“Dr. Bannon,” Laura said as she wrapped her coat around her slim shoulders. “How many more of these sessions do you think it’ll take for me to have a healthy relationship with someone again?”
His smile came slowly. “Well, I think that will really be up to you and what your psyche can handle. We’ll take it session by session, though I think you’ll need at least a few more.”
He opened the office door and escorted Laura into the waiting room, then grinned at the secretary.
“Ms. Dunphy, will you please schedule an appointment for my client for next week at the same time?” he asked her. “And go ahead and schedule another one for the following week, just to make sure we can fit her in.”
Ms. Dunphy, his mousy secretary, nodded and pushed her glasses farther up her nose as she began to type furiously. Ms. Dunphy was another example of the type of woman he kept close. Her dull brown hair, oversized glasses, and frumpy sweaters demonstrated on the outside how she felt on the inside. Weak, inferior, and drawn to strong men like him as a moth to a flame. He hired her because he knew she would never betray him.
After all, she couldn’t be that stupid. She’d seen countless women come and go. All in the name of therapy, of course. However, Ms. Dunphy worshipped him and wanted to believe the lie that he was a God among men.
He left Laura at the front desk and went back into his office to enjoy a moment of solitude.
As he settled into his leather chair, he let out a deep sigh of satisfaction and looked fondly at the chaise. Oh, how he wished he could get Olivia to the same point as Laura. She was just as weak and just as sad, carrying the weight of her insecure issues. Drake couldn’t believe she actually thought she was in his brother’s league. Rhys dated super models and Brazilian bombshells. She was going to end up crushed, and Drake was looking forward to the day that he got to pick up the pieces and finally claim her body.
Maybe life would have even been easier had he married someone like her instead of Lila. Except, Lila fit the image of himself that he was trying to build. He needed people to see a strong man with a gorgeous wife who could do all that was expected of the upper class. Lila was poised and polite, so she perfectly fit the role.
She just happened to be harder for him to tame, at least in the early days. He got her to bow eventually. She’d become mouthy recently, but it didn’t matter. It didn’t take much to remind her what her place was.
Olivia
“Liv, how are you feeling about your next session with Dr. Bannon?” Adeline asked, squinting against the bright sunshine.
Olivia groaned quietly. The four of them were lounging outside next to Sunday’s pool in the afternoon sunshine, and the last thing Olivia wanted to do was thinking about that sleazy man.
“I’m nervous, but not for the reasons I should be,” Olivia replied.
Sunday frowned and tilted her sunglasses down to meet Olivia’s gaze. “What do you mean?”
“I’m more nervous that I’m going to mess up and blow the case than I am about what will happen if we’re successful,” she told them. She paused to take a sip of her margarita. “Like, the entire point is to get him to make a move on me, and that should disturb me given that he’s a creep and I have a boyfriend now, too, but my real concern is that all of this work will be for nothing because I accidentally push him too far. He’s not an idiot, after all.”
“Well, I don’t think you need to worry about pushing him,” Melanie spoke up. “It seems pretty clear that Drake is the one who initiates things, so just let him take the lead.”
Olivia nodded, sighed again, and then leaned back in the lounge chair. “You’re right. Anyway, were we supposed to be spending the afternoon not talking about work?”
“Exactly!” Adeline giggled. “Let’s talk about your boyfriend Rhys instead.”
The girls burst into laughter while Olivia playfully rolled her eyes and tried to hide a smile of her own.
“Technically, Rhys is also in the realm of work,” Olivia countered.
“Nope!” Melanie chuckled, taking a sip of her drink and shaking her head emphatically. “Not anymore! Sure, he’s related to our client, and he’s helped us out a bit, but he’s not technically a part of the case!”
“Fine.” Olivia sighed. “I will allow you one single question about Rhys.”
“Just one or one each?” Sunday asked.
“Just one.” Olivia smirked. “For now. If you girls behave, you might earn another.”
Melanie cackled. “You’re going to be a very stern mother one day, Olivia Vinning.”
Olivia merely shrugged. She didn’t want to think about parenthood. That was an entirely different egg that she wasn’t ready to crack open.
“Okay, I know what I want to ask,” Adeline said, sitting up and grinning mischievously.
“Well, hold on!” Melanie held up her hands to stop her. “Shouldn’t we consult on this before we ask? What if Sunday and I want to ask a different question?”
“Trust me,” Adeline told them. Sunday shrugged. She was perched at the edge of her pool, dipping her flawlessly tanned legs into the crystal clear water.
Melanie pursed her lips but relented.
Adeline grinned at Olivia. “Honestly, I just want to know every single detail about how he asked you.”
“Asked me what?” Olivia replied in confusion.
“Asked you to be his girlfriend, duh!”
“Oh.” Olivia laughed. “I don’t think he really asked. We were talking about the case, and he said something about calling me his girlfriend.”
“That’s it? No grand declarations of love?” Adeline pouted.
“You already used up your only question,” Olivia reminded her. “And anyway, it is way too early to use the word love.”
“Whatever.” Adeline adjusted the straps of her bikini.
“Let’s talk about something else. Melanie, are you excited for the upcoming dress appointment?”
Her wedding wasn’t for another few months, but the girls were accompanying her on her first dress appointment in a couple of weeks.
Melanie beamed and finished off the rest of her margarita. Anyone could see that she was the happiest person in the world to be marrying the love of her life. For a brief moment, Olivia wondered if Lila was like that when she was preparing to marry Drake. Lila didn’t say much about the early days, but Olivia couldn’t imagine that it was anything close to the pure joy and excitement that Melanie was emanating.
“I’m just not sure what shape to go for, you know?” Melanie was saying. “I really adore the mermaid style type of gown, but I’m not sure if it would suit me. And I’m hesitant to get something formfitting because you know I’m going to want to get wild and free on the dance floor at the reception afterward.”
Adeline snorted. “You could follow the current trend and get two dresses? One for the ceremony and one for the reception?”
Melanie shrugged. “That’s a good idea.”
“I thought about doing it for my wedding, but loved my gown so much that I couldn’t stand the thought of taking it off after the ceremony.” Adeline sighed wistfully.
“What about the bridesmaid dresses?” Sunday asked Melanie. “I forgot what colors said you were thinking about.”
“Well, I wanted to do red, but then I realized that’s an unlucky color for weddings or whatever, so maybe burgundy? A lovely maroon? God, I don’t know.”
They laughed as Melanie threw her arms in the air dramatically.
The conversation dissolved into the rest of the details about Melanie’s wedding. The girls enjoyed the afternoon together, easily skirting around work-related topics and, much to Olivia’s relief, her new boyfriend. It wasn’t that Olivia didn’t want to talk about Rhys. It was that if she did, eventually, she would think about her upcoming therapy session with his twin brother. Right at that moment, she was sitting poolside with her best friends, one of whom was getting married. There were much happier topics to be focused on, much more beautiful f
utures that were upon them to dream about.
Olivia
Olivia fidgeted, tangling her fingers in the cords of the loose sweater she wore.
“Have a seat, Olivia.” Dr. Bannon gestured to the chaise.
“Thanks,” she murmured, sitting in her usual spot on the chaise. She swallowed hard and glanced at her hands. “I was wondering if we could talk about my dad today?”
She let out a sharp exhale and angled her face toward his. This was going to be a difficult conversation, but it was going to be better material than Rhys. Plus, with her and Rhys together, it felt deeply wrong to continue using their relationship as a prop for her manipulation of Drake.
“Yes, of course, Olivia. We can talk about anything you’d like.”
“Thank you,” she said. In a gesture of comfort, she assumed, he aligned his leg with hers, so they touched ankle to knee, as if he had a right to her body. “I just…it’s kind of embarrassing to admit that I have daddy issues.”
“It’s not uncommon for women who find it hard opening up to a man, to have deep-seated father issues,” he murmured. “Abusive relationships with parents can lead to extreme anxiety, which is your main problem, of course.” He paused for a second. “But, we can work through your issues.”
“How’s that?” she asked. She felt a wave of nauseousness as he rose from the chair.
“Role-play.”
“Role-play?” she asked, feigning confusion when she knew exactly what kind of a twisted creep he was showing himself to be.
“Yes,” he said. “We’ll act it out.”
“Okay,” breathed Olivia. Her body stiffened as he moved closer to her and slid a hand across her lower back. He was touching her more freely today, and she really hoped that Adeline had her camera zoomed in perfectly and the wires weren’t malfunctioning.
“Okay, Olivia. I want you to pretend that I am a man who likes you.”
“But, my issues are my father.”
“No, they aren’t you only think they are.”
God, she wanted to punch this man.
“I want you to just be yourself. We’ll talk through various situations and know that no matter what happens, you are completely safe. We want this to be as authentic as possible. So, when the real thing happens, you’re ready,” he said.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
“I’ll start,” he said, and tilted his body closer toward her. “Olivia…”
“Yes?”
“I want you to know that you look absolutely amazing tonight,” he said. She clenched her fists, trying to remain calm despite the fact that she wanted to punch him.
“Thank you,” she said, hoping her hatred for Drake came out as something closer to anxiousness as she spoke. “That’s very kind of you.”
“You’re welcome,” he said and then nodded in approval. He scooted closer, draping an arm around her shoulders.
“I was wondering if you had any plans for the weekend?” he said.
“I don’t know. I’m probably hanging out with my friends,” she answered with a shrug.
“Well, I was kind of hoping that you and I could get together,” Drake murmured. His voice mimicked his brother’s so well that it sent goose bumps erupting over her skin. He had everything down, from the subtly lifted brow to the crooked upward curve of his lips. It was chilling to watch how he could morph from one person into another when it suited him. Still, despite the fact that Drake and Rhys were totally identical, she no longer saw them as similar. “You want to see me this weekend?” Olivia asked, responding the way that she assumed Drake wanted her to, with nervous uncertainty.
“Yeah, I don’t know if you know this, but I had a thing for you in college,” he said with a casual shrug and looked away. Olivia’s heart was pounding. Did Drake finally remember that they went to college together? No, it couldn’t be. There was no recognition in his eyes. He was still playing the game. “In fact, there’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”
“What is that?” Olivia asked.
“Kiss you,” he said.
She wanted to throw up, but she knew she had to do this. Rhys would be upset, but she also hoped that he would understand because it was all for Lila.
Lila. Lila, who was sweet and kind. Who, just like Olivia’s mother, didn’t deserve to live the rest of her life afraid to walk around her own home.
Olivia would do this for her and for all women everywhere in similar situations. One kiss, and then she would push Dr. Bannon away and feign some kind of panic attack to get her out of his office. One kiss, which he asked her for without prompting or baiting from her, would be enough to serve as proof that he was cheating on Lila.
“Really?” she gasped, batting her eyelashes with bashfulness. “Why me?”
“Well, because you’re so sexy,” crooned Drake. “Will you let me kiss you? I really think you’d like it, Olivia.”
Come on, Adeline. Get a good shot. For the love of God, please get a good shot with that overpriced camera lens we purchased.
“I’m not sure.” She was toeing a delicate line. One wrong move and Olivia could blow everything.
“Well, I’ll make you feel sure, how about that?”
Drake tilted his face toward hers, and Olivia responded in kind, but she wasn’t too eager. She still wanted to come across as timid. The character that she was playing would naturally respond to affection from any man because she was needy and sad. Drake approached slowly, studying her face carefully as he moved closer.
Olivia’s eyes drifted shut and she braced herself for the inevitable touch of his lips to hers. She really, really didn’t want to do this, but there was no way that she could break character now. Drake needed to believe that he had ensnared her like a pathetic fly in his sticky spider web and she was helpless to resist. Given their current proximity to each other and the angle of their bodies through the frame of the office window, Adeline probably already had plenty of incriminating shots. However, Olivia had to see it through.
Just as she felt the slightest puff of Drake’s breath on her lips as he hovered a mere centimeter away from her, the room exploded with a loud bang as the door was flung open violently. Drake jumped back from Olivia, both of them whirling to face the open doorway.
Standing there, his eyes wild with rage and his fists clenched, was Rhys.
Rhys
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Rhys roared, rushing into the room.
Drake jumped up from the chaise and spun to face his brother. They were both tall, broad, and visibly angry. Olivia stared, not entirely sure if she should jump in between them to split them apart or sit back and let this play out.
“What the hell is wrong with you? You can’t get enough on your own, so you have to go after my girlfriend? Jesus Christ, you have a wife, don’t you?” Rhys shouted. “A woman who I know is sitting patiently at home, probably thumbing through baby magazines.”
This was not part of the plan. Rhys knew she had her regularly scheduled visit with Drake that morning, but he wasn’t supposed to intervene.
Still, as it stood, it wasn’t technically ruining the case.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Drake scoffed. “Olivia was the one who came to me, you idiot.”
He shot her a sideways glance, but Olivia continued the shy charade and glanced down at the floor.
“Rhys, please don’t do this right now,” she whispered, hoping that he would play along and know that her pleading wasn’t genuine. “Drake was just trying to help me. This is how he helps all of his clients, right?”
Drake smirked at Rhys. “See? My special treatments are valued and appreciated, so get out of here and let me continue my work.”
“Yes, Dr. Bannon only sleeps with his clients because it helps them get better, right?” Olivia pressed, hoping for a recorded confession in the heat of the moment.
“Yes, exactly.” Drake grinned at her warmly. “My methods are extremely effective.”
Rhys
scoffed. “Well, screw you, then. Screw both of you. This is ridiculous.”
“Rhys, wait!” she called out. “Rhys, wait!” she called again as he flung his leg over his motorcycle, jaw set in anger. “Please, for the love of God, can you just wait a goddamn minute?”
Rhys sighed and glared at her. “I stopped by because I wanted to check on you. I knew you were here, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw Adeline in the car, so I sat with her and had to watch him get closer and closer to you. I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t mean to intervene, but I really couldn’t stand the sight of you letting him kiss you.”
“I didn’t,” Olivia gasped, closing the remaining distance between them. “I didn’t kiss him. You actually burst in there just in time. And now we have the evidence, so actually…what you did was perfect.”
Rhys chewed on that for a moment, relieved that Olivia didn’t actually kiss his twin.
“Come on,” he said at last, grabbing the spare helmet from the saddlebag. “Let’s get out of here.”
Olivia breathed a sigh of relief and took the helmet from him, shoving it onto her head without hesitation. She was wearing a dress, so it was a little difficult to maneuver herself onto the motorcycle, but thankfully the dress was knee-length and flowing enough to cover her properly as she leaned into Rhys’s back and held on tight.
They raced off into the sun.
Rhys
The engine roared beneath them as Rhys’s fists clenched tight around the handlebars, sailing down the highway. He didn’t know if he’d ever been so angry in his entire life. Not at Olivia, of course. She was just doing her job.
He was angry at his brother.
Still, the betrayal flickered within him. He doubted that Olivia realized just how much she meant to him. He wasn’t sure if he realized it fully, but he knew that he couldn’t just sit there and watch his brother victimize another woman, even if it was fake.
Olivia, Striking Back (Iron Ladies Book 4) Page 10
