Ambushed by M.E. McAndrews
Chapter 31
Austin
illuminates the house, and the walls shake from its massive and immediate thundering boom. The storm is on top of us now. Olivia’s eyes are wide and her face is pale. She looks like a deer in the headlights, and for a moment, I wonder if she has seen something she shouldn't have.
Her breathing is quick and shallow, and she looks like she's on the brink of panic. Despite her obvious discomfort, she tries to put on a brave face, looking up at me with a determined expression. But I’m good at reading people, and the fear in her eyes is impossible to deny. She's hiding something.
“What are you doing here?” I ask. Her hand rises protectively over her chest. “Livvy, talk to me, so I can understand what the hell's going on.”
“I—I—it's nothing. I've made a mistake.”
“Really? And what mistake is that?”
“I don't know.” She chews on her bottom lip.
“Come on. You can tell me. I'm not mad at you.” A sense of dread adds to my confusion. She's not merely afraid of me, she's terrified. I'm the ghost.
The lightning strikes again, illuminating the room in a bright flash of midday brilliance. I see her eyes—wide and filled with fear. A sense of panic grips my chest as I realize she's about to run.
“Come here.” I reach out to hold her arm.
Without warning, she breaks my grip and darts into the kitchen. I move quickly, my feet pounding on the floor as I race to catch up with her. I feel my heart racing in my chest, and my breath escaping in ragged gasps. My arms pump at my sides as I lunge through the darkness, determined to get to her before she can get away.
She's fast, but I'm much faster. I snatch her around the waist before she opens the back door.
“Let go of me!” she screams, writhing beneath my grasp.
“Olivia! Stop! I'm not going to hurt you!”
I throw my arms around her and pull her to my chest, her feet swinging wildly in the air as she continues to struggle against my grasp. I hold her tight, my arms wrapped around her waist, my face buried in the crook of her neck. I am overwhelmed by the smell of her hair, her skin. I close my eyes and hold her close, her heart beating against my chest.
“Stop, Livvy,” I whisper hoarsely. “Stop and look at me.”
She stops flailing, but her breathing continues ragged and labored.
“Please, look at me.”
Her eyes meet mine, her pupils wide with fear, the muscles in her neck tighten as she swallows, struggling to find her voice.
“Please,” I beg. “Let me help you. I know you're upset and scared right now.”
“Let me go!” She tries to break free. I struggle to hold on to her, but she's kicking like a fucking wild animal. She continues to fight beneath me, landing a knee in my thigh. I take the hit, grimacing. Lucky she didn’t aim higher.
Just because there was no one at her house when I was there doesn’t mean someone isn’t after her. I can't let her dart off in the night like this.
She stares into my eyes, and I can see the fire in her glare. “You're hurting me.”
I let go, seizing her shoulders instead. When I feel her stiffen in my grip, I know I've made a mistake. I let go of her quickly, but it's too late. The damage is already done.
She's about to bolt, and I have to stop her. I grab her wrist and pull her against me. She yanks her hand free, raising her fist, threatening to beat them against my chest. I brace myself for the punches, but surprisingly, she doesn't lash out. She falls against my chest instead, her heavy sobs convulsing her body from the inside out.
“I know what you did. Please let me go!” She sounds like she's begging for her life, and I realize the situation has really gotten out of control. I've never seen her like this before, and it's scaring the shit out of me.
I shake my head and run my fingers through her hair, tangling it around my fingers as I do. “I didn't kill your husband, Livvy.”
“Yes. You did! I found all the evidence. You killed him. Or someone you hired did and—to get the house. You did this to me. I'm going to the police!”
She lashes out again. I tighten my grip and haul her to my chest, fearing what she's going to do, so I quickly pin her arms to her side. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. The words ring in my head as I tighten my grip around her. I don't hurt her. I just want to protect her. She's been given too much to deal with. Too much to bear. She wriggles in my grasp, struggling to break free. I hold on desperately. Her nails scratch my skin as she throws her weight against me. She is fast, really fast.
I’m too worried about her. “Goddamit, Livvy! I didn't kill him!”
“Then what the hell is on this USB?” she cries out, holding the USB in front of my face.
“Livvy, listen to me, and I'll explain. Okay?”
She stops fighting and glares at me, her eyes wide and filled with fear. She's quaking like a leaf in a hurricane.
“I've done some terrible things in my life, alright? I've stolen. I’ve lied. I ruined my marriage. but I’ve never taken a life. Do you understand?”
She blinks through the tears and her body loosens. “I—I don't believe you.”
I tilt my head.
“Olivia, I know what you're thinking, but I need you to listen to me. Everything on that USB drive is from before. When I first learned about you and your husband, I had to hire an investigator to find out more about the two of you. I needed to know more about you and Seth so I could find some way to get your land for the project.
“Then after the gala, the night somebody drugged you, when you told me Seth’s death wasn’t a suicide, it damn near broke my heart. And you accused me of being the one who killed him, so I hired someone to investigate Seth’s death. That’s all.”
She looks up at me, her eyes wide and almost glowing in the dark. I can hardly see the color of her eyes anymore. They're so dark, so deep.
“Is that the truth?”
I nod. “Yes. I have nothing to hide from you. You know everything about me, Olivia. You’ve always known everything about me.” My heart beats in my chest when I say her name. My chest aches, and my lips tremble. I feel like a little boy, scared of what his father is going to say. I want to break down, but I can't. I can't let her see me like this.
But I'm terrified of losing her.
She looks up at me, her expression hard and determined. “So you hired someone to investigate me?”
“Yes. But only because of the property.”
“I can't—I don't know what to think.” Her body loosens completely, and her arms fall to her side. The tension in my chest eases.
“I never imagined that our relationship would turn into this,” I whisper.
“I've never imagined myself in this situation either,” she quietly replies.
“I want to protect you. I want to keep you safe, Livvy. I really do.”
She opens her mouth to say something, but the words get stuck on her tongue. She's struggling to say something. She doesn't respond. I pull her into my arms, inhaling her scent deeply into my lungs. “I'm sorry I've been such an ass. I never wanted to fight like this. Everything's different now. I want to be with you. I want us to be together.”
“Don't say that,” she whispers.
“I mean it.” I look into her eyes and I can see that she's still afraid. I look down, studying her. “I know it's been a long night, and you’re tired. But I don't want to let you go. I'm afraid that if I do, I'll never see you again.”
Her muscles contract and her breath is shallow. She looks down at her feet, her hair hanging in front of her face. “It doesn't matter. I can't even think right now. I'm so tired. I need to—I should go home, Austin.”
My jaw sets. “Okay, but I'm going with you, alright?”
She nods, but her eyes are hollow and dazed.