And I’d certainly never aimed one. I did now, raising it at both men.
Was I really going to shoot someone?
I couldn’t. My heart hammered too hard. My hands too unsteady. And they were moving too much.
“Stop,” I pleaded. “I’ll shoot.”
David’s back straightened, and he released Mark’s neck. When Mark looked over at me, David pummeled his fist into his face over and over until Mark groaned and started to go limp.
David got to his feet, came toward me, and took the gun. “I told you to run,” he rushed out, sticking it in his waistband. He whipped off his suit jacket.
“I wasn’t going to leave you.”
A charged pulse beat between us until David wrapped the blazer around my shoulders and turned around. Gun in hand, he raised it. “Get back,” he said to me over his shoulder, then spoke to Mark. “You. On your feet.”
The self-possessed David I knew had returned, his posture straight, at ease with the gun, as though he’d done this before.
“Who the fucking shit are you?” Mark asked, struggling to his feet.
“The cops are on their way,” David said. “But take a step in her direction, and I’ll blow your head off.”
“Fuck you,” Mark said, wiping blood and saliva from his chin. “You don’t think more of us will come after her? After you?”
“Let them try,” David said.
It occurred to me that David had just willingly stepped into the middle of a bad situation. He’d risked his life and possibly put a target on his back. For me? I pulled David’s blazer closed around my ruined blouse, mildly soothed by hints of his cologne.
But my ease was short-lived. Vibrating with rage, David took two massive steps toward Mark, backing him into a corner. I gasped as he shoved the gun into Mark’s neck.
“Anyone goes near her again,” David said slowly, “I’ll shove this down your throat and blow your guts out your ass. You, and everyone you care about. You fucking hear me, you piece of shit?”
My throat dried. David’s conviction almost convinced me he was capable of that. But he couldn’t be. Could he? He was a businessman, not law enforcement, nor criminal or superhero.
“Let me go,” Mark said. “If I get arrested, others will come.”
“Then maybe I should just kill you now to send a message.”
“Do it,” Mark said. “See what happens.”
Even in the dimly lit space, I could see the hatred radiating off David. He cocked the gun with a click and pushed it under Mark’s chin, forcing his eyes up.
“David,” I said as calmly as I could manage. “Stop.”
Distant dings signaled that the elevator was on its way up.
“David,” I repeated. I wouldn’t let him kill a man, even to defend me. Especially not with the chance the cops could walk in on it. “Someone’s here. Please, David.”
After a moment, his shoulders eased, and he took a step back. With his free hand, he grabbed Mark, flipped him, and shoved his cheek against the wall. David stuck the gun in the waist of Mark’s jeans and leaned his forearm across his back to hold him there.
The elevator opened and three policemen flooded out, guns drawn, followed by a heavyset, forty-something man in an ill-fitting suit. “Well, well. Mark Alvarez,” the man said gruffly. “Lou’s going to love that you’re coming for a visit.”
Taking in the scene, the officers kept their guns raised but laughed at the joke.
As my adrenaline ebbed, my split cheek prickled. I touched it, and my fingertips came back bloody. My head thundered as my heart skipped a beat. Blood . . .
“He’s armed,” David said somewhere in the distance as I tried to expel the metallic smell from my nostrils.
My head swam. Metal clinked as a policeman cuffed Mark.
Suddenly, David was in front of me, his broad shoulders blocking me from the policemen. “He hit you,” he said, lightly cupping my cheek to turn my face. “Did he—did he hurt you anywhere else?”
The pain didn’t bother me. I hated the smell, sight, and sticky feel of blood on my skin. I just needed to breathe through this. I couldn’t answer, or I’d gag. I just shook my head.
“You’re too pale.” David’s brows knit. “What’s the matter?”
I shook my head as the urge to vomit rose in me.
“You might be in shock,” David said gently. “Or is it something else?”
The rumpled-suit man came and planted himself nearly between us. “Detective Cooper,” he said to me. “You all right?”
The detective wasn’t forty-something like I’d thought. Up close, under the lights, he looked too young to be balding. Maybe even close to David’s age. His calm demeanor reminded me that this could’ve gone much worse. I drew up my shoulders with a deep inhalation. All things considered, I was . . .
“Fine. I’m fine.” I glanced at David. “You called the police?”
“I saw that asshole in the lobby downstairs.” David nodded at Mark as they led him away. “He was boarding the elevator. I only saw his face a second, but something felt off. I thought I recognized him.”
“How?” I asked. “You’ve never seen him.”
“You told me his name over the phone. I, uh, may have looked into him.”
Of course he had, I thought, exhaling a breath. He was always keeping an eye on me.
“Sorry I didn’t get here sooner,” David added, “but I took the stairs.”
My mouth fell open. “That’s fourteen flights.”
“I couldn’t wait for the elevator to come back down and then up.” David turned to the detective. “Cooper’s a friend. I called him immediately.”
“Before you even knew for sure it was Mark?” I asked.
“I never ignore my gut.”
“Never?” I asked.
“Never.” David wet his lips, holding my gaze. “Even when it gets me in deep shit.”
“How do you know Mark Alvarez?” Detective Cooper asked, looking from David to me, getting out a notepad. “Why was he here? Did he threaten you, and if so, how exactly? Word for word.”
It’d all happened so fast. My clutch tightened on David’s blazer, keeping it closed. “I . . .”
“Not now, Coop,” David said. “Can we do this later?”
“I need a witness account to detain him, Dylan,” Cooper said, then sighed when David raised his brows. “But I suppose it can wait until tomorrow.” He turned to me, his expression smoothing. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”
I extended my hand. “Olivia.”
Instead of shaking, he handed me a card.
Detective Cooper, Chief of Detectives
Chicago Police Department, Organized Crime Division.
I repeated it to myself, trying to think of why it sounded familiar.
“Can I give you a ride somewhere, Olivia?” he asked.
As I started to accept, David cut me off. “I’ll take care of it.”
“I’m asking her,” Cooper nearly growled.
“Come on, Coop. You know me.”
Coop gave David a very ungracious look. “I don’t care,” he said. “This is about her, not you.”
Both men turned to me.
“It’s best that we end our personal and professional relationships here.”
David’s words from earlier came back in a rush, stinging all over again. I had no desire to leave the bubble of his protection, but he’d made it clear he didn’t want me around, and getting closer to him wasn’t a good idea on any level.
Especially if he intended to cut me out of his life once tonight was over.
“I appreciate the offer, David,” I said carefully, “but I think I’ll go with Detective Cooper.”
“Olivia, wait.” David took my elbow and withdrew when he seemed to think better of it. “I’m not letting you out of my sight until I know you’re home safe. Even if that means I get in Coop’s car with you.”
“I’m not taking you home, Dylan,” Cooper warned.
<
br /> David inhaled through his nose and kept his eyes on me. “Do you trust me?”
“Do you trust yourself?” I said back, echoing his earlier words.
He didn’t. Not around me. He’d made that clear, and the right thing to do here was keep the promise to each other that we wouldn’t make this any harder than it already was.
David’s expression eased. “Yes, I do,” he said. “I’m not leaving your side until I know you’re a hundred-percent safe. Even if that means sleeping outside your door tonight.”
My cheeks warmed at the bold declaration, and at the irritatingly thrilling thought of David guarding me all night. He would absolutely do it, too.
I sighed. “I don’t want to put you out, Detective. I’ll go with David.”
“Are you sure?” Cooper rubbed his jaw. “It’s no problem at all.”
David nodded dismissively. “You heard her.”
“All right.” Cooper’s shoulders slumped back into their default position. “If you need anything else, you call me,” he insisted. He slapped David lightly on the shoulder. “I’ll be in touch tomorrow, Fish.”
Cooper walked over to where David and Mark had tussled and squatted with the remaining officer, who was putting Mark’s knife into a plastic bag.
“Come,” David said, nodding for me to follow him to my office. As we approached, I stopped in the doorway. At some point, we’d overturned a chair. And my little white blouse buttons dotted the carpet.
My throat thickened. If David hadn’t come back . . .
I shook the thought away. I couldn’t go down that path, especially not with David’s curious eyes on me, looking as if he could read my mind clearly. I had to be strong.
I stooped to pick up a couple buttons, but either the motion or the act of witnessing what could’ve been made my stomach churn. When I stood, I met David’s broad, hard chest inches away.
He pulled me into his arms. I knew I should protest, but I didn’t have the energy to resist the only thing that felt right in that moment—his warmth, his strength, his stability. In his all-encompassing embrace, safety surrounded me, even when danger had nipped at my heels.
“Let go,” he murmured. “You can’t pretend this didn’t happen or that it’s not a big deal.” His muscular arms wrapped around me so firmly, I could barely move. “Try to relax.”
I thought I already had relaxed, but now, my shoulders loosened, and my cheek rested against his hard chest.
“Oh.” I pulled away reluctantly. “I don’t want to get blood on you.”
He ghosted his thumb over my cheek, but I still flinched. David shut his eyes, sighed heavily, and opened them again. He was so close, the brackish musk of fresh sweat lingered.
“I should have fucking shot him,” he said with complete conviction.
“If you had, you could be in the back of that police car.”
“Self-defense,” David said.
“It’s not a guarantee,” I said. “I’ve seen that defense collapse in some of Bill’s cases. Usually, there’s gray area.”
“I’m taking you to the hospital,” he said, ignoring me. Or ignoring the mention of my husband? “No,” I insisted. “No, I’m fine.”
“Fine?” he repeated. “You’re shaking.”
I hadn’t realized, but while in his arms, I’d begun to tremble. “I’m really fine,” I said, trying to even my tone. “Just a little frightened.”
He pulled me close again, running his hand slowly over my back. After a beat, he gathered the hair from my neck, sweeping it into a loose ponytail. He pulled lightly to get me to look up. With his other hand, he lifted my chin higher to inspect the cut. My head was almost vertical, and I focused on the ceiling.
“It’s not deep enough for stitches,” he said, licking his thumb and wiping away some blood. “But it’s probably a good idea to stop by Northwestern.”
“No,” I said. Panic entered my voice. If David made up his mind to take me to the hospital, I wouldn’t be able to convince him otherwise, and I didn’t do hospitals. Sterile, cold rooms, doctors and nurses pricking me with needles, stitching me up. “I don’t need to go. Please,” I begged him. “I’ve had a rough night. I just want to go to sleep.”
“Okay, shh,” he said, rubbing my arms. “I just think it would be wise to check your head. What if you hit it—”
“No.”
He smiled for the first time all night. “You’re a little stubborn, aren’t you?” he asked.
I glared at him.
“All right, no hospital,” he conceded. “But you can’t be alone tonight. If Mark’s threats held even an ounce of truth, I’m not taking any chances.”
I glanced at the ground. If I was honest, I didn’t want to be alone. What if there were others looking for revenge against Bill? If Mark could find and corner me at my workplace, they could easily get to me in my apartment.
But if David was suggesting what I thought he was, that was equally as dangerous in a different way.
Slowly, I raised my eyes to him. “What do you propose?”
“Come home with me tonight.”
I bit my lip then released it quickly. To spend the night with someone like David—any woman would be a fool to turn him down.
“You know I can’t do that,” I said.
“You can when your safety is on the line.”
“What about everything you said earlier? You can’t even communicate with me without a liaison.”
“Forget it.” He smiled a little and held out his hand for mine. “Come on. We can start being finished with each other tomorrow.”
I crossed my arms. “No. Either we start now or . . .”
“Or what? We don’t start at all?” He arched an eyebrow. “I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, but I’m not sorry I said it. I needed to be firm. I needed it to stick.”
“So?” I asked. “This isn’t firm. This isn’t making it stick. Look, it’s fine. I get it. It’s done. Just let me get a cab home.”
“I just said—Jesus, Olivia.” His tone harshened, suddenly deep with bass. “I’m not letting you out of my sight. We can discuss all of this tomorrow, but tonight is not up for debate.” He stepped closer to me, waiting until I looked up and met his eyes. “I swear to you, Olivia, you’ll be safe tonight. Not just from predators, but from . . . from me as well. I can control myself.”
I suppressed a shudder. David implied that he was as dangerous as Mark, that he was such a threat to me, he had to restrain himself—and it didn’t scare me one bit. It excited me that he had to make us both a promise he’d refrain from ravaging me once he had me alone.
I believed he’d behave, so I nodded my agreement. “I’ll get my things.”
18
The elevator of the Gryphon Hotel stopped at the top. The penthouse. As it turned out, David lived in a hotel that also had residences. And it wasn’t just any hotel, but the same one where, at David’s suggestion, we’d be hosting tomorrow night’s Meet and Greet for the magazine. No wonder he’d been so knowledgeable about the rooftop bar above us—and Amber, Gryphon’s event coordinator.
David’s shoulders sagged as he stepped out into a simple, elegant foyer with a single door.
I folded my arms into myself and followed, still in his blazer, which I’d put over a North Shore Turkey Trot t-shirt David had found in the gym bag in his car.
“Make yourself comfortable.” He tossed his keys onto a circular marble table in the entryway and disappeared down a hallway.
A brightly lit, pristine living room with floor-to-ceiling windows displayed Lake Michigan on one side. Where the dark shore ended, Chicago’s skyline started, interrupted by the apartment’s smooth white columns.
I removed my shoes and walked over cool, ebonized mahogany wood panels to a plush ivory carpet. Three steps down deposited me into a sunken living room with a pine-green, mid-century fabric couch. Somehow I doubted the black leather and walnut Eames lounge chair and ottoman, which ran north of five grand, was a knockoff.
A monochromatic stone wall housed a cozy fireplace, the focal point of the room. A glass coffee table, with a base fashioned from the same wood as the floor, held three small, colorful, abstract sculptures and a stack of design books. Their worn corners offset clean black-and-white spines, just like the carpet springing between my toes warmed the jagged stone fireplace and high ceilings. With the white-paned windows curving to show both vast lake and downtown buildings, the space felt both big and cozy.
“Well?” David called from somewhere in the apartment.
I scanned the dark horizon from the eighty-fourth floor. The carefully curated yet lived-in room could’ve easily been cold. In some ways, it was. It needed a little more of a woman’s touch. “It’s not quite what I expected,” I said, picking up a remote from the mantel. With the push of a button, the fireplace flickered on.
“Not bachelor pad enough for you?” he asked from the other room.
“As an architect, don’t you want to build your own house?”
“Without question. But I’m waiting for input.”
“From?” I asked. When he didn’t answer, I smiled to myself. David was secretly romantic. Not so secretly around me, it turned out. But if I’d only known him by his reputation, I wouldn’t have guessed it.
“Finally, a smile,” he said, reappearing with a balled towel in his hand. He walked to me at the fireplace and touched my chin to get me to lift it.
“This might sting a little.” He gently pressed the towel to my cheek, and cold prickled my skin, my cut tingling. His gaze met mine a brief second, then shifted to the towel. “All right?”
This close, I could see the five o’clock shadow forming on his jaw. The dark, coarse bristles that had burned my lips when we’d kissed. We were nearly close enough to repeat the forbidden scene. He’d assured me his best behavior tonight, but he’d made me that same promise before.
And broken it.
I nodded. “Thank you.”
“You must be exhausted.”
I inhaled sharply as he adjusted the ice. “I never even asked if you were okay.” I didn’t see a scratch on him. The only indication of his scuffle were wrinkles in his dress shirt, a faint smudge of my blood on the crisp white fabric, and strands of his normally styled hair falling over his forehead. “Did he hurt you?” I asked.
Cityscape Affair Series: The Complete Box Set Page 19
