Chapter Fourteen
Alex watched through the glass as Olivia gave her statement to a man who didn’t look old enough to shave, let alone carry a gun. She appeared calm and poised. You’d never know she’d been shot at hours earlier.
The stitches in his arm pulled and he forced himself not to itch the wound. She’d insisted Benson stop by the hospital when she couldn’t get the bleeding to stop. Damn traitor listened to her and whipped into the Emergency Room. He hated hospitals with a passion and steered clear of them as much as possible. The only upside was that they were able to check on Carl while they were there, happy to find him awake and alert. He’d suffered a mild heart attack, probably brought on by the gunshots. They were keeping him in the hospital for a couple of days to run tests. CJ promised to keep Olivia posted. It took Olivia longer to assure Carl and CJ that she was fine after the attack than it did to check on his condition.
The video of the shooting was being played continuously. Somehow, they’d managed to ID him so Luke and Logan should be pretty damn happy with the free publicity. He’d fielded calls from both of his bosses, several co-workers, along with his parents and little sister. His mom was overjoyed that he was with Olivia. His entire family loved her, even though they’d only met her for a few short hours. When the phone rang again, he sighed. He didn’t recognize the number.
“Hello?”
“Is this Mr. Alex Mylonas?”
“Yes, ma’am, it is. Who is this?”
“My name is Candace Larrson. I’m Olivia’s mom. I-I haven’t been able to reach her and I’m so worried.” Her voice broke.
Olivia’s mom. He softened his tone. “She’s fine, Mrs. Larrson. I’m with her right now at the police station.”
“She wasn’t hurt at all?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Oh, thank God. I saw the video.” She choked back a sob. “You saved her life.”
He deflected the praise. “I was just doing my job.”
“You’re the detective from Chicago, right?”
Alex gulped. Had Olivia told her parents about their earlier meeting? “Former detective, yes.”
“They mentioned that you had been a policeman on the tape.” So she knew about his former job from the video…not Olivia. She didn’t give any indication she knew of their previous encounter. “I’m sorry to have bothered you. When I couldn’t get in touch with Olivia after I saw the video, I panicked. I called the station and they put me through to her producer, Jonah Wyles. He gave me your number. I hope that’s okay?”
“Absolutely,” he assured her. “You can call me anytime. I’m not leaving her side until the threat is over.”
“Thank you.” Her voice broke again. “Olivia’s father and I are so grateful.” She cleared her throat. “I believe Mr. Wyles said you now work for COBRA Securities?”
“That’s correct.”
“Isn’t that the same company that Kendall’s fiancé works for…Olivia’s former roommate?”
“Yes, ma’am, it is.”
She sighed deeply. “Then I feel much better knowing you’re keeping her safe. Mr. Wyles said the station is taking care of your fee but if they don’t for some reason, or if they need to end the contract before this person is caught, would you please let me know? Olivia’s father and I will take over payment. We need to keep her safe.”
“You don’t have to worry about that, ma’am. I won’t leave until the Vigilante is caught, no matter what. And I will protect her with my life,” he vowed. “You have my word.”
She thanked him again and after reiterating that she could call him anytime, they disconnected.
He lifted his gaze to Olivia again. The young cop looked totally enchanted by her, hanging on her every word. She glanced up and spotted him, her lips curving into a smile and she waved. He lifted a hand in response. He was in such trouble. It hit him as hard as a punch from Dan Bradley upside the head. He loved her.
It shouldn’t make his heart race and his palms sweat that he finally acknowledged the truth. He’d loved her from the moment he looked down into her eyes. He’d just tackled her to the ground, thinking her a burglar. When his eyes met hers, he’d been a goner. Apparently there was such a thing as love at first sight.
He spun away and rubbed his chest. How the hell was he supposed to deal with loving her? Could they make a long-distance relationship work? Would she even want to try?
His cell rang and he answered without even looking at the screen.
“Alex?”
“Yes.”
A feminine sigh. “It’s so good to hear your voice, sweetie.”
“Who is this?” He had Olivia on the brain and nothing seemed to penetrate the fog. He loved her.
“Don’t you recognize the voice of your fiancée?”
He whirled around and spotted Olivia still talking with Opie, so she wasn’t calling him. Technically she wasn’t his fiancée but her face was the only one that filled his mind.
“It’s Jennifer.”
Oh, that fiancée. Whom he hadn’t spoken to in a year. “What do you need, Jennifer?” Maybe she found a box of his things at her apartment or something.
“I just saw the video. All of our friends called after seeing it, too.”
He almost laughed out loud at that one. If they were his friends, they wouldn’t have chosen her side when they broke up.
“Are you okay? One reporter said you’d been shot.”
Grazed by a bullet deserves a call but getting shot point-blank and almost dying doesn’t even merit a visit to the hospital? “Just a scratch. I’m fine. How did you get this number?” He couldn’t help the accusation in his tone.
“Your mom.”
No way would his mom give Jennifer his digits. She was a fierce mama bear and when Jennifer broke his heart, she earned a spot on his mother’s never-speak-to-again list. “My mother gave my cell phone number to you?”
“Well, not me, exactly. I thought she might not want to speak to me, so I asked Lou Warren to get it for me.” And his mom would give it to Lou since he’d known the guy since first grade. Olivia said something and Opie laughed. She looked over at Alex and smiled. He rubbed his chest again.
“Alex?”
Jennifer had obviously said something and he was so distracted he totally missed it. “What was that?”
“I said, I can’t believe how brave you were. You protected that woman with no regard for your safety.”
“I did that as a cop, too, Jennifer.” And he wasn’t good enough for her then.
“Why didn’t you tell me you quit the force. Was it because I asked you to?”
He barked out a laugh. “It had absolutely nothing to do with you, Jennifer.”
“But it was the one thing I asked of you.”
“That doesn’t matter anymore.”
“But don’t you see, we can start over. Date again.”
He so did not want to be having this conversation. “I don’t even live in Chicago anymore.”
She inhaled sharply. “You don’t? I didn’t realize. Oh. Well. I might consider moving to be with you. I still want to marry you.”
He rubbed a hand across his forehead then glanced at Olivia again. She was gazing at him with concern. “Jenn, I’m sorry. It’s not going to happen.”
“Why not?”
“I’ve met someone else.”
Silence. It lasted so long, he thought…hoped…she’d hung up. But when she spoke, her voice was almost a whisper. “Is it serious?”
Oh yeah. “Yes.”
“Is it the woman from the video?”
“It’s no concern of yours who she is, but it’s serious and I want to spend my life with her.” If she’d have him. Jennifer sniffed and he felt bad for upsetting her, but she pulled the plug on their relationship…he didn’t. At one time, he might’ve dreamed of getting back at her, making her hurt like she’d hurt him. But those feelings died completely, pretty much around the time he met Olivia.
“But Alex, we’re soul mates. We are supposed to be together.”
“Jennifer, I wasn’t good enough for you when I was a cop. Just because I have a different job doesn’t change the person I am.”
“You were good enough for me,” she insisted, her voice watery but strong. “It was the hours and being gone so much that bothered me. I missed you and wanted you with me. Is that too much for a wife to ask of her husband?”
“I’m away more with this job than I ever was with CPD,” he told her. “When I was a cop, even if I was gone, I was in the same city. Right now, I’m in New York for I don’t even know how long. This job takes me all over the country.” And that was something he needed to think about. Would Olivia be okay with him leaving for assignments? The significant others of his co-workers seemed to accept the job easily. They had a pretty strong network of support. Olivia would fit right in. His cell signaled a text, jerking him from his thoughts.
“Alex—”
“I’m sorry, Jennifer, I have to go. It was good talking to you.” Not. “Take care.” He clicked off before she could respond and pulled up the message from BeBe Davis. The office manager had already secured a rental SUV for him to use. He’d been talking to Benson when the car arrived so they both headed to the parking lot to pick up the keys from the delivery man. Now she was forwarding the address of their new accommodations. Olivia didn’t know it yet, but they weren’t staying at her apartment now that someone had tried to kill her.
With that thought in mind, he dialed Sawyer Oldham. When he’d been assigned to watch over Olivia, it was just a precaution. Now that an actual attempt had been made, he was in full-on protection mode. And it was time to call in back-up. Alex had already cleared the extra manpower with Luke and Logan. Sawyer answered on the first ring.
“Well, if it isn’t the famous television star, Alex Mylonas. Man, that video is getting some serious air time. It’s been uploaded to YouTube and it’s nearing five million hits.”
Great.
“Any new developments?”
Sawyer had been one of the first to call and check on him when the video aired. “I could use some back-up.”
“You need me to hop on a plane?”
“Yeah,” Alex confirmed. “After the attempt today, I’m not taking any chances. I’ve cleared it with the bosses.” Alex gave him the information on the new accommodations and Sawyer promised to text his itinerary.
The door opened and Olivia stepped out, followed by the young cop who looked smitten. Maybe it was a purely caveman move, but he couldn’t stop himself. Mine. He gathered her in his arms and held her close. She sighed against him, her arms wrapping around his waist. They stood that way for a few minutes as activity continued around them. Phones rang and voices called out and people hustled in all directions. The scent of coffee and burnt microwave popcorn filled the air. This had been his life for many years and sometimes he missed the atmosphere of a busy police station but not enough to ever want to return to the job.
He leaned back to look into her blue eyes. “Okay?”
She smiled and nodded. “But I’m ready to get out of here.” He took her hand and guided her outside to the black Range Rover.
“When did you do this?” she asked as he held the door for her. The overwhelming urge to lean over and press his lips to hers nearly broke him. He could’ve lost her today. Hell with it. He bent down and touched his lips to hers. Passion exploded. It was as if two live wires touched, sending sparks shooting hundreds of feet into the air. She moaned and fisted her hand in his shirt, pulling him closer. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip and when she opened for him, he plunged inside. He was one step away from tossing her over the headrests and christening the back seat of this vehicle when the slam of a car door broke through the haze.
He was slobbering all over her in public…again. She deserved so much better. He ended the kiss and stepped back. It took a few seconds for her eyes to open and she looked at him, a dreamy smile on her kiss-plumped lips. Alex made sure she was completely inside before he closed her door and rounded the hood. Totally unprofessional to be kissing the woman he was hired to protect, but this wasn’t just any woman. This was the woman for him. He didn’t know how he was going to walk away again when the Vigilante was caught. Of course, he hadn’t walked away last time. She had. Her life was here in New York City. His was in Indiana.
What the hell was he thinking? Long-distance relationships never worked out.
#
Olivia ran her fingers over her lips, wanting to preserve the sensation of Alex’s mouth against hers. She completely lost her head every time he kissed her. If he’d have wanted to push the seat back and make love to her, she would’ve let him. Again. Heat filled her cheeks. He must think she was so easy. And with him, she was. It was crazy but she couldn’t control herself around him.
Alex opened the driver’s door and slid inside. He turned to face her. “I spoke to your mom earlier.”
Olivia made a sound of distress and reached for her phone. She completely forgot to call her. “She saw the video, didn’t she? Oh, no. I should have called her sooner. Why didn’t I call her?” She glanced at him. “Was she worried?”
“Terrified.”
Olivia closed her eyes with regret and put the phone to her ear. “Mom? I’m sorry, I should have called. No really, I’m fine. Not even a scratch.” She listened as her mom spoke and then she snuck a peek at him. “Yes, mom his voice is sexy.” Another pause. “Yes, nice body, too.” More silence and then she jerked around to face the window and hunched over her phone. She spoke low but he could probably hear what she was saying. “You want me to snap a picture and send it to you? Mom! I can’t…but…” She sighed. “Fine. I love you, too. Give Dad a kiss for me.” She hung up and chanced a look at him. He was smiling like a lunatic. “Guess you heard that?”
“So your mom thinks my voice is sexy?”
“And your body. She was supremely disappointed she couldn’t see your face on television.” Alex chuckled and she reached over to clasp his hand. “She said you told her she could call you anytime.”
“I did,” he confirmed.
Her heart squeezed in her chest. That he’d been so kind and accommodating to her mother meant the world to her. He’d never even met her. “Thank you…that means a lot.” He flipped his hand around and threaded their fingers together. They were staring at each other and she thought he might kiss her again…and if he didn’t, she would close the distance herself.
A rap against the driver’s side window had them both gasping and jerking around. Benson had his hands and face plastered against the glass, trying to see inside the tinted windows. “You guys okay in there?” he called out.
“How does he know we’re in here?”
“He was with me when the SUV was delivered.” Alex sighed and rolled down the window.
Benson looked between them suspiciously, a knowing smile curling his lips, but thankfully he didn’t comment. “I wanted to let you know I heard from the officers investigating the incident. It looks like the shooter set up in the building directly across the street. It’s currently under renovations, so contractors are in and out all day. No one remembers seeing anyone suspicious. They sifted through camera feeds on nearby buildings but nothing so far. I’ll keep you posted.”
“Thanks, Derek, I appreciate it.”
They spoke for a few minutes and then said goodnight. Olivia checked her messages, gaping at the number of missed calls. Several were from her mother, Faye and even Ernie. There was a call from Alex’s sister as well. “Have you spoken to your family?”
“Yeah, and Allie was worried about you. I assured her you were okay.”
She didn’t have the energy to call everyone back, so she fired off quick texts letting them know she was fine and she’d talk to them later. She sighed back against the seat and let her eyes drift closed. “It’s been a long day.”
Alex started the engine. “Unfortunately, it’s going to get a little longer.” She opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly. “You can’t stay in your apartment. It’s been compromised. I’ve secured a safe house.”
Olivia acquiesced without protest. She’d been dreading going back. “I didn’t want to admit that I was afraid to go home.”
Alex reached over and squeezed her hand. “Never be afraid to tell me anything.” He waited for traffic to clear and then he eased into the street. “We’ll stop by your apartment so you can pack a bag and I can grab the clothes we purchased this morning.”
“I don’t think I can stay there anymore.” She sighed deeply. How could she continue to live there when her heart pounded with fear just thinking about entering the building? She’d forever see the front glass shattering. Carl lying motionless on the floor. Alex getting grazed by a bullet.
“You think you’ll move?”
“Yeah. The lease is up in a couple of days. I’ll miss Carl. He and his family are important to me. It was an easy commute to work, but every time I see the lobby, I’ll think about the shooting.”
He tried to lighten the mood. “If you move, it’ll save you from having to kick Darla out.”
She laughed. “I didn’t think about that. Added bonus. I’ll tell her that Arlo can take over my share of the lease. That’s assuming he actually has a job and can pay rent.” Alex braked at a red light and smiled at her. “What about my mail? The Vigilante might send another video.”
“Now that there’s been an attempt on your life, I’ve called for back-up. One of my co-workers will be here tomorrow. We’ll send him to pick up your mail every day.”
It was a quick drive to her neighborhood. He navigated into an alley behind the building. “I’ve arranged for us to go in through the service door,” he told her, for which she was grateful. He texted a note to someone and soon, the door was pushed open from the inside. She padded down the corridor to her mailbox and pulled out the letters. No small packages so the Vigilante was obviously waiting until she played the next video. There was a flashy postcard from Ernie with the faces of the four presidents carved on Mount Rushmore. She read the note, laughed and stuck it in her purse.
Alex was waiting for her by the elevator. He smiled as she moved closer. I could love this man, she thought again. Another thought pushed that one out of her head: I already do.
#
Trent hid in the janitor supply closet behind a large shelving unit to pass time before he headed to Olivia Larrson’s apartment. Thankfully his cell had a full charge, so he’d been playing games all afternoon. He dozed for a bit and his stomach growled with hunger. Surprisingly, he wasn’t nervous. He was about to kill a woman and the only thing he felt was…unbridled exhilaration.
He pushed to his feet and stretched his muscles. He’d had a close call earlier when a man came into the room searching for something. For a split second, he thought he’d have to kill him, too, as he rummaged closer to Trent’s hiding place. But then he found what he was looking for and left. Trent had been oddly disappointed. He checked the display on his phone. Showtime. He grabbed the janitor’s cart…his disguise if anyone questioned him. He stepped into the coveralls he found hanging on a hook on the wall with the name “Bud” stitched on the pocket. They were too big and stained and reeked of ammonia, but whatever. He’d deal.
He stuck his head out the door and searched the hallway. Clear. He pushed the cart out and headed to the elevator. The lobby was dark and deserted. Boards had been nailed over the windows Ray destroyed, blocking out the light. He kept his head down and his sunglasses on as he pressed the button for the elevator. The ride up was quick and as he pushed the cart down the hall, he didn’t pass a soul. It was a little hard to see with the dark lenses, but he needed them to cover his face in case there were cameras in the halls. He stopped when he came to Larrson’s door.
His heart pounding with excitement, he glanced both ways to make sure he was alone and then rapped twice on the door and called out, “Maintenance.”
The door swung open and Trent started shooting. The bullets made small pops as they left the chamber through the silencer. He alternated shots between the woman who opened the door and the man standing behind her. He kept squeezing the trigger until he drained his clip, then he kicked the woman’s foot out of the way and jerked the door closed with his gloved hand. He pushed the cart to the end of the hall and took the stairs down. He waited until he was outside to let the smile he was holding back break free.