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The words played like a mantra in her head as she attempted to wrangle her emotions under control. There was no logical reason to be afraid of David, but there was something about the intense way he was looking at her. Like she was prey. It was unnerving and made her question everything she knew.
Could she outwardly reject him? If David was her stalker, saying no could send him into a rage. Olivia could scream for help, and eventually someone would come, but that wouldn’t stop a bullet. Or a knife. David’s hand was in his pocket. Did he have a weapon? Olivia’s mind jumped from thought to thought, fear causing her heart to jackhammer against her chest.
God, help me find the right words.
Olivia licked her lips. “Sorry, David, I’ve got so much to do tonight. In fact, I need to check on Susan. She’s supposed to be taking care of the gifts, and I don’t want her to forget any.” She slid along the wall, inching away from him. Her heart thundered. It was loud. Olivia was terrified he’d hear it. “Let’s take a rain check on dinner.”
She had no intention of eating with him. Ever. But he didn’t need to know that.
David’s gaze narrowed. “I thought you were going to the bride’s dressing room.”
“I will. After I check on Susan.”
Olivia slid to the side, skirting around David. She half expected his hand to clamp down on her arm, but it didn’t. Once a path was clear, Olivia bolted.
David called out.
She ignored him. The need to put distance between them was instinctive and overwhelming. Safety, and people, were a short distance away in the ballroom. Olivia rounded the corner at full speed. Her body collided with something solid, knocking her back. Her hair, left loose, flew into her face, blocking her vision. Hands grabbed her arms. David? Had he gone the back way in order to intercept her?
Olivia screamed.
TWENTY-TWO
“Olivia!”
Her hair was in her face, and she was on autopilot, struggling against his hold. Cole dodged Olivia’s knee as it came up. He released her, once again calling her name. She didn’t seem to hear him. Her blood-curdling scream brought Texas Ranger Grady West racing around the corner just as a kick landed on Cole’s shin. The pointy part of her high heel sent pain shooting up his leg.
He took another step away from her. The hallway behind her was empty. What on earth had scared her so badly? “Olivia, stop. It’s Cole.”
She froze. Strands of hair fluttered with each one of her heaving breaths. She tossed the caramel mane out of her face and finally registered his presence. Relief, so potent it made Cole’s heart ache, melted the fear from her face. He reached for her, lightly grasping her biceps. “What happened?”
“David.” She pointed with a shaking finger down the hallway.
Grady didn’t need any additional information. The ranger took off in pursuit, his boots pounding against the carpet.
Cole opened a door next to them. It was a small conference room. He steered a trembling Olivia inside. Her complexion was ghostly pale, and he feared she might faint. Adrenaline caused a fight-or-flight response, but after the incident was over, it left a person weak-kneed and exhausted. To make matters worse, Olivia hadn’t been sleeping well. The sheer amount of stress she’d been under was enough to make anyone crumble.
He pulled out a chair. “Here. Sit.”
She ignored his order, instead wrapping her arms around his waist. Cole immediately responded by pulling her close. Olivia fit against him perfectly, as if she’d been made for him. He brushed a kiss across her temple. The scent of her shampoo—something light and floral—was now familiar after all the time they’d spent together recently. Olivia’s breathing steadied. Cole gently ran a hand up and down her spine in a soothing motion. Questions needed to be asked, but they could wait.
Right now, he was going to comfort her. And thank God that she was okay.
Half an hour later, Cole stood in the hallway outside the conference room with Grady. His friend and colleague was grim-faced. His suit was stained with dirt and the fabric over one knee was ripped. He’d tackled David in the parking lot before escorting him back inside. Ranger Bennett Knox was questioning the man in an empty office a few doors down.
“Felicity and Jackson are on their way to the hospital.” Grady scraped a hand through his dark hair before replacing his cowboy hat. “Tara found Felicity violently throwing up inside the bathroom just as the newly married couple was leaving for their honeymoon.”
Dr. Tara West was Grady’s wife. Currently, she was inside the conference room with Olivia. The door wasn’t shut all the way, leaving a crack big enough to observe them. Tara held Olivia’s hand and was quietly talking. Or maybe they were praying. Tara’s faith ran deep. She’d started a prayer chain for members of Company A, and as each ranger married and their families grew with children, she extended it to them as well.
“Tara alerted me,” Grady continued. “Then I found Jackson passed out in the men’s room. He’d started a text, but hadn’t been able to send it. Tara suspects they were both drugged based on the symptoms. Her best guess is that something was dusted onto their slices of wedding cake, probably powdered fentanyl since it’s tasteless and odorless. Jackson ate his entire slice of cake, which is why his symptoms were worse. Felicity only had a few bites of hers.”
Anger shot through Cole and his muscles went rigid. “Do we know who’s responsible?”
“No. I reviewed the security footage, but the waiter who handed them the cake slices kept his head down the whole time. It doesn’t look like someone who works here because he doesn’t appear in the kitchen until halfway through the reception. He delivered a few meals, and then the cake slices to Jackson and Felicity. He left after that.”
Grady tapped on his phone and brought up an image on the screen. It was a still taken from the video footage. A man, dressed in a waiter's uniform, kept his head down as if he was studying his shoes. Cole estimated he was around six foot. Mud-colored, straight hair.
He squinted. “Is he wearing a wig?”
