by Haley Weir
She worried for a moment about him breaking it, but that was the least of her concerns. Her gaze drifted to the other side of the bed. Maybe she could run down the stairs and escape? But he had the gun. If she tried to run, she had no doubt he would shoot her.
“You didn’t help matters, when you made a scene in front of Sophie. Even if I hadn’t…” Olivia trailed off.
He shook his head and looked her as if she were a foolish girl who had not learned her lesson. “You forced me to go there. The way you acted, how you looked. It needed to be said. Surely your friend understands that.”
It felt useless to argue with him. He was not even making sense. “Can I go make us breakfast? I’ll make your favorite?” she asked sweetly. She wasn’t hungry, but she wanted to get away from him. Perhaps she could gain his trust by doting on him while she figured out a way to get help.
Jared finally turned to look at her. “I suppose you can.” He didn’t look entirely convinced. “Let’s go downstairs then.” She felt him watching her as she descended the stairs.
The kitchen was beside the living room, and her gaze drifted over to the front door. She headed for the fridge, pulling her attention back since the last thing she needed right now was to piss him off. She made them breakfast in a deliberate fashion to avoid raising suspicion.
She sat at the kitchen table in front of him, pulling her robe tighter around her and wishing she could put on some clothes. “Is everything to your liking?” she asked, her voice cracking a little.
“I’ve had better, but it’s fine.” He sounded annoyed, hardened. She did not even recognize this as the man she spent years in love with.
Once they finished eating, she cleaned up their dishes. He stayed there, leaning against the counter, watching her. She looked at the knives in the sink, thinking about taking one and defending herself. But like the saying went, don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. She would just be asking for trouble if she threatened him with one.
“Let’s watch some television. I’m getting bored here, and since you’re not providing entertainment...” he looked at her as if she should be throwing herself at him, ready for his touch. “You gave it up to that man on the yacht. Was I not good enough for you? Did you have to find someone with more money, you little gold digger?” He spat on her kitchen floor.
That comment made her so angry she could not hold back. “You’re crazy,” she heard herself say. The moment the words left her lips, she knew she made a mistake. He charged across the kitchen toward her with his fist cocked back and swung, knocking her into the counter behind her. Blood trailed down her cheek. A whimper squeezed from her throat, and she put both hands over her face. “H-how could you do that, Jared?”
His lips twisted into a grimace, and he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry,” he started. “I didn’t mean to. You brought that out in me. You shouldn’t have said that. Let’s just watch television and forget it ever happened. Okay?” When he pulled back, his face was calmer again. He placed his hand on her lower back and nudged her toward the couch.
It was hard not to watch the clock as the day drifted by. She heard her phone vibrate in Jared’s pocket as they watched some reality TV. She squelched a yawn, but just barely. The only way she kept herself entertained was planning different ways of escape, but none seemed plausible. She could only sit there and wait for this nightmare to hopefully end. Maybe he’d decide she wasn’t worth it and leave? Maybe he’d go back to his wife and forget Olivia existed? She could only hope that was the case. The more time that passed, the less optimistic she felt.
She looked at the wall clock again, and tension coursed through her. What was she going to do when Liam arrived? Would she just not answer the door? Would he take the hint, or would Jared allow that? If he got pissed at Liam and killed him for “interrupting” their time together, she’d never forgive herself.
She didn’t know what to do or what would make things better. Her stomach ached as nausea churned in her gut. Breakfast was hours ago, but now didn’t seem like it wanted to stay down. She opened her mouth to excuse herself to the restroom when Jared stood up abruptly. He grabbed the gun and glared down at her. “I’m going to the bathroom. You stay here. Understand me?”
Olivia nodded. She watched the television again, and wrapped a blanket around her tighter. When she heard the bathroom door shut, she felt relieved that Jared was gone, even just for a moment. She released the blanket and tossed it aside before standing up quietly. The space between the couch and the door felt like crossing an ocean. She strained to listen for Jared as her feet silently padded across the hardwood floor. When her hand encircled the doorknob, victory was within reach. Her other hand quietly grabbed the keys to her car, and the door opened with a soft squeak as the sound of running water hit her ears.
Panic squeezed her throat, and she stepped outside, softly closing the door behind her as the sound of heavy footsteps pounded against the floor now. He knows! She was part of the way to her car when her front door opened. Her gaze shifted to the blue sports car as it pulled into her parking lot. None of her neighbors had a car like that…
When she saw Liam in the driver’s seat, her chest tightened. Jared had a gun, and she didn’t doubt he would use it on Liam, or his family. She couldn’t let that happen. Jared cleared his throat loudly as if trying to get her attention, but he knew he already had it. She kicked herself for what she was about to do, but it was for Liam’s safety. She wanted to be with him, but there would be no future for them together if they were both dead.
Chapter Eleven
For Liam, the work day was dragging. But he couldn’t stop himself smiling when he thought about spending more time with Olivia.The world felt a little brighter and more optimistic than it had a few days earlier. He typed out a few text messages to her, knowing she’d probably be busy, but craved connection with her again. Time passed by without any response from her. His first emotion was the sting of rejection. Did he imagine their connection? Had she decided that she didn’t want anything to do with him?
That theory didn’t make sense, because she’d sounded as excited about their next date as he did. Maybe Olivia was just really busy with work. His bear rumbled in his chest. Something felt wrong about that. He checked his cell phone again. It could be all in his head. He’d stick to their plan and go by her place at the set time. If something was wrong, they could talk it over.
Mason knocked on the open door to Liam’s office, and he stepped inside without waiting for an answer. They had a casual policy with one another while at work. Both of them pulled their weight in taking care of the family’s business, but sometimes they needed support and a shoulder to lean on. Liam set down his phone and leaned back in his chair. “Hey.”
“Are you okay? You don’t look too happy. Aren’t you going out tonight with your new lady?” he asked, walking over to sit in the chair in front of Liam’s desk.
“Supposedly. I sent her a few messages, but I haven’t gotten an answer so far. Hopefully I didn’t just imagine our attraction.” He shook his head and kept himself from glancing over at the phone again.
“I see. From what you said, it seemed like everything went well. Besides, your bear recognized her. I’m sure you’ll hear from her. She’s probably just preoccupied with work.” Mason gave him a hopeful smile, but it cracked a little around the edges. “You know, I don’t think there’s much else to be done today. Maybe go home, or you could head over to her place a little early.”
“Right, that wouldn’t make me look like a stalker at all.” He chuckled, but the more he thought about it, the more the idea of getting out of here to go see what was going on felt right.
“Well, I can’t act all high and mighty about that. I got Ava’s address from a private investigator,” he shrugged.
Liam rubbed his hands over his face before releasing a sigh. “Okay, I guess you’re right. I’ll go make sure everything’s fine. It feels like something’s...off, but what if she just doesn’t feel t
he same way? I could make a fool out of myself.”
“Would you rather risk making a fool of yourself, or not do anything and live with regret?” He patted his hand on the desk. “You know I’m always a phone call away if you need to talk. Come on. I’ll walk you out.” He stood up, and they talked a little as the two of them left the building.
Liam gave his big brother a brief hug. “Thanks for listening and encouraging me. I’ll let you know how things go,” he said. He hopped in his car and drove to Olivia’s apartment. It was in a nice complex, and he kept his eyes out for the different numbers on the buildings, trying to find the right one. But he didn’t need to see the building’s number to see Olivia standing near her car in a delicate robe and bare feet. She stood beside her car as he pulled in next to her.
The look on her face when she saw him took his breath away. She felt the same way about him as he did her. But why did that expression twist to something darker and more negative? He heard the man standing near her door gruffly clear his throat over his radio and air conditioning. Who was that? Olivia had not mentioned any guys in her life. Whoever it was, she turned to face them. Her shoulders slumped forward a little, but she walked to the man and gingerly wrapped her arms around him.
“I just wanted to make sure my car was locked, Jared,” she explained, her voice careful. “It is. Can I just talk with him for a moment, then I’ll be right inside?” she asked. “I’ll make you dinner, and we can continue watching TV? Or we can order a pizza or something?”
Jared placed his hand on Olivia’s lower back. His gaze met Liam’s as he slid it down to cup her butt. It made the bear inside him want to gnash his teeth and growl. Olivia just stood there, not reacting or removing the man’s hand. She seemed to accept it. This didn’t make sense. He didn’t have to watch this. Maybe his brother was right. He needed to find out why she hadn’t gotten back to him, to see what was going on. Now he knew. Anger and hurt clenched his chest, and he shook his head. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that if he didn’t control himself, he might rip it off of the dashboard all together.
“No, you’re coming inside with me. Remember what I said?” Jared’s voice had an edge to it, but maybe that was the kind of man she liked.
“Yes, of course.” With one glance back at Liam, she walked inside. A mixture of emotions crossed her lovely features.
He put the car into reverse, not able to take this. She said nothing about having another man in her life, and from the way he ran his hand over her body, he knew Jared wasn’t a brother. Things went so well, and now she was pulling this kind of thing on him? It hurt worse than what Cindy had done, because his bear acknowledged Olivia as his mate.
His mind was racing. He took a few deep breaths, feeling his bear push closer and closer to the surface of his skin. If he were a younger bear with less self control, he might have gotten out of the car, shed his human skin, and let his bear rip Jared’s head off. He didn’t bother looking in the rear view mirror. He wanted as far away from Olivia’s place as possible.
He remembered his brother’s words about calling him if he needed anything. He certainly needed to vent right now, but even as thoughts and words raced through his head, something didn’t feel right. The man she was with sounded controlling, like a predator who had found and captured his prey instead of a man who genuinely cared for a woman.The thought made him slow his car even as he neared home. He pulled over to the side of the road, resting his forehead on the steering wheel as he focused his thoughts.
The whole event played over for him once more, and he realized that he was wrong to speed away in disgust. Maybe what he saw wasn’t what he thought it was. Maybe Jared wasn’t just a controlling boyfriend, but something much more sinister..
He shook his head and sat back in the seat. He turned around, heading back toward Olivia’s apartment. He was going to find out what was going on, one way or another. He would not accept defeat that easily. Hopefully when he returned to her place, the two of them could talk alone. If the man didn’t want that to happen, he’d just have to convince him otherwise.
* * *
Olivia looked back at Liam, feeling so many emotions wash through her. Part of her wanted to run to him, to tell him what was going on, to let him know that they were both in danger and to get help. But she didn’t want him to get hurt because of her. Watching him speed away through the window crushed her, and tears welled in her eyes before she could hold onto her emotions.
“Get away from the window. I’ll order us pizza for dinner. Get on the couch before I grab you by the hair and throw you on it.” Malice saturated Jared’s voice. Olivia’s fear intensified.
She scurried back to the couch, refusing to look over at him. If he saw her teary eyes, she had no idea how he would react. When she got to the couch, she wrapped herself in the blanket again, feeling a little safer with it around her. Her heart ached. Liam was such a nice guy; smart, funny, and great looking. Most importantly, he actually seemed to care about her. Now he probably wouldn’t want anything to do with her. The one thing keeping her going is that at least he would be alive. His family, too. She would even be alive. Physically, at least. Emotionally and mentally? That was another story. She tried to school her face and be strong, but she couldn’t stop the fear from taking hold of her. Jared was unhinged mentally. What would he do to her once he got bored of this?
Jared placed an order for the pizza without asking her what she might want. When he was done with that, he sat back on the couch beside her. Instead of giving her space like he did before, he sat closer to make sure she wouldn’t run away from him again.
Olivia kept her knees against her chest, and the blanket surrounding her, giving her its warmth and imaginary protection. She kept her gaze fixed on the television screen, but her attention went back to thinking of ways to escape from Jared or call the police. Her cell phone was still in his pocket. She chewed on her lower lip, deep enough in thought that she almost didn’t notice the knock on the front door. When Jared stirred from beside her, mumbling about how the pizza was early, she felt fear course through her again. Her gaze lifted to the clock. In all her life, she never had a pizza arrive so fast. She doubted it was the food. It could only be Liam.
That realization thrilled her because he cared enough to figure out what was going on, but it also filled her with dread. Jared wouldn’t want him here, and he might very well decide to kill him. She could not allow that to happen. She stood, keeping the blanket around her as Jared opened the front door.
“The fuck?” Jared exclaimed. “Go away. You’re not welcome here.”
“I need to speak with Olivia. Move out of my way.” Liam sounded deadly serious.
Olivia was panicking. If he didn’t leave, she wouldn’t be able to protect him. “Olivia doesn’t want to talk with you. You’re wasting your time here.” Jared remained rooted in the doorway, not giving in to the taller man.
Chapter Twelve
“To me, it sounded like she wanted to earlier, but you ordered her to come inside with you,” Liam asserted. “Get out of my way. I want to see her.”
Jared crossed his arms over his chest, trying to intimidate Liam. “Maybe I did keep her in line, or maybe you’re imagining things. Either way, you’re going to leave right now if you know what’s good for you.”
Liam clenched his teeth. “Don’t threaten me.” His bear didn’t respond well to threats. He wasn’t about to stand around and let himself be talked to like this, especially when he needed to talk to Olivia and get to the bottom of this. He wanted to make sure she was safe.
“You’re messing with the wrong guy,” Jared puffed out his chest.
If Liam was another bear shifter who had not been taught lessons of respect and decency, he would be tempted to give in to his emotions and show this man who he was messing with.
“The same could be said for you,” Liam said, not feeling the slightest bit intimidated. “You have no idea who you’re messing with.”
&nbs
p; “I think I do. You’re the man who my Olivia decided to date. I’m not going to give her up that easily, especially to someone like you. You think your fancy car and yacht are enough to win her heart? I don’t think so. She doesn’t care about you.”
He took a deep breath. The words didn’t ring true. Liam tried to capture Olivia’s scent in the air. His anger clouded his rational mind, but when he smelled the gun oil, everything changed. Nothing was as it seemed. This had to be why Olivia had been acting so distant and playing along with this crazy man. She was scared for her life. He couldn’t sit back and let her go through this danger. He refused to. His beast coiled within him. This time, it didn’t force its way to the surface. It knew that they needed to handle the situation with precision if they wanted Liam’s mate to make it out of this alive.
“Listen,” Liam began, changing his tone to one more resigned. “Just let me talk with her real quick. I need the closure, then if she wants to be with you, that’s fine.” He needed the man to feel like he’d won. He needed to see Olivia and make sure she wasn’t hurt. He smelled the faint coppery scent of blood, and it made his blood boil.
“You’ll leave once you talk with her. If you don’t, then I’m not going to be pleased.” Jared stepped aside, letting him in. He closed the door behind the two of them.
Hearing the click of the lock made the hair stand up on the back of his neck, but Liam knew that he could defend himself no matter what Jared tried to pull. Olivia stood beside the couch, frozen in place as if she’d become a statue carved in ivory. He crossed the distance between them in a handful of long strides, needing to see her. A bruise and a cut tainted her cheek. It wasn’t there before, and it pissed him off seeing it now.
He clenched his teeth until his jaw hurt. If he did not control himself, he wouldn’t be able to help her. “You okay?” he asked softly. It took everything in him not to reach out and caress her cheek. He kept his fists at his sides.
