Secret Hunger (The Harper Sisters)

by Satin Russell

  What was worse was that he couldn’t guarantee something like this would never happen again.

  He looked over and noticed she’d fallen asleep. The glow of the dashboard lights washed her in a soft green light. Her head was tilted back, her hand lying limply across her lap. She looked so beautiful, so vulnerable to him in that moment. He didn’t want to have to disturb her. “Olivia, honey? You have to stay awake for me.”

  She shifted her head to look at him through bleary eyes. “What?”

  “I know it’s hard, but you need to stay awake. You have a concussion. I’m taking you to a hospital now, but you can’t fall asleep yet.”

  Nodding, Olivia struggled to sit up in her seat a little more and turned back to look out the window.

  Mason sighed. Although it was silent in the cab, he couldn’t quiet the thoughts running through his head. The best thing he could do was distance himself from her. He was expected to resume his position back in Boston anyway, now that the holidays were almost over. Robert had been stopped and he had recovered enough to perform his duties. It was time.

  Rubbing his chest, he tried to ease the heavy ache that came with the thought of leaving her. His heart may have doubts, but his head was resolute. He’d rather have Olivia safe at a distance than close and constantly in the line of fire. This would be for the best.

  Gently, he reached down and threaded his fingers through hers. Soon, he would need to begin distancing himself. A clean break — quickly made — would probably be easiest on both of them. Mason savored the few minutes remaining to the hospital, lightly stroking the shape of her hand in his.

  As the first sign of Ellsworth came into view, he carefully extricated his fingers from hers, girding himself for what he must do.

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Olivia blinked her eyes rapidly as the doctor held a light up to them. “Well, I don’t think there’s any doubt about it; you have a concussion. I’d like to keep you overnight for observation.”

  “Where is she? It’s our sister. You have to let us in!” The loud voices had both her and the doctor turning towards the door. Mason, standing by the entrance, let the two women in.

  “Oh, Livvy! Are you okay?”

  “We got here as fast as we could.” A huge weight lifted from her heart as both of her sister’s rushed into the room, the frazzled nurse right on their heels. “I told them she was in the middle of an exam, but they refused…”

  “It’s okay. I want them here.” She turned to the doctor, her eyes pleading. “Please, let them stay.”

  The doctor watched as the two beautiful women enfolded their older sister in a warm hug. “Well, we’re nearly wrapped up here, anyway. Why don’t I let you take a moment together? I’ll have a nurse give you something for your headache. Remember, ladies, not too long. She needs her rest.”

  Fiona pulled back from the embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Livvy, I’m so, so, sorry I wasn’t there for you.” Her voice cracked as she broke down. Olivia struggled to soothe her, trying to keep the pain in her head from showing in her eyes.

  Liz wrapped an arm around Fiona’s shoulders and made eye contact with Olivia. “We were out of our minds with worry. Thank goodness Mason got to you in time.”

  “I don’t understand. What happened to you, Fiona? I tried to call and text, but couldn’t reach you. Where were you?”

  Hiccupping, Fiona struggled to catch her breath and answer. “I told Liz that I had lost my phone while we were shopping at the mall the other day, but I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you were under so much stress and, besides, I really wanted to replace it myself. In fact, that’s where I was this afternoon. I went back to the mall, shopping for a new one.”

  Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place for Mason. “That would explain why Brad just texted me saying they found your phone on the scene, Fiona. We were trying to figure out how it got there.”

  “He must have stolen it when I was at the bar with my friends. That’s when I lost it. This is all my fault!” She wailed.

  “No, no sweetie.” Olivia tried to comfort her sister while she thought back to the texts she had sent to Fiona’s phone. The first had let him know Mason was going out of town; the second had let him know she was alone and where she was headed. It all made sense. Talk about bad luck.

  Liz saw her Olivia’s ordeal painted on her skin in deep blues and purples, but it was her eyes that seemed the most wounded. Turning to Mason, she gave him a small nod of thanks. “We owe you so much. Thank you for saving her.”

  He cleared his throat in embarrassment. “She wouldn’t have ever had to deal with Robert in the first place if it weren’t for her association with me.”

  Olivia disentangled herself from Fiona’s arms and turned to look at Mason, standing by the doorway. She didn’t know why, but ever since the ride in his truck, it had felt like he was a million miles away. Oh, he’d been unfailingly kind. He’d even stayed close throughout the examination when she’d asked him to, but something was different. Perplexed, and a little hurt, she reached toward him, but he kept his distance.

  Sighing, she let her arm drop back to the bed. “You don’t know that. The fact is, he was a very sick man, and would have latched onto someone again eventually. You can’t blame yourself for this.” She gestured up to her swollen, abused face. “It’s Robert’s doing, not yours. You saved me.”

  Her sisters cast each other glances as the tension in the room became more palpable. “Um, I think Fiona and I are going to go grab a cup of coffee. We’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Both of them headed out the door, brushing by Mason. Fiona stopped and gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. “Don’t be too hard on yourself.” She leaned up and gave him a small peck on the cheek before walking away down the hall.

  Touched, he lifted his fingers to where she’d kissed him. He turned to Olivia and in a raw voice haunted by demons said, “I’m glad you’re safe. I- I- don’t know what I would have done if he’d managed to really hurt you.” Almost against his will, he moved towards her bed and stood beside it. “I can’t bear the thought that I lead him to you.”

  Olivia didn’t know how to answer him. Instead, she just leaned into his chest and soaked in his strength and comfort, inhaling the musky, masculine smell that was Mason.

  He stroked a strand of her hair back and tucked it behind her ear. Unable to resist, he leaned down and kissed her mouth tenderly, taking care not to disturb her split lip. He knew what he had to do, but every fiber in his being ached with the knowledge. Reluctantly, he pulled back. “I need to go. You’ll be alright here with your sisters.”

  Startled, she gave him a puzzled look. “Mason?”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I need to get ahold of Brad and see where they’re at with processing the scene. Then I need to contact my captain and let him know what’s happened.” He looked down at his torn and blood-spattered shirt. “Plus, I should probably try to get myself cleaned up.”

  Everything he was saying made sense, but she still got the impression that wasn’t why he was leaving. Cautiously, Olivia acknowledged what he’d said. “Okay. I’ll see you later?”

  Mason stopped in the doorway and looked back at her. She looked so small and vulnerable lying in the hospital bed, surrounded by machines and white walls, her face a mottled mural of black and purple bruises. Without giving her a verbal commitment, he nodded and stepped out into the hallway. Seeing her look so confused and alone would haunt him for a long, long time.

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Olivia shuffled through the front door of her house and breathed in a sigh of relief. Between being woken up every few hours, hearing the hum and beep of the machines around her, and smelling unfamiliar stale air, she hadn’t gotten much rest in the hospital.

  Then, to make matters worse, she’d gone directly from the hospital to the police station and had spent hours giving her verbal account. The room she’d been sitting in was empty and col
d, and she’d been constantly aware that every word she said was being recorded. Even though the officers had been kind and sympathetic to her situation, it had hurt to go over everything so soon after the incident. Olivia knew her voice had cracked going over some of the details.

  She felt like her whole being had been put through a wringer. Every bone in her body felt brittle and old.

  Liz watched her sister stand in the foyer, looking as if she were lost, her eyes cast in a thousand-yard stare. Her brow wrinkled in concern. “Hey, Livvy?” Liz reached for her, but Olivia jumped and flinched, startled. Quickly, Liz pulled her hand back.

  “I was thinking – why don’t you turn in for the night? You still look pretty tired.”

  Nothing in the world could have sounded better to her than doing exactly that. Well, unless it was being able to curl up in Mason’s strong arms while she did so. With the thought floating through her mind, she glanced out of the entry window, yearning to see his truck in the driveway.

  No such luck.

  With a sigh, she turned to her sister. “Yeah, I think that sounds like a good idea. I know Jackie and Tom called, but can you let them know I’ll talk to them later?”

  “I will.”

  Olivia made the trek up the stairs and stepped into her bedroom. She toed her shoes off, but didn’t bother removing the rest of her clothes. Instead, she crawled under her covers, pulling them up over her head to make a cocoon. It didn’t even take a minute before she had escaped into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

  The next morning, she lay in bed and watched the sunlight chase the shadows on her ceiling. Swathed in the soft, downy warmth of her comforter, it was hard to believe the last two days hadn’t been some ugly, horrible nightmare. For one moment, she thought maybe it had all been her imagination.

  Just then, there was a light tap on her door and Liz poked her head in. “Oh, good, you’re awake. I wish I could let you relax in here longer, but Brad called last night and is going to be coming by in about an hour. I thought you might like to get up and put yourself together before he gets here.”

  Olivia groaned and sat up. She rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?”

  “A little after 11am.”

  “What? I can’t believe I slept so late.”

  “I think you really needed it.”

  Honestly, she probably could have slept the rest of the day away, Olivia thought. “Okay, I’m getting up. I’ll be ready in about half an hour. Have you heard from Mason?”

  Liz’s mouth twisted. “No, not yet. I’m sure he’s been kept busy running around trying to coordinate what happened between the three departments. Since it was so far out, the county sheriff has gotten involved now, too. Brad mentioned the other police districts weren’t too happy about getting there after the fact.”

  “Oh.” Olivia tried hard not to let her disappointment show. It sounded like one big mess. Still, it would have been nice if he could have at least called to check up on her.

  “I hate to leave you, but I need to head into the garage for a few hours. Fiona is here and will stay with you.”

  “Okay,” she said, still distracted by her thoughts of Mason.

  She hadn’t heard from Mason all day yesterday. She had known he was planning on heading back to Boston and his job after the holidays, but she hadn’t expected things to end so abruptly. Resolutely, she shoved the covers aside and sat on the edge of the bed. It was what it was. If this was the way he wanted to move on, then it was better if she accepted it now.

  She was just putting the final touches on her makeup when she heard the doorbell ring downstairs. Turning her head to the side, she gave a satisfied nod, happy that the bruises weren’t nearly as noticeable. Taking a shower and changing clothes had gone a long way towards lifting her spirits and making her feel halfway normal again.

  Olivia made her way down the stairs. Fiona opened the door, and she could see Brad in the doorway. Mason stood just behind him. “I thought I’d bring Mason with me. I’m sorry I’ve been taking up all his time and keeping him away for so long. I hope you don’t mind.”

  Fiona smiled at him. “I can’t thank you enough for saving my sister.” She turned back to include Brad in her gaze. “Both of you.”

  Mason gave her an odd, indecipherable look. “Of course.” He spotted Olivia standing at the bottom of the stairs as he crossed the threshold. Their eyes caught, but it felt like there was a universe of distance between them. She fought back the urge to turn around and go back upstairs.

  Instead, she straightened her spine and plastered a smile on her face. “Brad,” she gave her friend a hug. He pulled back and lifted her chin, taking note of the careful way she’d applied her makeup.

  “Heya, Livvy.” He asked, gently, “How are you hanging in there?”

  Tears welled in her eyes, but she stubbornly firmed her jaw before they could fall. She nodded up at him. “I’m doing okay. Why don’t we all sit in the living room? We’ll be more comfortable in there.”

  “Would anybody like something to drink?” Fiona offered. “I was just about to make some tea.”

  Letting go of Brad, she turned to her sister. “I wouldn’t mind a good cup of coffee.” She grinned for her sister’s benefit. “The swill they call coffee at the hospital is disgusting.”

  Smiling in return, Fiona turned towards the kitchen as the other three moved into the living room. Olivia took her usual place, curled up in the corner of the couch, and pulled the throw around her legs. Ever since she’d been rescued, she hadn’t been able to shake the feeling of being cold.

  Brad sat down in the armchair and leaned his elbows on his knees. Olivia watched as Mason stood by the mantle of the fireplace. Her heart squeezed. She’d been hoping the space she’d felt between the two of them had been her imagination, and that he’d come and sit down next to her like he’d always done before.

  Unconsciously defensive, she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, then turned back towards Brad. “Olivia, I wanted to go over a few things and give you an idea of what to expect going forward. I know we have your testimony and signed statement. At some point, they may ask you to go back to the station for a follow-up. But, more than any of that, I just wanted to check on you and see how you were doing.”

  Fiona came in to join them and sat down next to her. She was glad for her sister’s comfort and support. It had begun to feel very lonely sitting on the couch by herself. Olivia answered Brad. “I think I’m still in shock, but for the most part, I’m just glad it’s over.” She looked directly at Mason. “I know I’m going to be okay.”

  Sensing some tension between the two, Brad said, “Mason, moved heaven and earth to get to you on time. He was a mad man on a mission. I’d like to think I could have done it as quickly, but the fact is I don’t have any experience with something as large scale as this. It makes me even more thankful to be sitting here with you.”

  “Thank you, Brad, for everything you’ve done.” Impulsively, she got up and gave him a hug. “You’re a good cop, and a great friend.”

  Blushing a little, Brad turned to the other man before letting Fiona walk him to the front door. “I’ll just be in the car.”

  Mason looked at him. “I’ll be right out.”

  They both stood in the sun-filled living room, looking at each other. She found herself trying to imprint the look of him into her memory. The light was coming through the windows at just the right angle to turn his eyes into glowing sapphires. “So…”

  With a soft curse under his breath, he strode up to her and took her mouth in a heated, passionate kiss - leaving her breathless. Dazed, she looked up at him with desire and confusion warring equally in her eyes.

  He leaned his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry.” His eyes stared into hers and then moved on to search and scan her face, as if he was trying to memorize every detail. She opened her mouth to ask him why he was acting so strangely, but he shook his head slightly.

  Bending down, he brushed his lips li
ghtly across hers one last time. With that final touch, Mason straightened and headed out the door.

  Stunned, Olivia was left standing in the middle of the room, wondering what had just happened.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  The next week, Tom and Jackie invited Olivia and her sisters to spend Christmas Day with them. Olivia found she was more than happy to let Tom cook the Christmas feast. Instead, she relaxed and enjoyed watching Abby’s excitement opening her presents. Even hearing Christmas music again hadn’t been so bad.

  The entire day, she tried not to let her thoughts wander back towards Mason. She had gotten him concert tickets to see The Black Keys in Boston. His Christmas present had sat in an envelope in her top drawer up until Christmas Eve. She had been hoping he would stop by, but finally ended up giving them to Melody to give to him. It seemed like a shame to let them go to waste.

  Weeks passed, and gradually things got back to some semblance of normal. It had taken a few days for Olivia to feel comfortable walking around by herself again, but eventually she grew more confident. It helped that she lived in a small town where she was familiar with, and loved by, the people in her community.

  She’d had to go down to the police department and give additional details for her statement, but for the most part, it was an open and shut case. Robert Mendez had been implicated in at least one other stalker case—the woman who’d been rescued by Mason and his partner—and one murder in a different state. Knowing how badly things could have turned out troubled her for a number of sleepless nights, but thankfully, even the nightmares had begun to fade.

  Although she hadn’t heard from Mason directly since that day after “the incident,” she had run into him on occasion during the debriefings and legal events that followed. It was hard for her not to resent the way he was unfailingly polite, but always slightly removed. What was even worse was that she couldn’t help wondering how he was doing back in Boston.