See No Evil Trilogy, page 45
Scott parked and we climbed out of the car. Olivia marched up to the door with me on her heels, and we left Scott looking just a little bit pissed off in the car. Damn, if I looked out the window and saw him, I’d be terrified.
I hoped having him along wasn’t going to inhibit Olivia from doing what she needed to do. But I’d do what I had to in order to keep her safe.
But I still wanted her to be able to do what she needed, so maybe I needed to think of a different way of protecting her.
She knocked at the door and rocked from foot to foot in a repetitive pattern as she waited. The door creaked open, and a petite dark-haired woman opened the door. She had small features, except for her big dark eyes. “Yes, can I help you?”
Olivia gave her a warm smile. “Hi, we don’t know each other. I’m Olivia Ashong. I feel like you might know my mother, Georgina. She was doing a book on Caroline Ritter and the work she was doing to expose human trafficking and how it might have led to her disappearance. I was wondering if I could ask you a couple of questions.”
Missy shook her head. “I don’t know the other woman, but I spoke to Georgina.”
Olivia licked her lips and flicked her gaze up to me. “My mother, she passed away six months ago.”
The other woman wrapped her arms around herself. “I am sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. You couldn’t have. Cancer.”
The other woman nodded but still didn’t invite us in, and she continued to glare warily at me.
Olivia stood in front of me. “I’m so sorry. This is my associate, Mr. Covington. He’s just here to help me record a few facts.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but then I thought better of it. The woman was clearly afraid and wasn’t letting us in her home. So the more unimposing I could be, the better.
I just gave her a nod.
Olivia directed all of her focus on the woman. “Can you tell me what you and my mother spoke about?”
Missy swallowed hard. “Look, that was some time ago, and I really don’t want to think about it.”
Livy shifted on her feet as if she was considering giving up. “Please, I just want to understand. Your name was in her notes, but they were incomplete, and I don’t know your connection to what she was working on.”
The woman looked back in the house, and it was then that I heard children running. She stepped back onto the front step and closed the door behind her. “Listen, I have a new life now. My family doesn’t know.”
“And they don’t need to,” Olivia said. “I just wanted to know how you relate to the research.”
“Ten years ago, I was in a night club in Budapest. I met some guy. He said there was an after-party somewhere and was wondering if my friends and I wanted to go with him. But there was no after-party. Our passports were taken, and we were forced to work at a brothel.”
Olivia’s gasp was sharp. I ground my teeth. The woman in front of me looked barely twenty-five. “How old were you?”
“Seventeen. I thought I was having a summer holiday. An adventure. Fun. It was the most hellish five years of my life. I was a high commodity. I was a virgin, I was young, and I spoke English. I had met a nice boy at the youth hostel near where we were studying, and he came round and invited me and my mates to a party.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Later, when we finally got home, we learned that some of the locals were paid to identify young British citizens that were in Budapest for a holiday or to study.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you. Interpol broke up that ring and eventually made sure that we all made it home. My family didn’t know where to find me or if I was even still alive.”
“Do you have the name of an agent or anyone I can contact at Interpol?”
“Um, yes, I can get the name for you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
She went inside and came back with a card. “I was to contact him if I ever remembered anything, but I sort of just wanted to forget it all and get on with life. But I kept that card handy. I don’t know why. Whenever I’m afraid, I pull it out, you know?”
Olivia nodded. “I appreciate you telling me your story. You don’t remember anything about the people who took you?”
She shook her head. “No. Just a man that was in charge of transporting us. He wasn’t nice. If the devil was a human, he would look like him.”
Olivia nodded, dug through the files she carried, and pulled out the picture. The one I’d made a copy of. “Was it this man?”
Missy paled. “Jesus Christ, that’s him. Do you know his name?”
Olivia shook her head. “No, but I’m working on it.”
Missy shivered and backed up. “I’m sorry. This is all I can help you with.”
Olivia smiled. “Thank you. You’ve been so helpful. I’m so sorry to bring this back up for you.”
“If you’re writing a book to get those people put away, then I’m all for it. The Interpol people could probably tell you more.”
“Thank you.”
Missy went back inside and closed the door behind her. Olivia sighed. “We have to find out who the hell this asshole is. I pray to God he’s in jail somewhere, because if he’s not, that means more women around the world are in danger.”
“Have I told you how beautiful you are when you’re on the hunt?” I opened the door and let her in the car then went around to the other side and settled beside her.
“Are you sure about that? You know I get in a hyper-focused mode.”
“I think it’s great. I think you can really crack this whole thing wide open.”
“Right now, I still feel like I’m fumbling in the dark.”
“You might feel like that some days, but watching you do this is so inspiring. You’re giving women like that hope.”
“No. I’m not Interpol. I’m just writing a book. But I don’t know. It’s nice to have a sense of purpose.”
I took her hand and wrapped mine over it. I was sunk. I was completely in love with her. And I had no idea what to do about it.
Livy
We were running late for the team meeting after work that evening, so Ben called down for the car, but there had been some accident near the square, so the car was having a hell of a time getting there, and he’d gotten a call just as we’d stepped in the elevator. “I have to head back upstairs. Stay in the lobby with Scott and wait for me before you go outside, okay?”
I nodded. “I’m fine. It’s not like I’m alone. There are a million people downstairs in the lobby. I’ll just grab a juice from Pret a Manger or something. I’ll wait for you. I promise, I’m fine.”
He muttered into the phone. “Hold on a sec.” Then he pulled me in, planting a hard, possessive kiss on my lips. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. You worry too much.”
“Well, I—” He paused, and I wondered what he was going to say. And then he kissed me on the forehead and stepped back allowing the elevator to close as he returned to his conversation.
Inside, the butterflies were giddy and fluttery as they flapped merrily in my tummy. Relax. Don’t’ lose your head. Diving headfirst into him was going to be dangerous for my heart. But of course, the giddy, mushy part of me had hoped he was about to say he loved me, but I probably should have known better.
The ride down was fairly smooth, and I didn’t have any spikes of anxiety or worry. When I reached the bottom floor, it was teeming with people. There were several shops in the main lobby area, and when I passed security, Scott gave me a wave, calling me over. “Mr. Covington says you’re supposed to stay where I can see you. You can head on into the Pret if you want, but then come right back.”
He hadn’t told me he loved me, but he still insisted on being a possessive ass? “I’m not a child.”
Scott gave me a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry. Do you want me to go in for you?”
I gave him a distracted shake of my head. I’d deal with Ben once we were in Belgravia, safely tucked in the townhouse. “No, you have a job to do. You know what, I’ll just wait here in the lobby like a good girl where you can see me and I can see you, and your job will be intact. I’ll save my ire for him.”
He sighed with relief at both being able to do as he was told and at avoiding the full brunt of my temper. “Thank you, Miss Ashong. I appreciate it.”
I crossed my arms and grumbled. I just wanted to get home, er… to the townhouse.
You said home.
No. I did not.
Yes, you did.
There was no point in arguing with myself. I had said home. Shit.
This was what had gotten me in trouble before, thinking that with the man I loved, everything was going to be some ride off into the sunset, happily ever after scenario. And then it didn’t turn out the way I’d thought.
I didn’t like the way it felt, and I sure as hell didn’t want to keep feeling this way. Once things were settled, I was getting a place of my own. If I could just be on equal footing with him, maybe I’d feel more like the old me. I needed to remember how that felt. I liked counting on myself.
“Well, fancy seeing you here.”
I whirled around as dread skipped up my spine, causing chills to spread out over my body. “Mr. Mills, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I was just in the neighborhood. I had a meeting.”
“This is the London Lords building. Who are you meeting with?”
Yes, the London Lords had the majority of the building, but they leased out space on the bottom floors. Fenton could be meeting with anyone. But if he was lying, I was going to catch him in it.
“Well, aren’t you curious? Why don’t you tell me what you’re going here?”
“I work here. Is there a reason you’re here, Mr. Mills?”
“Dear, like I said, I had a meeting. Why are you so sensitive today?” He leaned in as if to touch me, and I deliberately stepped back, angling my body so he couldn’t.
“You seem to appear in a lot of places where I am, and it makes me uncomfortable, if I’m being honest.”
His brows lifted and he raised his hands. “I have never intended to make you feel uncomfortable. I’ve only ever been kind and wanted to welcome you into the family.”
Liar. “Well, I’m not your family.”
As his lips thinned, his gaze narrowed imperceptibly. “I heard from Dexter that you were having some troubles. And honestly…” He took a step toward me, and I took one back. My gaze flickered over to Scott, who was busy directing someone somewhere. “I could certainly help you two kids get back together, but maybe there’s someone else better for you. Someone you’ve never considered before.”
His creep factor skyrocketed. Way the hell sky high. “Mr. Mills, I need you to step back. You’re crowding me.”
His brow furrowed and that carefully constructed expression that he always wore in public, twisted into a sneer. “What?”
“I said, you’re too close and far too familiar. You act like we’re family or friends, but I don’t know you that well and don’t want you touching me. So back the hell off.”
This time his brows lifted, and the malice in his eyes was plain as day to see. Anger. Resentment. Hatred. Rejection.
“You’re overreacting, Miss Ashong. I mean, why are you so hysterical?”
“I’m not hysterical. Just because a woman calls you on your bullshit, it doesn’t mean she’s hysterical. Just because she doesn’t want you to touch her, it doesn’t mean she’s cold or frigid. Just because I don’t smile when I see you, it doesn’t mean you get to comment on who I am as a person. I’m not here for your enjoyment. You need to back off, or I will go to the police and tell them you violated the restraining order.”
He sputtered. “N-now, now, wait just a minute. Who the hell do you think you are?”
Adrenaline flooded my system, narrowing my gaze to a single focal point. Fenton Mills. I didn’t dare take my eyes off him, so I was surprised when I heard Ben’s voice. “Mills, is there a reason you’re harassing my girlfriend?”
Fenton whirled. “Excuse me?”
Ben glowered at him and then stepped over and placed an arm around me. “My girlfriend, Olivia, you’re harassing her. On my property, no less, and I’ve got you on security cameras doing it.”
Fenton glanced around. “Like I told Miss Ashong here, I had a meeting on the fifth floor.”
Ben nodded. “Then you won’t mind us having a look at the log to see who you met with? I can make it a point to encourage them that you meet offsite from now on.”
“You don’t have the right.”
“Well, it’s my building. So I can kick out whoever I want if they don’t comply with my requests.”
Fenton’s gaze bounced back and forth between Ben and me. “I don’t know what the hell you two are on about, but I’m just here meeting a client. If Olivia is having some kind of mental difficulty, maybe she should see someone. But I was just saying hello to a friend. I didn’t mean to cause any consternation.”
Ben released me and stepped forward into Fenton’s face. “Stop it. Your attempt to gaslight her won’t work. I have you on camera and we have witnesses who have seen Olivia trying to back away from you, and who have no doubt heard her telling you what for. So you can take what’s left of your balls, collect them, and march out of here and never bother her again, or I’m going to get the police involved. She will be backed up. So, what’s it going to be?”
Jesus Christ, he’d never been hotter.
Doesn’t it feel nice to have support?
It sure as hell did.
Fenton glowered at me one more time, but he backed off. “Well, it was never my intention. I was only saying hello. If you’re going to have a stick up your ass, fine. Next time I see you, I’ll give you a wide berth.”
I flipped him off, but it was probably Ben’s parting line that scared him. “If you like sticks up your ass, Fenton, that can be arranged. If you come near her again, I’m going to give you exactly what you asked for.” Fenton scurried out of there so quickly I almost choked back a laugh. When Ben turned around, his gaze roamed over me. “Are you okay?”
“I am fine. I don’t need protection.”
His brow furrowed then. “Look, all I’m doing—”
My fingers pressed to his lips. “I was going to say, I don’t need protection, but I’m so glad you came down here when you did. I appreciate it. Thank you.”
His lips spread into a cocky smirk. “Does that mean I get a thank you present? You know, a good-boyfriend treat?”
“Oh, you want a kiss?” I stood up on my tiptoes, angling my face up trying to reach him. He took the kiss, but he shook his head when he pulled back. “My idea was for a kiss somewhere else entirely.”
“Well, that was likely going to happen anyway. How is that a treat?”
“From your lips, it’s always a treat. Come on, let’s go. But we’re going to let the police know he violated that restraining order.”
I shook my head. “You scared him off. He’ll back away.”
Ben took my hand. “It’s not up for discussion. I know you don’t want to cause a fuss. And the idea that this is all being done because of you, makes you uncomfortable. I get it. But I want you safe, and we’re doing this by the book. He has scared you enough, and I’m not taking any more chances. Do you understand?”
Why did his bossy attitude make me clench all over? I nodded. “Yeah. I was just really looking forward to getting home.”
“Oh, we’re still going home. The police will come to us.”
My brows lifted. “I didn’t know that was a thing.”
“Well, I belong to a very exclusive club, and it comes with certain perks.”
My lips twitched. “You don’t say.”
21
Livy
The following night, I ran my hands through my hair as I stared at my tackboard. There were names, places, and people, faceless people, which was far worse because I knew they existed; I just couldn’t identify them.
That was how Ben found me. Staring at my pin wall. “What are you doing? You should be in bed, naked, and under me.”
“Sorry. I went down a rabbit hole.”
He frowned up at the board. “What’s the problem?”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever figure this out. I started this thing, but I can’t make any sense of this. I’m this close, Ben. I can taste it, but I can’t see it.”
His voice was calm, soothing. “Easy does it. You’re just feeling frustrated. I mean it’s a mystery, right? Even Interpol hasn’t solved her disappearance. You have to give yourself time.”
I scrubbed my hands over my face, well aware that I was on a deadline. My editor was going to come calling for pages, and I wasn’t going to have anything to give to him.
My curls were in complete crunchy, wild disarray. I was in workout gym shorts that I often rolled up. I was pretty sure I had ass hanging out, there was an ice-cream stain on my T-shirt, and I needed a shower. Luckily, I still had to go into the office every day, so the crazy look hadn’t gone on for too long, but it had gone on for long enough. A day and a half of me looking like a crazy person hunched in the library, trying to make sense of a mystery that didn’t make sense, and I was due for a change of scenery.
Ben tried to wrap his arms around me, but I shook him off. “No, Ben, I’m pretty sure I stink.”
He shook his head. “No. You always smell amazing to me. I think it’s the stuff you use for your hair. I don’t know why, but I get really horny when I think about coconut and lime.”
I snorted a laugh. “Oh, you’re ridiculous.”
“So you keep telling me, but it’s true. Coconut and lime. That’s my aphrodisiac.”
“Good to know. Because right now my mystery-solving ability is not anybody’s aphrodisiac.”
“Okay. Let me look. Where are you starting.”
I pointed to the center at the picture of Caroline. “There.” I went over and pointed again at a photo of Caroline at the Sussex Grand Ballroom in London. “This one is three years ago. The night she disappeared.”
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