The Shifter's Gift Page 13

  He phone buzzed again. I’m looking forward to our next date too. ;-) The pier is going to be amazing with you.

  There were so many things she’d like to do with him, and say to him. But she decided to leave him wanting more. She would respond tomorrow when hear brain wasn’t fuzzy with champagne and sleepy bliss. She pulled off her high heels, hearing the phone buzz again. When she saw it was Jared, she reached for it, tempted to turn it off and say to hell with him. But she used it for an alarm...and if he was sending this many texts, maybe it was important.

  When she saw what he was saying, she flopped back onto the bed, feeling frustrated. Part of her hoped for these kinds of messages the night everything went into the toilet with them. He was saying that he wanted her back, and he was going to leave his wife for her. She meant a lot to him, more than his wife ever had, he’d never do anything to hurt her again, etc.

  She tossed her phone aside on the bed and placed her hands over her face. Something was seriously wrong with him. How could he have been so cruel to her at Oscar’s and think she would happily take him back because he promised to leave his wife for her? What?

  It didn’t matter. She did not need to be part of his craziness. He could stay in his bizarre relationship with his wife. Why his wife didn’t leave him if he acted this way? She would probably never know the answer to that question, because she hoped never to see either of them again.

  Olivia pushed up from the bed and headed off to get a shower. There were more text messages from Jared when she came back from the bathroom, but she didn’t bother checking them. Instead, she set her alarm clock.

  Maybe in the morning she would cut off all communication with Jared and block him. Or maybe it was time to change her phone number? That felt too dramatic and complicated. Besides, he came to her place before. She didn’t want him to come here when he found out her phone was disconnected.

  With that thought in mind, she crawled under the blankets and turned off the lights. The sensual images of spending time with Liam in the Jacuzzi floated through her mind before sleep claimed her.

  * * *

  The sound of knocking on Olivia’s front door jolted her upright in bed. Her alarm clock had not gone off. Was she late for work? When she glanced over at her cell phone beside her on the nightstand, it showed the time as four o’clock in the morning. Who would be here this early?

  The knocking was incessant. When she tried laying back down to ignore it, the knocking grew louder. She finally climbed out of bed and pulled her robe on to cover up her silky nightgown. She checked the peephole to see Jared standing there. He looked like he’d barely slept all night, and she was flooded with concern and worry about him. But she pushed those thoughts aside. It was on him if he was reeling from his own selfish and self-destructive actions. Still, she didn’t want her neighbors to complain about the noise so early in the morning.

  After a few moments of indecision, Olivia opened the door. “What are you doing here, Jared?” She kept her body positioned in the doorway so he couldn’t push his way inside, and she crossed her arms over her chest showing him that she was not pleased with the interruption to her sleep.

  “Were you sleeping?” he asked, looking her over. “Oh, I’m sorry. Can I come in? We need to talk, Olivia.”

  She had the sudden need to roll her eyes, but she restrained herself. “Yes, I was asleep. I don’t need to be awake for another few hours.” She rubbed her sleepy eyes. “We’ve been over this when we were dating. But we’re not dating now, okay? You and your wife made it abundantly clear where we stood, so no, Jared. You can’t come in. I don’t really have anything to say to you.” She stepped back to push the door closed behind her, but he put his hand in the way. He held it open as he slammed into her and forced his way into her apartment.

  “I said we need to talk. You’re going to give me a chance to talk, Olivia.” Olivia wished she’d brought her cell phone with her downstairs now. She wanted to call the police. Jared was really starting to scare her. Why was he being this way?

  “We can talk later, okay? I need more sleep so I can be ready for work in a couple of hours,” she said, trying to reason with him.

  He’d never been violent like this before. She hoped after a few minutes that he would just leave, and she could go back to dreaming of Liam. Somehow, that didn’t seem like a possibility, especially with the darkness gleaming in his eyes.

  “You want to talk later? No. We’re going to talk right now. You’re going to explain a few things to me.” He pulled a rolled up manila envelope from his inside jacket pocket and smacked it on his hand. “You think you can just move on from me? No, I want you back in my life. You’re going to be mine and only mine. I’ve told Missy I’m leaving her for you. And this...” he opened the envelope and dumped photos on the floor between them.

  Her breath caught in her throat when she saw pictures of herself in the tight dress she’d worn on the date last night, photographs of Liam, and some of the two of them making out in the Jacuzzi. How was this possible? A shiver trailed down her spine, coldness chilled her to the core.

  “Where did you get those, Jared? Were you following me?” she said, sounding weak and helpless even to her own ears. “I don’t want anything to do with you.” She cleared her throat, trying to sound more confident. “You can’t just barge back into my life after what you did and said. You’re married.”

  Jared rushed her, pushing her back against the closed front door. “I hired a private investigator. He knows all about what you’ve been up to. Going to a dating agency. There is no way that pretty boy could make you happy. I’m the only one who can do that. And I will be the only one.” He pulled a gun from the inside of his jacket and pushed it against her chest. “If you don’t think I’m serious about having you in my life, then you’re mistaken. I will not let anyone else have you if I can’t have you. If that’s not incentive enough, the private investigator found out where your new boy toy lives for me. He has a nice happy family. They would be very sad without one of their middle children,” he snapped as he pulled out another photo of an older couple that resembled Liam.

  Tears poured down her cheeks. Olivia couldn’t believe this was happening. She did not want to put Liam or his family at risk, and she was scared that Jared was going to get tired of her and kill her. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to find the words to say to this evil man.

  “Looks like you’re trying to say something. Let me help you out. Are you going to come back to me? Or do you want this man and his family to die?” he shoved the gun against her chest even harder.

  She cried out in pain and fear as she closed her eyes. “I’ll be with you. Just please: don’t hurt him. Okay? Please.”

  To her surprise, Jared lowered the gun and put his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her into his arms. “Shhh, there you go. It’s going to be okay now.” He tilted her chin up and kissed her, making her taste the revolting mix of alcohol and vomit. Everything in her wanted to struggle and pull back away from him, but she didn’t know how he’d react, so she stayed still and endured it until he finally pulled away. “You always did kiss like a dead fish,” he commented. He clapped her on the head and pushed her toward the stairs. “Call your office and tell them you’re taking a sick day.” He walked behind her. “Don’t let them know you’re with me, and don’t act all whiny or scared, or I’ll make you regret it.”

  Olivia placed her hand on her head where he hit her, and she kept her eyes down. She thought about trying to call 9-1-1 when he wasn’t looking, but if he found out what she was doing...she didn’t want Liam or his family to be hurt because of her. She cared about him too much to let that to happen.

  “Okay, I’ll call in. Just give me a moment to compose myself.” She headed to the bathroom, not bothering to close the door. She figured he would just break it open anyways. After splashing cool water on her face, she dried off with a hand towel. It didn’t help much, but gave her some time to calm down and be away from him.<
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  He laid on her bed when she came back and the gun was beside him within arms reach. His gaze drifted up to her as he looked over her phone. “Cute text messages. Give your office a call now.” He held it out for her, and she could see that he’d been looking at her conversation with Liam. Olivia cleared her throat and took a deep breath before dialing her boss’s number. He wouldn’t be in the office right now, but she could leave a message for him. She kept her gaze on Jared as she put on her best sick, nasally voice and coughed a few times while telling the answering machine that she would not be in today. The moment she ended the call, Jared snatched the phone away from her. “Go on then. Get some sleep. We’ll have plenty of time to spend together when you wake up.”

  Her stomach soured, but she did as he said. The thought of him being close to her disgusted her, so she was relieved when he clomped downstairs after she crawled into bed. Her gaze drifted up to the ceiling. After a few moments of staring, her eyes widened as she remembered the plans she made with Liam. He would be coming over here. This couldn’t be happening to her.

  Chapter Ten

  Olivia jumped when she felt the bed dip under someone else’s body weight. For one blissful moment, she thought about Liam, but the memory of her rude awakening this morning ripped that away. She went completely still as she opened her eyes.

  Jared sat with his back facing her. “You know, you shouldn’t have told your friends we broke up,” he mused. “Think of how confused they’ll be when they find out we’re together again.” He slapped her cell phone with force on the nightstand without looking at her.

  She worried for a moment about him breaking it, but that was the least of her concerns. Her gaze drifted to the other side of the bed. Maybe she could run down the stairs and escape? But he had the gun. If she tried to run, she had no doubt he would shoot her.

  “You didn’t help matters, when you made a scene in front of Sophie. Even if I hadn’t…” Olivia trailed off.

  He shook his head and looked her as if she were a foolish girl who had not learned her lesson. “You forced me to go there. The way you acted, how you looked. It needed to be said. Surely your friend understands that.”

  It felt useless to argue with him. He was not even making sense. “Can I go make us breakfast? I’ll make your favorite?” she asked sweetly. She wasn’t hungry, but she wanted to get away from him. Perhaps she could gain his trust by doting on him while she figured out a way to get help.

  Jared finally turned to look at her. “I suppose you can.” He didn’t look entirely convinced. “Let’s go downstairs then.” She felt him watching her as she descended the stairs.

  The kitchen was beside the living room, and her gaze drifted over to the front door. She headed for the fridge, pulling her attention back since the last thing she needed right now was to piss him off. She made them breakfast in a deliberate fashion to avoid raising suspicion.

  She sat at the kitchen table in front of him, pulling her robe tighter around her and wishing she could put on some clothes. “Is everything to your liking?” she asked, her voice cracking a little.

  “I’ve had better, but it’s fine.” He sounded annoyed, hardened. She did not even recognize this as the man she spent years in love with.

  Once they finished eating, she cleaned up their dishes. He stayed there, leaning against the counter, watching her. She looked at the knives in the sink, thinking about taking one and defending herself. But like the saying went, don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. She would just be asking for trouble if she threatened him with one.

  “Let’s watch some television. I’m getting bored here, and since you’re not providing entertainment...” he looked at her as if she should be throwing herself at him, ready for his touch. “You gave it up to that man on the yacht. Was I not good enough for you? Did you have to find someone with more money, you little gold digger?” He spat on her kitchen floor.

  That comment made her so angry she could not hold back. “You’re crazy,” she heard herself say. The moment the words left her lips, she knew she made a mistake. He charged across the kitchen toward her with his fist cocked back and swung, knocking her into the counter behind her. Blood trailed down her cheek. A whimper squeezed from her throat, and she put both hands over her face. “H-how could you do that, Jared?”

  His lips twisted into a grimace, and he wrapped his arms around her. “I’m sorry,” he started. “I didn’t mean to. You brought that out in me. You shouldn’t have said that. Let’s just watch television and forget it ever happened. Okay?” When he pulled back, his face was calmer again. He placed his hand on her lower back and nudged her toward the couch.

  It was hard not to watch the clock as the day drifted by. She heard her phone vibrate in Jared’s pocket as they watched some reality TV. She squelched a yawn, but just barely. The only way she kept herself entertained was planning different ways of escape, but none seemed plausible. She could only sit there and wait for this nightmare to hopefully end. Maybe he’d decide she wasn’t worth it and leave? Maybe he’d go back to his wife and forget Olivia existed? She could only hope that was the case. The more time that passed, the less optimistic she felt.

  She looked at the wall clock again, and tension coursed through her. What was she going to do when Liam arrived? Would she just not answer the door? Would he take the hint, or would Jared allow that? If he got pissed at Liam and killed him for “interrupting” their time together, she’d never forgive herself.

  She didn’t know what to do or what would make things better. Her stomach ached as nausea churned in her gut. Breakfast was hours ago, but now didn’t seem like it wanted to stay down. She opened her mouth to excuse herself to the restroom when Jared stood up abruptly. He grabbed the gun and glared down at her. “I’m going to the bathroom. You stay here. Understand me?”

  Olivia nodded. She watched the television again, and wrapped a blanket around her tighter. When she heard the bathroom door shut, she felt relieved that Jared was gone, even just for a moment. She released the blanket and tossed it aside before standing up quietly. The space between the couch and the door felt like crossing an ocean. She strained to listen for Jared as her feet silently padded across the hardwood floor. When her hand encircled the doorknob, victory was within reach. Her other hand quietly grabbed the keys to her car, and the door opened with a soft squeak as the sound of running water hit her ears.

  Panic squeezed her throat, and she stepped outside, softly closing the door behind her as the sound of heavy footsteps pounded against the floor now. He knows! She was part of the way to her car when her front door opened. Her gaze shifted to the blue sports car as it pulled into her parking lot. None of her neighbors had a car like that…

  When she saw Liam in the driver’s seat, her chest tightened. Jared had a gun, and she didn’t doubt he would use it on Liam, or his family. She couldn’t let that happen. Jared cleared his throat loudly as if trying to get her attention, but he knew he already had it. She kicked herself for what she was about to do, but it was for Liam’s safety. She wanted to be with him, but there would be no future for them together if they were both dead.

  Chapter Eleven

  For Liam, the work day was dragging. But he couldn’t stop himself smiling when he thought about spending more time with Olivia.The world felt a little brighter and more optimistic than it had a few days earlier. He typed out a few text messages to her, knowing she’d probably be busy, but craved connection with her again. Time passed by without any response from her. His first emotion was the sting of rejection. Did he imagine their connection? Had she decided that she didn’t want anything to do with him?

  That theory didn’t make sense, because she’d sounded as excited about their next date as he did. Maybe Olivia was just really busy with work. His bear rumbled in his chest. Something felt wrong about that. He checked his cell phone again. It could be all in his head. He’d stick to their plan and go by her place at the set time. If something was wrong, they could talk it over.


  Mason knocked on the open door to Liam’s office, and he stepped inside without waiting for an answer. They had a casual policy with one another while at work. Both of them pulled their weight in taking care of the family’s business, but sometimes they needed support and a shoulder to lean on. Liam set down his phone and leaned back in his chair. “Hey.”

  “Are you okay? You don’t look too happy. Aren’t you going out tonight with your new lady?” he asked, walking over to sit in the chair in front of Liam’s desk.

  “Supposedly. I sent her a few messages, but I haven’t gotten an answer so far. Hopefully I didn’t just imagine our attraction.” He shook his head and kept himself from glancing over at the phone again.

  “I see. From what you said, it seemed like everything went well. Besides, your bear recognized her. I’m sure you’ll hear from her. She’s probably just preoccupied with work.” Mason gave him a hopeful smile, but it cracked a little around the edges. “You know, I don’t think there’s much else to be done today. Maybe go home, or you could head over to her place a little early.”

  “Right, that wouldn’t make me look like a stalker at all.” He chuckled, but the more he thought about it, the more the idea of getting out of here to go see what was going on felt right.

  “Well, I can’t act all high and mighty about that. I got Ava’s address from a private investigator,” he shrugged.

  Liam rubbed his hands over his face before releasing a sigh. “Okay, I guess you’re right. I’ll go make sure everything’s fine. It feels like something’s...off, but what if she just doesn’t feel the same way? I could make a fool out of myself.”

  “Would you rather risk making a fool of yourself, or not do anything and live with regret?” He patted his hand on the desk. “You know I’m always a phone call away if you need to talk. Come on. I’ll walk you out.” He stood up, and they talked a little as the two of them left the building.