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“I was attacked last night.” I let that sink in as her eyes widen and she glances down, noticing the mass of bandages around my thigh for the first time. “Stabbed. Got a hell of a concussion, too. Whoever is fucking with us is getting bolder. Which… I got some information on that. But you have to come with me. Let me lay everything out on the table?—”
“Are you telling me the truth?” she interjects. “Did you really get attacked?”
There’s apprehension and uncertainty in her eyes, like she doesn’t believe me. Like she’s bracing for this to be another farce.
I pull out my phone and bring up the most recent tabloid piece about my mugging. Lots of speculation. Most of it is sensationalized. But the truth of the matter is there: I was attacked in a bar parking lot and taken to the hospital. It’s a miracle that I wasn’t followed to and from the ER, honestly, but I can no doubt thank Elliot for helping to keep the chasers and the papz at bay. He’s a scary bastard when he needs to be.
Her eyes rove over the article, drinking in every bit of the information in front of her. She gnaws the corner of her lip. “Someone tried to kill you?” She looks up at me.
“I would say ‘kill’ is a bit of an overstatement. They did get me good in my leg, though. Probably won’t be on the ice for a while. But that’s the least of my concerns. You’re what I care about.” I tilt my head. “Please come home with me? We can talk there.”
Olivia stares at me for a long, long time. Just when I think that she’s going to give in, though, she shakes her head. “I don’t like that you were hurt,” she says carefully, her voice thick with unshed tears. “And I’m glad you’re okay. But I can’t go with you. I need space, Reese?—”
“I swear on all that is holy that I’ll give you all the space you need when this nonsense is over,” I cut in. “But if someone’s willing to go after me, do you really think they’re not willing to go after you? After you’ve already been stalked?”
She sets her mouth firm. “I’m not going with you.”
I breathe deeply through my nose. The next thing I say is a low blow, but it’s a low blow that I’m willing to land if it’ll make Olivia come with me. “Okay. You don’t want to come with me because of what I did. Fine. But what about your mother?”
Olivia’s eyes narrow. “What about my mother?”
“You really think if these people are willing to attack me and stalk you, they wouldn’t be willing to find where you are when someone realizes that we’re not in the same place anymore? Someone might already know where your mom lives. Do you really think sticking around here to wait and see if that’s true is the best idea?”
I see her resolve crumble on her face in real time. She can tell me no. She can even risk herself. Olivia has always had an insane amount of bravado to go along with that stubborn streak of hers.
But she’d never compromise her mom by staying.
“You really wanna strong-arm me on this one, don’t you, Reese?”
“It’s not about strong-arming anyone. It’s about keeping you safe.” I run a hand through my hair. “But you can call it whatever you want to call it if you just come with me.”
Olivia grimaces. “Give me a second.”
She closes the door on me, so I’m not able to hear what goes on inside. That’s perfectly fine with me, all things considered. All I really need is her coming back out here to me. When she does, there’s a red rim around her eyes. Her cheeks are flushed.
She’s trying to hide that she’s freshly cried.
I go to pull her into me, closer, but she just shakes her head and pushes me away. “Don’t,” she says through a sniffle. “Just… don’t.”
I sigh. “Alright.”
We turn toward the car in silence. Dante and Marcus look out, smiles on their faces until they see Olivia’s. They exchange a glance, silently agreeing that, for once in their lives, it would be best to just not say anything at all.
Can’t say I disagree.
36
OLIVIA
Mama’s disappointed, worried face plagues me the entire, deathly quiet ride from her house to Reese’s. Not even Marcus or Dante say a word. It’s as if they can tell there’s an uncuttable tension between Reese and me. Anyone who comes between that is going to catch friendly fire.
You don’t have to go with him after what he did, Olivia. We can just go to the police, figure out who’s stalking you. We can do this the right way.
Her words echo. Part of me feels that I should have taken her advice. I should have stood my ground, told Reese to fuck off, and settled all this myself.
But Reese’s warning haunts me.
What if someone really did try to hurt Mama? They’ve already stalked me, vandalized the house, and now, Reese was violently attacked. Any line in the sand has long since been crossed.
