Chapter Seventeen
Elodie was running later than initially planned. She’d hoped to leave the shop before one o’clock, but a new shipment of inventory came in early. Charley had insisted she could handle it on her own, but it was a big order. What should’ve been an extra thirty minutes turned into an hour. By the time she left, Elodie was racing to her car with her hands full.
The X-Lounge was only twenty minutes from the boutique, but with stops at the bakery and party store, she was now going to be almost two hours later than she’d told Oz. She pulled into the rear lot of the club, gathering all her things. She was walking to the back door wondering how she’d ever get inside without a free hand when it suddenly opened.
A familiar member of security stepped outside, holding the door. She hadn’t formally met Caine, but she’d heard his name from Oz and Nash. Of all the men on Oz’s team, he was by far the most intimidating. Over six feet, wide-shouldered, and muscular, shaved head, thick dark beard, and a glare so sharp even Elodie made a point of avoiding eye contact. His silence only added to his menacing persona.
“Thank you,” she said as she passed.
Elodie walked down the hall, hearing Caine’s heavy footsteps trailing behind. As soon as she reached the elevator, the doors opened. She hadn’t expected Caine to ride up with her. But he did.
She shifted on her feet, trying to balance everything while ignoring the awkward silence. She peeked over at him. He was staring straight ahead, standing eerily still. Except for his jaw. Is he chewing gum?
When the elevator doors opened, she noticed Ridge and Cyrus standing on either side.
She stepped out and smiled. “Hi.”
Both men glanced over her and then above her head.
She noticed Cyrus flatten his lips and angle his head, looking away. There was a faint semblance of a smile. She probably looked ridiculous. Caine cleared his throat, and she shifted to the side. A little too quickly. The box in her hand wobbled, and she gasped when she felt it slip from her hand. Caine shot out his hand, grabbing the edge to steady it.
“Thank you.”
Caine’s scowl deepened, but he lowered his chin.
“Nash is coming to you walk you back,” Ridge said, pointing to the left.
She looked toward the hall just as Nash rounded the corner. His steps slowed, as his gaze traveled over the obnoxious bouquet of balloons. He furrowed his brows when he saw what she was holding. She’d gotten a small cake from the bakery and a gift for Oz.
Oz had mentioned he didn’t celebrate his birthday. Apparently, he’d made that known to everybody.
“I know he’s going to hate it.” Her lips twitched as she bit back her chuckle.
Nash cupped his mouth, sliding his hand over his jaw. “That’s an understatement.”
Nash stepped to the side and waved his hand for her to pass with his eyes scanning over the balloons again. His lips twisted, and she resisted the urge to laugh. What was it with these men?
He stopped at the door, looking back, mainly at the balloons.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” From his tone, she suspected it wasn’t a teasing inquiry. It sounded like a warning.
“Yes.”
Nash sighed, opened the door, but made no move to walk in. She peeked around the doorframe and walked in.
Oz was in the corner making a drink when the door behind her closed. He glanced over his shoulder and stilled.
“Surprise!” Elodie cheered, raising her arm which in turn shifted the balloons. “I know you don’t celebrate your birthday but I couldn’t resist.”
He placed his glass on the table and stalked toward her. When he was a few feet away she lifted the box higher with a bright, beaming smile. It only lasted a second.
Elodie wasn’t even sure where the pocketknife had come from, but he pulled it out as if he’d used it a hundred times. Before she could blink, he’d popped all six balloons. Her jaw dropped and she stared at the sad deflated latex dangling from the strings.
What the…
“I don’t like balloons.”
She jerked her gaze. “Obviously.”
What started out as a chuckle morphed into an uncontrollable laugh. Oz didn’t join in. He shook his head and hardened his stare. When she sobered, Elodie walked over to his desk, placing the cake and bag down. When she turned, Oz was standing directly in front of her.
Without warning, he hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her against his chest. His mouth came over hers, and she wrapped her arm around his shoulders. If this was the welcome she got after not seeing him for a few days, she might have to do it again. The thought was fleeting. She’d missed him too much.
His tongue slid over hers, deepening the kiss, sending heat straight to her core. His hand slid up her back, around her neck, and cupped her jaw, ending the kiss too soon. He broke away but kept her locked in his hold with his heavy breath fanning over her face.
“Happy birthday,” she whispered.
“I told you I don’t celebrate.” He growled.
Such a stubborn hardass.
“Fine, then I’ll eat all the cake myself.” She cocked her brow. “But you’re missing out because I went to the good bakery for you.”
His eyes softened and the corner of his mouth curled. He kissed her again and stepped back, making his way to the bar in the corner.
“Would you like a drink?”
“Yes, please.” Elodie walked to the seating area and sat. A minute later, Oz joined her on the couch and handed her a glass.
“How’s your day going?”
Oz rested his arm on the back of the sofa. “I want to hear about yours.”
She shrugged. “Uneventful. I opened, and then the inventory…”
“Not today.” He scanned her face. “The last few days.”
Shit! She would’ve been a fool to think he hadn’t suspected something was wrong. Up until two days ago, she’d spent every night of the last month with him except when he was out of town. With all that had happened, she wasn’t in a good place, mentally.
She stared down at her glass. “I just had some things going on.”
His hand slipped through her hair at the back of her neck. “Tell me.”
“It’s nothing really.” It was probably the biggest lie she’d ever told and retracted immediately. “It’s something.”
“What?”
Elodie sighed. “My past coming back to haunt me.”
“How so?’
She slowly glanced over at Oz. Sharing a secret she’d held onto for so long felt like a betrayal to her mother. She’d made a promise. Her mom had broken it by telling her uncle. A deathbed confession. It wasn’t the same for Elodie, yet she found herself wanting Oz to know. He’d have to know her past if she wanted him to be her future. Secrets carried a heavy burden, and Elodie needed to be rid of this one.
After talking with her uncle, a different picture emerged in her head. It was as if it was the wakeup call she needed to just let it go. It served her no good to hold onto it. The only person left hurting from it was her.
“When I was about eight years old, my father was murdered.” She cleared her throat. “It was a break in. My father was home at the time. They shot him in our living room.”
His hand stilled on the back of her neck. “That’s tragic.”
“Yeah.” Elodie snorted. “They beat him with a bat until he couldn’t even stand. There was so much blood everywhere. He was on the floor in a ball, and they stomped on him. When he stopped moving, one of them kicked him again, and he made a faint gurgling sound.” She drew in a deep breath. “Then they shot him.”
“How do you know all this?”
Her heart pounded and an anxious energy raced through her body.
“Elodie?” He whispered.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and licked her lips. “Because I was there.”
“You witnessed his murder?”
Elodie nodded, sinking deeper into the couch. “I wasn’t supposed to be home. I was waiting for the bus when I saw this group of boys coming toward me. Jason, their leader , loved nothing more than picking on me. He was pretty nasty. He never rode the bus, but that day he did. The thought of being harassed for twenty minutes with no escape scared me so I left and walked home. I knew my mom had already gone to work, and my dad was rarely home in the mornings, so I figured I would just skip the day. If the school called, I would just say I was sick and feed my mom the same story. I walked in through the back door and didn’t sense a thing.” Elodie drew in a breath and shook her head. “I dropped my backpack on the floor, and walked into the kitchen. I could see them through the doorway. I was paralyzed with fear. It felt like hours watching them beat him. Then two of them pulled out guns and shot him.”
“They didn’t see you?” Oz’s tone was soft.
“One did. As they were leaving, he looked over. Stared at me, like he was memorizing my face.” Elodie shrugged. “And then they were gone.”
Oz shifted his body but kept his hand on her. “Then what?”
“After I stood there for what felt like hours, the sound of sirens knocked me out of my haze. I ran to my neighbor’s back porch. Donna was good friends with my mom and had babysat me a few times. I started to tell her what happened but she stopped me. She took me in her house, brought me upstairs to one of the bedrooms and called my mom. I remember the police coming to Donna’s door, but she never told them I was there. In fact, she said that my mom was at work, and I was in school.”
“You never told the police you saw who did it?”
“I never spoke to the police. When I told my mom what happened, she said we couldn’t tell anyone. If the men who killed my dad found out, they’d come back for her and me.”
His jaw squared, and his gaze darkened.
“The next week we moved across town. That was it. We never talked about it. Eventually I just blocked it out, I guess.”
Oz cupped his mouth. “What changed?”
“I saw him.” A shiver ran down his spine. “I was in a restaurant downtown and ran into a customer. I went over to say hi to her, and he was there.”
“How could you be sure it was him?”
“A few months ago, I finally started going through my mom’s things. Mostly pictures, keepsakes, and paperwork. I was going to shred it all but wanted to look through them first. I noticed monthly cash deposits. Her bank statements were pretty nondescript, so no way to track it other than the name she wrote in parentheses. I don’t know why she wrote it down. Maybe for our security if something were to happen to her or me.” Elodie sipped her drink. “I looked up his name and when I saw his face, I knew it was the man who killed my father.”
“And you went looking for him?”
Elodie knitted her brows, shook her head and snorted. “No. Running into him was just happenstance. But I knew it was him, and it was confirmed when Quinn introduced us.”
His brows furrowed. “Quinn?”
“She was my customer at the restaurant.”
Oz’s jaw squared, and he slowly nodded.
“I saw him again a few days ago at the market. It freaked me out a little, triggered memories I want nothing more than to forget.” Her voice trailed off.
Oz reached out, looped her hair behind her ear, and cupped her cheek. She immediately curled into his palm and smiled. It felt good to open up to him and release the weight she’d carried for so long.
“You’re going to keep my secret, right?”
He arched his brow. “Shouldn’t you have asked that before you told me?”
Probably. Elodie scooted closer, dropping her head to his shoulder.
“It doesn’t matter. I trust you.”
And she did.
****
Fuck.
Oz sat in silence with a million things racing through his mind. Guilt rarely played a part in his life. But Elodie opening up to him and Oz knowing her secret felt like a betrayal to her. But he wasn’t in a position to come clean just yet.
She slid her hand over his chest, curling into his chest. “Did that get too deep?”
Oz tightened his hold on her back. “No.”
She pulled away slightly, glancing up at him. “You’re quiet.”
He arched his brow. “I’m thinking.”
“About what?”
Nothing he could share. His gaze scanned his office, landing on his desk. Mainly the white cardboard box and the blue and gold gift bag.
“If you insist on celebrating, shouldn’t you give me my gift?”
It was a distraction, and one Elodie completely gave into. She jumped up from the couch, rushing over to his desk and grabbing the bag. Oz had a firm stance on his birthday. He didn’t accept gifts, dinners, or any of type of celebration honoring him. He didn’t see the point.
But as with most things regarding Elodie, he was making another exception.
“I hope you like it.” She offered him the bag, which he immediately took. Her excitement alone had him intrigued. It died quickly when he unraveled the gift.
“The guy at the store said it’s one of the best.”
He fucking lied . Slapping a high price tag on a bottle didn’t mean it was good.
“And I have a cake.” She turned toward his desk, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her onto his lap. He slid his hand across her chest and up to her throat.
In the worst timing, his phone pinged, alerting him of his time crunch. While she may have had the rest of the day off, Oz had a full schedule of meetings with potential distributors. Nash had tried to reschedule, but they were only in town for the night.
“Ignore it,” she whispered and brushed her lips against his mouth. He tightened his hold, crushing her to his chest as he dipped his tongue between her lips, tasting her. It only lasted a few seconds. He broke off the kiss and smacked her ass.
“I have a meeting.”
“You always have a meeting.”
“As I’ve told you, I’m important.”
Elodie rolled her eyes, smirking.
“You’ll be at my place tomorrow tonight.” He growled, and she brushed her lips against his mouth before standing up. “Take the cake.”
“Fine.” Her lips twitched. “I’ll bring it to your place tomorrow. You will have a piece of birthday cake.”
Oz hardened his gaze. “Do you know what I hate more than balloons?”
“I’m guessing candles.”
My woman knows me.
She climbed off his lap, and he stood. Elodie gathered her bag and the box, meeting his at the door. She lifted up on her toes for a quick kiss.
When Oz opened the door, Nash was waiting a few feet away.
“He popped all the balloons,” Elodie said. He watched Nash smile, but he immediately caught himself and cleared his throat. “Ridge will walk you to your car.”
Elodie glanced up, smiling. “See you tomorrow night.”
Oz watched her walk down the hall and get into the elevator. He stepped back into his office with Nash following.
Oz dragged his hand over his jaw. “She knows.”
“How much?”
“Everything.”
Nash tucked his hands in his pockets. “How are we moving forward?”
It was the million-dollar question.
“Did you get the information I asked for?”
Nash nodded. “Pulled up everything on Eddie Burns. And there was a lot.”
It would be Oz’s only line of defense when he told Elodie the truth. He couldn’t put it off any longer. Not with her opening up to him like she did.
“Have Trey and Rogue come in tomorrow afternoon along with Sal.”
“I’ll set it up now,” Nash said, but made no move to walk away. “One more thing, Oz.”
He waited.
“We can’t find Garner.”
Fuck!