‘Sit down, Olivia,’ William orders gently, gesturing to a stool next to him. I’m not sitting down and getting comfy because I don’t plan on being here for long. Two minutes, Miller said. I hope he means it. Thirty seconds have passed already. Another ninety, that’s all. It’s minimal.
‘I’d rather stand.’ I remain in place, exuding as much confidence as I can muster. William shakes his head tiredly and goes to speak, but I shut him down with my own question. ‘What’s impossible?’ I ask, standing firm. Even though I don’t want to know about their plans to deal with Charlie, I’d still rather talk about that than broach the subject of my mother.
‘Charlie is a dangerous man.’
‘I’ve figured that,’ I retort shortly.
‘Miller Hart is a very dangerous man.’
That soon snaps my cocky mouth shut. My mouth opens and closes repeatedly as my brain tries to form words and load them to speak. Nothing. I’ve seen Miller’s temper. It’s probably one of the ugliest things I’ve ever witnessed. And Charlie? Well, he filled me with dread. He exuded nastiness. He carries it around on full display, intimidating anyone he encounters. Miller doesn’t. He hides the violence lurking deeply within. Fights it.
‘Olivia, a powerful man who is aware of his power is a lethal thing. I know what he’s capable of, and so does he, yet he buries that deep down. Unearthing it could be catastrophic.’ A million questions burn my brain as I stand like a statue before William, absorbing every little scrap of information. ‘Unearthing it will be catastrophic.’
‘What do you mean?’ I question, though I think I already know.
‘There’s only one way to free himself.’
I struggle to think it, let alone say it, my throat closing off in an attempt to stop me from uttering such an absurd statement. ‘You mean Miller has the capability to kill.’ I feel sick.
‘He’s more than capable, Olivia.’
I gulp. I can’t add murderer to Miller’s ever-growing fucked-up résumé. And now I’m weighing up the merits of a conversation about my mother – anything to try and make me forget what my mind has just been subjected to.
‘Olivia, she desperately wants to see you.’
The change of conversation catches me off guard. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ I blurt, my fear transforming into anger. ‘Why did you lie to me? You had me alone on more than one occasion and instead of doing the decent thing, telling me my mother wasn’t dead, that she was back in London, you centred all of your efforts on breaking me and Miller. Why? Because that selfish bitch told you to?’
‘Hart insisted you shouldn’t know.’
‘Oh!’ I laugh. ‘Yes, so you managed to tell Miller she’s back but didn’t think that perhaps I ought to know? And since when have you listened to him?’ I shout, incensed. My anger is running away with me. I know damn well why Miller held him back, but I’ll cling to anything to validate my loathing for William and his reason for sticking around.
‘Since he’s had your best interests at heart. I might not like it, but he’s more than proven how much you mean to him, Olivia. Taking Charlie on spells it out loud and clear. He’s making every decision with you at the forefront of his mind.’
I have no counter for that, leaving silence for William to fill.
‘Everything your mother did was for a reason, too.’
‘But it was you who sent her away,’ I remind him, realising the moment the words slip past my lips that I’m wrong. ‘Oh my God! You lied, didn’t you?’
His pained expression spells a thousand words, and he remains silent, only substantiating my claim.
‘You didn’t send her away. She left! She left you and me!’
‘Olivia, it’s not—’
‘I’m going to the toilet.’ My fast response is indicative of my deduction. Speaking of her won’t help at all. I speed off, leaving behind a man in clear emotional turmoil. I don’t care.
‘You can’t run away from your mother forever!’ he calls, making my angry feet skid to a shocked halt. Run away?
I swing around violently. ‘Yes!’ I scream. ‘Yes, I can! She ran away from me! She chose her life! She can go to hell if she thinks she can step back into mine when I’m finally over it!’ I stagger back, my fury making me unstable on my feet, while William regards me carefully, warily. I can see his torment, but I have no compassion for him. Now he’s trying to fix things with Gracie Taylor – though I have no idea why he would want that selfish bitch back in his life. ‘I have everything I need,’ I finish more calmly. ‘Why is she here now? After all this time?’
William’s lips press together, his eyes hardening. ‘She had no choice.’
‘Don’t you start!’ I yell, disgusted. ‘You had no choice; she had no choice! Everyone has a choice!’ I remember what Gracie said at the Society – I’ll be damned if he’s going to strut into her life and toss every painful moment I’ve endured all these years to shit! – and suddenly everything comes together. The obviousness of it is almost stupid. ‘She only came back because of Miller, didn’t she? She’s using you! She came back to take away the one true piece of happiness I’ve found since she abandoned me. But she’s got you to do her dirty work!’ I almost laugh. ‘Does she hate me that much?’
‘Don’t talk stupid!’
It’s not stupid at all. She couldn’t have her forever with William, so I shouldn’t have mine with Miller? ‘She’s jealous. She’s blinded by jealousy that I have Miller, that he will do anything so we can be together.’
‘Olivia, that’s—’
‘Perfect sense,’ I whisper, turning slowly away from my whore of a mother’s ex-pimp. ‘Tell her she can go back to where she came from. She’s not wanted here.’ My calmness shocks me, and William’s inhale of hurt breath tells me he’s just as stunned by my hard-heartedness. It’s a shame neither of them considered the hurt and damage I would endure all those years ago.
I drag myself across the club, not looking back to assess the hurt I’ve caused. I plan on curling up on Miller’s office couch and shutting out the world.
‘Hey.’
I look up as I’m weaving through the corridors below Ice and see Miller walking towards me. Lucky for him, I haven’t even the capacity to lob a few choice words at him. ‘Hey.’
‘What’s the matter?’
I manage to give him a really? look, and he backs down immediately. Good move. ‘You look tired, sweet girl.’
‘I am.’ I feel like all life has been sucked out of me. I walk straight into him and use what’s left of my energy to crawl up his body and cling to him, locking every limb around him. He accepts my need for support willingly, turning and trudging back the way he came.
‘I feel like it’s been too long since I’ve heard your laugh,’ he says quietly as he lets us into his office and transports me to his couch.
‘There’s not much to be so over the moon about right now.’
‘I beg to differ,’ he disagrees, taking us down to the squidgy leather, me beneath him, but I don’t release my hold of him. ‘I’m fixing things, Olivia. Everything will be all right.’
I smile sadly to myself, admiring his valour but worrying that by fixing problems, he’ll be creating others. I also consider the fact that Miller can’t make my mother disappear. ‘OK,’ I breathe, feeling my hair being twisted until it’s tugging at my scalp.
‘Would you like me to get you anything?’ he asks.
I shake my head. I don’t need anything. Just Miller. ‘I’m fine.’
‘Jolly good.’ He reaches behind him and starts to push my legs from his back. I don’t make it difficult for him, despite wanting to remain attached to him forever. My muscles go limp and I puddle beneath him in a useless heap. ‘Take a nap.’ His lips meet my forehead and he pushes himself up, immediately pulling his suit into place before he offers a small smile and strides away.
‘Miller?’
He stops at the door and pivots slowly on his expensive shoes until his stoic expression greets me.
‘Find another way.’ I don’t need to elaborate.
He nods slowly but unconvincingly. Then he leaves.
My eyes are incredibly heavy. I struggle to keep them open, and as soon as they close, Nan’s face pops into my darkness and they’re snapping open again. I need to check in. Rolling onto my side, I find my phone and dial, collapsing to my back when it starts to ring.
And ring.
And ring.
‘Hello?’
My brow bunches in response to the strange voice on the other end of the line, and I take a quick glimpse of my screen to see if I’ve accidently called someone else, finding I haven’t at all. I take my phone back to my ear. ‘Who’s this?’
‘An old family friend. I’m assuming this must be Olivia?’
I’m sitting up on the couch before I know what’s happened, and I’m standing a split second after that. That voice. My mind is attacked by image after image of him. His scarred face, his thin lips, his eyes that harbour all kinds of evil.
Charlie.
Chapter 20
‘What are you doing there?’ The blood drains from my head, but I don’t take my seat and begin breathing exercises, which I know damn well I should do. I’m beginning to feel light-headed.
‘Well, our lovely chat was cut short earlier, so I thought I’d drop by.’ Iciness oozes from his voice. ‘Sadly, you’re not here. But your grandmother is keeping me entertained. Quite a woman.’
‘You lay a finger on her . . .’ I start for the door, energy and purpose blocking my exhaustion. ‘You even breathe on her . . .’
He laughs, a cold, evil laugh. ‘Why would I ever want to harm such a dear old lady?’
I’m running now, my legs carrying me out of Miller’s office and through the winding corridors of Ice’s basement. That’s a serious question, and it has an answer. ‘Because it’ll destroy me, and by destroying me, you destroy Miller, too. That’s why.’
‘You’re a smart girl, Olivia,’ he says, and then I hear something in the background. Nan. Her chirpy voice stalls my escape and I come to a stop at the top of the stairs, mainly because my pounding feet and heavy breathing are preventing me from hearing what she’s saying. ‘Excuse me,’ Charlie says casually, the line soon becoming muffled. I can only assume he’s holding the phone to his chest. ‘Two sugars, Mrs Taylor,’ he says cheerfully. ‘But, please, take a seat. You shouldn’t be exerting yourself. I’ll see to it.’
He’s back on the line, breathing hard, as if to tell me he’s there again. Where’s Gregory? My eyes close and I beg everything holy to keep them from harm, my gut twisting with guilt. She isn’t even aware of the danger I’ve put her in. There she is, making tea, asking how many sugars the bastard takes, totally oblivious. ‘Should I ask her to make it three cups?’ Charlie asks, kicking my feet back into action. I run for the exit of Ice. ‘I’ll see you soon, Olivia.’ He hangs up and my dread multiplies by a million.
Adrenaline is sailing through me, and I throw my weight into yanking the doors open . . . and get nowhere. ‘Open!’ I pull repeatedly, my eyes searching for a lock. ‘Fucking open!’
‘Olivia!’ Miller’s worried, stricken tone punches holes in my back, but I don’t give up. I yank and pull, my shoulder jarring repeatedly from my constant, dogged attempts to open the stupid doors.
‘Why won’t they open?’ I shout, now shaking them and looking around, not at all averse to throwing something through them in my desperation to get to Nan.
‘Damn it, Olivia!’ I’m seized from behind and restrained in his hold, but that adrenaline is still working, and it’s working well. ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’
‘Open the door!’ I lash out, kicking back.
‘Fuck!’ Miller yelps, and I expect to be released, but he just increases his hold around my chest, battling with my flailing body parts. ‘Calm down!’
I can’t see calm. It’s nowhere to be found. ‘Nan!’ I scream, launching myself from his arms and colliding with the glass doors. Pain sears through my head, followed by the sharp curses of Miller and William.
‘Enough!’ Miller spins me around and pins me to the sheet of glass by my shoulders. Wide blues eyes run a quick scan of my head, then focus on the despairing tears that have now burst from my welling eyes. ‘Tell me.’
‘Charlie’s at our house.’ I spit the words out fast, hoping Miller takes them in fast and then takes me home fast. ‘I called to check on Nan and he answered.’
‘Fucking hell!’ William says, stepping forward urgently. Miller might look stunned, but my broken information has settled perfectly well with William. ‘Open the fucking door, Hart.’
Miller seems to shake himself back to life, releasing me to pull some keys from his pocket. The door is opened quickly, I’m guided out quickly, and handed over to William while he locks up. ‘Get her in the car.’ I have no say in the proceedings that follow, and I don’t want any. Both men are working fast and urgently, and I’m good with that.
I’m bundled in the back of Miller’s car, ordered to put my belt on and William is in the passenger seat in no time, shifting to look over his shoulder. A serious, almost deadly look is pointing right at me. ‘Nothing will happen to her. I won’t let it.’
I believe him. It’s easy to, because through all of this heartache and torment, one thing is obvious, and that’s the feelings both William and Miller have for my grandmother. They love her, too. I swallow and nod, just as the driver’s door swings open and Miller falls into the seat.
‘You OK to drive?’ William asks, giving Miller a wary glance.
‘Perfect.’ He starts the car, rams it into first, and we’re skidding away from the kerb faster than is safe. Miller drives like a demon. Under normal circumstances, I’d be holding on for dear life, maybe even telling him to slow the hell down, but these aren’t normal circumstances. Time is of the essence. I know it, William knows it, and Miller knows it. After listening to each man talk about Charlie, plus the added bonus of having had the pleasure of his company myself, there’s no element of doubt in my mind that any threats he makes – directly or indirectly – will be seen through. This is a man with no morals, heart, or conscience. And he’s currently sipping a good old cup of English tea with my beloved Nan. My bottom lip begins to tremble and Miller’s manic driving suddenly isn’t fast enough. I look up to the rearview mirror when I feel the familiar sensation of blue eyes burning into me, finding fear reflecting back at me. His brow is a sheen of wet. I can see he’s desperately trying to instil some calm into me, but he’s fighting a losing battle. He can’t conceal his own dread, so trying to ease mine is pointless.
It takes years to weave the streets of London towards home. Miller performs endless illegal manoeuvres – reversing out of traffic-jammed roads and driving up one-way streets, constantly cursing profusely while William points out shortcuts.
When we finally screech to a stop outside my house, my belt is off and I’m running up the path, leaving the car door open behind me. I only vaguely register two pairs of dress shoes pounding after me, but I’m more than aware of strong arms capturing me and lifting me from my feet. ‘Olivia, hold your horses.’ Miller speaks quietly, and I know why. ‘Don’t let him see your distress. He feeds off fear.’
I wriggle from Miller’s arms and press the tips of my fingers firmly into my forehead, trying to push some sensibility past the fog of panic that’s rampant in my mind. ‘My keys,’ I blurt. ‘I haven’t got my keys.’
William almost laughs, drawing my attention to him. ‘Do your thing, Hart.’
I frown as I look to Miller, seeing him reach into his inside pocket on a roll of his eyes. ‘I told you we needed to sort out security here,’ he grumbles, producing a credit card.
‘Nan probably just invited him in!’ I snap, but he doesn’t bless me with a disdainful look; he just goes about slipping the card past the wood by the lock and jiggling it slightly, putting some weight behind him. It’s two seconds flat before the door is open, and I??
?m pushing past Miller.
‘Whoa!’ He catches me again and pins me to the wall in the recess of the front door. ‘Damn it, Olivia. You can’t just go charging in there like a tank!’ He’s speaking on a hushed whisper, holding me in place with one hand while slipping his card back into his pocket.
‘OK, let’s just wait until we hear her screaming, shall we?’
‘Just like her mother,’ William mutters, pulling my outraged eyes away from Miller. His eyebrows are raised in a Yes, you heard me right kind of way; then his head cocks to follow that up with a You going to argue with that? look. I hate him.
‘Get me to my nan,’ I grate, burning through William’s powerful presence with fiery eyes.
‘Lock down that sass, Livy,’ Miller warns. ‘Now isn’t the time.’ He releases me and sets about the ridiculous task of straightening me out, except now I don’t let him find the calm he’s seeking through perfecting me. I bat him away, hating myself when I take over his stupid ways by finishing what he started. I brush my hair from my face and straighten my dress. Then my hand is claimed and I’m pulled through the front door.
‘Kitchen,’ I tell him, pushing him down the hallway. ‘He was going to make tea.’ Just as I utter the information, a loud crash rings out and travels down the corridor towards us. I jump, Miller curses, and William pushes his way past us before I can send the instructions to my legs to move. Miller takes off after him, as do I, every fear amplifying.
I fall into the kitchen, colliding with Miller’s back, before putting myself in front of him. Gazing around the open space, I see nothing, only William staring blankly at the floor. My eyes are rooted on him, watching for any further facial expressions or reactions, my mind not prepared to confront what has his attention.