Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
T he empty chair across the dining table mocked me. Seven days of silence stretched between that chair and me, each morning a repeat of the last—waiting for Olivia, watching her avoid me, remembering the sound of her door locking that night. The coffee in my mug had gone cold, just like the words I'd rehearsed a hundred times since she'd shut me out. I didn't have everything figured out, but I knew I didn't want to lose Olivia and knew it was time to tell her the truth.
Sitting at the dining table, I patiently watched the stairwell for Olivia.
A glance at my watch said that she was running late this morning.
Arlena's shoes clicked against the hardwood as she emerged from the kitchen. "Good morning, Mr. Pearson." Steam curled from the coffee pot in her hands. "Can I get you breakfast?"
I traced the rim of my empty mug, eyes fixed on the vacant chair across from me. "No, thank you. I'm waiting for Olivia, and then I'll be leaving for work."
"Olivia left early this morning." Arlena's expression tightened.
The coffee suddenly smelled too strong, too bitter. "Where did she go?"
"I'm not sure, but I believe Hannah picked her up." She lingered by the table, her hesitation speaking volumes. Hannah had been Olivia's daily ride for months—we both knew something was off.
"I'm going to work." I stood from the table. "If she happens to show back up here, would you please give me a call?" She nodded and walked out of the dining room. Olivia was still upset with me, and I couldn't blame her. I'd acted like a dick, but I would fix it today.
My phone vibrated in my hand.
Front Gate Security
I pressed the phone to my ear, already moving toward my office. "This is Nick."
"Mr. Pearson?" Mattias's voice carried an edge I'd never heard before.
My steps faltered. "Yes."
"Three men are outside the gate asking for Olivia." Mattias's words hung in the air. My fingers found the security panel, and the gate camera feed flickered to life. They stood shoulder to shoulder, three suits cut from the same cheap cloth, dark hair flat against their skulls. Gold chains thick as rope coiled around their necks, rings flashing on meaty fingers. Street muscle trying to play businessman. Only one person would send men like this. My stomach turned to ice as the name formed in my mind: Emmett.
"What do they want?" I hissed. My heart raced at the sudden realization that Emmett's bad choices had now followed Olivia here. I needed to remain calm. Olivia wasn't here, and I had no idea where she was. I needed to find her and make sure she was safe.
"They will only say they are here for Olivia."
My fingers tightened around the phone until the case creaked. "Round up all security. Make sure they have no weapons and escort them up to the house."
I jabbed at Olivia's contact photo—her smile frozen on the screen, oblivious to the storm gathering around her. One ring. Two. Her cheerful voicemail message cut through me like a blade.
Walker's number came up automatically, muscle memory taking over where thought failed. The phone barely completed its first ring before his voice filled the line.
"This is Walker."
I paced to the window, watching shadows lengthen across the lawn. "Do you still have eyes on Emmett?" I didn't bother with pleasantries. There was no time.
"Not since he left the hospital." A pause, then the sound of keys clicking. "Why? What's up?"
"Three men at my front gate are looking for Olivia." The words tasted like metal in my mouth. "And I'm pretty sure this has something to do with him."
"I'll find him today." Walker's voice held the quiet certainty of a promise.
"Keep me updated." I ended the call and pushed through the front door, the morning air hitting my face like a slap.
My entire security team was already waiting. Ellis, head of the team, powered toward me, his shoulders squared, jaw set, and dark eyes narrowed; he was ready for war.
Ellis closed the distance between us, his voice barely a whisper of breath. "What's going on, Boss?" His crossed arms and planted feet created a wall between me and the approaching visitors.
"Three men are here looking for Olivia." My words came out clipped, controlled. "I have no idea why or what they want with her, but I also do not know where she is."
His eyes snapped to mine, reading the fear I couldn't quite hide. The muscle in his jaw jumped.
"I need everyone looking for her."
"I will send a team out now." Ellis's hand drifted to his earpiece, already calculating angles and assignments. "Once the men leave and you are safe and the property secure, I will send the rest of my men out."
The protective instinct in his voice grated against my nerves. "Send them now."
Ellis shifted his weight, a subtle reminder of years of training. "Sir." His tone carried the weight of bulletproof glass. "If you're dead, there is no one to protect her."
He was right. If I was dead, she would be alone with only her sorry-ass brother for her to run to. I nodded.
Mattias appeared around the corner, followed by the three large men and a few of my security team following behind them.
Taking a few deep breaths to level my racing heart, I stepped to the edge of the porch. I needed to pull myself together. I needed to appear calm and in control even though I would be anything but calm until Olivia was found and safe.
I planted my feet at the edge of the porch, squaring my shoulders. "What can I help you with?"
The tallest man stepped forward, his gold chains catching the morning light. "We are here to get Olivia." He smiled, all teeth and no warmth. "She's coming with us."
My voice dropped to arctic temperatures. "Olivia's going nowhere. Who sent you here?"
Behind me, the soft shuffle of tactical boots on concrete told me my security team was close.
The tall man raised his hands, palms out, but his posture remained coiled tight as a spring. "We don't want any trouble."
"Emmett traded his sister to pay off his debt." The shortest of the three men said.
The words hit like a physical blow. My nails bit into my palms as I fought to keep my fists at my sides.
What kind of people were these that took human beings in trade for money?
That son-of-a-bitch sold his sister. If they didn't kill him, I would. He knew I wouldn't let them take her. He thought I'd pay it if she was in danger, and he was right; I would. He was so out of his mind that he didn't even consider that I might not have been here or that they might have gotten to her first. I might not have been able to protect her. Maybe he didn't care.
"As I said, Olivia's not going anywhere," I started again. "How much does he owe?"
Ellis stepped between me and the men, his broad back creating a wall of privacy. "Boss." He pitched his voice low, meant for my ears only. "Can I speak to you privately?"
I followed him through the doorway, my shoes echoing against marble floors. The heavy door didn't quite muffle the restless shifting of the men outside.
"If you pay this, Olivia will always be in danger." Ellis's jaw tightened. "This house will no longer be safe, and those goons will always come after you for his debt."
I leaned closer, my words a razor's edge. "She's in danger now. They are here to take her."
"We will find her." The steel in Ellis's voice matched the set of his shoulders. "These goons will go back to their boss and tell him that Olivia is off the table. Emmett will suffer the consequences, but Olivia will be safe."
My hand dragged down my face. The weight of the situation pressed against my chest like a stone.
Memories ambushed me—Emmett and me at ten years old, building forts in his backyard. Each memory now felt like a knife between my ribs. The Emmett in those memories was dead, replaced by something that wore his face but traded his sister like currency. I wanted to hate him. God, how I wanted to hate him. But grief kept tangling with my rage, because somewhere underneath that monster was my best friend, Olivia's brother, dying because of addiction. The pain of losing him hit fresh, as if I was watching him slip away all over again. Only this time, he was trying to drag Olivia down with him.
His addiction now consumed him, and he was a monster, a demon, something evil, but he wasn't Emmett Ryan anymore. Any hope I had of him coming to his senses and getting help was destroyed when those three men showed up. He'd sunken to a new level of low. An unforgivable low.
Ellis was right, though. Olivia would never be safe here if I paid Emmett's debt. He would run it back up with the expectation of me repaying it again and again until I was completely drained of money—just like he did to his sister.
Stepping back out onto the front porch, I crossed my arms over my chest, squaring my shoulders.
I stepped to the edge of the porch, ice crystallizing in my veins. "Olivia isn't for sale." Each word fell like a hammer stroke. "Emmett will have to take care of his own debt. Do not come back here looking for her or money for Emmett. You won't find either."
The tallest man's smile never reached his eyes. "We will let him know." The threat curled beneath his words like smoke.
My chin dipped toward Mattias. "Escort them off the property."
The security team moved like a well-oiled machine, flanking our unwanted guests. We watched their slow procession down the driveway, their willing compliance more unsettling than resistance would have been. They moved like men who knew they'd be back.
"Find Olivia, now," I demanded once they were out of hearing range. "Bring her back here. She goes nowhere without security."
"We already have a team out searching," Ellis shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "Everyone else will leave once they are off the property."
"She has a tracker on her phone." I pulled my phone back out of my pocket. Clicking on the 'Find my iPhone' app, I waited for Olivia's location to appear. Tapping my foot, I ran my finger over my jaw. No location found . How was that possible? Did Olivia turn her location off? Or did someone else turn it off?
My chest didn't just tighten—it collapsed, each heartbeat a reminder of how empty this house would be if something happened to her. Images flashed: Olivia's smile at breakfast last week, her laugh echoing down the hallway, her soft footsteps on the stairs at night. Then darker images crowded in, each one worse than the last. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. My legs carried me to the front door, muscle memory reaching for keys I could barely feel in my trembling hands. The distance to the garage stretched like a nightmare—too far, too slow, every second another moment she might need me.
Ellis materialized in the doorway, his bulk filling the frame. "Sir." His planted feet spoke louder than words. "You should wait here for her."
I jangled my keys, trying to shoulder past. "You want me to sit here and wait for her to come back?" The wall of muscle didn't budge. "That's not going to happen. Get out of my way."
"Sir." Steel entered Ellis's voice, but there was something else there too—understanding, maybe even pity. His hand found the doorframe. "Every man I send to protect you is one less searching for her."
The keys bit deeper into my palm, metal teeth drawing blood I barely felt. He was right. Of course he was right. But being right didn't stop the acid from churning in my gut. I was one of the most powerful men in the city, and here I stood, reduced to nothing but waiting while the one person I needed to protect was out there somewhere. Waiting had never felt so much like drowning.
Ellis's expression softened, just barely. "I promise we will find her." The words carried the weight of every crisis we'd weathered together.
Fisting my hand through my hair, I walked into the living room, dropping my keys onto the coffee table.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled my phone back out and clicked on Hannah's name. Please be with her.
"Hello?" Hannah answered on the second ring. I took a deep breath to calm my voice.
"Hannah." I forced steadiness into my voice. "Is Olivia with you?"
"No, I haven't seen her today."
The ceiling swam above me as I dropped my head back, teeth finding my lower lip.
"I thought you picked her up this morning?" Hope bled out of each word.
"No." Hannah's voice sharpened with concern. "She called me last night and told me I didn't need to pick her up. She was taking the day off."
My fingers drummed against the desk, an uneven rhythm of growing dread. "If you talk to her, please tell her to call me."
I ended the call before Hannah could hear the fear creeping into my voice.
This didn't make any sense. Where was she? Why would she take the day off? Whatever was going on, she didn't want me to know about it.