Chapter 19
Thursday nights at work were some of the busiest nights. Especially after dark. A steady stream of customers came and went, which normally made the time fly by. But tonight seemed slower than normal.
When she’d tried to call Todd, it had gone to his voice mail and she figured he was out in his yard mowing and hadn’t heard it ring.
She was looking forward to spending an entire weekend with him, now that Crystal had agreed to take Simona out to the resort with her and Rory for the weekend.
It was so nice having people surrounding her that she trusted to care for her daughter. She may not have gotten the best deal with Brock but moving to Silver Cove had been the best decision of her life.
“Evening,” she said to a pretty blonde woman who had strolled in. Instantly, she could tell the woman had a lot of money. Years of working retail had honed Olivia’s skills at assessing people.
The cream-colored skirt and blouse were designer brand, as were the heeled cream sandals and matching bag. The outfit easily cost as much as Olivia’s new car, maybe more if you accounted for the jewelry.
“Hello,” the woman replied with a thick accent, one Olivia couldn’t quite place.
“Is there something I can help you find tonight?” Olivia asked with a friendly tone.
“No, I am just looking,” she answered, as if annoyed. There was a hint of Russian, but something else in her accent.
“If you find anything or have a question, let me know.” Olivia moved behind the counter. She knew that some customers liked their space, and she figured this woman was one of them.
The woman walked up and down each aisle, as if bored or shocked with everything in the store. Why had she even come in? It wasn’t as if the outside of Serenity’s Attic didn’t make it obvious what was on the inside. The store was painted bright colors, a clear sign of what it held inside.
Olivia was about to ask her if she was looking for anything in particular, but more customers came in and she turned her attention towards them instead. The woman disappeared from the store while she was busy.
The couple that had come in purchased several bottles of oils and lotions and booked a couple’s massage for the following evening.
Later, when she walked up to the house, Simona fast asleep on her hip, she was so tired and half asleep that she almost didn’t notice that her back door was standing wide open.
Her entire body shook and for a moment, she froze, unsure of what to do. Then her daughter shifted ever so slightly, and she took off running and didn’t stop until she was standing in front of Crystal’s place, breathless, with Simona crying her name.
“What is it? What’s happened?” Crystal asked when she opened the door to them.
“There… my door… someone…” Olivia managed to say.
“Rory.” Crystal turned to her husband.
“On it,” he said, pulling out his phone.
“Come on inside.” Crystal took Simona from her arms, almost having to pry her free from her death grip.
“It’s Brock,” she gasped, “he’s come to take her…”
“Shhh, now,” Crystal said, hugging the now quieted Simona close. “There’s no use in speculating.”
“The police are on their way, so is Todd,” Rory said calmly. “I figured he’d want to know.”
“Thanks,” she said when Rory handed her a glass of water.
“I’m just going to go take Simona up to bed,” Crystal said calmly. “You’ve got this?” she asked Rory, who nodded. He sat next to Olivia and wrapped his arms around her.
“Did you run all the way here?” he asked her.
“I…” She blinked a few times.
“That’s, like, two miles.” Rory smiled. “Remind me to have you fill in for me the next time Crystal makes me sign up for a 5K.”
She relaxed slightly and then smiled knowing that Rory was purposely trying to make her feel at ease.
“My back door was open,” she said, looking down into the glass of water. “Someone was in the house.”
“Do you know that for sure? Did you see someone?”
“No.” She glanced up at the man and, as she had a few times before, compared him to her own father.
Rory Sinclair was anything but old looking.
He was the type of man you see on the cover of those gentlemen magazines.
Demure. Poised. Sexy as hell. He had several silver streaks running through his brown hair, the only sign of his middle age.
“What do you say to having something a little stronger?” He stood up suddenly and walked over to the small built-in bar area. “Scotch?”
“A shot of tequila,” she answered, knowing she would need the liquid courage if she was going to return home that night.
By the time she downed the shot, the police were there, knocking on the door. Moments later, Todd rushed in.
“Olivia?” he called out from the doorway.
“In here.” She stood up and welcomed his embrace. She started shivering when his arms wrapped around her. “What happened?” he asked into her hair.
“Someone broke into my house.”
“Well, now,” Scott started, “we don’t know that for sure. Tom’s over there now checking the place out.”
“My back door was wide open,” she said, as Todd moved over and sat with her on the sofa.
“Where’s Simona?” he asked.
“Fast asleep upstairs,” Crystal said as she walked back into the room. “She’s safe. I told her you got scared, that’s all, and that she was going to spend the night here, with us.”
“Thank you.” Olivia relaxed back into Todd’s embrace. “I… didn’t know where else to go. You were the closest.”
“She ran,” Rory offered.
“My keys were in my hand, but… I froze up. Didn’t even think about driving.” She closed her eyes, feeling stupid. All she’d been thinking about was keeping Simona away from Brock.
“It’s not Brock,” Todd said softly. “He’s in jail in Boston.”
She glanced over at him. “How do you know that?”
“I… I’m keeping tabs on him,” Todd said, looking slightly embarrassed. “I just needed to know that he wasn’t going to come after you or Simona.”
Olivia’s heart jumped in her chest as she reached for him and pulled him into a hug again. “Thank you,” she said softly.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes, I think I spooked myself over nothing.” She closed her eyes. “I probably left the door unlocked and it blew open.”
The more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself that that was the case.
“Why don’t you start at the beginning,” Scott suggested, “while we wait for Tom to get here.”
When Tom arrived, less than half an hour later, she ran through everything that had happened.
“Well, I couldn’t find anything out of place, but it was pretty obvious that someone broke in,” Tom informed them when he arrived.
“How?” both she and Todd asked at the same time.
“Your door lock is in pieces. Someone shattered it.” He shook his head. “It’s the damnedest thing. The entire door handle is shattered, like it was made out of glass.”
She felt Todd stiffen next to her.
“But nothing was taken? The television? My laptop was on the kitchen counter,” she asked.
“It’s all there.” Tom sighed. “But in the next few days, if you happen to find something missing, let us know.”
“Thanks.” Todd stood up and shook Tom’s hand.
“I shut the door and secured your deadbolt with the spare key you told me about.” He held out the keyring she kept hidden in an old tree stump by her back door.
She knew better than to keep a hide-a-key under the mat or a fake rock, but the tree stump was so out of the ordinary, she figured no one would think to look there.
Apparently, she’d been correct, since whoever had broken in hadn’t known about it.
“Why don’t you and Simona come stay with me for the rest of the night?” Todd suggested.
She wanted desperately to say yes, but something had her shaking her head no, instead.
“If I don’t go back now, I’ll become too afraid to be there by myself after dark. This is my home. I won’t let someone run me out of it because of fear,” she said confidently.
“I’ll go with you,” Todd agreed. “Don’t argue,” he added when she opened her mouth.
She shook her head again. “No, I won’t argue. I’d appreciate it.”
“Simona can stay here for the night. I’d hate to wake her up again,” Crystal added. “Besides, I promised her cinnamon rolls for breakfast.”
“You did?” Rory jumped in eagerly, then he cleared his throat and tried to act like he wasn’t excited himself.
Crystal smiled. “You can have one.”
Rory nodded. “I’ll take it.”
“We’ll stop by later tomorrow to get her things if she needs them. Take your time shopping tomorrow. She’ll be here when you get back.” Crystal winked at them. “I’m going to spoil Simona all day long.”
“Thank you.” Olivia jumped up and hugged both Crystal and Rory. “I don’t know what I would do if you two weren’t here for us.”
“Go on.” Crystal waved her away after the hug. “Take back your home and get some sleep.”
She followed Todd outside, her hand resting comfortably in his.
“Did you really run all the way here holding Simona?” he asked as he opened his car door for her.
“Yes,” she sighed. “My back will be paying for it tomorrow.”
He climbed in behind the wheel and then turned to her. “I’m glad the two of you are safe.”
She nodded, feeling tired and emotional all at once. “Do you think it was Eric?”
He frowned and was quiet for a moment while he drove back to her place.
“It could be,” he finally said.
“But… something in your voice tells me you don’t think it was. What is it?” she asked, glancing over at him.
“I’m not sure. I’d like to wait and see once we get there. There’s just something about the way Tom described the lock being broken that… sits strangely with me,” Todd admitted.
“Okay.” She rested her head back and tried not to think about someone else walking through her home. Combing through her things. Maybe even stealing something private.
Todd parked beside her car and helped her climb out. Just thinking about someone being in her house had her shivering against the warm night air.
“Cold?” he asked her, wrapping his arms around her.
“Just… tired,” she said. Todd took her keys from her and opened the back door, then he flipped on the kitchen light. While she stood just outside, he examined the lock.
“Want me to go through the house once more?” he asked her.
“No.” She took a deep breath and then stepped inside. A wave of joy and fear mixed deep in her gut.
Joy because this was her place. Hers alone.
She’d done this. She’d paid for every single item in it.
She’d painted every wall, hung every picture.
No one could ever take that from her. Fear because she knew just how close she’d come to losing it.
If Brock or Eric thought that they could intimidate her, well, they were right.
All it took was the fear of Simona’s safety, and she’d gladly have kept running and left it all behind.
Nothing mattered more to her than her daughter.
Strong arms wrapped around her from behind, causing her to jump slightly.
“You okay?” Todd asked, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Hm.” She nodded as tears rolled down her face slowly. “I’d gladly give it all up, just to know that she was safe.”
He turned her towards him and then gently used his thumb to wipe the tears away.
“You won’t have to.” He kissed her wet cheeks. “I’m here. You have people that love you and would do anything and everything to see that you and Simona are safe.”
She nodded, closing her eyes tight to hold in the love she felt from her friends. From him.
If she could bottle it up, she would, that feeling of knowing someone else was looking out for you and yours. How long had she searched in life for just that?
Todd nudged her back and looked down into her face. “Is it okay if I stay here tonight?”
“Yes.” She chuckled. “There is no way I’m going to be able to sleep without you here.”
His smile was instant. “Then we don’t have to sleep.” His hands started roaming over her, and she felt her entire body melt against his.
“Todd,” she moaned when he dipped his hand under her pants.
“You’re already wet for me,” he said against her ear just before his mouth ran over her skin.
“I want to feel you come for me. Just like this.” He nudged her pants down her legs.
“Right here.” He backed her up to the kitchen counter.
“I want to taste you on my tongue, to smell your sweet pussy and feel you wrap your legs around my shoulders.”
While he talked, she could imagine everything he told her he wanted from her, everything he wanted to do to her.
He nudged her pants all the way off her, taking a moment to remove her shoes and kissing a trail up her legs, and she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of being cherished.
Then he was slipping his fingers and tongue into her, and she cried out his name as she convulsed just like he’d demanded.
She felt light-headed and relaxed in his hold as he carried her into her bedroom. She was thankful that she’d taken a moment earlier that morning to make her bed and clean up a little.
“I can’t believe how lucky I am to be here with you, like this,” he said, looking down at her.
“Todd.” His name was half moan and half plea. “I need…”
“I know,” he said, setting her down on the edge of the bed and then standing back to remove his shirt, shoes, and jeans.
Her entire body started vibrating again at just seeing him like that. He was lean, toned, and full of muscles she liked to play with.
Reaching up, she ran her fingertips over him, slowly enjoying the way he responded to her touch.
Taking his hand in hers, she pulled him down onto the bed until he covered her.
“This means something,” he said, looking down into her eyes.
“Yes,” she agreed.
“Olivia.” He stopped when she tried to pull him into her. “I’ve never felt this way before.”
She smiled up at him, then slipped her fingers into his hair and nudged him closer until they were a breath away.
“I know. I love you too,” she said softly, just before he plunged into her.