Secret Hunger (The Harper Sisters)

by Satin Russell

  A match. The gravity of the situation floored Mason. It meant that Mendez had been violent long before his altercation with him and Ryan. That, in fact, he’d killed the women he victimized before. Who knew how many other poor murdered women were sitting in file cabinets waiting to be attributed to this guy?

  Olivia.

  A wave of restless energy had him jumping up from his seat and pacing the three steps of available space in the office. “We need to get those cigarette butt results now.”

  The Captain watched from behind his desk as Mason stalked between the chair and the file cabinet. In all the time he’d worked with Mason, he couldn’t remember ever seeing him quite so wound up and intense. He’d always been the calming force in his partnership with Ryan. Then again, he supposed recent events did have a way of changing a man.

  As could falling in love.

  He sighed. Maybe he really did lose two detectives that day. He wondered if Mason even realized it himself.

  Trying to calm the younger man, he said. “They’re working on it as we speak.”

  Mason whirled towards him, his hands fisted at his sides, his whole demeanor like a tiger caged and looking to pounce. “It’s not fast enough.” A deeper shadow moved across his face before he gritted his teeth and firmed his jaw.

  Captain Fields once again stood and came around the desk towards him. “I know it feels that way.” He put his hand on Mason’s good shoulder. “Look, you’ll be the first person I call when I get the results back from the lab. In the meantime, the best thing you can do is head back there, focus on your recovery,” at that he raised an eyebrow, “and reassure yourself that this woman of yours is safe.”

  With a grateful look, Mason headed towards the door, and then paused. “You’ll call me?”

  “As soon as I find out myself.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Satisfied he’d done all he could, Mason wasted no time striding down the row of desks and back out into the lobby.

  He pulled his phone out as he swung through the front doors and into the frigid afternoon air. “Come on…come on…” he muttered as ringing filled his ear. “Pick up the phone, Olivia.”

  He willed her to answer, but no luck. Leaving a brief message to call him, he hung up and checked the time. A little after noon…she was probably slammed at the café right now.

  Luckily it was after the morning rush hour. It should only take him about two and a half hours to get back—two if he pushed it. Just in time to be there when she closed the café, or shortly thereafter. Feeling a little calmer, he climbed into his truck. He’d try calling her again in an hour or so.

  Chapter Thirty

  It wasn’t until after noon that Olivia realized she’d forgotten to call Liz and see if she could leave the shop a bit early today and keep her company. The tuition issues with Fiona had completely thrown her for a loop, and by the time she’d managed to get that sorted, the café had gotten crowded again.

  “Jackie, I need to give Liz a call and see if she can keep me company this afternoon until Mason gets back. I won’t be but a minute.” She turned and headed back to her office. Surprised, she noticed she’d missed a call from Mason, but decided to try her sister first.

  “Yo, Livvy, what’s up?” Olivia could barely hear Liz over the background noise.

  “Hey, Liz, sounds busy over there…”

  “Yeah, we got a couple of new cars in the shop today.”

  “Oh.” Her heart sank. She really hated feeling like an inconvenience. “Listen, I know it’s probably a pain, but I was wondering if you’d be able to keep me company this afternoon until Mason gets back from Boston.”

  “Why, what’s going on?”

  “Well, you know how I’ve been having these stalker issues? Mason’s worried about me being on my own for the time being. He’s convinced himself it’s this Robert Mendez guy. And after the home invasion and tire slashing…I have to admit, I’m a little hesitant myself.”

  “Shit, of course. I can’t believe it’s gotten bad enough he’s afraid to let you be alone.” She paused. “Yeah…I can move a few things around. I’ll call and let one of my clients know their car won’t be ready until tomorrow, and get over there a little after two.”

  “Thanks, Liz. If it’s really too much trouble, I could just go over there and sit at the garage.”

  “No, I think I can make it work. There’s not much I’ll be able to do with the cars until some of the parts come in, anyway.”

  “Jackie said she has a few minutes she can hang out until you get here, so if it’s closer to two thirty, I think it would be okay.”

  “Right. Well, I’d better get back to it, then.”

  Olivia hung up and stared at the phone for a minute. She hated feeling like this. With a sigh, she dialed Mason, and was surprised when it went to voicemail. Huh, that’s odd. I would have thought he’d be on his way back by now.

  Reluctantly, she sent a text letting him know everything was fine and she’d confirmed Liz would be by in a few hours. Tucking the phone in her back pocket, she headed back to the kitchen.

  She was sick of having to deal with this whole situation.

  The next few hours flew by with no further interruptions. It would have been so easy to pretend that nothing was wrong and all she had to worry about were plans for the upcoming holiday, but of course, the whole time her predicament niggled at the back of her head.

  Thankfully, before she knew it, Jackie was saying good-bye to the last few customers as they straggled out into the blustery, cold afternoon.

  Olivia had been straightening up the kitchen for the past thirty minutes or so, and there wasn’t a whole lot left to be done.

  She poured some tea for herself and Jackie and brought it into the dining room. Jackie looked down at the mug Olivia handed her. “Tea?”

  Shrugging, she said, “I figured it was too late for more coffee. Besides, I’m probably too caffeinated at this point, anyway, and I refuse to drink decaf.”

  They sat down at one of the tables. Jackie leaned forward, her eyes twinkling. “So….?”

  Olivia’s lips quirked as she struggled to contain her smile, “So….what?” She gave her friend a wide-eyed, innocent look.

  “Oh, my gosh. YOU DID! I want to hear all about it….well, not ALL about it, obviously…but you know what I mean. Was it good? Was it great?!”

  She beamed, no longer able to keep the overwhelming joy from her face. “You have no idea…I had no idea. Sex has never been like that before.” Her eyes became distant as she remembered the previous night. “Hot and steamy, with all this pressure building, and things climbing higher and higher, and yet, strangely melting at the same time…and, and…I can’t even explain it.”

  An enigmatic smile filled with womanly knowledge entered Jackie’s eyes. “Oh, don’t worry, hon, I know just what you mean.”

  Sighing, she came back down to earth and stared morosely into her mug, idly stirring the steaming liquid. “It’s pretty much the only thing that’s been going right lately.”

  Jackie reached across the table and grabbed her other hand. “Oh Livvy, I’m sure all of this will work out soon enough. Remember what they say—‘This, too, shall pass.’”

  “Well, you know what? It can just start passing already.” She chuckled and made a conscious decision to try and set it aside. She looked back up at Jackie. “There have been a few other things on my mind lately.”

  “You mean other than your raging hot sex life and stalker problems?”

  Olivia cast her friend a wan smile. “Yeah…other than that. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about this for a while now, but with everything else going on, it slipped my mind.” She took a deep breath. “I’m thinking about making a few changes to the café. Maybe keeping it open for a dinner shift. Not so much like a café or diner, but with more of an emphasis on a higher-end experience.”

  “Really? Oh, wow.” Jackie leaned back and took a long look around the café, pondering the idea for a moment. “You kno
w, I could see that working. What did you have in mind, exactly?”

  “Well, I kind of thought you and Tom might like to take over the morning breakfast and lunch crowd, and then I could come in and take care of the evenings.”

  “Oh, that’d be perfect.”

  Olivia was reassured to hear her friend’s enthusiasm at the thought, “Oh, good! I’m so happy you feel that way. I thought it would be ideal, since your schedule wouldn’t have to change and you’d be able to pick up Abby after school just the same as always. And, to be honest, Tom probably doesn’t need me back there with him, anyway. The man could handle the breakfast rush with his eyes closed. Of course, we can—and would—hire a second person to help him out, if he wanted.”

  “Well, obviously all three of us will have to sit down together and discuss the details, but I don’t see why we can’t make this change, Olivia. I think it’s a great idea.” Olivia let out a breath, relieved to find some of the pressure lifted from her chest.

  Jackie glanced down at her watch. “Are you sure Liz said she’d be able to come over? I don’t mean to be a pain, but I’m going to need to pick up Abby pretty soon. They charge me an extra dollar for every minute that I’m late.”

  Olivia checked her phone for the time, “I didn’t realize it had gotten so late. Of course, you need to go pick up your daughter. Let me just give Liz a call.” They both stood up from the table, Jackie shoving her arms into her coat sleeves.

  Liz answered her phone on the first ring. “Hi, Livvy. I’m grabbing my coat now and just about to walk out the door.”

  “Okay, great. See you in a few minutes, then.” Olivia hung up and gave Jackie a smile. “See? You know, since her garage is only three blocks down, it’ll only take her a few minutes to get here.”

  “But I don’t want to just leave you here by yourself. Mason made it very clear that you weren’t supposed to be alone.”

  “I know. But, by the time I take care of our mugs, I’m sure she’ll have arrived. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll stay here in the café until then.” She gave her friend a quick hug, “I’m sure it will be okay.”

  Jackie cast her a dubious look, unsure of what to do.

  Olivia laughed. “Don’t be silly. I’m sure I can manage a few minutes on my own.” At her friend’s continued hesitation, she linked her arms with Jackie’s and walked her to the door herself. “Go. Don’t worry!”

  With a laugh, Jackie pulled her hat down over her ears. “Okay, then, bye. Make sure to lock up behind me, at least. I’ll let Tom know what you’ve proposed tonight over dinner.”

  “Thanks. We can talk about it more tomorrow. Tell him I hope he feels better.” She stood in the doorway and watched her friend make her way to the car. “Hey! You guys are still planning on coming over for Thanksgiving, right?”

  “We wouldn’t miss it.”

  Smiling, Olivia closed the door and flipped the latch, then turned and looked at her café. What was usually peaceful suddenly felt eerie. A small shudder made her pause. If she were being totally honest with herself, the quiet did unnerve her a bit.

  Shaking her reservations off, she grabbed the two mugs she and Jackie had been drinking from and headed back to the kitchen to wash them. Hopefully by the time she was finished, her sister would be here and they could go home.

  Standing in front of the large, stainless steel sink, she sprayed the mugs clean and set them in the industrial sized dishwasher. A slight noise had her pausing and cocking her head to the side.

  “Liz? I’m back here!” She waited, but didn’t hear anything else. She shook her head. This whole situation had her edgy and jumping at nothing. Grabbing a fresh dish towel from the drawer, she began wiping down the various surfaces.

  The sound of the kitchen door swinging open behind her had her turning with a smile on her face. “Oh good, I was just…” She took a step back, bumping her spine against the unyielding counter.

  “Wha…what are you doing here?” She gasped, alarmed to find a man standing in the doorway. Despite being a rather nondescript man, he looked vaguely familiar.

  “Oh, hey. I didn’t mean to startle you,” the man said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “The door was open. I just…I was here earlier and I forgot something in the booth I was sitting in.”

  She hesitated, but then remembered he was one of the guys she’d poured coffee for earlier that day. A tentative sense of relief began to creep back into her chest. “I could have sworn I’d locked the door.” Silently, she berated herself for being so careless. It occurred to her that Mason would not have been pleased to know she’d forgotten.

  At his silence, she continued, “Okay, well, did you find what you were looking for?”

  The man shifted slightly to the side and took a step forward around the kitchen prep island. “You know…I DID!” With that, he lunged towards Olivia, catching her off guard.

  She screamed as she felt his arms wrap around her shoulders, pinning hers down by her sides. “Get OFF of me!” His hot breath grazed her cheek as she struggled to pull out of his grasp and he fought to keep her in his grip.

  Managing to get one arm free, she clawed at his face, remembering she’d read somewhere that going for the eyes was a good self-defense maneuver.

  Unfortunately, she swung too wildly and clipped his chin instead. Confused, she recoiled at the sight of the damage she had wrought. A large flap of skin was left hanging from his face where his chin had been. What the hell? Desperately, she slammed her foot down on his.

  He howled, “Stupid bitch!”

  Next thing she knew, her face was pounding where his fist had connected with her cheekbone. Ringing filled her ears as she lost her balance and fell sideways against the counter. Her hands gripped the edge as she fought to stay standing.

  Somehow, she knew that if she fell, it would be over. As her gaze lifted from the counter, she spotted the knife block in front of her. Wildly, her hand shot out and she latched onto the first handle her fingers touched.

  Swinging with more force than finesse, she felt the sharp thud and give as the blade bit into the man’s arm. He jerked back at the impact. Olivia kicked back with her foot with as much might as she could muster, hoping to hit his knee.

  Her foot slid off his jeans-clad leg, and she sobbed as his fingers snaked their way into her hair and wrenched her head back.

  “You little whore, playing your little games. I know you were flirting with me earlier.” He made a grab for her arm and the knife while half lifting her up by her hair. Olivia swiveled, frantically trying to keep her knife hand away from him.

  Her arm knocked against a canister on the counter and it crashed down to the floor. A blanket of white powder puffed up into the air, coating her and the assailant. She coughed and fought to gain her breath as her eyes rolled to the side, trying to get a look at the man behind her.

  Abruptly, the man slammed her head forward into the counter in front of her. Her forehead exploded with pain as black spots began to edge into her vision. She fought to stay conscious. With a final, fierce bid for freedom, she stabbed behind her repeatedly, not aiming for anything in particular, but just trying to make any contact count.

  The man jumped back, away from the sharp, steely point of her knife, anxious to move before being cut again. She felt a large section of her hair being ripped from her scalp as she wrenched her head forward. Released, Olivia heaved herself towards the back door and blasted her way out into the damp, chilly, gray afternoon.

  Without pausing, she dashed across the asphalt of the back parking lot, frantic to find anybody who could aid her. She could hear the door crash open and hit the brick wall and knew he was right behind her.

  With tears streaming down her cheeks, she pumped her arms, pouring every ounce of energy she had into lengthening her stride. I should have kept up on my running. The thought, so out of place and unbidden, nearly had her laughing hysterically as she approached the edge of the lot.

  Relieved, she spotted Herb’s car
just beginning to slow down and turn into the grocery store’s lot across the street. Sensing rescue, she veered slightly to the right, hoping to catch him before he moved out of sight.

  The sound of rubber soles slapped sinisterly behind her. He must have realized it was over, though, when she changed direction, because suddenly he began yelling epithets.

  She got the feeling that he had dropped back, but didn’t want to risk glancing behind her and possibly tripping as she ran. Wet, half-frozen patches of water and ice lingered in the dips and cracks of the pavement and it would have been easy to slide out.

  Tires squealed as she rushed out into the street with her arms raised, begging Herb to stop. The look on the older man’s familiar face reflected shock and she knew she probably looked half-crazed. She ran up to his driver’s side door just as he opened it.

  “Olivia? What on earth…?!”

  “Herb!” She gasped between breaths. All at once, the enormity of what had almost just happened rushed at her and she burst into tears.

  “Oh, my goodness, Olivia!” Herb scrambled out of the car and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her. Slowly, she sank down to the ground, fighting to catch her breath after the terrible fight, desperate run, and emotional outburst.

  He crouched down, his bulk solid beside her. “Your face…” She felt Herb gently brush his thumb across her cheek and winced at how tender and swollen it felt. “Who did this to you?”

  Liquid gold eyes, swimming in tears, looked up to meet his alarmed and questioning gaze. Her words came out in little hiccups and she could feel her nose running. “We need to call the police.”

  Nodding, he began to fumble his phone out of his pocket. He stood to make the call, but then his focus shifted to something happening behind her. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she watched his eyes widen in terrible fascination.

  She turned her head back towards her café and inhaled sharply at the sight of thick, black smoke climbing towards the steel-grey clouds above.

  Horrified, she pushed herself upright and stood beside Herb. The forgotten phone sat limply in his hand. She clutched at his sleeve. “Please! Make the call.”