Chapter Eighteen #3
but she really was out, and she couldn’t ask Gigi and Miranda when she could
get her own. “But I like to support local businesses. I live here, too, you
know. I grew up here.”
“Did you?” Stephen asked, not looking back. “You didn’t go
to school with the rest of us. All your friends were from Dallas.”
“That’s not true. I have a lot of friends from here.”
“All imported. That’s what your daddy did. He imported
people in. People he could control.”
“It wasn’t about control. It was about how the town treated
us,” she replied. She wasn’t even sure why she was arguing with this man. She’d
never had a problem with him, but it was clear he didn’t feel the same. She
heard the doors at the front swish open and then close again. “Maybe I made a
mistake. I can go out later and get what I need.”
Stephen turned, his expression softening. “Olivia, kids can
be mean. So can adults. Sorry. It’s been rough lately. It’s hard to realize
you’re in charge of a sinking ship because of something your father did years
ago.”
She felt for the man. It wasn’t like he’d done the damage.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I know the store has been a part of this town for
generations.”
“And it probably ends with me.” Stephen moved toward the
right corner of the store where the small aisle of personal products were kept.
He stopped and looked down with a sigh. “And I can’t find decent help. I swear
that girl is the laziest thing in the world. I know I have what you’re looking
for. I’ll run to the back and grab it. It seems my employee didn’t restock the
way she should.”
Before she could tell him it wasn’t a big deal, he
disappeared behind the employee door.
Damn it. She should have stolen some from her mom, but no,
she was rather excited since they were moving back into her house tomorrow.
Gigi’s tenure at the lodge was finishing up, and Miranda was heading to Bliss
in a few days. Gabe was going to move into one of the guest rooms in the main
house, and she and her men were going to settle in. So she wanted her own
things. She wanted to be a big girl, and this was what she got.
“Olivia,” a deep voice said.
She glanced up and Scott stood there, looking worse for the
wear. He was in slacks and a button-down that needed to be washed and ironed.
His normally perfect hair was rumpled and his eyes shot through with red.
Olivia took a step back on instinct.
If Scott noticed, she couldn’t tell. “I’m so glad to see
you’re okay.”
He said something else, but snippets of the night before
started coming back. Scott sitting down next to her. The music had been loud,
and she’d taken a nice long drink of her margarita. She’d been sipping on it
for ten minutes before Scott had shown up. It had been fun to watch her men try
to contain Gigi’s drama, keeping her friend safe while also trying to ensure
Gabe didn’t make a complete ass of himself. What had Scott been saying?
The music coming through the overhead speakers was about
what you would expect from a small-town, run-down grocery store. Oldies.
Someone seemed to have turned up the volume a bit.
One thing she was sure of, Scott had been the one to leave
her there at The Barn. “No thanks to you.”
Scott ran a hand through his hair. “I panicked when I
realized something was wrong. Your eyes went hazy, and I knew you had been
drugged. I also knew everyone would blame me. They’re setting me up to take the
fall. They’ve been doing it all along.”
He sounded paranoid. Olivia wasn’t sure what his game was
now, but she wasn’t about to let him start spreading rumors about her men. “Why
would they do that? I assure you they don’t like you. They know everything you
did to me, but they wouldn’t go to elaborate lengths to frame you. They would
beat the crap out of you if you pulled anything else, but they wouldn’t do
this.”
He seemed genuinely confused. “Who are you talking about?”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I need you to come with me. After what
they tried last night, there’s no doubt they’ll come after you again.”
“Who is they?” She had a bad feeling. She didn’t
like the fact that he’d shown up. “Are you following me?”
“Everyone is following you, Olivia. Can’t you see what’s
been going on? When she found out I was traveling here, she knew it was her
chance. Though I’m sure she didn’t come up with the plan. She’s stupid, but
she’s got great instincts for who can help her.”
Something was off. The instinct flared inside her, but what
could he do to her here? “You were at my table last night.”
He nodded. “But I didn’t drug you. Can’t you see it was
always her?”
“Who?” Olivia asked. He sounded so paranoid. She had to
wonder if he wasn’t on something himself.
“Jessica. She’s had it in for both of us since I broke up
with her and told her it had been a huge mistake to leave you.”
Olivia wasn’t sure how that was her fault. “She should be
pissed at you. Not me. I never did anything to that woman but give her a good
job and said nothing to her when she walked out with my boyfriend.”
“She’s not rational.”
Olivia shrugged. “I’m not taking you back.”
“You will when you realize how good we are together,” Scott
vowed and gripped her hand. “But we have to get out of here. She’ll try again.
Soon.”
She was about to break his hold when there was an electrical
sound and Scott hit the floor.
Standing behind him was Jessica, and she had a stun gun. Her
expression was a mixture of satisfaction and madness. “Told you no one walks
away from me.”
Olivia opened her mouth to scream, but then her body was hit
with pure agony. Another stun gun. From behind.
She hit the ground and the world went dark.