Until Darkness Comes (8 page)

***

Olivia woke up early and quickly got ready. Surely Max would come for her today. She glanced down at her watch—7:45. If she waited any longer, she’d be late. Olivia grabbed her keys off the hook by the door and marched out to her Jeep. She turned the ignition and was greeted with silence.
Oh no! You’ve got to be kidding me!
She tried it again—dead.

“Shit!” Olivia climbed out of the SUV and slammed the door behind her. She marched back up to the house and burst into the kitchen.

“Dad, my car won’t start. I need a ride to school.”

“What?” Roger looked up from the newspaper. “I just replaced the battery last month.”
“Well, I don’t know. I must have left the lights on or something. Can we go now, please? I’m gonna be late.”
The first-hour bell rang as Olivia’s feet pounded up the stairs. The day couldn’t have gone by any slower. By fourth hour, her head throbbed. She pushed numbly through the rest of the day until the final bell rang, releasing her from this academic prison. She refused to look over at the vacant parking spot and lifted her face toward the warm afternoon sun.
“You want another ride?” Ashley asked, catching up to Olivia on the steps.
“No, thanks anyway. I think I’m going to walk. I could use the fresh air.”
“Still picking you up at six, right?”
“Right.” Olivia waved as she descended the stairs. Already the afternoon air did wonders to clear her head and ease the dull, aching throb.
She wasn’t more than two blocks from the school when her pulse suddenly jumped in response to the familiar growl of an engine idling behind her. The damn muscle car purred like a lion, and she had to resist the smile pulling at her lips.
Best not encourage him.
But she couldn’t deny the excitement coiling in the pit of her stomach as the black Camaro pulled up beside her.
“Hey, Olivia.”
Now, that’s a stunning smile, and those teeth… Was there anything about this guy that wasn’t perfect? Yeah, his tendencies for violence, she quickly reminded herself. The familiar way her name rolled off this tongue sent a shiver of goose bumps up her arms.
“Liam—” she replied, keeping her tone reserved.
“Can I give you a ride somewhere?”
“No, thank you.”
“Are you sure? I’d hate for you to get stuck out in the rain.” His deep violet eyes were bright and mischievous. His smile hinted at a secret he was dying to share.
Olivia lifted her hand to her forehead, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked into the sky—clear and blue, not even a hint of clouds. She turned back at him and smiled smugly as she opened her mouth, about to say “nice try”, when the shadow of one single cloud rolled over them. The sun’s radiant heat instantly dwarfed as an earsplitting crack fractured the sky followed by an instant downpour.
A startled squawk escaped Olivia’s lips and she shuddered as a chill ran through her. She had irrational fear of storms, and the idea of getting stuck out here in the middle of one sent her heart racing and adrenaline flooding her veins. Olivia opened the passenger door and leapt inside. Liam reached behind the seat and grabbed a towel. She took it, giving him a grateful smile, and lifted the plush towel her face. Liam’s spicy scent instantly filled her lungs, reminding her of sandalwood and spice—cloves maybe? Whatever it was, he smelled amazing. Calming numbness washed over her in waves, leaving her feeling almost intoxicated. She sat beside him—frozen. Her face buried in his towel, she drew in a slow deep breath, pulling his scent deep into her lungs.
“Are you all right?” Liam asked softly.
“Is this your towel?” It was a stupid question to ask, but it was too late to take it back.
His eyes flickered over, meeting hers self-consciously. “Yeah, I, uh…just left the gym. I’m sorry I didn’t have a clean one to offer you.”
Olivia’s heart thundered in her chest. She hadn’t expected to have this strong of a reaction to him, and quite honestly, it scared her a little. She’d never experienced this kind of pull toward anyone—ever.
His brows pulled tight in a concerned frown. “Is something wrong?”
Olivia’s mind went blank. She broke his piercing gaze and cleared her throat awkwardly.
He must think I’m nuts. Hell, why shouldn’t he, I’m starting to think I’m nuts.
“I’m fine— ” she answered hastily, looking down at the towel clutched in her white-knuckled grip, crushed against her chest like a security blanket. She hastily tossed it into the seat behind her.
What is wrong with me?
Liam gave her a full, white-toothed smile. His eyes were filled with amusement, and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Another crack of thunder boomed and a blaze of lightning tore through the sky. Olivia jumped, her heart slamming into her throat as she let out a yelp that sounded more like a strangled gazelle.
Way to play it cool, Olivia.
Liam reached over and put his hand on her shoulder. His light touch felt…comforting—safe. Liquid heat spread up her arm and settled into the center of her chest.
“It’s all right. I know you hate thunderstorms.”
“How do you know I hate storms?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“Because you look like you’re about to have a panic attack, and I can hear your heart pounding from over here. I’m no mind reader, but I’d say your distaste for inclement weather is a pretty safe assumption.” The corner of his mouth quirked up in a lopsided grin. Damn, she wished he’d stop doing that. Her heart was pounding all right, but it had nothing to do with the storm outside.
Olivia turned in her seat to face him. A strand of her long damp hair brushed across the top of his hand. She followed his gaze as it dropped to her shoulder. Her jetblack hair lay draped across his hand. He almost looked mesmerized as he reached up and coiled the strand around his fingers, letting the damp silky length slide through his hand. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear he’d never touched a woman before, but seriously, look at him, he’d probably had more ass than she could shake a stick at.
Liam’s gasp broke the silence hanging in the air. His eyes locked on hers, the intensity that swam in those depths sent her heart racing. She sat there, silently staring at him— flecks of dark blue began to take over his violet eyes like an afternoon storm rolling across the horizon.
Amazing…
The shrill ring of Olivia’s cell phone startled her back to reality. She bent over and dug through the bag lying at her feet. Liam’s hand left her shoulder, taking with it the warmth his touch provided. She shuddered as the chill from her damp clothes crept inside her bones.
“Hello?”
“I’m fine. I got a ride with a friend.”
“Why does it matter? I said a friend is bringing me home.”
“If you cared so much, then maybe you should have been here to pick me up yourself! It’s pouring outside!”
“I realize you’re not the weather man, but some people
did
know it was going to rain. And they don’t hold a degree in meteorology!”
Olivia glanced over at Liam, embarrassed he heard her conversation. The hard set of his jaw and his whiteknuckled grip on the steering wheel told her he knew exactly who she was talking to and he wasn’t happy about it.
“No, I don’t want you to come and get me. I have plans tonight anyway.”
“No, not with Liam. Why would you even say that?”
“Well, I’m sorry. I already made plans with Ashley. We’re having a girls’ night. If you wanted to see me so badly, why haven’t you returned any of my calls for the past three days?”
“Max—” Olivia sighed in exasperation. “I gotta go.” She closed her phone and slipped it inside her bag. “He hung up,” she mumbled, waiting for Liam to say something like “I told you he was an ass.” Right about now, she wouldn’t disagree.
“You should get out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold.” His gentle voice didn’t hold even a hint of boasting or self-satisfaction. Liam reached behind her and grabbed the towel she’d tossed behind the seat. His hard, muscular chest pressed against her shoulder. It was the same amazing wall of muscle she remembered running into at the gym. His scent engulfed her in an embrace that left her head spinning. “Sit forward,” his husky command sent shivers of delight racing up her spine. She leaned ahead, and he wrapped the towel around her shoulders. “I’ll take you home.”
Olivia watched him out of the corner of her eye as he drove down the road.
Is this guy for real? He’s so thoughtful and considerate—pretty much the exact opposite of Max.
“Would you like a ride to school tomorrow?” Liam asked, pulling into the driveway. “I could bring you until your car gets fixed.”
“How did you know my car isn’t working?”
“Cuz you’re not driving it, and the hood is up.”
“Oh.” Maybe if she would have been looking at the driveway instead of staring at him, she would have seen that. Liam laughed. It was a rich, musical sound that brought a smile to her lips.
“Did you think I was some crazy stalker or something?”
“Or something,” she teased.
“So, do you want me to pick you up?”
“Umm…that’s okay. Max will probably take me. He usually ends up doing something nice after he’s been a jerk.”
Liam brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. A rush of heat ran down her neck and settled deep inside her chest. She resisted the sudden urge to lean into his touch.
“You deserve better than him, Olivia.” His thumb gently caressed the side of her cheek before he pulled his hand away, leaving a brief pang of disappointment in the pit of her stomach.
“Why would you say that? You don’t even know him. Are you ever going to tell me what that fight was about?”
Liam remained silent as he returned her pointed stare. Clearly, he had no intention of discussing the matter with her. She huffed with frustration. “I didn’t think so. Thanks for the ride,” Olivia opened the door to climb out of the car. She started to take the towel off her shoulders when he held up his hands to stop her.
“Keep it.”
Olivia wasn’t sure why she did, or even why she wanted to, but she wrapped the towel back around her shoulders and climbed out of the car. The minute her foot touched the ground, the rain instantly stopped. Every cloud in the sky disappeared before she reached the house.

Ashley talked non-stop, ever since she’d picked Olivia up for their night out. She was only half listening, not that Ashley would notice anyway. Her encounter with Liam this afternoon still consumed her thoughts. For hours after she got home, Olivia would swear she smelled his scent on her.

“So, what’s up with you and Nate?” Olivia interrupted in a pathetic attempt to take her mind off Liam.

Ashley frowned, looking over at her. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on! You don’t see it? He’s practically falling all over you. So are you going to throw him a bone or what?”
“I don’t know. He’s a really great friend. I’m just not sure I want to cross that line, ya know? I’d hate for things to get awkward.”
“He’s a lot better guy than most of the losers that hang out here,” Olivia nodded toward the crowd lined up in front of Waterworks as they pulled into the packed parking lot. Ashley didn’t answer her, the bass from the club vibrating inside the car. When she looked over, Ashley was already swaying to the beat of the music.
“This is going to be so awesome!” Ashley climbed out of the car and dashed toward the crowd. “Hurry up, Liv! The line to get in isn’t getting any shorter.”
They’d been waiting in line for almost fifteen minutes when Olivia noticed a guy with dark brown hair come stumbling out the door with his arm slung over the shoulders of a beautiful tall blonde woman. They turned and walked toward the parking lot, giving her a profile shot to the couple. Olivia’s heart stopped.
“Max?” she called loudly.
The guy stumbled to an abrupt halt. Even from across the parking lot, she saw his spine stiffen, shoulders squared. He pulled his arm off the blonde and slowly turned toward her. The intoxicated woman gave him a surprised look, staggered over to a nearby car, and leaned against the hood, obviously lacking the coordination to ambulate independently.
Max swaggered over to Olivia, wearing a shit-eating grin. If this was his “I’m sorry” face, it sucked royal ass. He looked more like the cat that ate the canary. Olivia was pretty sure if she looked close enough, she’d see a few yellow pin-feathers poking out of those gleaming white teeth.
“Hey, Liv…” That unmistakable drunken slur thickened his voice. He reached out and tried to pull her into his arms. She side-stepped his reach, the sour smell of alcohol turning her stomach. “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Her shrill voice drew the eyes of everyone in the parking lot. She could feel them staring at her, but she was too pissed off to care. What she did care about, though, was that she just busted her no-good, lying, cheating boyfriend with another woman!
“I was just having a few drinks with some friends,” Max tried to explain, making another failed grab for her.
“Yeah, girlfriends!”
“Cindy isn’t my girlfriend. You know I’ve only got eyes for you.” This time when he reached for her, he moved with surprisingly accurate speed. She yanked her arm back, his fingertips grazing her bicep.
“Yeah, and hands for every other tramp in this place,” Ashley chimed in sarcastically.
Max spun toward Ashley. His glare sent a shiver of dread up Olivia’s spine. “Shut up, Bitch!”
Ashley recoiled in surprise, and Olivia stepped in front of her, shoving herself between her friend and Max. Her own temper flared in Ashley’s defense and she poked her finger into his chest, backing him off. By now a small crowd started to gather, and the larger of the two bouncers walked toward them.
“You know what, I don’t even want to talk to you when you’re like this! Why don’t you just leave? I hope you and your piece of ass are very happy together!”
She turned around to walk away, and Max grabbed her arm so fast, she didn’t even see him move. His fingers bit into her bicep with brutal strength. She bit down her lip to keep from crying out as he jerked her up against his rock hard chest, his black eyes shimmering with hatred.
Olivia’s heart hammered inside her chest. Suddenly, she wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t haul off and hit her. She’d never seen him like this before, so furious, so out of control.
His top lip curled back in a snarl. “I said she’s just a friend!”
Adrenaline rushed through her veins, her fight or flight screaming at her to run, but she knew she’d never be able to break his grip on her arm. “Oww, Max. You’re hurting me,” she whispered, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.
“Is there a problem here?” A large hand lay heavily on Max’s shoulder. “I think you’d better take your hands off the lady.”
With blinding speed, Max let go of her arm, whipped around, and sent an upper cut into the bouncer’s jaw. The man flew through the air, all two hundred pounds of him. If Olivia hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she’d have never believed a man his size could catch air like that. He landed unconscious into the crowd of people behind them.
A scream rent the air, and she realized it was coming from her. A higher pitched wail grew louder by the second. Someone must have called 911—thank God. Max turned back to Olivia. “I’ll call you tomorrow.” He walked away, leaving her and the drunk blonde across the parking lot staring at him in open-mouth shock.
Tears welled up in her eyes. “Don’t bother,” she called after him.
“What was that you said about losers?” Ashley asked, taking Olivia’s arm and guiding her away from the crowd. “You still want to go inside?”
Olivia nodded, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do. If she went home right now, all she’d do was cry herself to sleep, and Max would win. Obviously, he wasn’t going to lose any sleep over her, so why should she disappoint Ashley and let him ruin her plans?