All Good Things Exposed (22 page)

"You don't want to hear this."

"I do." I already knew she'd never had sex with the man. She was a virgin when she gave herself to me. The thought made the words that were about to come from her mouth a little easier to bear. "Please, don't shut me out. I want you, Angel. All of you."

"My father pushed me to date him."

"Who's him."

"Jace Rush, you have more money than God. You are not getting a name."

"You know I could have someone look into your past. They would find him."

She tensed in my arms and I instantly regretted the words. "You could do that. But I'm asking you not to."

"Why?"

"Because it's my past. And that's where I really want to keep it."

"Then just give me his name." I pleaded gently.

"Why do you want his name?" She didn't want to tell me and that made me want it all the more.

"I want to know everything about you, Olivia." I sighed. "I won't do any digging around, but you've got to tell me."

"Fine," she huffed. I could hear her annoyance, but it made me smile. She was giving into my demands. She was learning. "His name is Bryce Cane."

Why the fuck did that name sound so familiar? I'd have to look into it later. "Thank you. Was that so hard?"

"Yes. It really was."

I smiled. But she'd relented and that's all that mattered. "So he was your brothers friend?"

"Yeah,"

"Tell me about him. Why did your father want you to be with him?"

"Contacts." She replied simply and my jaw dropped. Her father traded the thing that was supposed to be the most precious to him for contacts? What the fuck? The man should be shot! "Bryce's father is a stock broker. He is very good at what he does. He taught Bryce well."

"I see." I said through clenched teeth. "Go on."

She shrugged. "There isn't much more to it. My father wanted an in with Bryce's and my brother being his best friend simply didn't cut it. He wanted me to marry Bryce."

Now I'd heard enough. "You were going to marry him? Fuck!" I couldn't help it. The curse exploded from my mouth on a loud bark and she flinched. I held her tighter.

"No. I never would have married him." She shook her head. "He wasn't very nice. He was actually very mean…behind closed doors."

"What?"

"He just didn't like me," she sighed. "That much was obvious."

"Why was he with you then?"

"Because everyone said we'd make the perfect couple. We were both in university at the time and when everyone pushes you toward something, going in any other direction just feels wrong."

I knew how that felt. "So you broke things off and then what?"

"I moved out here with Trisha?"

"Where does she come into this?"

She laughed. "She's always been my best friend. My parents couldn't stand her. She was always fearlessly lippy toward them and everyone else, but I loved her. I always will. And she was always loyal to a fault to me. Her family pretty much adopted me. I spent as much time at their house as I possibly could. In all honesty, I think of Trisha's mom as more my mom than my own mother. Isn't that sad?"

"It is." I agreed. "But at least you have her." Suddenly, I was thankful to Trisha for always being what Olivia needed when she needed it. But I could relieve her of the job now. I wanted it. I wanted to be the one Olivia never failed to turn to with anything and everything. I would be there for her to the end of time. She was mine to take care of. And that thought was unlike anything else I'd ever experienced. It was perfect.

"So, that's pretty much my life in a nutshell. I don't want my parents to be a part of my life." She snuggled into my chest. "I left them in Toronto and that's exactly where I want them to stay."

I kissed her head. "As you wish."

She smiled. I could hear it. "I should get ready for work."

"You really shouldn't."

"Are you working?"

"I am." I said on a pout. "I could definitely use your help at the office."

"You need an assistant, Jace." She mumbled sternly before yawning.

"No. I'm fine without."

"Umm hum." She shook her head. "You know how ridiculous that is?"

"Does Caleb have one?"

"What does it matter?" I asked, instantly offended at the mention of my friend. Why was she thinking about him?

"I bet he does." She continued, oblivious to my wounded feelings. "And I bet he has plenty of extra time for play." She wiggled against me and I hissed in a breath. The little vixen!

"I have all the time in the world for play time." I said factually. "With you anyway."

"Is that right?" She challenged.

"Damn right, woman." I said sternly. "I'll always make time for you."

"Well, I think you should make time to shower with me now." She made a move to wiggle herself from my grasp. Wasn't going to happen. Hell no.

"I think I can make time for that." I said against her exposed shoulder. "After we talk about our November wedding. Don't think I didn't notice how you didn't confirm the date."

"You didn't give me a date." She said cautiously.

"Don't be smart." I warned.

She took in a deep breath. "Don't you think it's a little soon?"

"No. I don't."

"I do."

"Well, I don't." I argued, sticking to my point.

"Jace," she sighed heavily. "Whether you think it's soon or not, it is."

"Why is soon such a problem?" I was offended.

"Because,"

"Why?" I pressed.

"I don't know. I feel like we have so much to discuss."

"Like what?"

"Our history's. Our dreams. What we want from life."

"That's easy enough. Nothing in your history or mine will change the way we feel about each other right?"

"No. I love you." She spoke assuredly.

"Good. I dream of making your dreams become a reality. And I want from life what you want from life."

"Jace," she growled deep in her throat. She was frustrated. Oh well. "You can't be serious."

"I am. I've never been more serious. There's never been anything or anyone I want as much as I want you." I kissed her shoulder again. "Don't make me wait. Don't make me wait to make you mine."

"I'm already yours."

"Legally. I want you mine legally."

"Since when does the law matter to you?"

"Since making you mine required the law." I said smartly.

She huffed. "Oh, whatever Jace."

"So November?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Honestly?" I asked.

"You better be honest with me." She roared playfully.

"Well, then no." I said simply and she gasped. "You will marry me by the end of November."

"I find your confidence in this astounding."

"Shut up and kiss your fiancé."

And she did. For once the little vixen listened.

Chapter 18

The lights were on and the door was unlocked by the time I got my butt to the café. Lucky for me, Franco had been a good hire. With the way Jace continued to demand my presence so unreasonably, I was going to have to consider giving him a promotion. So far, the café had been bringing in decent revenue. But we hadn't even been open for a week. People liked new things. And the Liv Café and Bookstore was new. People were coming in droves. I could only hope the popularity continued even after a few months had passed.

I waved to Franco as I passed and he held his finger up to me, signaling for me to wait. I watched as he instructed a girl to carry on making his order before he walked with Franco swagger toward me.

"You had a delivery this morning." He stated without humor and I felt my eyes narrow. "The guy freaked me out."

"What do you mean?"

"He was here before I got here. He said it was for you."

"Where is it?"

"I put it in your office."

"Is it a letter?"

"No. It's a box." He shifted. Why did he look so upset?

Thank God. I hadn't had a letter since resuming my relationship with Jace. I could only hope I would never receive another letter for the rest of my life. I could most definitely do without.

"Okay," I smiled. "Did you sign for it?"

"No." He shook his head. "I thought I would have to but he just said it was a personal delivery. No signature required. That was the creepy part."

"Personal huh?" That certainly didn't sound good. "I suppose I should go see what it is."

"Yeah," Franco shivered. "I got a freaky vibe. Figured I'd let you know."

"Thanks." I watched Franco spin on the heel of his shiny black dress shoes before I walked slowly to my office in the back of the store. There was a part of me that wanted to continue walking toward the box, but there was another part that wanted to run from any and all unexpected deliveries. I seriously couldn't take the stress that would accompany a transgression of letters to boxes filled with - things.

I opened the door to the office and walked inside, feeling ill to my stomach already. The box sat on my desk. I had been picturing a large brown box in the back of my mind, but what I found was a very shiny, small black box. It was wrapped with a silk red ribbon, tying into a bow on the top. It looked like a lingerie box and a relieved breath of air burst from my lungs as I thought of Jace. Could he be delivering a gift? A sexy submissive gift?

Quickly, I closed the door and scurried over to my desk. I picked up the box with a frantically beating heart. I wasn't afraid now. I was nervous and filled to the brim with anticipation of what I might find under the lid.

Slowly, with shaking fingers I untied the ribbon. My heart hammered in my chest as I pulled the lid from the box. Instantly, my heart started beating on overdrive. A black leather collar lay on the plush velvet interior. The collar was exquisite, but it made me feel queasy. A collar. Why would Jace want to put a collar on me? However nice it may be, it represented the most wretched kind of control. It was demeaning. And I was not willing to wear it. Fuck no. Instantly, I was pissed off. I wanted to call him and rip a strip off him. Here he was proposing to me one minute, without a ring I might add. Only to go and buy me a collar! If he thought a collar could stand in place of a ring then he was really more screwed up than I thought. That simply would not suffice. I didn't know what was going on in his mind, but surely he had to know that wasn't going to fly?

I sat down heavily in my chair and stared at the collar. I picked it up to inspect it and noticed with displeasure that there were notches to tighten the binding leather tighter and tighter. The notches were evenly spaced around the entire collar. What did that mean? That he wanted me to be short of air? That he wanted to control how much I took into my lungs? How twisted was the man I'd agreed to marry? And what was I going to do about it? It's not like I could just walk away. I loved him. Completely. There was no walking away from a love like this. I simply couldn't do it. It just wouldn't happen.

I set the collar down in the box and noticed for the first time that there was a small envelope. I don't know how I didn't see it before. I must have been focused entirely on the symbolism of the collar that I was completely incapable of seeing anything else.

With a heavyhearted sigh, I picked up the envelope. It was addressed to me. As my eyes scanned the cursive writing of my name my heart stopped. It was familiar. And, it was not Jace's writing. This sick little gift was not from Jace. It was from the writer of the letters. And my fear that he'd escalated his threats had just become a reality.

I knew I should put the letter down and call Jace or Gabe, but I couldn't. I couldn't do anything but stare at the envelope. My heart felt like a boulder in my chest as I read each letter of my name over and over again. I was terrified. And, I was angry that this unknown person had such a potent effect on me. Without realizing what I was doing, I had opened the envelope and pulled the paper from inside. I unfolded the creased paper and stared at the words written in scintillating handwriting I loathed.

My Dearest Olivia,

I thought I saved you. I was certain you'd come to your senses and left him to prey upon another who had less to offer this world. But you haven't. You're still seeing him and although I can see you look happy I know the truth. Do you not remember what you looked like when he left you? Do you not remember what he did to you? If you don't, just pull the velvet from the bottom of the box. This shall serve as a reminder.

Forever all my love,

Your Savior

What the hell? Instantly, I pulled the velvet from the bottom of the box and for the second time in only a few minutes my heart stopped beating in my chest. Incased in another folded letter were pictures of me during the seven weeks of life without Jace. I'd thought 'my savior' had lost interest in me when I'd been free of Jace. But, I suppose I'd been wrong. So. Very. Wrong.

My skin was covered head to toe with goosebumps as I looked at each picture of me. In each picture I was unsuspecting of anyone who might be watching me. After I'd flipped through the stack of photographs a half dozen times, I set my attention onto the letter I held between trembling fingers.

Olivia,

If you're reading this and you're shocked at what you've just seen, then I've done my job well. Because, it is obvious you needed this reminder. As for the collar, this is not a gift to you. It is an omen of what is to come if you remain with Jace Rush. He will bind you to him and slowly but surely, he will suffocate you. With every notch he tightens his hold on you the less you will live. The less air you will breathe into your lungs. I can assure you, he will destroy you.

My earlier promise to you remains strong. If you care nothing for yourself, care enough for Jace to walk away from him for his own protection. Because I will not stand back and watch him suffocate you. I will not allow it. I will end him.

All my love and more,

Your Savior

I laid the letters on the desk with the pictures and stared at them for long minutes as I pondered calling Jace or Gabe. I knew Jace would be upset and offended if I called anyone but him, but I was afraid to call him. I was afraid someone would hurt him if I called him to me. The thought left me feeling frozen in worry. Paralyzed.