Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
OLIVIA
My head was pounding.
My eyes were closed.
I wanted to sleep, but it was too bright.
And the hushed voices disturbed me to the point that I was forced to pay attention to what was happening.
What was happening?
Think, Olivia. Think.
Why couldn’t I even open my eyes? They felt so heavy.
Suddenly, it all rushed back. Conrad. The car chase. Being struck by his vehicle and my car careening off the road into a ditch.
Then, nothing. I couldn’t remember anything after that.
“We’re ready for takeoff.”
Takeoff?
That was Conrad, and he was telling someone we were ready for takeoff. Was I on a plane? Oh, God. Oh, God.
I opened my eyes and sat up, but I did it far too quickly. Everything was spinning, so I lowered my gaze to my lap and noticed the mostly dried blood on my hands. Another drop fell into my palm.
My head was bleeding. Or my face. I lifted my hand to the side of my face that burned and ached and found that I was, indeed, bleeding.
Panic rose up inside me. My chest heaved with my rapid breaths.
I had to stay calm. I had to figure out what to do.
Okay. Okay. I could do this. I had to do this. Because nobody knew where I was, and even if Savanna realized that something was wrong when I didn’t show up for lunch, she’d never know where to look for me.
Slowly, carefully, I tipped my chin up and confirmed my worst fears.
I was on a plane, and Conrad was here. My best guess was that he’d chartered a private plane so he could come here to kidnap me. This was awful. But worse than that was the utter betrayal I felt at seeing my mom here with him.
So, they knew I was here, had brought me here themselves, and nobody even rendered medical attention. They hadn’t even tried to have me cleaned up. And based on the way my head felt, I suspected there was something more wrong than just a cut on my face.
I moved to stand, wondering if I’d be able to sneak by them somehow, but I felt so groggy. So dizzy. God, it felt like everything was moving in slow motion. My body. My mind. Everything around me.
“Oh, look who decided to join us.” Conrad’s condescending tone penetrated as I struggled to focus my attention on him.
How could I possibly save myself from this when I couldn’t even stand?
My mom stepped into my line of sight and sneered at me. “This was such an unnecessary waste of time, Olivia. If only you had listened to me months ago. What the hell were you thinking coming to this hellhole?”
Hellhole?
Rising Sun was the best place I’d ever visited in my whole life.
“I need to see a doctor,” I said. “I don’t feel good.”
“It’s just a scratch,” Conrad returned. “We’ll get you a doctor when we get back home.”
The concentration it took for me to formulate thoughts was tremendous. “This is kidnapping. I don’t want to leave.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” my mom scolded me. “You’ve caused enough trouble. You’ve ruined so much already. Just sit there, be quiet, and let me fix what I can of this mess you’ve made.”
“Please leave me alone. I don’t want this life you’ve manufactured for me anymore.”
“And you expect me to believe you’re happy here? What could this place possibly offer you?”
The tone of her voice grated on my nerves. I couldn’t bear listening to her any longer.
Maybe I’d have better luck with Conrad. Shifting my attention to him, the slight movement making me feel nauseous, I said, “I don’t love you, Conrad. I don’t want to marry you.”
Conrad returned a sinister laugh. “You think this is about love, Olivia? Is that what you thought this whole time? There might have been hope for us had you not done what you did, but we’re past that.”
Before I could say anything, a movement behind him caught my eye. I directed my attention to that movement and felt my stomach drop further. “Raven?”
She sent an icy smile my way. “Hello, Olivia. It’s been too long.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m supporting my man in his business endeavors.”
If there wasn’t such blazing pain in my head and on my face, my eyes might have rounded in shock at the news. “I’m sorry. What?”
Perhaps I’d heard her incorrectly in my disoriented state.
Raven took several steps forward, sidled up to Conrad, and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Conrad and I are together now. You blew your chance, and he’s mine now.”
Oh, these two were made for one another. And with my mother in the mix, they were quite the trio. But without me, Conrad wouldn’t need my mom around.
Concentrating so hard, I said, “If you’ve moved on, Conrad, why are you here?”
“I told you this isn’t about love. This is business, Olivia. There’s money to be made.”
“I’m not working for you any longer,” I said. “My contract ended days before the wedding.”
Conrad didn’t respond because my mom did. “You can’t just quit like that. There’s plenty of work to be done. You have responsibilities to other people.”
The only person I felt any responsibility for was myself and the man who’d looked out for me, had taken care of me, and loved me from the day he met me more than three months ago. But when it came to Taj, it didn’t feel like a burden. It was joyful and adventurous and compassionate. It was love.
“I don’t owe anybody anything. I’m not doing what everyone else wants. I’ve made a new life for myself here, and I’m not going.”
“We’ll be taking off in just a few minutes, sir,” the flight attendant said. “If everyone could please get in their seats and buckle up.”
No.
I needed to get off this plane. If I didn’t, if this plane took me back to New York, there was no telling how, if, or when I’d ever be able to get back to Rising Sun.
Because if I thought things were terrible before, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he’d see to it that I never had the chance to get away again.
The flight attendant took one look at me, but she didn’t seem the least bit alarmed by the state I was in. Apparently, I wasn’t going to get any help from her.
“Minutes?” Conrad questioned her. “We should’ve already taken off. What’s taking so long?”
“I apologize, sir. We need to wait for approval before we can go. I believe there are two planes ahead of us.”
When he dismissed her with a flick of his wrist, Raven tugged on his arm and urged him to their seats. My mom sat in a seat across the aisle from me.
“I can’t go back to New York,” I said, my tone pleading.
“I’ve spent my whole life dedicated to building this career for you,” she spat. “You might’ve ruined your chances at really setting yourself up for the future by running away from your wedding to Conrad, but I won’t stand by while you destroy your career, too.”
If only I could stand, I’d be able to delay the takeoff longer. I wasn’t sure what good it would do; nobody knew I was here.
But I couldn’t get up. It was taking every ounce of energy I had to sit up, focus, and try to reason with them.
“Please,” I begged. “I’m happy here. I’ve met someone, and I have friends now. Please, just let me be happy.”
“You’re so ungrateful, Olivia.” She tipped her chin higher, like she believed even she was too good for me. “And you’re stupid. Of course, you found someone here. Any man would be a fool to see you and not try to get his hands on what you’ve worked to build.”
I lifted my shirt to the side of my head to staunch the blood, but my face was so tender, I couldn’t apply the pressure I thought it needed.
I had to focus on doing that, because I couldn’t be bothered to fight with my mom any longer.
There was no point in trying to get her to see my side.
But I wouldn’t allow her to assume the worst of Taj.
“Believe what you want,” I said, the pain in my head unbearable. “The man I met doesn’t need my money. Not when he’s the CEO and future heir to a business worth hundreds of millions of dollars.”
Even in my disoriented state, I couldn’t miss how her face blanched.
I continued. “He’ll find me. I know he’ll find me because he loves me. So, take me back to New York, but be prepared for the hell that man is going to rain down on all of you.”
The words made me sound strong, but I wasn’t so sure I was going to survive long enough for Taj to accomplish all that. I was feeling sicker by the minute. I didn’t think I’d even live through the flight.
“Oh, what now?” Conrad shouted.
I wanted to figure out what he was furious about, but I had to close my eyes. The pain in my head was unbearable.
“What is going on? Who the hell are all of you?”
Someone was here?
Unable to open my eyes, I listened. And I realized the plane’s engines no longer seemed to be running.
It was unreasonable to think Taj would’ve been able to find me this quickly, but there was a small spark of hope that flickered inside me.
“Who are you people?” Raven whined.
People.
People.
More than one person was here.
Police, perhaps?
Could I be that lucky?
That spark of hope in my chest burned a little brighter. Somebody was here.
It sounded like there was a bit of a scuffle as Conrad grunted and shouted. I couldn’t make out much of what he was saying, though. Because my mother scoffed beside me. “Excuse me. Get your hands off me.”
The next thing I knew, I felt a light touch against my neck. “Olivia?”
It wasn’t Taj. That wasn’t him.
But there was still kindness and concern lingering.
“She’s got a pulse,” that voice announced. Then it was softer, closer, as fingers curled around one of my hands. “Olivia, sweetheart, can you hear me?”
I groaned, willing my eyes to open. The effort was massive, and I couldn’t seem to do it.
“It’s Levi. Taj is here. He’s waiting just outside this plane for you. Can you open your eyes?”
Levi.
Levi.
Did I know a Levi? I’d met so many new people. Who was Levi?
“Get away from my daughter,” my mom shouted.
My eyes were still closed as Levi said, “Your daughter? What kind of mother has her daughter kidnapped? Worse yet, your daughter has a head wound, and she’s been here bleeding with no medical attention.
I’ve got three boys of my own, and I’d never allow this.
Because parents look out for their kids. They don’t exploit them.”
Three boys. Levi.
It was Taj’s uncle. The one I’d met on Christmas. How was he here?
“Get her out of my face,” Levi clipped. After some rustling around, he said softly, “Can you open your eyes for me?”
I tried again, and somehow, I succeeded in allowing the barest hints of light in. My vision was blurry, but Levi was close enough to see.
“That’s it, sweetheart. You’ve got to stay awake, okay? We’ve got paramedics who are going to come and take care of you.”
“Taj,” I whispered.
Levi twisted his neck, looked up toward the front of the plane, and asked, “Are we clear?”
“Clear,” someone shouted.
“Let’s get Taj and the medics here,” Levi ordered. “He’s coming, Olivia. You’ve got to stay awake.”
God, I was so exhausted. But for Taj, I’d try. I’d do whatever I could to see his handsome face.
It felt like an eternity passed as Levi stayed put, holding my hand and reassuring me. I barely knew him, and he was more loving than my own mother.
He was a father to three boys, and in that moment, recalling what he’d said to my mom, I got a taste of what having a good father might have been like. Someone who would’ve stood up for me and protected me at all costs. My own father had never been in my life. I’d never met him.
“Olivia?”
At the sound of the voice that was like music to my ears, I opened my eyes wider and met his stare.
He took one look at me and lost it.
Levi stood, urged Taj into the seat beside me, and transferred my hand to his.
“Baby,” Taj croaked. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve been there with you.”
My eyes fluttered shut as I whispered, “I’m okay. You’re here now. Stay with me.”
“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere without you. I’m never leaving you.”
There was more commotion around me, more noise than I would’ve liked. But since Taj never let go of my hand, I didn’t mind.
I grew more and more drowsy, but I was vaguely aware of the paramedics who had gotten on the plane to take care of me. Taj remained by my side the entire time they worked. And he was right there with me when they loaded me into the ambulance and took me to the hospital.
It wasn’t until now, in all the chaos and stress and fatigue, that I figured it out. For so long, I stayed in a situation where I was unhappy because I was terrified of being alone. My whole life had been about seeking the approval of others in hopes of finding that unwavering love.
I didn’t have to worry about that anymore.
I might not have a mom or a dad who cared.
I’d never have that.
But I had a man who loved me.
And his family and friends who loved me, too.
Something told me I was going to be okay.