours poring over Derek’s stuff, and I haven’t found a single thing to link him to this Giordano mafia family.”
He sank his hands into his pockets. “He’d had years of practice hiding his past. I don’t know that he kept anything that could link him to them.”
“Did he tell you why he took such drastic measures?”
“His older brother was destined to take over for his father someday, leaving Derek free to pursue a normal life. He’d planned to leave New Jersey and attend university on the West Coast. But then Antonio was gunned down by a rival family, and Derek was expected to take his place.”
“I’m guessing he balked.” Her eyes desolate, she shook her head. “He was capable of many things, but violence—life as a mafia man—wasn’t one of them.”
“The fact that he chose the Marines speaks volumes. He wanted to affect good in the world.”
“I wonder if he would’ve ever told me.” She scrubbed her hands down her face.
He used the coffee table for a seat. “I believe he would have, eventually.” At her disbelieving stare, he shrugged. “He and I argued about it. As his wife, you deserved to know.”
“And yet you didn’t tell me, even after he was gone.”
“At first, you were in shock. We both were. And then you were attempting to rebuild your life. I couldn’t shatter you all over again while dishonoring my best friend’s memory.”
Her lips formed a tight line of distress. Running her fingers along the cast’s uneven surface, she said, “How could I have not sensed something was off?”
“He and I were friends for years. Not once did I suspect he wasn’t Derek Waters from Richmond, Virginia.”
Her gaze stabbed him. “You didn’t live with the man.”
“The fact that you were his wife makes you a target. He could’ve shared damaging family secrets with you.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Bolting to her feet, she began to haphazardly stuff items into boxes. “I didn’t know his real name, let alone mafia secrets.”
Brady stood. “They don’t know that. According to Derek, these aren’t the kind of people to overlook threats to their livelihoods, no matter how trivial.”
“The Giordanos think he’s dead.”
“Derek slipped up. Using a computer at the city library, he searched social media for information about his little sister and mother. His curiosity got the better of him. That was months before he met you. I’d forgotten about it until the subject of Derek’s real identity came up last night.”
“It’s hardly likely that one internet search would lead them to him.”
“Maybe. But it might have gotten someone’s attention. But according to Derek, his father is a proud, ruthless man. He won’t give up until he has proof of Derek’s death.”
“If it is them behind the attacks, they know he’s gone. For real, this time.”
“They don’t know what he told you about their business.”
“I’m not convinced.”
“Olivia, whether or not I’m right, the danger is far from over. We’ve got to stick together.”
She didn’t answer for a long time. “For the time being, we do it your way.”
The breath whooshed out of him.
“But as far as I’m concerned, this arrangement is strictly for our mutual survival. Don’t try and be my friend or—” her throat convulsed “—or anything else.”
Brady masked his anguish. He had to put Olivia’s wants and needs before his own. She required time to sort through her hurt, disillusionment and anger. Distance, too, but he couldn’t give her that. One thing was certain—he wouldn’t ever stop trying to regain her trust.
SIXTEEN
Four days after Brady’s confession, Olivia’s perspective began to right itself. She figured out why it was easy to direct her anger at him. He was a convenient target and, thanks to his childhood wounds, willing to bear the blame. The one who was truly at fault, the one who’d wooed, charmed and ultimately married her under false pretenses wasn’t around. She hoped to eventually come to terms with Derek’s drastic choices. For the time being, she had to deal with the fallout while guarding her heart from the wide range of emotions Brady inspired in her.
“I thought it wasn’t supposed to rain until tonight.” Crouched in the far side of the stream, Erin glared up at the sky. Her hip waders were streaked with mud, and her slick jacket showed evidence of her claim.
Rain began to pelt the forest, disturbing the murky water’s surface. Grayish-white clouds stretched above them. Olivia finished measuring the last green sunfish and returned it to the bucket. She recorded the data on her chart.
“At least it held off until we finished our last section.” Field days were a perk of the job, a chance to get outdoors and interact with nature. She’d signed on for this excursion to survey local fish populations before Ruth had banned her from the aquarium.
Erin sloshed out of the water and pointed to the line of buckets. “You’re ready for me to release these, right?”
Nodding, she tucked her ruler into her plastic container. “I’ve
identified the various species and measured the fish. I didn’t find any invasive ones.”
She made a grunt of satisfaction. In between buckets, she gestured upstream.
“Your bodyguard’s probably ready to leave.”
Olivia spared a glance at Brady. He’d passed the hours pacing along the stream, scanning the woods for potential threats and occasionally consulting his phone.
“You could’ve accepted his offer to assist,” she said. “He must be bored out of his mind.”
“He’s planning a project in his backyard and brought construction magazines with him. He could’ve used the time to research ideas.”
“You and he were chummy at the gala. You’ve barely spoken to each other today.” Her gaze roamed Olivia’s face. “Want to talk about it?”
The memory of dancing with Brady was a bittersweet one. Then, she hadn’t known about the secret he’d been keeping from her.
“Not really. I’ll contact the other team.” Olivia moved closer to a towering pine tree in an effort to protect her screen from raindrops. She sent a text and received an almost immediate response. “They’re already in their truck and ready to head out. They’re asking if we want them to wait.”
“No need.” Erin swiped moisture from her face. “It’ll take us a solid fifteen minutes to gather our seine nets and another ten to walk back.”
Olivia sent the response and slid her cell into her jacket pocket. Working quickly, she removed the vertical nets they’d placed in intervals along the stream. Erin stacked the buckets and retrieved a stray dip net. They both removed their cumbersome waders.
“I’ll let Brady know we’re ready.” He’d helped them transport their gear to the site earlier and had promised to lend a hand when they’d finished.
Before she could take a step, the report of a rifle cracked through the trees. Erin cried out. Her eyes bulged, and she doubled over. Olivia slung her arm around her and hustled her behind the pine.
“Where are you hurt?”
Erin gulped in air and sat down hard, her back to the trunk. “My side.”
Brady skidded in beside them, his weapon drawn. His intense gaze evaluated Olivia first before cutting to Erin. “How bad is it?”
