Tangled in Vows (Tangled & Torn #2)

10. Olivia

Chapter 10

Olivia

Without even trying, you stole my heart.

T his is a horrible idea.

As in colossally bad.

Possibly one of the worst ideas I’ve ever had.

The worst one was, without a doubt, thinking I could believe a word from his mouth. Felix. My ex-fiancé. The boy my aunt’s community picked for me to marry. A shiver runs through me just thinking about him.

Could he have sent me those flowers? I haven’t seen him since I left my old life behind all those years ago and came to the city. Where I met Holden. Where I became Olivia Parker.

“Are you ready for this?” Holden looks at me, clearly waiting for an answer.

I swallow and stare past him out the car window. There’s already a group of photographers waiting to make some money. Fortunately for them, and unfortunately for me, they will make a lot of it with our pictures.

Even more now since the news hit that I’m married.

Still.

Again?

I have a husband .

Six years ago, it was a weird concept to be married. But at least I was in charge. It was on my terms. I was the one who initiated it, and I had a good reason for it.

But now, things are drastically different. I’m a lot older, in the public eye, and Holden and me . . . Well, nothing is how it used to be. The circumstances have changed. The rules have changed, and I’m unsure how to play this game.

You’re my wife.

Holden’s words reverberate through my brain like an annoying earworm I can’t get rid of. And the nonsense about maiming any man who touches me? Every word he uttered was filled with possessiveness. I shouldn’t find it hot. Nope. This can’t happen again.

But the way he pushed his hands into your hair.

I wanted to melt.

Damn it.

Focus.

I blow out a breath. “Let’s get this over with.”

Holden opens his door and exits. Random shouts and flashing lights immediately fill the dim interior of the vehicle. Through it all, Holden shields me from view, giving me a much-needed extra reprieve.

I shift in my seat, eyeing the door behind me. The need to run rushes through my body like a live wire, rendering me frozen.

You’ve got this. Just smile. Everything’s great, and you’re happily married. Pretending is your specialty.

Holden leans down and extends his hand toward me.

Our gazes connect, and something buzzes low in my stomach, especially when he gives me one of his soft smiles.

The same soft smile he used to give me on an almost daily basis.

My chest rises and falls with rapid breaths, but his smile never falters.

His fingers beckon. “Come on, Hurricane. Let’s have some fun.”

Have fun?

I can’t even remember the last time I had fun in a casual setting. A situation where I didn’t have to be “on” for a shoot, an interview, or any other type of appearance. Most of the time, those are fun, but they’re also a lot of work. Sometimes I have to work extra hard to keep my resting bitch face hidden.

Yes, let’s pretend this is exactly that. Work where I can’t be caught showing signs of anything but happiness.

This is for the fans and press.

But after today, I deserve to let loose for a while. To forget about the past, about some stranger breaking into my condo, finding out I’m still married to the man who left me, being forced to pretend I’m happily married, and receiving flowers with a cryptic message.

Tonight, I just want to be.

So I place my hand into Holden’s large one, ignoring the electric current that zips down my spine at the contact.

The moment I’m out of the SUV, the camera flashes multiply a hundredfold. People shout my name, a few even yelling Holden’s. He tugs me against his side, half shielding me from the crowd as he directs me past the security guards and through the club’s back entrance. The door closes behind us with a bang .

The paparazzi noise switches to the low base of the music inside.

We entered a hallway that seems for staff only, with several closed office doors along both sides.

We only stop long enough for Holden to glance at me with an unasked question. I nod to tell him I’m okay, and he pulls me toward a staircase at the end. At the top, there’s a door that says VIP Only. We pass more beefy security men, and they all nod at Holden. Do they know him? How often does he come here?

I’ve never been to this club before but heard about it. It’s one of three interconnected ones in the city. I always wondered why there are several in such close proximity, or what makes them so special, but they’re all wildly successful. And hard to get into, apparently. Heather once told me that people need an invitation.

We step into the main area, and I let my gaze roam.

Strobe lights flash to the beat of the loud music, the bass thumping in my chest. There aren’t a lot of people up here compared to the level beneath. One peek over the balcony shows nothing but a sea of writhing bodies.

While the first level is an open floor with two large bars on opposite sides, the upstairs is spacious and luxurious. Rounded velvet booths grace the walls, offering ample room and privacy to their occupants. Everything is set in black and deep purple with gold accents, giving it an almost sensual vibe.

Holden leads me toward a booth in the corner, and I stumble when I see it’s already occupied. The last thing I need right now is to mingle with strangers. My social batteries are completely drained.

“Liv.” Evie shrieks and jumps out of her seat, barreling past Holden to get to me. Her arms go around my middle, and she yanks me to her. “I was afraid you changed your mind and weren’t coming. It’s so good to see you.”

Thankfully, the music is subdued enough up here, saving us from having to yell over it.

I return her embrace, soaking in the warmth of seeing my friend. Of being hugged.

She draws back to give me a once-over before doing the same to Holden, adding a slight glare. It only lasts a second before she bands her arms around him and hugs him.

He kisses the top of her head. “Hey, Princess.”

“That’s enough fondling my wife.” Evie’s billionaire husband, Phoenix, appears beside her, pulling her away from Holden. “You have one of your own.”

The noise swallows my quiet gasp at the sharp tone in his voice. Evie told me that Holden didn’t mention our marriage to either of them. From the looks of it, keeping it a secret created some tension.

You never told anyone either.

Because you never trusted anyone with your past. Not fully.

Holden knows a few things about the community and the arranged marriages they often perform, but he doesn’t even know it all. I didn’t want to share how bad things had been there.

I just wanted to forget.

There’s a reason I have my forget-me box, after all, for everything I want to erase from my memories as best as possible. The illusion of pretending those things don’t exist anymore helps me to detach myself from my past. Sometimes.

“Yes, Hold.” Evie pokes him in the chest. “I still can’t believe you are married.”

Holden rubs a hand over his beard. “Well, I guess it was a big surprise to all of us.” His gaze flicks to me before returning to his friends. “But let’s not talk about it anymore.”

Right. He doesn’t want to bitch about how he’s stuck with me for the next six months while I’m standing right here.

Well, if he had stuck around like a decent person, we could have gotten divorced like normal people, avoiding this stupid situation altogether.

But he didn’t.

The reminder has angry heat crawling up my neck, and I yank my hand out of his.

Why on earth was I still holding it anyway?

The grasp on my forget-me box weakens, letting more resentment over the past and this ludicrous situation slip out. Everything around me suddenly moves in slow motion, and I grow dizzy. Cold sweat forms on my neck, and spots pepper my vision.

I mumble some excuse and mindlessly stumble toward the hallway from where we came earlier. The restrooms must be back there.

I need to escape. I have to put a lid on this.

You can’t have pictures of you looking drunk out of your mind again.

A women’s restroom sign is up ahead. I sigh with relief and shove open the door. Finally, a minute to breathe and compose myself. The second the thought flits through my mind, someone else walks in behind me. Evie must have followed me. But of course, it’s not her but Holden.

He locks the door behind him and stares at where I stand, unmoving. At least it’s a single-person bathroom. And clean. A perk of this VIP area I’m extra grateful for right now.

“Tell me what’s wrong.” Holden rakes a hand through his hair until strands loosen from his bun, but he either doesn’t notice or care. After some pacing, he stops mere inches away from me.

My chest is getting crushed in a vise. “Hold, please, I just . . . I just need a damn moment. Okay?”

He stares at me, his eyes so full of sorrow that it might as well be a punch to my gut.

What is going on?

Before I have time to ask, he captures my face gently in his palms. “Fuck, Hurricane. I’m doing everything wrong. No matter what I do, I just . . . I want to . . . Damn it . . . Every time I think I do something good, it turns into shit somehow.” He heaves a sigh and swallows. “If I thought it was enough, if I could explain things, tell you everything . . . fuck . . . I want to sink to my knees and beg for your forgiveness. More than anything, I want you to forgive me. Even if I don’t deserve it.”

Giving me no time to react, he presses his forehead against mine and continues, “But it’s not enough. Nothing will ever be enough. No apology. I . . . I don’t think I can fix what’s broken between us, and I hate it. And I’m so sorry.” His voice breaks at the last word. “So fucking sorry, Hurricane. Leaving you . . . without a goodbye or explanation . . . it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. And knowing how much I hurt you kills me a bit more every day.”

His voice has lost all its power.

I’ve never seen him this way before.

So raw. So broken.

“Then why did you? Why did you leave me? I thought you were my friend.” Heat builds behind my eyelids. I squeeze them closed, fighting to push the painful emotions back down where they belong. “You were all I had. The only person in my life, and then you . . . you . . . you just abandoned me like I was nothing. A no one. Not worth a single thing.”

I don’t even recognize my voice as I force out each agonizing word. It’s shattered. Wrecked.

Just like me.

Forbidden tears run down my cheeks, and I wipe at them furiously. I hate every single one of them.

“No.” He shakes his head repeatedly, his entire face sagging. “No, no, no. I swear it was the exact opposite. Everything I did was for you. To keep you safe. To protect you. You were all I could think about. My number one priority.”

My head is spinning.

His thumbs wipe over my cheeks. “Breathe, baby.”

At his words, I gasp. Oxygen floods my lungs, easing the pressure in my chest.

This is . . . he can’t . . .

What is he talking about? None of this makes any sense.

My confusion mixes with the pain and anger still swirling inside me until my temples throb from the jumbled mess.

I open my mouth to get some answers, but Holden’s phone rings before I can say anything.

He ignores it, but the second it stops, it starts up again.

I blink and pull out of his grasp to put some much-needed distance between us. Why was I still letting him touch me anyway?

Because his touch has always made you feel better.

Taking another step back, I say, “You should take that. It might be important.”

Holden looks ready to argue, but he gets out his phone instead. After one glance at the screen, the irritation on his face shifts into something else. Something more rigid and more brutal.

“O’Neal, this better be good news.”

Detective O’Neal? A chill rushes down my spine.

There’s nothing wrong. Stop overreacting.

I watch Holden while he listens to whatever the detective has to say.

Within seconds, his entire demeanor changes. He’s getting taller. Bigger. More intimidating. More indestructible. More menacing.

I want to shake him, to demand what happened. Did anyone get hurt? Any more information leaked?

Oh my God, did they find out about Felix?

I tug at my dress. Glance at the mirror and wipe under my eyes. Making sure I’m presentable, just in case.

Stupid. As if that’s important right now.

“What the fuck, O’Neal?”

I jump at Holden’s angry voice.

His hand curls into a fist, and for a second, I’m worried he will smash his phone or punch the wall.

“No, this is bullshit, and you know it. And since when do you care about the rules?” He pauses to listen, his nostrils flaring. “Fine. Send me everything you’ve got.”

He pockets the phone without a goodbye and stares at me. Every fiber of his body screams he is the bearer of bad news.

“What is it?” I cross my arms in front of me to keep my hands from shaking by my sides.

Holden bites the corner of his lip before replying, “The guy who broke into your condo had proof to back up his story, so they had to let him go.”

“What? No. What kind of proof?”

The vein in his temple pulses furiously. “He had endless message exchanges with you, confirming everything he said to be true.”