by T. K. Leigh
Olivia looked down at the man kneeling in front of her, a sincere expression etched on his strong face. At that moment, he looked so vulnerable and she immediately felt guilty for making him doubt her devotion to him. “Fine.” Her lips turned into a crooked smile. “But where am I going to fit all of my shoes?”
Alexander laughed, pulling her into his arms. “I’ll have a closet built just for your shoes, love.”
She giggled, butterflies swimming around her stomach. After all this time, she was surprised that he could still give her those butterflies. She recalled her mama’s words when she was just a small child, telling her that she’d know when she was in love by the constant butterflies. That’s how she knew he was the only man for her. “I love you so much, Alexander.” She planted a soft kiss on his lips.
“I will never tire of hearing you say that,” he remarked before standing up and returning to his seat to finish his meal.
“About a date…” Olivia took a sip of her chardonnay, nervous to be discussing plans for her upcoming wedding.
“Yes? Have you given any thought to what I suggested?” he asked.
“Actually, I have and, well… I just want to make sure that this is something you want to do. Get married then, I mean.”
“Of course it is. I wouldn’t have suggested it if I wasn’t serious about it,” he said firmly.
“It’s just…” She trailed off, looking down at her fingers fidgeting in her lap. “I know how difficult that day is for you, and I want to make sure that you only have happy memories of our wedding day.”
“Olivia, look at me.” His voice was forceful and demanding.
She quickly raised her head to see Alexander smiling at her. “Darling, that’s exactly why I want to do this. I didn’t realize it, but my life didn’t truly begin until I met you. Marrying you on that day will erase any bad memories from early on. I need to close this chapter in my life, and start a new one.” He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “With you.”
His words sent Olivia’s heart soaring. She loved how passionate he could be at times. She still couldn’t believe how far they had come from their first meeting when he whispered in her ear, “People only call me Mr. Burnham in the bedroom.”
“So what do you think?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts of Alexander in the bedroom.
“Okay. August twenty-fourth it is then.” She smiled. Up until that moment, it hadn’t sunk in that she was going to marry Alexander. Now, with a date, it all began to feel real, and she couldn’t be happier.
“Good.” He thought it was fitting, marrying the girl who was taken from him on the exact date twenty-two years later. It was romantic.
“That’s less than four months away,” Olivia said, staring out over the boats on the waterfront as a gentle breeze blew. “I guess I better find a dress.” She dreaded the thought of going to bridal shops with the hopes of finding the perfect wedding dress. She immediately considered asking Alexander to elope.
“You could show up naked and I wouldn’t care.” He raised his eyebrows and gave her a devilish grin.
“Of course you wouldn’t.” She giggled.
“God, angel, all these months and I still love the sound of your laughter,” he said, making her blush. “Now, where would you like to get married? Any idea?”
“At a casino in Vegas,” she muttered under her breath, looking toward the sliding glass door. She laughed at the sight of Runner standing there, begging for table scraps from the other side of the glass.
Alexander grabbed her hand across the table again, getting her attention. “Olivia, if that’s what you want, I’ll support it. I just want to marry you. I don’t care if it’s in a crappy Vegas casino or an ornate cathedral. All I care about is you saying those two words to me.”
“I do?” Olivia asked, smirking.
Alexander rushed to the opposite side of the table and swooped her in his arms.
“No, Olivia,” he said quietly, kissing her neck. “I will. Always. I will.”
Olivia’s heart raced at his gentle voice whispering those two words in her ear. “Alex,” she exhaled as he ran his tongue down her collarbone. “Don’t start anything you have no intention of finishing.”
She felt Alexander’s mouth turn up into a smile. “When have you ever not finished?”
“I can think of a few times that some dominating prick wouldn’t let me come,” she joked.
He pulled back and stood up, planting a chaste kiss on her cheek. “Sometimes, Miss Adler, delayed gratification is worth it.” He turned and walked back to his seat.
She closed her eyes, trying to regain her composure.
“So, tell me. Where would you like to get married?” he asked, his voice serious once more.
“Well, I’ve always imagined getting married on the beach somewhere,” she responded, opening her eyes, trying to ignore the desire flooding through her entire body. “I’d like to keep it casual, you know?”
Alexander thought about her words. He immediately recalled the beach house where he spent nearly every summer with her all those years ago. It was a massive estate with its own stretch of private beach. After finding the storage room beneath his office containing all the documents pertaining to his father’s cover-up, he found that Olivia still owned that property, although she did not know it. The beach house had been maintained beautifully over the years, ready to be handed over to her when it was safe to do so.
“I think I have the perfect place.”
CHAPTER FIVE
SOLITUDE
THE FOLLOWING DAY, OLIVIA woke up early, pried herself from Alexander’s arms, and quickly changed into her running clothes before descending twenty-five stories to the lobby.
“Miss Adler,” Carter said, intercepting her on the street as she exited the tall building.
She looked up and saw Carter standing next to Marshall outside of the SUV parked in its usual spot. “Where to this morning?” he asked, scanning the sidewalks.
“I’m just going for a run and then back to my place. I’ll be fine by myself.” She began to walk away.
“Miss Adler, please wait for a moment!” Marshall called out nervously.
Olivia exhaled loudly before turning around, her irritation evident by the scowl on her face.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but Mr. Burnham is our boss.” Carter surveyed her demeanor, debating how to proceed.
“Fine. Go ahead and call him to tell on me. All I want is one fucking day where I can go for a run by myself. Is that too much to ask for?” she huffed as she plopped down on a bench, glaring at her protection detail. Is this what her life would be like once she married Alexander? Would he always have one of his agents following her, protecting her from some invisible threat that he made up in his head? All because he lost his best friend when he was young?
Agent Marshall stared at her, an appearance of sympathy about her. “Just one moment, ma’am. I’ll see if I can convince him that you’ll be okay on your own.”
Olivia glanced up, a smile creeping across her face. “Thank you.”
~~~~~~~~~~
ALEXANDER WOKE UP TO his cell phone ringing. Opening his eyes, he noticed that Olivia wasn’t in bed next to him. He became alarmed when he saw the name flash on his caller ID. “Marshall. Is everything okay?” he asked frantically.
“Yes. Sorry to disturb you, sir. Miss Adler is out in front of the building and wants to go for a run.”
“Well, what’s the problem? Send someone with her.”
She exhaled loudly before lowering her voice, and walked out of Olivia’s earshot, still keeping her eyes trained on her. “Sir, with all due respect, she feels smothered. Let her have this one run unaccompanied. It might make her feel better.”
“What?!” Alexander shouted, jumping out of bed. “Are you out of your fucking mind?!”
“Sir, please. We’ve been keeping an eye on her the past several months and haven’t come across any threats to her safety.”
“
Of course you haven’t!” he fumed. “That’s because you’ve been around her! Once there’s a window, someone will take the opportunity!” He found a pair of shorts and quickly threw them on before grabbing a running shirt, socks, and a pair of sneakers, dashing down the stairs and into the foyer, anxiously pressing the elevator call button as he dressed himself.
“I’m not second-guessing your decisions, sir,” she continued calmly. “But perhaps if you clue me and Carter in so that we’re aware of the threat you seem to think exists, maybe we could have a better understanding of what’s going on.”
The elevator dinged, announcing its arrival. Alexander lowered his voice. “I can’t do that. I wish I could, but the less anyone knows about this, the better. I trust you. You’re one of my most valuable agents. That’s why I assigned you this job.”
“You’re going to lose her for good if you don’t give her some breathing room,” Marshall explained cautiously.
Alexander stepped back and the elevator doors closed, letting it leave without him. He stared at the wall in front of him and contemplated Marshall’s words. He knew she was right and that he was smothering Olivia. Perhaps one run unaccompanied would go a long way. “Okay. Let her go for a run.” He sighed in resignation. “But keep an eye on her from a safe distance,” he warned.
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” She glanced at Olivia, giving her a thumbs up sign.
“And, Marshall?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I want constant updates. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. I can do that.” She hung up and walked back toward Olivia. “Okay. Off you go. Don’t make me regret sticking my neck out for you. Be safe.”
Carter walked over to the SUV idling on the side of the street and opened the passenger side door, grabbing something out of the glove box. Turning back to Olivia, he handed her a small can of pepper spray. “Take this with you.”
“Oh! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!” Olivia squealed, wrapping her arms around Carter’s neck and planting a quick kiss on his cheek. “You guys are the best!” She put the pepper spray in her pocket before heading off on her run.
“Um, Miss Adler?” Carter interrupted.
Olivia turned around, removing her ear buds. “Yes?”
“Keep that in your hand. If you’re attacked, you won’t have time to reach into your pocket. Sometimes one second can be the difference between life and death.”
She glared at him, her irritation returning.
“Or…I can call Mr. Burnham back and have him accompany you,” Marshall threatened.
“Fine,” she spat out, dramatically grabbing the can of pepper spray out of her pocket. “Happy now?”
“Very. Enjoy your run,” Marshall said, grabbing her cell phone and searching her contact list. She watched as Olivia ran off down the streets of Boston. “Excuse me for a moment. I need to return a phone call.”
“You got it, Cheryl.”
~~~~~~~~~~
SIMON WAS SITTING AT the counter of a diner, drinking a cup of coffee early on a Sunday morning when his cell phone began to ring. “Hello?”
“It’s me, Simon. She’s out for a run. You know what to do. I was able to give you a wide berth so don’t fuck it up. I’ll text you the location.”
“Okay, okay. I got it.” He hung up and glanced at a text that had just come in. It appeared as though Olivia was heading toward Boston Common Park. Perfect. He threw some money on the counter and ran out of the diner, hailing a cab.
~~~~~~~~~~
OLIVIA TURNED ONTO TREMONT Street, crossing over to Boston Common Park past the old Granary Burying Ground, enjoying her momentary solitude. She would finally be able to stretch her legs a bit and really push her pace. It was always difficult running through city streets, having to stop every few seconds at another crosswalk.
She entered the park and opened up her stride, basking in the morning sun. She had finally gotten her legs back after running in the Boston Marathon. The week following the marathon had been a tense and scary time in the city. Olivia was one of the lucky ones who had crossed the finish line before the bombs ruined the event for thousands. She had just returned to Alexander’s place when she turned on the news to see what had happened at the finish line. Her heart sank, wondering why someone would possibly do something so hateful at an event that inspired millions. It still broke her heart to think about it, but what those cowards didn’t count on was the spirit of runners and the city of Boston. She had a new drive to run, desperate to continue on for all those who no longer could.
That’s what she thought about as she made her way through Boston Common. Every time her legs started to feel tired, she reminded herself that at least she still had the ability to run. She still had legs. Dozens of people who were injured on that tragic day would do anything to be in her position right now so she ran on.
Running past the swan boats, a wide smile crawled across her face as she thought about the day she bumped into Alexander at that very spot. She came to a stop and gazed out over the crystal lake, replaying that fateful day in her mind.
“Olivia? Is that you?” a voice called out from across the path.
She turned, her brows furrowed. “Simon?” She took a few steps toward him. “Wow. I hate to say it, but it looks like prison was good to you,” she remarked, taking in his appearance. He looked like an entirely different person. He was skinnier, but more built than he was before. His usual attire of dirty jeans, t-shirt, and work boots was replaced with a crisp white polo shirt, dress khakis, and loafers. His hair was much shorter and he was clean shaven. For the first time in his life, he looked like someone you would be proud to take home to meet your parents.
“Yeah, about that,” he said softly, turning his eyes down, a shy look covering his face. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you, but I didn’t know how you would react to seeing me again. And, well, I understand if you want to walk away right now, but I’d really appreciate it if you would listen to what I have to say.”
Olivia met his eyes, a look of sincerity on his face. But there was something else there, too. A troubled look. He appeared as if he was in pain, and Olivia’s heart went out to him.
She walked over to a bench and sat down, motioning for him to do the same. “Okay. I’ll listen, Simon.” It seemed as though Simon had turned over a new leaf and the least she could do was hear him out. Plus, she had the pepper spray that Carter had given her clutched in her hand so she didn’t feel threatened.
“I just wanted to apologize for my behavior all those months ago,” he started, his eyes trained straight ahead on the swan boats. “I never wanted to hurt you, Olivia.” He faced her, beseeching her to believe the words that he spoke. “I don’t know what came over me, and I regret agreeing to help those people…”
“Wait,” Olivia interrupted. “What are you talking about, Simon?” She scrunched her eyebrows, confused at what was coming out of his mouth. “What people?”
“I don’t know all the details, but this guy paid me the equivalent of two years’ salary to get close to you and see if you remembered something from your childhood,” he explained, almost avoiding her eyes.
Olivia sat there in shock.
“I know it was stupid now,” he continued when she remained silent. “You have to believe I would never do anything to hurt you again.” He lifted his head, meeting her eyes once more. “I had a lot of time in prison to reflect on my behavior, and I want to be honest with you, Olivia.” He took a deep breath before continuing, “You’re in danger.” His voice was firm as he warned her. “I don’t know what these people want. Hell, I don’t even know who’s behind any of it. Some guy bailed me out of jail and paid for my attorney, but I have no idea what his connection is to this whole mess. All I know is that they think that your dad…”
“My dad died years ago, Simon,” she interrupted, dropping her voice to barely a whisper. “Both of my parents did.” She turned her head, not wanting to talk about losing her family at such a young
age. She fought back the tears as a gentle breeze rustled through the trees, making her shiver despite the warm spring air.
“I know. This guy said that they died in an accident, but was it really an accident?”
Olivia’s mind began to race, recalling her dreams. Her head spun around quickly and she glowered at him. “I was in the car, Simon,” she said, swallowing hard. “I survived. I relive that day in my dreams every night of my fucking existence. Yes. It really was an accident.”
He noticed her reaction and proceeded with caution. “I’m sorry, Olivia. I’m not trying to upset you. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. I just want you to be safe.”
She stared at him, her eyes intense. Why was Simon being so nice to her now? It didn’t make any sense. Then again, maybe he was able to gain some clarity and insight into his life while he was in prison.
“I heard you’re engaged to Alexander Burnham,” Simon said quietly, hoping she would keep talking to him if he changed the subject.
She avoided his eyes, blushing. “I am.”
“Good. He’s a good man, Olivia. He can protect you.”
“Why are you telling me all of this, Simon?” She tilted her head and eyed him suspiciously. “What’s your goal here? What do you hope to get out of it?”
