“Miller?”
He stops at the door and pivots slowly on his expensive shoes until his stoic expression greets me.
“Find another way.” I don’t need to elaborate.
He nods slowly but unconvincingly. Then he leaves.
My eyes are incredibly heavy. I struggle to keep them open, and as soon as they close, Nan’s face pops into my darkness and they’re snapping open again. I need to check in. Rolling onto my side, I find my phone and dial, collapsing to my back when it starts to ring.
And ring.
And ring.
“Hello?”
My brow bunches in response to the strange voice on the other end of the line, and I take a quick glimpse of my screen to see if I’ve accidently called someone else, finding I haven’t at all. I take my phone back to my ear. “Who’s this?”
“An old family friend. I’m assuming this must be Olivia?”
I’m sitting up on the couch before I know what’s happened, and I’m standing a split second after that. That voice. My mind is attacked by image after image of him. His scarred face, his thin lips, his eyes, which harbor all kinds of evil.
Charlie.
CHAPTER TWENTY
What are you doing there?” The blood drains from my head, but I don’t take my seat and begin breathing exercises, which I know damn well I should do. I’m beginning to feel light-headed.
“Well, our lovely chat was cut short earlier, so I thought I’d drop by.” Iciness oozes from his voice. “Sadly, you’re not here. But your grandmother is keeping me entertained. Quite a woman.”
“You lay a finger on her…” I start for the door, energy and purpose blocking my exhaustion. “You even breathe on her…”
He laughs, a cold, evil laugh. “Why would I ever want to harm such a dear old lady?”
I’m running now, my legs carrying me out of Miller’s office and through the winding corridors of Ice’s basement. That’s a serious question, and it has an answer. “Because it’ll destroy me, and by destroying me, you destroy Miller, too. That’s why.”
“You’re a smart girl, Olivia,” he says, and then I hear something in the background. Nan. Her chirpy voice stalls my escape, and I come to a stop at the top of the stairs, mainly because my pounding feet and heavy breathing are preventing me from hearing what she’s saying. “Excuse me,” Charlie says casually, the line soon becoming muffled. I can only assume he’s holding the phone to his chest. “Two sugars, Mrs. Taylor,” he says cheerfully. “But, please, take a seat. You shouldn’t be exerting yourself. I’ll see to it.”
He’s back on the line, breathing hard, as if to tell me he’s there again. Where’s Gregory? My eyes close, and I beg everything holy to keep them from harm, my gut twisting with guilt. She isn’t even aware of the danger I’ve put her in. There she is, making tea, asking how many sugars the bastard takes, totally oblivious. “Should I ask her to make it three cups?” Charlie asks, kicking my feet back into action. I run for the exit of Ice. “I’ll see you soon, Olivia.” He hangs up, and my dread multiplies by a million.
Adrenaline is sailing through me, and I throw my weight into yanking the doors open… and get nowhere. “Open!” I pull repeatedly, my eyes searching for a lock. “Fucking open!”
“Olivia!” Miller’s worried, stricken tone punches holes in my back, but I don’t give up. I yank and pull, my shoulder jarring repeatedly from my constant, dogged attempts to open the stupid doors.
“Why won’t they open?” I shout, now shaking them and looking around, not at all averse to throwing something through them in my desperation to get to Nan.
“Damn it, Olivia!” I’m seized from behind and restrained in his hold, but that adrenaline is still working, and it’s working well. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Open the door!” I lash out, kicking back.
“Fuck!” Miller yelps, and I expect to be released, but he just increases his hold around my chest, battling with my flailing body parts. “Calm down!”
I can’t see calm. It’s nowhere to be found. “Nan!” I scream, launching myself from his arms and colliding with the glass doors. Pain sears through my head, followed by the sharp curses of Miller and William.
“Enough!” Miller spins me around and pins me to the sheet of glass by my shoulders. Wide blues eyes run a quick scan of my head, then focus on the despairing tears that have now burst from my welling eyes. “Tell me.”
“Charlie’s at our house.” I spit out the words, hoping that Miller would take them in, and then take me home, fast. “I called to check on Nan and he answered.”