“After he threw the plates he came back to the table and acted like nothing was wrong. He insisted the chef serve our dessert while my face was bleeding all over the linen napkin. I was afraid he would punish me for staining it but he didn’t. Instead, he fired the chef that night. She was the sole support of her family. They were deported back to Brazil after a fire broke out at their home destroying everything. He claimed responsibility for all of it as repayment for making me unhappy. And because of my lack of gratitude, he gave me only bread and water for two weeks and wouldn’t allow me to leave my room. He chained me in there like an animal.” She took in a deep steadying breath as all those old emotions washed over her. She hated Ethan. He tried to destroy her. Little by little he tried to consume her life but she always kept a piece of her pride to herself. She wouldn’t let him break her completely and she silently fought him in her own way. It drove him crazy that he couldn’t touch that part of her.
“How did you get together with him?” Paul asked softly. He carefully brushed her hair off her cheek. She was surprised by his gentleness after reliving what Ethan did to her. She shivered at his touch. She watched as Paul slowly unclenched her fist and laced his fingers with hers. She stared at their joined hands and took a deep steadying breath. It reminded her of Ethan’s words, “One life, one blood, two joined together as one forever.” She squeezed her eyes shut. No! She was not joined to Ethan.
“He’s handsome and persistent. He wouldn’t take no for an answer when he started pursuing me. I didn’t know he was so unstable when I first met him. I would have refused all his advances, but that probably wouldn’t have stopped him. He brought me flowers and invited me for late dinners and early coffee dates. He seemed boyishly awkward and charming, a little insecure. He flattered me with endless compliments and gifts and the only thing he asked in return was my time. I could see he was extremely intelligent but he was so awkward. I guess I was sympathetic because I was insecure in so many ways. I never dated much and I often froze up in social situations – like he would. Sometimes he spoke technical jargon I couldn’t understand, and other times he sounded like a poet. He would get jealous of other men talking to me and he’d always compare himself to them. I didn’t realize every man who enraged him would have something taken away.”
Paul continued to trace his thumb over the back of her hand, but she knew she had his undivided attention. “What do you mean? What would he take?”
Olivia let out a long sigh. “He’s destructive. He’s ruined a lot of people’s lives. He gets jealous and spiteful and uses his knowledge with computers to hurt others. It’s child’s play to hack into a person’s bank account and remove the funds. He can give someone a criminal record. He has people working for him - people with no morals who will do anything. He’s caused people to contract HIV and other diseases; the severity of the disease depended on how offended he was. I can only imagine what he’s tried to do to my family. His men steal viruses from medical labs and inje
ct them into victims. He blackmails government officials so they’ll bend the rules for him. He’s stolen millions upon millions. He’s had people killed. He can hack into any government system within a few minutes. He’s a demon, Paul. And he’s obsessed. He’ll do anything to get me back.”
“And you think that if I picked up the phone right now and had my buddy start an investigation on him, it would lead him here?”
Olivia’s eyes widened with fear and she started trembling. “Please don’t, Paul. I have to trust you. You said I could trust you. He has unlimited resources. Please don’t tell anyone; you have to keep my secret. You can’t find out who he is. If you do anything so drastic he’ll locate me right away, and he’ll punish both of us.”
Paul pulled her close. “Easy, honey. I’m not going to do anything to put you at risk. But if this guy is as bad as you say, then he has to be stopped. You’re not the only one he’s hurting.”
“I know,” Olivia nodded. “You have no idea the guilt I live with because of him and all the people he’s hurt. The night I left, he warned me he was about to destroy a young man I spoke to at a party. We talked about the weather. Is it fair to lose your career because of such a stupid conversation with a stranger? A friend of mine suffered a broken jaw because of Ethan’s jealousy. And I have no idea what’s happened to my parents. I’m too scared to contact them because I know he’s watching and waiting for me to get in touch with them.”
Paul’s arms tightened around her. “Shhh, none of that is your fault. I’m sure your parents are fine, otherwise he would have gloated over what he did to them, don’t you think? You can’t carry such a load of guilt and worry. Right now we have to take care of you.” He tipped her chin up so she was forced to meet his gaze. His blue eyes softened as he studied her. “Thank you for telling me; thank you for trusting me.”
“I don’t know why I trust you, but I do,” she admitted with a shuddering sigh.
“That’s enough for now,” Paul said before his lips closed over hers.
SEVEN
“What are you grinning about?” Taylor, one of Olivia’s co-workers demanded. She was as thin as Olivia but very short. She made up for her lack of height with ridiculous platform shoes. She reached up and smoothed her pixie haircut as she bent over one of the makeup mirrors at the counter. “You don’t really share much about yourself, Chelsey.”
Olivia shrugged. She’d encountered this same conversation before. Her caution and reticence made people think she was a snob. She didn’t like putting up walls to keep people out but right now those walls kept her safe. “I didn’t realize I was smiling.”
“Oh, yeah, and I bet it’s because of a guy.” Taylor spun around and studied Olivia with a raised brow. “So who is he?”
“Who do you mean?” Olivia hedged but she knew Taylor was talking about Paul. And yes, she’d been thinking about Paul. He’d carried her up the stairs last night despite her protests, then tucked her in bed.
“The guy who drives you to work every day in that big bad-ass truck. He’s your boyfriend, right? I wouldn’t mind waking up to his gorgeous face every morning.”
Olivia stiffened. She didn’t like other women drooling over her guy. Besides, the situation was a lot more complicated than Taylor realized, and Olivia doubted Taylor would care about the details anyway. She was saved from answering when a customer approached the counter.
“Hello Miss, I’m looking for Belle Femme. Do you carry this fragrance?”
Olivia stiffened instinctively. Belle Femme was the perfume she’d modeled for four years ago. Her face was on large posters in the stores, flyers, and even on the fragrance boxes. Thankfully they’d moved on to a new model since then – several in fact.
She quickly gathered her composure and pressed a stiff smile to her lips. “Um yes. Of course, ma’am. Would you like the two ounce bottle or the four?” She bent to unlock the cabinet then slid the door back. With a barely noticeable wince, she straightened and put the two boxes on the counter.
The woman eyed the boxes then shook her head. “Neither of those are right. A few years ago I got the special pink one, you know with that ballerina on the box. I want that one.”
Olivia pursed her lips as a horrible feeling of dread crept up her spine. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but we don’t have that in stock any longer. If you like, I can ask my manager to give you a special discount on one of these since we no longer carry –“
“I saw some of those in the overstock cabinet yesterday,” Taylor piped in. “Hold on a sec while I get it for you.” She dashed away and was back in less than two minutes, carrying a small pale pink box. She grinned with triumph, and waggled her brows at Olivia. “You’ll have to forgive my co-worker, Chelsey. She’s new to the team and didn’t even know we have a cabinet for things like this.”
The woman snatched the box out of Taylor’s hand and held it up for inspection. “Yes, this looks right, there’s the ballerina.” She turned the box and her eyes widened. “Wait a minute. You look exactly like her.”
Olivia cringed but kept a placid smile on her face. “Pardon me?”
“I can’t believe this! You’re the ballerina, aren’t you? I don’t remember her name but you could pass for twins.” She held up the box close to Olivia’s face and did a comparison. “Don’t you think?” she asked Taylor.
Taylor pursed her lips and squinted between the box and Olivia and back again. Olivia wished she could sink through the floor.