Riveted. Part 12

"I spoke the truth and it worked, didn't it?"

"No," Dominic and Karen chorused.

"You two can't be serious?" Blaine's eyes widened. "Do you know the trouble I went through to convince Garth to walk away from Olivia? I need her with me and if she believes she's all alone in this world, she'll come back."

"To do your hacking?" Dominic said.

"Liv is smart. I told you I didn't mean any harm, Luca. I needed money. Liv got the files I needed. But I realized I misused her talent. She might be able to find a solution and help Bradford Industries out of failing. Legally," he added when Dominic started for him.

"Why did she run in the first place?" Karen unzipped her purse and pulled out a fresh Kleenex. "She was back, able to look forward to starting school. What did you tell her, Blaine?"

The man shoved his hands in his pockets. "I insinuated I would allow, er, Denefew-the one she calls Ape-to..." His voice trailed off.

"Say it," Dominic demanded, Olivia's sudden panic making sense now. Why hadn't he realized?

"I never would've given my sister to him. She's such a d.a.m.n handful. She just needed a little fear put into her."

A commotion prevented Dominic's response. He watched as Howie and Ape hustled in Albert. Dominic's IT department had been tracking the bodyguard via his cell phone and had called with an approximate location forty-five minutes ago. Dominic knew Olivia's location too. He just wasn't sharing. Before he went to her, however, he needed to deal with Albert.

The bald-headed man glared at Dominic.

"I should've shot her when I had the gun to her head," Albert offered.

Dominic sucked in a breath, the thought of Olivia in danger sending his protective instincts into overdrive. Although he knew where she was, he didn't know her condition. If Albert hurt her... Dominic slammed his fist into the other man's jaw. "What did you do to her?"

Albert shook his head as if he were shaking off Dominic's blow. "Nothing. She got away. Led me to believe she didn't know how to drive. Little b.i.t.c.h. The moment I got out to go to the driver's side, she sped off. I should've shot her anyway. Made me feel like a G.o.dd.a.m.n fool."

"Again," Howie offered. "I seem to recall she got the best of you two or three times."

Turning halfway, Albert growled.

"Call the police. Howard, come with me." Dominic swung a warning gaze to Bradford. "I trust your men can handle Albert until the authorities arrive?"

Blaine swallowed, blinked. ""You...you aren't having me arrested?"

Dominic's jaw clenched. "I'd have to have Olivia arrested as well and that I won't do."

Liv sat on a stone bench in Audubon Park. Soon, dawn would burrow through the pitch darkness and lighten the sky with dusky orange. She'd ditched the car in the empty parking lot of the zoo and used the flashlight app on her cellphone to guide her way from Magazine Street to where she sat now.

Her heart constricted at the thought of Dominic and their time together. But people had always breezed into her life and then traipsed right back out, never to be heard from again.

Footsteps approached and she shrank back into the shadows. A flashlight glared on her and around her, the brightness bouncing off her jeans and hurting her eyes.

"Looking for my dog," a man muttered.

He stopped in front of her and Liv's entire body tensed. He fidgeted, adjusting his position, jiggling coins in his pocket, the light bouncing with his movements. She told herself to remain still and not to raise her head, though she knew it could be anyone and, more than likely, was a random stranger who had really lost his dog.

A pair of headlights shone against the bark of the trees and the carpet of gra.s.s. Liv swallowed, on high alert. Dominic would be out searching for her. As would Blaine. She shuddered.

"Have you seen it?" the man persisted, his voice low and indistinguishable. "She's a puggle. You know, part beagle, part pug?"

The headlights died away. Liv thought about pretending to be asleep but debated the wisdom. If he thought her so vulnerable, he might accost her. If she didn't answer, he would just continue to stand there with his bright light.

She raised her head just a bit and glanced at him through lowered lashes. He wore a hoodie so she still couldn't distinguish his features. She shook her head. "Um, no. I-I haven't seen him."

Her nerves stretched as he continued to stand over her, not acknowledging her response. She started to rise. The stranger's hand snaked around her waist and swept her off her feet. His hand over her mouth cut off her scream. She struggled to no avail, was hustled to the vehicle nearby and shoved to the backseat. The door slammed behind her and her forehead slapped against a hard, male thigh.

The breath whooshed from her as she landed on her belly. Without looking up, she knew whose body she'd landed against. Dominic. His scent-his presence-was unmistakable.

His fingers brushed through her hair and she drew in a sharp breath.

"Don't kill me," she blurted.

Dominic's big hand stilled. "Kill you?" he echoed.

His voice affected her to her core, part fear, part fascination.

"I would never harm you."

He already had. His words had crushed her and- "You sent Albert." She couldn't keep the anger and accusation out of her voice. She expected more from Dominic, somehow placing him above the antics of Blaine and Garth. "I'll never forget the feel of that barrel pressed to my head." In her side, the press of the gun had frightened her. She knew it could be deadly if he pulled the trigger. But the close contact wound of a head shot left her little to no chance of survival. "You wanted me dead."

Dominic pulled her onto his lap and kissed the top of her head. "Never, Olivia."

Afraid to trust his words, Liv held herself stiff, not wanting to feel so safe and protected in his arms. Not wanting to feel so hurt and alone at the thought of his betrayal. "Just let me go."

"I'll let you go. I'll take you with me. I'll do whatever you ask of me as long as you forgive me. Howie brought Albert to me," he explained, unaware of the hope blooming in Liv's chest.

Hope for a relations.h.i.+p with him. Hope for a future.

"Blaine has him until the authorities-"

"Blaine?" Liv repeated, frowning. Blaine was the last person she wanted to deal with right now.

"Yes. Blaine."

Dominic caressed her back, his touch sending s.h.i.+vers through her. He sighed, nuzzling her neck.

Liv clutched Dominic's forearms, turning her head and covering his mouth with hers. She reveled in the feel of his tongue slipping past her lips and tasting her.

"We can't do this," she whispered after a moment. "You and I can't-"

"Olivia," he murmured, nipping her lips. "I would never trust Blaine with Albert if I thought he'd betray me or try to harm you."

She sat up and removed herself from temptation by getting off his lap and sitting on the seat. "My brother has no redeeming qualities."

"Do I?"

She sidled a glance at him, unsure. "Do you?"

"I would say very much so. I consider myself a very fair man. I may be a little biased, of course."

Olivia giggled at his wry tone. "You think?"

He chuckled but the sound died away just as fast. Olivia glimpsed Dominic's intensity, his sorrow and regret.

"Forgive me. If you'll give me a chance, I'll make everything up to you. We can start over. Have a try at a real relations.h.i.+p. If that's what you want."

"At the moment I don't really know what I want," she admitted. So much had happened in so short a time.

"I won't rush you, but give me a chance."

He wanted a chance. A chance to be with her and for them to have a future. She really cared about Dominic and wanted to know where their relations.h.i.+p could go, but she'd also seen what happened when love failed. "Thank you for not rus.h.i.+ng me. Right now, I want to be alone."

Dominic drew in an agitated breath. "I understand," he gritted out, though he looked anything but understanding. "You must allow me to bring you home. You can't be out here so early in the morning and all alone. It's too dangerous."

Home? Where Blaine is? It dawned on her that she had no home.

Looking out the car window, Liv perused her surroundings. Strategically placed street lights penetrated pockets of pitch black. Until then, she hadn't focused on how eerie and spooky the area was. So quiet.

Now what?

She certainly couldn't remain here and she refused to return to either Blaine's or Dominic's mansions. Once again, she remembered her no regrets and no running mantra. While it wasn't good to run away, Olivia was beginning to understand her mother's regrets. Had she acted upon them sooner, Connie would've changed her lifestyle.

There it is. Everything in life served a purpose. Even regret. She'd learn from her mistakes as well as her mother's, and would not make the same decisions again. For instance, if she'd told Blaine to go and f.u.c.k himself, she would've found a job and gotten a roommate, which meant she wouldn't be homeless now.

"Olivia!" Dominic's stern voice pulled her back to the moment.

"You don't have to yell, Dominic," she grouched.

"Apparently, I do. It got your attention." He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Come along, sweetheart. Let me get you home."

Dominic paused at Olivia's squeak, staring at the fear and confusion settling in her features. It dawned on him where "home" for her was. No f.u.c.king way was she ever going back to Bradford.

Her defeated look tore at Dominic's heartstrings. He gathered her in his arms. "It's all right. I'll take you home with me. Until we can secure a place for you," he quickly added when she attempted to push herself out of his arms.

"No, I'm not living with you yet."

He lifted a brow at that. "You've already been living with me."

"Three days?" she scoffed. "Three days of s.e.x and thoughts of retaliation against my brother."

"That's more than any other woman has ever gotten from me romantically."

The moment the words left his mouth, he winced, but Olivia stared at him and burst at laughing. "Your style of romance needs a little work."

Unable to argue, Dominic smiled.

"I want us to have a real relations.h.i.+p," she continued, serious again. "One not guided by l.u.s.t. If I go with you tonight, it'll turn into a s.e.x fest. f.u.c.k fest...whatever..." She shook her head in frustration.

"Would either one be so bad?"

"No, but life goes on after s.e.x," she said quietly. "It's the after that I want to add to us."

He wanted to add an after-s.e.x to them, too. For so long he'd been focused on how his father had taught him to run the business, that he hadn't realized he'd begun to act like his parents in all areas of his life. With control and manipulation. He wanted more in his life. With Olivia, he had a chance at happiness. No matter what she went through, she kept a positive outlook on life, the light to his darkness.

He tightened his arms around her. "I understand. I want that too, but you can't live on the street. How about a hotel room tonight and we see about an apartment for you tomorrow?"

She still frowned.

"Olivia," Dominic said with a sigh, holding on to his patience by a thread, "I won't stay in your hotel room. I'll deposit you and leave you to do whatever it is you do."

"The same with the apartment that I don't have money to rent?" she chirped, giving him a cheeky, under-eyed look.

"I can't wait until we're married, Olivia," he blurted. "You're such a source of amus.e.m.e.nt."

"Your a.s.sumption that I'll marry you is laughable!"

Hold on. Did I really say that? Marriage was a long way off. If ever. He couldn't believe he'd thrown those words out there and worked to cover his faux pas.

"I know you don't want to be indebted to anyone so I'll leave it up to you when or how you'll repay me."

She c.o.c.ked her head to the side. "You know how my mother survived, right?"

"Yes, and I wasn't implying-"

"I won't repay you with s.e.x," she interrupted. "I intend to get a part-time job with hours that'll afford time for my cla.s.ses."

"I admire your s.p.u.n.k and determination but life itself is expensive. Utilities. Food. Rent."

"I already know what hard work is and what it takes to survive. Only this time, morals win out. Everything I do from here on out will be on the right side of the law."

Dominic nodded in agreement. "C'mon, sweetheart. Let's get you to a hotel."

"As soon as I get my apartment, I want to get my belongings from Blaine's house."

Taking her hand, Dominic began leading toward the limousine. "If that's what you want, that can easily be arranged."

Epilogue.