AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Of course.”
Cole tilted his head to show Eli should join him on the other side of the room next to the window. He pitched his voice low to keep the chief from overhearing. “Are you in agreement with Chief Sims?”
“Mostly. It’s true there’s no sign Bryce was working with anyone else. We searched his hotel room and found numerous disguises. Once we knew what they were, a review of the surveillance videos at Oak Gardens confirmed he was there, scoping out the place days before the chandelier attack. This is also probably why you never spotted him following you. The disguises were good ones. Prosthetic noses and ears, high-quality wigs, that kind of thing. I also think that’s how he got close enough to deliver the notes to Olivia without her noticing him. He never looked the same.”
That eased some of Cole’s concerns. “How was he getting around town? He had to have a car.”
“Multiple. Bryce knows a man who owns a dealership. The guy would let him borrow different cars and then bring them back when he was done. These attacks on Olivia were well-planned.” Eli rubbed the back of his neck. “Bryce had a long time to think about how he was going to do this. Which brings us back to Justin. Did they plan it while in prison together? I don’t want to close this case until we know the answer to that.”
“What about Justin’s girlfriend, Caroline? The one who withdrew the money from his account?”
“We can’t find her. I suspect Bryce killed her after getting the money, but I can’t prove it. Not yet. I’m coordinating with the District Attorney in the hopes that we can come to some sort of plea bargain. It’ll require Bryce to explain everything he did and reveal anyone else’s involvement.” Eli’s mouth hardened. “If he did murder Caroline, I want to know where her body is. Her family deserves that closure.”
Cole agreed. Plea bargains were a common occurrence. This crime was heinous and Texas had the death penalty. Criminals often agreed to a lesser charge of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Bryce had been caught trying to outright kill Olivia. He had little bargaining power at this point. He also wasn’t stupid. Chances were, Bryce and his lawyer were already coming up with an offer for the District Attorney.
Additionally, if he admitted his guilt, it would save Olivia from having to testify. She’d already been through so much, and although she would do what was necessary, Cole hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
Eli slapped Cole lightly on the back of his uninjured shoulder. “Don’t look so worried. I’ve got this.”
“I know you do.” Cole trusted him implicitly but couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.
He prayed he was wrong.
For Olivia’s sake.
TWENTY-EIGHT
After Eli and Chief Sims left, Olivia opened the cover on Cole’s breakfast. Scrambled eggs, toast, and some grits. None of it looked appetizing. She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe you should ask Nana to bring you some food from the cafeteria.”
Cole chuckled as he eased onto the edge of the bed. “It’s a step up from what they were serving me right after surgery. Although I won’t complain if your grandmother makes her famous meatloaf for dinner.”
“She’ll be happy to.” Olivia pushed the tray over to the bed so Cole could eat. “Do you need any pain medicine?” She checked her watch. It’d been hours since his last dose. “The nurse said you could ask for more?—”
Cole pushed away the tray of food and snagged her hand in his. His warm touch sent a bolt of heat straight through her. “You don’t need to fuss over me. I can manage.” His mouth quirked. “Besides, that’s Nana’s job.”
Her cheeks heated. “I don’t mean to suggest you can’t…” Olivia licked her lips and pulled her hand away. She’d never asked Cole if her presence was bothersome. Maybe she should have, but gosh, it hurt to think he didn’t want her there. “I’m just trying to help. I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.”
“You haven’t upset me in the least.” Cole shook his head in frustration, rising from the bed to stop her from moving away from him. “I’m sorry. I think my comment came out wrong. You’ve been at my side day and night. I’m worried about you exhausting yourself, especially after everything that happened.” He gently cupped her face. “You need rest too. Time to decompress.”
There he was, taking care of her again. Olivia still wasn’t used to it. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. Cole embraced her with his usable arm, pulling her close. Careful not to jostle his wound, she laid her head on his chest and took a deep breath. “This feels pretty calming to me.”
His mouth brushed against the top of her head. The move was tender and loving. It brought tears to Olivia’s eyes. Since the shooting, she’d been running on adrenaline and caffeine. Every ounce of her energy had been poured into making sure Cole was comfortable and recovering. But he was right. She hadn’t taken a moment to process everything that happened. The safety of his embrace allowed the wall surrounding her emotions to crack open.
The steady beat of his heart thumped against her ear. Olivia was grateful he was okay. “You nearly died, Cole. I was so scared.”
“So was I.” His hold tightened around her waist. “When I woke up in that bathroom and you weren’t there. Then the gunshot….” Cole pulled back until they were looking each other in the face. “Jackson told me what you did by running out of the bathroom to prevent Bryce from finding me. You put your life on the line to save mine. There are no words to express what I feel.”
She didn’t need words. Everything was there in the depths of his brown eyes. Gratitude and admiration. Maybe even love.
Olivia’s breath hitched. She rose up on her tiptoes to brush a kiss across his mouth. Cole closed his eyes, and for a moment, she thought he would deepen the kiss, but then he leaned his forehead against hers.
“I care about you, Olivia. So much. But nothing has changed since our last conversation. A relationship… marriage… it’s not for me.” He pulled away, stepping out of her embrace. “I don’t want to lead you on.”
“You aren’t.” Olivia wrapped her arms around her midsection to ward off the cold air that had rushed into the space between them. A part of her wanted to turn tail and run away from this conversation, but she refused to do it. This moment required bravery. A different kind than the one she’d used when escaping a killer in the woods, but no less intense, as it demanded she expose her heart in a way she’d never done before.
“In fact, you’ve been very honest about your feelings on the matter.” Olivia sucked in a steadying breath and then squared her shoulders before lifting her gaze to meet his. “So allow me to be upfront with you. I’m in love with you, Cole.”
He inhaled sharply, his eyes widening at the bluntness of her statement. She let the words hang in the air between them for several seconds before continuing, “I fought against these feelings. I’ve been brokenhearted before. Aaron’s death was difficult for me to get through. I never thought I’d find love again and then you came along. From the moment we met, there was something special between us. I did my best to keep you at arm's length, but it was impossible.
