Shayne
When we sat down at dinner, I could feel the tension in the room even as everyone chatted noisily around the table, discreetly peeking at us.
Of course, I couldn't blame them.
From the very beginning I'd made it absolutely clear that I didn't want anyone coming near the girl or there would be repercussions.
Even now, as I sat at the head of the impossibly long victorian table, Olivia was right beside me, her seat wedged between me and Byron's.
Drew's dark gaze eyed us curiously from the opposite end of the table.
I trusted him with my life, but ever since he'd first suggested we let go of Olivia, the bond between us started to tear up.
It was one of the reasons I had instructed Freya and Laura to make sure Olivia never crossed paths with him.
Plus, I was still figuring out how my enemies knew about Olivia. Or that she hadn't actually died.
The said girl was delightedly conversing with an excited Joshua who sat across from her. The ten year old was explaining to her about the superhero he'd just invented.
"Captain Hero-Guy shoots mentos out of his hands too? Wow, and I thought the lasers, fireworks, nunchucks and gummy bears were deadly enough," Olivia said, her green eyes bright and fascinated. If at all she feigned her interest, she did it exceptionally well.
Missing teeth and all, the boy grinned at the stunning girl in front of him. "Not even close, because his arch nemesis is the evil Dr. McCoke. A genius supervillain who enjoys pouring a zillion bags of sugar in the water systems all around the galaxy."
"Dear God, all around the galaxy? But that would make everyone sick. Doesn't Captain Hero-Guy ever stop him?"
"Well, remember when I said Dr. McCoke is a genius, it's because he really is. Before he commits his horrible crimes, he kidnaps Captain Hero-Guy's lady friend and attaches a ticking bomb to her so that Captain Hero-Guy saves her while Dr. McCoke escapes."
"He truly is genius. Captain Hero-Guy must really like his lady friend, huh?"
"Very much. Just like how Shayne really likes you."
I scowled at the kid's words, scowling deeper when Olivia giggled with him.
"You really think so?" she said to him, leaning over the table.
"Yap."
I chose to end their little talk. "Okay, everyone, listen up!" I shouted over the noise.
Almost immediately, the room went dead silent, all eyes on me and a few of them sneaking at Olivia.
"I can imagine that all of you must be a little shocked that I brought Olivia to dinner. It's because I want her to get to know you guys so that she doesn't feel out of place. But one thing you guys already know is that she's very important to me, and if any of you try—" A soft hand pressed against my knee, and I looked at Olivia.
She subtly shook her head, a gentle warning in her eyes. "Shayne... "
My jaw tightened. "Right, excuse me. Before the food gets here, I want everyone to introduce themselves to her. Drew, you can start."
Eyes boring into him, I dared him to test me.
He instead grinned widely. "Hi. We've never met, but I'm glad to finally meet the girl capable of taming the beast. My name's Drew, and it's nice to meet you."
Olivia smiled sweetly, a smile I selfishly wanted just for myself. "It's nice to meet you too, Drew."
He looked back at me, still smiling, but I wasn't convinced of his genuinity. "Penelope, you can go next," I said.
After everyone politely introduced themselves, and the cooks finally brought the food, the tension seemed to diffuse just a little.
I helped Olivia fill up her plate, making sure she got enough protein in her.
"Shayne, that's enough. Are you trying to kill me?" She laughed as I placed another wing onto her plate.
My reply was meant for her ears only. "You're going to need the energy for dessert, baby."
"Shayne!" she said quietly, looking around for anyone who may have heard me. No one seemed to however. "You can't say that," she said, actually looking upset.
"What's wrong?" I asked, leaning towards her.
"I just—I don't want people to think I'm a slut, that's all." She slid a glance to the hickey on my neck.
I looked at her for a moment, baffled by her words.
"Your cupcakes are heaven, Olivia," Drew said, wolfing down his third cupcake. Everyone agreed along with him.
Olivia looked away from me, a smile immediately forming. "Thank you."
She looked back at me, and then at her food and continued to eat quietly.
"Olivia—" I stopped short when my phone rang. "Hello?"
It was Freya. "We've found him, and I think there's something you need to see."
When Laura and Freya weren't utilizing their Harvard earned medical PhDs, they were some of my most trusted trackers; black belt champions too.
They were undoubtedly incredible.
"I'm coming." I ended the call and turned to Olivia. "We'll continue our conversation. Byron, take care of her until I'm back," I said, standing.
"Where're you going?" She reached out and gripped the bottom of my shirt, blatant fear and concern filling her face. "It's late."
"It's only seven, Olivia. I'll be back before you even get into bed, okay?"
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
She let go of my shirt and I leaned down to give her forehead a small peck.
"Be safe," she whispered.
🍀
I jumped out of the brand new Jeep I'd bought a month ago. She was exactly the same as my old one.
May she rest in peace.
Freya was waiting for me in the parking lot as she leant against the hood of her truck. "He's not yet in. Laura is keeping an eye on him at the supermarket."
"Alright, show me what you found."
She led me into a posh little apartment building, somehow similar to the one Olivia and her mom had been living in.
When we reached the fourth floor, Freya took us to the last room at the end of the hallway. She opened the door and ushered me inside.
The living space was well appointed and extravagantly modern. Stainless steel and marbled floors adorned most of the surfaces.
I was stunned. A place like this didn't suit a profile as creepy as the owner. Sawyer Davis.
I'd sent Freya and Laura on a mission to track the guy, just in case he'd pose as a threat to Olivia. Until now, I hadn't realized he did.
"I'm sorry Freya, but this doesn't look very suspicious to me," I said as she took me down a hallway.
"Hold on." We entered a bedroom and just like the rest of the apartment, it was nice and pretty, devoid of any mischief.
I waited patiently as she walked to the sliding door that I figured was the closet. She slid it open and turned on the light.
I inhaled sharply. "Damn." It was a big closet, big enough to hold a bone-chilling display of what looked like a shrine.
I stepped inside and looked closer. I nearly went mad right then. Apart from a little section that held his clothes, the rest of the closet was insanity.
Quite alright, photographs of women I didn't know were glued to the walls, but right at the centre of it all was mine, my Olivia, my girlfriend.
For a split second, my heart skipped a beat at the title I'd given her. But then goosebumps attacked me again as I saw the poster-sized photograph of Olivia, her phenomenal yet oblivious face filling all four corners.
"Does he know that she's alive?" I said, feeling like burning down the pictures of what belonged to me.
"We're not sure, but he has a laptop that he left behind. Maybe there's something in it, but it's heavily encrypted."
"Screw the laptop. Where's the guy? I think a one-on-one conversation with him will be more sufficient."
"He should be on his way back. Laura said he seemed to be doing some grocery shopping."
Unable to stand the chilly feeling of the closet, I stepped out and left the bedroom.
I stood patiently in the living room while Freya continued to inspect the place.
Despite my cool demeanor, I was impossibly angry. That motherfucker would most likely take up my time and I'd end up missing dessert.
And boy did I need that dessert.
The front door swang open. I span just in time to see a sickly pale-faced kid who would have had much healthier coloring if it wasn't for the gun pressing into the back of his head.
"Nice and easy, there we go," Laura said, following behind him and kicking the door shut. She nudged the boy further into the room.
He was visibly mortified, his subtly plump body shaking behind what I could only hope was a fashion accident and not an actual decision to look like he'd just jumped out of the late 70's.
Seriously, the kid looked like he was barely into his twenties. Still, he had the abilities of a professional runway photographer, living in an apartment that cost a dollar and an arm.
He got more intriguing by the minute. Which also meant he could become more threatening.
"I-I haven't done anything wrong, I s-swear," he said, clutching onto the brown paperbag filled with groceries.
He looked vulnerable and admittedly innocent, but a flash of Olivia's towel-clad body in that photograph whizzed through my mind and it immediately set me back again.
"Good evening, Mr. Davis," I said, allowing my voice to be laced with pure ice.
As if for the first time, the boy took a better look at me. Recognition and then sheer untamed rage filled his face. "You!"
He seemed ready to charge until he remembered the gun behind his head, infuriation bringing back some color to his baby face.
"I take it you're not a fan?" I said, boredom involuntarily coating my words. "Laura, could you be a dear and put down the gun? Help Mr. Davis to a chair."
Reluctantly, Laura tucked away her gun and shoved a hand into his back, forcing him to take a couple of steps ahead. She pushed him down by the shoulders onto the plush sofa.
"Are you sure we shouldn't have a barrel aimed at him? He looks ready to tear you apart," Freya said as she stood by a tall window, the night lights of L.A beside her.
To be honest, the crazed look he was aiming at me was slightly unsettling in that I worried for his mental health. But afraid? Not at all.
"Mr. Davis, why don't we just get right into it, huh?" I went to sit on the sofa directly in front of his. "What's your deal with Olivia Ryans?"
The fierce scowl that was meant to frighten me—but instead looked like a pouting ten year old—faded gradually and quick. Before I knew it, tears started to glisten his eyes. He palmed his face and sobbed.
I rolled my eyes as Freya and Laura let out silent curses, seemingly unaffected by the kid.
And then almost as a whisper, he said, "You killed her."
"I'm sorry?" His statement had the power to surprise me.
Slowly he pulled away his hands, tears still pouring down his face. "You killed Olivia. Everything was fine until you came along. Nothing good has come out of your presence in her life. They say that the fire was an accident but I know you had something to do with it, I just know it!"
He started to look a little unstable, a slightly crazed look glazing over his pale gray eyes. Ah, there is the psycho.
Concluding that the guy was indeed a creep, but also harmless, I stood from the couch. He was just some guy who took his obsession of beautiful women to another level without ever causing any damage.
At least I was certain he wasn't going to hurt Olivia, plus the guy thought she was a goner. Still, there were some things that needed clearing.
Shoving my hands into my pockets, I stared down at the curly haired guy. "I don't know what you're talking about. But there have been some things that I need cleared for me, so many that they keep me up at night."
I moved up to him, standing right in front of him as I watched him visibly hold back his enragement.
"We already know about your creepy habit of following women to their work places just to snap pictures of their backsides, which is totally cool until it's out there for the entire world to see. I don't feel like asking why, but I do wanna know something."
He clenched his jaw, seemingly set on keeping his mouth shut.
"I just have to know how you survived that fire. Because I know for a fact that tragically, not so many made it out. Those who did had to come out with at least a few minor injuries. For your sake, you'd better make me believe that you weren't even in the building to begin with." I let him see the threat in my eyes, promises of his future pain aimed at him.
When his maddened expression faltered, he sighed and slumped his shoulders. "I would never have hurt her, she meant everything to me." For reasons unbeknownst to me, I believed the kid. "I had to travel back to Wisconsin to visit my grandparents at their farm that night. I must have left at least thirty minutes before the explosions, I swear."
"Why do you think I had anything to do with what happened?" I really was curious.
A hot flash of anger crossed his features before he smoothed it over. He spoke in a severely controlled tone. "Ever since you had come along, nothing really good happened to her. In fact that was around the time the guy with the tattooed neck started following her around."
I immediately tensed. "Tell me everything about this guy."