Olivia had received a strange voicemail from Grant asking if she could come by, and she was anxious to get to his house and talk. It’d been a long day in the office, especially after the strange conversation with Tony. She’d visit Dan tomorrow and get his thoughts on the deal. She’d strongly push him to reject the plea. He was innocent and there was absolutely no reason for him to admit guilt to a crime he didn’t commit and sit in prison for ten years.
She knocked on Grant’s door and he opened it. He pulled her inside and wrapped his arms tightly around her.
“Grant, what’s going on?” she looked up into concerned eyes.
“I’m glad to see you.”
“You look tired.” He had dark circles under his eyes.
“Come on in and I’ll tell you all about my night.”
He took her by the hand, and they sat down beside each other on the couch.
“I wanted to call you after it happened but it was in the middle of the night, and then I had a motions’ hearing today for one of my cases. So that’s why I thought it would be easier for us to talk tonight after we were both done at work.”
“Something happened to you.” She could tell just by looking into his eyes, and she had some ideas about what it could be.
He gripped tightly onto her hand. “I know I can tell you and you’ll understand.”
“You can tell me anything. I’m here for you, Grant.” Her heart ached as she waited to hear what he had to say. Grant wasn’t easily rattled, so she knew this was something big.
“I woke up in the middle of the night, and I literally couldn’t breathe. There was this huge weight pushing down on me. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t move. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t do anything but lie there, and I was deathly afraid. A type of fear that I don’t think I’ve ever personally experienced before as it relates to my own safety.”
“What did you do?”
“I didn’t know what to do. So I just started quoting some Bible verses. I don’t know a lot of them by heart, but I did what I could. By that point I was sweating and felt like I was burning up. I kept up with the verses and then after a few minutes everything stopped. I could breathe normally and move again. I got up out the bed and didn’t go back to sleep.”
It had been years, but Olivia was all too familiar with waking up in the middle of the night to face an unseen foe. “You did the exact right thing, Grant. You can’t battle the forces of evil. You’re just a man. The battle is the Lord’s. The word of God is the most powerful weapon we have.”
“So you don’t think I’ve lost my mind?”
“Of course not.”
“Okay, assuming that all of this happened, there’s something that’s bothering me a lot.”
“What?”
“Why would they come after me? It’s not like I’m the strong one here—at least not in a spiritual stance. I could run away from this whole thing, and it wouldn’t impact things one way or another.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Grant. You’re an integral part of this battle in Windy Ridge. If anything, what you experienced only further demonstrates that.” She paused, making sure she chose her words carefully. “If the forces of darkness get you to give up on your faith journey, they’ll have scored a major victory.”
“And that’s the last thing I want. I didn’t know if I should bring this up to you because I didn’t want you to think less of me.”
“Don’t say that, Grant. I want you to be able to talk to me about everything.” She squeezed his hand tightly.
“I’m bombarded by doubts and thoughts and questions that are very dark and depressing. Mocking, even. It’s hard to describe. I’ll be going about my work and then all of a sudden a hateful thought about Christ will pop into my mind. Questions about why I believe. Judgments about my past. I could go on and on.”
“This is what the enemy does. He puts those thoughts into your head to try to make you question your faith. You can combat those types of negative thoughts in the same way that you dealt with the actual physical assault last night.”
“I need more verses,” he chuckled. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I know it’s not funny. I’m just not good at coping with stuff like this. You’re much better with the unseen realm than I am. I was just thinking earlier that a year ago, all of this would’ve seemed totally impossible to me. The fact that there was an invisible war going on around us would’ve seemed like something out of a novel. Not something I was experiencing myself in real life.”
“The important thing is you’re in this place right now. The fact that you’re a target shows you’re stronger than you think and you’re continuing your walk with God. I know it’s scary, but you’re more than capable of facing this down.”
He placed his left hand on her cheek and tipped her head up to look at him. “I know one thing. I don’t know what I’d do without you in my life, Olivia.”
“Then don’t think about it.”
As his lips met hers, it was the most amazing feeling. A feeling she never wanted to end. Having him in her life made everything seem right. She leaned into the kiss and enjoyed the moment of respite from the rest of the world, allowing herself to get lost in him.
When the kiss ended, she considered kissing him again, but there were other pressing matters to attend to and she had promised herself that she wouldn’t let her feelings for Grant take away from her work.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I launched into my whole thing without even asking how your day went.”
She let out a sigh. “Well, Tony Sampson paid me a visit today. He’s offering a deal. Ten years of prison time.”
“What kind of deal is that?”
“One that according to him is fair given that it’s a Class X felony with up to thirty years.”
“Yeah, but maybe that’s just his starting point for negotiations. Are you taking it to Dan?”
“Yes, I’m seeing him tomorrow and will strongly advise him against it.”
“I don’t think Dan would take a deal anyway. He’s too honest. He wouldn’t admit to something if he’s innocent.”
“I hope you’re right. There’s something else though that’s even more interesting than the plea offer.”
“With Tony?”
“Yeah. Get this. He’s a member of the Optimism non-profit board.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. That can’t be a coincidence, and I did some digging. He just so happens to be the newest member. He claims Layton hasn’t pushed any of the New Age ideology on him and that he’s actually a believer. But the whole thing seemed highly suspicious to me.”
“What did you tell him?’
“I did what I thought was right and warned him about how dangerous Layton and both groups are.”
“And how did he take that?”
“He seemed to brush it off, but I could also sense that the conversation had made him uncomfortable. Maybe he really doesn’t know about everything Layton is involved in. Hopefully now he’ll take a closer look. I don’t like how this all seems to be fitting together though.”
“Doesn’t it just strengthen your position that Layton is behind this? Dan was setup.”
“Yes. The preliminary hearing is next week. We’ll get a sense then of how quickly we’re going to move to trial. I’d like the sooner the better, but I’m not sure what Tony’s strategy is. He wants to use this case to help his career. The longer he can keep it in the news and on the top of people’s minds, the better for him.”
“Another reason he came in with the plea deal at ten years, because he knew you’d probably be unlikely to take it, especially at this stage of the prosecution.”
“But he also is seasoned and knows that a judge would want to know that he’d made an effort on that front.”
“Exactly.”
“I have a case update, too. I spoke to Abe. He attended the Optimism charity gala with Nina Marie. Said he got a little spooked because Layton called him out as a Christian. He thinks his cover is still intact with Nina Marie and that she shrugged off Layton’s comments, but he has his guard up nonetheless. Since he feels a bit under pressure, he’s going to try to make his move soon and attempt to get information from her that hopefully can help show Dan was framed. Or at least point us in the direction of how we might show it.”
“I hope he’s careful. If Nina Marie thinks that he is playing her, it could be bad. You know how she is.”
“I do, and I warned him again to be careful. He mentioned that he also met Stacey Malone at the event.”
She shook her head. “It tears me up that they’ve locked their evil tentacles into her.”
“I agree, but she’s still her own person. She has to take responsibility for her actions, as well.”
“Doesn’t mean I like it any better, though.”
“I hear you.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. This felt so natural to her. Being with him and talking about the day. If only they were talking about normal lawyer stuff and not this.
“What’re you thinking?” he asked.
“How glad I am to be here with you, but wondering if there will ever be an end to all of this.”
“There has to be,” he said. “Once Dan is acquitted, that will be a huge blow to those who want to take down the church.”
“I hope you’re right, and let’s not forget, I still have to win the trial first.”
“You will. I have the utmost faith in your abilities, and Dan does, too. He couldn’t have a more fierce advocate than you. The jury will sense that you believe in his innocence. I truly think that.”
**
Nina Marie hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Layton’s warning concerning Abe ever since the charity gala, and now her natural sense of paranoia was really getting to her.
She’d invited Abe over to her place for dinner, and she planned to get down to the bottom of things once and for all. He’d be on her turf, so that would work to her advantage. Also, now that she was armed with this information, she would be alert.
In her heart, she longed for Layton to be wrong. She was enjoying spending time with Abe, and they seemed to have a legitimate connection. But there was a sinking feeling deep in the pit of her stomach that Layton could be right. That Abe could be playing her, and that thought not only hurt her, it made her furious.
Stacey hadn’t gotten the same impression from Abe that Layton had. So maybe there was hope that Layton was just trying to once again mess with her happiness. She couldn’t afford to take any chances, though, because if Layton was right, then she had to figure out what Abe was up to.
Her doorbell rang, and she smoothed down her black skirt and adjusted her pastel pink knit top. She opened the door and there stood Abe—again with flowers in his hands. But this time they were daisies.
“I know you told me not to bring anything, that you had it all under control, but I couldn’t resist. I don’t like showing up somewhere empty-handed.” He gave her the flowers and then leaned in and kissed her cheek.
Already she felt off-kilter by his one simple gesture. She had to remind herself what tonight was about. It wasn’t about being swept off her feet by this man, no matter how nice he appeared to be on the outside.
“Come on in. I hope you like Italian food. I’ve got my special sauce simmering.”
He took in a deep breath. “It smells heavenly.”
She flinched at the use of his word, but he didn’t seem to even notice. He genuinely seemed to be excited about the food. She was an excellent cook, but rarely made big meals since it was just her. She’d almost forgotten how much she enjoyed it. If only it could have been under different circumstances. Like Abe being a totally genuine man who wanted to get to know her. It was time to find out.
“Have a seat. I thought we could maybe chat a bit and have some appetizers I fixed. I know you don’t drink, but I have soft drinks and tea. Just let me know what you’d prefer.”
“I’d love some tea.”
“Perfect.”
She got his drink and poured herself one as well. Better to not be clouded by any alcohol tonight because she needed to be on her game.
She placed the tomato and mozzarella salad she had prepared on the table and took a seat across from him. “So what did you think about the charity event?”
“It was good. It wasn’t my normal scene, that’s for sure, but everyone seemed very nice.”
“I’m sorry that you didn’t feel well.”
“That was the strangest thing. By the time I got home, I felt completely fine, like nothing had ever even happened to me.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad that you feel okay now.”
He smiled. “I’m better than fine now.”
Why did this man make her feel so special? It bothered her even more that this could be an act. “I hope Layton didn’t offend you too much with his comments about your faith.”
“Now that was weird. I’ve never had anyone say anything like that to me before, and to think he did it in the middle of a party. Is he always like that?”
Wasn’t that an interesting deflection. “Layton says what is on his mind in most situations.”
“How in the world could he even think he’d know what someone’s personal beliefs are? Is this all connected to the New Age stuff?”
Did he care about her business? Maybe he was some sort of corporate spy for another company. “Layton has a strong radar when it comes to various beliefs and faith. Which made me wonder if you were maybe saying that you were against Christianity because you knew that I was and you wanted to have a chance with me?”
He grinned. “You give me too much credit to think through all of that. Like I told you, I believe there’s a lot of hypocrisy in the church.”
“Saying that there is hypocrisy doesn’t mean you reject the beliefs though. It just means that you criticize how some believers act.”
“Aren’t you a theologian tonight?”
“Am I getting too heavy over appetizers?”
“No. I’m just kidding. All of this religion stuff means a lot to you, so I’m happy to talk about it as much as you want.”
“When’s the last time you went to church?”
He paused and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s been a few years. There was someone who hurt me badly, and I stopped going to church to avoid seeing her.”
Could they really have that type of connection? She had told herself she was going to be patient tonight and take it step-by-step to conduct a thorough investigation, but she was having a hard time.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his brown eyes full of concern.
And for some infuriating reason, she still couldn’t get a good read on him. All she could tell for sure was that this man sitting across from her genuinely seemed to care about her. She needed to give herself more time. “Nothing. I’m going to start the pasta. I know you must hungry for something more filling than cheese and tomatoes.”
He laughed loudly. “I do love to eat.”
They made small talk while she finished preparing the meal, and then she provided him a hefty portion of pasta and a large breadstick.
“I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve had a home-cooked meal,” he said.
Her heart warmed again at his words. “I hope you enjoy this then.”
“Believe me, I have no doubts about that.”
She watched as he devoured his pasta quickly and had no shame in asking for seconds. “You must have one amazing metabolism.”
“Yeah. And I do a lot of physical activity for work. Maybe one day it will catch up to me, but it hasn’t yet.”
“I’m thrilled that you’re enjoying it.” And she meant it.
“So what’s the story with Stacey? Something seemed a little off with her.”
“In what way?”
“I don’t know how to describe it, but I just got a strange vibe from her.”
“If I tell you this, you’ll probably question my sanity and hers, too.”
“I doubt that.”
“She’s the reason you weren’t feeling well.” If this guy was legit, what better time than now to start letting him into her life and what being around her would entail.
“I don’t understand.”
“Stacey was experimenting with some crystals and you were her target.”
“Whoa.” He leaned back in his chair. “Are you talking about spells and witchcraft?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”
“You really believe that?”
“I do. Now don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of scammers and fakes out there who have zero ability and try to prey on innocent people. But there are also people who are spiritually gifted, like Stacey.”
“And what about you?”
“I am, as well. I figured it was better to start to show you the real me so you can understand what I’m all about.”
“I like you a lot, Nina Marie, but you have to realize I’d be a little skeptical.”
“I know. I’m not expecting you to fully jump on board, but I want to be honest with you. If we don’t have honesty, then we have nothing.”
“Why did you turn to this way of life?”
“Because like you, I was hurt, and I knew I needed to make sure that never happened again.”
“So witchcraft makes you feel better?”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that.”
“Assuming these types of powers exist, do you use them for good?”
“I guess that depends on whose definition of good you’re using.”
“You obviously have issues with Windy Ridge Community Church. If you did something to hurt the church, would you consider that good?”
“I would. That church does nothing good, it’s just a way to mislead people into believing things that will end up hurting them in the end.”
“So if you had a way of hurting the pastor you would do that?”
“What are you insinuating?” Her guard was now fully up. She didn’t like the direction the conversation had just taken.
“Using your powers to setup an innocent man to take the fall?”
She sucked in a breath. “Whoa, who are you? A cop?”
He shook his head. “Definitely not a cop.”
“But you’re not Abe Smith either, are you?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I’m worried if I tell you, then you may cast a spell on me.”
His sarcasm was evident. It was time to end this once and for all. She reached over and grabbed onto both of his hands and squeezed tightly. And then for the first time she sensed it. What had been so blatantly obvious to Layton but she’d been blinded to. This man was a Christian. And a liar.
“You should get out of my house.”
“It doesn’t have to be this way, Nina Marie. There’s another way.”
“What, are you going to try to pull the evangelism thing on me now? You really have some nerve. Don’t you realize that I could hurt you? I’m giving you a chance to just walk away, even though you don’t deserve it.”
He put his hands on her shoulders. “Listen to yourself, Nina Marie. The fact that you can show that type of compassion toward me does mean something. No, I’m not going to start preaching to you. I’m far from a perfect person, and my faith is not as strong as others I know. But I can tell you that God can work through anyone—and that includes you. He may have a bigger plan for you than you’ll ever know. Just walk away from this madness. I will help you.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am.”
How had this discussion gotten so completely turned on its head? Once again this man was getting the best of her, and she couldn’t figure out why. Why hadn’t she inflicted pain on him? Was it because he was still standing there, holding onto her and showing some feelings amongst all the lies?
No, she had to end this. Now. “Let me make this easy for you, Abe, or whatever your name is. I am aligned with the evil one. He is my master. Not your God.”
She expected to see shock in his eyes, but what she saw was much worse—disappointment.
“I know who you are and who you worship, and I’m still telling you that there’s hope.”
“You sound like Olivia.”
A flash of recognition crossed his face, and it was at that point she knew.
“It’s Olivia, isn’t it? She sent you?”
“That isn’t important now.”
She shook her head. What a mess this had become. “What do you want from me? Why this charade? Was it to embarrass me? Take me down a notch?”
“Nothing like that at all. But there’s an innocent man sitting in prison right now.”
Then it hit her like a freight train. This was all about the pastor. They thought she was involved. They didn’t even realize that this was Layton’s plan, not hers. “You’re barking up the wrong tree, and again, it’s time for you to go.”
He took her hands in his. “I never planned to actually develop feelings for you in all of this, Nina Marie. But I have, and the fact that I do care means you haven’t seen the last of me. I’m not going to give up on you.”
He stood up from the dining room table and walked out of the room.
Her hands were still burning from his touch, and her heart was breaking.