“Mrs. Locke?” another voice fills my ear, this one deeper and more mature.
“Yes, hello.”
“Thank you for holding,” she says. “This is Arabella Churchill, the agency director. Vivian says you wanted to discuss a nanny you’ve hired through our agency.”
“That’s right. Thank you for taking my call, Ms. Churchill.”
“Well, it’s certainly my pleasure, Ms. Locke, but I’m afraid I’m quite confused. I’ve just pulled up your file, and I’m not seeing that you moved forward with any of our agency selections.”
I freeze, attempting to process her words. “I…I don’t understand. We hired Olivia Mendes.”
I can hear her typing through the line. “No…no, I have that you were supposed to interview Ms. Mendes, but she was offered a position through another family of ours before your interview. It looks like we called to explain that she wouldn’t be able to make it to her interview with your family, but never received a callback.”
I think back. I do recall having a missed call from the agency after the interview, but I’d been so busy I hadn’t had a chance to call back. I just assumed they were calling to wish us luck or thank us for our business. Why hadn’t I called back?
“No,” I say, cold chills running over my skin. I’m completely frozen in place, unable to move…or to think. “No, Olivia came to the interview. We hired her on the spot. She’s…she’s been working for us for three weeks.”
She’s silent. “Mrs. Locke, if that’s the case, Ms. Mendes hasn’t let anyone at our agency know. She’s currently employed full time for another family of ours. Once hiring is taken care of, per your fee, employment is entirely between the nanny and your family, so she’s welcome to provide care for both families if it works for everyone involved, but if you do a nanny-split with another of our clients, both families are entitled to a reduced placement fee. I’m sure there’s just been a miscommunication, but I’d like to contact Ms. Mendes and see if she can clear some of this up. Can I call you back at this number?”
“I…” The only thing escaping me is breath, no words possible, as I run up the hill, my body cold with fear. I pull the phone from my ear, typing in my passcode on the keypad by the door to get inside the house.
The buttons change from green to red.
Wrong code.
Again, I type it in. This time, they remain green, flashing once, and I hear a click from the lock.
Orrick stares at me from the kitchen with a quizzical expression as I rush down the hall. “Where’s the fire?” he jokes.
“How much do you really know about Olivia?” I ask.
“What are you talking about?”
“How much do you know about her, Orrick?” I cast a glance at the ceiling above us.
“As much as you do,” he says, but we both know it’s a lie.
“Orrick, what if she isn’t who she says she is?”
He laughs, shaking his head. “Where the hell is that coming from? Of course she’s who she says she is. Who else would she be?”
He’s blinded by lust, it’s obvious to me. He can’t see the truth. “I don’t know,” I tell him, “but I called the nanny agency, and they have no record that she works for us. According to them, she didn’t make the interview.”
His eyes widen, just a hair, but narrow again. “But she did make the interview. That’s how we hired her…”
“What if the woman we hired,” I point up, “isn’t Olivia Mendes?”
He shakes his head. “Enough of the conspiracy theories, Iris. Olivia is who she says she is. She’s excellent with John. The agency must be mistaken. Let me call them and get it straightened out.”
I grit my teeth so hard it’s audible. “You’re so blinded by her. First the recording device in your office, now this, and you still can’t see the truth, can you?”
“What truth?” he demands, keeping his voice low. “That someone could actually be interested in me, and you’re jealous? That you’re not the only one having all the fun anymore, and you can’t handle it?”
“I don’t give a damn who you slip your dick into, Orrick, but you won’t put my child in danger to do it.” I slap his shoulder so hard it jerks back, then wheel around, barreling up the stairs two at a time.
He grabs my shoulder, right behind me, and spins me back to face him. His grip hurts, and I shrug it away.
“What are you going to do?”
“I want to talk to her.”
“You don’t even know for sure what’s going on, Iris. If you’re wrong, you’re going to scare her off. Just…we have to be careful, right? If you are right, we have to know what we’re dealing with before we do anything rash.”
“What are you suggesting?” I demand. He still doesn’t believe me. He’s only trying to protect her.
“Just…let me handle it, okay? I can call the agency and talk to them, get it sorted out. In the meantime, if you are right, we need to find out who she is and what she wants.” His expression is serious but unconcerned. He’s not worried because he doesn’t believe me. He thinks I’m acting out of jealousy rather than outright fear.
I nod, taking another step forward. “I’m taking John away,” I tell him. “I’ll go with AJ. We’ll take him somewhere safe until we get answers. He can’t stay here if we don’t know who’s in our house.”
“There’s no need to do—” Before he can stop me, I’m in John’s room. He is with Olivia—whoever she is—on the floor, and they’re playing with his LEGO Star Wars set.
“Mom, look!” he cries, pointing to the completed spaceship-thing I was supposed to help him with a month ago. “Olivia helped me finish it!”
He’s so excited it nearly brings tears to my eyes. When the girl turns to look at me, I have to stop myself from lashing out. How could she do this to us? To John?
I sniffle. “It’s excellent, sweetheart. Hey, could you come here for a second?”
He curls one side of his upper lip. “Why?”
“Just…just because, sweetheart.” I hold out my hand for him, and he stands, walking toward me with caution. Olivia watches us curiously. “You and I are going to go for a trip, what do you say?”
“A trip? Why? Is Dad coming?” he asks, but I’m already pushing him from the room.
Orrick is at the top of the stairs. He stops us, giving me an annoyed glance, before bending down to meet John’s eyes.
“Hey, Johnny, you and your mom are going to go away for the afternoon, okay? I’ll be here when you get home, all right?”
John nods, looking back up at me. “But…why?”
Orrick doesn’t answer, but instead gives him a lingering hug. He plants a kiss on the top of his head. “Listen to your mom, okay? I’ll see you soon, champ.”
I hold his hand, hurrying down the stairs and off to find AJ. I should pack him a bag. I have no idea when, or if, we’ll return. I don’t have time, though. I can’t breathe until we get out of this house. All this time, something has felt off about her. I can’t explain it, and it’s not because she’s sleeping with Orrick—at least not completely. Finally, though, I have an explanation. I squeeze John’s hand tighter when he looks up at me with worry.
“Everything’s okay, baby,” I whisper, opening the front door. As we shut the door, I spy my husband’s stone-cold stare from atop the stairs. Just behind him, stands Olivia. I could swear I detect a smile on her lips.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Orrick
As the front door shuts, I spin around to face Olivia, who I’m positive is actually Olivia. I know bullshit when I see it, and this girl is not a bullshitter.
“Is…everything okay?” she asks, wide-eyed.
I think carefully, trying to decide how I want to approach the situation. “Iris has to do some shopping for the party this weekend. She and I got into a fight, and she decided to take John with her.” I wave it off. “They’ll be back.”
She nods, running her hands along the banister. I look away from her outstretch
ed fingers and back to her face. “Oh, okay. So, should I go…or does she want me here when they get back?”
I shake my head, only barely. “They won’t be back for a while, but you don’t…uh, you don’t have to go.”
It was just a week ago that I kissed her for the first time, just yesterday that I was finally able to have her in every way, but it seems like years have passed since then, and I’m craving her again. I have to remain calm, though. I still haven’t been able to talk to her since our awkward exit. I stayed home today hoping to get the chance, but Iris quickly followed suit. At this point, I’m convinced she’ll make any excuse to be sure I’m having no fun, and now that Tom is gone, torturing me seems to be her only source of pleasure.
“I won’t, then,” she says, pulling away from the rail. I want to go into the study, where she seems to relax the most, but I don’t dare move. Not yet. I still need to ask her about Iris’ accusations, but I know she’s wrong, and I don’t want to frighten Olivia off. If she leaves, Iris gets what she wants, and I get nothing. “Um, what party?” she fills the silence.
I blink from my trance. “It’s a fiftieth-anniversary party for Locke Industries.”
“Wow,” she whispers, folding her arms across her chest slowly. “That sounds fancy.”
“They say it’ll boost morale, but it’ll honestly be pretty boring,” I joke. “Just a ton of corporate suits.”
“Says the man in the suit.” She takes a step forward and flips my tie, her nail grazing my stomach. I take note that she doesn’t step away.
I reach forward and touch the end of her low braid, running my thumb over her coal-black hair. “I like this,” I tell her, tugging at the lock of hair gently.
She beams at me, taking the braid from my hand and tossing it over her shoulder. “So, am I coming to this party, then? Or will I have the day off?” I can’t tell if she wants to come, or if she’d rather have the day off, but I’d like her to be there, if for nothing more than to show her off a bit.
“Do you want to come?”
She shrugs one shoulder, looking away with embarrassment. “I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed.”
“Then you should come,” I tell her, brushing my palm over her upper arm. I rest it there.
“But would you need me to watch John? I wouldn’t want to be in the way.” She’s tiptoeing around her words now, and it’s music to my ears. I like the highs and lows of her voice, the mountains and valleys of each syllable. Her tone is honey, rough and smooth all at once. She is a juxtaposition, this woman, and I can’t get enough of it. Of her.
“We give all of our staff the day of the party off, completely paid. It’s tradition. But you’d still be more than welcome to attend the party. You would enjoy yourself.”
“I wouldn’t know anyone, and I’m not very good at…your kind of parties.”
“You would know me,” I insist, nudging her gently with my forearm. She leans against the wall casually. “And I can’t imagine you’d be bad at any kind of parties.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asks, a playful lightness in her tone.
“You’re just…you make friends easily.”
“Is that what we are, Orrick?” Her eyes widen, her thick eyelashes batting over the white and jade. “Friends?”
“I don’t—” Her lips part, and I can’t help watching them, wanting them. I look away. “I don’t know what we are, Olivia. What do you think we are?”
“You’re the married one here; you’re the one with all the power.”
I laugh, loud and boisterous, because we both know it’s ridiculous. I’m usually the one with all the power, but I’ve never held power with Olivia. It’s why I’m standing in front of her now, unable to ask what I need to. “I’m a very powerful man, Olivia, but when it comes to you…I’m not sure I have any power at all.”
She seems pleased by my words, though she looks away modestly before I can get too good a read on her. She doesn’t argue, but instead looks out over the banister with a sigh, and I worry she’s going to look for a way to leave again.
“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“We’re talking right now,” she says breathily.
“In here?” I point toward the study, and a knowing smile grows on her face. I know what she thinks I’m asking, but I’m not. At least, not yet.
She rolls her body off the wall and walks into the study first, stopping in front of me. She waits. I shut the door, keeping my voice low.
I hate this.
I hate this.
I hate this.
“What’s going on?” she asks when I shut the door, and I realize my face must look murderous based on the terrified expression on hers.
I stare at her, trying to calm my thundering heart, my body frozen in place. “So, it’s probably just a weird…coincidence or…mistake, but Iris called the nanny agency and…they said you don’t work for us.”
She leans her head to the side, as if she’s waiting for me to say more. When I don’t, her mouth opens slowly. “What do you mean? Of course I work for you…”
“Right, you do, but, I guess Iris has it in her head that…well—” I sound like an absolute lunatic. How can I even ask this with a straight face? “That maybe you aren’t who you say you are.”
Her eyes bounce back and forth between mine, complete shock on her face. She should be outraged. I wouldn’t blame her. I have to keep the focus on Iris. This is all Iris’ fault. “What are you asking me, Orrick?” she asks, her words slower than usual. She blinks.
“I…I guess I’m just telling you that you may want to clear it up with them. Iris said they might be calling you. They…they think you’re employed with another family or something. I don’t totally remember what she said.”
She presses her first three fingers and thumb into her forehead, looking down. “I guess I just don’t understand why she was calling in the first place. Did I do something wrong?”
“Of course not, Olivia,” I say, grasping her shoulder. “You’re doing an amazing job. That’s what Iris was calling to tell them.”
When she looks back up, her raised brow screams that she doesn’t believe me. “Is that why she took John? Does she think I want to…to hurt him?”
“No!” I step toward her and she steps back, so I stop. “No, no, no, no, no. No. She doesn’t think that at all. She just wanted me to check in with you and make sure you cleared things up with the agency.” I nod.
She has a much stronger guard up now, and it hurts me. I hate that I’ve had to do this. “I am who I say I am, Orrick. I haven’t lied to you. I don’t know what the agency has mixed up, but I’ll get it straightened out. I hate that Iris had to hear that. I hate that I worried you both.”
I place both hands on her upper arms, lowering myself so I’m meeting her eyes directly. “Hey, I was never worried, okay? I trust you, Olivia. I don’t trust a lot of people, but…I trust you.” I pull her in for a hug, though she’s stiff in my arms. “Don’t make me regret it, okay?”
“Never,” she whispers, wrapping her arms around me with a breathy sigh. When she pulls away, the warmth of her smile tells me all is forgiven.
Chapter Thirty
Iris
John’s asleep up against my side in the hotel bed, with AJ on the other. If anyone thinks this situation is odd, they haven’t let on. For John, it’s been a vacation, with AJ taking him to the rooftop pool while I stay in the hotel room to research.
I’ve gone through every single listing for an Olivia Mendes in all of New Gilford and the surrounding areas to no avail. I can’t find her anywhere.
Orrick hasn’t called, but I’m sure whatever he’ll find out will be of no help. He tries hard to play hard, but when it comes down to it, I’m the enforcer. I’ve always been. It’s why I was surprised when Lawrence left the business to Orrick. I never thought he’d be ready, and if I hadn’t been there every step of the way, I would’ve been right. We would’ve lost Locke Industries years ago if n
ot for me.
I flip from one tab, where I’m ordering tablecloths for the party Saturday, to the next, where I’m pulling court records for anyone near New Gilford with the name Olivia Mendes.
AJ’s working diligently to find anything I may not have access to. The address she’s given us for an emergency leads to a small, third-floor apartment on the south side of town, but I haven’t been able to find the name of a leasing agency or landlord. Chances are, they don’t want to be found.
“We won’t give up,” AJ says, and I realize he’s been staring at me all this time. I smile, but it’s half-hearted at best. “I won’t let anything happen to him.”
I rest my head on his broad shoulders, so thankful for the peace he brings me. It’s a peace I haven’t felt in so long, a peace I only know with him.
“I know,” I whisper, and I feel his head rest on mine. I love him so much it hurts, but I could never admit it. Not to him, not to Orrick, and most of the time, not even to myself.
“AJ, what if this is our punishment for what we did to Tom?” It’s a worry that’s been haunting me for months. Ever since The Vance Thing, every wrong number, every black van or SUV parked near our building, I worry it’s the police coming to tell us they know everything. That karma has finally caught up with us. I worry about how and when we’ll pay for our crimes. Even with the FBI practically giving up searching for Tom and the investigation basically being closed, I don’t feel safe. I never feel safe. With no punishment at all, I’ll still live my life suffering for my choices. They’ll never find him, which means this may never end.
“Don’t think like that,” he quiets me. “We’re going to find out who Olivia is and, until we have that answer, we’re going to keep John away from her.”
“We can’t fire her,” I tell him. “Not until we know what she wants.”
He doesn’t nod, but he doesn’t need to. We both know it’s the truth. We can’t have loose ends, and to let her go would be to make an enemy where we may not already have one. With our family, to let someone leave without knowing what secrets they’ve uncovered, just isn’t an option.
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