Chapter 14 #2
“I didn’t read it,” Olivia told him. “I mean, well, not all of it. I was going to, but I didn’t get around to it.
Then you showed up in front of my car, and I couldn’t do it.
It’s one thing to read through someone’s private thoughts when they’ve been dead for a few centuries, but suddenly, you were real, and I just..
.” She shook her head. “It was too personal.”
He pressed the book back into her hands. “Keep it.” His voice was a low rumble.
“Why?” She frowned.
“I do not claim to be a good man, Olivia. I wish I could tell you I was, but I want you to know me. I want you to believe, truly in your heart, that I won’t hurt you.
Perhaps the journal will be of some use and through its pages you may come to an understanding of the man I was and the choices I made. ”
Time seemed to pause as they stood staring at each other until a loud knock at the door startled them out of the moment.
Drawing back from him, not sure how to process what she was feeling, she set his journal down safely and headed out into the hallway.
Stopping behind the door she looked through the peep hole and bit back a frustrated groan.
Opening the door, she stepped out of her front door and onto the porch, not wanting to give him any opportunity to step into her home. Crossing her arms in front of her, her gaze hardened, and she felt Theo step up behind her, hovering protectively.
“Chief Walcott,” Olivia greeted the older man coolly.
“Ms. West,” he replied, his hawk-like gaze taking in the tall dark-haired man behind her. “And Mr. Beckett. Well, this is a surprise.”
Olivia knew damn well that wasn’t true. He’d had his deputies following her for days.
“I thought you two didn’t know each other?”
“We didn’t,” Olivia answered, her tone flat. “Now we do.”
“Indeed.”
“Cut to the chase, Chief. Why are you on my property?”
“As you may be aware, we have discovered Brody Walker’s body not far from here.”
“Why on earth would I be aware of that? I don’t go into the woods.”
“Now, that’s not exactly true, is it, Ms. West? You went into the woods the night you discovered Adam Miller’s body.”
“Yeah, and that turned out so well, didn’t it?” she snapped waspishly. “I avoid the woods now.”
“Ms. West.” His voice dropped to a more intimidating tone as he stepped closer.
Theo grasped Olivia’s arm gently and drew her behind him. Stepping directly into the Chief ’s path, giving him no choice but to step back.
“This is not your concern, Mr. Beckett.” His voice was cool and dismissive.
“I’m making it my concern,” Theo replied calmly.
“This is a police matter, and you are impeding an investigation.”
“I don’t care.” Theo crossed his arms. “Olivia has told you she had nothing to do with that man’s unfortunate death, and yet you persist in your bullish attempt to intimidate her. I don’t care much for bullies, Chief Walcott.”
The chief ’s eyes blazed, and his face turned an unattractive shade of red as his jaw clenched with barely concealed hostility.
“Chief Walcott.” Olivia laid her hand on Theo’s arm. “I had nothing to do with Adam’s or Brody’s deaths. You have already been warned by my attorney what will happen if you continue to harass me. Now, I think you’d better get off my property.”
“Ms. West.” She could actually hear his teeth grinding together as he inclined his head in a vague attempt at civility.
He glared at her for a long moment then turned and headed back down the steps, his foot had barely touched the ground when there was a commotion in the tree line.
Deputy Walker stalked out of the woods toward Olivia’s house, followed by two of his colleagues.
His face was a twisted mask of pain and fury.
“Where is she?” he bellowed. “Where is that bitch?”
When he saw Olivia standing on the porch, he broke into a run. Theo pulled her protectively behind him, shielding her with his body as the distraught man barreled toward them.
Olivia’s breath caught in her throat. Not because of the grieving man running toward her, but because she knew that the minute he hit her wards, they would repel him.
Given his murderous expression, it was obvious he intended her some serious harm, which meant that the wards would react quickly and violently.
He would probably be thrown several feet back, and she couldn’t rule out serious bodily harm.
Shit. How the fuck was she going to explain that in front of a whole audience of cops who already thought she was a deranged killer? Worse, how would she explain it to Theo? He still didn’t know what she was.
Her stomach tightened as he approached the perimeter, and she involuntarily clutched Theo’s arm as the furious cop leaped.
Suddenly, he was yanked back by Deputy Hanson, who despite her slim build must have had a fair bit of strength in her grip.
They’d stopped mere inches from the protective line, but her heart still hammered in her chest.
“What did you do to my brother, you fucking bitch?” He clawed and fought as two more officers helped to restrain him. Throwing his head back, he howled like a caged animal.
His screams tore at Olivia’s heart. No one deserved to lose someone they loved like that.
The chief stepped forward, grasping the sides of the younger man’s face and whispering something to him over and over again.
Cameron eventually dropped to his knees, his anger draining out of him as he wept inconsolably.
Chief Walcott nodded at the deputies flanking him, and they hauled him to his feet and marched him back toward the squad car parked at the end of the road.
The chief turned to look at Olivia one last time, giving her a look so filled with venom and contempt that she almost flinched.
Theo drew Olivia back inside and closed the door behind them. She felt numb, hollowed out and running on empty.
“I’m afraid your tea is probably cold by now,” he muttered, his hands twitching as if he was fighting the urge to reach out and comfort her. “I’ll make you another.”
“Do you even know how?”
“How hard can it be?” He gave a small smile.
“Actually, I think I need something stronger.”
He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she pulled a couple of beers out of the refrigerator, handing one to him. Cracking one open, she took a deep swig then rubbed her other hand across her forehead in frustration.
“Are you okay?”
She leaned against the counter, allowing her head to fall back against the cabinet behind her. Blowing out a breath, she stared at the ceiling. “Not really.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She huffed out a frustrated laugh. “Not really,” she repeated quietly. “But I suppose, since you seem to have appointed yourself my protector, you should at least know what you’ve let yourself in for.”
“You don’t have to tell me anything, but we have to start somewhere if we are ever going to learn to trust each other.”
“Theo.” She shook her head. “You have no idea who I am, what I am.”
“Olivia, I know,” he whispered. “I’ve always known.”
“Known what?” she replied warily.
“I’ve seen you in my dreams ever since I was a child,” he confessed. “Do you really think I haven’t seen what you are capable of?”
“Be more specific.” Her eyes narrowed.
“I’ve seen your magic.” He leaned closer. “I’ve seen you master fire.”
“That’s not…” She swallowed down the sudden sick, panicky sensation churning in her belly. “I’m not…”
“You don’t see it, but you glow.” This time, unable to stop himself, he lifted his hand, his fingers tracing her jaw. “It’s like looking at pure sunlight.”
“Don’t,” she whispered, although she wasn’t quite sure what she was objecting to.
“You’re a witch, aren’t you?”
“How can you ask that so calmly? Doesn’t that bother you? Doesn’t it go against everything you believe in?”
A hesitant sigh escaped his lips. “I will tell you my story if you want to hear it, though I fear you will think less of me for it.”
His hands slid from her face, and he took a step back. Grabbing the two beers from the counter, he led her back to the room where she seemed most comfortable.
Olivia curled up on the worn couch—tucking her legs under her, pulling her favorite throw over her, and snuggling in.
She looked across at the fire, and it once again flared, bathing her in its warmth and light.
She glanced at Theo, who watched the flames before turning his attention back to Olivia.
“I still haven’t figured out how to stop it from doing that,” she muttered under her breath. “It’s like it wants to please me.”
Theo stared at the fireplace, his expression a mixture of curiosity and something else she simply couldn’t place.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.”
“You know, you really don’t have to tell me anything.” Olivia picked at the label of her beer bottle.
“Yes, I do.” He sighed. “You need to be able to trust me, and you can’t do that if you are questioning my motives. I don’t want you to feel as if you can’t be truthful with me for fear of my reaction.”
“I guess you might have a point.” She took a sip of her beer. “And I have to admit, I’m curious. I specialize in New England history, the witch trials in particular.”
“Then you must already know some of my story.” He frowned, unsure as to how history would have portrayed him.
“That’s the weird part,” Olivia told him.
“You aren’t mentioned at all. The first time I came across your name was in Hester’s journal.
I had to do some serious digging into the records, and the only information I could find was the official notification by the court of your appointment as a Witchfinder, along with your brother. ”
At the mention of his family, Theo’s expression darkened.
“You mentioned in your journal someone named Temperance,” she added.