All Good Things(81)

Jace turned around and walked toward my bedroom. I knew it was only a matter of minutes before he found the letters. I hadn't exactly hid them well. I hadn't been prepared for a search. If I had...I may have tried to find a loose floorboard or something.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Trisha demanded.

"I couldn't. I didn't want you to worry."

Jace stormed out of my room with the letters in his hand. His face was red. If he were a cartoon character, smoke would be billowing out of his ears. "What the fuck were you thinking, Olivia? Whoever wrote these is clearly obsessed with you. Enough to kill me off to keep you away from me." He was yelling, but I expected that much.

"Jace,"

"What were you thinking?" His fingers wrapped around my arms and he shook me angrily before pulling me into his chest. His heart thundered against mine and his warm scent enveloped me.

"I thought you were the one writing them. At first." I admitted and he gasped. "I thought you were trying to make me accept Gabe as my bodyguard."

"I never would-,"

"I know that now, Jace. I'm sorry." I cried. I didn't know how many more times I could utter the apology. I just wanted him to tell me he forgave me and that we would work through this...together. He was Jace Rush...he could do anything...right?

Jace sighed, holding me tightly to his chest as though he was afraid I would disappear into thin air. His fingers worked the knots in my back absently, and his lips skimmed my hairline. His silence was deafening and a part of me was terrified this was his goodbye. I couldn't handle that. I needed him.

"I know, Angel." He kissed the top of my head. "We're going to figure this out and you aren't going to fight me on my decisions, do you understand?"

I nodded. "I understand."

The buzzer rang and Trisha moved to the door. "Hello?"

"It's Gabe."

She let him in and went to unlock the door. Jace's commanding tone filled the room. "Do not unlock that door, Trisha. Not until you can see his face through the hole."

She stiffened. Fear blazed in her eyes and her face paled. "I won't."

Jace pulled away from me. His blue eyes searched my face. "Are these the only letters?"

I nodded. "They are."

"Do you have any suspicion as to who the writer is?"

"No," I shook my head. I had tried relentlessly to come up with a name of someone who would do this...but each time I came up blank. "I have no idea. I don't know anyone who would do this."

"You would be surprised." Jace said stiffly. He rubbed my back when hurt flashed in my eyes. "I have to read through these, Olivia. How about you go have a bath and relax. You are not leaving today. I will have Jaylah start early."

I nodded. "You can have Jaylah start early, but I want to know what you and Gabe find. I'm not having a bath."

His eyes glowed as they trailed over my body. "Then at least go put some clothes on."

Gabe knocked on the door and Jace held my eyes. I nodded and walked back through the hall to my bedroom. I ran across the room to my closet. I pulled on a pair of black leggings and a heavy beige sweater that hung low on my hips before running back to the hall. I didn't want to miss a thing.

By the time I got out to the living room, Gabe was sitting in the chair with his elbows on his knees. He was reading through the first letter. His shoulders were tense and his eyes were sharp. He didn't say a word as he picked up the second letter and then the third. When he was done, he looked up at me, and then at Jace.

"The writer is a man. He seeks control, but he more than likely lacks it in his career. It's likely he is Caucasian, and he knows Olivia personally. He has not committed a murder previously, and he does not appear to want to kill now...but he will, if he is pushed." Gabe spoke with confidence and authority. Both of these things frightened me terribly.

"How do you know?" I whispered. I toyed with the hem of my sweater, trying to keep my fingers from shaking visibly. "The letters didn't say any of that."

"That is impossible to know by reading the letters." Trisha snapped. Her voice was strained.

It was obvious, her nerves were frayed and she was worried about me. It was evident by the way she moved to stand beside me, pulling me into her side. Trisha has always been protective of me. Sometimes it was good, but other times...like this time, I was afraid it could, and possibly would, get her hurt. I wanted to push everyone away from me so I was the only one at the mercy of the writers' psychotic threats.

Jace's eyes held mine. "Gabe was a profiler. He still does odd jobs when required. He knows what he is looking for, Olivia."

I felt a breath whoosh from my lungs as hope vacated my body. My knees were weak.